Loyalty is a commendable human trait. It shows how pure we are from inside and how much we detest double standards. We have to be loyal to our creator and loyal to our fellow brethren. In animals, loyalty of the dog and the horse to human beings are shining examples of how a lower life form dedicates itself to someone who rears and nurtures it.
Loyalty to the creator means that we remain true to our commitment made with Him. We serve and worship Him alone and do not associate partners with Him. Both in hope and despair, we should always call upon Him and not become superstitious.
Loyalty to our fellow brethren means that we are true well-wishers of people, especially those around us. In their matter, the biggest test of loyalty is we uphold the voice of our conscience. If we think that someone close to us is doing wrong and we are in a position to point this out and correct him, loyalty demands that we should muster this courage and inform that person of our views. This is a trial we must always be ready to face. Telling our near and dear ones of their shortcomings is not always easy and one tends to shy away especially if the person is an elder who one dearly respects. A worse form of this is that instead of conveying our grievances to that person, we end up discussing them with unrelated individuals. This is against our loyalty to that person.
Following the rule of law is part of our loyalty to the country that we live in. Any slackness in this regard is a stigma on this sacred bond that we have with it as its citizens. Loyalty demands that we have respect for laws enacted by a country by following them. This of course means that we can criticize these laws if we do not agree with them but this should not mean that we should not comply with them.
Moreover, loyalty to one’s clan or tribe should not mean that we accept its stance for the sake of it even though it may be against justice and fairness. This is a wrong connotation of loyalty and produces bias and bigotry. Our loyalty to the truth should be stronger than our loyalty to any cause or clan.
It can thus be seen that loyalty begins with a person’s strong regard for his own conscience and ends with expressing its dictates in a fearless yet sympathetic manner.
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