Ethics in Islam Notes

PG PROGRAMME
ISLAMIC STUDIES
Semester—IV
IS18408DCE
ETHICS IN ISLAM: BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEVELOPMENT
DIRECTORATE OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR
Copyright © Directorate of Distance Education, University of Kashmir
First Edition: 2022
ISBN:
Course Prepared by:
Mr. Aqib Amin Ahangar
Content Editing by:

Dr. Bilal Ahmad Wani
Department of Islamic Studies, Shah Hamadan Institute of Islamic Studies
University of Kashmir
Format Editing by:
Dr. Mohammad Dawood Sofi
Assistant Professor, Islamic Studies (Contractual)
Directorate of Distance Education, University of Kashmir
Coordinated by:
1. Dr. Mohammad Altaf Ahanger
Sr. Assistant Professor (Urdu)
2. Dr. Mohammad Dawood Sofi
Published by:
Director
Directorate of Distance Education
University of Kashmir
Srinagar
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Table of Contents Page No
Unit I Islamic Ethics
i) Ethics in Islam: Concept and Prospect 6-16
ii) Study of Islamic Ethical Concepts in Quran 17-43
iii) Study of Islamic Ethical Concepts in Ahadith 44-68
Unit II Man and Moral Behaviour
i) Ethical Significance of: a) Salah and Sawm 70-83
b) Zakah and Hajj
ii) Social Ethics in Islam 84-99
iii) Economic Ethics in Islam 100-112
Unit III Ethical Studies
i) Ethical Philosophy of al-Ghazzali 114-128
ii) Ethical Philosophy of Sayyid Ali Hamadani 129-138
iii) An Introduction to Khulq al-Muslim by Muhammad al- 139-158

Ghazzali
159-171
iv) An Introduction to Adabi Zindagi by Muhammad Yusuf
Islahi
Unit IV Islamic Perspective on
i) Human Rights 172-189
ii) AIDS 190-200
iii) Cloning 201-208
iv) Riba (Interest) 209-227
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A Note to the Students
Assalamu Alykum
Dear Students
It makes us ecstatic to welcome you to the first semester of PG Program in Islamic
Studies. To fulfil your academic requirements and to satisfy your learning interest and
zeal, we are presenting in your service some important words regarding PG Islamic
Studies Program.
The adept and competent scholars of Islamic Studies have prepared the study material
that is commonly known by the title Self Learning Material in Open and Distance
Learning (ODL) system of Education. All the Self Learning Material has been
prepared and compiled according to the Syllabus. While compiling the material,
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maximum four Units that are further divided into various topics and sub-topics. In
order to minimize the differences between the formal and distance learning, the
Structure/contents of each lesson/topic is as:
1. Introduction/Background
2. Aims and Objectives
3. Main Topic/Lesson
4. Let Us Sum Up
5. Check Your Progress
6. Suggested Readings
You may question the reason behind division of one topic into various sub topics.
Herein lies its answer. A teacher in formal mode of education first introduces the topic
in classroom, presents the aims and objectives and thereof ensures a conducive
atmosphere for teaching learning process. To proceed to the main body, the teacher
touches the background of the topic and then presents the subject matter in a
comprehensive manner. Meanwhile, the teacher asks several questions to the students
in order to gain their attention and balance the teaching learning process. The teacher
finally concludes the lecture by recommending some relevant books to the students.
Now you may have understood the purpose behind division of a topic into various sub
topics. While going through the pages of study material, it is expected that the students
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gap between formal and distance mode of learning.
Moreover, the Self Learning Material is an effort to enable you to use your spare time
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and course. However, in the process of learning and while trying to grasp an idea, if
you face any problem or get stuck somewhere, or feel that something is out of your
ingenuity and understanding, you just underline the point. To clear the confusion and
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that you will build your future by making a deep reading of the Self Learning Material.
It should not happen that you will decorate your rooms by shelving the study material
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Finally, regarding the standard and quality of the Self Learning Material, kindly
suggest your views and opinions. This will immensely help in improving quality of the
study material and will also prove more fruitful for the coming students.
Craving and praying for your success and ambitious for your intellectual pursuits.
Coordinators
1. Dr. Mohammad Altaf Ahanger
Sr. Assistant Professor (Urdu)
2. Dr. Mohammad Dawood Sofi
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UNIT 1: Islamic Ethics
Lesson No. 1: Ethics in Islam: Concept and Prospect
Lesson Structure
1.1.1 Introduction
1.1.2 Objectives
1.1.3 Values and Ethics in Islam
1.1.4 Significance
1.1.5 Let Us Sum Up
1.1.6 Check Your Progress
1.1.7 Suggested Readings
1.1.1. Introduction
This lesson talks about ethics in Islam, its concept and prospect. Islamic ethics is being
defined as akhlaq (plural of khuluq) which means character, nature, and disposition. The word
akhlaq has a very close relationship with the word khaliq (the Creator) and makhluq (the
creature). Therefore, akhlaq assumes a good relationship between khaliq (the Creator) and
makhluq (the creature), and between makhluq (the creature) and makhluq (the creature)
themselves. The term khuluq appears in the Qur’anic verse “And You (Muhammad) are on
an exalted standard of character” (68:4). Khuluq (akhlaq) or character has been referred as the
state of the soul that determines human actions. It is neither the soul nor the action. Such
character could be acquired through training and practice. In addition, to differentiate between
the words character and action, character is the internal and hidden state of the soul, while
action is its outward manifestation. Character or akhlaq is the inward cause while action is its
outward consequences. A good character hence begets good action whereas a bad character
yields bad actions.
Al-Ghazali stated that man consists of two forms, khalq and khuluq or akhlaq. Khalq refers to
the physical form of mankind while khuluq or akhlaq refers to the spiritual form of mankind.
Thus, akhlaq from al-Ghazali’s point of view is rooted in the soul and manifested through
man’s actions. Good soul will produce right action and vice versa. Al-Ghazali defined Islamic
ethics or ilm al-akhlaq as the way to acquire the wellbeing of the soul and to guard it against
the vices. It is also a study of certain religious beliefs and of rightness or wrongness of actions
for the purpose of practice, and not for the sake of mere knowledge. For him, the study of
akhlaq includes the study of right actions towards God, family members, and society. Thus,
the scope of akhlaq, according to al-Ghazali, is very wide. Meanwhile, according to Ibn
Taymiyyah, Islamic ethics or ilm al-akhlaq is a science that seeks to know which actions
should be done and which should be avoided. It is a practical science meant to be applied.
Accordingly, Islamic ethics or ‘ilm al-akhlaq is a science which deals with the ways to
maintain virtues at their optimum level, i.e., to avoid wrongdoing and to do what is right and
desirable. The scope of Islamic ethics is numerous, far reaching and comprehensive because
Islamic ethics deals with the relationship between man and God, man and his fellow men,
men and other creatures of the universe, and man with his innermost self.
Meanwhile, the two primary sources of Islamic ethics are the Qur’an and Sunnah of the
Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h). Al-Qur’an is the most significant source given by God for the
human being to refer to pertaining to human conduct besides the Sunnah of the Prophet
Muhammad (p.b.u.h) as the role model to be imitated. Both Qur’an and the Sunnah of the
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Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) are called the scriptural morality. There are some elements in
the Qur’an which can be considered as fundamental problems of ethics, such as, i) the nature
of right and wrong, ii) divine justice and power, and iii) freedom and responsibility. With
regards to the first problem, the Qur’an uses a whole cluster of terms to denote the concept of
moral or religious goodness, such as, al-khayr (goodness), al-birr (righteousness), al-qisr and
al-iqsat (equity), al-adl (justice), al-haqq (truth and right), al-ma’ruf (known and approved),
and al-taqwa (piety). Pious actions are normally referred to as salihat, whereas impious or
sinful actions are termed sayyi’at. The term like m’aruf, khayr, and al-birr which occur in
many verses express the moral and religious spirit of the Qur’an. The second fundamental
ethical issue in the Qur’an is regarding the divine justice. There are several verses in the
Qur’an that are related to the divine justice, such as, verses that enjoin justice, disapprove of
the unjust, and love the equitable and pious in which to show that God is not an unjust dealer
with His servants. Meanwhile, the third ethical problem in the Qur’an is regarding the human
responsibility. The term used is yus’alu in which it is used in passive voice in a morally
neutral sense that would be referred as the meaning of ‘liable to question’ such as responsible
or answerable for doing or believing that which is clearly reprehensible. In some of the
verses, the unbelievers or polytheists are stated to be answerable to God for their misdeeds or
disbelief on the Day of Judgment while in others this answerability is expressed much broader
terms that illustrate the general imperative of moral responsibility. The other source of Islamic
ethics is Islamic theology. Theologians did not enter into normative questions of Islamic
ethics. They discussed the source of ethical knowledge, the basis of moral obligation and the
meaning of ethical terms. Besides these epistemological and meta-ethical questions, they also
discussed the questions of human freedom and responsibility, and divine justice. The
theologians have taken various positions on these ethical questions. The determinists, for
instance, upheld the absoluteness of divine power, denied the reality of human freedom and
responsibility, and did not try to justify divine justice. Meanwhile, another group of
theologians, the Mu’tazilite, asserted man has power and freedom to choose and act through
reason. They stated that acts like prayers, fasting, and zakah are determined good through
revelation. However, there are other things that can be determined good through reason. For
the Mu’tazilites, moral obligation is rational. The pronouncements of reason, they said, are
binding not only on man but also on God. According to Mu’tazilites, God must reward the
righteous and punish the wicked acts. This is what they called divine justice. Meanwhile,
Ash’arite theologians took a middle position between absolute determinism and the self-
sufficiency of human will. The Ash’arites was of the opinion that revelation is the only way to
know the good and the right. They did not accord any role to reason except in knowing what
is pleasant, useful or harmful. Nothing is obligatory, they said, unless revelation commands it.
1.1.2 Objectives
Following are the objectives which a student will come to know after learning Islamic ethics:
1. Muslims must be humble with God and with other people.
Allah says; “And turn not your face away from people (with pride), nor walk in
insolence through the earth. Verily, God likes not each arrogant boaster. And be
moderate (or show no insolence) in your walking, and lower your voice. Verily, the
harshest of all voices is the voice (braying) of the ass.” (Quran 31:18-19)
2. Muslims must be in controls of their passions and desires.
Allah says; “The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, but only he (will
prosper) that brings to God a sound heart.” (Quran: 26:88-89)
3. A Muslim should not be vain or attached to the ephemeral pleasures of this world.
While most people allow the material world to fill their hearts, Muslims should keep
God in their hearts and the material world in their hand. Instead of being attached to
the car and the job and the diploma and the bank account, all these things become
tools to make us better people. “It is not righteousness that you turn your faces
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towards East or West; but it is righteousness (the quality of ) the one who believes in
God and the Last Day and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; who spends
of his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, to the needy, to the
wayfarer, to those who ask and for the freeing of slaves; and who is steadfast in
prayers, and gives Zakah (Alms); and those who fulfill their covenants which they
made; and who are patient and perseverant in poverty and ailment and throughout all periods
of fighting. Such are the people of truth, the pious.”
4. Muslims should be able to exercise charity when they are in need themselves, control
when they are angry and forgiveness when they are wronged? This is the standard by
which actions are judged as good or bad. By making pleasing God the objective of
every Muslim, Islam has set the highest possible standard of morality.
1.1.3 Values and Ethics in Islam
Islam is a religion that provides a complete way of living through its ethical standards and
values provided in the Holy Quran. It has described moral values and ethics in a proper way
and has emphasized the Muslims to follow them in order to please the Almighty Allah. The
Creator of this world and the eternal one has allowed human beings to choose their living
style according to their will. The reason behind this freedom is that Allah has described this
worldly life as a test in the Holy Quran to earn a reward on the Day of Judgment according to
the deeds.
Islam has provided fundamental rights to all the living things in the world. Therefore, these
rights of all living things must be well observed according to the ethical principle and values
of Islam. In the Holy Quran Almighty Allah says:
“It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West; but it is righteousness
to believe in God and the Last Day and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to
spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the
wayfarer, for those who ask; and for the freeing of captives; to be steadfast in prayer, and
practice regular charity; to fulfill the contracts which you made; and to be firm and patient in
pain (or suffering) and adversity and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of
truth, the God-conscious”. (2:177)
The most glorifying example of practicing Islamic values and ethics is the Last Prophet of
Allah, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He (peace be upon him) set standards and
provided guidelines to the followers to practice in life. He (peace be upon him) ended the ill
customs and traditions found in the Arabic world and other regions regarding racism, killing
of daughters, alcohol, fraud, interest, adultery and brutal killings.
In the Holy Quran, Almighty Allah describes Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as,
“And indeed, you are of a great moral character.” (68:4)
With contrast to other systems, the ethical system in Islam takes guidelines from the divine
source of teachings “The Noble Quran” and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him). The ethical values set by Islam cannot be altered according to the will of human beings
and the situation they are in. The system is working for thousands of years and it will do the
same until the day of judgment. This system cannot be affected by the cultural norms as Allah
(SWT) is the one whose acceptance is most important when it comes to performing the deeds
in this world.
In the Holy Quran, Almighty Allah has mentioned the following values that Muslims must
practice in their lifetime.
• Almighty Allah is the only one to be worship.
• Parents must be dealt with kindness.

• Whenever a promise is made it, fulfill it.
• The poor and orphans are the responsibility of the society.
• Performing the religious duties set by Islam.
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• Staying away from the deeds that are recommended as sin in Islam.
• Dear of Allah should be in the heart of everyone with the truth on the tongue.
• Killing a person is like killing the whole of humanity.
• Practice honesty in personal and professional life.
The Almighty Allah with his unparalleled wisdom has devised such a system that enables a
person to live a perfect life.
1.1.4 Significance
Islam gives very much emphasis on the importance of ethics and its significance for the
development of individual and society. Good individual will produce a good society at large.
There are many Qur’anic verses and hadiths which indicate the importance of ethics. The
Qur’an mentions, “Let there arise out a group of people inviting to all that is good enjoining
what is right and forbidding what is wrong. They are the one who attained success”. The two
important points can be highlighted from the above verse; first is calling others to all that is
good, and second is enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong. Good implies the
whole Islamic value system, its beliefs, ideas, ethical principles, and all aspects of life. It can
be inferred from the above verse that successful Muslims are those who put the struggle and
strife to practice everything which is good in the eyes of God and to refrain everything which
is unlawful according to shariah. In the other verse, Allah mentions, “You are the best
community that has been raised up for mankind. You enjoin right conduct and forbid wrong”.
In this sense, Allah has labeled Muslims as the best ummah who enjoins what is good and
forbid what is wrong. Thus, the personality of the best ummah is not only having personal
virtues but also calling and leading others to the right path of virtue. This has been indeed the
practice of the prophets and their successors. After achieving their own perfection, they
helped others to achieve the same. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Nothing is heavier
on the scale than having the good character”. “I was sent to uphold and sanctify the noble
characteristics”. “Among the greatest number of people who enter paradise are of the pious
and the virtues”. There is no doubt that Islam really stresses on the aspects of having noble
characteristics. Moreover, ethics can be considered as the basic pillar for a healthy and firm
nation. A society or nation which is devoid of ethical values would always be having
problems. Therefore, all scholars and philosophers agreed on the importance of ethics in
every individual and society, and considered ethics as the foundation of every society.
According to most scholars, the first step in promoting an ideal human society is to advocate
refined morality. Indeed, each prophet brought the same message to urge people to uphold a
good morality. In addition, ethics must be counter part of other sciences, such as, law,
politics, science, economics, and others for such sciences become soulless or insignificant if
detached from ethics. As such, basic ethical principles like justice, freedom, equality, and
rights should be existing and applied in all disciplines. Otherwise, they would have been so
many problems occurred. So, ethics should exist in each and every field of discipline. For
example, there must be certain ethical manners that need to be observed in economics or
business in order to ensure that there will be no practices of corruption, oppression, and any
other unethical acts. The relationship between ethics and economics has been expounded
clearly by Muslim jurists like Qadi Abu Yusuf (d. 799), and Abu Ubayd (d. 834) in their
discussion about the concept of justice in economics. In modern term business ethics can be
defined as written and unwritten codes of principles and values that govern decisions and
actions within a company. It is also an ethics between employers, employees, businessman
and consumers. It applies to all businessman and consumers as well as to all aspects of
business conduct. It is also relevant to the conduct of individuals and business organization as
a whole. Making money or profits is not wrong in business but it should be conducted in right
manner, and should not involve any negative elements, such as, cheating or bribery.
Therefore, there is an Islamic code of conduct which is meant to be a frame of reference for
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financial matters, such as, production, trading, distribution, and consumption. These matters
of business are not separated from ethical and moral questions in Islam. There are values that
must be observed and respected.
Islam forbids us to exploit other people or to use unjust method in acquiring wealth. It also
has regulated the way of spending which is not be too niggardly and not to be too extravagant
but to be a middle cause between these two extremes. In terms of income distribution, Islam
suggests it should be done on the basis of justice. Justice in distribution is to make sure
thatthe wealth should not be monopolized by the rich only but should be circulated fairly
among the members of the society. That is why we have rules and laws of zakah, inheritance,
sadaqah, waqf, and baitul mal. In addition, there are some basic socio-economic ethics in the
Qur’anic verses and hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him), such as, condemn of the use
of false weights and measures and other fraud dealings, the prohibition of riba and usury, the
prohibition of gambling, the prohibition of bribery, consuming others’ property unlawfully,
and trading during congregational prayer on Friday. In the field of politics, ethics is also
important in order to ensure that there will be no practice of cronyism, money politics
especially during the election, and hegemony of power. Some politicians trying to gain
reputation by invalid means, such as, creating false accusation towards other candidates and
this would lead to other implications like tension, unstable, unhealthy relationship, disunity,
and so on. If politicians neglect to abide by the rules and regulations of morals, the condition
eventually turns out to be chaotic and miserable. In reality, politicians can be considered as
rulers in which they have big responsibilities to be carried out to ensure the welfare of the
people under them. If they are all observing the Islamic ethics, they would be no cases of
corruption and negligence of the inferior people. Political ethics, thus, refers to a code of
conducts which regulates and guides the behavior of the ruler and the ruled as well as between
the government and citizens. Allah mentioned, “Indeed, God commands you to render back
trusts to whom they belong, and when you judge between people, that you judge with
justice.”. Therefore, justice is one of the most important ethical principles in politics. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) regarded the just ruler as to be one of the seven categories of
people who are promised to be given a privilege on the Day of Judgment. He said, “On the
Day of Judgment, the most beloved and closest to God from amongst all people will be a ruler
who was just, and the most hated to God and the most severely punished person will be a
ruler who was unjust”. Justice here means equal treatment for all people with no distinction
and discrimination. It also includes judicial justice in which judgment or decisions should be
made on the basis of justice with no distinction between relatives and non-relatives, status of
rich or poor people, or personal benefits.
A ruler is also prohibited to favor his relatives or to assign them positions which they do not
deserve. The Prophet (peace be upon him) viewed this as a symptom of destruction of a
nation. A man once asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about the Day of Judgment and he
answered, “When trusts are betrayed, wait for the Hour”. The man asked, “How are they
betrayed?”. The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied; “If positions are given to those who are
not worthy of them, wait for the Hour”.
Other than that, Islamic ethics should be incorporated in many other fields too such as in
science and technology. Nowadays, the advancement of technology makes abundant of new
inventions that somehow contradict to the human nature. For instance, the issue of cloning is
one of the perennially arguable issues among people. The practice of cloning, though there
might be some benefits, still there are many harmful consequences too. Therefore, Islamic
ethics rejects cloning as it opposes to human nature; at the same time Islamic ethics cares to
prevent harms due to this practice. Islamic ethics is also applied to medicine. It refers to codes
of conduct which regulates and guides the behavior of doctors in dealing with each other and
the patients. Ethics and medics are related to each other as a doctor should observe his or her
own ethics in dealing with patients or in the case of surgery. In the 9th century, the physician
Ishaq bin Ali Rahawi wrote the first treatise on Adab al-Tabib (medical ethics). In this
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treatise, Rahawi labels physicians as guardians of souls and bodies. He also highlights all the
deeds and acts that must be observed by a Muslim physician. Therefore, Muslim physician
practiced in accordance with the guidance of God. Unlike the secular medicine, Muslim
practitioners did not perform abortions or other unethical treatment. Besides Rahawi, al-Razi
also observed the relationship between ethics and medicine by taking into consideration the
patients’ problems and attitudes. Among the most remarkable works on ethics was done by
Ibn Miskawayh. He authored quite systematic treatment of ethics like tahzib al-akhlaq, al-
fauz al-asghar, and kitab al-saadah. According to Ibn Miskawayh, the task of ethics is not
only to justify and analyze basic concepts but also to discuss the methods of attaining a
virtuous life. The whole of Ibn Miskawayh’s ethics can be divided into three parts; how to
cultivate virtue, how to preserve virtue or maintain of the health of the soul, and how to get
rid the soul of vice. The analysis of Miskawayh’s idea on the cultivation of virtue discovers
that virtue is not a matter of instruction only. For him, the emphasis should be on training and
constant practice. Virtue is the result of the regular subordination of the irrational to the
rational soul. It means that one keeps on doing good deeds if he is at the stage of rationality.
As Muslims, to be rational does not mean justifying things based on the intellectual faculty of
mind only, but it also involves observing every single aspect of moral conducts whether it is
line with the shariah law or not. For Miskawayh, attainment of ethics in man’s life is a
lifelong process. He introduced four cardinal virtues; courage, temperance, wisdom, and
justice. All of these are identification traits that make up a real Muslim. The description of
courage is the ability to express anger, display vigorous and energetic pursuits, ventures in
danger and strives for domination, promotion and varieties of honor.
Essentially, courage works in the moderate and harmonious state of mind, and it can be
eventually manifested to perform the functions and to obey what is prescribed right or wrong
for the soul. Therefore, courage is necessary to accomplish the goals of life but it must be
manipulated in proper ways. Proper ways connote the implementation of ethics because
courageous people are good outwardly. However, if they used their courage to subjugate and
oppress people it is not regarded as a virtue from Islamic point of view. The other virtue,
according to Miskawayh, is temperance. It infers to the person who gratifies his desire in the
right measure, in the right way, at the right time, and in the right situation. Miskawayh
emphasizes that temperance presupposes the presence of desire and the possibility of their
gratification. Temperance is somehow a mean between greed and annihilation of desire. So,
virtue is a kind of balancing the soul; not too much and not too little in doing things.
Meanwhile, the third virtue, according to Miskawayh, is wisdom which consists of
understanding both divine and human knowledge. This noble characteristic enables man to
apply what ought to be done and what ought to be avoided. In addition, the other cardinal
virtue introduced by Miskawayh is justice. Accor ding to him, this virtue is the most
important among all as he claims that courage, temperance, and wisdom are virtues of
particular faculties of soul, but justice is the virtue of the entire soul. He claims that justice is
a combination of all the three virtues; courage, temperance, and wisdom. He describes that
justice is exercised most in social dealings particularly pertaining to the exchange of benefits.
Justice too has been said as giving what is due, to whom it is due, and in the way it is due.
Indeed, justice is to be applied to own self, to other fellow men in society, and to God.
Basically, this moral characteristic is more or less about performing the duties to which it
requires. It also educates Muslims not to be bias and not to choose based on own preferences.
Rather, it is about exercise fairness to appropriate people and situations.
Besides Ibn Miskawayh, al-Ghazali also gives much emphasis on Islamic ethics in which he
focused on the importance of fulfilling duties as a human being. According to him,
performing duties has two divisions; duties which are directed to God, and duties which are
directed towards one’s fellow men. It is applied to devotional acts according to shariah and
also fulfilling all the rights as an individual. Al-Ghazali mentions that a man has to lead a
family life and a life in a community. This requires the implementation of ethics because
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ethics guides Muslims to keep them onto the right path, and without ethics people would not
bother their duties.
1.1.5 Let Us Sum Up
In order to ensure the happiness and goodness of life, man needs to refer to the code of ethics
to monitor his relationship with God, with his family, with other fellow men in society, with
other creatures of the universe, and even with his innermost self. For example, ethics provide
some manners in performing ritual obligations, such as, performing five daily prayers within
stipulated time and also the manners in reciting the Qur’an in which ablution is necessary and
the like. It shows the beauty of Islam that everything should be done in proper ways.
Therefore, man cannot ignore the code of ethics because negligence of it would lead to the
deviation and going astray from the straight path of Islam. In terms of the relationship
between man and his fellow men, it is clearly mentioned in the Qur’an that Muslims are
brothers; thus, one should possess ethical characteristics, such as, helpful, kind hearted,
generous, and polite to one another. Similarly, Muslims should not be telling lies to others,
spread false news, backbiting, slandering, and other unethical deeds. If every individual abide
by the prescribed codes of ethics, people can live peacefully and there would be no cases of
crime such as, murder, rape, theft, incest, and prostitution and so on. Therefore, Islamic ethics
is vividly vital because it is a basic pillar for a healthy society. It aims at establishing life’s
order and giving it regulation, dignity and serenity as desired by the teachings of Islam.
1. Define the term Islamic ethics and quote some verses which define the noble
Character of the beloved Muhammad (peace be upon him)?
2. What are the objectives of Islamic ethics?
3. Define theory of Ibn Miskawayhs about the task of happiness?
4. Why Islam gives very much emphasis on the importance of ethics and its significance
for the development of individual and society?
5. Quote some Qur’anic verses and hadiths which indicate the importance of ethics.
6. How do Islamic ethics develop a good relation between Khaliq and Makhluq?
7. Write a note on values and ethics in Islam.
1. N. O. Mohd, Christian and Muslim Ethics, (Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan
Pustaka)
2. Q. Muhammad, The Ethics of al-Ghazali: A Composite Ethics in Islam, (Selangor:
National University of Malaysia)
3. R. G. Hovanniasian, Ethics in Islam, (California: Undena Publications)
4. M. D. Sheila, Muslim Ethics and Modernity, (Canada: Wilfred Laurice University
Press)
5. Hamidullah, M, Introduction to Islam, (Delhi: Kitab Bhawan)
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Lesson No. 2: Study of Islamic Ethical Concepts in Quran: i) Haya. ii) Adl. iii) Taqwa.
Iv) Afu. V) Tarahum. Vi) Ajiz. Vii) sabr. Viii) Tawakkul. Ix) Tawbah. X) Sidq
Lesson Structure
1.2.1 Introduction
1.2.2 Sources of Ethics in Islam
1.2.3 Objectives
1.2.4 Explanation ethical concepts mentioned in Quran: i) Haya; ii) Adl; iii)
Taqwa; iv) Afu; v) Tarahum; vi) Ajiz; vii) Sabr; viii) Tawakkul; ix) Tawbah; x)
Sidq
1.2.1 Introduction
This lesson talks about Study of Islamic Ethical Concepts in Quran. The system of ethics is
considered the protective fence of societies and their secure fortification against social
spyware and problems that might hinder the progress of these communities. In any society, if
its moral system is broken down, this community has been called for disappearance and
destruction. The talk about morality is not needless to say, not the luxury of thought; it is to a
talk about the survival of a nation or its demise. So it is noted, when reviewing verses of the
Holy Quran, that the Holy Quran emphasizes the moral concepts, and this may be evident
when the Holy Quran presents the praise of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him
saying that "And thou on an exalted standard of character" (Al-Qalam: 4). It is well known
that the Holy Quran when the speech is addressed to the Prophet; it 's speech to the whole
nation to follow the moral avenue which followed by the Prophet: honesty, trust, the
fulfillment of the Covenant, the faithfulness in secret and in public, and sacrifice etc. This is
the high moral system that the Islamic religion has urged. To illustrate the seriousness and
status of morality, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
summed up the purpose of his message to the worlds by saying: " I was sent to uphold and
complement ethical values." (Narrated by Ahmad, 2/381, H/8939). The Holy Quran
mentioned the concept of "moral" twice, the first time in the verse" And thou on an exalted
standard of character" (Al-Qalam: 4) i.e., you are on high virtuous and good character. The
second time is in the verse " This is no other than a customary device of the ancients" (Al-
Shuara': 137) i.e., it is inborn character and the nature of the ancients is to tell lies. So, it
isknown that morals could be good required and could be hateful and abhorrent. (Al-Saboni
1981), and the Prophet's Hadith: "The most complete of the believers in faith, is the one with
the best character among them. And the best of you are those who are best to your women."
(Al-Albani, Sahih Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadeeth no. 1162, 1/593). Ethics can be defined as: a
stable character in the soul. It may be innate or acquired that has effects in the commendable
or reprehensible behavior (Al-Maidani 1420). It is defined by Abu Hamid al-Ghazali as: a
permanent state in the self from which the acts released easily without the need for care or
thought (Ghazali, d.t). Ibn Al-Jawzi sees that morality is: the pure will and visible and
invisible acts that match with justice, wisdom and interest (Al-Jawzi, 1415). By reviewing the
definition of ethics, the researcher believes that ethics have the status of stability, which guide
acts and behaviors performed by persons: Based on what one has of morality, his behavior is
a reflection of this morality, whether these behaviors are praiseworthy or blameworthy. The
researcher defines ethics as: What stabilizes in the soul from the qualities reflected by the
behaviors in real life.
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God created man and deposited wishes, desires and tendencies that attract and push him to
good or evil. So there was to be a controller to direct these desires and tendencies in a positive
direction so that humans do not fall to the lowest level and elevate them psychologically,
mentally and spiritually. So ethics are the controller and the guide and this confirms that
ethics are not a luxury plus, received by one and leave it whenever he wants. Ethics are
individual, social and an urgent humanitarian necessity. Good morals instil a sense of duty
and enables the virtue of self, and this makes the good behaviour a self-emission towards
truth and goodness and justice. Thus, if the situation of the individual is right, the community
is also right. The Prophet Muhammad gave a great position to morals: he made them the aim
of his message to the people by saying, "I was sent to uphold and complement ethical values."
(Sherqawi, 1990).
Sources of ethics in Islam are the same sources of Islamic legislation. The Holy Qur'an is the
first source of morality, which contains an ethical system that calls for supremacy and
eminence. Every verse in it contains an order, to do or forbids it, carry a moral value in its
content (Abu Al-Enein, 1988). The second source of ethics is the Prophetic Sunnah because
the Prophet Muhammad is the real and behavioral translation of what is stated in the Qur'an of
morals. God says to him: "And If you had been rude (in speech) and harsh in heart, heartless
man, they would have disbanded from about you." (Al-Imran, 159). The life of the Prophet is
an invitation to good morals. The sources of morals in Islam is also juristic deduction (Al-
Ijtihad), which means Muslim scholars do their best in order to reach the legitimate rule: it is
an important source of ethics because the juristic deduction stems from trustful thinkers and
scholars whose goal is to achieve goodness, justice and equality (Murtaja, 2004). Rankings
Ethics in Islam Ethics levels can be divided from an Islamic perspective into four levels: First:
personal ethics that lead to the individual benefit and goodness such as patience to scourge
and thanks to the grace. It is linked to the relationship of the individual with God (Al -Asmer,
1997). Second: the social ethics which benefits the community such as cooperation, honoring
parents, good neighborliness (Al-Sibai, 1979. Third: human morality which benefits the
human whatever. It is based on respecting others' opinions and behaviors (Sabri, 2002).
Finally, the universal ethics which benefit all that God created from non-humans like animals
and others by investing them for the benefit of all mankind (Al-Hili and Al-Suyuti, 1987).
Characteristics of the Moral Growth of the Sixth Grade Students: At this stage of a child's life,
the moral trends are determined based on the ethics prevailing in the social environment that
surrounds him such as family and school. Children, at this stage, are aware of the moral
concepts such as truth, justice and honesty. Specifically, here the great role of parents,
teachers and educators appears in general as ethical models. Muslims scholars of education
such as Al-Ghazali, Ibn Miskawayh, Ibn Khaldun considered that childhood is the stage in
which ethics are instilled in children; so it is important to have educators as a good example
and model for children. Also, it is necessary to take care of ethical education which brings up
children according to good principles within the framework of socialization (Hijazi, 2017).
Many studies have focused on the subject of ethics in the curriculum. In one study, Abu
Khater (2015) aimed at investigating the level of the ethical values included in the Islamic
Education book for the seventh and eighth grades. The study concluded that the book of the
Islamic Education for the seventh grade basic included (1304) repetitions of the moral values,
where the presence of the value of honesty was great while neglecting the value of reverence
of old people. The repetition of moral values in the book of the Islamic Education for the
eighth grade is (1359) moral values, where the values of courage, generosity, the connection
of the uterus and honesty are the most in the two parts of the book. Maqqousi, Fatiha (2013)
conducted a study that aimed to know the extent books of Islamic education high basic stage
included values of love. The researchers used the method of content analysis. The results
showed that the repetition of the values of love related to faith and morality in the three books
of the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth grades got higher frequencies, then the values of love related
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to family and school came second and in the third place, the values of love related to life
came third. Al-Khatib's study (2012) aimed to identify the Islamic moral values included in
the Arabic language books for the second phase of the basic stage in Jordan. The study
concluded that the total number of Arabic language book frequencies reached (2624)
distributed over (55) values in four main fields: (dogmatism, worship, materialistic, social).
Arabic language books for the sixth grade came first in terms of the frequencies of values in
them, then the seventh grade's and finally, the fifth grade's. Al-Shamlati (2010) also
conducted a study aimed at revealing the individual moral values in the Islamic Education
books for intermediate stage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the methods of presenting
them. The sample of the study consisted of 12 Islamic books of education for intermediate
stage in Saudi Arabia. The researcher used analyzing the content of these books. The study
tool was presented in (13) lists of individual moral values that are needed in these books. The
results showed that the number of individual moral values included in the books of Islamic
education prescribed for the middle-aged amounted to (55) individual moral value of the total
(68) moral value that should have been available in these books. The results also showed that
there is a significant disparity in the presentation of these moral values in these books.
Mansour and Tlafha (2009) conducted a study that aimed to identify the ethical values system
which should be included in the Islamic Education book for the basic stage students in Jordan,
and the values included in these books. The research sample search consisted of all books (10
books) of the Islamic Education for the basic stage in Jordan. The Results showed that the
moral values which should be included in the books of Islamic Education for the basic stage
distributed in a hierarchical structure in four fields: the system of the individual moral values,
family values, civil values and international values. Also, the results showed that the highest
percentage was the field of individual moral values and the lowest proportion was the domain
of the international moral values. After reviewing the previous studies, it is noted that the
current study differs from the other studies mentioned above in that it follows the comparative
approach. It compares the ethical concepts in the sixth grade book in Jordan with the book of
Islamic education for the same grade in the United Arab Emirates.
1.2.3 Objectives
Following are the objectives which a student will come to know after learning this
lesson;
1. Worship only Allah:- And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him (17:
23)
2. Be Kind, humble and honorable to one’s parents:- And that you be kind ( Dutiful ) to
one’s parents if one of or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a
word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honor (17:23/4:36).
3. Be Neither miserly nor wasteful in one’s expenditure: - And spend not wastefully
(your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift. Verily, spendthrift is brothers of the
devils (Shyatin) (17:26-27).
4. Do not engage in mercy killings for fear of starvation: - And kill not your children for
fear of poverty (starvation). We shall provide for them as well as for you. Surely, the
killing of them is a grave sin (17:31).
5. Do not commit adultery:- And come not near to the unlawful sex. Verily, it is a
Fahishah (grave sin) and an evil way (17:32).
6. Do not kill unjustly:- And don’t kill anyone whose killing Allah has forbidden, expect
for just cause (17:33).
7. Care for orphaned children:- And come not near to the orphan’s property expect to
improve it, until he attains the age of strength (17:34).
8. Fulfill promises:- And fulfill (every) covenant. Verily! The covenant will be
questioned about (17:34).
9. . Be honest and fair in one’s interactions:- And give full measure when you measure
and weigh with a balance that is straight. That is good (advantageous) and better in the
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end (17:35).
10. Do not walk on earth arrogantly:- And walk not on earth with conceit and arrogance.
Verily! You can neither rend nor penetrate the earth, nor can you attain a stature like
the mountains in height (17:37/31:18).
11. Fear Allah and speak truth:- O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allah and fear
him, and speak (always) the truth (33:70).
12. Remain away from intoxicants and gambling:- O you who believe! Intoxicants (all
kind of alcoholic drinks), gambling, Al-Ansab and Al-Azlam (arrows for seeking luck
or decision) are an abomination of Satan’s handiwork. So, avoid (strictly all) that
(abomination) in order that you may be successful (5:90).
13. Be good and kind towards relatives and neighbours:- And do good to kinsfolk
(relatives), orphans, the poor, the neighbor who is near of kin, the neighbor who is a
stranger, the company by your side, the wayfarer (you meet) (4:36)
1.2.4 Explanation ethical concepts mentioned in Quran: i) Haya; ii) Adl; iii) Taqwa; iv)
Afu; v) Tarahum; vi) Ajiz; vii) Sabr; viii) Tawakkul; ix) Tawbah; x) Sidq
I. Haya (Modesty)
Islamic morality divides modesty into natural and acquired. Modesty is a quality inherent in
girls and boys, a certain type of modesty that is natural in human beings. If manifests itself,
for instance, in a natural human urge to cover one’s private parts. According to the Quran,
when Adam and Eve ate from the fruit of the forbidden tree, they became aware that their
private parts were exposed, and they began to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise, a
natural result of their modesty.
Islamic scholars consider modesty to be a quality that distinguishes human beings from
animals. Animals follow their instincts without feeling any shame or a sense of right or
wrong. Hence, the less modesty a person has, the more he resembles animals. The more
modesty a person has, the closer he is to being human. Islam has mandated certain
legislations which induce this sense of modesty within humans.
Quranic verses which gives us clear idea about modesty:
"Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest. That is purer for them. Lo! God
is Aware of what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest,
and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over
their chests, and not to reveal their adornment." (Quran 24:30)
The verse then mentions the people before whom one is exempted from veiling; the ones who
cannot be called ‘strangers’. Also, the command is relaxed as one matures: an aged woman
who has no hope of marriage can discard the overcoats that screen what they are wearing
underneath.
“You shall strive for the cause of God as you should strive for His cause. He has chosen you
and has placed no hardship on you in practicing your religion - the religion of your father
Abraham. [Quran 22:78]”
“And tell the believing women to subdue their eyes, and maintain their chastity. They shall
not reveal any parts of their bodies, except that which is necessary. They shall cover their
chests, (with their Khimar) and shall not relax this code in the presence of other than their
husbands, their fathers, the fathers of their husbands, their sons, the sons of their husbands,
their brothers, the sons of their brothers, the sons of their sisters, other women, the male
servants or employees whose sexual drive has been nullified, or the children who have not
reached puberty. They shall not strike their feet when they walk in order to shake and reveal
certain details of their bodies. All of you shall repent to God, O you believers, that you may
succeed. [Quran 24:31]”
The women may relax (their dress code) around their fathers, their sons, their brothers, the
sons of their brothers, the sons of their sisters, the other women, and their (female) servants.
They shall reverence God. God witnesses all things. [Quran 33:55]
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The elderly women who do not expect to get married commit nothing wrong by relaxing their
dress code, provided they do not reveal too much of their bodies. To maintain modesty is
better for them. God is Hearer, Knower. [Quran 24:60]
O children of Adam, you shall be clean and dress nicely when you go to the masjid. And eat
and drink moderately; Surely, He does not love the gluttons. [7:31]
On the day when we summon them all, we will ask the idol worshipers, "Where are the idols
you set up?" Their disastrous response will be, "By God our Lord, we never were idol
worshipers." Note how they lied to themselves, and how the idols they had invented have
abandoned them. [Quran 6:22-24]
ii) Adl (Justice)
It is through the wisdom and intelligence with which we have been endowed by Allah that we
differentiate between a good and a bad thing and we understand that oppression is a bad thing
and justice is a good thing.
It is our belief that Allah does not do any harm to us nor does He oppress us.
The Meaning of Justice
In the discussions on justice the basic problem is to give satisfactory answer to its criticism.
We would present some explanation in the light of Qur'anic verses and the traditions.
(i) The first point is that Allah is Just and Allah never deprives anyone of his rights and
according to the rationality of the laws, Allah bestows His Kindness on all His creatures and
never does Allah oppress anybody.
Now we can see whether there exists somebody's right on Allah or whether there is any right
of the creatures from the very beginnings so that cruelty has arisen out of the suppression of
this right?
Were we present beforehand or did we have something beforehand which has been taken
away from us? True, there is some differentiation between the creatures. Some are minerals,
some are plants, some are animals and some are human beings, but none of these creatures
possessed any existence or right before its birth and which is supposed to have been usurped.
Take for example a big carpet which we cut into small pieces. It will then be said that this
carpet which originally was big has lost its originality of being big by having been cut into
pieces. But in the case of a carpet which was already made small it cannot be complained as
to why it has been made small because before that it had no existence at all and when it was
brought into existence it was made small already.
Thus, this small carpet from the beginning had no quality of being big so that it was deprived
of something which it possessed.
Allah, the All-Wise, has created all his creatures with difference when none of them had
existed beforehand or had any claim or right. Allah established a system of lifecycle with
cause and effect and set a particular line of action for every creature.
He never makes any discrimination between His two creatures or two nations in as far as His
expectations from them are concerned in regard to their obligations and responsibilities.
Similarly, His reward or punishment is also based on justice for all.
He has taken into consideration the respective capabilities and capacities of each creature in
His commands and accordingly He has fixed proportionate punishment for each so that there
is no partiality or injustice done to anyone of his creatures.
Again take an example of a factory which manufactures spare parts of small machine and tires
of big motor cars also. Would you brand the factory owner tyrant because he manufactures
small parts and big tires? Or can the small machine parts themselves complain of the
differentiation? The answer to this is certainly in negative.
It is so because in this Machine Age we need machine parts as well as tires. But there was a
time when none of them existed before and the factory owner made them or brought them into
existence according to the need of the time for two different functions. Here the kind of
cruelty exists only when the machine parts would bear the burden of tires.
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Now that when each one of them were brought into existence for its specific purpose and
functions and no extra burden was put on it beyond its capacity the question of cruelty does
not arise at all.
At this stage when the meaning of justice and cruelty has been abundantly clarified it is
necessary to ponder over the following important point:
At every place and every occasion, the concept of justice is not equality. For example, if a
teacher without taking into consideration the abilities and the hard work of each student gives
equal marks to all of them, he actually commits cruelty.
Similarly, if a physician gives the same medicine to all of his patients without considering the
nature of their diseases and conditions he does the same cruelty. In both these examples the
demand of justice is that the teacher and the physician should treat his pupils and the patients
differently according to their merits and ailments respectively.
It should not admit any consideration, recommendation, favouritism etc., but this different
attitude of treatment in different cases is according to the demand of the occasion. It does not
come under the definition of cruelty.
(ii) The second point is that the objections to the Justice of Allah are only motivated by hasty
decisions. Some of the examples are given below:
Suppose an Islamic Government out of necessity and in consideration of public welfare takes
a decision to build a 45 kilometre long road as every road has its utility for providing a means
of communication for the smooth flow of traffic and for the convenience of pedestrians, but
by laying down each and every road people have to undergo some sort of hardship until the
time compensation for the demolition of houses and the construction of new houses at
alternate places is affected.
Thus for the sake of avoiding hardship of a handful of people the overall interest of the people
and the program for the public welfare cannot be ignored. In Islam despite the importance of
individual rights and ownership of the people the overall rights of the society have been
greatly emphasized.
The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali said to Malik Ashtar. "Call those people who have
hoarded the things of public utility and remind them of doing good and abstaining from evil
and if they still do not pay heed to your advice, bring them to task". He further said:
"Hoarding is useful to a hoarder only, but it is harmful to the good of the society".
The Causes of Injustice
(i) Ignorance: Sometimes ignorance becomes the cause of oppression as for example man
does not know that there is no difference between a white race and the Negroes and hence a
white man under his feeling of superiority oppresses the people belonging to the black race.
Thus by his ignorance and defective thinking a man starts doing things which result in
oppression and persecution. But how the Almighty Allah Who is above all defects such as
ignorance and Whose Knowledge is infinite, can do an act of oppression!
(ii) Fear: Sometimes it is fear which is the cause of oppression as for example one strong
power is scared of another strong power which is its enemy and knowing that if it does attack
the other power, the same would attack it and therefore in order to forestall this possible
danger it commits oppression by making an attack on the other power.
Similarly, a despotic ruler in order to be in a formidable position persecutes the people who
want freedom from his oppression. But the Almighty Allah has no one as His rival so as to
indulge in an act of oppression.'
(iii) Wants: Sometimes the cause of oppression is based on one's sense of deprivation and thus
from the psychological point of view one is obliged to an act of oppression for fulfilling his
wants.
(iv) Meanness: Sometimes it is the inner meanness that some people oppress others or when
they see the deprived and oppressed people, they derive pleasure in seeing them so.
After knowing the various causes of oppression you can decide as to which one of these can
be attributed to Allah? In this context, the Holy Qur'an says:
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Allah does not wish injustice for any of His creatures. (3:108)
How could it be that Allah Who commands us for doing justice can Himself be an oppressor?
The Holy Qur'an says:
Allah commands people to maintain justice, kindness, and proper relations with their
relatives. (Surah al-Nahl, 16:90)
How is it possible that Allah Who commands man who is weak and who leads his life under
the dictates of his unruly passions, not to become the cause of injustices if he receives
injustice at the hands of his nation, may Himself Who possesses unlimited power and Who is
not under the domination of any instinct, perpetrate injustice?
The Attributes of Allah
The acquiring of knowledge about the Attributes of Allah is closely related to our knowledge
of recognition of Allah. As for example just as we trace the writer from his writing as well as
from his style of writing and identify him by particular words and phrases which he uses as
his style and which indicate his mental attitude also, in the same way every creation performs
the following two main functions.
(i) Identifying its creator
(ii) Projecting the attributes of its creator and explaining the objective of its creation.
Justice-One of the Principles of Religion
When Almighty Allah possesses innumerable attributes, e.g. Wisdom, Knowledge and Power
of creation why is it said that justice is one of the principles of religion? Why is it not said
that first the Belief in monotheism and then existence, or first the Belief in monotheism and
then Knowledge? But on the contrary it is said first the belief in monotheism and then justice!
The answer to this question is as follows:
A small section of the Muslims known as Ash'ari sect do not consider that Allah is Just. They
think that whatever Allah has done is correct no matter it may be wrong or cruel. Further, the
Ash'arite say that if Allah sends Imam Ali to Hell and his assassin the accursed Ibn Muljam to
Paradise, nothing can stop Him, He can do so.
But we do not accept this logic as we consider Allah's Justice as one of the cardinal principles
of our faith and according to Qur'anic reasoning and our own common sense we say that all
the acts of Allah are based on Justice and Wisdom and that Allah does not commit any act of
cruelty or does anything wrong.
Moreover, the belief that Allah is Just plays the following important role in building man's
personality:
Advantages of Believing in the Justice of Allah
Self-restraint: From the point of view of self-control and abstaining from sins especially when
man knows that his words and deeds are in the knowledge of Allah and not even a fraction of
his deed however small it may be ignored from being taken into account, and that he will be
paid back for his noble and evil deeds, he will then not consider himself independent in this
world (Many Qur'anic verses can be cited in this behalf).
Cheerful Outlook: Anyone who has belief in the Justice of Allah in all worldly affairs
possesses a cheerful outlook of life and as such when he considers Allah to be just he has
cogent reason and a satisfactory answer of the unpleasant things. He accepts the unpleasant
things without hesitation. Such a person never suffers from disappointments and despair.
Justice Plays its Role in Individual and Collective Life: The faith in the Justice of Allah helps
to lay the foundation of justice in individual and collective life. Such a person prepares
himself to accept justice in his personal and social life.
iii) Taqwa (Piety)
The word Taqwa or piety (to fear Allah and to guard against evil) is frequently used by
laymen and experts and recommended by one group or the other. But what does it really
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mean? Each group has a special meaning of piety in mind. To clarify its meaning, we need to
discuss the views of the lexicographers and scholars as well as those of Ahl al-Bayt and some
of the mystics. AllamahTarihi, may his soul rest in peace, has said that Taqwa in the holy
Quran has several meanings as follows:
a. Fear and awe: “Me alone should you fear” (2: 41).
b. Obedience and worship: “be careful of (your duty to) Allah with the care which is due to
Him” (3: 102).
c. Purifying the hearts from sins: “And he who obeys Allah and His Apostle, and fears Allah,
and is careful of (his duty to) Him, these it is that are the achievers: (Qur'an, 24: 52).
It is said that “This last meaning is the real meaning of Taqwa and not the first two
meanings.” He has also said: “Taqwa originally comes from the word Waqaya meaning to
ban and to keep.”
It is also said that “Taqwa comes from Waqayah meaning safeguard and protect.” Raghib
says: “Waqayah is to keep something from what harms it and Taqwa is to guard self from
what it fears.” He further says that speaking religiously Taqwa is to guard self against sin.
Itsrealization depends on abandoning what has been generally forbidden and even some of the
permissible acts.
Allamah Majlisi, may his soul rest in peace, says: “And Allah safeguarded him from evil, a
good safeguarding. I kept myself from His chastisement and from opposing Him.”
Elsewhere he says: “Taqwa means to safeguard and etymologically, it means self-restraint.
Generally speaking, it means to keep self from what harms it in the Hereafter and the more it
is restricted, it will be better for self.”
An ascetic was asked what Taqwa is. He said: “What will you do if you enter a piece of land
full of thistles?” The one who had asked the question said: “I will keep away myself from it.”
the ascetic said: “Do the same in world, it is Taqwa.”
An Arab poet says: “Be like one who walks on a piece of land with thistles in it; he will
obviously keep away from it. Take no small sin lightly, for mountains are made up of sands.”
iv) Afu (Forgiveness)
Afu is for Allah to forgive you for the sin and delete it from your book of deeds as if it did not
happen. That is why our beloved Prophet peace be upon him advised us to read this dua:
‫اللهم انك عفو تحب العفو فاعفو عنا‬
Asking Allah for forgiveness is a must to be understood by the following:
A Muslim’s faith may become weak and he may be overwhelmed by his desires. The
Shaytaan may make sin attractive to him, so he wrongs himself (commits sin) and falls into
that which Allah has forbidden. But Allah is Kind to His slaves, and His mercy encompasses
all things. Whoever repents after doing wrong, Allah will accept his repentance, for Allah is
Forgiving and Merciful.
“But whosoever repents after his crime and does righteous good deeds (by obeying Allah),
then verily, Allah will pardon him (accept his repentance). Verily, Allah is Oft Forgiving,
Most Merciful [al-Ma’idah 5:39]
Allah is Forgiving and Generous. He commands all His slaves to repent sincerely so that they
may gain the mercy of Allah and His Paradise. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will
expiate from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow
(Paradise)” [al-Tahrim 66:8]
Sincere repentance is not merely the matter of words spoken on the tongue. Rather, the
acceptance of repentance is subject to the condition that the person gives up the sin straight
away, that he regrets what has happened in the past, that he resolves not to go back to the
thing he has repented from, that he restores people’s rights or property if his sin involved
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wrongdoing towards others, and that he repents before the agony of death is upon him. Allah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allah accepts only the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and foolishness and
repent soon afterwards; it is they whom Allah will forgive and Allah is Ever All-Knower, All-
Wise.
And of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil deeds until death faces one
of them and he says: ‘Now I repent;’ nor of those who die while they are disbelievers. For
them We have prepared a painful torment” [al-Nisa’ 4:17-18]
Allah accepts repentance and is Merciful. He calls sinners to repent, so that He might forgive
them:
“…your Lord has written (prescribed) Mercy for Himself, so that if any of you does evil in
ignorance, and thereafter repents and does righteous good deeds (by obeying Allah), then
surely, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-An’aam 6:54]
Allah is Kind to His slaves and loves those who repent. He accepts their repentance, as Allah
says:
“And He it is Who accepts repentance from His slaves, and forgives sins, and He knows what
you do” [al-Shura, 42:25]
“Truly, Allah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify
themselves” [al-Baqarah 2:222]
When a kaafir becomes a Muslim, Allah turns his bad deeds (sayi’aat) into good deeds
(hasanaat), and forgives him all his previous sins, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be
forgiven” [al-Anfaal 8:38]
Allah is Forgiving and Merciful, and He loves the repentance of His slaves. He commands
them to repent so that He might forgive them. But the devils among mankind and the jinn
want to turn people away from the truth and make them incline towards falsehood, as Allah
“Allah wishes to accept your repentance, but those who follow their lusts, wish that you
(believers) should deviate tremendously away (from the Right Path) [al-Nisaa’4:27]
The mercy of Allah encompasses all things. If a person’s sins are very great and he has
wronged himself very much, but he then repents, Allah will accept his repentance and will
forgive his sins no matter how great they are. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say: O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil
deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Zumar 39:53]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Our Lord comes down to the
lowest heaven when one-third of the night remains, and says, ‘Who will call upon Me so that
I may answer him? Who will ask Me so that I may give to him? Who will seek My
forgiveness so that I may forgive him?’” (Narrated by Muslim, no. 758)
Man is weak. If a person sins, then he has to repent and seek forgiveness every time. Allah is
Forgiving and Merciful, and He is the One Who says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah’s forgiveness, he will
find Allah Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Nisaa’ 4:110]
Allah has told us that he will forgive all sins for the one who repents to Him. He says:
“Say: ‘O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful’” [al-Zumar 39:53].
This includes all sins, even shirk. Whoever repents, Allah will accept his repentance.
With regard repentance from shirk in particular and the acceptance thereof, Allah says:
“And those who invoke not any other ilaah (god) along with Allah, nor kill such person as
Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse and whoever
does this shall receive the punishment.
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If a person repents to Allah, Allah accepts his repentance and forgives him. Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And He it is Who accepts repentance from His slaves, and forgives sins”
[al-Shura 42:25]
“And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and
associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains
constant in doing them (till his death)” [Ta-Ha 20:82]
V) Tarahum
There are certain key words in the Qur’an which are greatly stressed of which four are very
often repeated i.e. rahmah, ihsan ‘adl, and hikmah (compassion, benevolence, justice and
wisdom). Rahmah (compassion, mercy) and its roots abound in the Holy Qur’an. Among
Allah’s own names are Rahman and Rahim (compassionate and Merciful). A Muslim begins
everything by reciting Bi Ism-i- Allah al-Rahman al-Rahim (i.e. begin in the name of Allah
Who is Compassionate and Merciful). Thus a Muslim is supposed to invoke Allah the
Compassionate and Merciful at every step. He does not invoke Allah’s other names (Allah
has 99 names according to the Islamic belief) as he invokes Him as Merciful and
Compassionate.
The very first chapter of the Qur’an has the second verse as Al-Rahman al-Rahim (The
Compassionate, the Merciful). The first verse too carries the sense of compassion when it
describes Allah as Rabb al-‘Alamin (i.e. Sustainer of the whole world). The concept of
sustenance of the whole world itself is based on His Mercy and Compassion for everything
He has created. In fact, rahmah is so central to Allah’s existence that it embraces all that
exists in the universe (wasiàtkullashayin), see verse 40:7.
In fact, He sent His Messenger Muhammad also as the Mercy of the World (21:107). Thus the
Prophet of Islam also represents universal mercy. As the Messenger of Allah he is
representative of His Mercy and hence the Prophet himself is known as rahmatanlil àlamin
(mercy of the worlds). Thus a true follower of the Prophet (PBUH) has to be merciful and
compassionate to the extent humanly possible. Anyone who is cruel and has no sensitivity
towards sufferings of others cannot be Prophet’s true follower in any sense.
This is a great pity that Muslims themselves except the sufis and their followers have
forgotten the emphasis of the Holy Qur’an on the quality of compassion. The Sufis lay
tremendous stress on compassion. Their very fundamental doctrine is what is called sulh-i-kul
i.e. peace with all which means no violence and no aggressiveness. The majority of Muslims
of course follow sufi approach. It is only some frustrated fringe groups of Muslims who keep
on talking of jihad and power.
It is important to note that in Qur’an there is no concept of war of aggression and no concept
of permissiveness of violence. Even where permission of war has been given it has been given
to defend and protect rights of the oppressed and exploited, and not for achieving power.
There is no verse in the Qur’an which permits violence for conquering territory or for
achieving power. In fact, war has been qualified in the Qur’an by the words fi’ sabilillah i.e.
in the way of Allah. Thus a war can be fought, if at all necessary, not for any personal
ambitions or for grabbing territory or not for personal animosity or for revenge but only in the
way of Allah.
And what is the way of Allah? Allah’s way is of justice, Allah’s way is of protecting the
rights of the poor and exploited. In fact, the very first verse in the Qur’an permitting the use of
violence reflects this very well. It says: “And what reason you have not to fight in the way of
Allah, and of the weak among the men and the women and the children, who say: Our Lord,
take us out of this town, whose people are oppressors, and grant us from Thee a friend, and
grant us from Thee a helper.” (4:75).
Thus explaining the import of this verse, a noted commentator Maulana Muhammad Ali says
in his The Holy Qur’an, “This verse explains what is meant by fighting in the way of Allah.
While most of the believers who had the means had escaped from Makkah, which is here
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spoken of as the city whose people are oppressors, there remained those who were weak and
unable to undertake a journey. These were still persecuted and oppressed by the Makkans, as
is clearly shown by the words of the verse, and not only men, but even women and young
children, were persecuted. Fighting to deliver them from the persecution of the oppressors
was really fighting in the way of Allah. …”
Since, any fighting has been permitted only in the way of Allah it cannot be a war of
aggression in any case. It has to be only on compassionate grounds, not on any ground and
hence the doctrine of compassion remains central. If there is no other way to liberate the
oppressed except through use of force only then use of force will be justified otherwise not.
The Qur’an again and again shows its sympathy for the weaker sections of the society in
which it includes, among others, the orphans, the widows, the poor and the exploited, the
slaves and other politically or socially and economically oppressed people. It emphasises
different ways of helping them. This is all on the grounds of compassion. Compassion really
means sensitivity to others suffering. A person cannot be compassionate unless he/she is
sensitive to others suffering. And this suffering includes, as we will show, not only human
beings but also animals and plants.
First, let us take suffering human beings. The Qur’an shows great compassion to orphans, the
widows, the poor and the slaves. It wants to liberate these poorer and oppressed sections from
their situation. Zakah, a toll tax, has been made obligatory on all believing Muslims, men or
women to help these sections. Thus the Qur’an says, “(Zakat) charity is only for the poor and
the needy and those employed to administer it, and those whose hearts are made to incline,
and (to free) the captives, and those in debt, and in the way of Allah and for the wayfarer – an
ordinance from Allah. And Allah is Knowing, Wise.” (9:60)
Thus all the categories indicated in the above verse except two i.e. those who administer it
(i.e. collect the zakah on behalf of the Islamic state or bayt al-mal (state treasury) and ‘those
whose hearts are to be inclined or won over (by Muslims for their help) all other categories
are of weaker sections of society–those who suffer i.e. the poor, the needy, the captives (in
war), those indebted (who but the poor are indebted), the slaves and the wayfarers. They all
stand in need of help. A believer who is well off must be sensitive to the needs of these
categories and must help them financially to remove their sufferings on the compassionate
grounds. Thus, even for the payment of zakat compassion remains central.
Not only that the Qur’an wants to remove those who are arrogant because of their wealth and
power and empower the weak so that there is no suffering in the world. It says clearly and
unambiguously “And We desired to bestow a favour upon those who were deemed weak in
the land, and to make them the leaders, and to make them the inheritors.” (28:5) Thus the
Qur’an favours the mustadìfin (the weaker sections) to the mustakbirin (those powerful and
arrogant).
The powerful and the arrogant people are insensitive to others suffering and want to grab as
much as they can – be it wealth, be it territory or be it symbols of power. In the Qur’anic
approach the powerful are most insensitive and hence most un-compassionate. They are
overpowered by the greed and hence can never understand other’s needs. Therefore, the
Qur’an says that “And those who hoard up gold and silver and spend it not in Allah’s way –
announce to them a painful chastisement.” (9:34)
In several verses of the Qur’an one finds strong denunciation of the accumulation of wealth.
The chapters 104 sand 107 are devoted to denunciation of accumulation of wealth and not
helping the poor and sufferers. Thus compassion becomes quite an important concept in all
these verses. It is important to note that suffering could be both spiritual and material.
Spiritual suffering certainly follows material suffering. It is also reflected in the Holy
Prophet’s famous saying al-kalamba`d al-taàm (i.e. first eating and then prayers. If one is
starving one cannot pray with complete absorption.
Even fasting during the month of Ramadan can be interpreted both spiritually and materially.
Fasting in spiritual sense is a form of ìbadah i.e. a form of prayer and an attempt to shun
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consumerism for cultivating one's spiritual potentialities. But it also helps make one sensitive
to others pangs of hunger and develop sensitivity to others suffering and this develop
compassion towards the poor.
Compassion towards the poor is so important that the Prophet used to say that even if one
person remains hungry in a locality no angel will descend in that locality until that hungry
person is fed. Also the Prophet is reported to have said that it is more meritorious to feed a
hungry widow than to pray whole night. Thus, one can see the intensity of the Prophet’s
compassion towards others suffering, particularly those of the weaker sections of society. It
was for this reason that even for expiation of one's sins the Qur’an as well as the Holy Prophet
requires to feed the hungry or to liberate the slaves.
The Prophet not only asked people to treat their slaves in a humane way and give them to eat
what they eat and give them to wear what they themselves wear but also encouraged them to
liberate them and set example by liberating his own slave Zaid and adopted him as his son
and treated him most affectionately. Zaid became so attached to him that when his father
came to take him away after the Prophet liberated him he refused to go with him and chose,
instead, to stay with the Prophet. Not only this, the Holy Prophet married him to his close
relative Zainab. But unfortunately it did not prove to be a successful marriage. But that is not
our concern here.
It was his compassion for the weaker sections of society that he not only got Bilal Habashi
manumitted but gave him the highest honour of giving azan i.e. calling the faithfuls to prayer
five times. This honour was denied even to his closest colleagues who intensely desired it. If
it was not compassion for the weaker section what was it? It is this compassion which is most
desirable aspect of Islamic teachings.
Prophet was equally kind to animals. When a woman of disrepute came to him and said that
she saved a thirsty cat from dying by fetching water from a pit with the help of her socks, the
Prophet said Allah will pardon all your sins and you will go to paradise. The Prophet,
according to one hadith described entire creation (including humans, animals and trees and
plants) as family of Allah (‘ayal Allah) and all should be treated with compassion and
sensitivity.
We find a hadith in Bukhari and also in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet (PBUH) told his
companions that one previous prophet burnt an anthill because an ant bit him. Allah
reprimanded the prophet for destroying the anthill as these ants also sang His praises. We are
also reminded here of the story of a sufi saint (Zubayr) who became restless when he saw an
ant crawling in his room. He feared that someone will tread on it and kill. He then gently
picked up the ant and put it in a box containing wheat floor as he thought it would be safe
there.
We find in Imam Malik’s Al-Muwatta that the Prophet once was seen gently wiping the face
and mane of his horse with his gown. On being asked by his companions he explained that he
was admonished by Allah for neglecting his horse. Hazrat Àli, the Prophet’s son-in-law used
to admonish the Muslims not to eat too much meat and make their stomachs graveyards for
animals.
Prof. Iqbal Ansari, in his paper “Religion and Animal Welfare – The Islamic View” says, “A
large number of Prophet’s traditions dealing with kindness and compassion to animals are
included in the authentic hadith literature. Cruelty to and torturing of animals. Even the
obnoxious ones in any form is forbidden. This criterion is so absolute that even when for valid
reasons man is permitted to kill any animal for food or to save himself from its venom or
other harm, he is enjoined to do so without causing avoidable pain or torture.”
The Qur’an itself, as pointed out earlier, uses the word rahm (mercy, compassion) repeatedly.
This word and its various derivatives has been used more than 326 times. According to
Mufradat al-Qur’an by Imam Raghib, an authentic dictionary of the Qur’anic terms rahmah
means softening of heart towards one who deserves our mercy and induces us to do good to
him/her. It is interesting to note that the womb of mother is also called rahm. Mother is
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always very soft towards her children (raqiq) and showers love and affection on them. Thus
anyone who does to others qualifies for rahm. Thus to cultivate rahm is to be faithful to ones
mother.
The Qur’an also says that the believers (mu’minin) are merciful to each other. Allah is named
by the Qur’an as Rahim and Rahman. And according to Mufradat of Imam Raghib Rahman is
one whose mercy encompasses all, not all human beings but also entire creation. Thus only
Allah can be Rahman, no one else. We human beings have our own limitations. We love our
fellow religionists more than those belonging to other religious groups; we love those
speaking our own tongue more than those speaking other tongues and we love human beings
more than the animals.
But it is not so with Allah. Allah loves and showers His Mercy equally on all. And if we are
really worshippers of Allah we too should not make such distinctions. We should love all
human beings equally whether they belong to our religion or not, whether they speak our
tongue or not and whether they have same colour of skin as we have or not. If Allah is
Rahman (Compassionate) to all we, His servants too should try to imitate Him as much as we
can. True ‘ibadah (worshipping) can be claimed only when we try to imbibe elements of His
attributes.
Thus, a real Muslim is one who despite being firm in his/her faith tradition shows equal love
and compassion for all human beings whether they belong to his faith tradition or not. Every
faith tradition is unique and should be recognised as such but it should not become a tool of
discrimination. The Qur’an itself declares that all human beings, all children of Adam have
been honoured equally (17:70). Thus there is no justification in showing any discrimination
on the basis of faith as far as the Qur’an is concerned.
Many prominent Ùlama have argued that Allah is Rahman (Compassionate) in the sense that
he provides for even kafirs. There is an important Sufi lore which is pointer to this
compassion of Allah. It is said that the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) would not eat unless there
was some guest on his table. Once it so happened that there did not come any guest and
Prophet Abraham was hungry.
Abraham then went out in search of a guest and he found one very old man in the nearby
forest. He invited the old man to dine with him and the man agreed and started out with
Abraham. On the way Abraham asked him about his religion and he said I am an atheist.
Prophet Abraham was angry and cancelled his invitation. When he did so he heard a voice
from above: O Abraham We tolerated him (the old man) for seventy years despite his
disbelief and you could not tolerate him for seven minutes. Abraham repented and took the
old man home for dining.
The lesson is clear what to believe and who is right and who is wrong should be left to Allah
rather than our weak judgement. Our judgement is often influenced by several factors
including our ego, our interests, our beliefs, colour of our skin and our ethnicity. Allah alone
can judge most impartially. Thus our respect for others and our compassion should not be
meant for limited number of groups. It should be as wide in sweep as possible.
When the Qur’an refers to weaker sections (mustaìfun) it does not qualify it with Muslim. It
uses mustadìfun as inclusive of all human beings. And all of them are equally entitled to our
compassion and Allah’s mercy, no less, no more. The Qur’an nowhere uses words like
Muslim orphans, Muslim widows or Muslim slaves. It uses these words in general without
any qualification whatsoever. Similarly, the Qur’an does not use any qualification for the
powerful and arrogant mustakbirun. They can belong to any religion, race or ethnicity.
Arrogance is condemnable found anywhere.
The Qur’an’s attitude is so compassionate towards all human beings that even in the matter of
wasiyyah (i.e. making a will) it advises that if apart from your relatives, someone needy is
present at that time, make some provision for them also. Also, the Qur’an uses the word
sadaqah for charity which is derived from the root sidq which means truthfulness. Real
charity (sadaqah) is one which is done with sincerity and truthfulness. Anything which is
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given to show off, or not with sincere and compassionate intention, will not quality as
sadaqah.
Only that feeling qualifies for compassion, which moves our heart for suffering of others and
that motivates us to help others. Thus the use of the word sadaqah for charity is very
significant. It is the condition of a human person, rather than his/her religion that should move
us to help. Compassion is the best quality one can have towards other creatures, particularly
towards other human beings and animals. It is suffering which is most fundamental not one's
religion, language or race.
A Qur’anic verse which describes some of the qualities of a good believer says, “Those who
spend in ease as well as in adversity and those who restrain (their) anger and pardon men.
And Allah loves doers of good (to others).” (3:133).
Thus it will be seen that those who control their anger and pardon others and do good to
others are those whom Allah loves. And these qualities are very much the basis of
compassion. Anger and violence are always denounced by Allah. They are just opposite of
compassion. One of Allah’s name is Ghafur i.e. one who pardons, one who is not revengeful.
A compassionate person can never be revengeful.
Thus one can conclude from closer study of Qur'an and hadith that compassion is the best
human quality and no one deserves to be human unless he is compassionate. Thus it is quite
central to the teachings of Islam.
VI) Ijiz
Those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah and do not follow up their spending by
stressing their benevolence and causing hurt, will find their reward secure with their Lord.
They have no cause for fear and grief.
To speak a kind word and to forgive people's faults is better than charity followed by hurt.
Allah is All-Sufficient, All-Forbearing.
Believers! Do not nullify your acts of charity by stressing your benevolence and causing hurt
as does he who spends his wealth only to be seen by men and does not believe in Allah and
the Last Day. The example of his spending is that of a rock with a thin coating of earth upon
it: when a heavy rain smites it, the earth is washed away, leaving the rock bare; such people
derive no gain from their acts of charity. Allah does not set the deniers of the Truth on the
right way. (2:262-264)
The needy who do not do beg
Those needy ones who are wholly wrapped up in the cause of Allah, and who are hindered
from moving about the earth in search of their livelihood especially deserve help. He who is
unaware of their circumstances supposes them to be wealthy because of their dignified
bearing, but you will know them by their countenance, although they do not go about begging
of people with importunity. And whatever wealth you will spend on helping them, Allah will
know of it. (2:273)
Economic exploitation
And do not become like the woman who, after having painstakingly spun her yarn, caused it
to disintegrate into pieces. You resort to oaths as instruments of mutual deceit so that one
people might take greater advantage than another although Allah puts you to the test through
this. Surely on the Day of Resurrection He will make clear the truth concerning the matters
over which you differed. (16:92)
Food and the needy
Have you seen him who belies the rewards and punishments of the Hereafter? He it is who
drives away the orphan and does not urge giving away the food of the poor. (107:1-3)
Give to the near of kin his due, and also to the needy and the wayfarers. Do not squander your
wealth wastefully; for those who squander wastefully are Satan's brothers, and Satan is ever
ungrateful to his Lord. (17:26-27)
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Greed
Look, you are being called upon to expend in Allah's Way, yet some of you are being
niggardly, whereas the one who is niggardly is, in fact, being niggardly only to himself. Allah
is Self-Sufficient: it is you who are the needy. If you1 turn away, Allah will replace you by
another people, and they will not be like you. (47:38)
Moderation in giving
Do not keep your hand fastened to your neck nor outspread it, altogether widespread, for you
will be left sitting rebuked, destitute. (17:29)
(In reference to the slaves of Allah) "who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor
miserly but keep the golden mean between the two (extremes) (25:67)
Righteousness
You shall not attain righteousness until you spend out of what you love (in the way of Allah).
Allah knows whatever you spend. (3:92)
Sadaqa
(O Prophet!) Tell those of My servants who believe that they should establish Prayer and
spend out of what We have provided them with, both secretly and openly, before there arrives
the Day when there will be no bargaining, nor any mutual befriending. (14:31)
Stinginess
Allah does not love the arrogant and the boastful, who are niggardly and bid others to be
niggardly and conceal the bounty which Allah has bestowed upon them. We have kept in
readiness a humiliating chastisement for such deniers (of Allah's bounty) (part of 4:36 and all
of 4:37)
Zakat-what you owe from your money
The people who were given the Book before this did not divide into sects until after the clear
statement (of the Right Way) had come to them, and the only Command they were given was
to worship Allah, making their religion sincerely His, turning all their attention towards Him,
and to establish the Salah and to pay the Zakah: for this alone is the truest and right religion.
(98:4-5)
Establish Prayer and dispense the Purifying Alms (Zakah) and bow in worship with those
who bow (2:43)
The believers, both men and women, are allies of one another. They enjoin good, forbid evil,
establish Prayer, pay Zakah, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Surely Allah will show
mercy to them. Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise (9:71)
The alms (Zakah in this specific verse’s case) are meant only for the poor and the needy and
those who are in charge thereof, those whose hearts are to be reconciled; and to free those in
bondage, and to help those burdened with debt, and for expenditure in the way of Allah and
for the wayfarer. This is an obligation from Allah. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. (9:60)
VII) Sabr (Patience)
Patience in the Quran is mentioned at several places, for example:
"O you who believe! Endure and be more patient" (Surah Imran: 200).
"And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and
fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirun (the patient)" (Surah Baqarah: 155).
"Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full, without reckoning'' (Surah Al
Zumar: 10).
"And verily, whosoever shows patience and forgives, that would truly be from the things
recommended by Allah'' (Surah Al-Shura: 43).
"Seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer). Truly, Allah is with As-Sabirun (the
patient)'' (Surah Baqarah: 153).
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"And surely, We shall try you till We test those who strive hard (for the Cause of Allah) and
Al-Sabirun (the patient) (Surah Muhammad: 31).
VIII) Tawakkul
Putting one’s trust in Allah involves two things:
(i) Depending on Allah and believing that He is the One Who causes measures
to be effective; His decree comes to pass; He has decreed all things,
counted them out and ordained them, may He be glorified and exalted.
(ii) Taking appropriate measures; putting one’s trust in Allah does not mean
refraining from taking measures; rather part of putting one’s trust in Allah
is taking appropriate measures and striving to do so. The one who refrains
from doing so has gone against the laws and decree of Allah. Allah has
commanded us to take appropriate measures and He encourages us to do
so; He commanded His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) to do that.
So it is not permissible for the believer to refrain from taking appropriate measures; in fact, he
is not truly putting his trust in Allah unless he takes appropriate measures. Hence it is
prescribed to get married in order to have a child, and it is enjoined to have intercourse. If
someone were to say: I shall not get married and I shall wait to have a child without getting
married, he would be regarded as insane; this is not the way of those who are wise and
rational. Similarly, he should not sit in his house or in the mosque seeking charity and waiting
for provision to come to him; rather he should strive hard and work to seek to earn halal
provision.
Maryam (may Allah have mercy on her) did not forgo taking measures. Allah said to her
(interpretation of the meaning): “And shake the trunk of date-palm towards you, it will let fall
fresh ripe-dates upon you” [Maryam 19:25]. So she shook the palm tree and took appropriate
measures until the dates fell. Her action is not contrary to taking measures and the fact that
she found provision with her and that Allah honoured her and gave her some provision does
not indicate that she refrained from taking appropriate measures; rather she devoted herself to
worship and also took appropriate measures.
If Allah bestows upon some of His close friends some miracles (karamat), this is by His grace
and bounty, but that does not indicate that we should forgo taking appropriate measures. It is
proven that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Strive to do that
which will benefit you and seek the help of Allah, and do not feel helpless.” Narrated by
Muslim, 2664. And Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning): “You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and
everything)” (al-Faatihah:5).
IX) Tawbah
A Muslim’s faith may become weak and he may be overwhelmed by his desires. The Shaytan
may make sin attractive to him, so he wrongs himself (commits sin) and falls into that which
Allah has forbidden. But Allah is Kind to His slaves, and His mercy encompasses all things.
Whoever repents after doing wrong, Allah will accept his repentance, for Allah is Forgiving
and Merciful.
Most Merciful (al-Ma’idah: 39).
expiate from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow
(Paradise)” (al-Tahreem: 8).
The gate of repentance is open to His slaves, until the sun rises from the west. The Prophet
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(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah spreads out His Hand at night to
accept the repentance of those who did wrong during the day, and He spreads out His Hand
during the day to accept the repentance of those who did wrong during the night. (This will
continue) until the sun rises from the west.” (Narrated by Muslim, no. 2759)
Wise.
them We have prepared a painful torment” (al-Nisaa’: 17-18).
them:
surely, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” (al-An’am 6: 54).
you do” (al-Shura: 25).
themselves” (al-Baqarah: 222).
When a kaafir becomes a Muslim, Allah turns his bad deeds (sayi’aat) into good deeds
(hasanat), and forgives him all his previous sins, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be
forgiven” (al-Anfal: 38).
(believers) should deviate tremendously away (from the Right Path) (al-Nisaa’: 27).
“Say: O ‘Ibadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” (al-Zumar: 53).
forgiveness so that I may forgive him?’” (Narrated by Muslim, no. 758).
Man is weak. If a person sins then he has to repent and seek forgiveness every time. Allah is
find Allah Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful” (al-Nisaa’: 110).
X) Sidq
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Being truthful means speaking the truth and also saying things that reflect reality. Being
truthful is one of the necessities of a human society, one of the virtues of human behaviour,
and brings great benefits, whilst lying is one of the major elements of corruption in human
society, and the cause of the destruction of social structure and ties, one of the most evil
features of bad conduct, and causes widespread harm. Hence Islam commanded truthfulness
and forbade lying.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah, and be with those who are true (in word and deeds).”
(al-Tawbah: 119).
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “It means: be truthful and adhere to
truthfulness, and you will be among its people and will be saved from calamity, and this will
make a way out for you from your problems.”
Allah says:
“… if they had been true to Allah, it would have been better for them.” (Muhammad: 21).
1. Write a brief note on the Islamic ethical concepts in Quran?
2. Characteristic of Islam is modesty, how?
3. Define any four Islamic ethical concepts in Quran and Hadith following;
i) Haya ii) Adl iii) Taqwa Iv) Afu V) Tarahum Vi) Ajiz Vii) Sabr
4. What are the conditions for Tawba?
5. What are the objectives of Islamic Ethical Concepts?
6. Write a note on significance of Ethical concepts?

1. Ali Hammdani, Sayyid, Dhakiratu’l Muluk, Delhi: Islamic Book Foundation,
2. Dar, Bashir Ahmed, Quranic Ethics, Delhi: Kitab Bhawan
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Lesson No. 3: Study of Islamic Ethical Concepts in Hadith: i) Haya ii) Adl iii) Taqwa Iv)
Afu V) tarahum Vi) Ajiz. Vii) Sabr Viii) Tawakkul. Ix) Tawbah X) Sidq
Lesson Structure
1.3.1 Introduction
1.3.3 Objectives
1.3.4 Explanation Ethical Concepts Mentioned in Hadith: i) Haya ii) Adl iii)
Taqwa Iv) Afu V) Tarahum Vi) Ajiz Vii) Sabr Viii) Tawakkul Ix) Tawbah X) Sidq
1.3.1 Introduction
Ethics are often discussed with respect to gains and benefits to society at large. What is good
or bad is supposedly determined by the rule of the majority, with little attention given to the
principles of morality. Islamic ethics differ from the Western concept as these are derived
from God, directly from the Quran, and from the practices of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). It is
therefore a set of beliefs and actions that is divine and transcends the limitations of time, place
and tradition.
Unlike the commonly held belief that man is evil by nature, Islam holds that man is born with
a morally good nature that responds to faith and ethical values. Over time, it may get
corrupted due to temptations and man’s inability to exercise control over his desires.
According to Islam, there is universal equality among mankind, with the single exception of
moral goodness and strength of character or taqwa.
For man’s conduct to be ethical as per Islam, there are two conditions which must be fulfilled:
his intention must be good and his action must be according to what God has instructed. If
either is corrupt, his behaviour is unlikely to meet ethical standards. For example, if a wrong
deed was done with good intentions that ultimately produced a good outcome, it cannot be
termed ethical. If the intentions were wrong to begin with, and the outcome was accidentally
good, there is no question of ethical behaviour. Good intentions and good deeds must go hand
in hand.
There are three very important and interrelated ways in which ethical principles in Islam
differ from those that are understood and practised in the West. The first is the concept of
individual freedom and independence. In Islam, one’s freedom ends where another’s physical
and moral space begins. Indeed, alongside freedom of expression and liberty for individuals,
society also has moral rights. Thus, how one individual behaves morally must be guided by
how that behaviour impinges upon and influences the behaviour of those around him.
Islamic ethics is a code of conduct that calls for mankind to undertake a continuous process of
self-purification, in thought, feelings and emotions (tazkya nafs); in social interactions
through intentions and deeds that benefit other human beings as well as other creations of
God; in using the resources that God has given him in a wise manner; and in bringing him
closer to the ideal as described by the Prophet: “the best amongst you are those who are the
owners of the best morality.”
Why is the Muslim world, then, among the most corrupt and depraved, demonstrating all the
sins that the Quran has warned against? The answer lies perhaps in its collective failure to use
intellect and reasoning, learn from mistakes, ponder over the message of the Quran and
Ahadith then abstain from living in the fantasies of past glory.
Sources of ethics in Islam are the same sources of Islamic legislation. The Holy Qur'an is the
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first source of morality, which contains an ethical system that calls for supremacy and
eminence. Every verse in it contains an order, to do or forbids it, carry a moral value in its
content (Abu Al- Enein, 1988). The second source of ethics is the Prophetic Sunnah because
the Prophet Muhammad is the real and behavioral translation of what is stated in the Qur'an of
morals. God says to him: " And If you had been rude (in speech) and harsh in heart, heartless
man, they would have disbanded from about you. " (Al-Imran, 159). The life of the Prophet is
an invitation to good morals. The sources of morals in Islam is also juristic deduction (Al-
Ijtihad), which means Muslim scholars do their best in order to reach the legitimate rule: it is
an important source of ethics because the juristic deduction stems from trustful thinkers and
scholars whose goal is to achieve goodness, justice and equality (Murtaja, 2004). Rankings
Ethics in Islam Ethics levels can be divided from an Islamic perspective into four levels: First:
personal ethics that lead to the individual benefit and goodness such as patience to scourge
and thanks to the grace. It is linked to the relationship of the individual with God (Al-Asmer,
1997). Second: the social ethics which benefits the community such as cooperation, honoring
parents, good neighborliness (Al-Sibai, 1979. Third: human morality which benefits the
human whatever. It is based on respecting others' opinions and behaviors (Sabri, 2002).
Finally, the universal ethics which benefit all that God created from non-humans like animals
and others by investing them for the benefit of all mankind (Al- Hili and Al-Suyuti, 1987).
Characteristics of the Moral Growth of the Sixth Grade Students At this stage of a child 's life,
the moral trends are determined based on the ethics prevailing in the social environment that
surrounds him such as family and school. Children, at this stage, are aware of the moral
concepts such as truth, justice and honesty. Specifically, here the great role of parents,
teachers and educators appears in general as ethical models. Muslims scholars of education
such as Al-Ghazali, Ibn Miskawayh, Ibn Khaldun considered that childhood is the stage in
which ethics are instilled in children; so it is important to have educators as a good example
and model for children. Also, it is necessary to take care of ethical education which brings up
children according to good principles within the framework of socialization (Hijazi, 2017).
Many studies have focused on the subject of ethics in the curriculum. In one study, Abu
Khater (2015) aimed at investigating the level of the ethical values included in the Islamic
Education book for the seventh and eighth grades. The study concluded that the book of the
Islamic Education for the seventh grade basic included (1304) repetitions of the moral values,
where the presence of the value of honesty was great while neglecting the value of reverence
of old people. The repetition of moral values in the book of the Islamic Education for the
eighth grade is (1359) moral values, where the values of courage, generosity, the connection
of the uterus and honesty are the most in the two parts of the book. Maqqousi, Fatiha (2013)
conducted a study that aimed to know the extent books of Islamic education high basic stage
included values of love. The researchers used the method of content analysis. The results
showed that the repetition of the values of love related to faith and morality in the three books
of the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth grades got higher frequencies, then the values of love related
to family and school came second and in the third place, the values of love related to life
came third. Al-Khatib's study (2012) aimed to identify the Islamic moral values included in
the Arabic language books for the second phase of the basic stage in Jordan. The study
concluded that the total number of Arabic language book frequencies reached (2624)
distributed over (55) values in four main fields: (dogmatism, worship, materialistic, social).
Arabic language books for the sixth grade came first in terms of the frequencies of values in
them, then the seventh grade's and finally, the fifth grade's. Al-Shamlati (2010) also
conducted a study aimed at revealing the individual moral values in the Islamic Education
books for intermediate stage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the methods of presenting
them. The sample of the study consisted of 12 Islamic books of education for intermediate
stage in Saudi Arabia. The researcher used analyzing the content of these books. The study
tool was presented in (13) lists of individual moral values that are needed in these books. The
results showed that the number of individual moral values included in the books of Islamic
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education prescribed for the middle-aged amounted to (55) individual moral value of the total
(68) moral value that should have been available in these books. The results also showed that
there is a significant disparity in the presentation of these moral values in these books.
Mansour and Tlafha (2009) conducted a study that aimed to identify the ethical values system
which should be included in the Islamic Education book for the basic stage students in Jordan,
and the values included in these books. The research sample search consisted of all books (10
books) of the Islamic Education for the basic stage in Jordan. The Results showed that the
moral values which should be included in the books of Islamic Education for the basic stage
distributed in a hierarchical structure in four fields: the system of the individual moral values,
family values, civil values and international values. Also, the results showed that the highest
percentage was the field of individual moral values and the lowest proportion was the domain
of the international moral values. After reviewing the previous studies, it is noted that the
current study differs from the other studies mentioned above in that it follows the comparative
approach. It compares the ethical concepts in the sixth grade book in Jordan with the book of
Islamic education for the same grade in the United Arab Emirates.
1.3.3 Objectives
Following are the objectives which a student will come to know after learning this lesson;
14. Worship only Allah:- And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him (
17;23)
15. Be Kind, humble and honorable to one’s parents:- And that you be kind ( Dutiful ) to
one’s parents if one of or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a
word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honor (17:23/4:36).
16. Be Neither miserly nor wasteful in one’s expenditure:- And spend not wastefully
(your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift. Verily, spendthrift is brothers of the
devils (Shyatin) (17: 26-27).
17. Do not engage in mercy killings for fear of starvation:- And kill not your children for
fear of poverty (starvation). We shall provide for them as well as for you. Surely, the
killing of them is a grave sin (17:31).
18. Do not commit adultery:- And come not near to the unlawful sex. Verily, it is a
Fahishah (grave sin) and an evil way (17:32).
19. Do not kill unjustly: - And don’t kill anyone whose killing Allah has forbidden, expect
for just cause (17:33).
20. Care for orphaned children:- And come not near to the orphan’s property expect to
improve it, until he attains the age of strength (17:34).
21. Fulfill promises:- And fulfill (every) covenant. Verily! The covenant will be
questioned about (17:34).
22. . Be honest and fair in one’s interactions:- And give full measure when you measure
and weigh with a balance that is straight. That is good (advantageous) and better in the
end (17:35).
23. Do not walk on earth arrogantly:- And walk not on earth with conceit and arrogance.
Verily! You can neither rend nor penetrate the earth, nor can you attain a stature like
the mountains in height (17:37/31:18).
24. Fear Allah and speak truth:- O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allah and fear
him, and speak (always) the truth (33:70).
25. Remain away from intoxicants and gambling:- O you who believe! Intoxicants (all
kind of alcoholic drinks), gambling, Al-Ansab and Al-Azlam (arrows for seeking luck
or decision) are an abomination of Satan’s handiwork. So, avoid (strictly all) that
(abomination) in order that you may be successful (5:90).
26. Be good and kind towards relatives and neighbours:- And do good to kinsfolk
(relatives), orphans, the poor, the neighbour who is near of kin, the neighbour who is a
stranger, the company by your side, the wayfarer (you meet) (4:36)
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1.3.4 Study of Islamic Ethical Concepts in Hadith
i) Haya
After the word of Allah Almighty in the form of Quran, it is the traditions of Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) that serve as a secondary source of guidance for Muslims. In addition to
being a source other than Quran, the traditions also complement Quran and the Muslims use it
to understand the message of Quran as well.
When it comes to the traditions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), they are as diverse and
encompass the activities and parts and parcel of life in the same way as does Quran.
One of the prime character attributes stressed upon by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is
modesty. The lines below discuss the traditions of Prophet (PBUH) with regards to modesty
and the different ways in which it can be conceived and applied as per Prophetic (PBUH)
traditions.
“Every religion has a character and the character of Islam is modesty.” (Muwatta)
In this hadith, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) makes it clear that modesty is a core of Islam and
if Islam is to be personified and given a character, then the characteristic attribute it will have
is modesty. This modesty is not to be there only when it comes to bashfulness, rather the
modesty has to be there in every aspect of life, whether it is eating, sleeping, thinking,
behaving, conducting business or giving decisions and so on. Therefore, modesty is not a
single aspect in Islam, rather it is and it must be present in all the aspects of Islam.
Inhabitants of Heaven:
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) mentioned in His hadith:
“Shall I tell you about the inhabitants of Paradise? They are all modest persons.” “Shall I tell
you about the inhabitants of Hell? They are all ignoble, rude and proud ones.” (Bukhari)
From this hadith of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) it is clear that the dweller of heavens will all
be the people who are modest. This modesty helps people fear Allah, stay good with fellow
humans and progress towards goodness, whereas those, who are ignorant or proud, they stray
from the right path and hence they will find hell as their final resting place in the world
hereafter.
A Stem of Faith:
It is narrated that once Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) passed by two brothers, where the one
was scorning the other on his being modest and bashful and that he should stop being so. On
this Prophet (PBUH) said:
“Leave him as he is; for modesty stems from faith.” (Bukhari)
Further to that, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said in another hadith in the following way:
“Faith (Belief) consists of more than sixty branches (i.e. parts) And Haya is a part of faith.”
(Bukhari)
Thus, from both these hadiths it is clear that being modest is a part of faith, hence the one who
is modest should not consider it a flaw or something that needs to be changed, rather it is a
part of faith and one should stick to it.
Modesty in Front Of Allah Almighty:
Once Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said to His Companions:
“Be Bashful before God according to His right to modesty before Him.”
The Companions replied:
“O Messenger of God, verily we are shy, praise be to God.”
The Prophet (PBUH) said:
“That is not it. Modesty before God according to His right to modesty is that you protect your
mind in what it learns; your stomach in what it ingests. And remember death and the
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tribulations attached to it; and whoever wishes for the Hereafter, leaves the adornment of this
life. So whoever does all that is truly bashful before God according to His Right to
modesty.” (Tirmidhi)
This hadith of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) clearly explains that being modest is not only
being bashful or shy, rather it is about being protective and caring about everything else in life
as well. One needs to be modest in terms of learning as well so that one learns the best things
and avoids the extremity of any kind whether it is associated with worldly or religious deeds.
Similarly, one needs to be modest in terms of eating as well and see what the body is being
fed, which indirectly refers to the idea of balanced diet which the science of today gives to
people. Similarly, remembering death in this life is modest and it also gives encourages
modesty as well. Therefore, only being bashful should not be considered as modesty, rather it
should be a part of modesty.
In a nutshell, Muslims need to understand that besides the mandatory obligations of the
religion Islam, they also need to understand and incorporate other elements mentioned in the
traditions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Therefore, a Muslim needs to understand that
modesty is one of the integral components of Islam and a Muslim should incorporate modesty
into his or her character and it should be practiced in every matter of life.
ii) Adl
The Prophet (SAW) asked to be just and kind. He (SAW) always had to deal with people and
their affairs as a supreme judge, reformer, apostle, and leader of Muslims. In conducting
Justice our beloved Prophet (SAW) made no distinction between believers and non-believers,
friends and foes, high and low.
There are so many examples of Justice from the life of Prophet (SAW) from which we can get
inspiration and can do justice in our all aspects of life. Here we will discuss some of them:
A woman of the Makhzoom family with good connections was found guilty of theft. For the
prestige of the Quraish, some prominent people including Usaamah Ibn Zayd, may Allah be
pleased with him, interceded to save her from punishment. The Prophet (SAW) refused to
forgive the crime and expressed displeasure saying: “Many a community ruined itself in the
past as they only punished the poor and ignored the offenses of the exalted. By Allah, if
Muhammad’s (My) daughter Fatimah would have committed theft, her hand would have been
severed.” (Bukhari)
Allah has commanded his messengers to establish justice and spoke to them in affirmative
tone as quoted in Hadith: “O My slaves, I have forbidden injustice for Myself and forbade it
also for you. So avoid being unjust to one another.” (Sahih Muslim)
Allah detests a ruler who has bestowed with supremacy yet is ignorant of justice. Allah will
deprive him of His shade in His territory at the Day of estimation as Hadith narrates: “There
are seven categories of people whom God will shelter under the shade of His throne on the
Day when there will be no shade except this. [One is] the just leader.” (Sahih Muslim)
In another hadith Holy Prophet (SAW) stated that: “People, beware of injustice, for injustice
shall be darkness on the Day of Judgment.”(Musnad Ahmed). So we can say we have to know
about justice and injustice, if we know about it then we can act according to that. Justice has
broad meanings that include unfair dealings, uttering words that can hurt the sentiments and
biased feelings towards fellow being.
Justice is an essential part of Islamic teachings and should be part of every faith messenger.
The foundation of a territory is justice that Allah has loved for His worshipper and
commanded His messenger too. Those who will neglect justice will in the lowest steep of hell
and the oppressed get their due rights.
iii. Taqwa
Many times, taqwa of Allah (ta’ala) is translated as the fear and consciousness of Allah
(ta’ala). It is to remember Him at all times, to be fearful of His anger and to be conscious of
Him as our Creator.
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When you are conscious of a thing, it is ever present in your mind. You think about it often
and it informs many of your actions that are related to it. That is how it is when we are
conscious of Allah (ta’ala). We remember Him often, we seek His pleasure alone, and His
words guide our daily lives.
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) always advised the Muslim Ummah about the importance of,
and the need to have the taqwa of Allah (ta’ala).
Here are six ahadith that should serve as reminders of the benefits and importance of having
taqwa for every Muslim.
Jannah as a Reward for Taqwa
We can’t seek Jannah without the obedience of Allah (ta’ala), and we cannot attain obedience
if we do not have the fear and consciousness of Allah (ta’ala). These ahadith below are
reminders of one of the rewards that await the people of taqwa in the hereafter, in sha’a Allah.
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah was asked about that for which people are
admitted into Paradise the most, so he said: “Taqwa of Allah, and good character.” And he
was asked about that for which people are admitted into the Fire the most, and he said: “The
mouth and the private parts.” (Tirmidhi)
Sulaim bin Amir narrated: “I heard Abu Umamah saying: I heard the Messenger of Allah
giving a Khutbah during the Farewell Hajj, and he said: ‘Have Taqwa of your Lord, and pray
your five (prayers), and fast your month, and pay the Zakat on your wealth, and obey those
who are in charge of you, you will enter the Paradise of your Lord.’” (Tirmidhi)
Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Do
you know what it is that makes most people enter the Fire?” “Allah and His Messenger know
best,” they said. He said, “The two empty ones: the genitals and the mouth. Do you know
what it is that makes most people enter the Garden? Taqwa of Allah and good character.” (Al-
Adab Al-Mufrad)
As we all go about our daily lives, these ahadith are a reminder that the taqwa of Allah
(ta’ala) should be at the forefront for every Muslim who wishes to enter Jannah. When you
are conscious of him, then you are more than likely going to be aware of your actions in this
life, and deliberately do things that will bring you closer to Allah (ta’ala).
Taqwa and Our Deeds
The affairs of a Muslim have been so beautifully guided by Islam. For us, everything we do
can be an act of worship that will be rewarded. The major clause is that these actions should
be done with sincere intentions and that we should have the taqwa of Allah (ta’ala) when we
are doing them it should be done with the fear and consciousness of Allah (ta’ala).
Ibn ‘Umar said, “Whoever has taqwa of his Lord and maintains ties of kinship, his term of life
will be prolonged, his wealth will be abundant, and his family will love him.” (Al Adab al-
Mufrad)
“The Messenger of Allah said to me: ‘Have Taqwa of Allah wherever you are, and follow an
evil deed with a good one to wipe it out, and treat the people with good behavior.” (Tirmidhi)
In these two ahadith, taqwa is mentioned before these good characteristics, and this serves as
a reminder that we should be conscious of Allah (ta’ala) before doing anything.
And lastly,
The verse of suratul Hujurat quoted above talks about the people of taqwa being honorable
people in the sight of Allah (ta’ala). This hadith below also reinforces that position. It is then
clear that having the consciousness of Allah is one of the things that makes us honorable in
his eyes.
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar: that the Messenger of Allah gave a Khutbah to the people on the day of
the conquest of Makkah, and he said: “O you people! Verily Allah has removed the slogans of
Jahiliyyah from you, and its reverence of its forefathers. So, now there are two types of men:
A man who is righteous, has Taqwa and honorable before Allah, and a wicked man, who is
miserable and insignificant to Allah.” (Tirmidhi)
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iv) Afu
Al-‘Afu (the Pardoner), al-‘Ghafoor (the Forgiver), al-Ghaffar (the All-Forgiving), Who has
always been and will always be known for His pardon and forgiveness towards His slaves.
Everyone is in need of His pardon and forgiveness, as they are in need of His mercy and
generosity. He has promised to forgive and pardon whoever follows the appropriate means.
“A servant [of Allah’s] committed a sin and said: “O Allah! Forgive me my sin.” Allah said:
“My servant has committed a sin and acknowledged he has a Lord who forgives sins and
punishes them.” Then the man sinned again and said: “O Lord! Forgive me my sin.’ And
Allah said: “My servant has committed a sin and acknowledged he has a Lord who forgives
sins and punishes them.” Then the man sinned again and said: “O Lord! Forgive me my sin.”
And Allah said: “My servant has committed a sin and acknowledged he has a Lord
who forgives sins and punishes them. [My slave!] Do what you wish, for I have forgiven
you!” (Bukhari and Muslim)
This is no free ticket to sin as you please. But it did make me realize we should always have
hope that Allah will forgive our sins and guide us to become better Muslims.
How many times have we sat down to count our mistakes and recognized we have sinned so
much we can’t even keep track anymore? We think that there’s no way Allah can forgive us
now. To our minds, we don’t even deserve forgiveness.
This hadith shows the extent of Allah’s mercy, which no human mind can even imagine.
v) Tarahum
Allah Almighty is full of love and kindness to His creation. All blessings and goodness in this
world and the next are clear proofs of His Mercy. Indeed, Islam teaches that God is more
merciful toward us than our own mothers. How can it be otherwise, when some of God’s
names and attributes include:
The Acceptor of Repentance;
The Compassionate;
The Loving;
The Forbearing One;
The Most Gracious;
The Most Merciful;
The Source of Goodness;
The Most Generous;
The Bestower
These names all indicate that God is characterised by mercy, goodness and generosity. They
testify to the vastness and perfection of His Mercy, which He blesses all of His creation. This
same creation is addressed by God, when He says, “O son of Adam, were you to come to Me
with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I
would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as the earth.”
Examples of Allah's Mercy & blessings
Volume 9, Book 93, Number 469:
Narrated by Ibn Abbas:
When the Prophet sent Muadh to Yemen, he said to him, "You are going to a nation from the
people of the Scripture, so let the first thing to which you will invite them, be the Tauhid of
Allah. If they learn that, tell them that Allah has enjoined on them, five prayers to be offered
in one day and one night. And if they pray, tell them that Allah has enjoined on them Zakat of
their properties and it is to be taken from the rich among them and given to the poor. And if
they agree to that, then take from them Zakat but avoid the best property of the people."
Narrated Jarir bin 'Abdullah:
37
Allah's Apostle said, "Allah will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to mankind."
Narrated by Ibn Umar:
The Prophet said, "The keys of the unseen are five and none knows them but Allah: (1) None
knows what is in the womb, but Allah: (2) None knows what will happen tomorrow, but
Allah; (3) None knows when it will rain, but Allah; (4) None knows where he will die, but
Allah (knows that); (5) and none knows when the Hour will be established, but Allah."
Narrated by Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "On the Day of Resurrection Allah will hold the whole earth and fold the
heaven with His right hand and say, 'I am the King: where are the kings of the earth?" '
Narrated Anas:
The Prophet said, "(The people will be thrown into Hell (Fire) and it will keep on saying, 'Is
there any more?' till the Lord of the worlds puts His Foot over it, whereupon its different sides
will come close to each other, and it will say, 'Qad! Qad! (enough! enough!) By Your 'Izzat
(Honor and Power) and YOUR KARAM (Generosity)!' Paradise will remain spacious enough
to accommodate more people until Allah will create some more people and let them dwell in
the superfluous space of Paradise. "
Narrated by Ibn 'Abbas:
The Prophet used to invoke Allah at night, saying, "O Allah: All the Praises are for You: You
are the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth. All the Praises are for You; You are the Maintainer
of the Heaven and the Earth and whatever is in them. All the Praises are for You; You are the
Light of the Heavens and the Earth. Your Word is the Truth, and Your Promise is the Truth,
and the Meeting with You is the Truth, and Paradise is the Truth, and the (Hell) Fire is the
Truth, and the Hour is the Truth. O Allah! I surrender myself to You, and I believe in You
and I depend upon You, and I repent to You and with You (Your evidences) I stand against
my opponents, and to you I leave the judgment (for those who refuse my message). O Allah!
Forgive me my sins that I did in the past or will do in the future, and also the sins I did in
secret or in public. You are my only God (Whom I worship) and there is no other God for me
(i.e. I worship none but You)."
Narrated Abu Musa:
We were with the Prophet on a journey, and whenever we ascended a high place, we used to
say, "Allahu Akbar." The Prophet said, "Don't trouble yourselves too much! You are not
calling a deaf or an absent person, but you are calling One Who Hears, Sees, and is very
near." Then he came to me while I was saying in my heart, "La hawla wala quwwatta illa
billah (There is neither might nor power but with Allah)." He said, to me, "O 'Abdullah bin
Qais! Say, 'La hawla wala quwwata illa billah (There is neither might nor power but with
Allah), for it is one of the treasures of Paradise." Or said, "Shall I tell you of it?"
Narrated 'Aisha:
The Prophet said, "Gabriel called me and said, 'Allah has heard the statement of your people
and what they replied to you.'"
Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah:
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As-Salami: Allah's Apostle used to teach his companions to perform the prayer of Istikhara
for each and every matter just as he used to teach them the Suras from the Quran He used to
say, "If anyone of you intends to do something, he should offer a two rakat prayer other than
the compulsory prayers, and after finishing it, he should say: O Allah! I consult You, for You
have all knowledge, and appeal to You to support me with Your Power and ask for Your
Bounty, for You are able to do things while I am not, and You know while I do not; and You
are the Knower of the Unseen. O Allah If You know It this matter (name your matter) is good
for me both at present and in the future, (or in my religion), in this life and in the Hereafter,
then fulfill it for me and make it easy for me, and then bestow Your Blessings on me in that
matter. O Allah! If You know that this matter is not good for me in my religion, in this life
and in my coming Hereafter (or at present or in the future), then divert me from it and choose
for me what is good wherever it may be, and make me be pleased with it." (See Hadith No.
391, Vol. 8)
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "Allah has ninety-nine Names, one-hundred less one; and he who
memorized them all by heart will enter Paradise." To count something means to know it by
heart.
The Prophet said, "When anyone of you goes to bed, he should dust it off thrice with the edge
of his garment, and say: Bismika Rabbi wada'tu janbi, wa bika arfa'hu. In amsakta nafsi
faghfir laha, wa in arsaltaha fahfazha bima tahfaz bihi 'ibadaka-s-salihin."
Narrated Abu Dharr:
When the Prophet went to bed at night, he used to say: "Bismika namutu wa nahya." And
when he got up in the morning, he used to say, "Alhamdu lillahi al-ladhi ahyana ba'da ma
amatana, wa ilaihi-n-nushur."
Narrated 'Adi bin Hatim:
I asked the Prophet, "I send off (for a game) my trained hunting dogs; (what is your verdict
concerning the game they hunt?" He said, "If you send off your trained hunting dogs and
mention the Name of Allah, then, if they catch some game, eat (thereof). And if you hit the
game with a mi'rad (a hunting tool) and it wounds it, you can eat (it)."
Narrated Jundab:
That he witnessed the Prophet on the Day of Nahr. The Prophet offered prayer and then
delivered a sermon saying, "Whoever slaughtered his sacrifice before offering prayer, should
slaughter another animal in place of the first; and whoever has not yet slaughtered any, should
slaughter a sacrifice and mention Allah's Name while doing so."
Allah's Apostle sent ten persons to bring the enemy's secrets and Khubaib Al-Ansari was one
of them. 'Ubaidullah bin 'Iyad told me that the daughter of Al-Harith told him that when they
gathered (to kill Khubaib Al Ansari) he asked for a razor to clean his pubic region, and when
they had taken him outside the sanctuary of Mecca in order to kill him, he said in verse, "I
39
don't care if I am killed as a Muslim, on any side (of my body) I may be killed in Allah's
Cause; for that is for the sake of Allah's very Self; and if He will, He will bestow His
Blessings upon the torn pieces of my body." Then Ibn Al-Harith killed him, and the Prophet
informed his companions of the death of those (ten men) on the very day they were killed.
Narrated 'Abdullah:
The Prophet said, "There is none having a greater sense of Ghira than Allah, and for that
reason He has forbidden shameful deeds and sins (illegal sexual intercourse etc.) And there is
none who likes to be praised more than Allah does." (See Hadith No. 147, Vol. 7)
The Prophet said, "When Allah created the Creation, He wrote in His Book--and He wrote
(that) about Himself, and it is placed with Him on the Throne--'Verily My Mercy overcomes
My Anger.'"
Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:
That during the battle with Bani Al-Mustaliq they (Muslims) captured some females and
intended to have sexual relation with them without impregnating them. So they asked the
Prophet about coitus interrupt us. The Prophet said, "It is better that you should not do it, for
Allah has written whom He is going to create till the Day of Resurrection." Qaza'a said, "I
heard Abu Sa'id saying that the Prophet said, 'No soul is ordained to be created but Allah will
create it."
Narrated Anas:
The Prophet said, "Allah will gather the believers on the Day of Resurrection in the same way
(as they are gathered in this life), and they will say, 'Let us ask someone to intercede for us
with our Lord that He may relieve us from this place of ours.' Then they will go to Adam and
say, 'O Adam! Don't you see the people (people's condition)? Allah created you with His Own
Hands and ordered His angels to prostrate before you, and taught you the names of all the
things. Please intercede for us with our Lord so that He may relieve us from this place of
ours.' Adam will say, 'I am not fit for this undertaking' and mention to them the mistakes he
had committed, and add, "But you d better go to Noah as he was the first Apostle sent by
Allah to the people of the Earth.' They will go to Noah who will reply, 'I am not fit for this
undertaking,' and mention the mistake which he made, and add, 'But you'd better go to
Abraham, Khalil Ar-Rahman.'
They will go to Abraham who will reply, 'I am not fit for this undertaking,' and mention to
them the mistakes he made, and add, 'But you'd better go to Moses, a slave whom Allah gave
the Torah and to whom He spoke directly' They will go to Moses who will reply, 'I am not fit
for this undertaking,' and mention to them the mistakes he made, and add, 'You'd better go to
Jesus, Allah's slave and His Apostle and His Word (Be: And it was) and a soul created by
Him.' They will go to Jesus who will say, 'I am not fit for this undertaking, but you'd better go
to Muhammad whose sins of the past and the future had been forgiven (by Allah).' So they
will come to me and I will ask the permission of my Lord, and I will be permitted (to present
myself) before Him. When I see my Lord, I will fall down in (prostration) before Him and He
will leave me (in prostration) as long as He wishes, and then it will be said to me, 'O
Muhammad! Raise your head and speak, for you will be listened to; and ask, for you will be
granted (your request); and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted.' I will then raise
my head and praise my Lord with certain praises which He has taught me, and then I will
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intercede. Allah will allow me to intercede (for a certain kind of people) and will fix a limit
whom I will admit into Paradise.
I will come back again, and when I see my Lord (again), I will fall down in prostration before
Him, and He will leave me (in prostration) as long as He wishes, and then He will say, 'O
Muhammad! Raise your head and speak, for you will be listened to; and ask, for you will be
granted (your request); and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted.' I will then praise
my Lord with certain praises which He has taught me, and then I will intercede. Allah will
allow me to intercede (for a certain kind of people) and will fix a limit to whom I will admit
into Paradise, I will return again, and when I see my Lord, I will fall down (in prostration) and
He will leave me (in prostration) as long as He wishes, and then He will say, 'O Muhammad!
Raise your head and speak, for you will be listened to, and ask, for you will be granted (your
request); and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted.' I will then praise my Lord
with certain praises which He has taught me, and then I will intercede. Allah will allow me to
intercede (for a certain kind of people) and will fix a limit to whom I will admit into Paradise.
I will come back and say, 'O my Lord! None remains in Hell (Fire) but those whom Qur'an
has imprisoned therein and for whom eternity in Hell (Fire) has become inevitable.' "
The Prophet added, "There will come out of Hell (Fire) everyone who says: 'La ilaha illal-lah,'
and has in his heart good equal to the weight of a barley grain. Then there will come out of
Hell (Fire) everyone who says: ' La ilaha illal-lah,' and has in his heart good equal to the
weight of a wheat grain. Then there will come out of Hell (Fire) everyone who says: 'La ilaha
illal-lah,' and has in his heart good equal to the weight of an atom (or a smallest ant)."
vi) Ajiz
It can be well understood from the following Ahadith:
Narrated Hakim bin Hizam that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)
said: The upper hand is better than the lower hand (i.e. he who gives in charity is better than
him who takes it). One should start giving first to his dependents. And the best object of
charity is that which is given by a wealthy person (from the money which is left after his
expenses). And whoever abstains from asking others for some financial help, Allah will give
him and save him from asking others, Allah will make him self-sufficient. (Bukhari)
Abu Huraira related that the Prophet said: He who makes a habit of asking from others
reaches out for a brand of Fire, so let him refrain or continue, as he desires. (Muslim)
Clothing
Ibn Abbas related that the Prophet said: Any Muslim who gives a Muslim a garment to wear
will be in Allah's safekeeping as long as a shred of it remains on him. (Ahmad, Tirmidhi)
Debt: Relieving the person in debt
Abu Qatadah related that the Prophet said: If anyone would like Allah to save him from the
hardships of the Day of Resurrection, he should give more time to his debtor who is short of
money, or remit his debt altogether. (Muslim)
Food and the needy
Safwan ibn Salim related that the Prophet said: Anyone who looks after and works for a
widow and a poor person is like a warrior fighting for Allah?s cause, or like a person who
fasts during the day and prays all night. (Bukhari)
Anas related that the Prophet said: If any Muslim plants something or sows seed from which a
man, a bird or an animal eats, it counts as a charity for him. (Bukhari, Muslim)
Relatives who are needy
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Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet said: The best charity is that which is practiced by a
wealthy person. And start giving first to your dependents. (Bukhari)
Salman ibn Amer reported that the Prophet said: To give something to a poor man brings one
reward, while giving the same to a needy relation brings two: one for charity and the other for
respecting the family ties. (Ahmad, Ibn Majah, Nasai, Tirmidhi)
Stinginess
Jabir reported that the Prophet said: Avoid doing injustice to others, for on the Day of
Judgment, it will turn into manifold darkness, and safeguard yourself against miserliness, for
it ruined those who were before you. It incited them to murder and treating the unlawful as
lawful. (Muslim)
Zakat-what you owe from your money
Abbas related that a man asked the Prophet, Tell me what should I do to be admitted to
Paradise and he (the Prophet) answered: Worship Allah associating nothing with Him,
observe Salat, pay Zakat and strengthen the ties of kinship. (Bukhari, Muslim)
Abu Huraira related that the Prophet said: When someone is made rich but he does not pay
Zakat for his wealth, then on the Day of Judgment his money will be turned into a poisonous
snake with two black spots on its head. It will coil around his neck and bite his cheeks and
say: 'I am your wealth, I am your treasure'. Then the Prophet recited verse 3:180 of the Quran.
(Bukhari)
vii) Sabr
The term sabr is commonly translated as patience, but this is only an approximate meaning
which does not convey totally the true meaning of sabr. ‘Patience’ comes from a Latin root,
meaning ‘suffering’–a very negative type of idea. Sabr however comes from the root sabr
which means to tie, or in other words to tie down uncontrolled feelings of fear or weakness.
Some equivalent English words would therefore be perseverance, fortitude, resolution, self-
discipline and control. Far from being a negative moral virtue, it is an active, determined and
dynamic quality which Islam encourages for all believers. It therefore requires that Muslims
fight for justice and freedom against human tyranny and it also requires Muslims to be
steadfast in the face of calamity.
Some important Ahadith about sabr:
Narrated Abu Said Al Khudri: Some Ansari persons asked for (something) from Allah’s
Apostle and he gave them. They again asked him for (something) and he again gave them.
And then they asked him and he gave them again till all that was with him finished. And then
he said “If I had anything, I would not keep it away from you. (Remember,) whoever abstains
from asking others, Allah will make him contented, and whoever tries to make himself self-
sufficient, Allah will make him self-sufficient. And whoever remains patient, Allah will make
him patient. Nobody can be given a blessing better and greater than patience.” Sahih Al-
Bukhari – Book 24 Hadith 548
Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet (peace be upon him) passed by a woman who was
weeping beside a grave. He told her to fear Allah and be patient. She said to him, “Go away,
for you have not been afflicted with a calamity like mine.” And she did not recognize him.
Then she was informed that he was the Prophet. So she went to the house of the Prophet
(peace be upon him) and there she did not find any guard. Then she said to him, “I did not
recognize you.” He said, “Verily, the patience is at the first stroke of a calamity.” Sahih Al-
Bukhari – Book 23 Hadith 372
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “The example of a believer is that of a fresh
tender plant; from whatever direction the wind comes, it bends it, but when the wind becomes
quiet, it becomes straight again. Similarly, a believer is afflicted with calamities (but he
remains patient till Allah removes his difficulties.) And an impious wicked person is like a
pine tree which keeps hard and straight till Allah cuts (breaks) it down when He wishes.”
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Sahih Al-Bukhari – Book 70 Hadith 547
Narrated Ata bin Abi Rabah: Ibn ‘Abbas said to me, “Shall I show you a woman of the people
of Paradise?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “This black lady came to the Prophet (peace be upon
him) and said, ‘I get attacks of epilepsy and my body becomes uncovered; please invoke
Allah for me.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) said (to her), ‘If you wish, be patient and you
will have (enter) Paradise; and if you wish, I will invoke Allah to cure you.’ She said, ‘I will
remain patient,’ and added, ‘but I become uncovered, so please invoke Allah for me that I
may not become uncovered.’ So he invoked Allah for her.” Sahih Al-Bukhari – Book 70
Hadith 555
Narrated Anas bin Malik: I heard Allah’s Apostle saying, “Allah said, ‘If I deprive my slave
of his two beloved things (i.e., his eyes) and he remains patient, I will let him enter Paradise
in compensation for them.’” Sahih Al-Bukhari – Book 70 Hadith 557
Narrated Abu Uthman: Usama bin Zaid said that while he, Sa’d and Ubai bin Ka’b were with
the Prophet (peace be upon him) a daughter of the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent a
message to him, saying. ‘My daughter is dying; please come to us.” The Prophet (peace be
upon him) sent her his greetings and added “It is for Allah what He takes, and what He gives;
and everything before His sight has a limited period. So she should hope for Allah’s reward
and remain patient.” She again sent a message, beseeching him by Allah, to come. So the
Prophet (peace be upon him) got up. and so did we (and went there). The child was placed on
his lap while his breath was irregular. Tears flowed from the eyes of the Prophet. Sa’d said to
him, “What is this, O Allah’s Apostle?” He said, “This is Mercy which Allah has embedded
in the hearts of whomever He wished of His slaves. And Allah does not bestow His Mercy,
except on the merciful among His slaves. (See Hadith No. 373 Vol. 2) Sahih Al-Bukhari –
Book 70 Hadith 559
Narrated Anas: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The real patience is at the first stroke
of a calamity.” Sahih Al-Bukhari – Book 23 Hadith 389
Refraining from Asking: Malik related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Ata ibn Yazid
al-Laythi from Abu Said al-Khudri that some people of the Ansar asked the Messenger of
Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he gave to them. Then they asked him
again, and he gave to them until he used up what he had. Then he said, “What wealth I have, I
will not hoard from you. Whoever has forbearance, Allah will help him. Whoever tries to be
independent, Allah will enrich him. Whoever tries to be patient, Allah will give him patience,
and no one is given a better or vaster gift than patience.” Al-Muwatta – Hadith 58.2.7
Narrated Samurah ibn Jundub: The Prophet (peace be upon him) named our cavalry “the
Cavalry of Allah,” when we were struck with panic, and when panic overtook us, the Apostle
of Allah (peace be upon him) commanded us to be united, to have patience and perseverance;
and to be so when we fought. Sunan of Abu-Dawood – Book 14 Hadith 2554
Narrated Anas ibn Malik: When on the Day of Hunayn Allah conferred upon His Apostle
(peace be upon him) the riches of Hawazin (without armed encounter), the Messenger of
Allah (peace be upon him) set about distributing to some people of Quraysh one hundred
camels. Upon this they (the young people from the Ansar) said: May Allah grant pardon to
the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that he bestowed (these camels) upon the people
of Quraysh, and he ignored us, whereas our swords are still dripping blood. Anas ibn Malik
said: Their statement was conveyed to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and he
sent (someone) to the Ansar and gathered them under a tent of leather. When they had
assembled, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came to them and said: What is this
news that has reached me from you? The wise people of the Ansar said: Messenger of Allah,
so far as the sagacious amongst us are concerned they have said nothing, but we have
amongst us persons of immature age; they said: May Allah grant pardon to the Messenger of
Allah (peace be upon him) that he gave to the Quraysh and ignored us (despite the fact) that
our swords are besmeared with their blood. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him) said: I give (at times material gifts) to persons who were quite recently in the state of
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unbelief, so that I may incline them to truth. Don’t you feel delighted that people go with
riches whereas you should go back to your places with the Apostle of Allah? By Allah, that
with which you return is better than that with which they return. They said: Yes, Messenger
of Allah, we are pleased. The Holy Prophet said too: You will find marked preference (in
conferring of the material gifts) in future, so you should show patience until you meet Allah
and His Messenger and I shall be at the Hawd Kawthar. They said: We show patience.
Sahih Muslim– Book 5 Hadith 2303
Narrated Aisha: I asked Allah’s Apostle about the plague. He said, “That was a means of
torture which Allah used to send upon whomsoever He wished, but He made it a source of
mercy for the believers, for anyone who is residing in a town in which this disease is present,
and remains there and does not leave that town, but has patience and hopes for Allah’s
reward, and knows that nothing will befall him except what Allah has written for him, then he
will get such reward as that of a martyr.” Sahih Al-Bukhari – Book 7 Hadith 616
viii) Tawakkul
Ath-Tawakkul in the Arabic language, is the word for the(Entrusting results in Allahafter the
effort is made)Islamic concept of reliance on God or "trusting in God's plan". It is also refers
to as "perfect trust in God and reliance on Him alone." Tawakkul is also considered a natural
result of extreme zuhd.
“At-Tawakkul ‘ala Allah” is the Islamic concept of complete reliance on Allah or “trusting in
Allah’s plan.” The root word in Arabic is‫( َ ل‬wakala) which means to entrust, charge or
‫ك‬
‫و‬
authorize. Allah is al-Wakeel, the Disposer of Affairs, the One entrusted, relied upon,
depended upon and sufficient to take care of all matters.
▪ Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn Àbbas said about ‫( حسبه لَ َل َو َكيل‬Sufficient for us is Allah
‫وَن َعَما‬ ‫َنا له‬
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and He is the best disposer of affairs):” Prophet Ibrahim said it when he was thrown into the
fire. Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬said it when people said on the day of Uhud, ‘Indeed, the
people have gathered against you, so fear them. But it only increased them in faith and they
said, ‘Sufficient for us is Allah and He is the best Disposer of affairs. ‘Thereafter this ayah
(3:173) was revealed.
As believers we need to know what our Lord wants from us and then do what is right in
obedience to Him. Then we should put our trust in Allah, not merely saying that He is the
best disposer of our affairs but believing it from the depths of our hearts. It is then that our
reliance on Him will have meaning and take effect.
▪ The Messenger of Allah (‫)ﷺ‬
Say, “Never will we be struck except by what Allah has decreed for us; He is our protector.”
And upon Allah let the believers rely. (Quran, 9:51)
Allah directed His Messenger (‫ )ﷺ‬to reply to the hypocrites and tell them that nothing will
ever happen except what Allah has decreed, for we are under His control and command and
He is our master and protector; therefore, the true believers support the cause of Allah and
then put their trust in Him.
▪ Allah is sufficient to protect and manage the affairs of His servants.
And sufficient is Allah as a wakeel (disposer of affairs) (Quran, 33:48)
▪ True believers have faith and then rely on Allah.
The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts become fearful, and
when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith; and upon their Lord they rely.
(Quran 8:2)
Ibn ʽAbbas said about this ayah, “The quality of a true believer is that when Allah is
mentioned, he feels a fear in his heart and therefore obeys His orders and prohibitions; then
he relies upon Allah.”
ix) Tawbah
A Muslim’s faith may become weak and he may be overwhelmed by his desires. The Shaytan
may make sin attractive to him, so he wrongs himself (commits sin) and falls into that which
Allah has forbidden. But Allah is Kind to His slaves, and His mercy encompasses all things.
Whoever repents after doing wrong, Allah will accept his repentance, for Allah is Forgiving
and Merciful.
Most Merciful [al-Maa’idah 5:39 – interpretation of the meaning]
expiate from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise)”
[al-Tahrim 66:8]
The gate of repentance is open to His slaves, until the sun rises from the west. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah spreads out His Hand at night to
accept the repentance of those who did wrong during the day, and He spreads out His Hand
during the day to accept the repentance of those who did wrong during the night. (This will
continue) until the sun rises from the west.” (Narrated by Muslim, no. 2759)
says:
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Wise.
them We have prepared a painful torment” [al-Nisaa’ 4:17-18]
them:
surely, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-An’aam 6:54]
you do” [al-Shura 42: 25]
themselves” [al-Baqarah 2: 222]
When a kafir becomes a Muslim, Allah turns his bad deeds (sayi’aat) into good deeds
(hasanat), and forgives him all his previous sins, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven”
[al-Anfaal 8:38]
(believers) should deviate tremendously away (from the Right Path) [al-Nisaa’4:27]
“Say: O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Zumar 39:53]
forgiveness so that I may forgive him?’” (Narrated by Muslim, no. 758)
Man is weak. If a person sins then he has to repent and seek forgiveness every time. Allah is
find Allah Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Nisa’ 4:110]
The Muslim is vulnerable to making mistakes and sins. So he has to repent and seek
forgiveness repeatedly. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “By
Allah, I seek the forgiveness of Allah and I turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times
each day.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, no. 6307)
Allah loves the repentance of His slaves, and accept it. Indeed, He rejoices over it, as the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When a person repents, Allah
rejoices more than one of you who found his camel after he lost it in the desert.” (Agreed
upon. Narrated by al-Bukhari, no. 6309)
x) Sidq
Al-Sidq: Truthfulness. To Witness the Testimony with Truthfulness In One's Heart. He, Who
Utters the Testimony While His Heart Is Not Certain About Its Truthfulness Is A Lying
Hypocrite. Allah Says, “And of Mankind, There Are Some (Hypocrites) Who Say, 'We
46
Believe In Allah And The Last Day' While In Fact, They Believe Not. They (Think to)
Deceive Allah And Those Who Believe, While They Only Deceive Themselves, And
Perceive (It) Not! In Their Hearts Is A Disease (Of Doubt And Hypocrisy) And Allah Has
Increased Their Disease. A Painful Torment Is Theirs Because They Used To Lie.” [Surah Al-
Baqarah (2): 8-10]
‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘You must be truthful, for truthfulness leads
to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man will keep speaking the truth and
striving to speak the truth until he will be recorded with Allah as a siddiq (speaker of the
truth). Beware of telling lies, for lying leads to immorality and immorality leads to Hellfire. A
man will keep telling lies and striving to tell lies until he is recorded with Allah as a liar.”
(Reported by Muslim, 4721)
This hadeeth indicates that truthfulness leads to righteousness (al-birr), an all-embracing
concept that includes all kinds of goodness and different kinds of righteous deeds. Immorality
is basically an inclination towards deviation from the truth, and the immoral person (fajir) is
one who is inclined to turn away from the path of guidance. Hence immorality and
righteousness are diametrically opposed.
Al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “I memorized
from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): ‘Leave that which
makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt, for truthfulness is certainty and
tranquillity, whilst lying is doubt and confusion.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 2520; al-Nisa'i,
8/327; and Ahmad, 1/200)
In the lengthy hadeeth of Abu Sufyan describing his meeting with Heraclius, Abu Sufyan
(may Allah be pleased with him) said: “[Heraclius] said, ‘What does he [meaning the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] command you to do?’ I said, ‘He says: worship
Allah alone and do not associate anything in worship with Him, and abandon that which your
forefathers did. He commands us to pray, to be truthful, to be chaste and to uphold the ties of
kinship.’” (Reported by al-Bukhari, 1/30 and Muslim, 1773).
Hakeem ibn Hizam (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Two parties to a deal have the option of changing their
minds until they part; if they are open and honest, their deal will be blessed, and if they
conceal and tell lies, the blessing of their deal will be diminished.” (Reported by al-Bukhari,
4/275 and Muslim, 1532.)
Truthfulness includes being truthful towards Allah by worshipping Him sincerely; being
truthful towards one’s own soul by making it adhere to the laws of Allah; and being truthful
with people in one's words and by keeping one's promises, and in dealings such as buying,
selling and marriage, so there should be no deceiving, cheating, falsifying or withholding of
information. Thus a person should be the same on the inside and the outside.
As regards lying, it is highly forbidden, and is of varying degrees of abhorrence and sin. The
most obnoxious form of lying is falsely attributing things to Allah and His Messenger,
because this involves fabrication about the religion and is an act of outrage against Allah.
Hence one of the characteristics of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is
that he truthfully conveyed that which Allah commanded him to convey. So Allah said
(interpretation of the meanings):
“…who does more wrong than one who invents a lie against Allah, to lead mankind astray
without knowledge. Certainly Allah guides not the people who are zalimoon (polytheists and
wrong-doers, etc.)” [al-An’am 6:144]
1. Write a brief note on the Islamic ethical concepts mentioned in Hadith?
2. Define how Characteristic of Islam is modesty?
3. What are the Ahadith (narrations) which support “The gate of repentance is open to
47
the slaves of Allah”
did Ibn Àbbas (r.a) said about ‫ون َعَما َل َو َيكل‬ َ‫( حسبه لل‬Sufficient for us is Allah and
4. What ‫نَا ه‬
He is the best disposer of affairs.
5. Define Islamic ethics as a code of conduct?
1. Ali Hammdani, Sayyid’, Dhakiratu’l Muluk, Delhi: Islamic Book Foundation,
2. Dar, Bashir Ahmed, Quranic Ethics, Delhi: Kitab Bhawan.
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UNIT 2: Man and Moral Behaviour
Lesson No. 1: Ethical Significance: Salah, Sawm, Zakah, Hajj
Lesson Structure
2.1.1 Introduction
2.1.2 Objectives
2.1.3 Ethical Significance: i) Salah, ii) Sawm, iii) Zakah, iv) Hajj
2.1.4 The Concept of the Responsibility of Men and Women
2.1.5 The Rank of Human Beings
2.1.6 Let Us Sum Up
2.1.1 Introduction
The word “morality” comes from the Latin word moralitas meaning “manner, character, and
proper behavior”. Morality generally refers to a code of conduct, that an individual, group or
society hold as authoritative, in distinguishing right from wrong. Such an ideal code of
conduct is often espoused in preference to other alternatives.
Islam as a comprehensive way of life encompasses a complete moral system that is an
important aspect of its world-view. We live in an age where good and evil are often looked at
as relative concepts. Islam however, holds that moral positions are not relative, and instead,
defines a universal standard by which actions may be deemed moral or immoral.
Islam’s moral system is striking in that it not only defines morality, but also guides the human
race in how to achieve it, at both an individual as well as a collective level.
The Islamic moral system stems from its primary creed of belief in One God as the Creator
and Sustainer of the Universe. Islam considers the human race to be a part of God’s creation,
and as His subjects.
From an Islamic perspective, the purpose of human life is to worship God, by leading this
worldly life in harmony with the Divine Will, and thereby achieve peace in this world, and
everlasting success in the life of the hereafter. Muslims look to the Glorious Qur’an and the
Traditions of the Prophet as their moral guides.
The Glorious Qur’an says:
“It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces Towards east or West; but it is righteousness-
to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to
spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the
wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and
practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and
patientin pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the
peopleof truth, the Allah-fearing.” [Al-Qur’an 2:177]
This verse underscores the Islamic belief that righteousness and piety is based, before all else
on a true and sincere faith. The key to virtue and good conduct is a strong relation with God,
who sees all, at all times and everywhere. He knows the secrets of the hearts and the
49
intentions behind all actions. Therefore, Islam enjoins moral behavior in all circumstances;
God is aware of each one when no one else is. It may be possible to deceive the world, but it’s
not possible to deceive the Creator.
The love and continuous awareness of God and the Day of Judgment enables man to be moral
in conduct and sincere in intentions, with devotion and dedication.
The Glorious Qur’an also says:
Say: the things that my Lord hath indeed forbidden are: shameful deeds, whether open or
secret; sins and trespasses against truth or reason; assigning of partners to Allah, for which He
hath given no authority; and saying things about Allah of which ye have no knowledge. [Al-
Qur’an 7:33]
It is interesting that the Qur’an refers to “sins and trespasses against truth or reason”. It is an
indication of God’s blessing to every human being, of an innate moral sense. Such a moral
sense, when uncorrupted by family or society, is what leads people to commendable acts of
virtue. Islam aims to enhance and amplify the moral sense in every human being and adorn
the individual’s character with the noblest of virtues.
The Islamic moral principles therefore, appeal naturally to the human intellect, while
elevating the pursuit of morality to the level of worship. This is because Islam holds every
action that is done with the goal of attaining of God’s pleasure to be worship.
2.1.2 Objectives
Following are the objectives which a student will come to know in this lesson:
Morality in Islam addresses every aspect of a Muslim’s life, from greetings to international
relations. It is universal in its scope and in its applicability.
A Muslim is expected to not only be virtuous, but to also enjoin virtue. He/she must not only
refrain from evil and vice, but must also actively engage in asking people to eschew them. In
other words, they must not only be morally healthy, but must also contribute to the moral
health of society as a whole.
The Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) summarized the conduct of a Muslim when he
said: “My Sustainer has given me nine commands: to remain conscious of God, whether in
private or in public; to speak justly, whether angry or pleased; to show moderation both when
poor and when rich, to reunite friendship with those who have broken off with me; to give to
him who refuses me; that my silence should be occupied with thought; that my looking should
be an admonition; and that I should command what is right.”
The guiding principle for the behavior of a Muslim is what the Qur’an refers to as Al Àmal
Assalih or virtuous deeds. This term covers all deeds, not just the outward acts of worship.
Some of the most primary character traits expected of a Muslim are piety, humility and a
profound sense of accountability to God. A Muslim is expected to be humble before God and
with other people. Islam also enjoins upon every Muslim to exercise control of their passions
and desires.
Islam warns against vanity and excessive attachment to the ephemeral pleasures of this world.
While it is easy to allow the material world to fill our hearts, Islam calls upon human beings
to keep God in their hearts and to use the material world in moderation and in accordance
with God’s guidance. The Glorious Qur’an says:
“The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, but only he (will prosper) that brings to
Allah a sound heart” [Al-Quran: 26:88-89]
Charity is one of the most commendable acts in Islam. In fact, Zakah, the annual charity that
is obligatory on every Muslim who has accrued wealth above a certain level, is one of the
pillars of Islam.
Gratitude in prosperity, patience in adversity, and the courage to uphold the truth, even when
inconvenient to one, are just some of the qualities that every Muslim is encouraged to
cultivate.
2.1.3 Ethical Significance
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i) Salah, ii) Sawm, iii) Zakah, iv) Hajj
Religious ethics concerns teachings and practices of what is right or wrong, good or bad,
virtuous or vicious, from a religious point of view. The definition of “religion” is
controversial. A definition favored by the Supreme Court is that religions are traditions that
are anything like Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or Buddhism.
A more detailed definition to consider is: A religion is a tradition and practice based on a
conception of what is real and significant (God, Allah, the Tao, Brahman, etc.), and the belief
that sin, vice, disillusionment, and illusion may be overcome by grace, meditation, practices,
and living in harmony, unity, or wise concord with what is real and significant. A Christian
ethic, for example, may be informed by Jesus’ radical teaching about loving one’s neighbor,
being a good Samaritan, loving one’s enemies, and the like.
i) Salah
Prayer (salah) occupies a great status in Islam that is not shared by any other act of worship.
This is indicated by the following:
1. It is the pillar of the religion, which cannot stand without it.
According to a hadeeth narrated by Mu’aadh ibn Jabal (may Allaah be pleased with him), the
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Shall I not tell you of
the head of the whole matter and its pillar and top?” I [Mu’aadh] said, “Yes, O Messenger of
Allah.” He said, “The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is prayer and its top is jihad.”
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2616; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2110.
2. It is second in status to the Shahaadatayn (twin testimony of faith) as further proof of
the soundness of a person’s belief and as visible evidence of the beliefs that reside in
the heart.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Islam is built on
five [pillars]: the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave
and Messenger, establishing prayer, paying zakah, performing pilgrimage to the House, and
fasting Ramadan.” Narrated by al-Bukhari, 8; Muslim, 16.
Establishing prayer means performing prayer in full with all its words and actions, at the
appointed times, as it says in the Qur’an (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, As-Salah (the prayer) is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours” [al-Nisa’
4:103] i.e., at defined times.
3. Prayer occupies a special position among other acts of worship because of the way in
which it was enjoined.
It was not brought down to earth by an angel, rather Allah wanted to bless His Messenger
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) by taking him up to heaven and
addressing him directly concerning the obligation of prayer. This is something that is unique
to prayer among all the rituals of Islam.
Prayer was enjoined on the night of the Mi’raj [Prophet’s ascent to heaven], approximately
three years before the Hijrah.
Fifty prayers (per day) were enjoined at first, then the number was reduced to five, but the
reward of fifty remains. This is indicative of Allah’s love of prayer and its great status.
4. Allah erases sins by means of prayer
Al-Bukhari (528) and Muslim (667) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said–and in the hadeeth of Bakr it is narrated that
he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say– “What do
you think if there was a river by the door of any one of you and he bathed in it five times a
day, would there be any trace of dirt left on him?” They said, “No trace of dirt would be left
on him.” He said, “That is like the five daily prayers, by means of which Allah erases sin.”
5. Prayer is the last part of religion to be lost, and if it is lost the whole religion is lost.
It was narrated that Jabir ibn ‘Abd-Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The
51
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Between a man and
shirk [associating others with Allah] and kufr [disbelief] there stands his giving up prayer.”
Narrated by Muslim.
Hence the Muslim should be keen to perform the prayers on time, and not be lazy or take the
matter lightly. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So woe unto those performers of Salah (prayers) (hypocrites),
Those who delay their Salah (prayer from their stated fixed times)” [al-Maa’oon 107:4-5]
And Allah warns those who cause their prayers to be lost by saying (interpretation of the
meaning):
“Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As-Salah (the prayers) [i.e.
made their Salah (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by not offering them
perfectly or by not offering them in their proper fixed times] and have followed lusts. So they
will be thrown in Hell” [Maryam 19:59]
6. Prayer is the first thing for which a person will be brought to account on the Day of
Resurrection:
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: “The first deed for which
a person will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayer. If it is good
then he will have prospered and succeeded, but if it is bad then he will be doomed and have
lost. If anything is lacking from his obligatory prayers, the Lord will say, ‘Look and see
whether My slave did any voluntary prayers, and make up the shortfall in his obligatory
prayers from that.’ Then all his deeds will be dealt with likewise.” Narrated by al-Nasa’i, 465;
al-Tirmidhi, 413. Classed as saheeh by al-Albani in Saheeh al-Jami’, 2573.
ii) Sawm
Firstly we must note that one of the names of Allah is al-Hakeem (the Most Wise). The
word Hakeem is derived from the same root as hukm (ruling) and hikmah (wisdom). Allah
alone is the One Who issues rulings, and His rulings are the most wise and perfect.
Secondly Allah does not prescribe any ruling but there is great wisdom behind it, which we
may understand, or our minds may not be guided to understand it. We may know some of it
but a great deal is hidden from us.
Thirdly Allah has mentioned the reason and wisdom behind His enjoining of fasting upon us,
as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was
prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious)” [al-Baqarah
2:183]
Fasting is a means of attaining taqwa (piety, being conscious of Allaah), and taqwa means
doing that which Allah has enjoined and avoiding that which He has forbidden.
Fasting is one of the greatest means of helping a person to fulfil the commands of Islam.
The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) have mentioned some of the reasons why
fasting is prescribed, all of which are characteristics of taqwa, but there is nothing wrong with
quoting them here, to draw the attention of fasting people to them and make them keen to
attain them.
Among the reasons behind fasting are:
1. Fasting is a means that makes us appreciate and give thanks for pleasures. For fasting
means giving up eating, drinking and intercourse, which are among the greatest
pleasures. By giving them up for a short time, we begin to appreciate their value.
Because the blessings of Allah are not recognized, but when you abstain from them,
you begin to recognize them, so this motivates you to be grateful for them.
2. Fasting is a means of giving up haram things, because if a person can give up halal
things in order to please Allah and for fear of His painful torment, then he will be
52
more likely to refrain from haram things. So fasting is a means of avoiding the things
that Allah has forbidden.
3. Fasting enables us to control our desires, because when a person is full his desires
grow, but if he is hungry then his desire becomes weak. Hence the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “O young men! Whoever among you can afford
to get married, let him do so, for it is more effective in lowering the gaze and
protecting one’s chastity. Whoever cannot do that, let him fast, for it will be a shield
for him.”
4. Fasting makes us feel compassion and empathy towards the poor, because when the
fasting person tastes the pain of hunger for a while, he remembers those who are in
this situation all the time, so he will hasten to do acts of kindness to them and show
compassion towards them. So fasting is a means of feeling empathy with the poor.
5. Fasting humiliates and weakens the Shaytan; it weakens the effects of his whispers
(waswas) on a person and reduces his sins. That is because the Shaytan “flows through
the son of Adam like blood” as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) said, but fasting narrows the passages through which the Shaytan flows, so his
influence grows less.
Undoubtedly blood is created from food and drink, so when a person eats and drinks, the
passages through which the devils flow – which is the blood – become wide. But if a person
fasts, the passages through which the devils flow become narrow, so hearts are motivated to
do good deeds, and to give up evil deeds.
6. The fasting person is training himself to remember that Allah is always watching, so
he gives up the things that he desires even though he is able to take them, because he
knows that Allah can see him.
7. Fasting means developing an attitude of asceticism towards this world and its desires,
and seeking that which is with Allah.
8. It makes the Muslim get used to doing a great deal of acts of worship, because the
fasting person usually does more acts of worship and gets used to that.
iii) Zakah
It should be noted that Allah does not prescribe anything that is not for the best reasons and
does not achieve the best interests. Allah is the All-Knowing, Who encompasses all things by
His knowledge, and He is the All-Wise Who does not prescribe anything except for a reason.
With regard to the reason behind the prescription of zakah, the scholars have mentioned many
reasons for it, including the following:
1. To complete and perfect a person’s Islam, because it is one of the pillars of Islam. If a
person fulfils it, his Islam is complete. Undoubtedly this is an important aim for every
Muslim, and every believing Muslim will strive to perfect his faith.
2. It is indicative of a person’s sincerity of faith, because wealth is dear to people, and
something that is loved will not be given up except for something that is equally or
more loved, or rather for something that is more loved. Hence it is called sadaqah,
because it is indicative of the sincerity (sidq) of a person’s desire to please Allah, may
He be exalted.
3. It cleanses the character of the one who gives it, so that he is saved from being a miser
and is included among the generous, because if he accustoms himself to giving,
whether it is giving knowledge or giving wealth or using his position to help others,
that giving will become a characteristic for him and will be part of his nature, until he
gets upset if there is a day when he does not give. Like the hunter who gets used to
hunting, if one day he does not hunt, you will find him feeling anxious. Similarly,
theone who has gotten used to being generous will feel anxious if he does not give some of his
wealth or use his position to help others one day.
4. It gladdens the heart. If a person gives something, especially wealth, he feels a sense
of joy. This is something that is tried and tested, but it is subject to the condition that
53
he gives gladly and willingly, not grudgingly.
Ibn al-Qayyim said in Zaad al-Ma’aad that giving and generosity are means of gladdening the
heart, but no one benefits from that except the one who gives gladly and willingly, and gives
the wealth from his heart before he gives it from his hand. As for the one who gives from his
hand but his heart is still attached to the wealth, his heart, he will never benefit from that
giving.
5. It joins a person to the ranks of the true believers. “None of you truly believes until he
loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” Just as you love to be given money
with which you can meet your needs, you should also love to give it to your brother,
thereby you will perfect your faith.
6. It is one of the means of entering Paradise, because Paradise is for the one who
“speaks good words, spreads (the greeting of) salaam, feeds the hungry and prays at
night when the people are asleep.” And all of us are striving to enter Paradise.
7. It makes the Muslim society like a single family, in which those who have the means
show compassion to those who do not have the means, and the rich to those who are in
hardship. Thus a person feels that he has brothers to whom he must do good as Allah
has been good to him. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “and do good as
Allah has been good to you” [al-Qasas 28:77]. So the Muslim ummah becomes like a
single family. This is what is known nowadays as “social security”, but zakah is better
than that, because a person is paying it as an obligatory duty and benefitting his
brothers thereby.
8. It extinguishes the flames of revolution among the poor, for a poor man may be
provoked by finding a man who can ride whatever kind of vehicle he wants, and live
in whatever kind of palace he wants, and eat whatever kind of food he wants, whereas
he has no means of transportation but his own two feet, and can sleep only on the
ground, and so on, so undoubtedly he will feel some kind of resentment in his heart.
But if the rich are generous to the poor, they will prevent rebellion and soothe their
anger and they will say: we have brothers who acknowledge us at times of hardship,
so they will feel love towards the rich.
9. It prevents financial crimes such as robbery and stealing and the like, because the poor
will get enough to meet their needs, and they will excuse the rich because they are
giving them some of their wealth, and they will see that they are treating them well, so
they will not transgress against them.
10. Salvation from the heat of the Day of Resurrection. The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) said: “Every man will be in the shade of his charity on the Day
of Resurrection.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albani in Saheeh al-Jami’ (4510). And he
listed among those whom Allah will shade with His shade on the Day when there will
be no shade but His: “… a man who gives charity and conceals it so much that his left
hand does not know what his right hand is doing.” Agreed upon.
11. It leads a man to learn about the laws of Allah, because he can never pay his zakah
until he has learned the rulings on zakah, the kinds of wealth that are subject to zakaah
and those who are entitled to receive it, and other information that he needs.
12. It purifies wealth, so that the wealth will grow literally and metaphorically. If a person
gives charity from his wealth, that this will protect him from problems, and Allah may
increase his provision because of his giving charity. Hence it says in the hadeeth:
“Wealth never decreases because of charity.” Narrated by Muslim, 2588. This is
something that is tried and tested, because a miser’s wealth may be overtaken by
something that destroys it or most of it, such as fire, and great losses, or sickness that
forces him to seek treatment which takes up much of his wealth.
13. It is a means of bringing down blessings. In the hadeeth it says: “No people ever
withhold the zakah of their wealth but rain is withheld from the sky.”
14. “Charity given in secret extinguishes the wrath of the Lord,” as was narrated from the
54
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and classed as saheeh by al-
Albani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 3759.
15. It wards off a bad death.
16. It wrestles with the calamity that comes down from heaven and prevents it reaching
earth.
17. It expiates for sins. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Charity extinguishes sins as water extinguishes fire.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albani
in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5136.
iv) Hajj
It was narrated in al-Saheehayn that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I
heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: “Whoever
performs Hajj and does not utter obscenities or commit sin, will come back as on the day
when his mother bore him.” Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1521; Muslim, 1350.
And he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “From one ‘Umrah to the next is an
expiation for whatever (sins) came between them, and for an accepted Hajj there is no reward
but Paradise.” Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1773; Muslim, 1349.
Hajj and other righteous deeds are means of expiation of sins, if a person does them in the
manner prescribed in shari‘ah. The majority of scholars are of the view that righteous deeds
only expiate for minor sins; with regard to major sins it is essential to repent. They quote as
evidence for this view the hadeeth narrated by Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be
pleased with him), according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) said: “The five daily prayers, from one Jum‘ah to the next and from one Ramadan to the
next, expiate for whatever (sins) come in between them, so long as you avoid major sins.”
Narrated by Muslim, 1/209.
Imam Ibn al-Mundhir (may Allah have mercy on him) and a group of scholars are of the view
that an accepted Hajj expiates for all sins, because of the apparent meaning of the two hadeeth
quoted above.
2.1.4 The Concept of the Responsibility of Men and Women
Human beings in Islam have both material and spiritual characteristics. Islam does not accept
the theory of evolution that human beings were created as apes. Human beings have two
dimensions in Islam; one dimension is the highest one, the soul of God, and the other is the
lowest, mud. Human beings were created free with the ability to decide and act in such a way
to stay anywhere within their dimension, between the highest and lowest levels. Human
beings are not all equal but they are brothers and sisters. They are the only creatures of God
who can carry the mission of God in this world and have knowledge. Men and women are
completely equal in Islam. Human beings have the highest rank of all creatures of God.
In Islam, God is the only Creator and has the highest power. He commands respect and He
dominates the entire world, including the earth and the skies. God created His representative
on earth [see the Qur-an, Ch. II (Baqara), V. 30]. We can see the value of mankind in Islam,
i.e., a representative of God. Even in the most civilized nation we cannot see such a value for
human beings. The angels responded by asking “Wilt Thou place therein one who will make
mischief therein and shed blood?” [Quran, Ch. II (Baqara), V. 30] God replied: “I know what
ye know not.” [Quran, Ch. II (Baqara), V. 30]. And so God decided to create human beings as
His representatives on earth. So God should have created human beings from the best. But He
did the opposite. Human beings were created from the lowest dimension, mud.1It should be
noted that the Islamic language is symbolic while the language of the Quran is the most
complete language. A symbolic language relates meaning in a mysterious fashion. If a
language is easy to understand then today’s generation can understand it perfectly, but in the
future when the knowledge is more advanced it will not have any meaning. Alternatively,
when the language is symbolic it will survive since each generation with existing knowledge
can discover new understanding from it, Shariati (1978, p. 2).
55
2.1.5 The Rank of human beings
God gave Adam knowledge and the names of all things. This is based on the Quran, Ch. II
(Baqara), V. 31: “And He taught Adam the names of all things; then He placed them before
the angels, and said: Tell me the nature of these if ye are right.” This is the education that we
know and the knowledge that we have. The angels complained and asked God why He
endowed human beings with a higher quality while He created human beings from mud and
they are from “smoke-free fire”. God said He knows something they do not know. [Quran,
Ch. II (Baqara), V. 30] “Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: I will create a vicegerent on
earth. They said: Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed
blood? – Whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)? He said: I know
what ye know not.” However, except Satan all prostrated to Adam as God says in [Quran, Ch.
II (Baqara), V. 34] “And behold, We said to the angels: Bow down to Adam, and they bowed
down: Not so Iblis: he refused and was haughty: he was of those who reject Faith.” What we
can conclude here is that race does not bring any rank to anyone; it is the education and
knowledge which increase the rank of human beings. We also should understand that due to
his knowledge and scientific quality mankind has superiority over the angels. Because human
beings learned the “names”, angels had to prostrate to him. Here Satan, by being jealous and
arrogant, sees only the lower side of human beings (clay) and fails to see the higher side, the
faculty brought in from the spirit of God.
To understand their value and rank in Islam, we should bear in mind that human beings are
the trustees of God on earth while no other creature wanted to accept this responsibility. God
offered the “trust” to Heavens, the Earth and the Mountains, but they were afraid and
therefore refused, but human beings accepted. This is based on the following verse: [Quran,
Ch. XXXIII (Al-Ahzab), V. 72] “We did indeed offer the Trust to the Heavens and the Earth
and the Mountains, but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof: but man undertook
it; He was indeed unjust and foolish.” The Heavens, the Earth and the Mountains are seen as
other creatures of God besides human beings. No other creatures of God wanted to accept the
responsibility to have the choice of being good or evil through their will. Therefore, they left
everything to the will of God who is All-Wise and Perfect and would give them more
happiness than the faculty of choice with their imperfect knowledge. Human beings were too
audacious and were willing to take risks in order to achieve something. Actually, human
beings were too ignorant to realize the responsibility associated with willpower.
Consequently, they put themselves at risk of being punished or of being among those close to
God or being on the straight path. Here by accepting these responsibility human beings can be
the nearest ones to God, [Qur-an, Ch. LVI (Al Waqiah), V. 11] “These will be those nearest
to God” and [Qur-an, Ch. LVI (Al Waqiah), V. 88] “Thus, then, if he be of those Nearest to
God”. Here we can see human beings have a higher rank than all other creatures of God.
According to Molavi (a Muslim poet and philosopher of Persia), “trust” in V. 72 of Ch.
XXXIII (Al-Ahzab) means “willpower”, “authority”, Shariati. In comparison to other
creatures, human beings have a distinctive quality which is will-power. Human beings can act
against their instinctive demand and nature while no other creature can. It is only human
beings “who can pursue the good or bad way, who can follow or disobey his wisdom and who
can descend into mud or ascend toward God!”2 Note that human beings who were indeed
unjust (Zaluman) and foolish (Jaholan) could and did undertake the God-like attribute of will
“trust”. By being unjust and foolish, human beings could gain two great characteristics -
being just and knowledgeable if they wish. We do not call all other creatures of God (the
Heavens, the Earth and the Mountains) unjust and foolish because they do not have the
capacity of being just and knowledgeable. Despite the fact that many other creatures of God
are stronger, heavier, bigger and harder than human beings (e.g., mountains, many animals,
etc.) and are many times physically stronger than human beings, they do not have the talent
and capacity of human beings to have the willpower and God-like attributes. Note that a
person can be foolish if he can be wise as well and so human beings who have the capability
56
of being “trustee” of God accepted the responsibility. Human beings took the risk to get the
most and will be punished if they abuse the God-like attribute of “willpower”.
It should be noted that human beings have a dualistic nature; one extreme is the spirit of God
and the other, the lowest of the low, clay, quintessence of clay and dust. As we can see in
the Quran [Ch. XCV (Tin, The Fig), verses. 4 and 5] God says: “We have indeed created man
in the best of moulds” and “Then do We abase him (to be) the lowest of the low”. But God
also gave human beings the willpower or His authority to choose the place they want to be. In
this way they get the reward or can be punished depending on how they use His willpower
and authority. “To man God gave the purest and best nature, and man’s duty is to preserve the
pattern on which God has made him, […]. If man rebels against God, and follows after evil,
he will be abased to the lowest possible position. For judgment is sure. Those who use their
faculties aright and follow God’s Law will reach the high and noble destiny intended for
them. That reward will be temporary, but unfailing.” However, there are two conditions - to
be a believer (necessary) - and to do righteous deeds that can save human beings from falling
to the “lowest of the low” as indicated in the Quran, Ch. XCV (Tin or The Fig), V. 6, “Except
such as believe and do righteous deeds: For they shall have a reward unfailing.”
“God, the Almighty, the Owner of Absolute Will who can do as He wishes, has given this
ability to man. The source being God’s spirit, man may act in a similar BUT unequal way.
What is the privilege? Man may exercise authority and willpower. He is free to do good or
evil, obey or rebel.”2 Since human beings are able to learn, it is their responsibility to learn. In
this way they determine their fate and their future.2 It is clearly stated in the Quran [Ch. II
(Al-Baqara), V. 134 and 141] that the fate of the old civilization is what they themselves
gained; your fate depends on what you gain. For example, in the Quran [Ch. II (Al-Baqara),
V. 141] God says “That was a People that hath passed away. They shall reap the fruit of what
they did, and ye of what ye do! Of their merits there is no question in your case!”. “The
doctrine of personal responsibility is a cardinal feature of Islam.” Yusuf Ali explains that on
the Day of Judgment each soul would have to answer for its own deeds. The person cannot
claim merit from others, nor is he responsible for the crime or sins of the others. For example,
the people of the book try to claim the merits of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) or
Patriarchs or Jesus (peace be upon him). This does not make sense in Islam as the fact that
these people were righteous men in the past, it cannot help us unless we are ourselves
righteous.
2.1.6 Let Us Sum Up
Human beings in Islam have the highest rank and are the highest physical creations of God.
They have both material and spiritual characteristics. The creation of human beings in Islam
is from an original couple by God: Adam and Eve. Islam does not accept the theory of
evolution that human beings were created as apes. Apes were created apes and they are still
apes. Human beings have two dimensions in Islam; one dimension is the highest one - the
soul of God and the other is the lowest one and is mud. Human beings were created free and
can decide and act in such a way to stay anywhere within their dimension, between the
highest and lowest levels. In general, we can conclude that all men are not equal but they are
brothers. Equality and brotherhood are different connotations. Equality is only a civil or legal
term but brotherhood acknowledges the co-nature of all men. All races are from the same
source. Human beings have a mixed phenomenon since they are made from mud and the
Spirit of God. Furthermore, they are representatives and trustees of God on earth. They are the
only creatures of God with freedom, willpower and ability to choose the dimension they want,
either the highest or the lowest one. However, human beings have a responsibility that God
bestowed to them. They carry the mission of God in this world. Men and women are
completely equal in Islam. In some cases, men have more ability, but greater responsibilities.
If we adjust for these responsibilities, we can see both have exactly the same qualities and
superiority in Islam. Men are physically stronger than women, but must also protect women
in affairs where strength is important. Women have greater endurance, sensitivity and
57
patience than men, but also higher responsibilities when these characteristics are required.
Human beings are not weak and disabled before God since they are God’s representatives,
God’s friends and God’s trustees on this earth. They have the highest rank of all creatures of
God because: (i) they were created from the spirit of God, (ii) and have the knowledge and
able to learn. A dualistic human with such a great responsibility needs a religion to lead him
neither toward absolute asceticism not toward absolute materialism, but toward a state of
balance. He needs a dualistic religion to fulfill the great responsibility he accepted; that is
Islam.
1. Define morality as per Islamic perspective?
2. Write a brief note on any three of the following;
i) Salah, ii) Sawm, iii) Zakah, iv) Hajj
3. Define the concept of the responsibility of Men and Women.
1. An-Na'im, Abdullahi Ahmed, “Islamic Law, International Relations, and Human
Rights: Challenge and Response,” Cornell International Law Journal
2. Shariati, Ali, Islamic View of Man, Free Islamic Literatures Incorporated
(FILINC), Bedford, translated from Farsi by AA Rasti.
3. Abdullah Yusuf Ali. The Holy Quran
4. Magsood, Ruqaiyyah, Islam, Teach Yourself Books, NTC Publishing Group,
Lesson No. 2: Social Ethics in Islam
Lesson Structure
2.2.1 Introduction
2.2.2 Objectives
2.2.3 Relationship between Individual and Society
2.2.4 Coordinating the Relations between Individual Muslims and
Society
2.2.5 Taking on Social Responsibilities and Duties
2.2.6 Islamic Ethics as a Spiritual Power for the Muslims in their
Subsistence
2.2.7 Let Us Sum Up
2.2.1 Introduction
Every human being is connected with Allah spiritually. However, in this material world, we
also get ourselves connected with other entities, such as parents, family, community, society,
country, etc. As time goes by, new connections are added at every new stage in life.
The ethics of connectivity with others has deep spiritual roots in religion. Its understanding
makes our lives happy and more comfortable. We live, move and have our being among these
relationships and sometimes our existence depends partially or fully on them. Our day-to-day
condition—happy or otherwise—is also subjected to the interaction with these relationships.
Every entity with which we are connected, entails certain rights and responsibilities. We are
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to fulfil these to maintain a kind of cordiality in relationships. The teaching of Islam
encompasses the whole life; it guides us first to fortify our spiritual bond with Allah. This is
fundamental and the core of Islam’s overall message. Every individual is supposed to
strengthen the spiritual link with Him by continuous remembrance of His existence. One has
to keep one’s mind and thoughts towards Allah to earn His blessings.
Similarly, Islam encourages us to maintain happy relationships with other fellow beings. It
urges civility, humility, tolerance and straight dealing with our fellow beings. These values
subordinate the self and emphasise the others and are essential for cordial and peaceful
coexistence in society. Islam is a religion of peace which can only be realised when an
individual has happy relations with others.
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) likens Muslim brotherhood to a building composed of bricks.
Every brick is joined and connected with other bricks, thereby fortifying the building. The
Prophet started his mission of preaching Islam by inviting his relatives to it first. Though his
relatives did not all respond positively, his invitation indicates the weight he gave to relatives.
When he established himself in Madina, he tried to conclude peace agreements with many
tribes, such as those of the Jews of Madina, the Christians of Najran, and the Makkans at
Hudaibiya. He dispatched emissaries to rulers of far-off lands such as Rome, Iran and
Abyssinia inviting them to peace and good relations with them.
We come across a number of verses in the Quran, directing us to fulfil the obligations to those
we are connected with. The Quran says: “And do not forget liberality between yourselves.
Truly Allah is all-Seer of what you do” (2:237). Verse 4:36 also enjoins us to “worship Allah
and join none with Him in worship, and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, Al-Masakin
(the poor), the neighbour who is near of kin, the neighbour who is a stranger, the companion
by your side, the wayfarer (you meet), and those (slaves) whom your right hands possess.
Verily, Allah does not like such as are proud and boastful.”
There are numerous factors that can imbalance relations in society and Islam forestalls them.
Greed for material wealth is one such impediment that causes fissures among close relatives.
A greedy person usurps the other’s property unjustly; therefore, Islam directs us: “And eat up
not one another’s property unjustly” (2:188).
Another factor that is likely to affect good relations is differences in opinion. Sometimes we
have differences with people around us, but these should not be made a matter of ego and
waiting for the other party to take the initiative to normalise a relationship. We must
understand that coming to terms quickly after differences brings us peace and serenity.
Islam allows a diversity of opinion; this existed among the Prophet’s companions. Friction
among close relatives is part of human nature but one needs to be watchful that these do not
reach a point of no-return. Islam does not give importance to difference of ethnicity, caste,
status and language, etc., as all such factors cause cracks in happy relations in society.
A balanced approach in maintaining worldly relations is the right course. Unnecessary
intrusion in the affairs of others also affects relations. Nobody likes meddlesome behaviour,
therefore, one must be careful to not overreach. Over-engagement and unnecessary intrusion
in the affairs of others are portents of a darker scenario.
Presently, we face a situation that can best be described as being stuck between the devil and
the deep sea. We give importance to material wealth and social status. Our modern culture has
promoted isolated living. We live behind closed doors with little interaction with neighbours,
relatives and other members of society. Everyone has become individualistic, focused on self-
interest alone most of the time.
It is generally observed that residents of, say, an apartment block do not care for others when
they park their vehicles and block common passages. Some throw trash from their balconies
and others do not pay their monthly maintenance charges regularly. Similarly, a teacher who
is supposed to build the future can be found involved in self-service. A student who will
manage a future society is unaware of his responsibility. A doctor who is to assure his
patient’s health can be found making money alone. Thus few think of their social
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responsibility. This negligence can lead to fissures and unbalanced situations in society.
For a human being as a social animal it is important to feel a close connection and mutual
empathy; however, this seems to be on the decline due to excessive materialism and the self-
centred approach of modern urban living. In order to achieve a worthy lifestyle, we have to
follow the teachings of Islam, i.e. treating well those with whom we are connected. Everyone
should feel responsive to and respect the rights of others.
2.2.2 Objectives
Following are the objectives which a student will come to know in this lesson:
1. To be able to understand that human well-being and a good life are the basic goals of
an Islamic ethical system.
2. To understand the importance of actions (that is, mere acceptance or utterance of
Islamic tenets is not enough).
3. To know the importance of brotherhood and socioeconomic justice in Islamic
community.
4. Forbearance, tolerance and righteousness are the basic pillars of the peaceful living in
a social setup.
5. To understand that Islamic ethical system is the reflection of the divine
commandments and guidelines for the right and wrong.
2.2.3 Relationship between Individual and Society
Islam advocates strict ethical and moral standards. "Ethics is a specific form of social
awareness, the sum of all behaviour norms that coordinate the relationship between
individuals and that between individual and society" (Fu & Huang, 1987:120). The social
function of Islamic ethics is to regulate and coordinate various social relations and deal with
various discords, which usually include the interpersonal relationships and the relationships
between individuals and society. The coordination in Islamic societies, bound by the law,
Fiqh and self-discipline, is carried out under the regulation of social behavior norms. It has
been a common view in Islamic societies that ethics is talisman to the adjustment of
interpersonal relationships. Social coordination intends to solve problems or discords that
exist between individuals, individual and society or various organizations through
coordination work. "To coordinate interpersonal relationship, in the final analysis, is to adjust
the interest relationship between individuals, that is to say, individuals should control their
pursuit of interests and show some respect to others' interests so that the interests of
individuals, of others and the overall interests of society may exist in harmony"(Wei,
2001:44). Islam believes that creating a harmonious relationship between human beings is an
implication of creating harmony between man and Allah. Attaching great importance to the
essence of ethical cultivation, Islam carries out, through Muslims, ethical practice and strives
for the ideological and religious perfection of man so as to realize the perfection of
personality. From the formation of Islamic ethics to the norms and code of practice for
Muslims, the subject in discussion has been the human person. "There is also an order in
morality, which does not only make the human person perfect but also help rectify social
ethos." (1961: 126) Generally speaking, social security is somewhat maintained or even
guaranteed as long as the interpersonal relationship and the relationship between individuals
and society is coordinated. Islamic ethics is a special form of social value. The nature of its
good-oriented control system of religious morality is to restrain the Muslims. It is one means
used by Muslims to carry out social coordination through their judgment of right and wrong
and a self -perfection practice as well. Both ethical regulations and legal regulations must
bring into play their social guidance and coordination functions, which, in the final analysis,
is determined by people's willingness of complying with and unconditionally abiding by these
regulations. It appears that a law can be made and enforced by virtue of state power.
However, without people's willingness and obedience, its enforcement would be rather
limited or even rather weak. Only when "enforcement" is accepted as a kind of consciousness
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or duty and internalized as a responsibility can law enforcement truly take effect. Ethics
places ethics enforcement on individuals through pressure from public opinion and its
institutional measures and prompts the external discipline to transform into people's beliefs
and self-discipline so as to strengthen people's awareness of their social responsibilities and
duties and to increase their ability to fulfill their social responsibilities and duties. Therefore,
the norms of Islamic ethics are the cement of a stable and vigorous society. The doctrines of
Islam repeatedly require that Muslims hold fast to their religious beliefs, urging them to
maintain a high ethical standard and regulate their behavior. The top priority of the Islamic
ethical thinking is to maintain the harmony of Islam, the harmony of the Islamic family and
among Muslim brothers, that is to say, efforts are given to the basic theory, the standard and
conduct of ethics before others so as to promote the social ethics to the level of harmony.
Islamic ethics play an integration role when dealing with problems between individuals or
social members. Every detail of their life is guided and controlled by religious thoughts. They
always show their ethical behavior in a certain ethical relation and from time to time adjust
their behavior accordingly. As a guideline when coordinating the social relations between
individuals, ethics cannot go without the regulation of the code of conduct. Islamic ethics is
capable of coordinating and adjusting all social relations such as family relations,
neighbourhood relations, workplace relations, leader-member relations, the collective and the
individual relations and the individual and society relations. Unlike ethics, the law does not
have the responsibility of adjusting these relations. The characteristics of law are coerciveness
and heteronomy while the characteristics of ethics are education, self-discipline and ethical
value- oriented coordination.
Heteronomy and self-discipline, complementing each other, is simply like the outside and the
inside of the same thing. Of course, the law is also an efficient means to guarantee the
effective practice of ethics. Compared with the prevalent values in the Jahiliyah era (epoch of
ignorance) before Islam, the civilized life advocated by Islam is apparently progressive. The
icon-worshipping people in the Jahiliyah era loved to show off their status and power as well,
while Islam injects into society some lofty new values which are mainly religious or ethical
ones. Being a dynamic system, the Islamic ethics originates from life yet goes beyond it. It
plays an extraordinary role when coordinating or tackling the interpersonal relations and the
relationship between individual and society. Its coordination function is particularly
noteworthy. For instance, it advocates unity and mutual help among Muslims, equality,
freedom, collectivism, patriotism, leniency, and so on. "Ethics is a coordination system in
social life and activities. It coordinates people's behavior and social activities and leads them
toward specific interests through our notion, habit systems, conduct and quality regulation
systems, ideal and belief systems" (Fu & Huang, 1987:146). The following two aspects reflect
the coordination function of Islamic ethics: one is the universal criterion of ethical levels and
the other is the content regulation of ethics. The standardized Islamic ethical culture has a set
of rules that guide and control people's social activities. Action in accordance with the code of
ethics will gradually develop into a social principle which, after being widely accepted and
implemented by the people, serves to make sure the society operates with order and
efficiency. Broadly speaking, the code of ethics is a scale of assessing and judging social
affairs and then a guide for action. A person started to learn regulations in his family, school
and society the moment he was born and step by step became socialized. It is during this
process of socialization that he gradually became a social man and accumulated ethical
cultivation, namely, he learned to internalize the regulations and turned them into conscious
individual action or self-disciplined action. The so-called socialization simply means learning
how to be a person: how to master social regulations; regulate, control and correct his social
activities all the time; properly deal with and adjust his relationship with others so as to
integrate into society. As a norm, Islamic ethical culture is able to determine or control
people's actions, that is to say, it can regulate or prohibit expected wrongdoings beforehand.
2.2.4 Coordinating the Relations between Individual Muslims and Society
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An individual cannot be separated from society for an individual is a member of society and a
society is made up of individuals. Therefore, an individual is in close ties with society. Under
the control of society, an individual must take his social responsibilities and obligations
within the realm of society. Once separated from society or the collective, an individual loses
his qualifications of a social member. In that case, he does not need to take any responsibility
yet also loses all the rights of a social member. The restriction of society upon individuals has
become a must and in many cases an individual must obey social ethics unconditionally. The
goals of an ethical society and an ethical individual are in complete accord so disputes, if any,
between them can be coordinated and the ethical life of an individual must be set on the social
arena. In other words, the relationship between society and an individual can be summed up
as the society "both restrains and encourages an individual, going beyond individuals while
existing within individuals" (Li, 2008:295). The implementation of Islamic ethics is the unity
of social coordination and self-examination and the unity of heteronomy and self-discipline.
Good governance in a society does not only concern the guarantee of rights and the
fulfillment of responsibilities; proper interpersonal relationships also mean safeguarding
human dignity and caring for others. Islam has been valuing the sociality of religion. Laws are
aimed at regulating the behavior of believers and the relations between them. For instance, the
Quran is the most authoritative law for Muslims. The full expression of Islamic ethics in
society demonstrates the continuous integration of the individuality and sociality of religion.
In regard to the sociality of religion, the institutionalization of religion guarantees and
maintains the embodiment and institutionalization of personal beliefs in a stable system. Take
Christianity for example, although the tension between the individuality and the sociality of
religion, which competed and fought against each other, existed all along its development of
this religion, the origin and development of the canon law was an appeal of the sociality of
Christianity along with the development of the tension (Ren, 1999:105). Learning from the
development of Christianity, Islam deals with the relationship between individuality and
sociality perfectly. Individuals and the society can develop in relative harmony or in an
interactive and institutionalized relation. As to its sociality, this system promotes the
implementation of the holy missions in history and social activities. Meanwhile, its rigid
religion institutions can guarantee the coordination and interaction between individuals and
society. The enlightenment of Islamic ethics is of vital importance for the coordination of the
relations between social members. As the spirit that constitutes the inner nature of man, ethics
plays an important role in the mental structure of man. It is the perfect combination of the will
power, reason and feelings of man. One important research subject of Islamic ethics is the
problem of "good and evil". Classic writers in the world history of thought often discussed
ethics or the theory of good in different fields, senses or at different levels. "Generally
speaking, the first type defines the good or the idea of the good in the sense of the noumenal
world like Plato and the divine command theory; the second type defines the good or ethical
imperatives in the sense of the order noumenon in human society like Kant, Hegel and
Confucianism; the third type defines the nature of the good in the sense of human ethics,
which can also be called the noumenon theory of human ethics, like Aristotle (who uses the
double meanings of ethics) and Maclntyre” (Ge, 1999). The third type focuses on human
virtues and the Islamic ethics discussed here belong to this type as a whole. The Islamic ethics
advocated by the Prophet Muhammad does not only involve social, political, economic and
legal fields but also concerns the fulfillment of human ethics and the good governance of the
society and the state. "Ethics and the values, personality ideals, rules, choice and judgment
mechanisms contained in ethics are particular important elements in this organic system" (Fu
& Huang, 1987:146). It is one of the important factors that constitute to social civilization. In
pursuing human ethics and justice, an Islamic society restricts the behavior of individuals for
the sake of the wholeness of the society. As a product of people's practice of social ethics,
once it comes into being, becomes objective conditions that confine people's activities or a
part of the social environment. In many cases, an individual must obey social ethics. Whether
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an individual's ethics is strong or not is completely determined by social education and
restrictions on him. People in different societies have some basic values in common. For
instance, they all regard such behavior like murder, suicide, corruption, bribery, rape and
abortion as crimes. Moreover, the family is the basic unit of a society. "The majority of
people in most societies has a similar 'sense of ethics', i.e., the minimum level of ethics about
right and wrong. If this is the real meaning of universal civilization, it is both fundamental
and vital" (Huntington, 1998: 43). The fact that people have similar basic values proves that
universal value is an eternal value of mankind. To meet with the need of establishing a
humanitarian ethical relation and a social environment that provides inner harmony, people
demand more care and a solid humanitarian atmosphere, in which they treat others with a
mind-set of self-perfection and expect in return the same treatment from others. The
extraordinary enlightenment function of Islamic ethics has elevated the reputation of Islam. In
social practice, religious beliefs, ethics and morality have been internalized into the code of
conduct of Muslims, adding new practical values to Islam’s social coordination function.
"Ethics refers to ideas about good and evil, right and wrong, feelings and habits developed in
people's social practice and a regulatory system that improves and coordinates the
interpersonal relations and the relationship between nature and man by relying on the public
opinion and conscience-guided personality" (Wei, 2001:32-33). The definition of ethics
determines the essence, aspects, characteristics, judgment measures, roles and functions of
ethics. As a system in social phenomena, ethics includes ethical awareness, relations and
practice, three aspects interacting with each other in reciprocal causation, mutual
interpenetration and promotion. As a result, all ethical phenomena are related in organic links
and are always changing. As the Islamic ethical system is authoritative, stable, reasonable and
massive and social ethics and individual ethics is complementary, the society can maintain
long-term and stable development. The practice of social ethics, after all, depends on the
practice of individual ethics, that is to say, social ethics must be in accord with individual
needs and the ethical level that individuals can possibly reach. The ethical practice of any
individual is always under the influence of the economic, cultural, educational and ethical
situations of the society. In other words, the socialization of a person requires that he must
abide by the requirements of social ethics. Every Muslim was born in an established ethical
relation, which would show his motive, ideas and conscience in activities concerning
personal, collective and social interests. Ethical actions would be praised while unethical
actions would be condemned.
2.2.5 Taking on Social Responsibilities and Duties
As many know, the Islamic ethical order demonstrates itself in the form of freedom, equality,
and justice, etc. What is more important, it reflects the value pursuit of Muslims. They desire
to live in an orderly environment and ethical standards are a product of such value pursuit.
Therefore, ethics has an inherent idea of order. It is widely used in social life as a common
social coordination measure so as to help maintain the continuity and stability of society.
Muslims attach great significance to their belief of "two worlds". They believe that they will
see what they have done in their life on Judgment Day so they have a special love for ethical
order. As "ethics-order-salvation" has become an internal logic in Muslim societies, Muslims
pay much attention to their ethical practice. In Islamic culture, ethics is given much social
significance by religious beliefs. According to cognitive psychology, out of their awe of
Allah, Muslims, with rather complicated psychological implications, unconditionally obey
and believe in the arrangement of Allah. “And if the people of the townships had believed and
kept from evil, surely we should have opened for them blessings from the sky and from the
earth. But (unto every messenger) they gave the lie, and so we seized them on account of
what they used to earn"(Ma, 2003:9:7:96). It means those who do not hold Allah in awe or
those who are no doers of good will be punished with disasters, poverty and sufferings. Even
if someone does unethical things when he is alone; he is still under the restriction and
judgment of ethics. There is almost no such a private space where people can stay away from
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ethics. Moral cultivation is a process in which Muslims change the objective environment
outside as well as their mental world inside. The realm of moral cultivation involves a wide
range of contents. "Moral realm actually refers to the position of moral subjects on the moral
ladder or the degree of their moral consciousness and so on. To reach the ideal realm of
morality is a token of moral regulations having been internalized into moral consciousness
and a token of moral cultivation realizing its ultimate purpose. Therefore, one must talk about
moral realm whenever he talks about moral cultivation" (Li & Mao, 2003:309).
The awareness of abiding by social morality, punishing evil-doers and praising good-doers
reminds Muslims that following the Islam canon is a religious service of pious believers,
which can coordinate social conflicts, reduce interpersonal stress and improve social conduct.
If everyone insists on doing good things, not bad things, and treats others with care and
kindness, the society will certainly become so harmonious that people are friendly to each
other. In a good ethical environment, people can live in good order, carry out friendly
exchanges, enjoy their surroundings and, to sum up, live and work in peace and contentment.
The advantages of Islam's ethical functions are evident. Apart from being able to coordinate
social conflicts, it is also a cradle that nurtures the spirit of Muslims. During their ethical
practice in social life, Muslims need to improve their morals and enhance their social relations
and relations with others for interpersonal relationships have been a constant thread winding
its way through social life and individuals are in the center of social network. An individual
should be responsible for himself as well as for the society, which proves that ethical practice
is of great social significance. The moral behavior of Muslims is under the control of their
moral accomplishment, feelings and consciousness while the establishment of ethical codes is
determined by the society and influenced by social practice, including such factors as politics,
economy, law, culture and social psychology. Therefore, to some degree, ethics gradually
comes into being in practice. Of course, Islamic ethics is not unchangeable. Its concepts,
range, structure and content change along with the time and the needs of the time. Ideals are
the soul of morality. Moral order always leads a society to an idealistic level at which people
live together on good terms, the social order is stable and people pursue lofty spiritual values.
Although different eras in history had different moral orders, the historical continuity of
moral development and the needs of the common interests of human society determined the
existence of some common spiritual notions like justice, order and interests (Li, 2008:7).
The ethical system in Islam theories proves that Islam is a lofty religion and a religion
beneficial for the subsistence of mankind. In a sense, moral order is a product of interest
relations for interests are the foundation of morality and the handling of interest relations
appears as a moral order. "The ethical theory of Islam centers on doing good deeds. Ethics
plays an important part in Islam in that it protects the pure beliefs of Muslims" (Center of
Islamic Studies, 1991:140). The survival concept faces a dilemma: on the one hand it must
face the secularity of social life; on the other hand, it must believe the illusive wonder
described by religious theories. These beliefs and value judgments cannot possibly avoid
contradictions. However, the ethics advocated by Islam, as great social and spiritual wealth,
has won the hearts of people and internalized into ideology, quality, thinking and habits of
Muslims. It has been nourishing hearts and feelings of Muslims and cleaning up the living
environment of Islamic societies. As a spiritual pillar which Muslims rely on for subsistence
and the hope of a happy life for Muslims, Islamic ethics is capable of spiritual coordination.
Losing its ethics would be a huge loss of any Islamic society that wants to be a wholesome
society. The above analysis of standards of ethics leads us to the conclusion that ethics is a
criterion of value judgment and its sociality determines its noticeable role in the daily life of
Muslims. During the transformation from traditional to modern societies, the tough Islamic
ethics continues to exist and has shown a characteristic of the time, namely, advancing with
the times while bringing forth new ideas, which means Islamic ethics is fit for different social
orders. With the same social foundations, Islamic ethics and modern laws have much in
common. This stimulates the integration and infiltration of ethics into modern society and
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law, revealing the legitimation tendency and the social significance of Islamic ethics. In social
life, every Muslim needs to observe the law and, what's more important, ethics. To abide by
ethics, one must, above all, abide by the law. One must pay attention to both ethics and the
law. Moral mentality is an underlying factor determining the existence of morality and the
reflection and accumulation of moral requirements on the mind. Moral psychology exists as
moral cognition, emotions, willpower, beliefs, thinking, habits and so on. Its substantive
contents include the sense of responsibility, obligation, honor, justice, happiness, etc. (Li,
2008:183). In the system of social ethics, core values contained in Islamic morality like
equality, fairness, justice, freedom and order manifest the ideals and goals of mankind when
governing the society. These values have become an important standard to evaluate
socialresponsibilities and duties of Muslims. Meanwhile, they keep a rein on the behavior
approaches of Muslims or even the overall social culture.
2.2.6 Islamic Ethics as a Spiritual Power for the Muslims in Their Subsistence
An Islamic society is a society with Islamic culture at its core while ethics plays an important
role in Islamic culture. That "Allah is the only God" is a spiritual power in Islamic ethics; the
spiritual power is both an important part of religious faith and a principle of personal
cultivation. Islam brings ethics into religious faith so as to strengthen ethics in practice, which
gives morality and moral behaviors special meanings and domains. For Muslims, mortal life
must be spent around religious faith and their awe of Allah is a spiritual power in their
subsistence.
A. Islamic Moral Cognition Based on Awe of Allah
The most distinctive characteristic of Islamic culture if the belief that "Allah is the only God."
Islamic ethics has, above all, a principle of sanctity or the awe of Allah, which is literally the
code of conduct. This principle is regarded by Muslims as a moral duty and a law, which has
become the most important content and spiritual pillar in Islamic ethics. The cultivation of
awe of Allah in daily life brings about among Muslims an awe of Islamic ethics. When
creating the Islamic society, Muhammad gave a rather high social status to Islamic ethics.
Happiness of mankind, he said, “lies in good morality while misfortune of mankind is a result
of moral decay. I was sent by Allah to improve the morality of mankind. There are two ways
to improve ethics: one is to believe that Allah is the only God and the other is to increase
personal ethical cultivation”. Moral consciousness refers to social psychological factors and
ethical consciousness developed by individuals in ethical practice. Moral consciousness is,
first of all, faith, which is mainly reflected in the insistence on observing the system of social
norms and customs. Islamic ethics and religious theories have close ties. Islamic theology is
the ideological source for establishing social norms and order while the religious life and
behaviors of Muslims must be under the guidance of the theological system. During the early
development of Islam, religion had a strong influence on the whole society and its social
function was to a large content based on ethics. Religious belief systems, rituals, abstinence
and punishment must be conducted with Islamic ethics as the standard. Islamic ethics has
three major principles: the first is to do good and forbid evil; the second is equality and mercy
and the third is self-awareness and helping others improve their morality while improving
one's own morality. The motive of the establishment of the ethical code of conduct in Islamic
societies is to safeguard the stability of social order. Generally speaking, a social member
must accept the universal norms of ethics. One purpose of ethics is to bring into play
itsubjectivity and arrange, coordinate and standardize the order of Muslims' daily life in a
normative way. Due to the extensive and public practice of morality in daily life, when people
take the initiative to arrange and regulate their behavior, this self-conscious moral behavior
becomes an objective social regulation force which provides society with a widely and
orderly adopted framework of behavior. In social life, the foundation of legislation, ethical
implications of the law, ethical requirements in jurisdiction, basis of law-abiding and so on
are all closely related to Islamic ethics. In other words, law has gone further into a broader
cultural background, where it must accept the review, judgment and criticism of ethics. In
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moral life, all social values must guide people's behavior in accordance with ethical norms.
To some degree, the boundaries between the ethical practice, thinking and legal regulations
have long been changed or shifted and it is actually difficult to tell one from the other. One of
the most outstanding contributions of Islamic theology to society is its service to real social
life. It combines the once secular ethical behavior closely with theology and places secular
behavior under the regulation of religious norms or holy regulations. As most know, ethics is
meant to coordinate interpersonal relations. Once integrated into the theological system, it is
elevated to the level of adjusting the relationship between man and God, which reflects the
wisdom of channeling Islamic ethics into society, that is, bringing into play the deterrence of
the theological system.
B. Islamic Ethics as the Mainstream Consciousness of Society
To create a harmonious social environment, any society needs some kind of coordinating
force, which is exactly the role that Islamic ethics plays in society. Islamic thoughts like
equality, justice, morality, doing good, mercy, charity, loyalty and caring for others are all
levers for coordinating social relations and conflicts. Likewise, Islamic beliefs, notions and
emotions are also coordinating tools. Wholesome morality, as the psychological wealth of an
individual, is not useful enough even after turning into ethical behavior of individuals. It does
not have a practical value until it has been used to influence society and it will not be of any
significance in creating a harmonious society until then. When individual ethical behavior
works in every aspect of society, it can make the style of the general social ethics change and
create a living environment with a relatively ethical order. Islamic ethics is of programmatic
and directing significance for regulating the social order. As a social factor that requires it to
be implemented in practice by social members, it is also an important measure for the ruler to
regulate the people and the social order. Ethical norms and principles are a product of social
material conditions. Only with shared ethical values and a code of conduct can a society
operate normally and the people can carry out exchanges smoothly. In order to maintain a
dynamic balance of social life and the normal operation of society, some ethical norms must
be established to condition or regulate people's behavior. Islamic ethics is not only a type of
heteronomy but more of self-discipline. It lays a solid foundation for social development by
internalizing heteronomy into the self-discipline of the people. Out of the needs of the
coexistence of social groups, ethical norms must resolve the multiple relations between
individuals, between individuals and social groups, and adjust the mutual relations between
various internal factors within the social structure in time. Islamic ethical norms require the
people to pursue poetic justice. The religious practice of Islam is a process of self-discipline
and self-perfection throughout one's life, the beliefs and power of which is apparently helpful
for the stability of the social order. As a matter of fact, for Muslims, Islam is a religion of
strong national self-discipline and discipline. Islamic ethics is widely used in social life as the
mainstream consciousness so as to create a harmonious humanitarian environment. Endowed
with a cultural spirit, its values are highly thought of by Muslims. To judge a person's
morality, the established ethical norms provide a specific standard, that is, judging people by
good or evil, right or wrong and reasonable or not. Generally speaking, there is a clear
division between good and evil so that ethical judgment is a kind of duty judgment. One can
clearly understand the ethical norms and develop or shape his morals and ideological
consciousness in his ethical practice. Therefore, moral consciousness, ideals, judgment and
quality are bound to observe the standard and guidance of Islamic morality. Embodied in the
regulatory system of social customs, ethical relations and practice become rather useful social
customs, coordinating people's behavior by virtue of the power of public opinion, customs
and inner beliefs. Personal morality and social morality is equally important, the elevation of
personal morality can uplift the social morality and vice versa. The whole Islamic social
system is based on Islamic doctrines: union of politics and religion, union of religion and
social ethics, union of thearchy and secularity, and union of religion and secularity. As a
result, secular ethics and religious ethics are combined, one within another. Therefore, it is not
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surprising that Islamic ethics is seen in every aspect of social life. The traditional thinking of
Islamic ethics has an influence on people's judgment about most things. In real social life,
although Islamic ethics does not have law coerciveness, it has public opinion coerciveness,
the pressure of which has an unequalled force for regulating people's behavior. In a society
with Islamic ethics as the mainstream consciousness, morality is a spiritual pillar of law while
law is a power pillar of ethics. The law is a product of the enforcement, embodiment and
institutionalization of basic ethical principles while morality is the self-conscious conduct of
the people. To a large degree, Muslims train their willpower because of the awareness as well
as the restriction of the law and morality. "Ethics is a code of conduct developed in the
production and social practice of mankind aimed at coordinating various relations. It is a
necessity for social groups to co-exist" (Yang, 2002:67). A stable Islamic order plays a vital
role in coordinating social relations and it helps maintain the security of politics and the social
system. As a continuous and stable social factor, Islamic ethics maintains and strengthens, to
a large degree, the life of religion and exists as a spiritual power for the subsistence of
Muslims. No doubt it is an important factor helpful for the stability and progression of
society. Since it can guarantee the smooth operation of social life, its positive significance for
society is apparent.
2.2.7 Let Us Sum Up
After studying how Islamic ethics coordinate social relations, we notice that Islamic ethics
played an important part in coordinating the social relations of Islamic countries in the Middle
East in history and, considering the fact that it provides theoretical support for coordinating
social conflicts in modern society, it is still of great social value today. Here we want to make
a few remarks on the political unrest in the West Asia and North Africa. The profound
influence of the political unrest which happened in the Middle East and North Africa late in
2010 and early in 2011 goes far beyond the prediction of the world. Some compared the
political influence of the unrest in the Middle East to that of the drastic change in Eastern
Europe in 1989 and some compared its political and historical significance to the national
liberation movement in the Middle East in the 1950s and 1960s. Whether this kind of
comparison is appropriate, we all agree on one thing, namely, this incident, which involves
many countries in the Middle East, will exert wide-spread and long-lasting influence on world
politics. Yet as the unrest is still developing there, we need more time before we can make
objective and proper analysis about it. The on-going political unrest in the Middle East and
North Africa is under the influence of history, religion, culture and society. There are both
internal and external reasons for it. According to materialistic dialectics, external causes are
the condition of change and internal causes the basis of change, external causes becoming
operative through internal causes. After all, the political unrest in the Middle East and North
Africa is basically an internal affair and the internal causes are the root causes. When studying
the causes of the political unrest in the Middle East, we notice that there are many severe and
troublesome problems in societies of the Middle East and North Africa. For example, in
politics, they need reform and restructuring; in economics, they need improvement of the
living conditions of the people. In particular, problems like the high unemployment rate, high
inflation rate, income distribution imbalance and corruption among senior officials call for an
urgent resolution. It should be noted that, facing the above-mentioned discord in the Middle
East and North Africa, the theory of harmony advocated by Islamic ethics remains unchanged
and its important attribution to the stability of society has not changed, either. The Middle
East countries need the driving force of Islamic ethics and the Islamic spirit is of great
importance for the integration of the people. No matter how the Middle East societies change,
their Islamic values will always remain the same. In the final analysis, the ongoing political
unrest in the Middle East is basically a spontaneous and bottom-up revolution of the people.
The main reason why it has spread to many Arab countries and causes drastic turmoil in the
politics and societies of these countries lies in the complex intrinsic social problems. Arab
people appealed for better living conditions in the first place and now the key to the unrest is a
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reform in politics and the social system. In a word, this is an overall political crisis triggered
by a series of livelihood issues. The lasting upheaval and war in Libya reminds people across
the world of the severity of peace and war in the Middle East. Under the banner of the UN
Security Council, the US and NATO, two external forces, have transformed internal affairs of
Libya into a war against Libya. They made it clear that the purpose of this war was to
overthrow Gaddafi, which has happened with his death in October, 2011 and both are fighting
in Libya today. In my view, Middle East countries should reflect deeply on the current
situation. "Peace, Not War" is the call of the people in the Middle East and North Africa. We
are sorry to say that peace might return to the Middle East earlier if there were no intervention
of external military forces. It has long been a guiding principle universally recognized in the
international community that in international relations, all countries, big or small, should be
equals and internal affairs of a country should be resolved by the people themselves. By no
means should external forces use their military force to intervene in the internal affairs of a
state. The political unrest in Libya is totally an internal affair which should only be resolved
by the Libyan people themselves instead of the US and NATO, who tried to overthrow
Gaddafi by launching a war like what the US did to Saddam Hussein’s Iraq regime in 2003.
This war has been a blatant intervention in the internal affairs of other countries. Showing no
respect to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Libya, it is a typical
hegemonic activity that goes beyond the authorization of the United Nations Security
Council. The political and social development of Arab countries in West Asia and North
Africa is at a new crossroads and its future development tendency depends on the political
wisdom of the new generation of leaders. Undoubtedly, these countries in the region are
going through a period of social transformation. However, the people are not fully prepared
for political or economic reform. Moreover, the task of improving the living conditions of
thepeople is really difficult to complete in the near future. All in all, we must be aware that
theimpact of this political unrest on the Arab world will be ever-lasting.
1. Write a note on Relationship between Individual and Society?
2. What is a balanced approach in maintaining worldly relations. Define?
3. How to create a harmonious social environment?
4. Islamic Ethics as a Spiritual Power for the Muslims in Their Subsistence. Write a note
on it?
1. Ahmed, A. K, Basic Political Theory, Cairo: Arab Thoughts Press.
2. Huntington, S. P., The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order,
3. Ma, J., The Quran, Beijing: China Social Sciences Press
4. Wang, Z., 100 questions on Islam, Beijing: China Today Press.
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Lesson No. 3: Economic Ethics in Islam
Lesson Structure
2.3.1 Introduction
2.3.2 Objectives
2.3.3 Economic Ethics in Islam: A Detailed Analysis
2.3.4 Importance of Economic Ethics in Islam
2.3.5 Implementation of Islamic Economic Ethics
2.3.6 Let Us Sum Up
2.3.1 Introduction
There are nearly 1.3 Billion Muslims worldwide; about one fifth of the total world population.
As is the case with any universal religion, a great cultural diversity does exist among them.
Similarly, the extent of religious commitment and practice varies considerably between
individuals and cultures. This poses a major challenge in attempting to deal with business
ethics from a religious perspective. While cultural-specific or country-specific studies are
needed, a “linking pin” connecting them may be helpful. That “pin” is normative Islam based
on its universally accepted sources and teachings. An implicit assumption here is that such
teachings are likely to influence the mindset and actions of their adherents in some degree or
the other. As most readers may not be fully familiar with Islam, a brief introduction about it
may be helpful. The term “Islam” is derived from the Arabic root [SLM] which means peace,
submission, and acceptance. Religiously, the term means to achieve peace; with Allah
[Allah]; with oneself [inner peace] and with the creation of Allah through submission to
Allah; putting one’s trust in Him and acceptance of His guidance and injunctions. This broad
definition explains why Islam is more than a “religion” in the commonly limited meaning,
which concerns itself mainly with the spiritual and ritual aspects of life. In fact, the term
“religion” is an imperfect translation of the Arabic term “deen” which means literally a way
of living. That way of living embraces the creedal, spiritual, moral, social, educational,
economic and political aspects of life. A topic like business ethics is an integral part of the
normative religious practice. If this is the case, then it is essential to be clear about the sources
of such normative practices, sources which will be frequently referred to in this chapter. There
are two primary sources of normative Islamic teachings. The first and most important source
is the Qur’an [commonly misspelled Koran]. Muslims accept the Qur’an as the verbatim word
of Allah, revealed to Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him] over a period of 22 years [610-
632 C.E.] and dictated word-for-word by Archangel Gabriel. The second primary source is
called “Sunnah” or “Hadeeth”, which means the words, actions and approvals of Prophet
Muhammad [peace be upon him] While the words of Hadeeth are not those of Allah
[verbatim], they are believed, however, to be another form of revelation to the Prophet [peace
be upon him], in meaning only. Both primary sources provide broad principles and guidelines
in conducting the normative Islamic life. These broad principles and precepts, such as social
justice, mutual consultation [shura] or moral conduct are not subject to nullification or
change. They are presumed to be valid for all times and places. The human endeavour is
limited to understanding and implementing them in a manner that is suited to the needs of
time, place and circumstances. While these sources focus on broader and guiding principles,
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they also contain injunctions that are more specific due to their importance. The growing
complexity and diversity of business dealings and of life in general, a legitimate question:
what defines a normative Islamic position in respect to a new issue or problem which is not
directly addressed in the two primary sources of Islam? A built-in mechanism to deal with
this is called Ijtihad or the exertion of effort by a learned scholar so as to find answers to new
questions or solutions to new problems. In the process of Ijtihad, the scholar is guided by the
principles and spirit of Islamic law in arriving at his opinion. As Ijtihad is a human
endeavour, influenced by the needs of time, place and circumstances, such opinions may vary
as well. They may vary even under the same circumstances. However, a cardinal rule is that if
there is a clear and conclusive text in the Qur’an or Hadeeth on any issue, it cannot be
replaced or supplanted by any scholar’s opinion. This chapter focuses mainly on widely
accepted principles and norms relating to business ethics as stipulated in the two primary
sources of Islam. These principles and norms, however, do not exist in vacuum, apart from
the Islamic worldview and the role of ethics in such worldview. At the center of this
worldview is belief in and devotion to Allah, who is the source of all bounties and the
ultimate authority in defining what is ethical and what is not. This belief is examined in the
next section.
2.3.2 Objectives
Following are the objectives which a student will come to know in this lesson;
1. Basic principles governing economic ethics in Islam.
2. How Islam is broader in its principles more than any other religion in perspective.
3. The types of businesses
4. Relevance of Islamic economic ethics to the modern times.
5. Scope of modern day business concepts in Islam.
2.3.3 Economic Ethics in Islam
Islam has laid down certain principles and limits for the economic activity of man so that the
entire pattern of production, exchange and distribution of wealth may conform to the Islamic
standard of justice and equity. Islam does not concern itself with time-bound methods and
techniques of economic production or with the details of organizational patterns and
mechanisms. Such methods are specific to every age and are evolved in accordance with the
needs and requirements of the community and the exigencies of the economic situation.
Islam’s concern is that whatever the particular form of economic activity in operation, its
underlying principles should always be the same.
According to the Islamic point of view, Allah has created for mankind the earth and all that it
contains. It is, therefore, the birth right of every human being o try to secure his share of the
world’s wealth and sustenance. Islam does not allow a particular person, class, race or group
of people to create a monopoly in certain economic activities: equal opportunities for all is its
watchword.
Right of Property
Resources which are provided by nature and which can be used directly by man may be
utilised freely, and everyone is entitled to benefit from them according to his needs. Water in
the rivers and springs, timber in the forests, fruits of wild plants, wild grass and fodder, air,
animals of the jungle, minerals under the surface of the earth and similar other resources
cannot be monopolised by anyone nor can restrictions of any sort be imposed on their free use
by Allah’s creatures to fulfil their own needs. Of course, people who want to use any of these
things for commercial purposes can be required to pay taxes to the state. Or, if there is misuse
of the resources, the Government may intervene. But there is nothing to prevent individuals
availing themselves of Allah’s earth as long as they do not interfere with the rights of others
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or of the state.
It is not right that things created by Allah for the benefit of mankind should be taken
possession of, and then kept idle and useless. One should either benefit from them oneself, or
make them available to others. On the basis of this principle Islam holds that no one can keep
his land unused for more than three years. If, during this period, he does not himself use it for
cultivation or for construction of buildings or for some other purpose, such lands shall be
treated as ‘vacated’, and anyone else who makes use of it shall not be liable to be proceeded
against in law, nor shall the Government have any authority to hand it over to someone else
(including the previous owner).
Anyone who takes possession of the earth’s natural resources and puts them to good use
acquires a rightful title over them. For instance, if somebody takes possession of an
uncultivated piece of land, on which nobody has a prior right of ownership, and makes
productive use of it, he cannot be arbitrarily dispossessed of that piece of land.This is how
every right of ownership originated in the world. When man first appeared, everything was
available to everyone, and whoever took possession of anything and made it useful in any
manner became its owner; that is to say, he acquired the right to use it specifically for his own
purpose and to obtain compensation from others if they wanted to use it. This is the natural
basis of all the economic activity of mankind.
The rights of ownership are to be honoured, though it is always open to ascertain if a
particular ownership is legally valid or not. Islam cannot approve of economic policies which
destroy the rights conferred by the Shari‘ah, however attractive their names may be and
whatever welfare pretensions they may make. Social justice and collective good are very dear
to Islam, but in their name the rights given by the Shari‘ah cannot be trampled. It is as unjust
to reduce or remove the restrictions placed by the Shari‘ah, for the sake of the good of the
community as a whole, on the rights of individual ownership as it is to add restrictions and
limitations on them which do not fit into the Shari‘ah. It is one of the duties of an Islamic
state to protect the legal rights of individuals and, at the same time to compel them to fulfil
their obligations to the community as enjoined by law. That is how Islam strikes a balance
between individualism and collectivism.
The Problem of Equality
Allah has not distributed His gifts and favour equally among mankind but, in His infinite
wisdom, has given some individuals more than others. Just as this is true of pleasantness of
voice, excellence of physique and intellectual power and so on, so, too, is it the case with the
material conditions of life. Human existence has been so ordained that divergence, variety and
inequality among men in their ways and standards variety and inequality among men in their
ways and standards of living seems to be natural. Variety is the spice of life, and the driving
spirit of behind human endeavour and excellence. Allah has not distributed His gifts and
favour equally among mankind but, in His infinite wisdom, has given some individuals more
than others. Just as this is true of pleasantness of voice, excellence of physique and
intellectual power and so on, so, too, is it the case with the material conditions of life. Human
existence has been so ordained that divergence, variety and inequality among men in their
ways and standards variety and inequality among men in their ways and standards of living
seems to be natural. Variety is the spice of life, and the driving spirit of behind human
endeavour and excellence.
Consequently, all those ideologies which want to force an artificial economic equality on
mankind are mistaken, unrealistic and impossible to realise. The equality which Islam
believes in is equality of opportunity to secure a livelihood and to climb the ladder of success
and prosperity. Islam desires that no obstacles should exist in society to prevent an individual
from striving for a living according to his capacity and talents; nor should any social
distinctions exist with the object of safeguarding the privileges of a certain class, race,
dynasty or group of people.
All those ideologies which serve vested interests, or which seek to perpetuate the power of a
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certain group, are also repugnant to Islam and can have no place in its scheme of things. Such
movements seek to establish, through force if necessary, an unnatural inequality in place of
the natural limited inequality which provides incentive to effort in society. At the same time,
Islam does not agree with those who want to enforce complete equality in respect of the
means of production and the fruits of economic endeavour, as they aim at replacing limited
natural inequality by an artificial equality.
Only that system can be the nearest to human nature in which everyone joins the economic
struggle at his own level and in the circumstances in which Allah has created him. He who
has inherited an aeroplane should make use of it; while he who has only a pair of legs should
stand on his feet and try to improve his lot. The laws of society should neither be such as
would establish a permanent monopoly for the aeroplane-owner (over his aeroplane) and
make it impossible for the bare-footed to acquire an aeroplane nor such that the race for
everyone should compulsorily begin from the same point and under the same conditions so
that they would all be tied to each other right till the end of the race. On the contrary,
economic laws should be such as to make it possible for the bare-footed, who started his race
under adverse conditions, to possess an aeroplane, if he can do so by dint of his effort and
ability, and for he who inherited the aeroplane to be left behind in the race and to lose it, if he
does not have the ability or efficiency to keep it. Effort should be rewarded and laziness
penalised.
Social Justice
Islam does not want this economic race to take place in an atmosphere of moral neutrality and
social apathy. The participants should be just and kind to one another. Islam, through its
moral injunctions, aims at creating a feeling of mutual love and affection among people,
through which they may help their weak and weary brethren, and at the same time create a
permanent institution in society to guarantee assistance to those who lack the necessary means
and abilities to succeed. People who are unable to take part in the economic race and those
who need help to get started in it should receive their share of the blessings of life from this
social institution.
To this end Islam has commanded that Zakat should be levied at the rate of two and a half
percent per annum on the total accumulated wealth [of each individual] in the country, as well
as on invested capital; five percent or ten percent, depending on the method of watering,
should be collected on agricultural produce; and twenty percent on certain mineral products.
The annual Zakat should also be levied, at a specified rate, on cattle owned by anyone who
has more than a certain minimum number. The amount of Zakat thus collected is to be spent
on the poor, the orphans and the needy.
This system provided a means of social insurance where by everyone in an Islamic society is
provided with at least the necessities of life. No worker can ever be forced, through fear of
starvation, to accept conditions of employment which may be unfairly imposed on him by
employer. And nobody’s physical health is allowed to deteriorate for lack of proper medical
care and hospitalisation.
Islam aims at striking a balance between the individual and the community, which will
promote individual freedom and at the same time ensure that such freedom is positively
conducive to the growth and tranquillity of the community as a whole. Islam does not approve
of a political or economic organisation which aims at submerging the identity of the
individual beneath that of the community, and depriving him of the freedom essential for the
proper development of his personality and talent. The inevitable consequence of nationalising
a country’s means of production is the annihilation of the individual by the community; in
these circumstances the existence and development of his individuality becomes extremely
difficult, if not impossible.
Just as political and social freedom is essential for the individual, economic freedom is
necessary for a civilized moral existence. Unless we desire to eliminate completely the
individuality of man, our social life must have enough freedom for an individual to be able to
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earn his living, to maintain the integrity of his conscience and to develop his moral and
intellectual faculties according to his own inclinations and aptitudes. Living on the dole or on
charity at the hands of others cannot be very satisfying, even if the sums involved are
generous: the retardation of mental, moral and spiritual development which it ultimately leads
to can never be counteracted by mere physical welfare and prosperity.
Nor does Islam favour a system of unbridled economic and social freedom which give
individuals a blank cheque to achieve their objectives at the possible cost of the good of the
community as a whole, or which enables them to misappropriate the wealth of others.
Between these two extremes, Islam has adopted the middle course according to which the
individual is first called upon, in the interest of the community, to accept certain restrictions,
and is then left free to regulate his own affairs. He has freedom of enterprise and competition
within a framework which guarantees the good of both the individual and society. It is not
possible to explain all these obligations and restrictions in detail and I shall, therefore, content
myself with presenting a bare outline of them.
Obligations and Restrictions
Take first the example of earning a living. The meticulous care with which Islam has
distinguished between right and wrong in respect of the means of earning wealth is not to be
found in any other legal and social system. It condemns as illegal all those means of
livelihood which injure, morally or materially, the interests of another individual or of society
as a whole. Islamic law categorically rejects as illegal the manufacture and sale of liquor and
other intoxicants, adultery, professional dancing, gambling, transactions of a speculative or
fraudulent nature, transactions in which the gain of one party is absolutely guaranteed while
that of the other part is left uncertain and doubtful, and price manipulation by withholding the
sale of the necessities of life.
If we examine this aspect of the economic laws of Islam, we will find a long list of practices
declared illegal, most of which can and are making people millionaires in the capitalist
system. Islam forbids all these by law, and allows freedom of earning wealth only by those
means through which a person renders some real and useful service to the community and
thereby entitles himself to fair and just compensation for it.
Islam accepts the right of ownership of an individual over the wealth earned by him by
legitimate means; but these rights are not unrestrained. A man can only spend his legitimate
wealth in certain specified ways. he may not waste his riches on idle luxury, nor may he use
his wealth to behave arrogantly towards his fellows. Certain forms of wasteful expenditure
have been unequivocally prohibited at the discretion of an Islamic Government.
One is permitted to accumulate wealth that is left over after meeting one’s legitimate and
reasonable commitments and these savings can also be used to produce more wealth; there
are, however, restrictions on both these activities. A rich man will, of course, have to pay
Zakah at the rate of two and a half percent a year on the accumulation exceeding the specified
minimum. He can only invest it in a business which has been declared legitimate. In this
connection, he may own the legitimate business himself or he may make his capital available
to others on a profit-loss sharing basis.
It is not at all objectionable in Islam if, working within these limits, a man becomes a
millionaire; rather, this will constitute a Divine favour. But in the interests of the community
as a whole, Islam imposes two conditions on the individual: first, that he should pay Zakah on
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his commercial goods and ‘Ushr (one tenth) on the value of agricultural produce; second, that
he should deal fairly and honestly with those he does business with in trade, industry or
agriculture, with those he employs and with the Government and the community at large. If
he does not voluntarily act justly to others, particularly his employees, the Islamic state will
compel him to do so.
Even wealth that is accumulated within these legal limits is not allowed by Islam to be
concentrated at one point or in one place for a long time. Through its law of inheritance Islam
spreads it among a large number of people from generation to generation. In this respect the
Islamic law is different from that of other inheritance laws; most of them attempt to keep the
wealth once accumulated by a person concentrated in the hands of one main beneficiary from
generation to generation. In Islam, wealth accumulated by a person in his lifetime is
distributed among all of his near relatives soon after his death. If there are no near relatives,
distant relatives benefit from it in the proportions laid down by the law for each one of them.
And if no distant relative is forthcoming, then the entire Muslim society is entitled to share in
the inheritance. Under this law the creation or continuance of any big family of capitalists or
landlords becomes impossible.
2.3.4 Importance of Business Ethics in Islam.
The main goal of Islamic entrepreneurship towards the formation of entrepreneurs who are
always conscious of the Almighty Allah. Entrepreneurs who fear will always be committed to
serve in order to realize a holistic and balanced entrepreneurship. Islam places great emphasis
on regulation and business ethics in human life. Ethics as a rule good or bad, right or wrong,
moral teachings about behavior and actions, especially in the economy comes out to the
Muslim faith. Whatever is done will be linked to the objective world and hereafter. Neither
according to Nor (2012), ethics is an important factor in helping to develop small and medium
businesses. Therefore, the main requirement that must be emphasized is that the practice of
good business ethics and social responsibility of the company. In addition, to ensure that
every entrepreneur who dabbled in the business can avoid all evil nature (mazmumah) and to
illuminate merit (mahmudah). This is important to ensure the interest of the community in
order to secure from all the elements that can trigger conflict, injustice, conflict, oppression
and a sense of dissatisfaction (Nor, 2012). In addition, they are able to protect the rights of
both parties, as the seller of the trader and the consumer as a customer of goods involved.
Next, an appreciation of the Qur'an and Sunnah can help entrepreneurs to the formation of
real faith and the root cause of the formation of high ethical and moral. This shows that
Muslims are prohibited obtain property by wrong (unethical). For example, by means of
fraud, corruption, breach of trust or practicing usury. The guidelines aim to keep business
discipline and fairness to the community, especially the aim to keep the faith and devotion to
Allah (Nor, 2012). Thus, values in business operations should be undertaken to establish and
develop the business successfully and to maximize the potential within themselves and the
business. In the Qur'an Allah is saying:
Meaning: "O you who believe, do not eat each property among yourselves in vanity, except
there be trading that occurs between your love match" (Sura al-Nisa 4: 29). When an
entrepreneur business ethics of Islam, Muslims will obtain a superior that is "Al-Falah",
success in this world and in the hereafter.
2.3.5 Implementation of Islamic Economic Ethics
There are many ways to implement business ethics in Islam. One of them is the trader or an
entrepreneur should have knowledge of the regulations and business ethics of Islam. It is
demanding that they read and understand the things that are outlined in the Qur'an and
Sunnah. In addition, they must believe that they will be brought before Allah on Judgment
Day that arise fear to disobey Allah. Therefore, they should perform and practice of business
ethics sanctioned by Islam. Without this confidence will be the birth of entrepreneurs who are
trying to avoid the discharge of business according to Islamic ethics, especially when it
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involves cost, effort and time in addition, users should also understand business ethics in
Islam and ensure that traders or entrepreneurs practice. They should be actively involved in
defending the rights of the users and provide the information to government agencies and the
private sector to find that there are a handful of entrepreneurs who committed fraud or breach
of business ethics as outlined. Further, the government has an important role to provide clear
guidelines and complete information about business ethics in Islam, to be distributed to
businesses and entrepreneurs, as well as ensure that businesses and entrepreneurs understand
the guidelines and implement. The government agency or body should be formed to monitor
the implementation of the guidelines fairly and impartially without favouritism and provide
space for people to express their grievances and provide information if there are any
irregularities.
2.3.6 Let Us Sum Up

We can sum up the teachings of the Prophet (peace be upon him) with regard to doing
business, buying and selling, as follows:
1. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) worked in business before his
mission began, with his paternal uncle Abu Talib, and he also worked for Khadijah,
and he travelled for that purpose to greater Syria. He also did business in the markets;
Majannah and ‘Ukaaz were markets during the Jahiliyyah to which merchants would
come to buy and sell.
2. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to engage directly in
transactions himself, as we shall see below in the hadith about the camel of ‘Umar and
the camel of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with them both). He also used to appoint one
of his companions to do that for him, as in the case of ‘Urwah ibn Abi’l-Ja‘d al-Bariqi,
who said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave him gave
him a dinar to buy a sacrificial animal or a sheep for him. He bought two sheep and
sold one for a dinar, and he came back with a sheep and a dinar. He (the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) prayed for blessing for him in his
business dealings, and (after that) if he had bought dust he would have made a profit.
Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (1258); Abu Dawood (3384); Ibn Maajah (2402); classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi.
3. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to enjoin traders to be
righteous and honest and to give charity. It was narrated that Hakeem ibn Hizam (may
Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: “The two parties to a transaction have the option (of
cancelling it) until they part. If they are honest and disclose any defects, their
transaction will be blessed, but if they lie and conceal defects the blessing of their
transaction will be erased.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1973) and Muslim (1532). It
was narrated from Ismaa‘eel ibn ‘Ubayd ibn Rifaa‘ah from his father from his
grandfather that he went out with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) to the prayer place, and he saw the people engaging in trade. He said: “O
merchants!” and they responded to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him), craning their necks and looking up at him. He said, “The
merchants will be raised on the Day of Resurrection as evildoers, apart from those
who fear Allah and are sincere and honest.” Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (1210); Ibn
Maajah (2146); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb (1785). It was
narrated that Qays ibn Abi Gharazah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) used to say: “O merchants, selling involves idle talk and oaths, so mix it
with sadaqah (charity).” Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (1208); Abu Dawood (3326); an-
Nasaa’i (3797); Ibn Maajah (2145); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi
Dawood.
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4. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to enjoin people to be
tolerant and easy-going in buying and selling. It was narrated from Jaabir ibn
‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: “May Allah have mercy upon a man who is easy-
going when he sells and when he buys and when he asks for payment” Al-Bukhaari
(1970). Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: In this hadith it is encouraged
to be easy-going in transactions, to have the most sublime of attitudes, and to avoid
miserliness, and it is encouraged to avoid putting pressure on people when asking for
payment, and to take from them what they can afford Fath al-Baari (4/307).
Examples of the tolerance and easy-going nature of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) include the following:
(a) It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We were with
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on a journey, and I was riding
on a recalcitrant young camel belonging to ‘Umar. It kept getting the better of me and
kept going ahead of the people, so ‘Umar kept checking and making it go back. Then
it went on ahead and ‘Umar checked it and made it go back. Then the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Sell it to me.” He said: It is yours,
O Messenger of Allah. He said: “Sell it to me.” So he sold it to the Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: “It is yours, O ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar; do with it
whatever you will.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (2610)
(b) It was narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah that he was riding on a camel of his that had
become exhausted to the point that he wanted to let it go. He said: The Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) caught up with me and offered
supplication for me, and he hit it and the camel started moving (energetically) as I had
never seen it move before. He said: “Sell it to me for one uqiyah.” I said: No. He said:
“Sell it to me.” So I sold it to him for one uqiyah and stipulated that I be allowed to
ride it home. When I arrived I brought the camel to him, and he gave me its price, then
I left. He sent someone after me and said: “Did you think that I bargained with you in
order to take away your camel? Take your camel and its price; they are both yours.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1991) and Muslim (715)
5. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to give people their
rights and urge others to do likewise. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah
be pleased with him) said: A man was owed a camel of a certain age by the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), so he came to him to ask him to repay
him, and he said: “Give him.” They looked, but they could not find anything but a
camel that was older than his, so he said: “Give him.” He said: You have paid me back
in full, may Allah reward you. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: “Verily the best of you are those who are the best in paying off debts.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (2182) and Muslim (1601). The Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) used to urge people to let a buyer cancel the transaction if he
regrets it. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever
lets a Muslim off (a transaction), Allah will relieve him of his distress on the Day of
Resurrection.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (3460) and Ibn Maajah (2199); classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. Letting someone off means being easy-
going and agreeing to cancel a sale or purchase; it is indicative of generosity of spirit.
What is meant by letting someone off a sale is: if someone buys something from a
man, then regrets his purchase, either because he feels that he did not get a good deal,
or because he no longer has any need of it, or because he does not have the
wherewithal to pay for it, so he returns the item to the seller and the seller agrees to
take it back, Allah will remove his hardship and distress on the Day of Resurrection,
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because of his kindness towards the buyer, because the transaction has been finalised,
so the purchaser could not cancel it. End quote from ‘Awn al-Ma‘bood.
1. Quote some Quranic verses and narrations of the beloved prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬with
respect to the economic ethics in Islam
2. What are the Obligations and Restrictions while dealing with Economics?
3. Mention some of the types of the forbidden trade transactions.
4. What is the Importance of economic Ethics in Islam?
1. Hamidullah, M, Introduction to Islam.
2. Imam Zuhaili, Fiqhul Islam WaAdillatuhu.
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UNIT 3: Ethical Studies
Lesson No. 1: Ethical Philosophy of Al-Ghazzali
Lesson Structure
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3.1.1 Introduction
3.1.2 Objectives
3.1.3 Ethical Philosophy of Al-Ghazali
3.1.4 Al-Ghazali's Major Contribution
3.1.5 Ál-Ghazali's Criticism of the Philosophers
3.1.6 Let Us Sum Up
3.1.1 Introduction
When most people think of ethics (or morals), they think of rules for distinguishing between
right and wrong, such as the Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto
you"), a code of professional conduct like the Hippocratic Oath ("First of all, do no harm"), a
religious creed like the Ten Commandments ("Thou Shalt not kill..."), or a wise aphorisms
like the sayings of Confucius. This is the most common way of defining "ethics": norms for
conduct that distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable behavior.
Most people learn ethical norms at home, at school, in church, or in other social settings.
Although most people acquire their sense of right and wrong during childhood, moral
development occurs throughout life and human beings pass through different stages of growth
as they mature. Ethical norms are so ubiquitous that one might be tempted to regard them as
simple common sense. On the other hand, if morality were nothing more than common sense,
then why are there so many ethical disputes and issues in our society?
One plausible explanation of these disagreements is that all people recognize some common
ethical norms but interpret, apply, and balance them in different ways in light of their own
values and life experiences. For example, two people could agree that murder is wrong but
disagree about the morality of abortion because they have different understandings of what it
means to be a human being.
Most societies also have legal rules that govern behavior, but ethical norms tend to be broader
and more informal than laws. Although most societies use laws to enforce widely accepted
moral standards and ethical and legal rules use similar concepts, ethics and law are not the
same. An action may be legal but unethical or illegal but ethical. We can also use ethical
concepts and principles to criticize, evaluate, propose, or interpret laws. Indeed, in the last
century, many social reformers have urged citizens to disobey laws they regarded as immoral
or unjust laws. Peaceful civil disobedience is an ethical way of protesting laws or expressing
political viewpoints.
Another way of defining 'ethics' focuses on the disciplines that study standards of conduct,
such as philosophy, theology, law, psychology, or sociology. For example, a "medical
ethicist" is someone who studies ethical standards in medicine. One may also define ethics as
a method, procedure, or perspective for deciding how to act and for analyzing complex
problems and issues. For instance, in considering a complex issue like global warming, one
may take an economic, ecological, political, or ethical perspective on the problem. While an
economist might examine the cost and benefits of various policies related to global warming,
an environmental ethicist could examine the ethical values and principles at stake.
3.1.2 Objectives
In this lesson students will learn the following;
1. Ethical philosophy of al-Ghazali
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2. His Theological conceptions
3. Refutation of Philosophy
4. Al-Ghazali's major contribution
5. Ál-Ghazali's Criticism of the Philosophers
3.1.3 Ethical philosophy of al-Ghazali
Al-Ghazali is one of the greatest Islamic jurists, theologians and mystical thinkers. He learned
various branches of the traditional Islamic religious sciences in his home town of Tus, Gurgan
and Nishapur in the northern part of Iran. He was also involved in Sufi practices from an early
age. Being recognized by Nizam al-Mulk, the vizir of the Seljuq sultans, he was appointed
head of the Nizamiyyah College at Baghdad in ah 484/ad 1091. As the intellectual head of the
Islamic community, he was busy lecturing on Islamic jurisprudence at the College, and also
refuting heresies and responding to questions from all segments of the community. Four years
later, however, al-Ghazali fell into a serious spiritual crisis and finally left Baghdad,
renouncing his career and the world. After wandering in Syria and Palestine for about two
years and finishing the pilgrimage to Mecca, he returned to Tus, where he was engaged in
writing, Sufi practices and teaching his disciples until his death. In the meantime, he resumed
teaching for a few years at the Nizamiyyah College in Nishapur.
Al-Ghazali explained in his autobiography why he renounced his brilliant career and turned to
Sufism. It was, he says, due to his realization that there was no way to certain knowledge or
the conviction of revelatory truth except through Sufism. (This means that the traditional form
of Islamic faith was in a very critical condition at the time.) This realization is possibly related
to his criticism of Islamic philosophy. In fact, his refutation of philosophy is not a mere
criticism from a certain (orthodox) theological viewpoint. First of all, his attitude
towardsphilosophy was ambivalent; it was both an object and criticism and an object of
learning (for example, logic and the natural sciences). He mastered philosophy and then
criticized it in order to Islamicize it. The importance of his criticism lies in his philosophical
demonstration that the philosophers' metaphysical arguments cannot stand the test of reason.
However, he was also forced to admit that the certainty of revelatory truth, for which he was
so desperately searching, cannot be obtained by reason. It was only later that he finally
attained to that truth in the ecstatic state (fana') of the Sufi. Through his own religious
experience, he worked to revive the faith of Islam by reconstructing the religious sciences
upon the basis of Sufism, and to give a theoretical foundation to the latter under the influence
of philosophy. Thus Sufism came to be generally recognized in the Islamic community.
Though Islamic philosophy did not long survive al-Ghazali's criticism, he contributed greatly
to the subsequent philosophization of Islamic theology and Sufism.
1. Life
The eventful life of Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali (or al-Ghazzali) can
be divided into three major periods. The first is the period of learning, first in his home town
of Tus in Persia, then in Gurgan and finally in Nishapur. After the death of his teacher, Imam
al-Haramayn al-Juwayni, Ghazali moved to the court of Nizam al-Mulk, the powerful vizir of
the Seljuq Sultans, who eventually appointed him head of the Nizamiyyah College at
Baghdad in ah 484/ad 1091.
The second period of al-Ghazali's life was his brilliant career as the highest-ranking orthodox
'doctor' of the Islamic community in Baghdad (ah 484-8/ad 1091-5). This period was short but
significant. During this time, as well as lecturing on Islamic jurisprudence at the College, he
was also busy refuting heresies and responding to questions from all segments of the
community. In the political confusion following the assassination of Nizam al-Mulk and the
subsequent violent death of Sultan Malikshah, al-Ghazali himself fell into a serious spiritual
crisis and finally left Baghdad, renouncing his career and the world.
This event marks the beginning of the third period of his life, that of retirement (ah 488-
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505/ad 1095-1111), but which also included a short period of teaching at the Nizamiyyah
College in Nishapur. After leaving Baghdad, he wandered as a Sufi in Syria and Palestine
before returning to Tus, where he was engaged in writing, Sufi practices and teaching his
disciples until his death.
The inner development leading to his conversion is explained in his autobiography, al-
Munqidh min al-Dalal (The Deliverer from Error), written late in his life. It was his habit
from an early age, he says, to search for the true reality of things. In the process he came to
doubt the senses and even reason itself as the means to 'certain knowledge', and fell into a
deep scepticism. However, he was eventually delivered from this with the aid of the divine
light, and thus recovered his trust in reason. Using reason, he then set out to examine the
teachings of 'the seekers after truth': the theologians, philosophers, Isma'ilis and Sufis. As a
result of these studies, he came to the realization that there was no way to certain knowledge
except through Sufism. In order to reach this ultimate truth of the Sufis, however, it is first
necessary to renounce the world and to devote oneself to mystical practice. Al-Ghazali came
to this realization through an agonising process of decision, which led to a nervous
breakdown and finally to his departure from Baghdad.
The schematic presentation of al-Munqidh has allowed various interpretations, but it is
irrelevant to question the main line of the story. Though certain knowledge is explained in al-
Munqidh as something logically necessary, it is also religious conviction (yaqin) as
mentioned in the Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din (The Revival of the Religious Sciences). Thus when he
says that the traditional teachings did not grip him in his adolescence, he means to say that he
lost his conviction of their truth, which he only later regained through his Sufi mystical
experiences. He worked to generalize this experience to cure 'the disease' of his time.
The life of al-Ghazali has been thus far examined mostly as the development of his individual
personality. However, since the 1950s there have appeared some new attempts to understand
his life in its wider political and historical context (Watt 1963). If we accept his religious
confession as sincere, then we should be careful not to reduce his thought and work entirely to
non-religious factors. It may well be that al-Ghazali's conversion from the life of an orthodox
doctor to Sufism was not merely the outcome of his personal development but also a
manifestation of a new stage in the understanding of faith in the historical development of
Islam, from the traditional form of faith expressed in the effort to establish the kingdom of
God on Earth through the shari'a to a faith expressed as direct communion with God in Sufi
mystical experience. This may be a reflection of a development in which the former type of
faith had lost its relevance and become a mere formality due to the political and social
confusion of the community. Al-Ghazali experienced this change during his life, and tried to
revive the entire structure of the religious sciences on the basis of Sufism, while at the same
time arguing for the official recognition of the latter and providing it with solid philosophical
foundations.
2. Theological conceptions
Al-Ghazali wrote at least two works on theology, al-Iqtisad fi'l-i'tiqad (The Middle Path in
Theology) and al-Risala al-Qudsiyya (The Jerusalem Epistle). The former was composed
towards the end of his stay in Baghdad and after his critique of philosophy, the latter soon
afterwards in Jerusalem. The theological position expressed in both works is Ash'arite, and
there is no fundamental difference between al-Ghazali and the Ash'arite school. However,
some changes can be seen in the theological thought of his later works, written under the
influence of philosophy and Sufism.
As Ash'arite theology came into being out of criticism of Mu'tazilite rationalistic theology, the
two schools have much in common but they are also not without their differences. There is no
essential difference between them as to God's essence (dhat Allah); al-Ghazali proves the
existence of God (the Creator) from the createdness (hadath) of the world according to the
traditional Ash'arite proof. An atomistic ontology is presupposed here, and yet there are also
philosophical arguments to refute the criticism of the philosophers. As for God's attributes
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(sifat Allah), however, al-Ghazali regards them as 'something different from, yet added to,
God's essence' (al-Iqtisad: 65), while the Mu'tazilites deny the existence of the attributes and
reduce them to God's essence and acts. According to al-Ghazali, God has attributes such as
knowledge, life, will, hearing, seeing and speech, which are included in God's essence and
coeternal with it. Concerning the relationship between God's essence and his attributes, both
are said to be 'not identical, but not different' (al-Iqtisad: 65). The creation of the world and its
subsequent changes are produced by God's eternal knowledge, will and power, but this does
not necessarily mean any change in God's attributes in accordance with these changes in the
empirical world.
One of the main issues of theological debate was the relationship between God's power and
human acts. The Mu'tazilites, admitting the continuation of an accident ('arad) of human
power, asserted that human acts were decided and produced (or even created) by people
themselves; thus they justified human responsibility for acts and maintained divine justice. In
contrast, assuming that all the events in the world and human acts are caused by God's
knowledge, will and power, al-Ghazali admits two powers in human acts, God's power and
human power. Human power and act are both created by God, and so human action is God's
creation (khalq), but it is also human acquisition (kasb) of God's action, which is reflected in
human volition. Thus al-Ghazali tries to harmonize God's omnipotence and our own
responsibility for our actions.
As for God's acts, the Mu'tazilites, emphasizing divine justice, assert that God cannot place
any obligation on people that is beyond their ability; God must do what is best for humans
and must give rewards and punishments according to their obedience and disobedience. They
also assert that it is obligatory for people to know God through reason even before
revelation.Al-Ghazali denies these views. God, he says, can place any obligations he wishes
upon us; it is not incumbent on him to do what is best for us, nor to give rewards and
punishments according to our obedience and disobedience. All this is unimaginable for God,
since he is absolutely free and is under no obligation at all. Obligation (wujub), says al-
Ghazali, means something that produces serious harm unless performed, but nothing does
harm to God. Furthermore, good (hasan) and evil (qabih) mean respectively congruity and
incongruity with a purpose, but God has no purpose at all. Therefore, God's acts are beyond
human ethical judgment. Besides, says al-Ghazali, injustice (zulm) means an encroachment
on others' rights, but all creatures belong to God; therefore, whatever he may do to his
creatures, he cannot be considered unjust.
The Mu'tazilites, inferring the hereafter from the nature of this world, deny the punishment of
unbelievers in the grave from their death until the resurrection, and also the reality of the
various eschatological events such as the passing of the narrow bridge and the weighing on
the balance of human deeds. Al-Ghazali, on the other hand, rejecting the principle of analogy
between the two worlds, approves the reality of all these events as transmitted traditionally,
since it cannot be proven that they are rationally or logically impossible. Another important
eschatological event is the seeing of God (ru'ya Allah). While the Mu'tazilites deny its reality,
asserting that God cannot be the object of human vision, al-Ghazali approves it as a kind of
knowledge which is beyond corporeality; in fact, he later gives the vision of God deep
mystical and philosophical meaning. In short, the Mu'tazilites discuss the unity of God and his
acts from the viewpoint of human reason, but al-Ghazali does so on the presupposition that
God is personal and an absolute reality beyond human reason.
3. Refutation of Philosophy
Al-Ghazali's relationship with philosophy is subtle and complicated. The philosophy
represented by al-Farabi and Ibn Sina (Avicenna) is, for al-Ghazali, not simply an object of
criticism but also an important component of his own learning. He studied philosophy
intensively while in Baghdad, composing Maqasid al-Falasifa (The Intentions of the
Philosophers), and then criticizing it in his Tahafut al-Falasifa (The Incoherence of the
Philosophers). The Maqasid is a precise summary of philosophy (it is said to be an Arabic
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version of Ibn Sina's Persian Danashnamah-yiala'i (Book of Scientific Knowledge) though a
close comparative study of the two works has yet to be made). In the Medieval Latin world,
however, the content of the Maqasid was believed to be al-Ghazali's own thought, due to
textual defects in the Latin manuscripts. As a result, the image of the 'Philosopher Algazel'
was created. It was only in the middle of the nineteenth century that Munk corrected
thismistake by making use of the complete manuscripts of the Hebrew translation. More
works by al-Ghazali began to be published thereafter, but some contained philosophical ideas
he himself had once rejected. This made al-Ghazali's relation to philosophy once again
obscure. Did he turn back to philosophy late in life? Was he a secret philosopher? From the
middle of the twentieth century there were several attempts to verify al-Ghazali's authentic
works through textual criticism, and as a result of these works the image of al-Ghazali as an
orthodox Ash'arite theologian began to prevail. The new trend in the study of al-Ghazali is to
re-examine his relation to philosophy and to traditional Ash'arism while at the same time
recognizing his basic distance from philosophy.
Al-Ghazali composed three works on Aristotelian logic, Mi'yar al-'Ilm (The Standard
Measure of Knowledge), Mihakk al-Nazar fi'l-Mantiq (The Touchstone of Proof in
Logic) and al-Qistas al-Mustaqim (The Just Balance). The first two were written immediately
after the Tahafut 'in order to help understanding of the latter', and the third was composed
after his retirement. He also gave a detailed account of logic in the long introduction of his
writing on legal theory, al-Mustasfa min 'Ilm al-Usul (The Essentials of Islamic Legal
Theory). Al-Ghazali's great interest in logic is unusual, particularly when most Muslim
theologians were antagonistic to it, and can be attributed not only to the usefulness of logic in
refuting heretical views (al-Qistas is also a work of refutation of the Isma'ilis), but also to his
being fascinated by the exactness of logic and its effectiveness for reconstructing the religious
sciences on a solid basis.
There is a fundamental disparity between al-Ghazali's theological view and the Neoplatonic-
Aristotelian philosophy of emanationism. Al-Ghazali epitomizes this view in twenty points,
three of which are especially prominent: (1) the philosophers' belief in the eternity of the
world, (2) their doctrine that God does not know particulars, and (3) their denial of the
resurrection of bodies. These theses are ultimately reducible to differing conceptions of God
and ontology. Interestingly, al-Ghazali's criticism of philosophy is philosophical rather than
theological, and is undertaken from the viewpoint of reason.
First, as for the eternity of the world, the philosophers claim that the emanation of the First
Intellect and other beings is the result of the necessary causality of God's essence, and
therefore the world as a whole is concomitant and coeternal with his existence. Suppose, say
the philosophers, that God created the world at a certain moment in time; that would
presuppose a change in God, which is impossible. Further, since each moment of time is
perfectly similar, it is impossible, even for God, to choose a particular moment in time for
creation. Al-Ghazali retorts that God's creation of the world was decided in the eternal past,
and therefore it does not mean any change in God; indeed, time itself is God's creation (this is
also an argument based on the Aristotelian concept of time as a function of change). Even
though the current of time is similar in every part, it is the nature of God's will to choose a
particular out of similar ones.
Second, the philosophers deny God's knowledge of particulars or confine it to his self-
knowledge, since they suppose that to connect God's knowledge with particulars means a
change and plurality in God's essence. Al-Ghazali denies this. If God has complete knowledge
of a person from birth to death, there will be no change in God's eternal knowledge, even
though the person's life changes from moment to moment.
Third, the philosophers deny bodily resurrection, asserting that 'the resurrection' means in
reality the separation of the soul from the body after death. Al-Ghazali criticizes this
argument, and also attacks the theory of causality presupposed in the philosophers' arguments.
The so-called necessity of causality is, says al-Ghazali, simply based on the mere fact that an
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event A has so far occurred concomitantly with an event B. There is no guarantee of the
continuation of that relationship in the future, since the connection of A and B lacks logical
necessity. In fact, according to Ash'arite atomistic occasionalism, the direct cause of both A
and B is God; God simply creates A when he creates B. Thus theoretically he can change his
custom (sunna, 'ada) at any moment, and resurrect the dead: in fact, this is 'a second creation'.
Al-Ghazali thus claims that the philosophers' arguments cannot survive philosophical
criticism, and Aristotelian logic served as a powerful weapon for this purpose. However, if
the conclusions of philosophy cannot be proved by reason, is not the same true of theological
principles or the teachings of revelation? How then can the truth of the latter be
demonstrated? Herein lies the force of al-Ghazali's critique of reason.
4. Relation to Philosophy
Philosophy declined in the Sunni world after al-Ghazali, and his criticism of philosophy
certainly accelerated this decline. Nearly a century later, Ibn Rushd (Averroes) made
desperate efforts to resist the trend by refuting al-Ghazali's Tahafut in his Tahafut al-Tahafut
(The Incoherence of the Incoherence) and Fasl al-Maqal (The Decisive Treatise), but he could
not stop it. Philosophy was gradually absorbed into Sufism and was further developed in the
form of mystical philosophy, particularly in the Shi'ite world. In the Sunni world also,
Aristotelian logic was incorporated into theology and Sufism was partially represented
philosophically. In all this, al-Ghazali's influence was significant.
Ghazali committed himself seriously to Sufism in his later life, during which time he
produced a series of unique works on Sufism and ethics including Mizan al-'Amal (The
Balance of Action), composed just before retirement, Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din, his magnum
opus written after retirement, Kitab al-Arba'in fi Usul al-Din (The Forty Chapters on the
Principles of Religion), Kimiya'yi Sa'adat (The Alchemy of Happiness), Mishkat al-Anwar
(The Niche of the Lights) and others. The ultimate goal of humankind according to Islam is
salvation in paradise, which is depicted in the Qur'an and Traditions as various sensuous
pleasures and joy at the vision of God. The greatest joy for al-Ghazali, however, is the seeing
of God in the intellectual or spiritual sense of the beatific vision. In comparison with this,
sensuous pleasures are nothing. However, they remain necessary for the masses who cannot
reach such a vision.
Resurrection for Ibn Sina means each person's death-the separation of the soul from the body-
and the rewards and punishments after the 'resurrection' mean the pleasures and pains which
the soul tastes after death. The soul, which is in contact with the active intellect through
intellectual and ethical training during life, is liberated from the body by death and comes to
enjoy the bliss of complete unity with the active intellect. On the other hand, the soul that has
become accustomed to sensual pleasures while alive suffers from the pains of unfulfilled
desires, since the instrumental organs for that purpose are now lost. Al-Ghazali calls death
'the small resurrection' and accepts the state of the soul after death as Ibn Sina describes. On
the other hand, the beatific vision of God by the elite after the quickening of the bodies, or
'the great resurrection', is intellectual as in the view of the philosophers. The mystical
experience (fana') of the Sufi is a foretaste of the real vision of God in the hereafter.
A similar influence of philosophy is also apparent in al-Ghazali's view of human beings.
Human beings consist of soul and body, but their essence is the soul. The human soul is a
spiritual substance totally different from the body. It is something divine (amrilahi), which
makes possible human knowledge of God. If the soul according to al-Ghazali is an
incorporeal substance occupying no space (as Ibn Sina implies, though he carefully avoids
making a direct statement to that effect), then al-Ghazali's concept of the soul is quite
different from the soul as 'a subtle body' as conceived by theologians at large. According to
al-Ghazali, the body is a vehicle or an instrument of the soul on the way to the hereafter and
has various faculties to maintain the bodily activities. When the main faculties of appetite,
anger and intellect are moderate, harmonious and well-balanced, then we find the virtues of
temperance, courage, wisdom and justice. In reality, however, there is excess or deficiency in
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each faculty, and so we find various vicious characteristics. The fundamental cause for all this
is love of the world.
The purpose of religious exercises is to rectify these evil dispositions, and to come near to
God by 'transforming them in imitation of God's characteristics' (takhalluq bi-akhlaq Allah).
This means transforming the evil traits of the soul through bodily exercises by utilizing the
inner relationship between the soul and the body. Al-Ghazali here makes full use of the
Aristotelian theory of the golden mean, which he took mainly from Ibn Miskawayh. In order
to maintain the earthly existence of the body as a vehicle or an instrument of the soul, the
mundane order and society are necessary. In this framework, the traditional system of Islamic
law, community and society are reconsidered and reconstructed.
The same is also true of al-Ghazali's cosmology. He divides the cosmos into three realms: the
world of mulk (the phenomenal world), the world of malakut (the invisible world) and the
world of jabarut (the intermediate world). He takes this division from the Sufi theorist Abu
Talib al-Makki, although he reverses the meanings of malakut and jabarut. The world of
malakut is that of God's determination, a world of angels free from change, increase and
decrease, as created once spontaneously by God. This is the world of the Preserved Tablet in
heaven where God's decree is inscribed. The phenomenal world is the incomplete replica of
the world of malakut, which is the world of reality, of the essence of things. The latter is in
some respects similar to the Platonic world of Ideas, or Ibn Sina's world of intelligibles. The
only difference is that the world of malakut is created once and for all by God, who thereafter
continues to create moment by moment the phenomenal world according to his determination.
This is a major difference from the emanationist deterministic world of philosophy. Once the
divine determination is freely made, however, the phenomenal world changes and evolves
according to a determined sequence of causes and effects. The difference between this
relationship and the philosophers' causality lies in whether or not the relation of cause and
effect is necessary. This emphasis on causal relationship by al-Ghazali differs from the
traditional Ash'arite occasionalism.
The Sufis in their mystical experience, and ordinary people in their dreams, are allowed to
glimpse the world of the Preserved Tablet in heaven, when the veil between that world and
the soul is lifted momentarily. Thus they are given foreknowledge and other forms of
supernatural knowledge. The revelation transmitted by the angel to the prophets is essentially
the same; the only difference is that the prophets do not need any special preparation. From
the viewpoint of those given such special knowledge of the invisible world, says al-Ghazali,
the world is the most perfect and best possible world. This optimism gave rise to arguments
and criticism even in his lifetime, alleging that he was proposing a Mu'tazilite or
philosophical teaching against orthodox Ash'arism. He certainly says in his theological works
that it is not incumbent upon God to do the best for humans; however, this does not mean that
God will not in fact do the best of his own free will. Even so, behind al-Ghazali's saying that
God does so in actuality, we can see the influence of philosophy and Sufism.
3.1.4 Al-Ghazali's Major Contribution
Al-Ghazali's major contribution lies in religion, philosophy and Sufism. A number of Muslim
philosophers had been following and developing several viewpoints of Greek philosophy,
including the Neoplatonic philosophy, and had led to conflict with several Islamic teachings.
On the other hand, the movement of Sufism was assuming such excessive proportions as to
avoid observance of obligatory prayers and duties of Islam. Based on his unquestionable
scholarship and personal mystical experience, Ghazali sought to rectify these trends, both in
philosophy and Sufism.
In philosophy, Ghazali upheld the approach of mathematics and exact sciences as essentially
correct. However, he adopted the techniques of Aristotelian logic and the Neoplatonic
procedures and employed these very tools to lay bare the flaws and lacunas of the then
prevalent Neoplatonic philosophy and to diminish the negative influences of Aristotelianism
and excessive rationalism. In contrast to some of the Muslim philosophers, e.g., al-Farabi, he
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portrayed the inability of reason to comprehend the absolute and the infinite. Reason could
not transcend the finite and was limited to the observation of the relative. Also, several
Muslim philosophers had held that the universe was finite in space but infinite in time.
Ghazali argued that an infinite time was related to an infinite space.
In religion, particularly mysticism, he cleansed the approach of Sufism of its excesses and re-
established the authority of the orthodox (i.e. Sunni) religion. Yet, he stressed the importance
of genuine Sufism, which he maintained was the path to attain the absolute truth.
He was a prolific writer. His books include Tahafut al-Falasifa (The Incoherence of the
Philosophers), Ihya al-'Ulum al-Islamia (The Rivival of the Religious Sciences), "The
Beginning of Guidance and his Autobiography", "Deliverance from Error". Some of his
works were translated into Latin in the Middle Ages, where he was known as Algazel and via
the translation of a truncated work, the Maqasid al-Falasifa [The Intentions of the
Philosophers.]
Al-Ghazali's influence was deep and everlasting. He is one of the greatest theologians
of Islam and his influence penetrated Europe, influenced Jewish and Christian Scholasticism,
and several of his arguments seem to have been adopted by Thomas Aquinas in order to
similarly re-establish the authority of orthodox Christian religion in the West.
3.1.5 Ál-Ghazali's Criticism of the Philosophers
All they have to say about the moral sciences comes down to listing the qualities and habits of
the soul, and recording their generic and specific kinds, and the way to cultivate the good ones
and combat the bad. This they simply took over from the sayings of the Sufis. These were
godly men who applied themselves assiduously to invoking God, resisting passion, and
following the way leading to God Most High by shunning worldly pleasures. In the course of
their spiritual combat the good habits of the soul and its shortcomings had been disclosed to
them and also the defects that vitiate its actions. All this they set forth plainly. Then the
philosophers took over these ideas and mixed them with their own doctrines, using the lustre
afforded by them to promote the circulation of their own false teaching. There was indeed in
their age, nay but there is in every age, a group of godly men of whom God Most High never
leaves the world destitute. For they are the pillars of the earth, and by their blessings the
divine mercy descends upon earth dwellers as is declared in the tradition from Muhammad—
God’s blessing and peace be upon him!—in which he says: “Because of them you receive
rain, and thanks to them you receive sustenance, and among them were the Companions of
the Cave.” Such godly men existed in ancient times as the Qur’an declares (Cf. Sura 18).
A year and a half ago, I looked at Al-Ghazali's criticism of the political science of the
philosophers. He does not deny that they know the truth, but (to simplify) he insists they are
unoriginal and fail to deal with the highest matters focusing primarily on statecraft. They are
original because they often just echo (and plagiarize) the wisdom of Scriptures. That is to say,
Al-Ghazali treats the Bible and Quran (he uses the plural prophets) as inter alia contribution
to political philosophy. (A position recently defended by Yoram Hazony [recall].)
The charge that they are unoriginal is repeated when it comes to the moral sciences of the
philosophers. He treats what is true of their moral philosophy as plagiarized from the Sufis.
Moreover, he suggests that they, in fact, used the prestige of the (true) Sufis's teaching, which
they pass off as their own, to advance their own (false) original contributions. (For a nice
contemporary example of such a strategy: Badiou uses the prestige of set theory to advance
his own philosophy.)
The philosophers are contrasted with the Sufis, who are describes as the Godly men, the
pillars of the earth. If I understand him correctly, Al-Ghazali is claiming with an appeal to
famous story (famous in Christianity and in Islam) of the Companions of the Cave [or Seven
Sleepers], that the kind of knowledge the Sufis possess is not only always available, but also
that in each generation there will be people that can, in principle, access this (Sufi-apt)
knowledge. This has four implications worth noting:
First, not only does Al-Ghazali share in the philosophers' hierarchical conception of (skills,
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talents, natures within any) population at any given time, he thinks that human
demography/reproduction is such that the cognitive and spiritual elites will show up in any
time and place such that Sufi-apt wisdom is always and everywhere a human possibility. [The
philosophers, by contrast, seem to agree with Socrates that the highest type is really just a
natural fluke not to be expected.]
Second, al-Ghazali is, thus, committed to the idea (again with a not to the Quran) that Sufi-
wisdom can predate all revelation. To be a Sufi is thus to have access to ancient and, would
be, perennial wisdom (God never leaves the world destitute).
Third, unlike political science, the Sufi-apt wisdom (the true part of the philosophers' moral
science) is not attributed to the Quran! al-Ghazali treats the art of living ("the good habits of
the soul") as distinct from Quran. It's (formally) not opposed to the revealed text, but it is
clearly an alternative path toward the one-and-same-God. One could know how to live
without revelation. Interestingly enough, the philosophers are in possession of elements of
this alternative path. They are, so to speak, a good starting point but are, from Al-Ghazali's
perspective, not its proper end point (for the cognitive elite, that's Sufism).
Fourth, that is, (and I feel most cautious about this) Al-Aghazali seems to agree with the
philosophers' Plato-inspied understanding of the text of the Quran as representation of the
truth (at the level of opinion), but not as the eternal truth itself.
3.1.6 Let Us Sum Up
Muhammad Ghazali’s view on the ethics of communication has an ethical and scientific
importance. He teaches scientific sciences and encourages everyone to peace, value the life
and humanity, beneficence, gentleness, virtue, honesty, and sincerity. The ethical ideas of the
philosopher are one of the pearls of the east, which reflect the spiritual values of mankind.
Freedom of speech is from personal human rights. Psychologically and ethically, a person
needs communication, which contributes to the development of his personality. Therefore, it
is necessary for a person to know and observe the ethics of communication. In fact, all good
and evil are infected with speech. Language has the property of a miracle, that is, it can turn a
friend into an enemy, or vice versa. Therefore, you should communicate with people with
respect, courtesy, talent, and intelligence to achieve partnership.
A common accusation that has been levelled at Imam al-Ghazali by Orientalist scholars is that
his refutation of philosophy led to a general decline of Islamic scientific advancement. They
base their claims that many of the people that al-Ghazali refuted, such as Ibn Sina and al-
Farabi, were some of the leading scientific scholars of the day. The truth, however, is of
course more nuanced.
While al-Ghazali clearly did take issue with the philosophical ideas of scholars who also
wrote great mathematical and scientific treatises, he makes very clear the distinction between
philosophy and science. Al-Ghazali states: “Whoever takes up these mathematical sciences,
marvels at the fine precision of their details and the clarity of their proofs. Because of that, he
forms a high opinion of the philosophers and assumes that all their sciences have the same
lucidity and solidity as this science of mathematics."
The danger in studying mathematics and other sciences, argues al-Ghazali, is not that the
subject itself is contrary to Islam and should be avoided. Rather, the student must be careful
to accept the scientific ideas of scholars without blindly accepting everything they say
regarding philosophy and other problematic subjects. He goes on to state that there is another
danger for an ignorant student of the sciences, and that is the rejection of all scientific
discoveries of scholars on the basis that they were also philosophers with heterodox beliefs.
He states: “Great indeed is the crime against religion committed by anyone who supposes that
Islam is to be championed by the denial of these mathematical sciences. For the revealed Law
nowhere undertakes to deny or affirm these sciences, and the latter nowhere address
themselves to religious matters.”
When one reads Imam al-Ghazali’s works at a very superficial level, one can easily
misunderstand what he is saying as anti-scientific in general. The truth, however, is that al-
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Ghazali’s only warning to students is to not fully accept all the beliefs and ideas of a scholar
simply because of his achievements in mathematics and science. By issuing such a warning,
al-Ghazali is in fact protecting the scientific enterprise for future generations by insulating it
from being mixed with theoretical philosophy that could eventually dilute science itself to a
field based on conjecture and reasoning alone.
1. Write a note on ethical philosophy of Al-Ghazali?
2. What are the Theological conceptions made by Al-Ghazzali?
3. What is al-Ghazzalis major contribution?
4. How and why Al-Ghazzali refuted Philosophy?
1. Al-Ghazzali, Abu Hamid, Ihya Uulum al-Din’
2. Al-Ghazzali, Muhammad, Khulq al-Muslim
3. Umar-ud-din, Muhammad, Ethical Philosophy of Al-Ghazzali
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Lesson No. 2: Ethical Philosophy of Sayyid ‘Ali Hamadani
Lesson Structure
3.2.1 Introduction
3.2.2 Objectives
3.2.3 Ethical Philosophy of Sayyid ‘Ali Hamadani
3.2.4 Sayyid ‘Ali Hamadani’s Major Contribution
3.2.5 Let Us Sum Up
3.2.1 Introduction
Amir Kabir Sayyid 'Ali Hamadani, also known as Shah-i-Hamdan was born at Hamadan, in
West Central Iran, on 12th Rajab, 714 H. (22 October, 1314 C.E). His father, Sayyid Shihab
al-Din, was the Wāli (Governor) of Hamadan. However, his family's social position least
affected his childhood. In his early age he came under the influence of his maternal uncle,
Sayyid 'Ala al-Dawlah al-Simnani, a learned sufi of his age, and studied Islamic theology and
acquired knowledge of Tasawwuf from his uncle. He also benefited from Shaykh Rukn al-
Din, Qutb al-Din Nishapuri, Akhi 'Ali Dawsti and Mahmud Muzdaqani under whose
guidance he achieved perfection and was initiated into Sufism. The Sayyid wrote a number of
books in Arabic and Persian and touched upon a variety of subjects, Islamic ethics was one of
them. The following thoughts of Sayyid 'Ali Hamadani are based mainly on his famous book
Dhakirah tul Muluk. Ethics in Islam consists of injunctions laid down in the Holy Qur’an for
the practical conduct of life and fully exemplified in the practice of the Holy Prophet
(S.A.W.). The Qur'an addresses the Prophet (S.A.W.)
Thou has been created with an excellent character". (68:4)
The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) himself says: "I have been sent to perfect morals’
According to Donaldson’s: An effort should be made to let the Qur'an speak for itself
regarding the development that ethical consciousness which the Prophet put into it, as
Muslims believe, by divine authority and in which he exhorted the believers to follow his
example.' The ethical character of the Holy Qur'an is evident from the following passages of
the Qur'an.
1. Serve Allah and join not any partners with Him: And do good to parents, kinsfolk,
orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near; neighbors who are strangers, the way-
farer (ye meet), and what your right hands possess: for Allah loveth not the arrogant,
the vainglorious. (4:36).
2. Those who spent (freely), whether in prosperity or in adversity, who restrain anger,
and pardon (all) men; For Allah loves those who be good. (3:134).
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3. Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and liberality to kith and kin, and He
forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, that ye may
receive admonition. (16:90)
The foregoing lines of the Holy Qur'an illustrate that the Islamic ethics takes its origin from
the Holy Qur'an. According to M. Umer ud din, the Holy Book lays down the foundation of
the religious system on purely ethical principles, hence there is not much to distinguish
between Islam as such and Islamic ethics.'
3.2.2 Objectives
In this lesson students will learn the following objectives:
6. The ethical philosophy of Sayyid Ali Hamadani
7. The ten spiritual stations laid down by Sayyid Ali Hamadani
8. The Sayyid Ali Hamadani’s major contribution
9. The Spread of Islam in Kashmir.
3.2.3 Ethical Philosophy of Sayyid ‘Ali Hamadani
Sayyid Ali Hamadani is counted among the greatest Islamic Scholars. He learned various
branches of the traditional Islamic religious sciences from so many pious ones. His impact on
ethical philosophy is well known among the gems of this field. He states, “The Muslims
started the study of ethics along with the study of the Holy Qur'an”. The ethical views of the
Sayyid therefore, rest on the study of the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (S.A.W.)
and the Sayyid holds the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) as the embodiment of the Qur'anic teachings.
He quotes a Qur'anic verse to explain Islamic ethics: Hold to forgiveness: command what is
right: But turn away from the ignorant. (7:199). The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) interpreted this
verse like this: The person who quarrels with you mercilessly, you must deal with him kindly;
and who denies you the opportunity of doing good, you must sacrifice your interests for him;
and who shows cruelty towards you, be faithful to him." Sayyid 'Ali Hamadan also quotes
Usamah b. Sharik who says: In my presence a party of the Arabs asked the Holy Prophet
(S.A.W.) about the best thing which God had bestowed upon his creation. Husn-i-Khulq
(good conduct) was reply of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.). The key concept of the Sayyid's
ethical views is Husn-i-Khalq which is discussed in the third chapter of his famous book:
Dhakirah tul Muluk." The title of the third chapter relates to the beauties of character and
nobility of conduct: the balance of mind as essential characteristics of the rulers and kings.
These characteristics are described in the light of the character of orthodox Khulafa’s, who
were the leaders and guides for the Muslim kings and rulers of the people. In this chapter the
Sayyid explains his ethical views in this manner:
Please know that God Almighty has created human beings on account of two reasons: The
first is the appearance (Surat-i- Zahir) and the second is the inner self [sirat-i-batin] The
appearance Surat-i- Zahir) is styled creation (Khalq) and the character (sirat) is known as
Khulq (character), and both of these have two facets of virtue and vice."
Sayyid Ali Hamdani draws our attention to the balancing role of both virtue and vice in the
perfection of human conduct. He says:
The beauty of the creation (Husn-i-Khalq) is not perfect without the appropriateness of all the
parts like eyes, eye-brows, lips, mouth, hands and the structure. Similarly, the beauty of
character (Husn-i-Sirat) which is known as Husn-i-Khulq does not reach its perfection except
by the balance of virtuous qualities like knowledge, profundity, piety, generosity,
courageousness, politeness, civility, humility, obedience, virtue and' justice. The balancing of
the virtuous traits does not permit an excess, otherwise loss is committed in those virtues, the
beauty of character (Husn-i-Sirat) is upset just as excesses of extravagance and miserliness.
Both these things are to be condemned. They lead to loss in the beauty and perfection of
character. The real beauty of character is confined to a balance which is devoid of the
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excessiveness. The balance as the beauty of character may be determined by sizing a person
who is near to this balance. In the Sayyid's explanation of balancing of virtues and vices, we
come to know about two groups of human beings. The first is composed of bigoted persons
and the second that of wise persons.
Sayyid 'Ali Hamadani says: A group of bigoted persons, on account the lack of insight, does
not understand the meaning of this balance and considers that the beauty of nature is, entirely,
dependent on saying lots of prayers and think that the evil traits of ' character lead to
immorality and destruction of character. But this is not possible and by the instrument of
prayers we cannot achieve it. It leads to the loss to the loss of time.
Sayyid 'A1i Hamadani describes in detail three categories of human beings which play
significant role in bringing up the evils or virtues in the heart of a person. He says: The
human, beings, in view of accepting the influence of nurturing, belong to three categories.
The first category is that of a child who cannot distinguish between true and false or between
right or wrong. As the mirror of his heart does not distinguish between good and evil and is
not covered by the darkness of evil opinions and he is not governed by the evil thoughts, he is
very quickly influenced by the sayings of his spiritual teacher which very easily reach his
inner self and influence him. The second category is that of a human being who can
distinguish between good and evil. But on account of the influence of evil he is not attracted
towards doing good and does not see the defects involved in disobedience. Yet he admits his
fault. This category is more difficult than the previous one, because to reform him it is
necessary, first of all, to destroy the evil matter from his inner self and then he may be
persuaded to return to a state where he can acquire virtue. The third category is that of a
person who is brought up with an evil intention and belief. He believes the vice to be virtue
and evil to be good.
According to him, 'lbadat (worship) can be performed in two ways. The first relates to moral
submissions consisting of the following virtues:
(i) Tawhid; (ii) Tawaqqul (iii) Sabr (iv) Taslim (v) lkhlasand (vi) Marifah.
The second is bodily submission which is subdivided into two categories:
(a) Prayer (b) Fasting (c) Zakat (d) Pilgrimage (e) Jihad
(ii) Huquq a- Ibad: (relating to the rights of the people).
A man has to seek closeness with God, as well as to achieve nobility of character. He also sets
down ten spiritual stations (maqamaat) which are essential for the sufi to travel along the
mystic path. They are as under:
1. TAWBAH (REPENTANCE): The first stage on the path of sufism is repentance
which means the awakening of the soul from the slumber of heedlessness, so that the
sinner becomes aware of his evil ways and past disobedience.
2. ZUHD (DETACHMENT): It is the renouncement of the world in order to give oneself
to God.
3. TAWAKKUL (TRUST IN GOD): It is an important virtue. When a Sufi reaches this
stage he entrusts himself and all his ways and works to God in a spirit of complete
trust and surrender.
4. QANAT (SATISFACTION): It consists in a willing acceptance of whatever is
bestowed by God, since he is convinced that whatever befalls on him is a blessing for
him.
5. 'UZLAT (TEMPERANCE): It means to prevent senses from doing any bad thing.
6. DHIKR (REMEMBRANCE): The Sayyid attached great importance to the
remembrance of God. It means forgetting everything except the remembrance of God
and submission to God.
7. TAWAJJUH: It means that one should devote his attention fully towards God.
8. SABR (PATIENCE): Patience is the acceptance of consolation from God and is the
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noblest and highest service.
9. MURAQABAH: In this stage, the seeker expects to reach his destination. The Sayyid
says that with exercise of Muraqabah, the Sufi is able to overcome all human
attributes and his heart becomes the abode of God.
10. RADA (SUBMISSION TO THE DIVINE WILL): It is the last station and according
to the Sayyid, one should have his own will merged into the will of God."
Sayyid 'Ali Hamadani occupies a significant place in the Muslim history of Sufism
and today we can reform the tone of the Muslim society in the light of the Sayyid's
ethical views.
3.2.4 Syed Ali Hamadani’s Major Contribution
Religions are part of human life with people having affiliations to different and particular
religions. They are an integral part of human lives and preach the same message of peace and
brotherhood. Islam is also one of the monotheistic and major religions in the world having an
enormous following of 1.8 billion Muslims in the world. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him) is the founder of Islam in Arabia. With the passage of time, the companions of Prophet
(pbuh) played a great role in the spread of Islam in the world facing a lot of hardships day-in
and day-out.
The messenger of Allah sent his companions every right, left and centre’s to convey the
divine message of one God to the people of the world in order to show them a real path of
eternal religious prosperity.
History is replete with the facts that although Islam had reached Kashmir very early, but the
practical aspect was missing thereof. Kashmir was once a non-Muslim land where people
were accustomed to non-Muslim practices and were mostly Hindus. Thus, there came an
intervention in their lives. Whether, we call it divine or by chance, Islam arrived to make its
roots permeate into the lives of the masses of the valley of South Asia.
It was initially Hazrat Syed Sharaf-ud-Din Abdul Rahman (RA), a Sufi from Turkistan also
known as Syed Bulbul Shah (RA) who provided the idea of Islam in Kashmir. Unfortunately,
there have been little literary forays into his life, although few references to him form a part
and parcel of the historical narratives of the medieval Kashmir. He was thus the first Islamic
missionary to Kashmir who laid the foundation of Sufi order here. He played a catalytic role
in the spread of Islam to concretise the societal transformation at large. According to
historical sources, many people in Kashmir embraced the creed of Bulbul Shah.
After this great saint, there arrived the descendent of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him), known as Hazrat Mir Syed Ali Hamadani (R.A), a Sufi of Kubrawi order from
Hamadan, Iran from central Asia along with 700 Sayyids in Kashmir to enlighten the masses
with the glorious Islam and its practical aspects through his teachings. He was a Shafi’i
Muslim scholar from an educationally well-off family. He was born in 1314 A.D. at
Hamadan, Persia from parents namely Syed Shihab-Ud-din and Saiyida Fatima.
Shah-i Hamadan R.A. came to Kashmir thrice with a noble mission of spreading the religion
of Islam and arrived in Kashmir for the first time in 1372 A.D. and left for Mecca afterwards.
Thereafter, he again arrived in Kashmir and stayed briefly and left vale again. Finally, he
again came to Kashmir in 1383 and remained in Kashmir for a short span of time and left this
earthly world towards eternal heavens afterwards and Tajikistan became the epicentre of his
eternal bodily stay.
Shah-i Hamdan is also known as Ali Sani (Second Ali) in Kashmir and revered by one and
sundry with a linked genealogy through Imam Husain (R.A.) traced back to fourth Caliph,
Hazrat Ali (R.A.). He contributed not only Islamic tenets and principles based on the Islamic
philosophy for the people, but also contributed the dual elements of art and crafts in Kashmir.
He contributed subjects like ethics, science, philosophy, jurisprudence, theology, poetry and
prose immensely in Kashmir. He also profoundly impacted the architecture in Kashmir
through construction of Khanqahas and tombs.
The arrival and influx of Shah-i Hamadan (R.A.) in Kashmir brought a socio-cultural and
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religious revolution. Shah-i-Hamadan was also an author and a poet par excellence who wrote
books like, Zakhiratul Muluk and Muwwadatul Qurba. Zakhiratul Muluk dealt with his
political ideology, the duties of rulers and the responsibilities of the people. Besides, he also
authored several books spanning religious and spiritual aspects.
Awrad-e-Fathiya, is a major case in point. It is the collection of religious prayers of great
religious people which is recited every morning after the Fajr prayers in almost all the Hanafi
mosques across the Valley, reflecting the faith and deep commitment in one God laying
emphasis on the unity of God and His attributes. Another important poetic collection of Shah-
i Hamadan (R.A) is Chahl Asrar. Every year prior to Eid Ul Adha, the Urs of this great saint
Shah Hamdan (R.A) is celebrated on the 6th of Zil Haj of the Muslim calendar at few sacred
abodes of his shrines, including Seer Hamdan, Dooru Shahabad, Tral and Srinagar as a mark
of deep reverence and regard for the unrelenting efforts of this saint for the uplift and
prosperity of the people of Kashmir.
The inroads of Shah-i Hamadan (R.A.) into Kashmir without any regard for the rewards
makes the point clear that the great saint as a mark of legacy of the mission of his dynasty of
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) cared about the people of Kashmir and yearned to stabilize their
lives socially, religiously and culturally. Today, when Kashmir is at the crossroads of
uncertainty, whether politically or otherwise, if we follow the paths of their great religious
saint, time will not be far when divinely support to our problems will annihilate them and a
valley of scenic beauty will restore and regain its charm again and metamorphosize our pains
into peace. Together, by following the charted discourse of Shah-i Hamadan R.A, our lives
will blossom both here and hereafter. I still remember tears rolling down the cheeks of my
father at the time of prayer’s recitation at Shah-i Hamadan R.A. This were the time that
etched my memory and solidified my love for the Auliya. As the remembrance days of this
saint have started today in the vale, the mosques of Hanafiya school of thought are
reverberating with his couplets and providing aura to the environs.
3.2.5 Let Us Sum Up
Mir Sayyid Ali Hamdani (R.A) was a prolific and erudite scholar. He penned down several
works incorporate number of subjects including mysticism spirituality, governance, traditions,
ethics and morality. A number of his scholarly works written both Persian and Arabic exceeds
to one hundred and fifty though a good number of them got extinct. The history records his
busy schedule but still he managed to shortest span of time to document his advices, decisions
and judgment for the kings, nobles, courtiers, religious and other scholars and common
people. Although caught up in the tight, busy and hectic schedule, he proved to be the greatest
of writer as well. The writings of Hamadani are preserved in manuscripts form in various
libraries of India, Britian and Iran. The British Museum and Indian office library in England,
Raza Rampur Library in India, Kitab-Khanah Milat of Tehran in Iran and Oriental Research
Department, Srinagar Kashmir have preserved the valuable documents of Hamadani R.A. Mir
Syed Ali Hamadani R.A also established the first manuscript library of Islamic books at
Srinagar in Kashmir. The library contained his personal collection also. A number of
calligraphists worked under the supervision of the chief librarian Syed Mohammad Kazim.
Mir Mohammad Tayyib Kamili claims that he had seen many treatise of Hamdani R.A among
them are Muqamati-Sufiya, Kifiyat, Kifiyat-i-Khawab and Munajat. Among all the works
Zakhiratul Muluk is considered to be the magnum opus of Shah-i-Hamdan R.A. It has been
translated into Urdu under the tittles like Minhaj-us-Saluk and Zakhira Sadat and was also
translated into Latin by Earnest Fredrich Carel, Rosen Muller in 1825 and into French by D.
Solven in 1829. In fact, it is clear that Zakhiratul-Muluk is especially written for the guidance
of Muslim rulers and their subordinates. Hamadan’s Zakhiratul-Muluk was a favourite book
with the scholars during pre-Mughal period in India. The period in which Mir Syed Ali
Hamdani (R.A) penned down these works was a period of Turmoil and anarchy as the whole
Persia was devised by the Mongol invasions. Therefore, the works has a tremendous literary
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significance for the style of Hamadan unique trying to make the man understand the fact that
this world is temporary and therefore one must be pious and perform good deeds. His choice
of works and constructions, similes and metaphors are taken from the spiritual and religious
sources like Quran and saying of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and revered saints of mystics.
Thus Amir Kabir Mir Syed Ali Hamadani R.A was a prolific writer, erudite scholar and
devoted Muslim, who spent his whole life for preaching and reforming the Muslim Ummah.
He migrated from his home land only for the sacred cause of preaching Islam. He was
undoubtedly the great benefactor of humanity in general and for Kashmir in particular. He
was multidimensional personality and brought substantial reforms in the lives of ordinary
Kashmir, getting rid of practices like Sati and black magic. He made Islamic teaching known
to the people of Kashmir, improved their belief, made efforts for building of their character
and laid down a full proof system for propagation of Islam. His impact on all sections of
Kashmir society was particularly due to integrity of his personal life. He himself made his
living by cap making and encouraged others to do the same. Moreover, Mohd Yousuf Teng,
Professor Mohibbul Hassan, Hakeem Ghulam Nabi and other important researcher
unanimously regarded Shah-i-Hamadan R.A and his mission as a great advent of emergence
of arts and crafts in Kashmir valley. However, though history bears testimony to the fact that
Zainul ‘Aabidin (Badshah) and Mirza Haider were two important rulers of Kashmir who
promoted various arts and crafts in the valley but in different context. The introduction of arts
and crafts can be attributed to Amir Kabir Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani R.A as he opened the
gate of interaction between Kashmir and Iran and Kashmir in a manner which has no
precedent. Thus the economy of the valley became better by these arts and crafts flourished
by Amir Kabir R.A. When he came to Kashmir, he brought along with him hundreds of
disciples who were painters, calligraphers, shawl makers etc. Before the introduction of these
arts, Kashmir's industrial sector was much poor so that even loom was not indigenously found
in the valley. According to Mohibbul Hassan it was introduced by the Persian crafts men.
Allama Iqbal (R.A) admits that because of Shah-i-Hamdan (R.A), the wonderful arts and
crafts turned Kashmir into Mini-Iran and brought about a revolution in making the people
prosperous. The skills and crafts brought to Kashmir gave rise to an industry which is world
famous even now as the name of Kashmiri Shawl. Shah-i-Hamadan R.A was quite aware
about the benefits of the trade, commerce and other means of earning livelihood, so he
introduced the pattern prevailing in the central Asia. Mir Syed Ali Hamdani’s keen interest
inspired the sultan Qutub-ud-din to introduce the modes of life benefitting the Muslim courts
and brought ample material prosperity to the region. Mohibul Hassan in his book “Kashmir
under Sultan’s Hands: it is also stated that the shawl industry was founded by Sayyid Ali
Hamdani R.A in 1378, because the shawl industry did not exist before the 13th century. There
is no reference either in Kalhan’s Rajtarangni or any other source and it was developed under
the patronage of the Sultans with the help of weavers who came from Persia and Turkistan.
These immigrants not only introduced new patterns but also a new technique which has a
parallel in Persia and Central Asia, but nowhere in India and Pakistan. However, under Zainul
Aabideen, Kashmir had become famous for its shawl when the Mughals conquered the valley.
The Shawl industry was in well-developed state.” The several vocations he introduced in the
valley have provided a livelihood to the artisans of Kashmir for times. Among all nations and
races who have come in contact with Kashmir, none of them has everlasting influence the
culture and civilization of valley as that of the Iranians. Kashmir had developed its contact
with Persia long back the political domination of the valley by Muslims which is clear from
the archaeological and literary evidences. The cultural influence of Persia is also markedly
visible in dress and diet. The present dress of the majority of the people of Kashmir, like
Pheran, Qemize, Shalwar, Sadri, Choga and Qiba etc. The modern Kashmiri Wazwan, which
constitutes such delicious dishes like Yakhni, Rista, Kababa, Tabkhmaz, Plav, Harisa,
Abgoosh, Nan and pottery like Samavar, Sarposh, Bushqab, Kashuq so on and so forth. One
of the important reasons of cultural and lingual exchange between Persia and Kashmir was the
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progress of Islam in the valley which was intimately associated with the missionary activities
of Sufis from Persia. These Sufis in particular and other in general played an important role in
bringing about an Iranian orientation of Kashmir culture and language. In fact, the increased
cultural contacts between Central Asia and Kashmir during the medieval period were largely
result of the missionary activities of Sufis, Saints from Persia and Central Asia like Syed Ali
Hamdani (R.A), Bulbul Shah, Mir Shams-ud-din Araki R.A and others. Thus it is quite
explicit and transparent from the forgone description about the saintly and virtuous activities
and works of Amir Kabir Mir Syed Ali Hamadani R.A, that he played a decisive and
determined role in recasting and shaping the culture and society of Kashmir into a more
refined and pure pattern. His message rid and relieved the people of Kashmir from the vulgar
social and cultural elements and patterns and inculcated in Kashmir society setup. The life
infusing and immortalizing virtue and values, which even today is easily discernible in the
socio-cultural canvas of Kashmiri life. His influence continues to be felt mare them years
after his death. Also, given the all-pervasive social evils of present day society, the dire need
of an hour is to revisit first and them take recovers his teachings and message. So that menace
would be addressed dealt and done away with.
1. Write a note on ethical philosophy of Sayyid Ali Hamadani?
2. What are the ten spiritual stations maqamaat which are essential for the sufi to travel along
the mystic path? Define six of them?
3. What is Sayyid Ali Hamadani’s major contribution?
4. Write a note on Husn-e-Akhlaq as defined by Sayyid Ali Hamadani?
1. Ali Hammadani Sayyid’, Dhakiratul Muluk
2. Ali Hammadani Sayyid’, Maktubat-e-Meer Syed Ali Hamdadani
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Lesson No. 3: Introduction to Khulq al-Muslim by Muhammad al-Ghazzali
Lesson Structure
3.3.1 Introduction
3.3.2 Objectives
3.3.3 Pillars of Islam and Moral Values
3.3.4 An Ideal Personality
3.3.5 Let Us Sum Up
3.3.1 Introduction
Firstly: A good attitude is the characteristic of the best of the Messengers and is the best
action of the righteous. It is–no doubt–half of religion, the fruit of the efforts of the pious and
the practice of the devoted worshipper. Bad characteristics are lethal poison and lead to
shameful consequences.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “I have only been sent to
perfect good characteristics.” Narrated by al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad (273) and
classified as sahih by al-Albani in al-Silsilah al-Sahihah.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of
Allah (PBUH) was asked about that which will admit most people to Paradise. He said: “Fear
of Allah and a good attitude.”
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2004); he said it is Sahih gharib. It was classed as Sahih by al-
Albani in Sahih al-Tirmidhi.
Hence Islam paid a great deal of attention to laying down guidelines for treating diseases of
the heart (i.e., spiritual diseases) and ways of acquiring good characteristics, which is
regarded as one of the most important duties, because no heart will be free of sicknesses. If
the heart is neglected, sicknesses will accumulate. No soul is free of inclinations which, if
they are given free rein, will lead it to doom in this world and in the Hereafter.
This kind of medicine requires profound knowledge of reasons and causes, and then it needs
hard work to remedy it and set things straight, in order to reach a successful outcome. Allah
“Indeed he succeeds who purifies his own self” (al-Shams 91:9)
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to pray for a good attitude,
saying, “O Allah, You have made my outward form beautiful so make my attitude good too.”
Narrated by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih (3/239) and classed as Sahih by al-Albani in Irwa’ al-
Ghalil.
Secondly: If a person knows what his shortcomings are he can do something to remedy them,
but many people are unaware of their faults and shortcomings. A person may see the speck in
his brother’s eye and not see the log in his own. The person who wants to know what his own
faults are may do four things:
He may sit before a Shaykh who has insight into people’s faults and knowledge of the
subtlety of some problems and learn from him knowledge, good attitudes and manners.
He may ask a sincere friend who has insight and is religiously committed to keep watch over
him and take note of his actions, so that he can draw attention to whatever he dislikes of his
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attitude, actions, and inward and outward faults. This is what the best and greatest imams of
Islam used to do. ‘Umar (R.A) used to say: “May Allah have mercy on a man who shows me
my shortcomings.”
He can learn about his faults and shortcomings from the lips of his enemies, because the eye
of one who is resentful will always notice bad things about you. A man may benefit more
from an enemy who wants to cause trouble and mentions his faults than from a friend who
wants to flatter him by praising him and concealing his faults.
He can mix with people. Everything that he sees as blameworthy among people, he should
guard against in his own self, because the believer is the mirror of his fellow believer, and in
the faults of others he can see his own faults. It was said to ‘Eesa (peace be upon him): “Who
taught you?” He said: “No one taught me; I saw the ignorance of the ignorant as something
bad and I avoided it.”
Thirdly: Attitude reflects how a person thinks and the way he is inside. Just as, in general, a
person’s outward form cannot be beautiful if only the eyes are beautiful and not the nose,
mouth and cheek, and everything must be beautiful in order for the entire outward form to be
beautiful, so too there are four requirements of inward beauty which must all be met in order
for one’s attitude to be good or beautiful. If all four requirements are met and balanced then a
good attitude is acquired, the characteristics of which are: strong knowledge, control of anger,
control of desire, and a proper balance between these three aspects.
With regard to strong knowledge, good and sound knowledge means understanding in such a
way that one can see the difference between telling the truth and telling lies in speech,
between truth and falsehood in beliefs, between beauty and ugliness in actions. If this strength
becomes sound, there will result from it wisdom, and wisdom is the head of a good attitude.
With regard to strength of anger, its beauty is that it is used in accordance with what is
dictated by wisdom. The same applies to desire; its beauty and strength should be controlled
by wisdom, meaning under the control of reason and shari‘ah.
With regard to balance, it means proper control of desires and anger, under the control of
wisdom and shari‘ah.
Reason is like a sincere adviser. Justice and balance is power, and it is like one who does
what is dictated by reason. Anger is to be subjected to control.
The one who acquires and balances these characteristics is a man of good character in general,
and from it stem all good qualities.
No one achieved perfect balance of these four characteristics except the Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him); people after him vary in how close or distant they
are to him in character. Everyone who is close to him in these characteristics is close to Allah,
to the extent that he is close to the Messenger of Allah.
Fourthly: This balance may be achieved in two ways:
By the blessing of Allah, as part of one's inherent nature
By acquiring these characteristics through effort and training, i.e., pushing oneself to do the
actions dictated by the desired characteristic.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Knowledge is
acquired by seeking it, and patience is acquiring by striving to be patient. The one who strives
to attain good will be given it, and the one who strives to protect himself from evil will be
protected. Narrated by al-Khatib and others from the hadith of Abu’-Darda’, classed as hasan
by al-Albani.
If a person wants to attain the characteristic of generosity, the way to attain that is by pushing
himself to do the actions of one who is generous, which is giving away wealth. So he keeps
pushing himself and persisting in that, striving against his own inclinations, until that
becomes second nature and it becomes easy for him, thus he becomes generous.
Similarly, if a person wants to attain the characteristic of humility, when he is inclined to be
arrogant, the way he does it is by persisting in doing the actions of the humble for a long time,
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striving and pushing himself until that becomes one of his characteristics, and it becomes
second nature to him and easy for him.
All praiseworthy characteristics that are prescribed in Islam may be acquired in this way.
Religious characteristics will never become entrenched in the soul unless the soul gets
accustomed to doing all good habits, unless it gives up all bad habits, and unless it persists in
doing good deeds like one who loves good deeds and enjoys doing them, and hates bad deeds
and is pained by them.
This may be explained by means of examples:
The one who wants to become proficient in writing, so that this becomes one of his
characteristics and writing beautifully becomes second nature to him, has no other way but to
hold in his hand that which the proficient writer holds, and persist for a long time, trying to
imitate beautiful hand writing, and keep on doing so until it becomes well established in him,
then finally beautiful writing will become second nature to him.
Similarly, if a person wants to become a faqih, he has no choice but to do what the fuqaha’
do, which is to keep studying issues of fiqh until his heart develops a love of the subject.
And if a person wants to become generous and refrain from asking people, and become
patient and humble, he has to keep on doing the actions of those people until they become
second nature to him. He should not despair of attaining those characteristics if he fails to
study for one night, for he will not be able to attain it with one night’s study. Perfecting the
soul and adorning it with good deeds will not be attained by worshipping for one day, and he
will not be deprived of it if he sins for one day. But slacking off for one day may lead to
another day, then slowly one becomes accustomed to laziness.
Fifthly: The likeness of the soul and the way to treat it to rid it of bad characteristics and
make it attain good characteristics is that of the body, when treating it to rid it of disease and
bring it good health.
Although the humors are usually in balance, the stomach may become sick due to food, drink
or circumstances. Similarly, everyone is born with a balanced nature, but his parents make
him a Jew, Christian or Magian, i.e., by training and teaching one acquires bad characteristics.
Just as the body is not created perfect in the first place, rather it is made perfect by rearing and
food, similarly the soul is also created imperfect but with the potential to become perfect, and
it can only be perfected by means of education, discipline and nourishment with knowledge.
If the body is sound, the doctor’s role is to show one the way to maintain good health; if it is
sick, then the doctor’s job is to restore health. The same applies to the soul; if it is pure and
sound then one should strive to preserve it and bring it more strength and acquire more good
characteristics; if it is imperfect then one should strive to perfect it and purify it.
Sickness that causes imbalance in the body can only be treated by its opposite, so if it is
caused by cold it is treated with heat and vice versa. Similarly, bad characteristics, which are
diseases of the heart, are treated by applying the opposite. So the remedy for the disease of
ignorance is seeking knowledge, and the remedy for the disease of miserliness is pushing
oneself to be generous, and the remedy for the disease of arrogance is pushing oneself to be
humble, and the remedy for the sickness of eating too much is imposing self restraint.
Just as it is essential to put up with the bitterness of the remedy and show patience in
refraining from what one desires when treating physical sickness, so too it is essential to put
up with the bitterness of striving and being patient when treating diseases of the heart; rather
it is more important, because one gets rid of physical sickness when one dies, but the
sicknesses of the heart–Allah forbid–may persist after death and continue forever and ever.
These examples show you the way to treat diseases of the heart, and demonstrate that the
holistic way is to treat them with the opposite of whatever one is inclined towards and likes.
Allah has summed up all of that in His Holy Book, when He said (interpretation of the
meaning):
“But as for him who feared standing before his Lord, and restrained himself from impure evil
desires and lusts. Verily, Paradise will be his abode” (al-Naazi’aat 79: 40-41).
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Finally: What matters with regard to striving is fulfilling what one resolves to do. If a person
resolves to give up a desire, then he must show patience and persist, because if he gets used to
giving up what he resolved to do, that will lead to corruption. If it so happens that he falls
short of what he resolved to do, then he must impose some punishment on himself because of
that, because if he does not scare himself with that punishment, his evil inclinations will
overwhelm him and he will be attracted to indulging in desires, and all his efforts will be
spoiled. Summarized and adapted from Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din by al-Ghazali (3/62-98).
3.3.2 Objectives
In this lesson students will learn the following:
• Brief introduction of Khulq al-Muslim by Muhammad Al-Ghazzali;
• Pillars of Islam and Moral Values;
• An Ideal Personality;
• Attitude of a Muslim;
• The two Pillars of Patience;
• Fasting is a stepping stone to righteousness.
3.3.3 Pillars of Islam and Moral Values
Purpose of Prophet hood―Perfection of Morals: The holy Prophet has stated the foremost
purpose of his being sent down in this world and the method of his call to the people in these
words:
“I have been sent only for the purpose of perfecting good morals.” (Al-Muwatta)
That great message which has left an indelible impression on the history of life, and for
propagating which and for bringing people under whose influence Prophet Muhammed
(PBUH) worked ceaselessly. Its purpose was nothing else but to strengthen the moral
character of the people so that the world of beauty and perfection may be illuminated before
their eyes and they may try to achieve it consciously and with knowledge.
Worshipping has been made compulsory in Islam, and it has been included in the basic pillars
of faith. But the Islamic forms of worship are not some sort of mystic exercises that link men
with some unknown, mysterious being, and which subject men to perform useless acts and
meaningless movements. All the Islamic compulsory forms of worship are designed as
exercises and training to enable people to acquire correct morals and habits and to live
righteously, and to adhere to these virtues till the end, whatever be the changes in their
circumstances.
Prayer prevents commitment of Evil: Salah (prayer) is a compulsory form of worship, which
is like an exercise towards which man is attracted with interest and willingness. He offers it
continually, so that his life may be free from all diseases and the body may be healthy and
strong. The holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet both are the open proofs of these
realities. When Allah commanded the compulsory prayers to be established, He stated its
wisdom in this way: “Prayer prohibits obscenity and evil.”
To keep away from evil, wickedness and to purify from bad deeds are also realities of the
prayer. In a Hadith Qudsi it is stated:
“I accept the prayers of the person who adopts the policy of humility with it on account of My
greatness, obliges My creatures, does not insist on sinning against Me, spends his day in
remembering Me, and is kind to the poor, travelers, weak and the suffering people.”
Zakah is a means of purification: Zakah has been made compulsory on the eligible 'scheduled'
(Sahib-i-Nisab) persons. It is Not merely a tax that is collected from the pockets of the people,
but its foremost purpose is to sow the seeds of kindness, sympathy and benevolence, and to
provide a chance of introduction among the various sections of the society and to establish the
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relationship of love and friendliness. The purpose of paying Zakah has been stated in the
Quran in the following words:
“Oh Prophet I Take charity from their property so that it may clean them and purify them.”
(Tawbah: 103)
To clean the self of the wor1d1y impurities and to raise the standard of the society to the
heights of decency and purity are the wisdom behind the levy of Zakat. For this reason, the
Prophet has taken it in a very wide sense, and to pay Zakat has been made compulsory for
every eligible Muslim. The Prophet has said:
“To smile in the company of your brother is charity. To command to do good deeds and to
prevent others from doing evil is charity. To guide a person in a place where he can go astray
is charity. To remove troublesome things like thorns and bones from the road is charity. To
pour water from your jug into the jug of your brother is charity. To guide a person with
defective vision is charity for you.” (Al-Bukhari)
The environment of desert and the Bedouin life-an environment which had its basis on
internal bickering and fights-in such an environment the teachings of Islam were presented to
the world and they show what aims and purpose these teachings had, and it shows where
these teachings led the Arabs in that dark and dismal environment.
Fasting is a stepping stone to righteousness: Similarly, Islam has made fasting compulsory.
But it is not envisaged that men should keep away from their carnal desires and other
prohibited things for a fixed period only. The Prophet has said:
“Fasting is Dot the name of merely keeping away from eating and drinking, but it is keeping
away from wicked and obscene things. If in the state of fasting, someone abuses you or picks
up a quarrel with you, say: “I am fasting.”
Quran states the purpose of the imposition of fasting in these words:
“Fasting has been made compulsory for you, as it was made compulsory for those (followers
of earlier prophets) who preceded you, so that you may become righteous.” (Baqarah: 183)
Hajj is a compulsory pilgrimage to weaken the love for the world: Sometimes man thinks that
to travel to the holy places and to perform pilgrimage, which has been made compulsory for
every rich Muslim, and which is included in the basic pillars of Islam, is merely a form of
worship that has no relation with the world of morality and character. This is a clear
misunderstanding. Giving commands about this compulsory worship, Allah states:
“The months of Hajj are well-known. In these months whoever intends to perform Hajj
should not indulge in sexual act, wicked act, and fighting during the Hajj. Whatever righteous
ac, you will perform will be known to A11ah. Take with you provision for the journey (for
Hajj), and the best provision is righteousness. So fear me, O men of understanding” (Baqarah:
197)
This is merely the main outline of the forms of worship which are well known and generally
practiced in Islam and they are its basic pillars. They show us what a deep relationship is there
between religion and morality and how strong and lasting is this relationship. How varying
are these forms of worship in their spirit and appearance from one another, but in those aim
and purpose how close they are, which the holy Prophet declared his main objective.
Therefore, salah (prayer), saum (fasting), zakah, Hajj and other forms of worship like these
are the stepping stones for real perfection, and are the means of cleanliness and purity that
make life secure and magnificent. On account of high attributes and noble qualities that are
the inalienable parts and the consequences of these forms of worship, they have been given a
very high and important place in Allah's religion.
If these forms of worship do not purify the hearts of men, if they do not nourish best qualities
in those who observe them, and if they do not improve and make firm the relationship
between Allah and His slaves, then there is nothing left for men but destruction and
devastation. Allah says:
“Surely, he who appears before his Lord as a criminal, there is hell for him, in which he will
neither die nor will he live. And he who will appear before Him as a faithful, who has
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performed good deeds-for all such people there are high positions, ever green paradise,
beneath which canals will be flowing; they will live in them forever. This is the reward for
him who adopts purity.” (Taha: 74)
3.3.4 An Ideal Personality
Prophet's Moral Teachings: These teachings show that Islam had come to illuminate the lives
of the people with the light of virtue and good manners, to create in them brightness of
character, and to fill their laps with the pearls of good conduct. It made the stages that came in
the process of achieving this great objective as an important part of the prophet hood.
Similarly, it declared all attempts to create disruption in these stages as an expulsion from the
religion and equivalent to throwing away the yoke of faith from one's neck. The position of
morality is not like that of the means of pleasures and luxuries, from which indifference may
be possible. But morality is the name of the principles of life which the religion must adopt
and must care for the respect of its standard-bearers. Islam has enumerated all these virtues
and principles and has encouraged its followers to make them parts of their lives, one after
another. If we collect all the sayings of the holy Prophet about the importance of good moral
character, then a voluminous book will be prepared, about which many of the great reformers
will be ignorant. Before we enumerate these virtues and state their details, it will be proper if
we quote some examples of how strongly and emphatically Islam has called upon the people
to adopt good moral character. Usama bin Shareek says:
“We were sitting in the presence of the Messenger of Allah so quietly as if birds were perched
on our heads. Nobody had the courage to open his mouth. In the meanwhile, some people
came and asked: “Amongst the slaves of God who is the dearest to Him.” The Prophet
replied: “One who has the best moral character.” (lbn Haban)
Another tradition has it:
“They asked what is the best thing given to man?” He replied: “Best moral character.”
(Tirmizi)
The Prophet was asked: “Which Muslim has the perfect faith?” He answered: “He who has
the best moral character.” (Al-Tibrani)
Abdullah bin' Amar has reported:
“I have heard the Prophet as saying: 'should I not tell you who amongst you is the most
likeable person to me and who will be the nearest to me on the Day of the Judgment He
repeated this question twice or thrice. The people requested him to tell them about such a
person. He said: ‘He who amongst you has the best moral character.’ (Musnad Ahmed)
In another hadith, he has said:
“On the Day of the Judgement there will be nothing weightier in the balance of a momin than
the goodness of character. Allah dislikes an obscene and a rude talker and the bearer of a good
moral character reaches to the level of the observer of the prayer and fasting, on account of
his character.” (Musnad Ahmed)
There would be nothing surprising if such teachings were to come from a philosopher who
was busy in his campaign of moral-reform. But the great surprise is that these teachings come
from a man who strived for establishing a great new faith, when all other religions turn their
attention first only towards the performance of worship and such other religious rites.
The last Prophet gave a call for the performance of various Corms of worship and for the
establishment of such a government that was involved in a long-drawn war with its large
number of enemies. In spite of the expansion of his religion and the immense increase in the
various tasks of his followers, the Prophet informs them of the fact that on the Day of the
Judgment there will be nothing weightier in their balance than their good moral character,
then definitely this reality is not hidden from him that in Islam the value of morality is very
high. The fact is that if religion. is the name of good conduct between man and man, then on
the other hand in its spiritual sense it is also the name of the best relationship between man
and his God, and in both these aspects there is the same reality.
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There are many religions which give this glad tiding that you may embrace any belief, your
sins will be washed away and offering fixed prayers of any religion will cancel your mistakes.
But Islam does not believe in this. According to it, these benefits will be available only when
the axis and centre of belief is a conscious step towards virtue and payment of the compulsory
dues, and when the proposed worship can become the real source of washing away the sins
and generating the real perfection. In other words, evil can be removed by those virtues which
man makes his own and by which he is able to reach high and lofty standards. The holy
Prophet has very forcefully emphasized these valuable principles so that the Ummah may
understand it very clearly that the value of morality may not go down in its eyes and the
importance of mere forms and shapes may not increase.
Hazrat Anas has reported:
“Allah's Messenger has said: ‘A slave achieves, by means of the goodness of his character,
great position and high honour in the Hereafter, though he may be weak in matters of
worship; but on account of his wickedness of character he is thrown in the lowest recesses of
the Hell.’ (Tibrani)
Hazrat Ayesha narrates:
“I have heard the Prophet as saying: “Momin, by goodness of his character, achieves the high
position of the one who observes fast and offers prayers.” (Abu Dawood)
Ibn Umar is reported to have narrated: “I have heard the Prophet as saying:
“A Muslim who observes moderation in matter of worship, on account of the goodness of his
character and decency achieves the position of that man who observes fast and recites Allah's
verses during prayers in the night.” (Ahmed)
Abu Huraira has quoted the Prophet as saying:
“A Momin's nobility is his religiousness, his tolerance is his intelligence, and his lineage is his
goodness of character.” (Hakim)
Abu Zar has narrated: “Successful is the man who had purified his heart for faith, kept his
heart on the right lines, his tongue was truthful, his self was content, and his nature was on the
right path.” (Ibn Haban)
The Prophet's Excellent example: Mere teachings and commands of Do's and Don’ts do not
form the foundation of good moral character in a society, because only these things are not
sufficient for developing these good qualities in the human nature; a teacher may merely order
to do such and such things and not to do such and such things. and the society becomes a
moralist society.
The teaching of good conduct which is fruitful requires long training and constant
watchfulness. The training cannot be on the right lines if the example before the society is not
such that commands full confidence, because a person having a bad moral character cannot
leave a good impression on his surroundings. The best training can be expected only from
such a man whose personality, by the force of its morality, would create a scene of admiration
in the beholders. They would sing praises of his nobility and feel the irresistible urge to
benefit from the example of his life. The world would spontaneously fee1 the urge to follow
his footsteps.
For nourishing and developing more and more excellent good character among his followers
it is necessary that the leader must possess higher and nobler character and attributes than his
followers.
The holy Prophet himself was the best example of the good moral character, to emulate which
he was giving a call to his followers. Before advising them to adopt a moral life by giving
sermons and counsels, he was sowing the seeds of morality among his followers by actually
living that kind of life. Abdullah Ibn Amar says:
“The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was neither ill-mannered nor rude. He used to say that the
better people among you are those who are best in their moral character.” (Al-Bukhari)
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Anas says: “I served the holy Prophet for ten years. He never said ‘Uf’ (expressing
dissatisfaction), nor did he ever ask me why I did this or did not do that.” (Muslim)
It is also reported by him: “My mother used to hold the Prophet's hand and used to take him
wherever she wanted. If any person used to come before him and shake his hand, the Prophet
never used to draw away his hand from the other person's hands till the latter drew away his
hands, and he never used to turn away his face from that person till the latter himself turned
away his face. And in the meetings he was never seen squatting in such a way that his knees
were protruding further than his fellow-squatters.” (Tirmizi)
Hazrat Ayesha says: “If there were two alternatives, the holy Prophet used to adopt the easiest
alternative, provided there was no sin in it. If that work were sinful, then he used to run away
farthest from it. The prophet did not take any personal revenge from anybody. Yes, if Allah's
command were to be disobeyed, then his wrath was to be stirred. Allah's Messenger did not
beat anybody with his own hands. neither his wife nor a servant. Yes, he used to fight in the
wars in the cause of Allah.” (Muslim)
Anas has narrated:
“I was walking with the Prophet. He had wrapped a thick chadar round his body. One Arab
pulled the chadar so forcefully that a part of his shoulder could be seen by me, and I was
perturbed by this forceful pulling of the chadar. The Arab then said: '0 Muhammed! Give me
some of my share from the property which Allah has given you.' The Prophet turned towards
him and laughed, and gave orders for a donation being given to him.” (Al-Bukhari)
Hazrat Ayesha has reported that Allah's Messenger has said:
“Allah is soft-hearted. He likes soft heartedness. And the reward which He gives for soft-
heartedness does not give for hardness, nay, such a reward He does not give for anything.”
(Muslim)
In another tradition it is stated: “Softness in whichever thing it may be, will make that thing
beautiful. And from whichever thing softness is taken out, it will become ugly.”
Jarir narrates that the Prophet has said:
“The reward which Allah gives for soft-heartedness He does not give it for folly; and when
Allah makes any slave His favourite, He gives him softness. Those families that are devoid of
softness become deprived of every virtue.” (Al-Tibrani)
Abdullah bin Harith has reported that he did not see anybody smiling more than the
Messenger of Allah. (Tirmizi)
Hazrat Ayesha was asked what did Prophet do at home? She replied:” He used to be in the
service of his home people; and when the time of prayer came he used to perform ablutions
and go out for prayer.” -(Muslim)
Anas has narrated:
“Allah's Messenger had the best manners of all the persons. I had an adopted brother, whose
name was Abu Umair. He had a sick sparrow, who was called 'Nagheer'. Allah's Messenger
used to be playful with him and ask him: 'O Abu Umair! what has happened to your Nagheer'.
(Bukhari)
Of the habits and traits of the Prophet one trait was very well known that he was extremely
philanthropic. He was never miserly in anything. He was very brave and courageous. He
never turned away from Truth. In his own decision he never committed any excesses or
injustice. In his whole life he was truthful and an honest trustee.
The same Quran, the same Criterion, the same Yasin, the same Taha, Allah has commanded
all the Muslims to follow the excellent habits and the best traits of the Prophet and to take
guidance from the holy life of the holy Messenger.
“Surely there is in the person of Allah's messenger an excellent example for you-for every
person who has hope in Allah and the Hereafter and remember, Allah, reciting His name
many times (Ahzab: 21)
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Qazi ‘Ayaz says that the Prophet was the most excellent-mannered, most philanthropic and
the bravest of all. One night the people of Medina were terribly frightened. Some people
proceeded towards the sound (which was probably the cause). They saw that the Prophet was
coming from that direction. He had rushed before all others to find out what was the trouble.
He was riding the horse of Abu Talha, without a saddle, and a sword was hanging from his
neck, and he was comforting the people not to be afraid saying there was nothing to worry.
Hazrat Ali says that in the battles when fighting started, we used to worry much about the
Prophet, because nobody was nearer to the enemy in the fighting than the Prophet.
Jabir bin Abdullah says that whenever anything was requested of him, he never said: No.
Hazrat Khadija had told him when he was first blessed with the Divine Revelation:
“You carry the loads of the weak people, you earn for the poor, and help a person if any
trouble comes to him in following the Truth.”
Once he received seventy thousand dirhams. They were placed before him on the mat. He
distributed them standing. He did not refuse a single beggar till he finished the entire amount.
A man approached him and requested for something. He said: “At present I do not have
anything, buy something in my name, and when we will get some money we will pay for it.”
Hazrat Umar stated: “Allah has not made it compulsory for you to do a thing on which you
have no power or control.”
This saddened the Prophet. One Ansari said: “O Messenger of Allah! Spend and be not afraid
of the straitened circumstances imposed by Allah.” The Prophet smiled and his face shone
resplendently. He said: “I have been commanded to do this only.”
The holy Prophet used to love his companions. He did not hate them. He respected every
respectable man from any other nation, and he used to appoint him as a responsible officer
over them. He used to be in search of his companions and gave them their shares. No
companion thought that any other person was more respectable in the Prophet's eye than the
companion himself. Any person who adopted his companionship or anybody who came to
him for his need, he used to advise him to be patient, till he was satisfied. If anybody asked
anything from him, he gave it to him or else talked to him so lovingly that he came back
satisfied. The river of his kindness was flowing for everybody. For his companions he was a
guardian, and in matters of Truth all was equal in his eyes.
He was good-looking, decent, humble and soft hearted. He was not a narrow-minded and a
hard person. Quarrelling was not his habit. He never spoke obscene words. To condemn
others or to praise someone excessively was beyond the pale of his character. He expressed
indifference towards unnecessary things, but he was never given to pessimism.
3.3.5 Let us Sum Up
Khulq-al-Muslim (Muslim Character) is hence understood when a person deeply reads the life
of Prophet Muhammad. Muslim character should be based on the Qur’an, the Ahadith
(traditions of Prophet) and on the sirah (life of Prophet). A Muslims character is build when
he keeps life and teachings of Prophet in front of him. Mohammad Al-Ghazali has written a
good piece of work regarding Khulq al-Muslim. The introduction of which is known by the
following:
Pillars of Islam and moral values
Purpose of Prophethood―Perfection of Morals: Prophet has stated the foremost purpose of
his being sent down in this world and the method of his call to the people in these words:
“I have been sent only for the purpose of perfecting good morals.” (Al-Muwatta)
This great message which has left an indelible impression on the history of life, and for
propagating which and for bringing people under whose influence Prophet Muhammad
worked ceaselessly. Its purpose was nothing else but to strengthen the moral character of the
people so that the world of beauty and perfection may be illuminated before their eyes and
they may try to achieve it consciously and with knowledge.
Prayer prevents commitment of Evil
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Salah (prayer) is a compulsory form of worship, which is like an exercise towards which man
is attracted with interest and willingness. To keep away from evil, wickedness and to purify
from bad deeds are also realities of the prayer. In a Hadith Qudsi it is stated:
“I accept the prayers of the person who adopts the policy of humility with it on account of My
greatness, obliges My creatures, does not insist on sinning against Me, spends his day in
remembering Me, and is kind to the poor, travellers, weak and the suffering people.”
Zakat is a means of purification
“Oh Prophet I Take charity from their property so that it may clean them and purify them.”
(Tawbah: 103)
The Prophet has said:
“To smile in the company of your brother is charity. To command to do good deeds and to
prevent others from doing evil is charity. To guide a person in a place where he can go astray
is charity. To remove troublesome things like thorns and bones from the road is charity. To
pour water from your jug into the jug of your brother is charity. To guide a person with
defective vision is charity for you.” (Bukhari)
Fasting is a stepping stone to righteousness: The Prophet has said:
“Fasting is Dot the name of merely keeping away from eating and drinking, but it is keeping
away from wicked and obscene things. If in the state of fasting, someone abuses you or picks
up a quarrel with you, say: “I am fasting.”
Hajj is a compulsory pilgrimage to weaken the love for the world
Allah states: “The months of Hajj are well-known. In these months whoever intends to
perform Hajj should not indulge in sexual act, wicked act, and fighting during the Hajj.
Whatever righteous act you will perform will be known to A11ah. Take with you provision
for the journey (for Hajj), and the best provision is righteousness. So fear me, O men of
understanding.” (Baqarah: 197)
Allah says:
“Surely, he who appears before his Lord as a criminal, there is hell for him, in which he will
neither die nor will he live. And he who will appear before Him as a faithful, who has
performed good deeds-for all such people there are high positions, ever green paradise,
beneath which canals will be flowing; they will live in them for ever. This is the Reward for
him who adopts purity.” (Taha: 74-76)
First Target-Reform of Self: Like other divine religions Islam also keeps the reform of man's
self as the first item in its programme of reforms. It makes the human self as the first target of
its efforts and sows the seeds of the Islamic teachings in its depths, so that self and training
become inseparable. The teachings of the Prophets lasted till the Doomsday and around them
gathered the group of faithful people. Its secret was this that the self of man was the objective
of all its work and it was the axis of all its activities. Their teachings were not like something
externally pasted that they could be separated from men in the movements of their daily life.
These were not like the paint or varnish that could be worn out by the passage of time. They
had imbibed their principles and teachings into the depths of man's hearts, which had turned
into a very strong power that could keep it safe from the wickedness of men's nature and
could rule over their decisions. Many times some divine religions raised objections against
the society and its structure, and governments and its nature, and also presented remedies for
the ills which had appeared in these quarters.
In spite, of this, the nature of all the divine religious has been this that they kept righteous self
as the basis of their programmes of reform, and considered firm and strong moral character as
a permanent guarantee for the establishment and up keep of every civilization. But this does
not mean that the importance of those who are striving for the construction of a better
government and society is being reduced, or that their efforts are considered to be less
important. No. Not at all. Here an attempt is being made to make the people realize the value
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of the reform of man's self for the safety of life and for the security of healthy and virtuous
living.
Faith―A Revolutionary Strength: A firm and strong faith is such a never-drying spring, from
which flow the strength for the desired activities, coveted courage and forbearance to tolerate
adversities and to face dangers. It creates in man such a restless feeling and deep attachment
to his ideal that if he is unable to achieve his coveted objective, he does not hesitate to partake
of the drink of death. When faith finds a place in a man's heart and takes deep roots in it, it
brings out these results only. It fills a man's heart and mind with such power and strength that
cover and influence all his dealings. Accordingly, when he opens his mouth, he talks with
confidence and certainty. When he undertakes a work, he attends to it with full interest and
sincerity. When he starts on a journey, his destination is before his eyes. If he enjoys the
wealth of the correct end firm thinking, the world of the heart too is inhabited by the
enthusiasm and restless courage. Hesitation and ambivalence don’t find a place in his heart,
and high-velocity winds do not move him from his path or make him deviate from his
objective. It will not be surprising if he says to everyone, in the words of an Urdu poet:
"Come here O tyrant! we will try our art,
"You try your arrow, and I will try my liver (courage)."
And he may challenge the people around him thus:
"You work in your manner; I too am acting. Soon you will know who will get disgraceful
punishment and who will get the everlasting punishment." (Zumar: 39-40)
This challenging accent, this independent spirit in action and deeds, this self-confidence in
understanding truth and tradition are the qualities which make him a distinguished personality
in life. He deals with the people in the light of the facts seen and experienced by him. If he
finds the people on a policy which is right f and truthful, he extends his hand for cooperation;
and if he finds them committing errors, he withdraws himself, and leaves his conscience alive
and wakeful. Allah's Messenger has said:
"Every one of you should desist from walking with every traveller. He should not say that he
is with the people, and that if people would do good deed, he would also do the good deeds;
and that if they would do wicked deeds then he would co-operate with them. You should
prepare yourself to co-operate with them if they do righteous deeds and to keep away if they
do wicked deeds."
Patience is Tower of Light
"Patience is a light." (Muslim), In the intricate paths of life when difficulties and hardships
confront a man, and the darkness of adversities and suffering becomes long, it is patience only
that acts like a light for a Muslim, that keeps him safe from wandering here and there, and
saves him from the muddy mire of disappointment, desperation and frustration. Patience is
such a basic quality that a Muslim needs it to shape his life in this world and in the next. On
this basis only he should attend to all his work. He should make it a torch light for guiding his
way, else he will be defeated in the field of life. He should prepare his self to tolerate the
hardships and difficulties, and should not holler or raise hell. He should not sit waiting for the
results, however late that may take. He should not run away from responsibilities, whatever
they may be. No doubts and misgivings, no hardship of trouble should prompt his intellect to
indulge in violence. He should have plenty of self-confidence. He should not be frightened
bythe dark clouds appearing on the horizon of life, even if they may be appearing continually,
nay, he should be fully sure that these clouds of adversities and hardships will disappear, and
the clear and bright atmosphere of success and glory will appear again. Therefore, the demand
of wisdom and farsightedness is that it’s coming should be awaited with patience, peace and
conviction. The Almighty God has stressed this point sufficiently that no man can escape tests
and trials, so that man may be alert and ready at the time when these hardship and difficulties
descend on him, and he should not be frightened by these heavenly and earthly tribulations,
and need not be disappointed and disheartened.
"And verily We shall try you ill till We know those of you who still hard (in the cause of
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Allah) and the steadfast, and till We test your record." (Muhammed: 31)
The poet has expressed the same idea in these words:
"We had anticipated the hardships of the night before their coming. So when they descended,
there was no addition to our knowledge."
Undoubtedly if accidents and debacles are faced with a clear sight and full preparations, it
will prove advantageous for man and this will help in stabilizing and consolidating his
position.
The two Pillars of Patience: Patience relies on two important realities. The first reality is
concerned with the nature of this worldly life. Its details are: Allah has not made this world a
house of peace and satisfaction or of rewards and recompense, but He has made it a house of
trials. The time that a man spends in this world is really a time for unending experiences. He
comes out of one trial in order to undergo another trial which is harder and different from the
one through which he has already passed, that is man is tested once by one thing and again by
its opposite, as iron is first heated in the fire and then it is put in the water. Similarly, man is
tested by favorable as well as opposing means. When Allah blessed Hazrat Sulaiman with a
grand and magnificent empire, he knew about these natural laws of the world.
He had said:
"This is of the bounty of my Lord, that He may try me whether I give thanks or am ungrateful.
Whoever gives thanks, he only gives thanks for (the good of) his Own soul,' and whoever is
ungrateful (is ungrateful only to his own soul's hurt). For surely, my Lord is Absolute in
independence, Bountiful." (Nahl: 40)
The causes of trial through sadness and hardships are vague and unfixed. However, we can
understand them properly by the example of the soldiers fighting in the battlefield. In the
battlefield some groups are made to fight till they have to lose their valuable lives, so that the
lives of other groups may be saved. The security of other sections is dependent on the
remaining groups being made to fight in new battles. This strategy is followed in the wider
interest of the country and for- greater advantages; by the great leadership of the army In this
fighting the life of a man has no importance, because the problem is much wider.
Same is the position of luck or fate. A certain man is put to different kinds of trials, till he
falls down defeated, as there is no other way for him, except that he should greet the hardship
that has arrived with patience and submission. Since this life is a testing ground, we should
strive hard for success in it.
What is the trial or examination of life? It is not words that they can be written, or talks to
which attention may be paid. The questions of the examination are these hardships and
difficulties which confront a man, and which open before him the path of fright, terror, and
frustration. Examination is the name of the anti-reality defects which prompt a man to be
jealous and nourisher of rancour against his sincere friend; examination is the name of the
tyrannies for which a nation occupies the place of god and the other people offer their blood
as sacrifice for retrieving their usurped rights. The history of life on this earth from the first
day tin today is very sorrowful. The right thing is that man should himself make his own way
in this life, and he should be sure that the way to his destination is fun of thorns and filth. The
second reality is concerned with the nature and temperament of faith. Faith is the name of the
relationship between man and his Lord. As in the relationship of men, the true friendship and
sincerity can only be judged when it is confronted with unfavourable and bitter conditions,
when they have to deal with the hardships brought about by the vagaries of time, and when
they are surrounded by various kinds of problems. At such a time a man's real worth and
sincerity is known. Exactly similar is the case of faith. To find out the truth and sincerity
about faith it is necessary that a Muslim be tried, he should be put in the crucible of fire to see
whether he comes out glowing like the gold or whether he will be burnt away with the
impurities.
"Do men imagine that they will be left (at ease) because they say, We believe, and will not be
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tested with affliction? Verily, We tested those who were before you. Thus Allah knows those
who are sincere, and knows those who feign. (Ankabut: 2, 3)
Undoubtedly, Allah's knowledge covers all manifest and concealed matters, and from this
examination there will be no addition to His knowledge, because He knows all the conditions
from the beginning till the end. The Divine knowledge cannot be made a basis for man's
reckoning. His reckoning will be on the basis of his own personal deeds. If some criminals
deny their crimes, then on the Day of Judgment in what way proof can be brought against
them except by putting them to trial in this world and man's own parts of the body may give
evidence against him? About such people Quran has to say this:
“And on the Day We gather them together. We shall say to those who ascribed partners (to
Allah). Where are (now) those partners of your make-believe? Then they will have no
contention except that they will say. By Allah, our Lord, we never were idolaters. See how
they lie against themselves, and (how) the thing which they devised has failed them" (Al-
An'am: 22-24)
How can the reckoning of such criminals be taken in the light of the Divine knowledge? Their
justifiable retribution will be proper only when all their misdeeds are placed before them.
Their efforts and striving to create corruption and mischief among others and all their
misdeeds will be repeated before them.
On these two bases the foundation of patience has been kept. And for this reason religion
demands it, but he who shuts his eyes from realities by force of his nature is dumbfounded
when he has to face hardships and his hands and feet become inactive when he has to fight
difficulties. His rashness dislikes waiting and patience and he is unable to tolerate it,
Therefore, when anything untoward happens, or he has to suffer some kind of failure, or when
he meets with an accident, the earth with all its great vastness becomes narrow for him, and
the conditions become exasperating for him. He wants to come out of these conditions in the
twinkling of an eye, but it is obvious that in this effort he will not; be successful for it is
against the temperament of the world and the religion, It is proper for a Muslim to learn to be
patient and to wait and to wait for long.
"Man is made of haste. I shall show' you my signs, but ask Me not to hasten," (Al-Anbiya: 31)
Q 1. Write a note on ethical philosophy Khulq al-Muslim?
Q 2. What are the pillars of Islam and moral values?
Q 3. What is the remedy of criminal acts done in society?
Q 4. How Fasting is a stepping stone to righteousness?
Q 5. Define Faith: A Revolutionary Strength?
Q 6. Write a note on Ideal personality?
1. Al-Ghazali Mohammad, Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din
2. Al-Ghazali Mohammad, Khuluq al-Muslim
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Lesson No. 4: An Introduction to Adabi Zindagi by Muhammad Yusuf Islahi
Lesson Structure
3.4.1 Introduction
3.4.2 Objectives
3.4.3 What a Muslim is Supposed to be Accustomed with?
3.4.4 The Rights of Quran Upon the Believer
3.4.5 Etiquettes of Greeting
3.4.6 Let Us Sum Up
3.4.1 Introduction
Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Islahi (born 9 July 1932 at Formulli, Attock District) is a
popular Indian writer on Islam. He is a scholar, writer and an orator. He is a member of the
decision-making and leadership organ of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, the Markazi Majlis-e-Shura
(Central Advisory Council). He is also the chief patron of Project Why Islam of Islamic Circle
of North America, along with Maulana Raza Farrukh.
He received his primary education in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, British India. He was educated
in Islamic Studies initially from Mazaher ul-Uloom, Saharanpur District and Higher studies
and Fazilat from Madarsat ul-Islah, Sarai Mir. He memorized Qur'an and also learnt Tajweed.
After passing high school, his father Shaikh-ul-Hadees Maulana Abdul Qadim Khan sent him
to Madrasa Mazahir ul-Uloom, Saharanpur, later he joined Madarsat ul-Islah, Sarai
Mir, Azamgarh, he spent four years under the guidance of Maulana Amin Ahsan Islahi and
received Sanad Fazilat with distinction (Certificate of Graduation).
He became a member of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind in 1953 and has been entrusted with various
key posts. He is a member of Markazi Majlis Shura (Central Advisory Committee) for the last
many years.
Yusuf Islahi is also guiding many educational and welfare institutions. He is the Rector of
Jamiat us-Salehat, Rampur which was founded by Maulana Abd al-Hayy al-Lucknawi as a
unique and very well-known institution for higher Arabic and Islamic education for girls.
Markazi Darsgah-e-Islami, Rampur runs under his guidance for the last few years. Several
other educational and welfare institutions also seek advice and guidance from him. He is also
associated with Islamic Circle of North America. He spends a few months every year giving
lectures in the United States, Japan and Australia. Muhammad Yusuf Islahi mainly focuses on
the etiquettes of Islamic life mentioned in the Quran. He quotes; Qur’aan is the greatest of the
heavenly Books, the most complete, the most perfect and the last of them. Allah commanded
His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to convey it to all of
mankind, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O Messenger (Muhammad)! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from
your Lord. And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message. Allaah will protect
you from mankind” [al-Maa'idah 5:67]
A Muslim believes in the sacredness of the Speech of Allah, as well as its honour and virtue
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that surpasses the speech of all others. He also believes that the Noble Qur'an is the Word of
Allah, which no falsehood can approach, before it or behind it. Whoever speaks in accord
with the Qur'an, has spoken the truth. Whoever judges according to it, has judged justly. Its
devoted people are the people of Allah and His special people. Those who stick to it shall be
successful and victorious. Those who turn away from it are the destroyed, the losers.
A Muslim's faith in the grandeur and greatness of the Book of Allah is increased by what has
been stated about it by the one who received its revelation, the best of creation, our leader
Muhammad bin 'Abdullah, Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), who said: “Read the
Qur'an, for it shall come as an intercessor for its companion on the Day of
Resurrection.” (Muslim)
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) also said: "The best of you is he who learns the
Qur'an and teaches Others.” (Al-Bukhari)
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) also said: “The people of the Qur'an are Allah's
people and His special servants.” (An-Nisa'i, Ibn Majah, and Al-Hakim with a Hasan chain)
So it is a must for us Muslims to know the Rights the Quran has on us so as to affirm the
etiquettes of Islamic life.
3.4.2 Objectives
In this lesson students will know the following:
1. Life of Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Islahi;
2. Muhammad Yusuf Islahi’s main focus on the etiquettes of Islamic life;
3. What a Muslim is supposed to be accustomed with;
4. The rights of the Quran upon the believer;
5. Etiquettes of greeting;
6. Importance of etiquettes.
3.4.3 What a Muslim is supposed to be accustomed with
Undoubtedly feeling embarrassed with regard to things that people usually feel embarrassed
about and try to avoid is something that is required, and paying attention to people’s customs
and what they regard as good or bad is part of good manners; whatever people customarily
regard as disliked is blameworthy, and whatever people customarily regard as offensive is
offensive–so long as Islam does not teach anything to the contrary.
Al-Bukhaari (3484) narrated that Abu Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Among the words of the earlier
Prophets that still remain with people are: If you feel no shame, then do as you wish.”
Al-Haafiz said: The words “then do as you wish” appear in the imperative (a command) but
what is meant is a threat, i.e., do as you wish and Allah will requite you.
Or the meaning may be: look at what you want to do; if it is something that one would not
feel ashamed of, then do it, but if it is something that one would feel ashamed of, then do not
do it. End quote.
A Bedouin came to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: O Ameer al-
Mu’mineen, teach me the religion. He said: (It is) to bear witness that there is no God but
Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish prayer, to pay Zakah, to
perform pilgrimage to the House (the Ka‘bah) and to fast Ramadan; be open and do not be
secretive; beware of doing everything that one may feel ashamed of.
Sharh Usool I‘tiqaad Ahl as-Sunnah by al-Laalkaa’i (1/333); Shu‘ab al-Eemaan, 3976
Al-Tabaraani narrated in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabeer (312) from ‘Ikrimah ibn Khalid that Sa‘d ibn
Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) said to his son, when he was dying: O my son,
you will never meet anyone more sincere towards you than me. When you want to pray, do
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your wudoo’ properly, then pray as if you think you will not pray again. Beware of greed, for
it is akin to poverty, and you should have a lack of interest (in worldly matters) for it is
richness. Beware of doing or saying anything for which you have to apologise. (If you heed
this advice), then do what you like.
A wise man said: Beware of what you may have to apologise for and what you may feel
ashamed of being mentioned, for the only thing you have to apologise for is sin and the only
thing you have to feel ashamed of is abhorrent actions.
Makaarim al-Akhlaaq by al-Kharaa’iti, 1/484
No doubt deliberately passing wind in front of people without any excuse is contrary to
modesty and decency. It is a kind of bad manners, the like of which no one does except
foolish people. It was narrated from one of the salaf that this action was one of the evils that
the people of Loot (peace be upon him) did.
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, said (interpretation of the meaning):
“And (remember) Lout (Lot), when he said to his people: ‘You commit Al-Fahishah (sodomy,
the worst sin) which none has preceded you in (committing) it in the Alameen (mankind and
jinns).
‘Verily, you do sodomy with men, and rob the wayfarer (travellers, etc.)! And practise Al-
Munkar (disbelief and polytheism and every kind of evil wicked deed) in your meetings.’ [al-
‘Ankaboot 29:28-29]
Al-Shawkani said in Fath al-Qadeer (4/285):
There was a difference of opinion concerning the munkar (evil actions) that they did. It was
said that they used to pelt people with stones and show no respect to strangers. And it was
said that they used to break wind in their gatherings with no control. And it was said that there
was no reason not to believe that they used to do all of these evil actions. Al-Zajjaaj said: In
this there is an indication that it is not appropriate for people to get together for the purpose of
doing evil deeds or mocking others. End quote.
It was narrated that Yazeed ibn Bakr al-Laythi said: al-Qaasim ibn Muhammad was asked
about the words of Allah, “And practise Al-Munkar (disbelief and polytheism and every kind
of evil wicked deed) in your meetings” – what was that munkar (evil)? He said: They used to
break wind in their gatherings with no control; one of them would break wind in the direction
of another.
Tafseer Ibn Abi Haatim, 11/425
A similar report was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah, Ibn ‘Abbaas, al-Qaasim ibn Abi Barzah and
others.
One of the reports which indicate that passing wind is something that one should feel
embarrassed about is that which was narrated by Abu Dawood (1114) from ‘Aa’ishah (may
Allah be pleased with her) who said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: “If one of you breaks wind during his prayer, let him hold his nose and leave.”
It says in ‘Awn al-Ma‘bood, 3/326:
“Let him hold his nose”, al-Khattaabi said: He instructed him to hold his nose so that people
would think that he has a nosebleed. This comes under the heading of good manners in
concealing a shameful matter, hiding that which is offensive and giving the impression that
what has happened is something different. It does not come under the heading of showing off
or lying; rather it is a kind of euphemism, observing decency and seeking to protect oneself
from people’s criticism.
This is how people customarily behaved.
Al-Madaa’ini said:
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One day Ash‘ab sat beside Marwan ibn Abaan ibn ‘Uthman, and there came out of Marwan
wind that made a sound. So Ash‘ab got up and left, so that the people would think that he was
the one who had passed wind. When Marwan went home, Ash‘ab came to him and said to
him: Pay me back. Marwan said: What for? He said: Pay me back for the wind that I took
responsibility for instead of you, otherwise I will embarrass you (by telling people what really
happened). And he did not leave him alone until he had settled the matter by taking something
from him in return. Nihaayat al-Arab fi Funoon al-Adab, p. 393
Rather the lack of shame concerning such things is known among nations other than the
Muslim ummah.
Al-Raaghib said in Muhaadirat al-Udaba’, 1/445:
The Indians claimed that holding back wind could cause serious illness and that releasing it
spares one from illness, and that it is the greatest remedy. On the day of their gatherings and
festivals they do not refrain from passing wind and they do not conceal the passing of gas
silently. And they do not see anything wrong with that or regard it as funny. End quote.
Al-Bukhari (4942) and Muslim (2855) narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Zam‘ah (may Allah be
pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) admonished
them for laughing at the passing of wind and said: “Why does one of you laugh at what he
does?”
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
This indicates that it is not allowed to laugh when one hears someone else break wind. Rather
he should ignore it and carry on with whatever he was doing, without paying any attention to
it or anything else, and pretend that he did not hear anything. This is good manners and proper
conduct with others.
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked:
Nowadays, unfortunately, it happens that people get together and they do not refrain from
passing wind, and they laugh at it as if they find it funny. If they are told to stop doing this
blameworthy action, they say, it is better than burping, and so on, and that there is no
evidence to suggest that it is not allowed. How should we respond to them? May Allah reward
you.
They replied:
It is not permissible to break wind deliberately or to laugh at that, because it is contrary to
decency and dignified manners. That is not like burping, because burping usually happens
involuntarily and people do not laugh at it. But if a person passes wind naturally, without
doing it deliberately, there is nothing wrong with that and it is not permissible to laugh at it,
because it is proven that ‘Abdullah ibn Zam‘ah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) forbade laughing at what comes out of one naturally. Narrated by al-
Bukhaari.
Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah, 26/222
With regard to passing wind–even if it makes noise–because of an excuse, such as if one has
no control over his flatulence, or a disease in the colon, or one cannot hold it in, then there is
nothing wrong with that and it is not permissible for people to laugh at what he does, because
of the hadeeth quoted above.
Rather the issue has to do with the one who does that deliberately, to make his friends laugh,
and does not care about what people think or feel embarrassed in front of them, this is what is
blameworthy.
3.3.4 The Rights of The Quran Upon The Believer
A source of guidance for humanity It is the last of Allah's revelation conveyed to us through
His final Messenger, Muhammad (pbuh). Muslims consider the commands and wisdom found
in the Qur'an to be a constant guide for us in our daily lives.
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In order to truly benefit from the Qur'an we have to be able to relate to the Qur'an in a
practical way, every day of our lives. Great scholars of Islam have advised us to keep our
relationship with the Qur'an effective by maintaining the following five responsibilities
Belief and Honor (Iman wata'zeem)
We regard the Qur'an as the words of Allah and believe it to be the best book of guidance for
those who want to live righteous lives. We respect its message and honor it above all other
books.
Reading and Recitation (tilawah watarteel)
Since the Qur'an was communicated to the Prophet through Gabriel orally and the Prophet in
turn conveyed it to his companions orally we should learn to read the Qur'an properly and
recite it correctly. There are great blessings (barakah) in reading the Qur'an in the correct
manner.
Understanding and Reflecting (tafakkur watadabbur)
Many Muslims learn to read the Qur'an but few strive to understand its meaning. Since the
Qur'an is mainly a book of guidance, we have a responsibility to understand its message and
reflect on what it says.
Implementing the Guidelines (hukm waiqamah)
One of the greatest duties we have is to live by the commands of Allah. The primary reason
why Allah sent revelation was to guide human beings to be good and to be of benefit to the
world, not to do wrong, nor to harm the world.
Conveying and Clarifying (tableegh wa tabyeen)
Each Muslim has the responsibility of conveying the message of Islam to others. If we believe
in the Qur'an, respect the Qur'an, read it how it is supposed to be read, recite it properly,
understand its message and live by its commands then our behavior will reflect the Qur'an.
The Prophet's wife, 'Aishah was asked to describe the Prophet's conduct and she said: "his
character is the Qur'an." This means that the Prophet lived his life according to the message of
the Qur'an. The best way to attract people to Islam is to live as good Muslims, to live like the
Prophet, to live according to the Qur'an.
Giving Priority to the Qur’an
Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 718H) said: “As for seeking to memorize the Qur’an then this is to be
given preference over many of the things that the people consider to be knowledge, but are -in
reality – either totally useless, or having little benefit. It is also to be given precedence in
learning especially by those who wish to acquire knowledge of the Din, its principles and its
particulars. Since what is prescribed for such a person at this time is that he should begin by
memorizing the Qur’an, as it is the foundation of the branches of knowledge of the Din. This
is contrary to what is done by many of the people on innovation, in that one of them will
preoccupy himself with superfluous parts of knowledge; such as kalam (rhetorical speech)
and argumentation; or very rare matters of differences; and blind following, which there is no
need for; or very strange and rare ahadith which are not established, nor of benefit; and many
discussions do not establish proofs. And he abandons memorizing the Qur’an which is more
important than all of this.”
Seeking knowledge in due proportions

Allah (azzawajall) said: “And it is a Qur’an which We have divided into parts, in order that
you may recite it to men at intervals. And We have sent it down in stages.”
The Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wasallam said to Abdullaah ibn Àmr ibn al-Aas: “Read the
Qur’an in every month.” I said: I find that I have more strength than that. He (sallallaahu
alayhiwasallam) said: “Recite it in every twenty nights.” I said: I find that I have more
strength than that. He (sallallaahu alayhiwasallam) said: “Then recite it in every seven days
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and do not increase upon that.”
‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-’Aas also related from the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhiwasallam)
that he said: “He does not understand the Qur’an who recites it in less than three days.”
When the person recites the Qur'an, he should adhere to the following manners:
1. He should recite it under the best circumstances, including being in a state of purity, facing
the Qiblah and sitting in a respectable, honorable manner.
2. He should recite the Qur'an slowly and not be hasty in his recitation. He should not recite it
in less than three nights. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has said: “Whoever recites the
Qur'an in less than three nights did not understand it” (The Four Sunan, and Al-Tirmidhi said
it is Sahih)
3. He must have fear of Allah and humility while reciting the Qur'an. He should demonstrate
sorrow and should cry, or he should try to cry if he is not able to cry. The Prophet (peace be
upon him) said: “Recite the Qur'an and cry. If you cannot cry, then try to make yourself
cry.” (Ibn Majah with a good chain)
4. One should also beautify his voice while reading the Qur'an. The Prophet (peace be upon
him) said: “Beautify the Qur'an by your voices.” (Ahmad, Ibn Majah, Al-Nasa'i and Al-
Hakim who said it is Sahih)
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) also said: “He is not one of us who does not make his
voice beautiful with the Qur'an.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
5. Do not recite in an extremely loud or very low Voice. Keep your voice at a medium
pitch. Allah ordains:
“Be not loud voiced in thy prayer nor too low voiced but follow a way between”. (17: 110)
6. He should recite in private if he fears that he would be reciting for show or reputation only
or if he were to disturb those people who were praying. Allah's Messenger (peace be upon
him) said: “The one who recites the Qur'an aloud is like one who publicly gives charity.”
It is known that it is preferred to give charity secretly unless there is some benefit to doing it
publicly, such as encouraging others to follow one's precedent. The same is true for reciting
the Qur'an.
7. A person should recite the Qur'an while thinking about and pondering over its
meaning, with due respect and presence of mind, in order to understand its meaning and
purport.
8. A person should not be one who recites the Qur'an while he is heedless and going against
what it says. In that case, he could be the cause for his own cursing by himself. For example,
if he reads the verse: “No doubt! The curse of Allah is on the oppressors.” (11:18)
And: “Curse of Allah upon those who lie.” (3:61)
And he is a liar or a wrongdoer, then he is simply cursing himself.
The following narration will demonstrate how wrong those people are who turn away from
the Book of Allah, who are heedless of it and spend their time in other pursuits. It is narrated
that in the Tawrah it states that Allah has said:
"Are you not ashamed of yourselves in front of Me? If a letter comes to you from some of
your brethren while you are walking on the road, you will stop and sit by the side of the road,
read the letter, and understand it word by word, in order not to miss anything. This is the
Book that I have revealed to you. Look how I have clearly explained everything in it. How
many times have you passed by it to ponder over its lengths and widths and then you turn
away from it? It is something lighter in your eyes than your brethren. O My servant! If one of
your brethren sits next to you, you turn to him with all of your attention and listen to his every
word with your entire heart. If someone then talks to you or disturbs you, you will motion to
him to stop. Here I am coming to you and speaking to you but you turn your heart away from
Me. In your sight, I am less important than one of your brethren!"
9. A person should strive to have the characteristics that are descriptive of those who are
Allah's people and His special people. Abdullah bin Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him,
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once said,
"The reciter of the Qur'an must be known by his night while the people are sleeping, by his
day while the people are not fasting, by his crying while the people are laughing, by his
devotion and fear of Allah while the people are mingling, by his silence while the people are
talking, by his humility while the people are boasting and by his grieving while the people are
rejoicing."
3.4.5 Etiquettes of Greeting

Islamic teaching recommends that the recipient of the greeting should return the greeting in a
manner similar to what was said to him, or better than it.
Allah (may He be exalted) says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at
least] return it [in a like manner]. Indeed, Allah is ever, over all things, an Accountant” [an-
Nisaa’ 4:86].
Ibn al-‘Arabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to the words of Allah (may he be exalted), “greet [in return] with one better than
it or [at least] return it [in a like manner]”, there are two views:
The first is that it should be better in it in character, so if he wishes you a long life, then say
“Salaamun ‘alaykum”, for that is better than it, and it is in accordance with human nature and
with the teachings of the monotheists.
The second is if he says to you “Salaamun alayka” then say “Wa ‘alayka as-salaam wa
rahmatullah.” Ahkaam al-Qur’an (1/464-465].
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The words ““And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than
it or [at least] return it [in a like manner]” mean: If a Muslim greets you with salaam, then
return the greeting with something better than he said, or at least return the greeting in a
similar manner. Adding more is recommended, and returning a similar greeting is obligatory.
End quote from Tafseer Ibn Katheer (2/368).
Common folk say, in the country of the questioner and other countries, when returning the
greeting, “Salaam wa rahmatullah,” instead of “Wa ‘alaykum as-salaam.” This is contrary to
what is preferred, which is to respond with a greeting better than the initial greeting, so it is a
shortcoming as it omits the definite article al- and also omits the word ‘alaykum. What should
be done is to include the word ‘alaykum in the response. This is what is best, and there is no
difference of scholarly opinion concerning that.
But if the one who is responding limits it to this wording, or that is widespread in some
country, then it is acceptable according to the correct view, and he is not regarded as having
failed to respond because of that, even if he misses out on the virtue of responding with
something better than the greeting that the questioner gave him.
More than one of the scholars has stated that using the definite article al- when returning the
greeting of salaam is recommended, but is not obligatory.
Ibn Muflih (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Aadaab ash-Shar‘iyyah (1/399):
With regard to returning the greeting, it should have the definite article, and the author of an-
Nuzum regarded it as the basis principle with regard to greeting, which indicates that using the
definite article is recommended, and this is clear. End quote.
Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) clearly stated that it is a matter of choice
whether to use the definite article or not when responding to the greeting of a Muslim, even if
the initial greeting is given with the definite article.
Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
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If the one who initiates the greeting says “salaamun ‘alaykum” or “as-salaamu ‘alaykum”,
then the one who is responding to the greeting may say in either case “Salaamun ‘alaykum,”
or he may say,
“as-salaamu ‘alaykum”. Allah (may He be exalted) says: “they said, ‘Peace [salaam].’ He
said, ‘Peace [salaam]’” [Hud 11:69].
Imam Abu’l-Hasan al-Waahidi, one of our companions, said: You have the choice whether to
use the definite article or not.
I say: But using the alif and laam [i.e., the definite article al-] is better.
al-Adhkaar (p. 219).
See something similar in Sharh al-Muhadhdhab (4/597).
Conclusion
The wording of the response to the greeting mentioned is acceptable, even though it is better
to use the complete form when returning the greeting, based on what has been explained
above.
3.4.6 Let Us Sum Up
Not all people should know your level of faith or acts of worship. However, most people
consider good manner before looking at faith or knowledge that you have. When you have
good manners, people will benefit from your knowledge and faith but if you have bad
manners people will not pay attention to whatever level of faith or knowledge you have.
Having good manners is very important for all believers. The fact is conducting good manners
is not easy because it takes time. It is impossible for people to behave in good manner
drastically. Even though conducting good manner is sometimes difficult, why Islam strongly
orders its believers to behave in good manner? In conclusion we will know the following.
1. Control anger
How we easily get annoyed by even the smallest things every day. Controlling anger is in fact
a difficult thing to achieve. Self-controlling is the only key to overcome tantrums. Giving all
the best to people, friends, family, and even stranger as part of the self-control and avoid
throw tantrums over people is a way to maintain good manner. People who have done nothing
harm to you do not deserve it and those who made you angry do not need to know your anger.
Why should exhaust yourself.
2. Show modesty and humility
Good manner is the key to modesty and humility. Modesty in Islam means purity of intention.
Rasulullah also said that modesty is part of faith and the faith leads to paradise. Always
conduct good manners will keep our lifestyle modest and humility. Also, modesty is the main
characteristic of Islam.
3. Prevent backbiting
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We raise our voice most of the time only to regret the decision we have made. Backbiting
brings damage to ourselves and also hurt other people. Not being able to speak nicely also
hurts the loved ones and results in jeopardized relationship.
“If they pass by some vain speech or play, they pass by it with dignity.” (Al-Furqan 25:72)
As told in one hadith, there was a man asked Rasulullah “who is the best Muslim?” and the
prophet replied “He is the one from whom Muslims are safe from the evil of his tongue and
hands.” (Muslim)
Islam strongly forbids backbiting or talking others behind their backs. Talking others behind
their backs is like eating flesh of your friend. People with good manner should control their
tongue and avoid backbiting because it is worse than lie.
4. Avoid cursing
Cursing and ridicule others are also forbidden in Islam. When we curse or ridicule someone,
he/she might be better than us in many ways. Engaging in these types of actions cause doubt
on your level of faith and Allah hates people with foul language and always ridicule and curse
others.
5. Prevent jealousy
Jealousy is a nature characteristic of human beings. Even there is saying that other people
grass will always look greener than our own. This shows that jealousy is in every mankind.
What does trigger jealousy? Conducting bad manners such as cursing, ridicule, and
backbiting results in jealousy. It shows someone’s incapability, thus they backbiting, ridicule,
and curse others to show how great he is over others.
Jealousy is considered hasad, a disease of the heart which leads to impurity to the heart. To
prevent envy, Rasulullah always encourage us to conduct good behavior and look for those
below you. “Do not look to those above you. Look to those below you, as it will more likely
remind you of Allah’s favors bestowed on you.” (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)
6. Establishing good relation
Mankind is undoubtedly is a social creature. There will always time to socialize and get active
in society no matter how hard you draw a safe line. In this situation, we cannot choose who
crosses your path, but conducting good manner helps establishing good relation. Conducting
good manner and relationship will always make your path easier to go through.
7. Get positive vibe
As much as we have to be kind to others, we also have to be kind to ourselves. One way to be
kind to ourselves is to fill the soul with positive thoughts and be merciful. Positive thought is
contagious; it makes people around you feel the positive vibes. But when you develop
negative thoughts about someone or something, people will afraid to communicate with you
and also doubt to be around you for any reason.
8. Remove obstacle from the way
Sometimes we feel that our way of life is too hard. Perhaps hardness in life is the result of
your own behavior. You get nothing for behaving badly. In fact, it makes other people stay
away from helping you. Islam takes friendship in higher level as we refer to each other as
brother and sister and expected to treat them as such.
9. Simple form of charity
Islam teaches us to be generous, share our wealth, and give the needy. Charity is not an option
in Islam; it is a must. Even when we have a real need of the wealth, Islam encourages us to be
generous. Conducting good manner is a form of simple charity. Treating others with kindness
will reward you with good thing as well.
Good manners have lots of benefits in life. It bridges differences, maintains good relationship,
and more. Conducting good manners is difficult because people do not change easily in one
night. However, you can start it with simple “thank you” or “please” to other people. Good
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manners are also a stepping stone closer to Allah.
1. Write a note on Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Islahi’s life.
2. On what points Maulana mostly focuses with regard to Etiquettes.
3. What are the teachings regarding etiquettes mentioned in Makaarim al-Akhlaaq by al-
Kharaa’iti?
4. What are the rights of the Quran upon believers?
5. What are the Etiquettes of greeting?
1. Al-Kaisi, Marwan Ibrahim, Morals and manners in Islam.
2. Islahi, MM. Yusuf, Adabi-i-Zindagi.
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Lesson No. 01: Islamic Perspective on Human Rights
Lesson Structure
4.1.1 Introduction
4.1.2 Objectives
4.1.3 Human Rights: Islamic Teachings and Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
4.1.4 Human Rights: An Overview
4.1.5 Basic Principles of Human Rights
4.1.6 Let Us Sum Up
4.1.1 Introduction
It is to be understood very clearly that the basic concept of Islam in regard to the human
rights is based upon equality, dignity and respect for humankind When we speak of human
rights in Islam we really mean that these rights have been granted by God; they have not
been granted by any legislative assembly or any king. The rights granted by the kings or the
legislative assemblies, can be withdrawn in the same manner in which they are conferred. The
same is the case with the rights accepted and recognized by the dictators. They can confer
them when they please and withdraw them when they wish; and they can openly violate
them when they like. In Islam human rights have been conferred by God, no legislative
assembly in the world, or any government on earth has the right or authority t o make any
amendment or change in the rights conferred by God. No one has the right to abrogate them
or withdraw them. These are not the basic human rights which are conferred on paper for the
sake of show and exhibition and denied in actual life when the show is over or they are not
like philosophy. The definition of human rights in terms of theory and function has been broad
and varied. Human rights can simply be defined as Inalienable fundamental rights to which a
person is inherently entitled simply for being human. Those are a set of principles concerned
with equality and fairness. They recognise our freedom to make choices about our lives and to
develop our potential as human beings. They are about living a life free from fear, harassment
or discrimination. Human rights can broadly be defined as a number of basic rights that
people from around the world have agreed are essential. These include the right to life, the
right to a fair trial, freedom from torture and other cruel and inhuman treatment, freedom of
speech, freedom of religion, and the rights to health, education and an adequate standard of
living. Human rights are not a recent invention. Throughout history, concepts of ethical
behaviour, justice and human dignity have been important in the development of human
societies. These ideas can be traced back to the ancient civilisations of Babylon, China and
India. They contributed to the laws of Greek and Roman society and are central to Buddhist,
Christian, Confucian, Hindu, Islamic and Jewish teachings. Concepts of ethics, justice and
dignity were also important in societies which have not left written records, but consist of oral
histories such as those of Aboriginal and other indigenous societies elsewhere. The concept of
Human Rights dates back to the very dawn of human civilization, and quite often appears
clearly, enshrined in all the great religions of the world, whether it is one's duty towards a
neighbour. The concept of universal brotherhood and fraternity of mankind coupled with a
sense of compassion towards one's fellowmen, has its origins in several religious beliefs both
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before and after the Christ. Therefore, the human rights in no means is a concept of modern
times, though it appears so, the roots of human rights, in fact, are found very deep in the
eternity. The world's all major religions have a humanist perspective that supports human
rights, despite the difference in the contents. Human rights are also rooted in ancient thought
and in the philosophical concepts of 'natural law' and 'natural rights'.
4.1.2 Objectives
In this lesson students will know the following:
1. Islamic Teachings and Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
2. Concept of Freedom of Religion
3. Universal declaration of human rights
4. Basic principles of human rights
5. The right of the poor and the weak
4.1.3 Human Rights; Islamic Teachings and Universal Declaration Of Human Rights
(UDHR)
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a historic document that was adopted
by the United Nations General Assembly at its third session on 10 December 1948 as
Resolution 217 at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, France. Of the then 58 members of the
United Nations, 48 voted in favour, none against, eight abstained, and two did not vote. The
Declaration consists of 30 articles affirming an individual's rights which, although not legally
binding in themselves, have been elaborated in subsequent international treaties, economic
transfers, regional human rights instruments, national constitutions, and other laws. The
Declaration was the first step in the process of formulating the International Bill of Human
Rights, which was completed in 1966, and came into force in 1976, after a sufficient number
of countries, had ratified them. In this century, the universal declaration of human rights
evaluated as the complete human rights document, in fact, the prophet of the world
Muhammad (PBUH) has done all these declarations in Arabia, before centuries and here I
would like to compare Islamic perspective of human rights and UDHR. The emergence of
Islam in 610 A.D. not only was the milestone but was a golden and perpetual chapter in the
human history. Because of the contents of its teachings, particularly in the human rights, it
was welcomed and accepted by the oppressed people in a vast part of the globe and found
many followers. Islam, the divine religion in its origin, lays iron foundation and found a pride
of place in theocracy of all ages. The Islamic practices strengthen the concept of human rights
being granted by Allah's Himself. The world has not been able to produce more just and
equitable laws than those given 1400 years ago. As such, one could advocate the hypothesis
that no religion, ideology, ism advocated the in human treatment meted out to the members of
the society and the basic source of human rights in ail times and at all ages is the religion
itself. According to historian John Esposito, Prophet Muhammad condemned female
infanticide, exploitation of poor, usury, murder, false contracts and theft. He also incorporated
Arabic and Mosaic laws and customs of the time into his divine revelation. The Constitution
of Medina (Charter of Medina) established the security of the community, freedom of
religion, security of women. The first two articles (ARTICLE 1 & 2) of universal declaration
of human rights established the basic concepts of dignity, liberty, equality, and brotherhood
among the people. Article one says that we are all born free and equal. We have our thoughts
and ideas, we should be treated in the same way .in the second article, united nations ban the
discriminations by any criteria such as race colour or nation. In the concept of Islam, the
message of Islam is for the entire human race not mere Muslims. According to Islam, Allah
(SWT) is the God of the entire world and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon) is a
messenger for the whole of mankind. Islam unites the entire human race under one banner
without any kind of discrimination. Let us take a look to the Quranic verses for the same
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concepts; there are many verses in Quran that point to the dignity, equality, and brotherhood
of humankind. Furthermore, God makes it clear that rights and freedoms are granted to all,
regardless of race, gender, social origin, nationality, language, colour, or status. Allah says “O
mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and
tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with God is that
(believer) who has God consciousness (including piety and righteousness). Verily, God is All
Knowing, All-Aware” (49: 13). God created humankind to act as vicegerent upon the earth;
human beings were set above the animals, birds, and fish and given a task of great
responsibility. According to the teachings of Islam, all mankind is from Adam and Eve; an
Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab;
also a white has no superiority over a black, nor does a black have any superiority over white
except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim,
and that Muslims constitute one brotherhood and humanity. There are many hadith and
Quranic verses that justify the equality of Islam, it include the freedom of religion security if
women and etc. it will be discussed on upcoming paragraphs. Next two articles (ARTICLE 3
& 4) sanction the right to life and ban the slavery it says that everyone has the right to life,
liberty and security of person. Let we start from the right to life in Islam In Islamic approach,
life is a divine gift and bestowment to every individual. It has priority and is heading all the
human rights. It would be useless and meaningless to talk about any rights before this right
has been provided for a society's individuals. As the Prophet (PBUH) said, "He, who gives
somebody a chance to live (in his blood) and then kills him, he will be subjected to the fire of
hell." Of course it should not be misunderstood that sanctity of a man's life is exclusively for
Muslims, that Islam has not drawn a line for a non-Muslim's life. A non-Muslim's life is
honourable and respectable, too, as long as he refrains from involving in opposition or
conspiracy against Muslims or an Islamic government because prophet didn’t discriminate the
Muslims and non-Muslims even his words. The holy Prophet (PBUH) in his farewell sermon
in the last year of his life in Madinah, before a crowd of Muslims, while emphasizing on the
right of individuals and sanctity for their blood, said: "O people, you have to respect each
other's life until the Resurrection Day". That means everyone must respect his brother and
treat him well, let him leave as himself. Moreover, in another occasion, talking about the
significance of regarding the human life, he has said, "Before God, murdering a believer is
worse than destroying the whole world.
In the Islamic legal system right to life is not just a right for man, but since a life is a divine
bestowment, it creates the right to enjoy this gift for a man. On the other hand, it makes him
responsible to provide necessary means to safeguard this right and also to keep under
consideration (health, feeding, etc.) as the essential means that makes this right last. Thus, the
right to life is a divine trusteeship entrusted into the human hands and he must shoulder the
responsibility of safeguarding it. That is why it is forbidden for a man to commit suicide
(deprive oneself of life) or to damage his body or spirit and Islam has also very clear and great
concept about slavery. some of the criticizers accused Islam that Islam that Islam encourage
the slavery system, but it is absolutely wrong., in Islamic concept the slavery system was
allowed but Islam did never encourage it, as a religious part, that is why the shari‘ah of Islam
made the releasing of a slave as a penalty of crime and Islam guarantee more reward on it.
ARTICLE 5 stands against torture, it compels that no one shall be subjected to torture or to
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Torture in Islam is considered a major
violation to the fundamental rights of someone or of some living being. It is not lawful for
Muslims to torture people or inflict any pain upon criminals beyond the limits prescribed by
Allah. A number of prophetic teaching and Quranic lessons about the seriousness of torture
can be found. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was sent as “Rahmatul-lil Aalameen” or as a
mercy for all that exists. In Islamic view, if anyone torture a creature (human being or not) he
will be in the hell, let us see some instances from the Quran and hadith. Hisham ibn Hakim
passed by some people in Syria who had been made to stand in the sun and had oil poured
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over their heads. He asked, “What is this?” It was said, “They are being punished for not
paying taxes.” Hisham said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon
him, say: Verily, Allah will torture those who torture people in this world. Islamic views
against torture are wider than the declarations of universal declaration of human rights
because Islam says that every live being also not be tortured by men. Ibn Umar reported: The
Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: A woman was punished because
of a cat she had imprisoned until it died; thus, she entered Hellfire because of it. She did not
give it food or water while it was imprisoned, neither did she set it free to eat from the vermin
of the earth. The lessons about banning torture in Islam will not be limited here, but it is much
wider than concept of UDHR. Many of times prophet warn his companions from torturing
birds, animals and even nature, like that he promised with great rewards to who treat the
surroundings with mercy ARTICLE 6–11 refer to the fundamental legality of human rights
with specific remedies cited for their defence when violated. These articles contain the
declarations to enjoy a man his recognition before the judiciary and the equality for justice.
These articles guarantee that all are equal before the law and are entitled without any
discrimination to equal protection of the law, all are entitled to equal protection against any
discrimination. It says No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and
impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal
charge against him. No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or
omission which did not constitute a penal offence.
When we study about the Islamic view about these articles, we can see that Equality before
the law is one of the basic principles of the Islamic Justice System. Allah’s Messenger
(PBUH) was in fact the first and the foremost to show complete submission and commitment
to the Divine Law. And Allah commands again in holy Quran in chapter Mai’dah ‘do not let
the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness .and
he says Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you
judge between people to judge with justice. Excellent is that which Allah instructs you.
Indeed, Allah is ever Hearing and Seeing. The Quranic Term ‘Adl’ is impartiality,
unbiasedness, equity, fairness and equal treatment without any inclination to anyone in
preference to another. Solid and verifiable evidence is an integral element of divine justice.
There are so many criteria from the Islamic side for a man to be a witness. It is also justifying
that how the Islamic justice is stand out from other major relevant judicial system in the
world. There are many other model in of prophetic teaching that prove the prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) was a sincere judge among all, he said that his daughter will be
punished if she robs. Next six articles (ARTICLE 12-17) established the rights of the
individual towards the community (including such things as freedom of movement, privacy,
asylum and nationality) In the Quran, God says: It is He Who made the Earth submit to you,
so traverse its surface and eat of its sustenance and to Him is your return. it means the whole
earth is for mankind, they can use it and travel throughout the earth In Islamic concept, No
one should be prohibited from movement except for an overriding consideration of the
general welfare. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Avoid sitting in the roadways.” His
Companions responded: “O Messenger of God, we have no recourse but to sit in these
places.” He said: “If this is the case, then give the road its rights.” They said: “What are the
rights of the road, O Messenger of God?” He said: “Lowering the gaze, abstaining from
abuse, returning the greeting of peace, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong.”
Right to privacy defined as No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his
privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation.
Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks. It is
the ability of an individual or group to keep their lives and personal affairs out of public view
Allah says: "O Believers, do not enter other houses than your own until you have the approval
of the inmates and have wished them peace; this is the best way for you: it is expected that
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you will observe it ". 'right of privacy' was not merely confined to the question of entry in the
houses, but it was declared as a common right according to which it is forbidden to peep into
a house, glance from outside, or even read the other person's letter without his permission.
Huzail bin Shurahbil has reported that a man came to see the Holy Prophet and sought
permission for entry while standing just in front of the door. The Holy Prophet said to him:
"Stand aside: the object of the Commandment for seeking permission is to prevent casting of
looks inside the house. The practice of the Holy Prophet was that whenever he went to see
somebody, he would stand aside, to the right or the left of the door, and seek permission as it
was not then usual to hang curtains on the doors.
According to 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas, the Holy Prophet said: "Whoever glances through the
letter of his brother without his permission, glances into fire." So the privacy system in Islam
does not allow anyone to interrupt in the private life of other person. In fact, one cannot enter
or look into the window of other person without permission or without the willingness of
other person. In the address which the Prophet delivered on the occasion of the Farewell Hajj,
he said: "Your lives and properties are forbidden to one another till you meet your Lord on the
Day of Resurrection. Another important right referred in these articles is right about wealth
Ownership and right to property is the inherent right of a man to exercise his rights over
property which he possesses and control with obligations connected therewith in the property
acquired, such as to use for his own pleasure, to transfer and to extinguish his right by way of
transfer if he chooses. Indication that everything is owned by Allah (God) and that property in
the absolute sense belongs to Him, and to Him alone. However, the right of ownership vests
in God alone does not mean that we as human beings do not have the right to own property, it
simply puts this individual right of ownership within a broader context. Ownership is
basically our responsibility as trustees of God on earth. It is clear in the Quran that there is no
objection on the individual right of property. For instance, God tells the Prophet: “Take from
their property charity”. ARTICLE 18-21 sanctioned the so-called "constitutional liberties",
and with spiritual, public, and political freedoms, such as freedom of thought, opinion,
religion and conscience, word, and peaceful association of the individual. Everyone has the
right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his
religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or
private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. In
fact, these articles make a man a real part of a nation and give him a manner life’s Freedom of
religion is a controversial subject, even in the twenty-first century, and it usually generates a
lot of heated discussions. The view of Islam in this regard is evident from the Quran, which
says what means: Say, ‘The truth is from your Lord’: Let him who will, believe, and let him
who will, reject [it] (Al-Kahf 18:29). In another chapter Allah himself said Let there be no
compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error (Al-Baqarah 2:256). They accept
Islam, then indeed they follow the right way; and if they turn back, your duty (O Prophet) is
only to deliver the message” (3: 20) that means the compulsory is not a part of Islamic
propagation. The Prophet would peacefully call people to the religion with beautiful
preaching and sound arguments. Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and
blessings be upon him, said to a man: Embrace Islam. The man said, “I find that I dislike it.”
The Prophet said: Even if you dislike it. In this tradition, the Prophet did not call the man to
Islam using threats or intimidation, but rather by telling him that Islam is good for him even if
he disliked it. Prophet never forced anyone into Islam and neither would he fight them
because they followed a different religion. He only fought people who declared war against
the Muslim community or violated people’s rights. Ibn Al-Qayyim writes: The Prophet never
forced the religion upon anyone, but rather he only fought those who waged war against him
and fought him first. As for those who made peace with him or conducted a truce, then he
never fought them and he never compelled them to enter his religion. Freedom of religion is
the general rule in the Quran established through numerous verses and the practice of the
Prophet. Nowhere in the Quran is the death penalty prescribed for apostates. Freedom of
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expression is an important and fundamental human right in Islam. Quran discusses it briefly.
There are many verses of Quran which describe freedom of expression its importance and
principles. The basic principle of Quranic conversation is good talking. As Allah says in the
Holy Quran; “And speak fairly to the People.” A common theory about Islam is that Islam
bans the freedom of expression. This is a totally wrong theory. Freedom of consultation is
also the other and important right grant un to the people through the articles: Freedom of
consultation is an important right of a person in an Islamic society. The Holy Quran grants
this essential human right. Even the prophet (PBUH) also consulted upon his opinions.
According to the Glorious Quran; “And consult them in affairs. Allah tells about the
approaches of the Holy Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions in collective matters in
Quran that they consulted their collective matters. As Allah says in the Holy Quran: “Who
(conduct) their affairs by mutual Consultation”. Even the Prophet (PBUH) himself consulted
the important matters to his companions. As we read in the Hadith of prophet (PBUH).
Hazrat Abu Hurairah narrates: “I have not seen any one to more diligent in consulting the
companions then the prophet (PBUH) himself. Being one of salient principle of the
Government prescribed in the Quran, Shura requires the Head of state and Government
leaders to conduct community affairs through consultations with community members.”
ARTICLE 22-28 sanctioned an individual's economic, social and cultural rights, including
healthcare. Article 25 states: "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the
health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and
medical care and necessary social services." It also makes additional accommodations for
security in case of physical debilitation or disability, and makes special mention of care given
to those in motherhood or childhood. Islamic social security refers to the independence of the
whole community it includes the duties to every member of our community like parents,
family members, friends and even neighbours and guests Allah says in holy Quran “Worship
Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the
needy, the near neighbour, the neighbour farther away, the companion at your side, the
traveller, and those whom your right hands possess. Indeed, Allah does not like those who are
self-deluding and boastful.”
The above mentioned Quranic verse demonstrates that apart from having complete conviction
in Oneness of the Almighty, one has to fulfil privileges of one`s family members like parents
and relatives, take care of orphans and the poor in surroundings, both close to and distant
neighbours, and travellers etc. So, this one Ayah contains the comprehensive plan of
executing one’s responsibilities in any social order which start from one`s own family and is
spread across the whole community. These articles also discussing about the workers’ rights
and Islam says about it before centuries very seriously. Islamic law allows all human beings
the right to enter upon any lawful profession or occupation and to conduct any lawful trade or
business. The workers should be treated with dignity and honour. No work is menial or
degrading. Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke very highly of those who
labour over against those who sit idle or go begging. Islam teaches that workers should be
treated with kindness. Workers should not be given work beyond their capacity. They should
have a humane and safe environment for work. They should be compensated if they are
injured on the job. They should have time for work and time for themselves and their
families. Children or minors should not be used for labour. And Islam grants both men and
women equal consideration.
So many of the human rights violations are committed against women in this world. Under
the laws of Islam, women have the right to own property and businesses, engage in financial
transactions, vote, receive inheritance, obtain an education and participate in legal and
political affairs. The fact that some Muslim societies do not always accord women all these
liberties is an example of how human beings can fall short of fully implementing the Divine
Will. Both men and women have responsibilities towards their families and societies as is
clear from the following verse: “The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of
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another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers,
practice regular charity, and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His
mercy: for Allah is Exalted in power, Wise” (Quran, 9:71). A basic standard of life includes
the minimum essentials necessary for survival, such as food, clothing, shelter and medical
attention. Anyone deprived of these necessities is entitled to receive aid in order to meet their
needs. It is the duty of every Muslim with adequate means to give from their wealth, in order
to eradicate poverty from society. Describing the righteous believers in the Quran, God
reminds that they are those who give a “rightful share of their wealth to the beggar and the
deprived” (51:19). The Islamic state is also obligated to spend from its treasury to support the
poor and disadvantaged. Next three articles of universal declaration of human right
established the general ways of using these rights, these areas in which these rights of the
individual cannot be applied, and they cannot be overcome against the individual.
4.1.4 Human rights: An Overview
In the Quran, there are various clear and strong texts that have delineated the fundamentals of
human rights. However, the first declaration that can be called so is the magnificent speech
delivered by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the Farewell Pilgrimage
before about 120 thousands of his companions who gathered in Arafat. In this speech, he laid the
foundations of what can be called human rights. He declared the inviolability of bloods, properties,
and honors and asked Allah and the people to bear witness to that. In this context, he has strongly
forbidden inner fighting saying “Never shall you return after me [like] disbelievers striking the
necks of one another.” He also recommended well treatment for women. The essence of human
rights can be summarized in two principles: Honoring, which is an established maxim for every
human being just for being a human being. Almighty Allah said, “Yet very truly, we have so
honored the Children of Adam: for We have carried them through the land and the sea. And We
have provided them with all that is wholesome [in life]. And We have so favored them above most
of what We have created with [such immense] favor.” [17:70]
Equality, upon which Islam laid strong emphasis, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
said, “O people! Your Lord is one and your father is one. Neither an Arab has a merit over a non-
Arab or a non-Arab over an Arab or a white person over a black one. You all belong to Adam and
Adam was from dust.”
From these two principles begin all rights. Women have been given equal rights to those of men in
terms of human honor-though this may vary for other functional reasons- and in terms of all forms
of freedom. Man is originally free. This was best expressed in the words of Ùmar, the
Commander of the Believer “When have you enslaved people whereas they were born free?!”
Europeans had to wait for 1000 years later until Jan Jack Rousseau declared in his book The Social
Contract that man is born free. But freedom of the individual in Islam should not bring harm to the
society. Equilibrium between the individual and the society is the most critical issue in the
principle of freedom. Freedom is guaranteed as long as it does not contravene the general system
as in the cases of reviling the religion, cursing people, or making transgressions against their bloods
or properties. However, there may be difference of opinion over determining the general system
and its ethical dimensions as will be explained.
Islam is the religion of solidarity in the sense that it not only enjoins you to refrain from harming
others but also enjoins you, as a religious and juridical duty, to prevent people from causing harm
to each other and to do your best to aid people, save their lives, protect their properties, and defend
their honor. If you do not do so, you will become sinful; and a case can be filed against you in
courts demanding compensation from you because you did not save a person from fire, prevent a
blind person from falling in an abyss, etc. This is called the right of aid and support. “Then what is
with you that you do not fight in the path of Allah and for the [utterly] helpless.” [4:75]
In short, all fundamental human rights are found in Islam. Man is honored by Allah and has the
right to be respected and not to infringe his privacy. “Nor shall you spy [on each other]. Nor shall
you backbite one another.” [49:12] “O you who believe! You shall not enter houses, other than
your own houses, until you take [welcome] permission and great their people with peace.” [24:27]
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However, this is not confined to Muslims but extends to peoples from other religions as well. Al-
Bayhaqi in his Sunan reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbad from
entering the houses of the People of the Scripture without their permission and from eating their
fruits unless they give it out of themselves.
Islam secured for man that he should not be addressed in a way he dislikes. Almighty Allah said,
“O you who believe! Men shall not scoff at other men. For those [whom they scoff at] may be
better than them. Nor shall women [scoff] at other women. For those [whom they scoff at] may be
better than them. Nor shall you slander each other. Nor shall you revile each other by [way of
abhorrent] nicknames.” [49:11]; and that he shall not be punished for someone else’s crime “For
no sin-laden soul shall carry the [sinful] load of another.” [17:15] Man is innocent until the
opposite proves true and should not be punished retroactively.
Islam guaranteed for man the right of ownership and to make use of the things that are not
possessed by anybody such as earth, seas, rivers, wild animal, and fish. People are partners in
water, fire, grass. It is not permissible to transgress the possessions of others. If one dies and leaves
something, it goes to his heir. People share natural resources with justice and kindness. Selling,
leasing, loaning, borrowing, trading, and giving gifts are lawful means of earning to the exclusion
of unlawful means such as theft, usurpation, usury, deception and gambling. The poor and the
weak have rights in the society and thus it is not permissible to leave any of them exposed to
danger. These rights guaranteed by both the shariàh and the judicial authority.
Islam has also guaranteed for the traveler that the resident people should guide him, give him to
eat, and give him out of the zakah-charity if he needs because he is a wayfarer. It has guaranteed
the parents’ right and has enjoined children- by the judiciary power- to spend on them if they are
poor; and so is the case with close relatives. These rights are many and hence they have made the
Muslim community cohesive, harmonious, and consolidated. Islam has enjoined those in authority
among Muslims to establish the fundamental human rights and has given them in return for this
duty the right of obeying them. Almighty Allah says, “O you who believe! You shall obey Allah.
And you shall obey the Messenger and those in authority among you.” [4:59]
Scholars have founded what they called the objectives of the shariàh; that is, the meanings derived
from the totality of shariàh texts identifying the goals of the shariàh and its targets in isolation
from the texts. Abu Ishaq al-Shatibi delineated the injunctions of the shariàh saying: They refer to
the preservation of its objectives with regard to the people. These objectives do not exceed three
divisions: first, to be necessary, second to be complementary, and third to be embellishing.
Those that are necessary are indispensable for the interests of the religion and of this world which,
if missed, this world will not go right but will go with corruption, turbulence, loss of life, loss of
deliverance and bliss and with ultimate clear loss.
These objectives include the preservation of all fundamental and economic human rights, but they
exceed with other indispensable rights for man’s promotion and protection, which are the goals of
human rights. The necessary objective can be interpreted to be the right to live, the right of
ownership, and the right to from a family in addition to the right of preserving reason, the right of
practicing religion, and the right to preserve posterity.
Al-Shatibi pointed this out saying: The ummah (Muslim nation), rather all religions, has agreed
that the shariàh aims to preserve the five essentials: religion, souls, posterity, property, and reason.
Al-Ghazali said: Man’s feeling safe for himself, property, and honor is a condition for the
obligation of acts of worship. The complementary objective can be translated as man’s right to
have education, house, and other rights that lift the hardship of life and secure honorable living.
Almighty Allah says, “Nor has He placed on you any [undue] strain.” [22:78]
The embellishing objective aims at giving life beauty and fun and enjoying wholesome things, as
Almighty Allah says, “Say: Who is it that has prohibited the adornments of Allah, which He has
brought forth for His servants, and the wholesome things of [His] provision?” [7:32]
These objectives set the foundation of an integrated and balanced outlook for human rights
accompanied with the duty of both the society and the individual to secure and protect them as a
religious responsibility as well as a legal and juridical one; that is, they are not just admonitory but
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biding- this is the advantage of law. Some of us may see that this definition is close to the concept
of the natural state or the natural law from which human rights derive their legitimacy and
comprehensiveness as seen by some philosophers.
4.1.5 Basic Principles of Human Rights
We can summarize the basic principles of human rights in Islam in the following points:
1. Establishing the state on the idea of shura (consultation) starting with the choice the ruler
and paying homage to him to continue ruling under the obligation of abiding by shariàh
rulings.
2. Enforcing the principle of legitimacy through the state executive authority and the judicial
authority to protect the rights from all sorts of aggression or transgression and hence to
prevent assault, taking captives and revenge.
3. Declaring the principle of equality between people, abolishing the system of classes and
the habit of boasting with lineage and families, and establishing honor on the basis of piety
alone; that is, on the basis of true faith accompanied by righteous work.
4. Establishing general freedoms on top of which come the sacredness of souls, honor, and
properties along with housing, freedom of religion and opinion, freedom of work, and
freedom of education as an obligatory right. It is a duty upon the society and the
individuals to cooperate to preserve these rights.
5. Freedom of ownership accompanied by the obligation of social justice achieved through
the imposition of zakah-charity and other duties on the properties of the rich for the sake of
the underprivileged and the needy through the system of maintenance.
6. Freedom of making contracts and the obligation of fulfilling them and the freedom of
trading and transacting accompanied by the restriction of preventing usury, ghabn (unfair
pricing), monopolization, gharar (hazardous sale of uncertainty), and coercion and the
exclusion of wills and the obligations of inheritance.
7. Fair treatment of women by giving them the right of inheritance, ownership, and discretion
together with the basics of honor and equality in rights and duties and establishing
marriage on cordiality and mercy. The wife has been given the right of dowry as a sort of
honor for her and as discouraging from divorce without excuse. Polygamy was restricted
with the condition of just treatment. Marriage of shighar (exchange of daughters or sisters
for marriage with no mandatory gift to a bride from her groom), temporary mirage, and
burying female babies alive are practices that have been prohibited.
8. Regulating penalties and distinguishing between the public right or the right of Almighty
Allah and the personal right and distinguishing between legal penalties prescribed by the
shariàh and other penalties that are not prescribed but left for the discretion of the judge
known as ta`zeer in addition to regulating the conditions of the crime of murdering and
deliberate injuries and determining blood money and compensations.
9. Setting the foundation of international law of relations exhorting peace and brotherhood
and the obligation of fulfilling covenants disallowing aggressive war and allowing
defensive war for the sake of repelling aggression against religion, home, and holy places,
preserving the freedom of religion, and helping the wronged person even if he is non-
Muslim.
10. Freedom of expression known as enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil. This
freedom is bound by the dictates of responsibility, for Islam considers the consequences of
deeds and words. Thus, there is no freedom of speech to curse others or to disseminate
harmful values in the society- it is responsible freedom.
11. The right of the poor and the weak in economic protection. Almighty Allah says, “Thus
they feed with food- despite their own desire for it- the indigent, and the orphan, and the
captive [of war]” [76:8] and “Moreover, in their wealth was a rightful share [of charity] for
the beggar and the destitute.” [51:19]
12. The right of people in fairness and justice. Almighty Allah says, “O you who believe! Be
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ever upright for [the sake of] Allah, bearing witness [to truth] with [impartial] justice.
Therefore, let not detestation [for some people] induce you to be unfair. [Rather,] be fair!
For to do so is, indeed, closer to the fear of Allah. Therefore, fear Allah! Indeed, Allah is
all-aware of all that you do” and [5:8] “And whenever you judge between people, you shall
judge with justice.” [4:58]
13. The right of people on each other to cooperate and have mutual assistance. Almighty Allah
says, “Rather, you shall help one another to virtuousness and to the fear of Allah. But you
shall not help one another to sin and to aggression.” [5:2] Others’ right of justice was not
known before Islam. Islam was the first to acknowledge these rights regardless of sex, race,
ethnicity, or religion. The Gracious Quran speaks about just cooperation that is based on
the principle of freedom and the supremacy of the society “Say: O People of the Scripture!
Come to an equitable word between us and you: That we shall not worship other than
Allah. And we shall not associate anything in [our worship of] Him. And we shall not take
one another as lords apart from Allah.” [3:64] Explaining this verse Muhammad ibn Àmr
al-Razi (544-606/1149-1209) said, “‘An equitable word’ indicates justice and fairness
between all of us in terms of worshipping Allah equitably.” This means that there should
be no extravagance or hegemony of one group over the other. All people enjoy freedom
and equality before Allah, the One and Only God of all the people.
14. The right to refuse prohibited things; that is, the right not to be forced to commit things
prohibited by the shariàh. The noble Messenger said, “No created being should be obeyed
in disobedience of the Creator.” Almighty Allah said, “He said: The promise of my
covenant shall not extend to the wrongdoers.” [2:124] By virtue of this, no ruler can enact
the lawfulness of something prohibited or detrimental to people’s interests. The juristic rule
is that “the ruler’s management of the subjects is bound by serving their interest.”
Similarly, it is not for a powerful state or nation, even if it is a Muslim one, to impose
things that cause harm to the interests of small countries.
15. Protecting properties. Almighty Allah says, “Moreover, you shall not consume one
another’s wealth by false means, nor proffer any of it to [bribe] those in authority, in order
to sinfully consume a portion of people’s wealth- while you know [it is wrong].” [2:188]
16. Preserving human dignity and honor. Almighty Allah says, “O you who believe! Men shall
not scoff at other men. For those [whom they scoff at] may be better than them. Nor shall
women [scoff] at other women. For those [whom they scoff at] may be better than them.
Nor shall you slander each other. Nor shall you revile each other by [way of abhorrent]
nicknames. Woeful is the ungodly name after attaining faith” [49:11] and “O you who
believe! Shun much suspicion. For, indeed, certain kinds of suspicion are sinful. Nor shall
you spy [on each other]. Nor shall you backbite one another.” [49:12]
17. Protecting private life. Almighty Allah says, “O you who believe! You shall not enter
homes, other than your own homes, until you take [welcome] permission and greet their
people with peace. That is best for you so that you may become mindful [of the benefit of
Allah’s commandments]. But if you do not find anyone therein, then do not enter them
until permission is given to you. Moreover, if it is said to you: Turn back! then turn back
[and do not persist]. That is purer for you.” [24:27-28]
Human rights in Islam enjoy the privilege that the wise Lawgiver gave them a divine source, a
sacred essence, and a rational characteristic. They are established by the Creator’s will and derived
from His religion. They are beyond whims and are secured forever.
Dr. Khayyat maintains that human rights fall within the divine appointment of man as a successor.
The covenant of succession includes his rights and duties and there is harmony and
synchronization between individual’s rights and public interest. Each right for the individual
includes a right for God- i.e., for the society- though priority is given to God’s right in the case of
conflict. These rights include the five necessities of the shariàh; namely, the preservation of
religion, reason, soul, posterity, and property.
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Perhaps the most important mainstay for human rights in the shariàh is the independence of the
judiciary; for the judge’s only reference is to the shariàh and his conscience.
This independence is shown by the brief message sent by Ùmar, the commander of the believers,
(may Allah be pleased with him) to Muàwiyah ibn Abu Sufyan, the governor of Syria and
Palestine telling him that “You have no authority over Ùbadah ibn al-Samit.” Ùbadah was sent
by the Caliph as a judge for Palestine. Ùmar, thus put an end for the governors’ interference in
judicial affairs. Here is another message sent by the Caliph Ùmar ibn al-Khattab to Abu Mosa al-
Ashàri establishing the rules of judiciary that secure rights:
“Judgeship is a firm obligation and a followed methodology. So you should comprehend what is
submitted before you; for it is useless to speak with a truth that is not enforceable. Treat people
equally in terms of how approach you, how you face them, and how you judge between them so
that no noble person should wish for your unjust inclination and no weak person should despair of
your justice. Evidence is upon the claimant and vow is on the one who denies. Reconciliation
between Muslims is permissible except that reconciliation that renders the unlawful lawful and the
lawful unlawful. Whoever claims an absent right or evidence give him respite with fixed date, for
this way you give the best excuse and clarify the blindness of the issue. No sentence you passed
one day and then you revised it and was guided to the right opinion should prevent you from
returning to the truth. The truth is old and nothing renders it void. Returning to the truth is better
than going forward with falsehood. Muslims are trustworthy with one another with the exception
of someone known for false testimony or someone whipped in penalty for a crime or a person
whose credibility is under suspicion due to his alliance or relation to another. Almighty Allah is
aware of the secrets of people and He has concealed the reasons of their falling under penalty
unless with clear evidences and oaths. You should thoroughly comprehend that which is submitted
before you and is not in the Quran or the Sunnah and then apply analogy.
Be aware of similar cases and look for what you see as the best in the sight of Allah and closer to
the truth. Beware of anger, anxiety, boredom, feeling hurt by people and seeking to be remembered
by the disputants. Judging in favor of the truth is a reason for deserving the reward of Allah and for
having good remembrance among people. Hence, he who is sincere to the truth, even against
himself, Allah will sufficiently take care of what is between him and the people. He who adorns
himself with that which is not within himself will be disgraced by Allah. Allah does not accept
from a person except that which is sincerely for Him. What do you think of the reward of Allah in
His near provision and the treasures of His mercy?! Peace be upon you together with the mercy of
Allah.”
Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah said, “This message is great and scholars received it with approval
and established upon it the rules of judgeship and testimony. The ruler and the mufti (jurist
counselor) are more needful to reflect on and learn it.”
During the Abbasid period and in the end of the second century of Hijrah the caliph kept himself
away from appointing judges as he entrusted this judiciary. Al-Rasheed appointed Abu Yusuf as a
judge and entrusted him to appoint judges in other countries and thus judiciary had some sort of
administrative independence.
Office of the ombudsman can be considered an advanced means to protect human rights;
particularly from the injustice of the authorities. It was established by al-Mahdi in the second half
of the second century of Hijrah. It received people’s complaints even against high officials. Al-
Mahdi and his successors up to the period of al-Muhatadi (255 AH) used to dedicate one or two
days a week to sit and listen to people’s complaints against those in authority as well as others.
Military justice was formed during the Mamluki period after expelling the crusaders from Syria by
the end of the seventh century. This judiciary was for settling disputes among the soldiers. In
Damascus there were two military judges. After this quick survey over human rights in Islam, we
shall focus on four key issues due to their importance in the current dialogue over human rights in
Islam to see in the light of the shariàh and under the shade of the Western philosophy the
prejudice against the Islamic shariàh. We are going to dedicate four chapters for these issues: the
first chapter will be about the status of women, the second about freedom and equality, the third
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about shura (consultation) and democracy, and the forth about Islamic criminal laws and human
rights.
4.1.5 Let Us Sum Up
To conclude it can be said that the Islamic view of human rights is divine and complete. It has
relevance over every human right documents in history particularly when the Islamic
declarations discussed as compared as universal declarations of human right that done by
united nation in 1948 it can be seen that there is many demerits and draw backs in UDHR.
Unfortunately, Islamic concept of human rights has been severely misconstrued and
misinterpreted by some modernist Muslims as well as by the enemies of Islam. The lack of
understanding of this basic concept of human rights has given rise to many confusions and
misunderstandings in the contemporary world.
1. What are the Islamic teachings regarding human rights?
2. Do we have the right to refuse prohibited things?
3. What is the role of “UDHR” with respect to human rights?
4. What are the Basic principles of human rights?
1. Bales, Kevin, Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy.
2. Burke, Mary C. Human Trafficking: Interdisciplinary Studies.
3. Dr S. Showkat Hussain. Islam and Human Rights.
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Lesson No. 02: Islamic Perspective on AIDS
Lesson Structure
4.2.1 Introduction
4.2.2 Objectives
4.2.3 Islamic Preventive Measures against Fahisha including
AIDS
4.2.4 Dominant Muslim Responses to HIV&AIDS
4.2.5 Justice and AIDS
4.2.5 Let Us Sum Up
4.2.1 Introduction
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a well-known disease caused by human
immunodeficiency virus type 1, affects CD4+ T cells. AIDS is a sexually transmitted
infection. Early symptoms of AIDS involved night sweats, unexplained weight loss, general
lymphadenopathy, general malaise, and fatigue. AIDS principal finding is a severely defective
immune system that is unable to guard the body against infection. The first mentioned cases
of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome had recorded in June 5, 1981, at Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). The story started as five men, all were active
homosexual men, complained from Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia infection had nursed in
Los Angeles hospitals. All of them had complicated infections with a severely defective
immune system. Two of them died. Because all of them were homosexual men, scientists, and
doctors proposed an association between homosexuality and disease gotten by sexual contact.
Since then, AIDS grew into a major worldwide public health disaster and scientific challenge.
Some facts about Illegal Islamic sex: Illegal Islamic sex had mentioned in the Quran in
different Quranic terms. Directly mentioned and banned:
1. Zina: It is a Quran term signifies illegal man woman intercourse. Zina can include
adultery of married parties, sodomy, and fornication of unmarried parties, prostitution,
incest, rape, and bestiality. The Quran disapproved of not authorized illegal intercourse,
embracing one that recommends the punishment of one hundred lashes for Zina. Quran
recommends four witnesses to prove Zina. Zina fits the hadd crime that claimed to be
Quran punishment. Lapidation or Stoning is a capital punishment where a group of
Muslims publically clarified throws a series of stones at a (married only) Muslim person
(male or female) Confessed Zina until this person dies. Accusing Zina without presenting
the required eyewitnesses is called qadhf which is itself a hadd crime.
2. Zina proceedings like eye sighting, watching, hearing, touching, kissing, hand Shaking
between a man and a strange woman.
3. Incest is sexual intercourse among the same family members or in the Quran banned
close relatives and mentioned clearly in the Quran. (Forbidden for you are your mothers,
your daughters, your sisters, your paternal aunts, your maternal aunts, your brother's
daughters, your sister's daughters, your foster mothers who nursed you, your sisters
through nursing, your wives' mothers, and your stepdaughters in your guardianship—
born of wives you have gone into-but if you have not gone into them, there is no blame
on you. And the wives of your genetic sons, and marrying two sisters simultaneously.
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Except what is past. Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful) Sura al-Nisa’ (4:23). Eye-
sight between man and woman also banned, but only from man and woman in whom
sexual intercourse is allowed or not banned. Banned eye-sight considered within Zina
proceedings [10,11].
4. Quran banned. ‫ تب ََرج‬or a Muslim woman adorn herself on an Quranically banned man.
4.2.2 Objectives
After reading this chapter, the student will come to know about the following:
I. Islamic perspective on AIDS.
II. How Islam breaks the very back of all the immoral acts which cause it.
III. Islamic concept of morality with regards to marital life.
IV. Islamic concept of justice in all matters especially AIDs.
V. Preventive measures: An Islamic perspective.
4.2.3 Islam preventive measures against Fahisha including AIDS
Some facts about Islamic permitted and banned sexual ways: Islam preventive measures
against Fahisha including AIDS
1. Clear and direct ban of Fahisha as mentioned in Quran and Hadith.
2. Indirect ban of Fahisha by Islamic authorities decided from primary or secondary
sources of Islamic legislation.
3. Islam encourages multiple marriages.
4. Islam encourages the Quran permitted sex: a special type of marriage in certain cases.
5. Avoiding Zina proceedings as they are clearly and directly banned in the Quran and
Hadith.
6. Quran banned ‫ تب ََرج‬or a Muslim woman adorn herself on a banned man.
7. Hijab dressing for Muslim women as a formal dressing in presence of any strange
(banned) man. Hijab usually covers her head and chest.
8. Hijab is a preventive measure to protect Muslim woman from strangers, as the woman
in Islam is glorified.
9. Islam prayer (Salah) is clearly mentioned in the Quran as a preventive way from
Fahisha.
10. Patience and training on patience also are clearly mentioned in the Quran as a
preventive way from Fahisha.
11. Avoidance of a mixture of strange men and women in public or private situations.
12. Avoidance of men and women in front of each other even between same-sex.
13. Body washing after each Islamic legal sex.
14. Strict handwashing, body clearance, nail trimming, pubic and axillary hair removal.
15. Ablution which is Islamic specialised way of cleaning and must be in strict order
(face, hand to elbow, hair, ear, foot to ankle) before each Islamic prayer (Salah).
16. Remembering Allah or Quran verses (āyāt) almost always before all Muslim actions
to prevent him/her from Fahisha and AIDS.
17. For Quran permitted sexual intercourse, it must be under Islamic rules that clearly
mentioned in Quran and Hadith.
4.2.4 Dominant Muslim Responses to HIV&AIDS
When the Messenger of Allah sent Mu’adh ibn Jabal as a governor to Yemen, he reminded
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him: ‘be afraid of the prayers of those to whom wrong is done, because there is no screen
between their prayers and Allah.’ (Hadith)
Like many other communities, our responses as Muslims are not always shaped by the best of
our religious values. Much of our current response to the HIV&AIDS pandemic can be
described in one or more of the following ways:
• Denial that this could happen to Muslims
• Silence and refusing to speak about it
• Confusion when confronted with the reality
• Rejecting Muslims who are infected with HIV
• Feeling sorry for those people who are infected
Denial: this does not happen to us: For a long time now.
Muslims have preferred to ignore the problem of HIV & AIDS or to deny that it is a reality
among us. We have taken what we believe to be the ideal of Islam–no sex outside marriage
and no drugs–and confused it with the reality of the Muslim world. There are indications that
the reality of this pandemic among Muslims is slowly dawning upon us in many parts of
Africa–such as Uganda, Mauritania and Senegal–and elsewhere–such as Iran, Egypt, Pakistan
and Malaysia. In Mauritania and, especially, Uganda, we see how the contribution to
awareness raising by Muslim organizations such as the Islamic Medical Association is being
widely recognized. Serious studies about the prevalence of HIV among Muslim communities
are at an early stage, and seven out of eight studies suggest that the rates may be lower among
Muslims. Peter B. Gray looked at the possibility that several Islamic beliefs relating to sex
and circumcision may have the effect, if followed, of reducing the sexual transmission of
HIV, leading to a lower Muslim HIV prevalence than that of non-Muslims1 (Gray, 2004).
Much more research needs to be done to find out how widely the disease is spread among
Muslims. It will be equally significant to find out what there is in our Islamic heritage that can
be scientifically proven to be of help to others in this pandemic. This should not, however, be
a time for gloating and proving to others that that we are better than they are. For the moment
what we do know is that simply being Muslim is not sufficient security against a disease that
breeds in conditions of misery and affects people living therein irrespective of their faith. We
often feel that acknowledging the existence of something bad means condoning it. This is not
so. We need to speak the truth about what is happening. ‘Speak the truth,’ said the Messenger
of Allah (peace be upon him), ‘though it be bitter.’ To speak the truth means acknowledging a
situation and then dealing with it. When you receive an envelope in the mail and it looks as if
it is a summons to appear in court for some debt that you vaguely remember incurring in the
past and have forgotten about, it may help you in the short term to ignore it. Opening the
letter and looking at the demands and the deadline to pay up may not make you feel nice, but
it will enable you to deal with the problem before it gets really big. This is the challenge of
HIV&AIDS in many Muslim countries and communities–particularly where the figures of
those infected are still relatively small; to recognize the reality before it becomes completely
unmanageable. It would appear as if many of the HIV infections in several Muslim countries
result from drug abuse and the sharing of needles used to inject illegal drugs.
The proportion of infection through sexual contact between men and women, always the
major source of infection in Muslim communities in sub-Saharan Africa, seems to be
increasing, however. (A recent study on HIV prevalence in Saudi Arabia found that at least 38
per cent of the infections occurred through sexual contact between men and women.)
Whatever the reasons, like many others, we have had difficulty facing the issue squarely.
Take the case of South African Muslims who are mostly of South East Asian descent, the
community where most of Positive Muslims’ work is done. The first time that many in this
community heard about this disease was when it had infected a large number of homosexual
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men in the United States. In trying to avoid the reality of HIV & AIDS among us, many chose
to continue thinking of it as a homosexual disease belonging to the West. Then, when the
disease hit Africa, our continent, in a big way, it was thought of as one peculiar to black
people. Later, when the pandemic struck closer to ‘our’ communities, it was viewed as a
disease of the ‘sexually corrupt’. In all of this a blind eye was turned to the fact that, despite
the belief of the majority in this community, homosexuality exists among it; regardless of its
racism, many black Africans are Muslims–in fact, the majority of Africans are Muslims.
Regardless of the way people present themselves in public, many have not always been true to
their appreciation of Islamic morality. They–as we all do–tried to divide themselves up into
‘self’ and ‘other’ and then woke up to discover that the self is the other and the other is the
self. All of us bleed when we are pricked.
Silence: I know, but do we have to speak about it?
Like most traditional societies, Muslim communities are often characterized by a very loud
silence when it comes to sex. When it does feature, it is often in gossip, jokes or males
boasting about their ‘conquests’. Sex as a taboo or an embarrassing subject is the main
context that affects any discussion of HIV & AIDS. Islam does encourage discussion on
matters that will help us protect our health and life. Modesty in Islam does not mean that we
should not discuss sexual matters. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘Blessed are the
women of the Ansar (citizens of Madinah), shyness did not stand in their way for seeking
knowledge about their religion’ (Bukhari, 1996, 51, 3). Records of the earliest Muslim
community indicate that they did not feel shy about discussing sex. The Qur’an and Hadith
(words and sayings attributed to the Prophet) have repeatedly stressed the importance of
acquiring knowledge. ‘Are they equal, those who know and those who do not know?’ (Qur’an
39:9). It is through knowledge that we can achieve closeness to Allah, marvel at His creative
work, and appreciate the divine rules of conduct given in the Qur’an and practised by the
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions. We need not feel embarrassed or shy
when discussing or reading about sex or about sexually transmitted diseases.
Confusion: is it a punishment from Allah?
‘This must be a punishment from Allah’ is often the response of Muslims when we are
confronted by some calamity that we cannot explain. This, for example, was the reaction of
many Muslims when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, and also appears when earthquakes
strike or when a major disease is upon us. Some of these calamities, such as earthquakes or
floods, are beyond our control. Others, such as wars, invasions and the occupation of lands,
are a result of the failure of the human family. In the words of the Qur’an, ‘Evil has spread in
the land and on the sea because of what humankind has done’ (30:41). We may acknowledge
that some of the time natural disasters may be a consequence of our own actions and a way
that Allah lets His displeasure be known, but this is not the case in every situation. Since we
are not able to tell apart which disasters are simply natural occurrences and others signs of
Allah’s displeasure we must suspend our judgement in this matter. Regardless of how we
understand a natural calamity it does not excuse us, as Muslims, from our duty to respond in
compassionate and responsible ways, and to work towards avoiding human suffering in the
future as far as possible. Take earthquakes as an example. Why does an earthquake that hits a
country like Iran or Turkey claim so many more lives than one that is possibly much more
severe in a place like San Francisco? Does it perhaps have something to do with the fact that
people in San Francisco have the means to build much more earthquake-proof buildings than
people in Iran or Turkey? Is it because in the one case we are dealing with wealth and in the
other with poverty? Do we try to assist people suffering the effects of an earthquake or a flood
regardless of whether we believe that they are suffering as a consequence of their sins? When
we insist that AIDS is the price that we have to pay for our sins – although we really mean the
price that others have to pay for their sins – a number of questions arise:
Rejection: stay away from us!
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In some parts of the Western world, if a Muslim woman wears a scarf or a Muslim man keeps
a beard then some people tend to stigmatize them (and some Muslims can also stigmatize
others because of their clothing choices). Some other people become awkward and steer clear
of that person as if the hijab-clad woman or bearded man were ‘bad news coming’. Many
ordinary Muslims in these situations adopt names that will not reveal their ‘Muslim-Positive’
status (i.e., the fact that he or she is actually a Muslim) because people will become afraid of
them, they will be denied jobs or will be overlooked for promotions. This is a reaction to
stigmatization. ‘Stigma is a consequence of the association people make between HIV/AIDS
and pre-existing prejudices, shame, blame and fear related to sexuality, gender race/ethnicity
and class’ (McKee et al., 2004, p. 101). Stigmatization is based on ignorance and fear. One
day, Insha Allah (God willing), those who stigmatize others will realize their foolishness.
Meanwhile, there are real people who suffer from unemployment and who are given dirty
looks just because they have been stereotyped due to their Muslim names or because they
‘look Muslim’. Ignorance and fear are understandable and are very human emotions, but
others suffer under them. Stigmatization also hurts those who are guilty of it because it
prevents them from asking hard questions about their own lives and values. It is always easier
to throw stones at others.
Let’s take the case of Sayyidatuna Maryam, the mother of Jesus (may peace and blessings be
upon both of them). When she was pregnant people assumed all sorts of things about her, and
she was probably accused of loose behaviour by others who knew nothing about her personal
life and Allah’s plans for her. Stigmatization works in deeply personal ways, and real people
with real feelings hurt as a result of it. It is, however, more than personal. It is also about
power; people at the top of the social ladder always find it easier to stigmatize people at the
lower end. When the media and governments succeed in portraying all or most Muslims as
‘dangerous’ or as ‘barbarians’ who are in need of civilization, then it is easier to wage wars
against them, it is easier to enter their countries and take possession of their resources
because, they convince themselves, ‘these Muslims are not really as fully human as we are’.
Thus, when we deal with the problem of sticking negative labels onto people and punishing
them for it, we are also dealing with a political problem. HIV&AIDS also involves a variety
of moral, social and political problems and we need to look at many different ways of dealing
with this. When we assume that the only cause of HIV&AIDS is sexual promiscuity, then our
attempts to deal with it will not really lead to a fundamental difference in the lives of people.
Sympathy: what a pity!
Often, when we encounter a person whom we know to be HIV-positive, our attitudes change.
We realize that this is an ordinary person. Take the story of Shukria Gul, a thirty-three-year-
old Pakistani HIV-positive widow and mother who contracted the disease through her
husband who had contracted it after being given contaminated blood.
There was a lot of ignorance about the illness and people in the area where I lived behaved as
though it was dangerous and contagious. They treated me like some kind of untouchable. My
family didn’t have much information either, but they were still very supportive. I went to
Islamabad to get information and then I set up a non-governmental organisation called New
Light. I wanted to raise awareness, to help people diagnosed with HIV and to give them a
platform. I wanted to tell them that this diagnosis does not mean their lives are over, they are
not dead; they need to live with HIV. People’s attitudes are changing, but very slowly. We
conducted a workshop in Peshawar, where the population is much more conservative. A
mullah (religious leader) at the workshop was irritated by our talk of sexual contact. He said:
‘All HIV patients should just be shot, that’ll solve the problem.’ On the last day of the
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workshop when I revealed that I was HIV-positive, he stood up and apologised to me for what
he’d said. Feeling sorry for someone is obviously much better than wanting that person dead.
Yet such a response is often not what any self-respecting person – including someone living
with HIV or AIDS – wants or needs. Feeling sorry often turns the other person into a victim,
whereby we only see his or her HIV-positive status. ‘Feeling sorry’ is not about recognizing
the fullness of the other person; it is not about how one life can be enriching by the other
person; it is not about seeing our own weakness and frailty reflected in the other person.
Feeling sorry can often lead to us patronizing others, and this is always a smokescreen for
feelings of superiority. Compassion, on the other hand, is the ability to feel the same pain and
joy as the other person; it is seeing in HIV-positive people–and in working with them–a
chance to become a better Muslim.
4.2.5 Justice and AIDS
And we have created the heavens and the earth in Truth so that every soul may get its just
reward for what it has earned and that it may not be oppressed. (Qur’an 45:22)
Justice receives such prominence in the Qur’an, as the above verse shows, that it is regarded
as one of the reasons that Allah created the earth. While justice is something that one
demands for oneself, it is something, more importantly, to be fulfilled in respect of others, at
whatever cost to oneself and one’s own community (Qur’an 4:135). What does this
requirement of justice mean when we are faced with a pandemic such as HIV&AIDS?
• First, we need to treat those amongst us who are living with HIV or with AIDS justly.
• Second, we need to understand and respond to the factors that have caused this crisis.
• Third, those of us who are in unjust relationships must change the nature of those
relationships.
• Finally, we must demand affordable treatment for all those who are infected.
Dealing justly with those who are HIV-positive
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: ‘That person whose neighbour is not safe
from harassment has no faith.’ To be prejudiced against persons who are HIV-positive is
unjust, and to discriminate against people because of an illness is a violation of their rights.
When we discriminate against people because of a particular disease then we display our fear
and ignorance rather than show our strength. It is OK to be afraid; all of us are afraid of
something or another at some point in our lives. It is even OK to be ignorant at some times
and about some things. However, it is completely unacceptable when other people have to pay
the price for our fear and ignorance. When the Messenger of Allah sent Mu’adh ibn Jabal as a
governor to Yemen, he reminded him: ‘Be afraid of the prayers of those to whom wrong is
done, because there is no screen between their prayers and Allah.
Poverty and AIDS
If we are serious about rising as witness-bearers for Allah in the matter of justice, then we
must also address the real causes of this suffering as well as the way our own behaviour
strengthens unjust systems. It is easy to blame individuals and thereby shift the blame from
ourselves. We must, however, also ask how the structures of power in the world today–the
dominant economic system that reduces people to commodities, social systems that reduce
black people and women to half the value of white people and of men–contribute to a disease
such as HIV&AIDS. Very often we only notice the effects and symptoms of problems
without seeing the causes. It’s like pimples: one does not see the cause because it is below the
skin. Thus when we see the way the HIV&AIDS pandemic is laying a continent to ruin, then
we must ask serious questions about the socio-economic conditions that allow the disease to
spread, that drives women onto streets to sell their bodies in order to feed their starving
children. What do we as Muslims say to the sex worker who says: ‘I can choose to die of
starvation now or of AIDS later’? The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to
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have said that poverty can lead to disbelief (kufr). Is it any wonder that it can lead to women
selling their bodies to feed their children?
Uganda is a wonderful example of how the HIV rates have been reduced. Yet it is also an
example of an underlying problem: that poverty and wealth are not issues that can be ignored.
Though the education strategies in Uganda have reduced HIV prevalence among some
populations, the reduction has not been uniform when one compares the urban wealthier
classes to the rural poor who constitute 87 per cent of the country’s population. Doctors at the
wealthier urban antenatal clinics have observed a decrease in prevalence among their patients,
while AIDS prevalence has not really reduced amongst the rural populace.
The limited effectiveness of the Ugandan model is based on certain wrong assumptions that
are similar to those made by many Muslims. Studies have shown that ‘the top epidemiological
predictor for HIV infection around the world is not “risk behaviour” but a low-income level’
(Basu, 2003). This means that ‘those most vulnerable to HIV infection will not significantly
benefit from a model focused exclusively on education’ that promotes sexual abstinence. Put
simply, we are wrong to assume that poor people are equally able to control the circumstances
of their lives.
The risks that those who are most vulnerable expose themselves to often have little to do with
ignorance or heedlessness. In the words of Dr Paul Farmer and his colleagues, who did
extensive research in the area of community-based approaches to HIV treatment in resource-
poor settings, ‘their risk stems less from ignorance and more from the precarious situations in
which hundreds of millions live’. A large number of surveys confirm that ‘despite our
presumptions – those most at risk for HIV often do know how the virus is transmitted’ (Basu,
2003; c.f. Barnett and Whiteside, 2002, 16–20). According to a recent; systematic review of
the evidence in the British Medical Journal, ‘providing information about health risks changes
the behaviour of, at most, one in four people, generally those who are more affluent and better
educated’ (Campbell and Mzaidume, 2002, p. 229).
Our din (faith) does speak to sexual promiscuity. Living with Islamic values will help to
reduce the rate of transmission, and we do have a responsibility to educate Muslims on the
need to lead a responsible life in the awareness that we are all going to return to Allah one
day. However, we must guard against simply wanting to package one-size-fits-all solutions on
to rich and poor, men and women, when the social and economic conditions of one group
differ so radically from the other.
4.2.5 Let Us Sum Up
My Mercy and Compassion embrace all things. (Qur’an 7:156)
Positive Muslims posted a query on the AF-AIDS list (http://archives.healthdev.net/ af-AIDS)
in January 2003, asking if anyone was doing research about Islam, Muslims and HIV&AIDS.
We received more than fifty responses. All but four said that they did not know of anyone
working on the topic but that they were desperate to get in touch with someone who was. This
highlighted both the problem and the promise. The following e-mail message we received on
24 February 2003 from Mozambique reflects the sad but not uncommon response among
Muslims:
Greetings from the Mozambique side of the South African border where I would be very
interested in the [work] you are doing. We are attempting a piece of work involving all the 3
big faith groups in Mozambique and by far the most elusive is that of Islam. Christians pop up
everywhere and some do not run away abruptly when AIDS is mentioned. African traditional
religion appears more slowly and unfolds gently, whilst the most visible Muslims will not
wind down the windows of their cars for a conversation on HIV & when they do, they refer
you to the car dealer who is not available for comment. Can you help us?
The most important message of this book is to become aware of the reality of this disease
amongst us, to try to cultivate a compassionate attitude to those who are living with it, to lead
responsible lives ourselves and to work towards a world where each person can actually be
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responsible for his or her life and all of us for each other.
From an Islamic perspective we must have the willingness to look at our faith anew. Take the
following verse as an example:
Indeed with Allah [alone] is the knowledge of the hour, He reveals the unknown, and He
[alone] knows what is in the wombs. (Qur’an 31:43)
For many centuries now – perhaps from the earliest days of Islam – Muslims have interpreted
this verse to mean two things. First, Allah alone knows when the Day of Resurrection will
strike; second, Allah alone knows what the sex of an unborn baby will be. The Qur’an does
state in the same ayah (verse) that Allah ‘reveals the unknown’. However, the scholars of
Islam never understood this to mean that Allah will reveal the sex of the unborn baby. They
always insert the word ‘alone’ after ‘Allah’ and in Muslim belief (aqidah) the word ‘alone’
was always applied to both statements. Yet we now know that it can no longer apply to the
second statement. Doctors are now able to tell parents the sex of their unborn babies. How do
we as Muslims live in faithfulness to the Qur’an and to this new knowledge? In this case, it is
fairly simple: we go against many, many centuries of interpretation and drop the ‘only’ in the
second bracket and we interpret the middle part–‘He reveals the unknown’–in a different way.
‘Revelation’, in this case, we can say means ‘to impart’ and Allah imparts of His knowledge
about the sex of an unborn baby to doctors. It does not help to say that the new science of
genetics is a conspiracy against Islam or to deny that science really has progressed to that
level. Looking at the ayah in this way enables us to hold on to the Qur’an as the Word of
Allah and, at the same time, we understand and accept that the world has changed and new
knowledge is available to us; we are facing a new reality. Now we are sitting with an awful
reality: HIV & AIDS in the world and among Muslims. It does not help to say that the
enemies of Islam or gay people or America are responsible for it. It is a reality and the vast
majority of people affected by it are not gay or American.
1. What are the Islamic preventive measures against AIDS?
2. What is the response of Muslims towards AIDS?
3. What is the Islamic concept of morality with regards to marital life?
4. Write a note on Islamic concept of justice in all matters especially AIDs?
1. Esack Farid, Islam and Aids.
2. Saheed A Musa, Islamic perspective on Aids.
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Lesson No. 3: Islamic perspective on Cloning
Lesson Structure
4.3.1 Introduction
4.3.2 Objectives
4.3.3 Islamic Perspective on Cloning
4.3.4 Studying Genetics
4.3.5 Islamic Perspective on Animal Cloning
4.3.6 Let Us Sum Up
4.3.1 Introduction
Cloning, the process of generating a genetically identical copy of a cell or an organism.
Cloning happens often in nature—for example, when a cell replicates itself asexually without
any genetic alteration or recombination. Prokaryotic organisms (organisms lacking a
cell nucleus) such as bacteria create genetically identical duplicates of themselves
using binary fission or budding. In eukaryotic organisms (organisms possessing a cell
nucleus) such as humans, all the cells that undergo mitosis, such as skin cells and cells lining
the gastrointestinal tract, are clones; the only exceptions are gametes (eggs and sperm), which
undergo meiosis and genetic recombination.
In biomedical research, cloning is broadly defined to mean the duplication of any kind of
biological material for scientific study, such as a piece of DNA or an individual cell. For
example, segments of DNA are replicated exponentially by a process known as polymerase
chain reaction, or PCR, a technique that is used widely in basic biological research. The type
of cloning that is the focus of much ethical controversy involves the generation of
cloned embryos, particularly those of humans, which are genetically identical to the
organisms from which they are derived, and the subsequent use of these embryos for research,
therapeutic, or reproductive purposes.
Contrary to the case in the Western world, bioethics is not an independent field of study
within the Islamic tradition but a branch of Islamic law and ethics. Thus, the authorities are
mainly Muslim religious scholars. Lacking direct references in the primary sources of Islam,
especially the Qur’an (the Holy Scripture of Muslims) and the Sunna (sayings, deeds, and
approvals of the prophet of Islam), the chief task of these scholars is to give an “independent
reasoning or interpretation, known in the Islamic tradition as ijtihad” of what these sources
would imply about different bioethical issues. Recognizing the complex nature of bioethics
and the specialized knowledge of modern sciences required for this purpose, Muslim religious
scholars began in the 1980s to study bioethics in cooperation with biomedical scientists,
because the overwhelming majority of modern Muslim religious scholars are trained neither
in biomedical sciences nor in the Western languages in which the up-to-date scientific studies
are available. Such collaboration between scientific and religious scholars takes place mainly
within three international institutions consisting of experts in Islamic sciences and
biosciences. The Islamic Organization of Medical Sciences (IOMS), based in Kuwait and
established officially in 1984, is the most influential. This institution is exclusively occupied
with studying bioethical issues from an Islamic perspective
(http://www.islamset.com/ioms/index.html). IOMS coordinates with two other authoritative
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religious institutions that pay occasional but not exclusive attention to bioethics. One is the
Islamic Fiqh Academy (IFA), established in 1977, which is affiliated with the Muslim World
League and based in Mecca, Saudi Arabia (http://www.themwl.org/). The other is the
International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), established in 1981, based in Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia, and affiliated with the Organization of Islamic Conference
(http://www.fiqhacademy.org.sa/). These institutions are exclusive neither for one specific
Islamic country nor for a specific trend within the Islamic tradition. Scholars from different
Muslim countries with Sunni and Shi‘ia backgrounds function as members and experts in
these institutions. Therefore, religious-ethical advice (fatwas) given by these institutions
usually enjoy wide acceptance among individual Muslim scholars at large, and this
acceptance trickles down to Muslims at the grassroots level.
4.3.2 Objectives
By the end of this chapter, the student will come to know about the following concepts:
i. Islamic perspective on cloning
ii. Permissibility of studying Genetics.
iii. What it means to change the creation of Allah
iv. Cloning in animals: An Islamic perspective
4.3.3 Islamic Perspective on Cloning
Allah has created man in the best of forms, and bestowed upon him the greatest honours.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And indeed We have honoured the Children of Adam, and We have carried them on land
and sea, and have provided them with At-Tayyibaat (lawful good things), and have preferred
them above many of those whom We have created with a marked preferment” [al-Israa’
17:70]
Allah has honoured him with reason and responsibility, and has made him a khaleefah on
earth, to populate and develop it. He has honoured man by giving him the Message which
suits his fitrah (natural state), indeed it is that fitrah itself, as Allah says:
“So set you (O Muhammad) your face towards the religion (of pure Islamic Monotheism)
Haneef (worship none but Allah Alone). Allah’s Fitrah (i.e. Allah’s Islamic Monotheism)
with which He has created mankind. No change let there be in Khalq-illaah (i.e. the religion
of Allah Islamic Monotheism), that is the straight religion, but most of men know not” [al-
Rum 30:30].
Islam is keen to preserve the upright fitrah of man by preserving the five holistic aims:
religion, life, reason, lineage and property, and protecting them from every change that may
corrupt them, whether by its cause or its effects. This is stated in the hadeeth qudsi which was
narrated by al-Qurtubi from the report of al-Qaadi Isma‘il, [in which Allah says]: “I have
created all My slaves as haneefs (pure monotheists), but the shayatin (devils) come to them
and try to divert them from their religion… and they commanded them to alter My creation.”
(Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 5/389)
Allah taught man that which he did not know, and commanded him to seek and examine and
think and ponder, as He says in many aayahs, such as the following (interpretations of the
meanings):
“Did they not see…” [Ta-Ha 20:89, etc.]
“Do they not look at…” [al-Ghaashiyah 88:17]
“Does not man see that We have created him from Nutfah (mixed male and female sexual
discharge semen drops)” [Yaa-Seen 36:77]
“Verily, in these things, there are Ayaat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc.) for people
who reflect” [al-Ra’d 13:3]
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“Verily, therein is indeed a sign for people who have wisdom” [al-Nahl 6:67]
“Verily, in this is a Reminder for men of understanding” [al-Zumar 39:1]
“Read! In the Name of your Lord Who has created (all that exists [al-‘Alaq 96:1]
Islam does not place any restrictions on the freedom of scientific research, or place any
obstacles in its way, because it is a mean of understanding the laws of Allah in His creation,
but Islam also stipulates that this cannot be left without any guidelines or regulations on the
introduction of scientific results into the public domain without first passing them through the
sieve of sharee’ah, so that that which is permissible may be allowed through whilst that which
is haraam is prevented from passing. So it is not permissible to implement something simply
because it can be implemented, rather it has to be beneficial knowledge which serves the
interests of mankind and protects them from harm; this knowledge has to protect the dignity
of man and the lofty purpose for which Allah created him. So man should not become the
subject of experimentation, and scientific research should not impinge upon the unique
identity of the individual and his distinct characteristics, or lead to disruption of the social
framework or dissolution of the foundations of kinship and lineage, or the family structure
that has been known throughout human history in the shade of Allah’s laws and on the solid
foundation of His rulings.
Among the new scientific discoveries that man has made in modern times is that which the
media speaks of a great deal, that which is known as cloning. We have to explain the ruling of
Islam on this matter, after quoting some details about it given by a group of Muslim scientists
and experts in this field:
Definition of Cloning
It is known that the laws of Allah concerning His creation dictate that the human being grows
from the joining of two cells, the nucleus of each of which contains a number of
chromosomes, half the number of chromosomes in the cells of the human body. When the cell
of the father (the husband), which is called the sperm, joins with the cell of the mother (the
wife), which is called the egg, they turn into a fertilized cell which contains the complete
number of chromosomes, and has the potential to multiply. When it settles in the uterus of the
mother, it grows and becomes a whole new created being, by the will of Allah. This cell
multiplies, so it becomes two identical cells, then four, then eight. Then it continues to
multiply until it reaches the stage where the cells start to differ from one another and become
specialized. If, during the phase when the cells are multiplying but have not yet begun to
specialize, one cell separates from the others, this will result in identical twins. Some
experiments have been done in which cells were artificially separated from animal embryos,
resulting in identical twins, but nothing of this sort has been reported regarding human beings.
This is regarded as a kind of cloning, because it is producing identical copies, so it is called
cloning by splitting.
There is another way of cloning a complete creature, which is done by taking the complete
number of chromosomes, in the form of a complete nucleus from one of the cells of the body,
and inserting it into an egg cell from which the nucleus has been removed, thus forming a
fertilized cell containing a complete number of chromosomes and at the same time able to
multiply; if it is planted in the uterus of the mother it will develop and grow and be born as a
complete creature, by the will of Allah. This kind of cloning is known as nuclear transfer or
nuclear insertion in the egg cell. This is what is understood by the word “cloning” when it is
used, and this is what happened in the case of the sheep “Dolly”. But this new creature is not
an exact copy of the original, because the egg of the mother from which the nucleus was
removed still contains some remnants of the nucleus in the material surrounding the removed
nucleus, and these remnants have a noticeable effect in altering the characteristics which are
inherited from the body cells, and this also has not yet been reported to have been done with
humans.
So cloning means producing one or more living beings by transferring the nucleus of a body
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cell to an egg whose nucleus has been removed, or splitting a fertilized egg at the stage before
the tissues and organs become distinct.
It is obvious that these and similar procedures do not represent the act of creation, in whole or
in part. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Or do they assign to Allah partners who created the like of His creation, so that the creation
(which they made and His creation) seemed alike to them?” Say: ‘Allah is the Creator of all
things; and He is the One, the Irresistible’” [al-Ra’d 13:16]
“Then tell Me (about) the (human) semen that you emit.
Is it you who create it (i.e. make this semen into a perfect human being), or are We the
Creator?
We have decreed death to you all, and We are not outstripped,
To transfigure you and create you in (forms) that you know not.
And indeed, you have already known the first form of creation (i.e. the creation of Adam),
why then do you not remember (or take heed)?” [al-Waaqi’ah 56:58-62]
“Does not man see that We have created him from Nutfah (mixed male and female sexual
discharge semen drops). Yet behold he (stands forth) as an open opponent.
And he puts forth for Us a parable, and forgets his own creation. He says: ‘Who will give life
to these bones after they are rotten and have become dust?’
Say: (O Muhammad) ‘He will give life to them Who created them for the first time! And He
is the All-Knower of every creation!’
He Who produces for you fire out of the green tree, when behold you kindle therewith.
Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth, Able to create the like of them? Yes, indeed!
He is the All-Knowing Supreme Creator.
Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, ‘Be!’ and it is!”
[Yaa-Seen 36:77-82]
“And indeed We created man (Adam) out of an extract of clay (water and earth).
Thereafter We made him (the offspring of Adam) as a Nutfah (mixed drops of the male and
female sexual discharge and lodged it) in a safe lodging (womb of the woman).
Then We made the Nutfah into a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood), then We made the
clot into a little lump of flesh, then We made out of that little lump of flesh bones, then We
clothed the bones with flesh, and then We brought it forth as another creation. So Blessed is
Allah, the Best of creators” [al-Mu’minoon 23:12-14]
Based on the discussion above, the Committee has decided the following:
1. That human cloning using the two methods mentioned, or any other method that leads
to reproduction of human beings is haraam
2. If there is any transgression of the shar’i ruling mentioned above, then the
consequences of that should be discussed to explain the shar’i rulings concerning such
cases.
3. All scenarios in which a third party may be added to the marital relationship are
forbidden, whether that involves a womb (surrogacy), eggs, sperm or cells for cloning.
4. It is permissible in Islam to use the technology of cloning and genetic engineering in
cases of germs and microscopic creatures, plants and animals, within the limits and
guidelines of sharee’ah, for the purpose of serving interests and warding off harm.
4.3.4 Studying Genetics
Every branch of knowledge that people need in their religious or worldly affairs is not
forbidden in and of itself with regard to studying, learning and understanding. But what is of
concern is how this knowledge is used and applied. There is nothing wrong with studying
accountancy – for example – but the problem is with the practical application of it in the real
life financial world, such as working in riba-based banks and other institutions. The same may
also be said concerning medicine. It is a branch of knowledge that is very important and
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people cannot do without it, but sometimes in real life it is used for things that are forbidden
in Islam, such as cosmetic surgery for the purpose of beautification, abortions, and so on.
The same may be said concerning the science of genetics, which is defined in al-Mu‘jam al-
Waseet (2/1024) as the science which examines the transmission of characteristics in living
beings from one generation to another and explaining the way this occurs. It is an important
branch of knowledge, one of the greatest benefits of which is knowledge of hereditary
diseases and how to protect against them and treat them. It may also be used for beneficial
purposes in plants and animals. But at the same time there is room for those who are toying
with what is called cloning.
What matters then is not the theoretical study of genetics; rather it is the practical application
thereof. Whatever is permissible and beneficial is encouraged by Islam, and whatever is
haraam and harmful, is forbidden by Islam.
In a conference of the Islamic Association of Medical Sciences in Kuwait, which was held
under the heading, “Genetics, Genetic Engineering, the Human Genome and Gene Therapy:
an Islamic View,” with the participation of the Islamic Fiqh Council in Jeddah, the Local
Chapter of the World Health Organization in Alexandria, and the Islamic Organization for
Education, Science and Culture, which was held during the period 23-25 Jumaada al-
Aakhirah 1419 AH/13-15 October 1998 CE, the following statement was issued:
Islam is the religion of science and knowledge, as it says in the verse in which Allah, may He
be exalted, says:
“Say: ‘Are those who know equal to those who know not?’” [al-Zumar 39:2].
Islam does not hold the human mind back from beneficial scientific research, but it is not
permissible for the results of this research to be put into practice until they have been
measured against Islamic guidelines. Whatever is in accordance with sharee‘ah is permitted,
and whatever goes against it is not permitted. The science of genetics with its various aspects–
as with all additions to knowledge–is something that Islam encourages and Muslim scientists
should be in the forefront of it.
4.3.5 Islamic Perspective on Animal Cloning
With the evolution of animal cloning in agriculture, naturally, the discussion of consuming
foods from cloned animals is prompted. As a by-product of modern biotechnology processes,
food is a comparatively brand-new concept, which requires new rulings that are more in line
with the current developments. Before determining whether it is permissible or forbidden–
haram or halal–to be consumed, this food category needs to be critically examined. Through
the guidance of al-Qur’an and al-Sunnah (traditions of Prophet Muhammad PBUH), Muslims
have relied on clear guidelines to determine the legality of matters. The general parameter on
which the permissibility of a matter is based on is that unless something has been proven
haram, or possessing haram features, Islam perceives the matter to be halal and permissible.
The fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) states:
‫األصل ف ي األش ياء اإلب احة حتى يدل الدليل عل ي الت حريم‬
“The original (basic) law for everything is permitted, unless there is an indication that shows
the forbidden state of it.” (al-Suyuti, 2001, Nujaym, 1985).
Generally, Islam bans matters that are detrimental to one’s self. Thus, according to
Islamic jurisprudence, the rulings for food as a by-product of modern biotechnology processes
such as animal cloning should be determined based on the effects of its consumption by
humans and whether it breaches any shariah principles. Following this belief, Muhammad
Sulaiman al-Ashqar (2006) established the importance of Islamic organisations in examining
the effects of food and medicinal products to provide a clearer understanding that can
determine the permissibility of said food. Besides, the muftis are also accountable for
researching animal-based food products, especially those produced through modern cloning
methods (Arifin, 2019). Hence, the Islamic authority needs to engage in extensive reviews
regarding modern biotechnological processes, including animal cloning, to decide its
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permissibility in an Islamic context.
4.3.6 Let Us Sum Up
In conclusion, just because man did something that seemed impossible a few years back, it
does not mean that man acted beyond his dominion, or that he challenged the authority of
God. The fact that we are discovering the “intelligent design” of the universe and of the
creation of human beings, even if we get to manipulate what we discover (still within our God
given abilities), this still does not eliminate the existence of a Maker. All this becomes clear if
we have the proper world-view, a world-view that puts God, man and the universe in the
appropriate perspective, and the only view that could do that, is a view created by the Creator
Himself.
1. Briefly describe cloning and its Islamic perspective.
2. What is genetic engineering?
3. How do you describe the following rule of jurisprudence?
4. What does Islam has to say on animal cloning?
5. Quote some of the verses which advocate the permissibility of studying science and
technology:
1. Ebrahim Moosa, “Human Cloning in Muslim Ethics”
2. Mohammad Hossein Nasr-Esfahani, Qur’anic Views on Human Cloning: Doctrinal
and Theological Evidences.
3. Abdul wahid Shayr, Al-Istansakh al-Bashari Wahm aw Waqi.
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Lesson No. 4: Islamic perspective on Riba
Lesson Structure
4.4.1 Introduction
4.4.2 Objectives
4.4.3 Riba is Haram for the one who takes it and the one who pays it, and it is haraam to
help with it in any way whatsoever
4.4.4 Regarding Riba as Permissible
4.4.5 A detailed response to the arguments of those who regard it as permissible to deal
in riba with the disbelievers in their countries
4.4.6 Let Us Sum Up
4.4.1 Introduction
Riba means an increase in a particular item. The word is derived from a root meaning increase
or growth. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Whatever you pay
as interest so that it may increase (li yarbu) the wealth of people does not increase (fa la
yarbu) in the sight of Allah” [ar-Room 30:39]., i.e., it does not increase or rise in status before
Allah.
Riba originated among the people of the Jahiliyyah; if a debt became due, they would say to
him (the borrower): Give us one hundred (that is due, now), or increase it to one hundred and
fifty (and pay later). Then when the one hundred and fifty became due, they would say: Give
us one hundred and fifty (now), or increase it to two hundred (and pay later) and so on.
Islam also forbade another kind of riba, namely riba al-fadl, which means adding to the
amount when exchanging one item for another of the same type. So if gold is sold for gold,
that is not permissible except like for like, hand to hand. Islam stipulated that the exchange
should be done hand to hand and that the items or goods should be of the same quality.
Whoever gives more or asks for more has engaged in riba. If he sells a saa‘ of wheat for two
saa‘s (of the same commodity), even if it is hand to hand, he has engaged in riba.
The principle of the circulation of capital exists in both the Muslim world and the non-
Muslim world. What it means is circulating capital so that it will increase. The same applies
to lending; they give money as a loan provided that it will increase when they get it back.
Such transactions are undoubtedly riba.
There is nothing wrong with the principle of the circulation of capital if the capital is invested
in trade or business, and the profit is shared between the owner of the capital and the worker.
This is called mudarabah (profit sharing), and there is nothing wrong with it if the capital is
kept distinct from the profit. If this money is deposited in a riba-based bank, then taking the
interest is haram and it is not permissible to consume it. It is not permissible to deal with these
banks, and loans based on interest are not permissible. It is also not permissible to accept
payment in that currency for any job if that job helps to support a system that is based on
riba.
With regard to using this currency (such as the dollar), there is nothing wrong with doing so
in the case of necessity, even if that leads to helping to advance the economy of that country.
That is because the dollar is accepted in most Muslim and other countries, so it is permissible
to deal with it because of necessity. But if there is an Islamic currency that is used, then we
can do away with the dollar.
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4.4.2 Objectives
After studying this chapter, the student will have a detailed know-how of the following
points:
i. Concept of Riba and its Islamic perspective.
ii. Types of Riba.
iii. Forms of Riba in the modern times.
iv. Permissibility (if any) of Riba based transactions.
v. Alternatives to Riba based businesses.
4.4.3 Riba is haraam for the one who takes it and the one who pays it and it is haraam to
help with it in any way whatsoever.
This topic will be understood in the following points:
Firstly:
Auditing the accounts of customers who deal with riba is haraam work, because it involves
approving of riba, writing it down, and keeping quiet about it and not denouncing it.
Secondly:
Muslim (1598) narrated that Jaabir said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) cursed the one who consumes riba and the one who pays it, the one who
writes it down and the two who witness it, and he said: they are all the same.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
That is, (they are all the same) in terms of being cursed, because they cooperated in that.
Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb, 16/2
Imam al-Bukhaari (may Allah have mercy on him) referred to this hadeeth that was narrated
by Imam Muslim in the title which he gave to a chapter of his Saheeh, which he called:
Chapter on the one who consumes riba, the one who witnesses it and the one who writes it
down.
Then he quoted two hadeeths in this chapter, one of which was the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah:
When the last part of al-Baqarah was revealed, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) recited it, then he forbade trade in alcohol. The second hadeeth is the hadeeth of
Samurah, according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
“Last night, I dreamt that two men came to me and took me out to a sacred land, then we set
out until we came to a river of blood in which a man was standing, and on the bank of the
river there was another man in front of whom were some rocks. The man who was in the river
came, and when he wanted to get out, the (other) man threw a rock in his mouth, and sent him
back to where he had been. Every time he came and wanted to get out, he threw a rock into
his mouth and sent him back to where he had been. I said: ‘What is this?’ He said: ‘The one
who you saw in the river is the one who consumed riba.’
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Ibn al-Teen said: There is no mention in these two hadeeths of the one who writes down riba
and the one who witnesses it. My response is that he mentioned them by implication because
they help the one who consumes it to do so. This only applies to the one who helps the one
who is engaging in riba. As for the one who writes it down or who witnesses the deal in order
to tell exactly what happened, this is a good intention and is not included in the warning
mentioned. Rather what is included is the one who helps the one who is engaging in riba by
writing it down and witnessing it; his status is the same as that of the one who says “Trading
is only like Riba (usury)” [al-Baqarah 2:275].
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
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The one who helps another to commit sin will incur a burden of sin as much as he deserves. It
is proven that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) cursed the one who
consumes riba, the one who pays it, the two who witness it and the one who writes it down,
because the two witnesses and the one who writes it down are helping to confirm this
transaction, so they incur whatever they deserve of the curse.
al-Liqa’ ash-Shahri, 35/24
In fact, what we have previously affirmed on our website does not differ in the slightest from
what we have quoted here and what the questioner has quoted from al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar or
from al-Abi (may Allah have mercy on them both).
Auditing bank accounts or the accounts of riba-based companies comes under the heading of
helping in the haraam riba transaction and participating in it; it is not possible to complete
riba-based deals without the help of accountants.
But there remain these two forms that are not included in haraam writing down or
witnessing:
1. Where one witnesses or writes down the deal in order to document it and testify to the
involvement of the people who are party to it, as was mentioned by al-Haafiz Ibn
Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him). This is like one who sees a crime such as
murder or theft taking place, so he takes pictures, or he writes down what happened,
so that he may give testimony concerning it before the judge and help to catch the
perpetrator and help justice. This person has nothing to do with the criminal act and
therefore has nothing to do with the perpetrator. And he is not helping with the sin or
crime in any way whatsoever; rather, in fact he was striving to change evil and
establish justice to the best of his ability.
This is what al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) was referring to, and in our
previous answers we were not suggesting that this kind of action is haraam; rather it is
something that is Islamically prescribed and is necessary.
2. Where a person or company or accounts department enters into a transaction with
another person or company or firm that deals with riba or other haraam transactions,
but the first party has nothing to do with its haraam actions; rather he or they are
dealing with them within the limits of permissible transactions and contracts. For
example, the company may be dealing with riba-based transactions, but my job is
supervising a permissible project that does not involve any riba-based transactions, or
their riba-based transactions are between them and the bank, and someone else takes
care of dealing with customers, buying and selling and so on, which has nothing to do
with the riba-based transactions. In such cases, there is no blame on the one who deals
with the company or plays any part in it. We have never disallowed this type of
involvement before; rather we stated clearly that this is permissible
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
It is permissible for a person to deal with someone who deals with riba, but his
interactions with him are done in a sound manner. For example, it is permissible to
buy goods from this man who deals in riba, and it is permissible to borrow money
from him, and there is nothing wrong with that. The Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) used to interact with the Jews, even though they used to consume
haraam wealth; he used to accept their gifts and invitations, and he bought and sold
with them too.
To sum up: if a person earns money from haraam sources but you deal with him in a
permissible transaction, there is no blame on you for doing so.
End quote from Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb, 16/2
4.4.4 Regarding Riba as Permissible
Riba is forbidden according to the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and definitive scholarly consensus.
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Whoever regards it as permissible is a kaafir, because the basic principle is that whoever
rejects something on which there is obvious scholarly consensus is guilty of kufr.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The belief that the well-known obligations are obligatory and that the well-known
prohibitions are forbidden is one of the most important basic principles of faith, and the one
who rejects that is a kaafir according to scholarly consensus.
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 12/497.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Whoever believes that something is permissible when there is consensus that it is forbidden
and the ruling thereon is well known among the Muslims and the texts leave no room for
doubt concerning it–such as pig meat, adultery and the like, concerning which there is no
difference of scholarly opinion–is guilty of kufr. Al-Mughni, 12/276
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
But nowadays Islam has spread and the knowledge that zakah is obligatory is well known to
the elite and commoners alike; the scholar and the ignorant are both aware of it. So no one has
any excuse for misinterpreting (the texts) and denying it. The same applies to everyone who
denies any matter of religion on which the ummah is agreed, if knowledge of it is widespread,
such as the five daily prayers, fasting the month of Ramadaan, doing ghusl to cleanse oneself
of janaabah (impurity following sexual activity), the prohibition on adultery, alcohol and
marrying mahrams, and other rulings, unless he is new in Islam and does not know its rulings,
in which case if he denies something out of ignorance he is not guilty of kufr… But with
regard to matters on which there is consensus but which may only be known by those with
specialized knowledge, such as the prohibition on being married to a woman and her paternal
aunt or maternal aunt at the same time, or that the one who kills with intent cannot inherit
(from his victim), or that the grandmother is entitled to one-sixth (of the estate), and other
such rulings, then whoever denies them is not guilty of kufr, rather he is to be excused
because knowledge of these things is not widespread among the common folk.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The ruling on riba is that it is
haraam according to the Qur’aan and Sunnah and scholarly consensus. It is classified as one
of the major sins, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“but whoever returns (to Ribaa), such are the dwellers of the Fire—they will abide therein”
[al-Baqarah 2:275].
“And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allaah and His Messenger” [al-
Baqarah 2:279].
and because the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed the
one who consumes riba, the one who pays it, the two who witness it and the one who writes it
down. So it is a major sin.
There is scholarly consensus that it is forbidden, hence whoever denies that it is forbidden
although he lives in a Muslim environment is an apostate, because this is one of the obviously
forbidden things on which there is consensus.
But if we say this, does that means that the scholars are agreed on all forms of riba? The
answer is no; there is a difference of opinion concerning some forms of it. This is like what
we have said about zakah being obligatory according to consensus, but despite that there is no
consensus on every form of it. They differed concerning the zakah on camels and oxen that
are used for farming or irrigation, and they differed concerning the zakah on jewellery and the
like, but in general the scholars are agreed that riba is haraam and is a major sin. Al-Sharh al-
Mumti’ ‘ala Zaad al-Mustanqi’, 8/387
Based on that, it may be said:
Whoever denies that riba is forbidden is a kaafir, because the fact that it is forbidden is one of
the matters indicated by the texts, and the scholars are obviously agreed that it is haraam, and
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this is well known among the Muslims.
But if he denies that a specific form of riba is forbidden, concerning which there is a
difference of opinion among the scholars or there is no consensus that it is obviously
forbidden, then he is not a kaafir; rather his case should be examined further. He may be a
mujtahid who will be rewarded for his ijtihad, or he may be excused, or he may be an evildoer
if by regarding this as permissible he is following his own whims and desires.
1.1.5 A detailed Response to the Arguments of those who Regard it as Permissible to
Deal in Riba with the Disbelievers in their Countries
Riba is a major sin, and Allah has threatened those who deal in riba with destruction of their
wealth in this world, and severe punishment in al-barzakh and on the Day of Resurrection.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Those who consume interest cannot stand [on the Day of Resurrection] except as one stands
who is being beaten by Satan into insanity. That is because they say, ‘Trade is [just] like
interest.’ But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden interest. So whoever has received
an admonition from his Lord and desists may have what is past, and his affair rests with
Allah. But whoever returns to [dealing in interest or usury] - those are the companions of the
Fire; they will abide eternally therein.
Allah destroys interest and gives increase for charities. And Allah does not like every sinning
disbeliever.
Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds and establish prayer and give zakah will
have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they
grieve.
O you who have believed, fear Allah and give up what remains [due to you] of interest, if you
should be believers. And if you do not, then be informed of a war [against you] from Allah
and His Messenger. But if you repent, you may have your principal - [thus] you do no wrong,
nor are you wronged” [al-Baqarah 2:275-279].
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that consuming riba is one of
the sins for which the doer will be severely punished in the grave.
What is happening now–in Shawwaal 1429 AH [October 2008 CE]–of global economic
collapse is the inevitable outcome of the spread of riba and its being practised openly. This is
one of the forms of destruction with which Allah threatened those who deal in riba. “And the
punishment of the Hereafter is more severe and more enduring” [Taa-Haa 20:127].
We are very astonished at those muftis who seek loopholes to permit riba, or look for weak
views on which to base the fatwas that they issue to the people, thus making permissible what
is forbidden and paving the way for people to commit this major sin, which is one of the
major sins that doom a person to punishment, instead of forbidding them to do it, warning
them against it, guiding them to that which is good and permissible of food, clothing and
housing, and warning them against consuming that which is haraam. “Everybody that is
nourished from haraam sources, the Fire is more appropriate for it.” [Hadith]
The punishment for the one who tries to find loopholes in order to allow things that are
forbidden according to Islamic teaching is well known. Allah transformed the Sabbath-
breakers into monkeys as a punishment for their seeking loopholes to allow them to do that
which Allah had forbidden.
With regard to the scholars’ views (that are based on their own efforts to work things out)–
with all the respect and love that we have for them, may Allah have mercy on them–it is well-
known that it is not binding upon us to follow those views. Rather they are efforts on their
part (may Allah have mercy on them) to reach the correct conclusion. Some of their views are
correct and in accordance with truth, and others are incorrect. The scholar who got it wrong
will have a single reward for his efforts and attempt to reach the correct conclusion, and the
scholar who got it right will have a double reward, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: “If the judge issues a verdict after trying to work it out and gets it
right, he will have two rewards, and if he issues a verdict after trying to work it out and gets it
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wrong, he will have one reward.”
We have no right to follow them in what they got wrong; rather what is required of every
Muslim is to follow the Qur’an and Sunnah. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of
the meaning): “And follow the best of what was revealed to you from your Lord” [al-Zumar
39:55].
Allah, may He be exalted, says concerning the People of the Book (interpretation of the
meaning): “They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah” [al-Tawbah
9:31]. They [the scholars and monks] used to permit to them that which was forbidden, and
forbid to them that which was permitted, so they followed them in that. This is what some
muftis do nowadays, which is most unfortunate.
Secondly:
Despite the clear prohibition on riba in the Book of Allah, may He be exalted, and the Sunnah
of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), we find some who come along and
permit this type of blatant riba on the grounds that this form of riba does not come under the
heading of riba. They use trickery in this case by changing the name of riba or avoiding using
the word. So instead of calling it “riba-based (usurious) returns”, they call it “returns on
investments.” The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told us of people who
would drink khamr (alcohol), but they would call it by some other name, and he described
that as being one of the reasons why the earth swallowed them up and why they were
transformed into monkeys and pigs. These people are dealing with riba as the others dealt
with khamr, and riba is more emphatically prohibited than khamr and is a worse sin.
Some of them permit riba on the grounds that this was the fatwa of Abu Haneefah (may Allah
have mercy on him)! In addition to being a fabrication against Islamic teachings by permitting
this type of riba, it is also a fabrication against Abu Haneefah, who never said what they
attribute to him.
To explain briefly we may note that whoever bases his fatwa on that view has gone against
what Abu Haneefah said on two counts:
Firstly, these muftis do not regard Western countries as “diyaar harb [lands that are in a state
of war against Muslims]” and do not even call them “diyaar kufr [lands of disbelief]”! The
fatwa of Abu Haneefah is only applicable in dar al-harb [a land that is in a state of war against
Islam].
The scholars differentiate between “dar al-harb [a land in a state of war against Muslims]”
and “dar al-kufr [a land of disbelief]”. Dar al-kufr is a land which is under the control and
authority of the disbelievers, who rule it according to their laws and systems. Dar al-harb is a
land under the control of the disbelievers, with which there is no treaty, covenant or peace
deal. A land may be “dar kufr” but not “dar harb” because there is a covenant or peace deal
between us – Muslims – and that land, agreeing to refrain from fighting for a set period of
time.
The one who wants to base his view on the words of Abu Haneefah must first of all describe
that land as being “dar harb”. If he is not able to do that, then he has no right to quote the
words of Abu Haneefah as evidence in a way that is contrary to what Abu Haneefah said.
Secondly, Abu Haneefah issued his fatwa stating that it is permissible for Muslims to accept
riba from the people of that land, not for the Muslims to pay riba to them! That is because
their wealth is permissible for the Muslims on the grounds that their land is “dar al-harb”, so
capturing it in this way is permissible in his view.
Look and compare the fatwa of that leading scholar [Abu Haneefah], even though we disagree
with it, and the fatwas of these people, and you will see a huge difference between them in
terms of form and ruling.
The conditions for it being permissible to deal with riba according to Abu Haneefah and those
of the Hanafis who agree with him are as follows:
1. The transaction should be done in their land
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2. Their land should be “dar al-harb”
3. The Muslim should be the one who takes riba, not the one who gives it.
The correct view – which is that of most of the scholars, including the imams Maalik, ash-
Shaafa‘i and Ahmad–is that riba is haraam between one Muslim and another, and between a
Muslim and a disbeliever in Muslim lands, non-Muslim lands (dar al-kufr) and hostile non-
Muslim lands (dar al-harb).
Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Riba is haraam in “dar al-harb” just as it is haraam in “dar al-Islam” [Muslim lands]. This is
the view of Maalik, al-Awzaa‘i, Abu Yoosuf, ash-Shaafa‘i and Ishaaq.
That is because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “[Allah] has
forbidden interest” [al-Baqarah 2:275] and “Those who consume interest cannot stand [on the
Day of Resurrection] except as one stands who is being beaten by Satan into insanity” [al-
Baqarah 2:275]. And Allah, may He be exalted, says: “O you who have believed, fear Allah
and give up what remains [due to you] of interest” [al-Baqarah 2:278]. The general meaning
of the reports confirms that it is haraam to pay more than one took. The hadith “Whoever
gives more or asks for more has engaged in riba” is general in meaning, as are all the hadiths
[on this topic]; moreover, what is haraam in “dar al-Islam” is also haraam in “dar al-harb”,
such as riba between Muslims. End quote. Al-Mughni (4/47).
The ruling on riba in “dar al-harb” is the same as the ruling thereon in “dar al-Islam”. This
was stated by Maalik, Ahmad and Abu Yoosuf. Our evidence for that is the general meaning
of the evidence which indicates that riba is forbidden, and because everything that is
forbidden in “dar al-Islam” is also forbidden in “dar al-shirk” [lands where polytheism
prevails], like all other shameful deeds and sins. Moreover, it is an invalid transaction, so the
transaction that is based on riba cannot be regarded as permissible. End quote.
Thirdly:
The Hanafis in the past–and those who follow them in modern times–based their view on
reports that are da‘eef [weak] in terms of isnaad [chain of narration] and do not support their
argument.
The evidence that they quoted includes the following:
1. The report narrated by Mak-hool from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him), according to which he said, “There is no riba between a Muslim
and a harbi [non-Muslim whose people are in a state of war against Muslims] in dar
al-harb.” The response to this argument is that this hadith is mursal, because Mak-hool
was one of the Taabi‘een, and mursal is one of the categories of da‘eef [weak] hadiths.
It was classed as da‘eef by Imam ash-Shaafa‘i, Ibn Hajar, an-Nawawi and others.
Imam ash-Shaafa ‘i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The evidence that Abu
Yusuf quoted in support of the view of Abu Haneefah is not proven, so it does not
count as evidence. End quote. Al-Umm (7/358-359).
2. They quoted as evidence the hadith about Banu Qaynuqaa‘ and said: When the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) banished them, they said: We are
owed debts that have not yet become due. He said: “Waive some of the debt in return
for immediate payment.” When he banished Banu Nadeer, they said: People owe us
debts. He said: “Waive some of the debt in return for immediate payment.” As-
Sarkhasi explained how this report proved his point by saying: It is well-known that
such transactions–the riba referred to in the words “Waive some of the debt in return
for immediate payment”–are not permissible among the Muslims. If the one who is
owed a debt to be paid later waives some of it on condition that the debtor pay some
of it immediately, that is not permissible. ‘Umar, Zayd ibn Thaabit and Ibn ‘Umar
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(may Allah be pleased with them) disapproved of it, but the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) regarded it as permissible in these two
cases, because these two tribes were “ahl al-harb” [in a state of war against Muslim] at
that time, and that is why he banished them. Thus we know that a particular
transaction may be permissible between a harbi and a Muslim that is not permissible
between Muslims. End quote. The response to this argument is that this hadith is
da‘eef and is not saheeh. With regard to the hadith about Banu Qaynuqaa‘, it was
narrated by al-Waaqidi in his Maghaazi. The hadith about Banu’n-Nadeer was
narrated by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak (2/61) and by ad-Daaraqutni in as-Sunan
(6/28). Its isnaad includes Muslim ibn Khaalid az-Zanji al-Makki, of whom Imam al-
Bukhaari said: He is munkar al-hadith [that is, his hadith is odd and to be rejected].
Hence when al-Haakim said of this hadith, Its isnaad is saheeh although they [al-
Bukhaari and Muslim] did not narrate it, al-Dhahabi commented on that by saying: az-
Zanji is da‘eef, and ‘Abd al-‘Azeez [another narrator] is not trustworthy. After
narrating this hadith, ad-Daaraqutni said: Its isnaad includes Muslim ibn Khaalid, who
has a poor memory and is weak. He was confused when he narrated this hadith. Ibn al-
Qayyim classed this hadith as hasan, as stated in Ahkaam Ahl al-Dhimmah (1/396).
Moreover, this issue is well known to the fuqaha’ as the issue of waiving part of the debt in
return for immediate payment of the rest. This refers to cases where someone is owed money
to be paid at a later date by someone else, then they agree to hasten repayment of the debt in
return for waiving part of it. The fuqaha’ differed as to whether this is permissible; the correct
view is that it is permissible and has nothing to do with riba. Based on that, the Hanafis’
quoting it as evidence for the permissibility of riba between a Muslim and a harbi is not
correct; rather it is permissible, like that between one Muslim and another.
Foremost among those who regarded it as permissible is the great Sahaabi ‘Abdullah ibn
‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him). Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and his student
Ibn al-Qayyim agreed with him on that, and fatwas stating that it is permissible were issued
by the scholars of the Permanent Committee, and by Shaykh al-‘Uthaymeen. A statement to
that effect was issued by the Islamic Fiqh Council, and it was regarded as permissible by Ibn
‘Aabideen, one of the Hanafi fuqaha’.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If the creditor wants to travel and fears that his wealth may vanish and be lost, or he needs it
and cannot ask for it before the due date, and he wants to waive some of the debt on condition
that he be given the rest immediately, then the scholars of the earlier and later generations
differed concerning this issue.
Ibn ‘Abbaas regarded that as permissible, whereas Ibn ‘Umar regarded it as haraam. Two
views concerning that were narrated from Ahmad, the more well-known of which is that it is
not allowed. This is the view favoured by the majority of his companions.
The other view is that it is permissible. This was narrated by Ibn Abi Moosa, and is the view
favoured by our shaykh, i.e., Ibn Taymiyah.
Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr narrated that in al-Istidhkaar, in a report from ash-Shaafa‘i, but his
companions are hardly aware of this view and do not narrate it. I think that if this view is
soundly narrated from ash-Shaafa‘i, then that is provided that it takes place without prior
stipulation; rather if the debtor hastens to pay off some of his debt ahead of time–which is
permissible–and the creditor lets him off the rest of it, even if that was stipulated before it was
waived in return for immediate payment, then they did that on the basis of prior stipulation, it
is valid in his view, because the condition that counts according to his view is the condition
stipulated at the time of drawing up the loan contract, not the condition prior to agreeing on
waiving part of the debt in return for immediate repayment. This was stated clearly by some
of his companions; the rest of them said that if he does that without prior stipulation, it is
permissible. What they meant is a condition stipulation at the time of drawing up the loan
contract.
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As for Maalik, he did not regard it as permissible, either with or without prior stipulation, so
as to ward off means [that could lead to haraam]. As for Ahmad, he regarded it as permissible
in the case of a debt that is written down; with regard to other kinds of debts, there are two
reports from him.
This is the opposite of riba, because riba includes extension of the time for payment and
increase of the debt owed, which is pure harm to the debtor. Our issue here is clearing the
debt of the debtor, and benefitting the creditor by hastening repayment of what is agreed
upon. Both parties benefit without incurring any harm, in contrast to riba on which there is
consensus that it is haraam, because the harm thereof affects the debtor, and the benefit is
only for the creditor. This is the opposite of riba in both the way it is done and the meaning
thereof. Ighaathat al-Lahfaan (2/11-13).
3. Another thing that they quoted as evidence is the incident in which the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wrestled with Rukaanah when he was still
in Makkah. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
wrestled him for one third of his flock each time. If that was makrooh (disliked), the
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would not have done
it. When he defeated him for the third time, Rukaanah said: No one has ever wrestled
me to the ground; you are not the one who wrestled me to the ground [i.e., you have
divine help]. And the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
returned the sheep to him. As-Sarkhasi said: He returned the sheep to him out of
generosity. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) often
did such things with the mushrikeen to soften their hearts, so that they would believe.
They quote this as evidence for it being permissible to deal with the disbelievers on the basis
of transactions that are invalid and prohibited according to Islamic teachings, because
wagering or betting (which comes under the heading of gambling) is definitely prohibited
according to our laws and religious teachings.
The response to this argument is that the Prophet’s wrestling with Rukaanah may be
understood in one of two ways:
Firstly, that this is an abrogated ruling, because it took place in Makkah before the prohibition
on gambling was introduced in Madinah. This is the view of the majority of scholars.
Secondly, this is an action that is permissible until the Day of Resurrection, and it comes
under the heading of permissible wagers or bets, because the aim was to support Islam, and
everything that is like that is permissible according to a number of scholars. This is the view
of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on them both).
On the basis of the same argument we may also refute their citing of Abu Bakr’s wager with
the mushrikeen in Makkah, as we shall see below. This wager comes under the heading of
betting that is mentioned in the hadith. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be
pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Stakes
[prizes] are only allowed in archery contests and races between camels or horses.” Narrated
by Abu Daawood (2574) and at-Tirmidhi (1700); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
Abi Daawood.
What is meant by stakes as prizes that are given to the winners.
Once this is established, this is evidence that it is permissible to make a wager between two
people. This is similar to the wager of Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq, because in each case there was a
wager for the purpose of supporting the religion. Rukaanah was one of the strongest and
toughest of the people, and it was not known that anyone had ever managed to wrestle him to
the ground, so when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wrestled him to
the ground, he realized that he was supported by extraordinary strength from Allah, hence he
said: By Allah, no one ever wrestled me to the ground, and he had never been defeated. By
wrestling him, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wanted to show him
signs of his Prophethood and demonstrate the strength and advantage with which Allah was
153
supporting him. Hence the wager in that case was like the wager in the story of Abu Bakr, but
the story of Abu Bakr was supporting the religion on the basis of knowledge [the prophecy in
the Qur’an], whereas in the case of Rukaanah, support of the religion was done on the basis of
strength and ability. The religion is supported by these two things: knowledge and power, so
wagering on these two things was like a wager on archery or riding, because those things help
to support the religion. So it was a wager on truth, and earning wealth by this means is
earning it legitimately. But because the Prophet’s aim was to make the word of truth supreme
and cause it to prevail, he returned the wealth and did not take anything of it, and that man
became Muslim. These wagers on the part of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) and Abu Bakr come under the heading of jihad, by means of which Allah
causes His religion to prevail, so it is akin to the three exceptions mentioned in the hadith of
Abu Hurayrah. But those three things come under the heading of jihad, in contrast to
wrestling, which is not regarded as jihad; rather it only becomes akin to jihad if it involves
supporting the truth and making the word of truth supreme, as when the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) wrestled with Rukaanah. If the three exceptions are intended
to show pride, rise in worldly status or wrong people, then they are blameworthy. So if
wrestling, foot racing and the like are intended to support Islam, then they are acts of
obedience, in which case claiming the stakes or prize is lawful, because the cause is lawful,
and the basic principle concerning wealth is that it can only be acquired lawfully, not
unlawfully…
This report indicates that it is permissible to make a wager between two people in the context
of supporting the truth and making it prevail, and confirming the truthfulness of the
Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Al-Faroosiyyah (203-205).
Thus it becomes clear that what they quote about the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) wrestling with Rukaanah in Makkah is not fit to be quoted as evidence for the
permissibility of engaging in invalid contracts with the disbelievers in “dar al-harb”.
According to the majority of scholars, that was abrogated by the prohibition on gambling, on
the grounds that bets or wagers between two people are a type of gambling or, according to
the other view–which is more likely–that this action is permissible and comes under the same
ruling as what is mentioned in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah about it being permissible to place
wagers on horse and camel races, archery competitions, and other things that help to support
Islam.
4. Another thing that they quoted as evidence to support their view is what the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, according to the report of Ibn
‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) said: “All matters of the Jaahiliyyah are abolished beneath my
feet. The riba of the Jaahiliyyah is abolished, and the first riba that I abolish is that of
al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib; it is all abolished.”
They quote this hadith as evidence and conclude that after al-‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased
with him) became Muslim, after he was brought as a captive following the Battle of Badr, he
asked the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) for permission to
return to Makkah after becoming Muslim, and he gave him permission. He used to deal in
riba in Makkah until the time of the conquest, and his action was not unknown to the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). As he did not forbid him to do that, this indicates
that it was permissible; rather what was abolished was riba in “dar al-harb” that had not yet
been paid before the conquest occurred and Makkah became “dar al-Islam”. Hence the
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) abolished riba at the time of
the conquest.
This argument can be refuted on several counts:
1. The words of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “the
first riba that I abolish is that of al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib” were spoken during
the Farewell Pilgrimage in 10 AH, not at the time of the conquest of Makkah.
154
Therefore it is not valid to conclude from this report that al-‘Abbaas was dealing in riba with
the people of Makkah because of its being “dar al-harb”, because Makkah became “dar al-
Islam” when it was conquered, which happened more than two years before the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) uttered these words.
1. We have no definitive evidence to suggest that al-‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with
him) was aware of the prohibition on riba and persisted in dealing in it after he became
aware of the prohibition.
Moreover, the connection between riba and jaahiliyyah in this hadith–“The riba of the
Jaahiliyyah is abolished” –may be understood as referring to the type of riba that al-‘Abbaas
dealt in before he became Muslim, because jaahiliyyah is what comes before Islam. Based on
that, what is meant in this hadith is that al-‘Abbaas used to deal in riba before he became
Muslim, and he had some riba-based returns that were owed to him by the debtors, but the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade him to take those returns. “But if
you repent, you may have your principal [capital]” [al-Baqarah 2:279]. And he announced
that this kind of riba was abolished.
The response to that is that people owed al-‘Abbaas money on the basis of his dealings in riba
during the Jaahiliyyah, before he became Muslim, and it is enough to understand the hadith
on that basis. There is no evidence at all to suggest that after he became Muslim he continued
to deal in riba. Even if we assume that he continued to do that, because he may have been
unaware of the prohibition on riba, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
wanted to establish that principle and affirm it on that day. Al-Majmoo‘ (10/488).
5. Another of their arguments is their view that Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq (may Allah be
pleased with him) wagered with the mushrikeen of Quraysh before the Hijrah
[migration to Madinah], when Allah, may He be exalted, revealed the words: “Alif,
Lam, Meem. The Byzantines have been defeated in the nearest land. But they, after
their defeat, will overcome Within three to nine years. To Allah belongs the command
before and after. And that day the believers will rejoice In the victory of Allah. He
gives victory to whom He wills, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful” [ar-
Room 30:1-4]. Quraysh said to him: Do you think that the Byzantines will prevail? He
said: Yes. They said: Will you make a wager with us? He said: Yes. So he made a
wager with them, and he told the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
about that. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Go to them
and increase your wager.” So he did that, and the Byzantines defeated the Persians.
Abu Bakr collected his winnings, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) allowed that, even though it was essentially gambling between Abu Bakr
and the mushrikeen of Makkah, and Makkah was the land of shirk at that time.
It is obvious that Makkah at that time was not yet “dar al-harb”, because that took place
before jihad was prescribed.
The response to this is like the response to the story of the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) wrestling with Rukaanah. The majority of scholars think that this has
been abrogated, because it took place before the prohibition on gambling was revealed. Some
of the scholars think that this kind of wager is permissible and is not abrogated, because the
aim behind it was to support Islam. This is the view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn
Taymiyah and his student Ibn al-Qayyim.
The scholars differed with regard to the soundness of this hadith and whether it is abrogated.
There are two views:
Some of them claimed that it was abrogated, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) forbade any transaction based on ambiguity or gambling. They said: this
hadith indicates that, in the words “that was before the prohibition on betting.”
155
This is the view of the companions of Maalik, ash-Shaafa‘i and Ahmad.
Others claimed that it is still valid and has not been abrogated, and that those who claimed
that it is abrogated have no proof to base their argument on. They said: Bets and wagers are
not forbidden completely; rather what is forbidden is wagers for wrong reasons in which there
is no benefit for the religion. As for wagers that are aimed at supporting Islam and offering
proof and evidence of its truth–as in the case of the wager of Abu Bakr–that is most
appropriate, and it is more appropriate for that to be permissible rather than betting on archery
contests and horse and camel races. This is the view of the companions of Abu Haneefah and
of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah. End quote. Al-Faroosiyyah (p. 96-98).
He (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The words “that was before the prohibition on betting” are the words of one of the narrators,
not the words of Abu Bakr or of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Al-
Faroosiyyah (p. 95).
6. One of their arguments for it being permissible to engage in invalid transactions –
including riba – in “diyar al-harb” is because the disbelievers’ wealth is permissible,
therefore the Muslim may take it, provided there are no acts of treachery, because
treachery is haraam; if the Muslims defeat them and capture their land, they will take
their wealth as booty.
The response to this is that their saying that the disbelievers’ wealth is permissible is not
correct, because we are talking about a Muslim who enters their land and resides among them
after they have granted him security [like a visa]. In return for that, they should be safe from
him too, so he has no right to transgress against them or their wealth. Therefore, their wealth
is not permissible for him.
Imam ash-Shaafa‘i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If some Muslims enter bilaad al-
harb [a land that is at war with the Muslims] with a guarantee of safety, then the enemy
should be safe from them until they leave, or until the period of safety comes to an end. They
have no right to transgress against them or act treacherously towards them. al-Umm (4/263).
He also said (4/284):
If a man enters “dar al-harb” with a guarantee of safety, and is able to capture some of their
wealth, it is not permissible for him to take anything of that, whether in small or large
amounts, because if he is safe from them, then by the same token they should be safe from
him, and it is not permissible for him–after they have granted him security–to take of their
wealth anything except that which would be permissible for him to take of the wealth of
Muslims or people living under Muslim rule, because taking wealth is disallowed in the
following scenarios: firstly, if it belongs to a Muslim; secondly, if it belongs to someone who
is living under Muslim rule; and thirdly, if it belongs to someone who has been granted
security for a certain period.
As for regarding their wealth as permissible if he enters their land with a guarantee of safety,
that is not allowed, and the same applies to taking it on the basis of an invalid transaction.
Even if we assume that the guarantee of safety is not there, citing this as evidence is still not
valid, because if a harbi enters “dar al-Islam”, his wealth may be permissible to take without
any deal, but it cannot be permissible on the basis of an invalid deal. Moreover, not
everything that is permissible without a deal can be regarded as permissible on the basis of an
invalid deal, such as intimacy that may be permissible with women captured in war [without
any contract], but cannot be permissible on the basis of an invalid contract. Al-Majmoo
(10/487-488).
From the above, it becomes clear that those who regard it as permissible to engage in invalid
transactions–including riba–with the disbelievers in “dar al-harb” have no valid evidence. The
texts which speak of the prohibition on riba are general in
meaning, and no one should make any exception from that prohibition with regard to any
156
place, time or individuals.
4.4.6 Let Us Sum Up
Riba consumption is Haram in all forms whatsoever. It is not permissible to engage in the
transactions which involve it. It is also not allowed to work in the settings which deal with
deal with interest like banks, etc. lending or borrowing money based on Riba is also not
allowed.
There is nothing wrong with the principle of the circulation of capital if the capital is invested
in trade or business, and the profit is shared between the owner of the capital and the worker.
This is called mudaarabah (profit sharing), and there is nothing wrong with it if the capital is
kept distinct from the profit. If this money is deposited in a riba-based bank, then taking the
interest is haraam and it is not permissible to consume it. It is not permissible to deal with
these banks, and loans based on interest are not permissible. It is also not permissible to
accept payment in that currency for any job if that job helps to support a system that is based
on riba.
There are two types of Riba: Riba al-Fadl (in which an equal exchange occurs between the
commodities) and Riba Al-Nasiyyah (which involves lending or borrowing money on
interest). Both of them are prohibited in Islam.
Those who consider dealing in interest as halal when doing transaction with the non-Muslims
are on error as they are going against the explicit Quranic and prophetic evidences.
1. What is Riba? Mention its types.
2. What does Islam say about the ruling of Riba?
3. Comment on the view of permissibility of Riba dealings with the non-Muslims.
1. Ibn Uthaimeen Mohammad, Riba and the Path to Avoidance
2. Ibn Baaz Abdullah, Warning Against Riba (Usury) Transactions
3. Taqi Uthmani Muhammad, The Issue of Interest
157

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PG PROGRAMME

DIRECTORATE OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

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Unit I Islamic Ethics

i) Ethics in Islam: Concept and Prospect 6-16

ii) Study of Islamic Ethical Concepts in Quran 17-43

iii) Study of Islamic Ethical Concepts in Ahadith 44-68

Unit II Man and Moral Behaviour

i) Ethical Significance of: a) Salah and Sawm 70-83

b) Zakah and Hajj

ii) Social Ethics in Islam 84-99

iii) Economic Ethics in Islam 100-112

Unit III Ethical Studies

i) Ethical Philosophy of al-Ghazzali 114-128

ii) Ethical Philosophy of Sayyid Ali Hamadani 129-138

iii) An Introduction to Khulq al-Muslim by Muhammad al- 139-158

Unit IV Islamic Perspective on

i) Human Rights 172-189

ii) AIDS 190-200

iii) Cloning 201-208

iv) Riba (Interest) 209-227

• Parents must be dealt with kindness.

1.2.6 Suggested Readings

2.3.6 Let Us Sum Up

Seeking knowledge in due proportions

3.4.5 Etiquettes of Greeting

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