How Islam Leads us to Ethics

 Ethics, like other Islamic sciences, takes its origin form the
Quran. The Quran lays down the foundation of a religious
system on purely ethical principles, hence there is not much to
distinguish between Islam as such and Islamic ethics.

 The Muslims started the study of Ethics along with the study of
the Quran.

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 Ethics in Islam is nothing but the body of injunction laid down
in the Quran for the practical conduct of life and fully
exemplified in the practice of the Holy Prophet throughout his
life.

 Within an Islamic Context, the term most closely related to

ethics is khuluq in the Quran which has been guided by
principles from the Quran and the Sunnah.
 Islam consider the Prophet as an ideally perfect man,
par excellence, in all aspects of life.

 The Quran exhorts the believers to follow the rightly

guided particularly the Prophet.

 It is the desire of every pious Muslim to model his life in

every possible particular upon that of the Prophet.
In explaining the moral code of Islam, it is important to
categorize the action according to the degree of lawfulness
and unlawfulness as classified in fiqh to five categories;
fard, mustahabb, mubah, makruh and haram.
It represents the class of actions that is mandatory on every
Muslim, such as praying the five times a day, fasting the
month of Ramadan, paying zakah and performing hajj.
Describes the class of actions that are not obligatory but highly
recommended to do. e.g. fasting beyond the month of
Remadan, put perfume during Friday prayer, or praying
nawafil etc.
Actions are permissible in the sense they are specified neither
as mandatory nor as forbidden. e.g. trading during hajj.
Actions are not absolutely forbidden, but are detested.
Actions are unlawful and prohibited. Committing them is a
major sin. e.g. murder, commit adultery, dealing with riba,
drinking alcohol etc.
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The Sharia Law System

Category Arabic Do it Not do it
Obligatory Fard
Wajeb Reward Punishment
(Prescribed)
Recommended Mustahab
Mandub Reward No Punishment
(Desirable)
Permitted Mubah
Halal No Reward No Punishment
(Allowed)
Discouraged Makruh
Manboth No Punishment Reward
(Disliked)
Forbidden Haraam
Mahd’ur Punishment No Reward
(Prohibited)
Islam asks its believers to observe certain norms and moral
codes in;
 dealings with relatives
 with neighbours and friends;
 in their business transactions;
 in the market;
 in their social affairs,
 in all spheres of private and public life.
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Islamic Law and Rules

The Holy Book Quran
(Hadith), words or
actions of the prophet
Sunnah

(Ijma) of the Clerics Consensus

(Ijtihad) personal study Wisdom

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Forbidden
Enforcing of not Doing
Maslow
Discourage
d
Way
Urging of not Doing

Permitted
Choice of Doing

Recommended
Urging of Doing

Obligatory
Enforcing of Doing
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Recommended
 Blood and organ donation. (giving and receiving).
 Circumcision of male infants (7th day).
 Breast feeding (two years).
 Human skin bank: lawful for medical grafting and unlawful
for cosmetics and misleading others.
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Permitted
 Autopsy: if for medically or by law indicated.
 Reconstructive Surgery (post mastectomy).
 Do Not Resuscitate order: when the treatment becomes futile.
 Withdrawal or withheld therapy is permitted in brain death.
 Genetic Engineering: to alter or cure diseased genes.
 Abortion: pregnancy that risk the mother’s health, physically
or mentally.
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Discourage
 Forced feeding the sick.
 Smoking
 Divorce
 Elective abortion before age 120 days (some sects
before 40 days).
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Forbidden
 Surgical contraception: (Sterilization: Vasectomy & tubal
ligation). Permitted for mentally sick or when another
pregnancy risks mother’s life.
 Elective abortion in a healthy mother 120 days after
fertilization.
 Human milk bank.

 Human cloning (permitted for tissues and organs).

Ethics and values are the basis
for social responsibility

Islamic perspectives to the issue of ethics, values, and •

morality have finality to them as they are based on Allah’s
message sent through the last messenger, the Prophet
(SAW). Islam, as a religion, offers a complete and
.universal and eternal code of ethics for humanity
Proposed definitions
The definition of morality from the Islamic •
perspective should be: “the personal behavior
based on Islamic revealed knowledge”. Ethics
should be defined as “the accepted norms of
social behavior; such norms being based on the
Islamic revealed knowledge”. Business ethics
should be “the accepted norms of behavior in
managing a business; such norms being based
.”on Islamic revealed knowledge
Five axioms of Islamic ethical
philosophy
Unity: Concept of “tawhid” which means the totality of integrated
existence in and outside of the Universe
Equilibrium: Concept of “adl” which means a sense of balance among
the various facets of human life
Free will: The ability of human beings to act without external coercion
but within the limits set by Allah and as the vice regent of Allah on
.Earth
Responsibility: The accountability of human beings for all their actions
Benevolence: Concept of “Ihsan” meaning an action carried out by a
human being without the expectation of return or reward benefiting
others