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Ethical Foundations of Islam

Ethical Foundations of Islam. The fundamental principle that underlies Muslim ethics is ' islam' , submissiveness to Allah.

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Ethical Foundations of Islam

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  1. Ethical Foundations of Islam The fundamental principle that underlies Muslim ethics is 'islam', submissiveness to Allah. The Sacred Law is called the Shari'ah, or 'Pathway' and setsout the way of worship prescribed in the Qur’an and the Prophet's practice. It goes beyond the common understanding of worship as the performance of religious rituals, and encompasses the whole of human life, individual as well as social. Thus, all so-called secular activities become acts of worship, provided they are performed with pure and righteous intention, seeking God's pleasure.

  2. Muslims name four ethical sources to which they turn in order to justify their human behaviour. • Qur'an - reading and recitation • The Sunnah or custom of Muhammad • ijma’ - the consensus • giya - analogy These four ethical sources of Islamic teaching establish for the Muslim the shari'ah, the pathway to Allah.

  3. 1. The Qur'an (Koran) is the written record of the revelation of Allah to Muhammad during his lifetime - from his first call to be an apostle until his death. • The Qur'an: • is revered by Muslims • is considered to be written without error • cannot be questioned • The principle affirmation of the Qur'an, which underlies all of the suras (chapters), is: • Allah is one • only Allah is to be worshipped

  4. Allah is: • the God of judgement • trustworthy and forgiving • Compassionate • merciful The attitude of Islam towards Allah provides an ethical foundation for Islamic moral practice. The tribal moral practices were to become the basis for the ethical system within Islam. Muhammad applied this to Islam and demanded more of Muslims.

  5. Moral practices of the tribal system were: • equity • hospitality • just dealing to this Muhammad added: • substitution instead of death - the tribal system dealt out the death penalty. The responsibility for the crime fell on the culprit and his kinship group. • law of retaliation still stood - however there was a new stress on the individual's responsibility • introduced the need for forgiveness (which wasn't encouraged in the tribal system.) • Based on Set your Heart on Goodness, page 85-97

  6. Islam seeks to firmly implant in man's heart the conviction that: • his dealings are with God who sees him at all times and in all places; • he may hide himself from the whole world but not from Him; that he may deceive everyone but cannot deceive God; that he can flee from the clutches of anyone else but not from God. Thus, by setting God's pleasure as the objective of man's life, Islam has furnished the highest possible standard of morality.

  7. 2. Sunnah (Sunna) • is an Arabic term meaning 'habitual practice'. • is the customary practice of the Prophet Muhammad. The Sunnah contains eyewitness records of the Prophet Muhammad's words, actions and approbations, and is known as the Hadith. The Sira and the Hadith contain a complete and authentic record of the life and mission of the Prophet Muhammad.

  8. These show how he exemplified the teachings and commandments of God in practice, and elaborated the principles laid down in the Qur'an in order to provide a sure guidance for their interpretation and application for all later times and societies. The Sunnah was developed after the death of Muhammad to address moral questions that had no answer in the Qur'an. Based on Set your Heart on Goodness, page 97-98

  9. 3. The Consensus or Ijma • past generations of Muslims. After consulting the Qur'an and the Sunnah, if there is still some doubt relating to a moral issue, the Muslim community will consult the Consensus. The Consensus is governed by the public opinion of the Muslim community as expressed by the Islamic Jurists. As long as a decision does not conflict with the Qur'an or the Sunnah then this opinion will be upheld. Based on Set your Heart on Goodness, page 97-98

  10. 4. Analogy • giyas - measurements or analogies Giyas establish a parallel between a moral teaching in the Qur'an or in the Sunnah and a new set of circumstances. e.g. The Qur'an prohibits the drinking of wine because of its intoxicating effects. A modern issue today would be the taking of drugs. Therefore giyas forbid the use of drugs because of their intoxicating effect. This final ethical source can only be accessed if a moral problem can find no answer in the Qur'an, the Sunnah or the Consensus. Based on Set your Heart on Goodness, page 97-98

  11. Terminology Halal lawful as defined by Allah Haraam any act or deed which is prohibited by Allah and will incur His wrath and punishment.

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