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Moral System of Islam
[1. This is a new and revised translation of
a talk given by the author from Radio Pakistan, Lahore, on 6th Jan. 1948.
Editor.]
Moral sense is inborn in man and through the ages it has
served as the common man's standard of moral behavior, approving certain
qualities and disapproving others. While this instinctive faculty may vary from
person to person, human conscience [2.
This word is used in its wide sense, meaning the moral consciousness of man. 1t
should not be taken in the limited sense in which it is used by writers
undertaking an anthropological study of the so-called evolution of morals.
Editor.] has given a more or less uniform verdict in
favor of certain moral qualities as being good and declared certain others as
bad.
Universally Accepted Values
On the side of moral virtues, justice, courage, bravery and
truthfulness have always elicited praise and history does not record any period
worth the name in which falsehood, injustice, dishonesty and breach of trust may
have been upheld; fellow-feeling, compassion, fidelity, and magnanimity have
always been valued while selfishness, cruelty, miserliness and bigotry have
never received the approbation of the human society; men have always appreciated
perseverance, determination and courage and have never approved of impatience,
fickle-mindedness, cowardice and imbecility. Dignity, restraint, politeness and
amiability have throughout the ages been counted among virtues, whereas
haughtiness, misbehavior and rudeness have never found recognition as good moral
qualities. Persons having a sense of responsibility and devotion to duty have
always won the highest regard of men; never have people who are incompetent,
slothful and lacking in sense of duty been looked upon with approval. Similarly
in respect of the standard of good and bad in the collective behavior of society
as a whole, the verdict has always been almost unanimous. Only that society has
been looked upon as worthy of honor and respect which possesses the virtues of
organization, discipline, mutual affection and fellow feeling and has
established a social order based on justice, freedom and equality of men. As
opposed to this, disorganization, indiscipline, anarchy, disunity, injustice and
social imbalance have always been considered manifestations of decay and
disintegration. Robbery, murder, larceny, adultery, fraud and graft have always
been condemned. Slandering, scandal-mongering and black-mailing have never been
considered wholesome social activities. Contrary to this, service and care of
the aged, help of one's kith and kin; regard for neighbors, loyalty to friends,
assistance to the weak, the destitute and the orphans, and nursing the sick are
qualities which have always been highly valued ever since the dawn of
civilization. Virtuous, polite, mild and sincere persons have always been
welcomed. Individuals who are upright, honest, sincere, outspoken and
dependable, whose deeds conform to their words, who are content with their own
rightful possessions, who are prompt in the discharge of their obligations to
others, who live in peace and let others live in peace and from whom nothing but
good can be expected, have always formed the core of every healthy human
society.
This shows that human moral standards are in fact universal
and have been well-known to mankind throughout the ages.
[3. Some anthropologists and sociologists may
not fully subscribe to this view but on deeper reflection it .is found that
despite superficial differences in mores and morals there is an essential
element which is rather universal, particularly . in the civilized phases of
human existence. And it is this period which the author has in view. The nature
and causes of differences are discussed in the following paragraphs. Editor.]
Good and evil are not myths to be hunted out. They are well-known realities and
are equally understood by all. The sense of good and evil is inherent in the
very nature of man. Hence, in the terminology of the Qur'an, virtue is called
"Ma'ruf" (a well-known thing) and evil is designated as "Munkar" (an
unknown thing); that is to say virtue is known to be desirable for every one and
evil is not known to commend itself in any way. This fact is mentioned by the
Qur'an when it says:
"God has revealed to human nature the consciousness and
cognition of good and evil." (Al-Qur'an, 91: 8)
Why Differences?
The question that now arises is: if the basic values of good
and evil have been so well-known and there has virtually been a universal
agreement about them, then why do varying patterns of moral behavior exist in
the world? Why are there so many and so conflicting moral philosophies? Why do
certain moral standards contradict one another? What lies at the root of their
differences? What is the unique position of Islam in the context of the
prevailing ethical systems? On what grounds can we claim that Islam has a
perfect moral system? And what exactly is the distinctive contribution of Islam
in the realm of ethics? These questions are important and must be squarely
faced; but justice cannot be done to them in the brief span of this talk. To cut
a long story short, I shall briefly sum up some of those important points which
strike us at the very outset when we undertake a critical examination of the
contemporary ethical systems and the conflicting pattern of moral behavior.
(a) The present moral systems fail to integrate various moral
virtues and norms by prescribing their specific limits and utility and assigning
to them their proper place. That is why they fail to provide a balanced and
coherent plan of social conduct.
(b) The real cause of their differences seem to lie in the
moral system offering different standards for good and bad actions and
enunciating different means of distinguishing good from evil. Differences also
exist in respect of the sanction behind the moral law and in regard to the
motives which impel a person to follow it.
(c) On deeper reflection we find that the grounds for these
differences emerge from the conflicting views and concepts about the universe,
the place of man in the universe, and the purpose of man's life. Various
theories of ethics, philosophy and religion are but a record of the vast
divergence of views of mankind on these vital questions: Is there a God of the
Universe and if there is, He One or are there many gods? What are Divine
attributes? What is the nature of relationship between God and the human beings?
Has He made any arrangements for guiding humanity through the rough and tumble
of life or not? Is man answerable to Him or not? If he is, then what are the
matters for which he is answerable? What is the ultimate aim of man's creation
which he should keep in view throughout his life? Answers to these questions
will determine the way of life, the ethical philosophy and the pattern of moral
behavior of the individual and the society.
It is difficult for me to take, in this brief talk, a stock
of the various ethical systems prevalent in the world and indicate what
solutions each one of them has proposed to these questions and what has been the
impact of these answers on the moral evolution of the society believing in these
concepts. Here I can confine myself to the Islam only and explain what answer it
offers to these questions and what kind of moral system takes shape on
the basis of this answer.
Islamic Concept of Life and Morality
The viewpoint of Islam, however, is that this universe is the
creation of God Who is One. He created it and He alone is its unrivalled Master,
Sovereign and Sustainer. The whole universe is functioning at His Divine
Command. He is All-Wise, All-Powerful and Omniscient. He is the Knower of the
manifest and the hidden. He is Subbuh and Quddus (that is, free from all
defects, weaknesses and faults and is pure in every respect). His Godhood is
free from partiality and injustice. Man is His creature, subject and servant and
is born to serve and obey Him.
The correct course of life for man is to live in complete
obedience to Him. It is not for man to determine the mode of worship and
obedience; it is for God to decide this. God, being his Master, has raised from
time to time Prophets for the guidance of humanity and has revealed His Books
through them. It is the duty of man to take the code of his life from these
sources of Divine Guidance. Man is answerable to God for all his actions in
life. .The time for rendering an account will be in the life-hereafter and not
in this world. The short span of worldly life is really an opportunity to
prepare for that great test. In this life all efforts of man should be centered
on the object of soliciting the Pleasure and Blessings of God in the Hereafter.
During this test every person is responsible for all his beliefs and actions.
He, with all his faculties and potentialities, is on trial. There will be an
impartial assessment of his conduct in life by a Being Who keeps a complete and'
accurate record not merely of his movements and actions and their influence on
all that is in the world-from the tiniest speck of dust to the loftiest
mountains-but also a record of his innermost ideas and feelings and intentions.
Goal of Moral Striving
This is Islam's fundamental attitude towards life. This
concept of the universe and of man's place therein determines the real and
ultimate good which should be the object of all the endeavors of mankind and
which may be termed briefly as "seeking the Pleasure of God". This is the
standard by which a particular mode of conduct is judged and classified
as good or bad. This standard of judgment provides the nucleus around which the
whole moral conduct should revolve. Man is not left like a ship without
moorings, to be tossed about by the blows of wind and tides. This dispensation
places a central, object before mankind and lays down values and norms for all
moral actions. It provides us with a stable and flawless set of values which
remains unaltered under all circumstances. Moreover, with making the "pleasure
of God" as the object of man's life, the highest and noblest objective is set
before humanity and thus unlimited possibilities are opened for man's moral
evolution, untainted at any stage by any shadow of narrow selfishness or bigoted
race or nation-worship.
While providing a moral standard, Islam also furnishes us
with means of determining good and evil conduct. It does not base our knowledge
of vice and virtue on mere intellect, desire, intuition, or experience derived
through the sense organs, which constantly undergo shifts and modifications and
alterations and do not provide definite, categorical and unchanging standards of
morality. It provides us with a definite source, the Divine Revelation, as
embodied in the Book of God and the Sunnah (way of life) of the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him). This source prescribes a standard of moral conduct that is
permanent and universal and holds good in every age and under all circumstances.
The moral code of Islam covers a wide field, including the details of domestic
life as well as broad aspects of national and international behavior. It guides
us at every stage in life. These regulations imply the widest application of
moral principles in the affairs of our life and make us free from exclusive
dependence on any other source of knowledge, except as an aid to this primary
source.
Sanction Behind Morality
This concept of the universe and of man's place therein
also furnishes the sanction that must lie at the back of every moral law,
viz., the love and fear of God, the consciousness of accountability on the Day
of Judgment, and the promise of eternal bliss and reward in the life-hereafter.
Although Islam wants to cultivate a powerful and strong mass opinion which may
induce individuals and groups to abide by the principles of morality laid down
by it and also aims at the evolution of a political system which would enforce
the moral law, as far as possible, through its legislative and executive power,
the moral law of Islam does not really depend on these external pressures
alone. It relies upon the inherent urge for good in every man which is derived
from belief in God and the Day of Judgment. Before laying down any moral
injunctions 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; that he may
hide himself from the whole world but not from Him; that he may deceive everyone
under the sun but cannot deceive God; that he can flee from the grip of any one
else but not from God's ; that while the world can see man's outward life only,
God probes into his innermost intentions and desires, that while he may, in his
short sojourn on this earth, do whatever he likes but in any event he has to die
one day and present himself before the Divine court of justice where no
ingenious pleading, recommendation, misrepresentation, deception or fraud will
be of any avail and where his future will be decided with complete impartiality
and justice. There may or may not be any police, law court or jail in this world
to enforce the observance of these moral injunctions and regulations, but this
belief, firmly rooted in the heart, is the real force at the back of the moral
law of Islam which helps in getting it enforced. If popular opinion and the
coercive powers of the state exist to give it support so much the better;
otherwise, this faith alone can keep a Muslim individual and a Muslim community
on the straight path of virtue provided the spark of genuine faith dwells in his
heart.
Motives and Incentives
This concept of Islam about man and his place in the universe
also provides those motivating forces which can inspire a person to act in
conformity with the moral law: The fact that a man voluntarily and willingly
accepts God as his Creator and the obedience of God as the mode of his life and
strives to seek His Pleasure in all his actions provides sufficient incentive to
enable him to obey. the commandments which he believes to be from God. Along
with this, the belief in the Day of Judgment and the belief that whosoever obeys
Divine commands is sure to have a good life in the hereafter, the eternal life,
whatever difficulties and handicaps he may have to face in this transitory phase
of his existence, provides a strong incentive for virtuous life. On the other
hand, the belief that whoever violates the commandments of God in this world,
shall have to bear eternal punishment, however superficially nice a life he may
have led in this temporary abode, is an effective deterrent against violation of
moral law. If this hope and fear are deeply rooted in one's heart they will
provide a strong motive force to inspire one to virtuous deeds even on occasions
when worldly consequences may appear to be very damaging and harmful, and it
will keep one away from evil even on occasions when it looks extremely
attractive and profitable.
This clearly indicates that Islam possesses a distinctive
criterion of good and evil, its own source of moral law, and its own sanctions
and motive force, and through them it enforces the well-known and generally
recognized moral virtues in all spheres of life after knitting them into a
balanced and comprehensive scheme. Thus, it can be justifiably claimed that
Islam possesses a perfect moral system of its own. This system has many
distinguishing features and I shall refer to the three most significant of them,
which, in my opinion, can be termed its special contribution to ethics.
Distinctive Features of Islamic Moral Order
(1) By setting Divine Pleasure as the objective of man's
life, it has furnished the highest possible standard of morality. This is bound
to provide innumerable avenues for the moral evolution of humanity. By making
Divine Revelation the primary source of knowledge it gives permanence and
stability to the moral standards which afford a reasonable scope for genuine
adjustments, adaptations and innovations though not for perversions, wild
variations, atomistic relativism or moral fluidity. It provides a sanction for
morality in the love and fear of God which will impel man to obey the moral law
even without any external pressure. Through belief in God and the Day of
Judgment, it furnishes a motive force which enables a person to adopt moral
conduct with earnestness and sincerity, with all the devotion of his heart and
soul.
(2) It does not, through a false sense of originality and
innovation, provide any novel moral virtues nor does it seek to minimize the
importance of the well-known moral norms nor does it give exaggerated importance
to some and neglect others without cause. It takes up all the commonly known
moral virtues and with a sense of balance and proportion it assigns a suitable
place and function to each one of them in the total scheme of life. It widens
the scope of their application to cover every aspect of man's individual and
collective life-his domestic associations, his civic conduct, legal, educational
and social realms. It covers his life from home to society, from the dining
table to the battlefield and peace conferences, literally from the cradle to the
grave. In short, no sphere of life is exempt from the universal and
comprehensive application of the moral principles of Islam. It makes morality
reign supreme and ensures that the affairs of life, instead of being dominated
by selfish desires and petty interests, should be regulated by the norms of
morality.
(3) It stipulates for man a system of life which is based on
all good and is free from all evil. It invokes the people not only to practice
virtue but also to establish virtue and eradicate vice, to bid good and to
forbid wrong. It wants that the verdict of conscience should prevail and virtue
should not be subdued to play second fiddle to evil. Those who respond to this
call are gathered together into a community (Ummah) and given the name
"Muslims". And the only object underlying the formation of this community
(Ummah) is that it should make an organized effort to establish and enforce
goodness and suppress and eradicate evil. 1t will be a day of mourning for this
community and a bad day for the entire world if the efforts of this very
community were at any time directed towards establishing evil and suppressing
good.
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