Moral Concept of Islam

Ethics is the subject matter common to both religion and philosophy, yet it is approached by them in basically different ways. Religion presents moral principles as divine dictates while philosophy simultaneously looks into both ‘what’ and ‘why.’ The latter preoccupies itself with questions like why it is that what is morally true is after all true.

This difference of approach has created a considerable gap between the two disciplines. In religion, ethics is defined as a known and indisputably established set of moral principles. Being a divine dictate, it is quite exact in form and content. On the contrary, right from the early Greeks of pre-Christian times down to the modern western thinkers of the twentieth century, no philosopher has been able to formulate precise ethical criteria of human action. Every distinguished philosopher has established his own school of thought but has failed to give to the world a commonly accepted moral code.

Our point of view is that human limitations are a permanent obstacle to our finding an answer to the question ‘why.’ Therefore, we have chosen a practical solution rather than depend upon the uncertain outcome of philosophical dialogue. Here, our stress will be on explaining in plain terms the basic concept of ethics as presented by Islam.

Cosmic Approach

The Quran says that God created seven tiers of the sky, and that no imperfection will ever be detected in God’s creation. (67:4)

God created a great universe humming with a multitude of activities going on in a disciplined and orderly fashion with no irregularities. The performance of each and every part of it is par excellence.

Divine Ethics

Nature is controlled by God, while in human life the course of action is determined by man’s own intention. If man has been exempted from following the same system as has been decreed by God for the rest of the universe, it is because God has placed him on trial in this world. God has given man such freedom to prove whether he has the will and capacity to remain on the straight and narrow path. That is why the Prophet took care to urge his fellow men to “follow divine morals.”

The Islamic ethic is based on the concept of morality being a universal reality. God has determined similar standards of conduct both for man and for the rest of the universe, and nature in its entirety serves as a model for human conduct. What Miguel de Cervantes has said about a good painter is also true of a good man. He says:

Good painters imitate nature, bad ones vomit it.

The part of nature distinct from man is obliged by divine decree to abide by—in scientific language—the law of nature. The existence of this law is confirmed by the Quran when it speaks of the earth and the sky being subject to divine dictates. The Quran further makes it obligatory for man to follow these same dictates. There is, indeed, a single divine law to be observed by men and nature alike. Where man has to do this of his own free will and by his own intention, nature does so out of compulsion.

The same principle of Islamic conduct is professed in the third chapter of the Quran:

Do they seek for other than the religion of God, while all creatures in the heavens and on earth have, willing or unwilling, bowed to His Will? (3:83)

This verse clearly indicates that God wishes to see human life resting on the same principles that He has laid down for the rest of nature. Human life too should reflect the same obedience to rules that nature manifests for our benefit time and time again.

Unity and Organization

It is set forth in the Quran that there is a path for man determined by God. So, all men should follow the same divine path. The same rule is applied in the Quran to the honeybee. God commanded the honeybee to follow the divine path and the way honeybee works demonstrates that it remains on that divinely determined path. Such behaviour should be imitated by man, for the lifestyle of the honeybee is an ideal example of social organization. The process of preparing honey involves the participation of thousands of honeybees, who work in close co-ordination with their fellow bees, each bee performing its tasks in a highly disciplined and organized manner. The co-operative spirit, self-discipline and organization being prerequisites for the smooth running of all social structures, human beings should pattern their social living along exactly the same lines, albeit in accordance with different sets of circumstances. The Quran describes this concerted and organized activity as divinely approved action.

No Interference

The Quran says:

The sun is not allowed to overtake the moon, nor does the night outpace the day. Each in its own orbit runs. (36:40)

This verse points to a divine law prevailing on the planets and in space. It enjoins every heavenly body to move in its respective orbit and not to encroach upon the orbit of another heavenly body. It is, in a way, a physical allegory of a divinely approved social principle. By using the analogy of the stars and the heavenly bodies, God demonstrates the law that He wishes to see incorporated in human life with conscious effort.

This suggests that every human being has to function in his own particular sphere without trespassing upon the domain of any other individual.

This Quranic law is illustrated by an incident, which took place in a western country, shortly after it had won freedom. One of its citizens came out on to the street, vigorously flapping his arms. In his excitement he hit the nose of a passerby. The latter asked the freedom-lover why he had hit him on the nose. He retorted by saying that his country was now free and that, in consequence, he was free to do whatever he wanted. The passerby politely remarked, “Your freedom ends where my nose begins.”

Every individual in this world has freedom of action. Yet this freedom is not limitless. People are bound to act within the confines of their own spheres and to enjoy their freedom without disturbing the peace and freedom of others. This is basic to proper conduct as laid down in the Quran. God’s confinement of the movement of different heavenly bodies to their respective orbits provides a paradigm on which to base the human code of conduct.

One of the Quranic verses suggests in figurative language that man should not be stony-hearted:

Thenceforth were your hearts

Hardened, they became

Like a rock and even worse

In hardness, for among rocks

There are some from which

Rivers gush forth; others

There are which when split

asunder send forth water

and others which sink

For fear of God, and God is

Not unmindful of what you do.

In other words, man should be large-hearted enough to embrace the truth whenever it is revealed to him, and when confronted with man’s oppression of man, his heart should be rent with agony. He should, moreover, adopt a submissive rather than a rebellious posture.

Just as a fountain of water gushes forth from among the rocks, so should the spirit of submission to the truth flow from man’s heart. And just as the trees and mountains bow to the will of God, so should man submit totally to God’s command. Indeed, man’s surrender to God should have all the speed and finality of the landslide.

Soft Spokenness

The Quran says that birds sing the praise of God with the words Subhan Allah: (All praise is due to God)

Do you not see how God is praised by those in the heavens and on earth and the birds (of the air) with wings spread? He notes the prayers and praises of all His creatures and has knowledge of all their actions. (24:41)

At another place, the Quran describes a donkey’s braying as the worst possible sound. Therefore men, should refrain from speaking in the strident tones of the donkey, and express themselves rather with gentleness and moderation.

And be modest in your gait, and lower your voice; for the harshest of sounds without doubt is the braying of the ass. (31:19)

It suggests that God loves a voice that is graced by the sweetness of a bird song, not one like the braying of an ass, which is an affront to the hearer’s ears.

Of all human organs, the tongue is the most valuable, as it is the means of exchange of ideas among human beings. There are two ways of using this organ: one pleases by virtue of its sincerity, rationality and politeness, e.g. in the bringing of
good tidings; the other is marred by abrasiveness, taunts and sarcasm, and in tone is like “the braying of an ass,” which can never be to the liking of the hearer. The Quran disapproves of the latter manner as being uncouth and insists that man’s speech should have an agreeable effect on the hearer.

Forgiveness

The misbehaviour of Joseph’s stepbrothers towards him was deeply tormenting for his father Jacob. Naturally, he had serious grounds for complaint against Joseph’s brothers. But rather than express his grief to the wrong-doers, Jacob turned in anguish to God, although his anguish had been caused by men.

This diversion of negative reaction away from the blameworthy and towards the Almighty is paralleled in the physical world in a number of explicit ways. Seasonal rainwater is usually excessive. If the entire amount of this water stayed in the fields and inhabited areas, it would cause widespread disaster. But this does not happen, for the excessive amount of water is directed by nature into rivulets and rivers, leaving behind the water actually required.

Subscribing to the same law of nature in social life, man should divert all of the detrimental elements of his emotions towards God.

Community life leads, among other things, to mutual complaints and bitterness. If these complaints were expressed before the persons thought responsible, the whole of society would be turned into a battlefield. In such a situation man should adopt the same course of action as that taken by nature, namely, the diversion of all excessive emotions to God’s account and thereafter the devotion of oneself to positive social uplift. Nature teaches us to keep with us always a ‘diversion pool’ to which may be diverted the negative emotions occurring in our hearts towards others, thus enabling us to lead a balanced life.

Good for Evil

It is stated in the Quran that one of the characteristics of the favourite devotees of God is their ability to forgive, even when they are angry. The Prophet taught his followers to treat gently even those who misbehaved with them. In other words, man should return good for evil, and remain pacific in the face of provocation.

This altruistic conduct finds a close parallel in the physical world in the symbiotic relationship established by God between man and the tree. To continue to exist, man must continually breathe in air, retaining the air’s oxygen and exhaling its carbon dioxide. If the tree were to imitate this progress, the world would become unlivable, because the air would become polluted with poisonous gases. But God has so ordained things that the tree will do the opposite of man, i.e. it will breathe in carbon dioxide, thus cleansing the atmosphere, and will breathe out oxygen, thus supplying human beings and animals with the basic fuel of life.

The model for the behaviour demanded of man by the Quran is to be found in the reciprocal bond between man and tree. But where the tree plays its part automatically in the natural course of things, man in the social sphere must deliberately, and of his own free will, choose to return love for hatred, comfort for pain, forgiveness for anger, and gentleness for provocation. In short, a negative attitude should be responded to by positive behaviour. Such conduct having no room for ‘tit-for-tat’ logic, you should never hesitate to give oxygen to one who gives you carbon dioxide.

Summary

The standard of conduct maintained by God through His direct control over nature has to be exhibited by man in his personal life under his own control. The pattern of action laid down by God in the rest of the world on the physical level should be reflected in the world of man on the human plane.

What is found in the physical world in the form of iron is required in the human world in the form of firmness of character. The stream trickling down the mountains is synonymous, in the human world, with gentleness and soft-heartedness. All that exists in the physical world as predictable in character corresponds to the fulfillment of promises on the human level. Whatever exists in the physical world in the form of fine texture and fragrance has its counterpart in the human world in good behaviour and fair dealing.

The absorption of carbon dioxide by trees and the emission of oxygen that helps man breath imply that man in his practical life should do good even to those who do evil to him. This is because natural objects do not contradict each other; all of them are engaged in performing their assigned functions with utter devotion. The same principle applies to human life, where man should devote himself to positive efforts and completely abstain from destructive actions. Nature pursues the principle of recycling and decomposition. Waste materials are recycled and turned into gases. Leaves when separated from branches do not decay but turn into manure. The implications of this for human life is of great importance, as it suggests that the wealth spent by a man should be re-utilized by his fellow men. The efforts initiated by one should be beneficial for others too. Many things are taking place in nature on a grand scale. Every component is performing its respective function precisely and regularly without receiving any apparent reward. The same selfless devotion, with no thought of reward, is expected from men in the performance of their duties. High mountains and all vertical objects cast their shadows low down upon the earth. Seen symbolically, this should prompt human beings to acquire the habit of modesty. One should neither boast of one’s achievements before others, nor consider oneself superior to others.

Islamic conduct is, indeed, synonymous with natural conduct. This conduct is maintained in nature unconsciously while, in human life, it is controlled by the individual’s own conscious efforts and determination.