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Morality (2/2)

Yasien Mohamed Morality in the Qur’an
Any kind of Islamic ethics, whether religious or philosophical, is ultimately based on the Qur’an.
The term should be understood in this broad sense. Islamic philosophers gave Greek ethical concepts a new meaning based on the Qur’an. Therefore, to appreciate the later development of Islamic ethics, one must understand the nature of ethics in the Qur’an.
The ethical dimensions of the Qur’an are integral to the social context in which it was revealed. That is, both the context of the pagan Arabs and the early Companions of the Prophet. The various religious, legal and moral obligations are interconnected as they are subsumed under God’s will. However, there is also a teleological dimension, in terms of which people obey God because he is good, and seek, by means of their innate character, to progress towards happiness and to become the best community among humankind.
As mentioned, through the impact of the Qu’an, the vengeful spirit of the Arabs was transformed into a positive quality of hilm, which became the dominant virtue in the Qur’an. In a certain sense the spirit of hilm dominates the methods of the Qur’an as a whole. The constant exhortation to kindness (ihsan), the emphasis laid on justice (adl), the forbidding of wrongful violence (zulm), the adherence to abstinence and the ******* of passions, the criticism of groundless pride and arrogance all are concrete manifestations of this spirit of hilm (Izutsu, 1959: 216).[1]
The following Qur’anic verse refers to hilm: “The servants of the Merciful are those who walk humbly upon the earth, and when the ignorant address them, say ‘Peace’.” (Surah Al-Furqan, 25:63).
Socially, hilm is the great ethical quality, but forbearance does not only come from noble character, but also from man’s relationship with God (Denny, 1985: 115).[2]
There are many ethical virtues in the Qur’an that are also formulated in the spirit of hilm, but suffice it to mention Luqman’s advice to his son:
“O my son, perform the prayer, command the honourable and forbid the dishonourable and bear patiently what has befallen you … Do not turn your face away from people and do not walk in the land haughtily. Allah does not love any arrogant or boastful person. Be modest in your stride and lower your voice; for the most hideous voice is that of asses.” (Surah Luqman, 31:17–19)
Goodness (khayr) and Righteousness (birr)
The term khayr (goodness) is used comprehensively, covering the material and religious field. It also connotes wealth, as when a rich man asked the Prophet.
“They ask you what they should spend. Say: ‘Whatever bounty (khayr) you give is for the parents, the near of kin, the orphans, the needy and the wayfarer. And whatever good (khayr) you do, Allah is fully cognizant of it.’” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2: 215)
The term also connotes pious work: “…Perform the prayer and give the alms - tax. Whatever good (khayr) you do for your own sake, you will find it with Allah; surely Allah is cognizant of what you do.” (Surah Al- Al-Mujadilah, 58: 13).
The word birr (righteousness) is inseparable from social justice and love for others:
“Righteousness is not to turn your faces towards the East and the West; the righteous is he who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book and the Prophets; who gives of his money, in spite of loving it, to the near of kin, the orphans, the needy, the wayfarers and the beggars, and for the freeing of slaves; who performs the prayers and pays the alms-tax. Such are those who keep their pledges once they have made them, and endure patiently privation, adversity and times of fighting...” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2: 177)
Justice and responsibility
Justice is a supreme virtue in Islam to the extent that it stands in order of priority after belief in the Oneness of God and the truth of the Prophet. There are many verses in the Qur’an that command believers to adopt it as a moral ideal: “God commands you to deliver trusts to their owners, and if you judge between people, to judge justly.” (Surah An-Nisa’, 4:58); “O believers, be upholders of justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves, your parents or kinsmen. Whether rich or poor, Allah takes better care of both. Do not follow your desire to refrain from justice...” (Surah An-Nisa’, 4:135). The Qur’an not only calls to faith, but also to moral action. Believers are required to obey God and his Prophet, who is the standard of moral conduct and piety.
On marriage and eating
Islamic law prescribes marriage, and commends the one who marries to have children. Procreation outside marriage is unlawful and marriage is described as essential for the survival of the human race. The fornicator is like one who wastes water for fun, not for the cultivation of land. The worst fornication is sodomy. Fornication or adultery (zina) is like planting a seed on someone else’s land, sodomy is like wasting the seed (al-Isfahani, 1987: 313 317).[3]
Sodomy leads to the breakdown of the family and to sexually transmitted diseases. So whatever excites the passions, and leads to illicit sexual relations, is prohibited. The Qur’an states:
“And approach not adultery, for it is a shameful deed and an evil, opening the road to other evils.” (Surah Al-Isra’, 17: 32).
There are two kinds of food. One is essential for the health of the body, but should be taken moderately. Eating more than what is required is medically and legally detestable. The Prophet said:
“The most contemptible container is a glutted stomach of lawful food and drink.”
A full stomach forties passion, Satan’s sturdy stalwart. The other kind of food is inessential for the body, and the lack of it will cause no harm. Alcohol is an example of this kind of food, and it incites the lower senses. A believer eats enough for the day, and fills a third of his stomach with food.

[1] Izutsu, T. (1959) The Structure of the Ethical Terms in the Qur’an, Tokyo: Keio Institute of Philological Studies.

[2] Denny, F. D. (1985) Ethics and the Qur’an Community and World View, in R.G. Hovannisian (ed.) Ethics in Islam, Malibu: Undena Publications, 103 21.

[3] Al-Isfahani, R. (1987) al-Dhari’a ila makarim al-shari’a, Cairo: Dar al-wafa.