Ethics encompasses right conduct and good life. It is significantly broader than the common conception of analysing right and wrong. A central aspect of ethics is “the good life”, the life worth living or life that is simply satisfying, which is held by many philosophers to be more important than traditional moral conduct.
Human values are the need of the hour. Truth, right conduct, love, peace and non-violence are the basics for a golden age on earth.
What are human values? Milton Rokeach in his book The Nature of Human Values defines value as an enduring belief that a specific way of behaving or a specific life goal is personally or socially preferable to any other.
Values are universal. While definitions will differ, all people everywhere possess common values. The origin of human values can be traced to culture, society, its institutions and organisations and to individual personality and life experience. Values are a complex set of standards that guide or conduct our lives in a variety of ways.
ISLAM MEANS PEACE
There were a lot of misconceptions, and misunderstandings about Islam and Muslims in the minds of the people generally. So there is need to expel those doubts and misconceptions about Islam from the minds of people.
In Arabic Islam means Peace, so it is a religion of Peace. Islam is the second largest religion in the world with over 1 billion followers. The word Islam means ‘submission to the will of God’. Islam is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion articulated by the Qur’ān. An adherent of Islam is called a Muslim.
Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable and the purpose of existence is to love and serve God. Muslims also believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith. Islam is a perfect code of life. It touches every aspect of life.
HUMAN VALUES IN ISLAM
There are 20 recommended qualities, which one must supplant within himself. They are as follows:
1. Belief in the Oneness of Allah; 2. Sincerity; 3. Well-wishing for all; 4. Abstinence; 5. Contentment; 6. Firm committed Faith; 7. Knowledge; 8. Assigning oneself to Allah; 9. To place all reliance and assurance to none but Allah; 10. The intention of the ultimate goal i.e. The Straight Path to Allah, the Friend, The Protector, The Glorious; 11. Patience; 12. Remembrance of death; 13. Generosity; 14. Repentance; 15. Humility; 16. Fear; 17. Hope in none but Allah; 18. To endure hunger; 19. Sound and pleasant thoughts relating to any occurring matter; and 20. The Remembrance of and Love for Allah.
ETHICS IN ISLAM
Islamic Ethics can be defined as “good character”. Islamic ethics teaches that humans, regardless of their environment, are believed to have a moral responsibility to submit to God’s will and to follow Islam (as demonstrated in the Qur’an and the Sunnah) [Qur’ān 7:172). The motive force in Islamic ethics is the notion that every human being is called to “command the good and forbid the evil” in all spheres of life.
Islamic ethics can be applied by important verses in the Qur’ān. The most fundamental characteristics of a Muslim are piety and humility. A Muslim must be humble with God and with other people:
“And turn not your face away from people (with pride), nor walk in insolence through the earth. Verily, God likes not each arrogant boaster. And be moderate (or show no insolence) in your walking, and lower your voice. Verily, the harshest of all voices is the voice (braying) of the ass.” (Qur’ān 31:18-19)
A Muslim should not be attached to the ephemeral pleasures of this world. Morality in Islam addresses every aspect of a Muslim’s life, from greetings to international relations. It is universal in its scope and in its applicability. It reigns in selfish desires, vanity and bad habits. Muslims must not only be virtuous, but they must also enjoin virtue. They must not only refrain from evil and vice, but they must also forbid them. In other words, they must not only be morally healthy, but they must also contribute to the moral health of society as a whole.
“You are the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in God; and if the followers of the Book had believed it would have been better for them; of them (some) are believers and most of them are transgressors.” (Qur’ān: 3:110)
The Qur’ān defines and sets the standards of social and moral values for Muslims.
The Qur’ān [17:22] provides a set of moral stipulations which are “among the (precepts of) wisdom, which thy Lord has revealed to thee” that can be reasonably categorised as 10 in number.
1. Worship only God: (Qur’ān 17:22)
2. Be kind, honourable and humble to one’s parents: (Qur’ān 17:23 (Qur’ān 17:24)
3. Be neither miserly nor wasteful in one’s expenditure: (Qur’ān 17:26-29)
4. Do not kill your children for fear of want. (Qur’ān 17:31)
5. Do not commit adultery: (Qur’ān 17:32)
6. Do not kill unjustly (Qur’ān 17:33)
7. Care for orphaned children. (Qur’ān 17:34)
8. Keep one’s promises: (Qur’ān 17:34)
9. Be honest and fair in one’s interactions: (Qur’ān 17:35)
10. Do not be arrogant in one’s claims or beliefs: (Qur’ān 17:36-37)
According to S. A. Nigosian, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Toronto, these resemble the Ten Commandments in the Bible and “represents the fullest statement of the code of behaviour every Muslim must follow”.
- Protection of Environment: Islam gave much importance to the protection of Environment.
- ‘Consultation of the People’: Islam believes in Shoora loosely translated as ‘consultation of the people’.
- The importance of this is premised by the following verses of the Qur’an: “…those who answer the call of their Lord and establish the prayer, and who conduct their affairs by Shoora are loved by God” [42:38].
- “Consult them (the people) in their affairs. Then when you have taken a decision (from them), put your trust in Allah” [3:159]
- Islam accepts Religious Pluralism: Religious minorities were also free to do whatever they wished in their own homes provided they did not publicly engage in illicit sexual activity.
- Islam grants Freedom of Expression to all.
- Islam has given men and women equal rights in every aspect of life.
- In Islam it is not permissible to oppress women, children, old people, the sick or the wounded. Women’s honour and chastity are to be respected under all circumstances.
- The hungry must be fed, the naked clothed and the wounded or diseased treated medically irrespective of their faith or creed.
- Right of Revolution: There are several points regarding the right of revolution in Islam: Two dicta attributed to the Prophet and universally accepted as authentic are indicative. One says, “There is no obedience in sin. The other pronouncement, “do not obey a creature against his creator”.
- Medical Ethics: Islamic medical ethics view the patient as a whole. Classical texts speak more about “health” than “illness”, showing an emphasis on prevention rather than cure.
- Use of Drugs: Drugs and Alcohol were prohibited in Islam.
- “Neurotics”: Islamic neurotics and neuro-theology hold a sympathetic attitude towards the mentally ill, as exemplified in Sura 4:5 of the Qur’an [63] “Do not give your property which God assigned you to manage to the insane: but feed and clothe the insane with this property and tell splendid words to him.”
- Military Ethics: A number of military ethics were followed in Islam regarding law of treaties; the treatment of diplomats, hostages, refugees and prisoners of war; the right of asylum; conduct on the battlefield; protection of women, children and non-combatant civilians; contracts across the lines of battle; the use of poisonous weapons; and devastation of enemy territory.
The most important of these were summarised by Caliph Abu Bakr, in the form of 10 rules for the Muslim army:
Stop, O people, that I may give you ten rules for your guidance in the battlefield. Do not commit treachery or deviate from the right path. You must not mutilate dead bodies. Neither kill a child, nor a woman, nor an aged man. Bring no harm to the trees, nor burn them with fire, especially those which are fruitful. Slay not any of the enemy’s flock, save for your food. You are likely to pass by people who have devoted their lives to monastic services; leave them alone.
Prisoners of war were fairly treated in Islam by providing free food and were showered with kindness. They were offered to be released if they agreed to impart education to the Muslims.
Peace and justice: peace is a basic concept of Islam. The Arabic term “Islam” itself is usually translated as “submission”; submission of desires to the will of God. The greeting “As Salaam alaykum”, favoured by Muslims, has the literal meaning “Peace be to you.”
Welfare: The concepts of welfare and pension were introduced in Islam in the form of Zakat. Zakat and Jizya collected in the treasury of an Islamic government were used to provide income for the needy, including the poor, elderly, orphans, widows, and the disabled.
Animal welfare: Concern for the treatment of animals can be found in the Qur’ān and in the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him).
Qur’ānic verse: “All the creatures that crawl on earth and those that fly with their wings are communities like yourselves” Qur’ān 6:38, Muslims must be in controls of their passions and desires.
Islamic teachings on abortion: Muslims regard abortion as wrong and forbidden.
Islam and capital punishment: Islam on the whole accepts capital punishment. But even though the death penalty is allowed, forgiveness is preferable. Forgiveness, together with peace, is a predominant Qur’ānic theme.
Euthanasia and suicide in Islam: Suicide and euthanasia are explicitly forbidden. Islam believes that all human life is sacred because it is given by Allah, and that Allah chooses how long each person will live. Human beings should not interfere in this.
Do not take life, which Allah made sacred, other than in the course of justice. Qur’ān 17:33.
And no person can ever die except by Allah’s leave and at an appointed term. Qur’ān 3:145.
Destroy not yourselves. Surely Allah is ever merciful to you. Qur’ān 4:29
What is better than to conclude with this Hadīth: The Prophet summarised the conduct of a Muslim when he said: “My Sustainer has given me nine commands”:
- to remain conscious of God, whether in private or in public;
- to speak justly, whether angry or pleased;
- to show moderation both when poor and when rich,
- to reunite friendship with those who have broken off with me;
- to give to him who refuses me;
- that my silence should be occupied with thought;
- that my looking should be an admonition;
- and that I should command what is right.”
[The writer is Head of the Department of Politics, VSR & NVR College, Tenali, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh]