ETHICS, THE WAY TO JANNAH 1

“In the name of Allah, the most beneficent, most merciful. All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists). The only owner of the day of recompense, You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help. Guide us to the straightway. The way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray and may all peace and blessings be upon the sultan of creation, the Imam of the Messengers, the seal of the prophets, the intercessor of the day of judgment, the master of the first and the last, sayyidina Muhammad (AS), and upon his noble family and blessed companions, especially upon the Four Khulafa-e-Rashideen, Hz. Abu Bakr el-siddiq, Hz. Umar el-Faruk, Hz. Osman el-Ghani, and Hz. Ali el-Murtaza, and all those who follow them until the Last Day”.

The prophet (SAW), the perfect example for mankind, he teaches how human can relate with one another any time anywhere to achieve a better peaceful way of life, to achieve our ultimate goal, (the paradise), also In order to ensure the happiness and goodness of life, man needs to refer to Islamic code of ethics to monitor his relationship with God, his family, fellow men in society, creatures of the universe, and even with his innermost self. For example, ethics provide some manners in performing ritual obligations, such as, performing five daily prayers within stipulated time and also the manners in reciting the Qur’an in which purity is necessary. It shows the beauty of Islam that everything should be done in proper ways.

Therefore, man cannot ignore the code of ethics because negligence of it would lead to the deviation and going astray. In terms of the relationship between man and his fellow men, it is clearly mentioned in the Qur’an that Muslims are brothers; thus, one should possess ethical characteristics, such as, helpful, kind hearted, generous, and polite to one another. Similarly, Muslims should not be telling lies to others, spread false news, backbiting, slandering, and other unethical deeds. If every individual abide by the prescribed codes of ethics, people can live peacefully and there would be no cases of crime such as, murder, rape, theft, incest, prostitution and other forms of immorality. Therefore, Islamic ethics is vividly vital because it is a basic pillar for a healthy society. It aims at establishing life’s order and giving it regulation, dignity and serenity as desired by the teachings of Islam.

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There are so many bases for Islamic ethics both in the Qur’an and the sunnah of the prophet Muhammad (SAW). I will use both word of the Qur’an and sunnah as the bases of Islamic ethics, Qur’an gives ethics as a form of religious goodness, divine justice and human responsibility.

Qur’an uses a whole cluster of terms to denote the concept of moral or religious goodness, such as, al-khayr (goodness), al-birr (righteousness), al-qisr and al-iqsat (equity), al-adl (justice), al-haqq (truth and right), al-ma’ruf (known and approved), and al-taqwa (piety). Pious actions are normally referred to as salihat, whereas impious or sinful actions are termed sayyi’at. The term like m’aruf, khayr, and al-birr which occur in many verses {A kind word and forgiveness are better than charity followed by injury. And Allah is self-sufficient, forbearing. 2:263} express the moral and religious spirit of the Qur’an.

ETHICS AND ISLAMIC LAW

Thou ethics and Islamic law (shariah) works together because it is shariah that guides the code of ethics, the objective of Islamic law or shariah is seen to be similar with Islamic ethics, that is, to construct human life on the basis of virtues (ma’rufat), and to cleanse it from vices (munkarat). Virtues, in general, are in harmony with human nature and its requirements, and vices are just opposite to virtues. Through shariah, we can get clear view of what are the virtues and the vices, and these are to the norms to which the individual and societal behavior should conform. Islamic law or shariah covers all aspects of man’s life from religious rituals up to social, economic, judicial system and so on. Like Islamic ethics, shariah aims at regulating the relationship of man with God, man with man and with other creatures. Therefore, both shariah and Islamic ethics cannot be separated from each other. In the qur’an there are certain limit prescribed by Allah which are imposed on man in order to prevent him from following his own wishes and desires. Allah has clearly mentioned about lawful (halal) and unlawful (haram), virtues and vices. These are limits (hudud) which every man-kind must respect and obey, and if he transgressed any of these limits, he is doing wrong or committing a crime. Therefore, Islamic ethics will ensure and safeguard the well-being of people (masalih al-ibad). For example, to safeguard the lineage of people, Islamic ethics provides clearly the punishment for adultery (zina). Adultery means a sexual intercourse between man and a woman not married to each other. Islam considers it not only as a great sin but also as an act which opens the gate to many other shameful acts. The Qur’an mentions, {Do not come nearer to zina for it is shameful deed and an evil, opening the road to other evils 17:32}. It is no doubt that adultery is a great sin, and if allowed it to happen, it may disrupt the social fabric of the ummah. For this reason, severe punishment is reserved for adultery. If it is punished softly or not punished at all, it might give bad impact on man’s life. It will destroy the basis of family structure, spread numerous diseases both physical as well as spiritual, and lead to broken family. Therefore, Islamic law punishes adultery heavily in order to penalize offenders, and at the same time other people in the same community are warned not to commit similar crimes. Islamic criminal law of adultery is mostly concern to safeguard man’s descendent, honor, and lineage as well as to preserve the ethical values. Another example of Islamic ethics to safeguard the well-being of people is the punishment for theft (al-hirabah or al-sariqah). Islam emphasizes the individual’s safety with regard to his life, property, and honor, thus, any threat to these three entities is severely punished by Islamic law. A person who kills or robs another is severely punished because this is the only way to guarantee safety or security for every individual. Concerning theft, Islamic law legislates cutting. Good individual will produce a good society at large.

ETHICS AND ITS IMPORTANCE

 There are many Qur’anic verses and hadiths which indicate the importance of ethics. The Qur’an mentions, {Let their arise out a group of people inviting to all that is good enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong. They are those who attained success 5:44}. The two important points can be highlighted from the above verse; first is calling others to all that is good, and second is enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong. Good implies the whole Islamic value system, its beliefs, ideas, ethical principles, and all aspects of life. It can be inferred from the above verse that successful Muslims are those who put the struggle and strife to practice everything which is good and refrain from everything which is unlawful according to shariah. In the other verse, Allah mentions, {You are the best community that has been raised up for mankind. You enjoin right conduct and forbid wrong 3:10}.In this sense, Allah has labeled Muslims as the best ummah who enjoins what is good and forbid what is wrong. Personality of the best ummah is not only having personal virtues but also calling and leading others to the right path of virtue. This has been indeed the practice of the prophets and their successors. After achieving their own perfection, they helped others to achieve the same. The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, “Nothing is heavier on the scale than having the good character”. “I was sent to uphold and sanctify the noble characteristics”. “Among the greatest number of people who will enter paradise are of the pious and the virtues”.       

                                                                                                                        Courtesy: AZEEZ H. O.