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Human relations in law, ethics and morality define Muslims relationship to first and foremost
our own selves and then to our natural and human environment.
Although the broad field of muamalah, human relations, covers important legal fields such as
family law, commercial law and criminal law, we will only deal with the main principles with
respect to ethical matters.
Role of human being in ethics
According to the Webster dictionary, ethics is a discipline dealing with what is good and bad and
with moral duty and obligation. It is a set of moral principles and a system of moral values.
The most important agent in ethics is the human being and his or her actions within an
individual and social framework. There are important teachings of Islam with respect to human
capacity for goodness. A human being;
1. Has been honoured with goodness2 in that we are created with the innate capability
to recognise goodness and virtue.
2. Is created in the best composition3 in that we have the capacity to excel in our
humanity. The Quran says that only those who believe and do good deeds will realise
this potential.
3. Is created as a caretaker on earth4 charged with the duty of upholding goodness and
righteousness.
4. Has been given the trust5, which is self-awareness and freedom of choice that comes
with it.
5. Has a nafs, the egotistical soul that acts as the interface between the spirit and the
physical body. All human evil is a product of the unpurified nafs.
It is this unique composition of a human being that gives rise to perception of good and evil or
right and wrong.
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Self-Evidently
Good
Qiyas
Analogical Reasoning
The Quran
The Sunnah
Self-Evidently
Evil
Ijma
Consensus
In this broad grey area of human action, human nafs interferes with our common sense and
reason. Therefore, we need independent source to guide us towards goodness. In Islam, the
revealed Word of God, the Quran, and the practical implementation of the Quran, the Sunnah,
are the core legal and ethical sources. There are two other fundamental sources of ethics qiyas
and ijma that helps Muslims deal with new and emerging issues of law and ethics;
1. Word of God (Quran): As the primary source of Gods revelation, the Quran is the
sourcebook of Islamic principles and values. About 600 out of 6,238 verses are related to law
and only about 80 can be considered legal verses in the strictest sense of the word.
2. Practice of the Prophet Muhammad (Sunnah): Quranic principles and values are
complemented by the second source of law and ethics, the Sunnah of the Prophet, which is
the compendium of narratives concerning the words, actions and approvals of Prophet
Muhammad. The Quran states, If you should quarrel over anything refer it to God and the
Messenger6 and In Gods Messenger you have a fine model for anyone whose hope is in
God and the last Day7.
3. Analogical Reasoning (Qiyas): When faced with an ethical and legal problem not specifically
dealt with in the Quran and Sunnah, scholars use their reasoning to search for a parallel in
the Quran and the Sunnah. The key is the discovery of the effective cause or the reason
behind the existing ruling. If a similar cause is identified in the new situation, the ruling is
extended to resolve the matter. For example, based on the prohibition of wine, a broad
Affinity Intercultural Foundation
Prepared by Mehmet Ozalp
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Individual Conscience
Public Morality
Law
This brings us to ethics in the public sphere. In a very eloquent analogy, the Prophet
Muhammadpbuh has described the necessity of social responsibility for safe society as follows:
Narrated by An-Nu`man bin Bashir: The Prophet said, "The example of the person abiding by
Gods command and prohibitions in comparison to those who violate them is like the example of
those persons who drew lots for their seats in a boat. Some of them got seats in the upper part
(of the boat), and the others in the lower. When the latter needed water, they had to go up to
bring water (and that troubled the others), so they said, 'Let us make a hole in our share of the
ship (and get water) saving those who are above us from troubling them. So, if the people in the
upper part left the others do what they had suggested, all the people of the ship would be
destroyed, but if they prevented them, both parties would be safe."10
Since people live as a community, one cannot assume full independent existence. Just as we all
benefit to make our lives easier by being part of a community, all of our actions or inactions
impact on the community in a positive or a negative manner. Similarly, by the same rationale,
we cannot be totally disinterested about what other people do and how they live in society.
Therefore, Islam expects Muslims to engage in positive social activism to promote the good and
to prevent the harm that may be inflicted on society, And from among you there should be a
party who invite to good and enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and these are those who
shall be successful.11
Islam seeks the well being of the individual and the community at the same time in a balanced
way. If the individual and community well being is in conflict, then the well being of the
community by virtue of majority is preferred without violating the basic rights of the individual.
If the well being of two individuals is in conflict, then the one who has been inflicted with the
Affinity Intercultural Foundation
Prepared by Mehmet Ozalp
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Endnotes
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