In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Gracious

As-Salaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuhu

ISLAMIC

RESEARCH AND INFORMATION CENTRE

The Concept of Morality

Before going to explain the Islamic concept of morality, I would like to explain its necessity in human life because some of the modern thinkers have denied the necessity of moral values in human life.

The Necessity of Moral Values in Human Life

There are many things that are precious in our life like: - health, wealth, time, relations, honour, peace, happiness, powers, capabilities, et cetera. Without these things, man would like to die rather than live. Islamic system of morality saves and develops these precious things for the well-being and welfare of not just individuals, but of the whole of mankind. It teaches man the right way of using time, wealth, capabilities, powers, health etc., to attain peace, progress and salvation, and to maintain honour, relations and prosperity.

Ma’roof (right and good) and Munkar (wrong and evil)

To understand the Islamic concept of morality, we need to understand the meaning of the two terms: -            1) Ma’roof (plural: Ma’roofaat)

                                                2) Munkar (plural: Munkaraat)

Ma’roofaat: Ma’roofaat are the things that are right and good in Allah’s view. For instances: -

a)       Belief in Allah, belief in the Prophethood of His Messengers, belief in the Day of Judgment, belief in the Destiny, belief in the Guidance of Allah, belief in the existence of Angels.

b)     Establishing Salaat (prayer), and fasting during the month of Ramazaan.

c)      Paying Zakaat (alms) and performing Hajj.

d)     Truth and justice, patience and courage, modesty and decency, politeness and softness, and all other forms of good behaviour, good conducts and good characters.

e)      Right use of tongue, eyes, mind, powers, capabilities, time, wealth, resources et cetera.

f)       Eschewing Munkaraat.

 Munkaraat: Munkaraat are the things that are wrong and bad in Allah’s view. For instances: -

a)      Disbelief in Allah, disbelief in the Prophethood of Allah’s Messengers, disbelief in Allah’s Guidance, disbelief in the Day of Judgment, disbelief in the Destiny, disbelief in the existence of Angels.

b)      Atheism, polytheism, pantheism, belief in incarnation, superstition, idolatry and other misbeliefs.

c)      Tyranny, oppression, persecution, riots, cruelty, anarchy, torture et cetera.

d)      Drinking and gambling, deception and corruption, bribery and robbery, immodesty and indecency, injustice and dishonesty, cheating and betrayal, falsehood, usury et cetera.

e)      Pre-marital and extra-marital courtship, sex and physical contact.

f)        Scandal-mongering, black mailing, murder, slandering, theft et cetera.

g)      Misuse of tongue, eyes, mind, wealth, time, capabilities, powers, resources et cetera.

h)      All forms of misbeliefs, evils, crimes, misconduct, misbehaviour and bad characters.

i)        Avoiding from the obligatories of Islam like Salaat, Saum etc.

Ma’roofaat are obviously beneficial to both individuals and society; whereas Munkaraat are harmful to the same. Humanity attains peace, progress and salvation with Ma’roofaat and suffers from losses and failures because of Munkaraat.

The main objective of Islam is to construct human life on the basis of Ma’roofaat and to cleanse it of Munkaraat. The entire Islamic system of living is based on moral values prescribed by Allah, the Lord of the universe. Thus, the concept of morality acquires one of the central positions in Islam. So, in various ways, people have been encouraged to follow moral values strictly. The following are the some of the Verses of the Holy Quraan that arouse man to follow Ma’roofaat and to eschew Munkaraat. The Holy Quraan says: -

1)      “In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.

By the Time, verily, man is in loss except those who have Faith (Imaan) and do righteous deeds and invite one another to Truth and encourage one another on patience.” (Al- ‘Asr 103)

2)      “O you who believe! Seek help through patience and Salaat (prayer). Verily, Allah is with those who patiently persevere.” (2: 153)

3)      “Then remember Me, I will remember you. Be grateful to Me and don’t be ungrateful to Me.” (2: 152)

4)      “Verily, Allah is with those who restrain themselves, and those who do good.” (16: 128)

5)      “And spend of your substance in the cause of Allah, and do not make your own hands contribute to destructions, but do good, for Allah loves those who do good.” (2: 195)

6)      “Allah loves those who turn to Him in repentance and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean.” (2: 222)

7)      “Allah loves those who patiently persevere.” (3: 146)

8)      “Allah loves those who judge in equity.” (5: 42)

9)      “Allah does not love those who do wrong.” (3: 140)

10)  “Say: the things that my Lord has forbidden are: indecency - whether open or secret, sins and trespasses against Truth or reason, assigning of partners to Allah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allah of which you have no knowledge.” (7: 33)

11)   “Verily, Allah will defend those who believe. Verily, Allah does not love any that is unfaithful, ungrateful.” (22: 38)

12)   “O you who believe! Intoxicant and gambling, stone-alters and divination from arrows for drawing lots, are all filthy and from Satanic acts. So refrain from them, so that you may succeed. Satan only seeks to cast enmity and hatred among you by means of intoxicants and gambling, and keep you away from the remembrance of Allah and from Salaat. Will you not then abstain (from Satanic acts)?” (5: 90, 91)

13)   “Those who devour usury will not stand except as stands one whom the Satan by his touch has driven to madness. That is because they say: ‘Trade is like usury’, but Allah has permitted trade and forbidden usury. Those who after receiving admonition from their Lord, desist shall be pardoned for the past, their case is with Allah; but those who repeat (the offence) are companions of the fire: they will abide therein forever.” (2: 275)

14)   “O you who believe! Fear Allah, and give up what remains of your demand for usury if you are indeed believers. If you do not do so, take notice of war from Allah and His Messenger; but if you repent you shall have your capital sums: you neither harm (others), nor you be harmed.” (2: 278, 279)

15)   “Verily, the squanderers are the brothers of Satan, and Satan is ever ungrateful to his Lord.” (17: 27)

16)   “Allah commands justice, the doing of good and giving to kith and kin, and He forbids all indecent deeds, and evil and rebellion. He instructs you, that you may receive admonition.” (16: 90)

17)   “Serve Allah, and join not any partners with Him, and do good – to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbours who are of kin, neighbours who are strangers, the companion by your side, the way-farer (you meet), and what your right hands possess; for Allah does not love the arrogant, the vainglorious.” (4:36)

18)   “If any do deeds of righteousness, - be them male or female – and have Faith, they will enter Heaven, and not the least injustice will be done to them. Who can be better in Religion than one who submits his whole life to Allah, does good, and follows the way of Ibraheem, the true in Faith? For Allah took Ibraheem as a close friend.” (4: 124,125)

The Messenger of Allah said:

1)      “The best of you is the one who is the best in morals.” (Saheeh Bukhari)

2)       “Cleanliness is half of the Imaan.” (Saheeh Muslim)

Islam asks for not just cleanliness of body, but also cleanliness in beliefs, thoughts, morals, affairs and deeds. Thus cleanliness fulfills half of the demands of Imaan.

3)      “If a person extricates a believer from any mundane difficulty, Allah will extricate him from one of the difficulties of the Doomsday. Allah will facilitate the person, who facilitates an indigent, both in this world and in Hereafter. Allah helps his servant so long as the servant helps his Muslim brother. (Saheeh Muslim)

4)      “None of you will have Faith till he likes for his brother what he likes for himself.” (Saheeh Bukhari)

5)      “The person, who believes in Allah and in Hereafter, should not trouble his neighbour. The person, who believes in Allah and in Hereafter, should entertain guests. The person who believes in Allah and in Hereafter, should say good things (if he has to speak) or be quiet.” (Saheeh Bukhari)

6)      “Muslim is one by whose tongue and hand other Muslims are safe.” (Saheeh Bukhari and Saheeh Muslim)

7)       “Imaan (Faith) has some more than seventy branches. The best of them is the confession of ‘There is no God but Allah’. The least of them is the removal of an afflicting thing from a road. And modesty is also a part of Imaan.” (Saheeh Bukhari and Saheeh Muslim)

8)      “The worst person you will find on the Doomsday is the one who has two faces, he comes here with a face and he goes there with another face.” (Saheeh Bukhari and Saheeh Muslim)

It means the person who behaves like a well-wisher when he comes to us, and harms us when he goes out of our sight, is the worst.

9)      “The person who has (the following) four things, is purely munafiqh (hypocrite) and the person who has one characteristic of them, has a characteristic of nifaaqh (hypocrisy) unless he gives it up (completely). They (the four things) are: 1) when something is kept as trust with him, he cheats. 2) Whenever he speaks, he lies. 3) Whenever he promises, he breaks it. 4) Whenever he quarrels, he abuses.” (Saheeh Bukhari and Saheeh Muslim).

10)  “The person who breaks the relations will not enter paradise.” (Saheeh Bukhari and Saheeh Muslim)

11)  “The one, who deceives, does not belong to me.” (Saheeh Muslim)

12)  “Qattaat will not enter paradise.” (Saheeh Bukhari)

Qattaat is the person who spreads false information with the intention of causing harm and enmity among people.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © NOORUL HUSSAIN K. 2004