Oriental/ Eastern Ethics
Islam is an all encompassing religion
with a comprehensive law that
provides guidance in all key
aspects of life
The principal ethical teaching
within Islam
Submission to Allah
• The intention of life for a Muslim is to follow, as closely as possible, the will of
Allah. Each moment of each day is to be lived in an attitude of complete
surrender or submission to Allah. This is what it means to be a Muslim
Taqwa
• There is no aspect of life which is separate or removed from Allah's
concern and therefore all actions strive to bring all their actions into
accord with the will of Allah. This requires a constant awareness on
the part of Muslims and being attuned to the will of God constantly in
everyday life. This awareness or consciousness is called "taqwa".
The principal ethical teaching
within Islam
Striving
• A Muslim will strive constantly to find the best way to live and the
best way to respond to the will of Allah. This striving brings Muslim
thought into constant contact with the field of ethics. Individuals and
communities throughout the world are constantly faced with ethical
decisions. That is, having to find the best or the right way if acting in
response to issues faced in the course of human experience.
Qur'an
• For Muslim's the principal source to guide them in ethical matters is
the Qur'an. It is the foundational source for all teaching in Islam and it
provides clear guidance in many areas. Not all issues are addressed
directly in the Qur'an, however, the underlying principles are able to
be applied in most situations.
The principal ethical teaching
within Islam
Hadith and Sunna
• Additional guidance for Muslims is also found in the collections of the
traditions of the Prophet Muhammad known as the Hadith and
Sunna. While these sources can be of considerable help in forming
ethical judgments, it is important to note that they do not carry the
same authority as the Qur'an.
Qiyas
• Further ethical guidance is drawn from the process of applying the
principles of Islam by analogy to make appropriate judgments. This
process of making judgments is known as "qiyas". It refers to the
working out of an issue. It may refer to individual judgments known
as "ijtihad" or to the judgment of recognised scholars which is known
as "ijma".
The principal ethical teaching
within Islam
Shari'ah
• The overall framework operating in Islam is known as "shari'ah"
which means the path. The entire process of jurisprudence in Islam is
designed to clearly set out this path so that Muslims may follow it.
The core ethical teaching of Islam can be
summarized in five important virtues:
1. Love of Allah
The first and most fundamental of these is the love of
Allah. This virtue sums up all other principles and ideas in
Islam. Properly understood this virtue could stand alone
as the basis of ethical teaching in Islam.
In reality, if all human beings lived faithfully by this
principle, no other teaching would be required. It would
lead to people recognising and acknowledging the kinship
that exists between them. It would lead people to be
constantly aware of the rights of others and be prepared
to defend those rights. Finally it would lead to people
living in order to do good to others rather than for selfish
reasons.
The core ethical teaching of Islam can be
summarised in five important virtues:
2. Humility
• The second virtue relates to humility. It requires Muslims to avoid the
sense of pride and arrogance which makes them inclined to think
more highly of themselves than others. Humility will ensure that a
Muslim thinks of others ahead of themselves and therefore avoids a
selfish and self centered existence.
3. Modesty
• The third virtue is modesty. This relates most significantly to sexual
ethics. It includes the requirement to maintain appropriate standards
which do not demean the opposite sex or sexual relationships. Any
kind of inappropriate behaviour in the area of sexuality is prevented
through the virtue of modesty.
The core ethical teaching of Islam can be
summarised in five important virtues:
4. Naturalness
• The fourth virtue relates to that which is natural and therefore part of the
design or plan of Allah. At one level this relates to matters of bio ethics, use of
substances etc where people are expected to avoid things which artificially
alter the intention of Allah's creation. Scientific developments should work to
enhance the beauty and integrity of creation rather than duplicating it or
substituting it.
• Another aspect of the virtue of naturalness is the concern for the
environment. This requires the protection and care for the natural world and
prevents environmental exploitation for selfish reasons.
5. Selflessness
• The fifth virtue is that of selflessness. This virtue governs human
interaction, particularly at an economic level. It prevents the situation
where one person is exploited by others for economic gain such as the
charging of interest on loans, the payment of unjust wages etc. It also
includes an obligation to provide material support to the poor.
Describe the importance of ethical teachings in
determining that which is:
Halal
• Halal stands for things that are permitted, when
something isn’t forbidden then it is permitted, but even
though it is permitted it shouldn’t always be done. Halal
actions fall under a number of levels, required actions
and behaviours are the first level of Halal, known as “fard”
or “wajib”. The second level of halal actions is “mandub”
or “mustahab”which are actions that are desirable. The
third level is called “mubah”, this sort of behaviour falls
under the realm of having no clear guidance in the Qur’an
regarding the specific action.
Describe the importance of ethical teachings in
determining that which is:
Haraam
Haraam represents actions that are forbidden; actions
that are not approved are regarded as hateful and should
never be done. Actions that could harm people in any
given situation is to be avoidable.
Conclusion
Despite the complexities of some ethical
issues, there are, nonetheless, a number of
clear principles in Islamic ethics which are
to be followed. When applied these
become the core ethical teachings of Islam.
References
• https://www.google.com.ph/#q=
%22ethical+teaching+in+Islam%22
• http://portal.waverley.nsw.edu.au/library/sor/
09_islam_depth/ethics_summary.html
• http://islamic-beliefs.weebly.com/core-
ethical-teachings.html
