Basics of the Islamic Moral Code By Dr. Jamal Badawi
The ethical theory, whether secular or religious, faces four basic problems that are not clearly answered. The first is what is the ultimate good that a person strives for? Some philosophers answered this question by saying that the ultimate good is happiness; others thought it is the feeling of duty; and another group said it is perfection.
The ultimate good from the Islamic perspective is to pursue the pleasure of God and to fulfill the role of trusteeship. That is why life is considered a test that a person has to emerge from honorably and successfully. There are two criteria for judging whether an act is an ultimate good or not. The first is that this act has to help achieve God's pleasure, and the second is that this act helps people pbutt through life successfully without displeasing God or hindering any other good activities.
The second question is, what is the ultimate source of knowledge of right and wrong? Various answers were given such as experimentation, intuition, and intellect. Surely, Islam does not reject the use of all these sources, but it simply puts these sources in perspective under the broad guidance of divine revelation. This means that the final measure for distinction between right and wrong is revelation, which is knowledge coming from God, Who does not have any deficiencies in His knowledge.
The third and fourth questions dealing with the sanctions on morality are, who has the right to enforce the moral law, and what are the motives behind people following the moral code?
For a Muslim, sanctions on morality and the motives behind it are a combination of both fear and love. Fearing God, not by just being scared of Him, but fearing Him in a sense of not wanting to displease Him to Whom humans owe everything, including their own existence. Also, pursuing God's love by acknowledging His bounties and by keeping away from anything that displeases Him, which is a nobler motive. This is how the ethical theory is answered within the Islamic framework.
Adapted from a lecture in Dr. Jamal Badawi's Islamic Teachings series.
Dr. Jamal Badawi is a professor at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Canada where he currently teaches in the areas of Management and Religious Studies. He is the author of several works on various aspects of Islam.
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