Being a good person is not enough: Why do ethics need Islam? (Part 2)

The answers to the questions of moral pedagogy, which Muslims call "education", are quite flexible and varied. What is the right way to acquire or teach the desired virtue: love or fear? Is it the warm upbringing of a loving parent or the iron discipline of a strict educator? Philosophical reflections of the wise or the advice of the most successful and powerful people? The intensity of the battles or the silence of the library? Ovamir Anjum, head of the Department of Islamic Studies at the University of Toledo (USA), editor-in-chief of the Yaqeen Institute of Islamic Studies and founder of the Ummatics Institute, writes in the article.

Moral questions

Rejecting the claims of modern development and the epistemic imperialism of the secular world allows us to assess the relevance of Islamic ethics. You don't have to be a Muslim to understand the need for an alternative to today's evil hegemonic models. How do we know what is right and what is wrong? Are moral standards such as "it is wrong to kill an innocent person" and "it is good to be generous to a person in need" simple norms that make our lives easier (in which case they have no objective basis) or are based on the properties of things (in which case they can be known only by reason) or by God rules that were revealed for no reason (in which they can only be known through revelation)? These are called meta-ethical questions. Muslim scholars, as we have seen, debated these questions in depth and accepted every version of these answers, but always divine revelation was placed at the center.

There are also questions about how morality is organized into a system of priorities. What do we do when desired behaviors and qualities are more important than others, and when they conflict? Here, all Muslims agree that the right to define this system in the form of law or sharia belongs to Allah.

The answers to the questions of moral pedagogy, which Muslims call "education", are quite flexible and varied. What is the right way to acquire or teach the desired virtue: love or fear? Is it the warm upbringing of a loving parent or the iron discipline of a strict educator? Philosophical reflections of the wise or the advice of the most successful and powerful people? The intensity of the battles or the silence of the library?

But even more important is the question of purpose or teleology. What is the ultimate goal of life, that is, personal behavior and social life? Is the goal to maximize pleasure and personal freedom, gain group power for dominance, or please God? It doesn't matter what the answer is to such an important question. Most importantly, those who constantly meditate on the nature of goodness and pursue it are likely to live better lives and are always more likely to achieve truth and goodness. At the same time, moral considerations that make us more virtuous and beautiful people have the power to destroy heresy and superstitions, sectarianism and even propaganda in our culture. Those who think deeply about morality were the first to convert to Islam and became the most noble of Muslims.

This article (tablet) on Islamic ethics serves as an answer to the above-mentioned questions. First, we present the Prophetic statement that forms the basis of the approach adopted. We then show how the philosophical discussion of morality leads to its source, Almighty God, but also to limited rationality and the need for divine guidance. Finally, we show that Islam is not only compatible with reason, but also requires a rational understanding of virtuous behavior as part of its holistic guidelines.

In a hadith narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, summed up all his duties and said:

"I am sent to perfect good deeds."

The Messenger of God, may God's prayers and peace be upon him, affirms that people have known and possessed noble qualities in these words of blessing; and revelation was revealed only to complete and perfect these characteristics. There are two interpretations of the peculiar word "innama" and both are correct:

"I was not sent to create anything new, but only to perfect virtuous characters."

"I was sent only to fill up the virtues."

The first means that before men had direct revelation, some of them had more knowledge and virtue than others. This is supported by many other revealed texts as well as logical arguments and empirical observations. When the Prophet, may God's prayers and peace be upon him, met Al-Ashajj, who was from the tribe of Abdul Qays and had accepted Islam, he said: "You have two qualities that God loves: tolerance and gentleness." Then a wise man became interested and asked, "O Messenger of God, can I form these qualities myself or will God make them fit in my nature?"

Mr. Rasulullah, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "No, it is Allah who made them part of your nature." Al-Ashajj gratefully said: "Praise be to God who gave me the qualities that God and His Messenger love!" said.

This tradition also explains that certain qualities are naturally given by God to some more than others, while others can be acquired through training and education. In another hadith: "The Messenger of God, may God's prayers and peace be upon him, said: "You will see that people are madans (the starting point of the generation). Those who are good in Jahiliyyah are the best in Islam, if there is a jurist in religion.''

In his commentary, Ibn Hajar points to three aspects of this hadith: noble character, which is a stable nature given by God (which is why it is likened to metal ore), accepting Islam in order to achieve ultimate happiness, and striving to achieve religious knowledge. The best of people are those who have all three, but if someone rejects Islam, all the other blessings will automatically be nullified. With faith, all natural gifts radiate from themselves so brightly that, as a result, a person hastens to acquire knowledge and understanding of revelation.

No matter how high their morals are, no matter how generous their deeds, it will not benefit those who reject faith: "The deeds of those who disbelieve in their Lord are like ashes blown by the wind on a stormy day. They don't get anything from their profession. That is the long delusion" (Surah Ibrahim verse 18).

The second meaning is also correct, because the main goal of the Prophet's message, worshiping the true Creator and Merciful is also the greatest virtue, it is an expression of praising the Creator and acknowledging the truth, and there is no greater injustice than rejecting the verses of God (An'om, 21; Sajda, 22). Therefore, his duty (peace be upon him) is nothing but perfecting all the virtues.

In summary, Islam perfects moral virtues in three ways:

• by giving these qualities a proper purpose or teleology (Allah the Exalted):

• by providing the highest and constant level of motivation;

• By providing the right meaning and balance between competing values through the revealed Law, Sharia.

To be continued. Read the first part

Being a good person is not enough: Why do ethics need Islam? (Part 1)