AKHLAQ

ISLAMIC STUDIESFAH 0013

AKHLAQ

• The concept of Morality in Islam• The definition of Akhlaq• The importance of Akhlaq• Significance• Distinguishing features• Requisite Moral Qualities for Muslims

The concept of Morality in Islam

The concept of morality in Islam centres around certain basic beliefs and principles.1.God is the creator and source of all goodness,

truth, and beauty.2.Man is a responsible ,dignified and honourable

agent of his creator 3.God has put everything in the heavens and the

earth in the service of mankind.4.By his mercy and wisdom, God does not expect the

impossible from or hold him accountable for anything beyond his power. Nor God forbid man to enjoy the good things of live.

The concept of Morality in Islam

5. Moderation ,practicality, and balance are the guarantees of high integrity and sound morality.6. All things are permissible in principle except

what is singled out as obligatory, which must be observed, and what is singles out as forbidden, which must be avoided. 7. Man`s ultimate responsibility is to God and his highest goal is pleasure of his creator

The definition of AkhlaqLiterally =from Arabic Word ‘Khuluq’ means character, behaviour, personal traits, manner.Terminology = Personal behaviour –deal with the relationship between man and God, man and his fellow man, man and the other elements and creatures of the universe, man and his innermost self.

Al-Ghazali defines ‘an establish state of soul from high actions proceed easily, without any need for reflection and deliberation.

Ibn al-Athir defines ‘Akhlaq is the inner characteristic of oneself whether it is good or bad

Islamic Knowledge & Science

The importance of Akhlaq1) Plays a vital role in life- the reason why prophet

Muhammad (pbuh) was sent down to the world.

2) It is a part of Iman 3) The true value and honour of a person is

measured by his akhlaq4) Determine the human civilization –arabic poet

‘indeed nations that are morally upright will last forever. But with the fall of their morals, it will bring about the fall of the nations’

5) To get pleasure of God in this world and hereafter.

Akhlaq in al-Quran and al-Hadith

-al-Qalam :4-al-Israk :23-al-Hajj : 41• ‘’….Verily I have been sent for the perfection of

virtous moral’’ (tradition reported by Ahmad) • ‘’ ….the akhlaq of the prophet is al-Quran• ‘’ (narated by A’isyah r.a)• God in this world and hereafter.

‘’…There is nothing which weighs heavier on the scales of the servant on the day of resurrection than good morals’’ (reported by Abu Daud)

‘’…Whoever is not prevented by his prayers from lewdness and iniquity, gains nothing from Allah except remoteness’’ (tradition reported by al-Tabarani)

Significance• The rules of morality and ethics in Islam must enjoy

full adherence from Muslims. First and foremost because they represent the very one fundamental component of obedience to God’s Shariah which is commanded by Him:– We made for you a law (in the right way of religion),

so follow it, and not the fancies of those who have no knowledge

Secondly , according to the al-Quran and many traditions of the prophet, one’s faith will not be complete without morality. For instance:

• Gods says: o you have faith; fear Allah and be with the truthful people.

• The prophet also said: modesty and faith are twins. One who gives up one has to lose the other too’

• In another occasion he declared: by God he cannot be a believer; By God he cannot be a believer’ By God he cannot be a believer’

• The prophet was asked; who ? He answered: he from whose misdeeds his neighbour is not safe

• About the action of the tongue, the prophet said; a person who believers in God and the hereafter should speak about good things or else should keep quiet

• Thirdly, ethical behaviour is the prerequisite for the acceptance of one’s Ibadah, as made clear in the tradition below

• It is reported that the messenger of God was once asked about the destiny of a woman who perpetually observed fasting and kept vigilant at night by performing prayer. But she committed misdeeds towards her neighbours. The prophet remarked : there is nothing good in her.

• Lastly, the prophet on so many occasions, when asked about the most excellent and the best of the people, said

• The best thing given to man is good character: the best in faith among you is the one who has the best oral character. The nearest to God on the day of judgement will be the one best in character

• Consequently, the Islamic principles of ethics aim at establishing life’s order and giving it regulation, dignity and serenity as desired by the teachings of Islam. Further, in Islamic paradigm of things, no civilization, advancement, and moral and material prosperity of a nation is possible without ethics.

Distinguishing features• The Islamic ethical system stands peerless so far as it

represents permanent standard values that are of lasting validity as they are free from human prejudices and frailties. Its supreme features, therefore, can be summed up as follows:

• 1-it is divinely inspired system as it is a integral part of Shariah.

• 2-Morally good intention has to be followed by permissible action. Because tradition says: actions are determined by intention

• 3-the ultimate goal behind worldly possession is to help one to live according to the demand of his moral life and not profit maximization. God says Wealth and sons are allurements of the life of this world; but things that endure, good deeds, are the best in the sight of your Lord, as rewards, and the best as the foundation for hopes

• 4- freedom to accumulate wealth is accompanied with a sense of moral responsibilities, as no forms of unjust exploitation and deceit, ect., are tolerated.

• 5-Balanced and equitable distributive justice is given full recognition (as Islam has inbuilt mechanism by which wealth can circulate) however, differences in income are tolerated.

• 6-Participation in worldly activities is strongly encouraged with the proviso that any material advancement must lead to the fulfillment of one’s own spiritual upliftment and that of the Muslim community.

Requisite Moral Qualities for Muslims

• The prophet says: Every human is born is a state of natural purity, and it is his encounter with the immediate environment- within the family, and later on society that shapes and forms his character, habit and personality as an entity:

• This underlines the paramount importance of cultivating the seeds of good moral values in the young of today if they are expected to become good citizens of tomorrow. Consequently , we are going to discuss some of the most fundamental ethical values that need to be instilled, nurtured and aspired by all.

God-Consciousness (taqwa)• Taqwa is the noblest of all character traits that a

Muslim should constantly strive to develop.• Literally: to protect, to be wary, to be careful and ti

take good care of.• It is roughly translated as God-consciousness. In the

Islamic usage, it signifies constant awareness of God, either out of love or fear, a feeling that constanly reminds one of the presenc of God

• A strong sense of accountability to God on the part of a Muslim in all his actions and intentions is the essence of taqwa.

Taqwa is the foundation of all moral behaviours and actions. That is why the Quran declares it as:

• 1=The highest of the most sublime quality that God desires to see in a Muslim: The noble of you in God’s sight is the one with the most taqwa’

• 2=The path that was chosen and adopted by the messengers: This is My path, straight. So follow it, and not any other paths,

• 3= A means of salvation for Muslims:• O people, fear your lord, and fear the day no father

shall give satisfaction to his child, and no child shall give satisfaction so his father . Surely God’s promise is true.

Achievement

• How does one achieve Taqwa? The answer is through traning (tarbiyyah) and sriving (mujahadah). This quality can be instilled in the child as he is gradually taught the omnipresence and existence of God. He also develops a constant awareness of the fact that he is always standing before God

Sincerity (ikhlas)• Literally means to purify, clarify, refine and remove all

impurities.• In the islamic usage it refers to the inclination and attitude

on the part of a person who in all his undertakings, has the overriding consideration of gaining the pleasure of God in his mind. In other words, he does everything for sake of God.

• The holy Quran defines ikhlas as the opposite of hypocrisy (nifaq), a blameworthy attitude which literally means trying to sell oneself. In the islamic usage a hypocrite is someone who tries to convince people that he is something that, in reality, he is not.

• The word ikhlas is also employed as the opposite of riya (show off) . Riya means to do good deeds outwardly that are belied by the intention behind the activity

Honesty and truthfulness( sidq)• Mean keeping one’s commitments and transparency

in life.• Absolute honesty and fidelity in all personal

relationships and interactions, in business dealing and transactions, and in the administration of justice are the most fundamental ethical concepts and prinsiples that need to be upheld.

• There are three characteristics of hypocrite: when he speaks he lies, when he makes a promise he breaches it, and when he is trusted he betrays. (al-Furqan 63)

Purify, modesty, and chastity (taharah, hayak, and iffah)

• Muslims’ notion of purify and of living a life of modesty, neatness and cleanliness make them regard anything degrading either utmost abhorrence.

• God and one’s desire to maintain the state of balance that is required for his/her integrity and well being. To create such a society, islam imposes strict rules of modesty, manners and behaviour to be observed by both men and women

• Every religion has its own moral code and among islamic moral code is modesty so when God wants to destroy a man or women, he takes away modesty from him/her. And when he is deprived of modesty, he becomes the most detestable man/women. When becomes detestable he loses trust and when he loses trust and honesty, he becomes extremely fraudulent. God’s blessing is snatched away from him, he becomes extremely cursed, and when this happens, then the yoke of Islam comes out from his neck (become apostate)

Brotherliness (ukhuwwah)• Islam teaches its adherents to establish brotherly relations with

other felow Muslims. That is to desire for themselves. And to dislike things for them the things that they do not like for themselves and to rejoice their happiness and share with them grief and sorrow.

• Brotherliness frees Muslim from the attitude of apathy and indifference towards others. This is delinested in numerous places in the Quran and the Sunnah. For instance the Quran provides;– O mankind; verily, w have creted you from a man and woman,

and have made you nations and tribes that you may one another surely the noblest of you, I the sight of God, is the best in conduct (al-Hujarat 13)

– The prrohet said:– By Him in whose had is my soul, a man does not belive until

he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.

Striving and Hard Work (juhd)

• Man as the vicegerent of God must strive hard to establish a state of true servanthood to God as well as to master all the needed technical skill for managing the affairs of his worldly lif. To do this, he needs t work very hard and embark upon jihad (striving), intellectually, morally and technically. That is why the Quran states:– Man shall have nothing but what he strives for.(al-Najm 39)

– Naturally, no development and progress is possible without hard work and effort.

Economy and Moderation (iqtisad and I’tidal)

• The fundamental moral principle of life, as viewd by Islam, is moderation or balance. That is why the Quran desribes Muslims to be a balanced community:– Thus have We made of you an ummah justly

balanced that you might be witnesses over nations. ( al-Baqarah: 143)

• Accordingly, the Islamic approach to developing man morally and materially is based on principle and law of balance, equilibrium and moderation. It either leans towards asceticism nor towards greedy materialism, but to the fulfilment of both as directed by God. This policy is clearly delineated and applied in various aspects of human life, for instance:

in eating habits and manners, the directive is;

– Voracious eating brings misfortune.2-in dressing, the rule is:

He who puts on the clothes of fame in this world will be clothes of disgrace by God on the day of judgement.

3-As regards to one’s place of residenceAvoid luxurious living, for God’s slaves are not comfort seeking.

4-Regarding other excessive obsessions with material indulgences:I have fears about you form the waywardness of your bellies, sex and the carnal desires.

The prophet summed up the Muslim manifesto of Islam regarding moderation as:

Beauty of form, seriousness and moderation are among the twenty four part of prophet hood.

Justice (al-Adalah) Means giving to the right person in the

right manner what ought to be given, The opposite of justice is oppression (al-

zulm) injustice Justice, at individual level, means

containing or suppressinf one’s inner wordly desires or holding them together in correct proportions to produce a just human being.

Justice at the social level. *It denotes a linding moral commitment of

the individuals in any society to uphold a dlicate balance in all aspects of their lives.

Universal Ethical ValuesISLAMIC

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*a process of allocation of values in a society*who gets what, when and how?*politics is the art of governing mankind by deceiving them.

ISLAMIC

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Types of Justice1-towards God 2-towards his/her self3-towards society and ecosystem

Prophet said:You owe an obligation towards your

soul, an obligation towards your Lord and an obligation towards your life, so you must give to every party its own due right.

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.How to achieve justice;-Personal purification; the purification and reformation of one self, internally and externally, is the starting the point from which all good values proceed.

-inclusion of sense of duty to God; if the thought of God dominates one’s mind, it tremendously influences one to uphold justice.

-Kind and forgiving social attitude; the key to stability in society is peace/harmony among its members, thus having stability great helps to implement justice in society

ISLAMIC

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*Islah means establishing wholesomeness, or reform. opposite 0f fasad which means corrupt, ruined, evil and wrong.Causes of corruption*following the human caprice in deciding right and wrong.

Had he really followed their caprices, the heavens and the earth and everyone within them would have been corrupted. (al-mukminun 71)*

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Reformation (islah)

• Man’s abuse of the position of trust‘Corruption has appeared on land and in the sea because of what men’s hands have earned, so that He may let them taste some part of what they have done, and so that perhaps they may return’ al –Rum 41

ISLAMIC

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• Turning away from divine message or losing the vision of the vicegerency:

• ‘and those who break God’s covenant, and who belittle what God has commanded to be joined, and who work corruption in the earth, thiers shall be the curse and thiers is the ugly abode’ al-Rad 25

• Moral deviation and hypocrisy contribution to fasad:

• ‘Among the people are some who say, ‘We have faith in God and in the last day,’’ but they do not have faith. They eek to deceive God, but they are deceiving only themselves, and they are unaware. In their heart is a disease, so God increased their disease, and their painful chastisement because they are liars. When it is said to them, ‘work not corruption on earth, ‘ they say, we are only doing wholesome deeds’’ surely they are workers of corruption, but they are unaware.

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The role of Adab al-Islam in social relationship

The aim of ‘’Adab al-Islam’’ to help in establishing and maintaning healthy social relationship.

2 What is required of muslims toward each other is mutual responsibility and positive assistance.

3 Muslims are encouraged to meet each other-strengthen social bonds and defends the individual against the psychological consequences of social isolation.

4 Acceptance of any invitation and holding feasts- will make social ties stronger between members of a community irrespective of social status..

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5 Social relations should be quite free of personal interest and engaged in wholly for the sake of God.

6 Social life is encouraged at a wider level-like performing congregational prayer in the mosque.

7 Personal cleanliness is an important factor when communicating with others..

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Moral Crisis Among Muslims

1)Muslims are meant to be the role models of akhlaq for other people

2)They were made by Allah to be the best ummah (aali

Imran:110) 3)Unfortunately, some of them are not playing the role. 4)They are facing moral crisis such as drug addict,

illegitimate children, disciplinary problems in schools, divorces e.c.t

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The crisis actually happened because of several factors:

a) Some muslims do not understand the teaching of Islam(lack of knowledge)

b) Neglecting the responsibilities as Khalifah on this earth.

c) Drowning in world of amusement and entertainmentWhatever matters, every muslim must

continue playing his role in propagating Islam to non -muslim

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• On the authority of Abu Said al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) , who said: I heard the messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h) say:

• Whosoever of you sees an evil action , let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue, and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart..and that is the weakest of faith….(related by Muslim

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Rasullullah S.A.W (An Excellent Example)

• Prophets Muhammad came to this world as an ideal model for mankind..

• The ideas are mentionned in al-Quran and prophet’s tradition

• Prophet came to establish morality and assure every muslim of security, protection, moral integrity and a decent life..

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*

His mission was put to the test in his life and did not stay in the stationary form of theory.*His integrity and truthfulness were beyond doubt not only in the sight of muslims but also in the minds of his most staunch opponents.*He was a successful political leader.*He was the kindest husband, the most loving and cherish able partner.*He was not merely a racial leader or a national liberator he was and still is a man of history and the best model of him who seeks God*in him every man can find something to learn, and excellent examples of goodness and piety to follow.

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Sickness and Medical Treatment

• Diseases and afflictions are facts of life. Muslims as servants of God are required to bear ilness and afflictions with positive attitide and patience as in the Islamic view they are God’s blessing in disguise for Muslims, and above all are test of one’ staying true to his faith in God– ‘Be sure We test you with something of fear and hunger,

some loss in goods or lves of fruits of your toil, but give glad tidings to those who patiently perserve, who say when afflicted with a calamity: to God we belong, and to Him is our return’ al-Baqarah 155-156:

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The reasons are: First diseases are part of God’s pre destination (Qadar) for a patient and to seek treatment is reversing one qadar with another qadar.

Secondly, illness may prove useful for the patient as an opportunity to reflect and remember God.

• Accordingly the prophet of God, set the following guidelines for Muslim to observe when dealing wuth the phenomemenon of disease:1-Sickness is a means of strenthening a believer’s faith and

getting his sins expited.the prophet said: when God wants to be good to someone , He tries him with some hardship.‘For every misfortune, illness, antiety, grief, or hurt that afflicts a Muslim even the hurt caused by the pricking of thorn-God removes some of his sins.

2-A patient when complaining about his sickness to a physian or to a friend or an acquintance should not indicate his ingratitude or anger to God. The Prophet said: If one thanks God before complaining about his pain or disease, then it is not considered impatience

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4- Enduring sickness patiently is rewarded by God5-A patient is recomemded to seek medical treatmant. 6- using prohibited things as medicine is haram.7-seeking treatmant with words from the Quran of

Haduth is allowed

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Recommended Measures During Dead Illness

• If a person after receiving all the medical treatments and other care and moral support still does not recover and he is about to die, according to the Sunnah , the caregiver to him wil have to do the folowing:

• 1-Advise the dying person, if still conscious, to say: La ilaha illa Allah

• 2-Lay the dying person so that the qiblat is on his right side

• 3-Recite surah yasin from the Quran by the side of a dying person so that God will ease his deadbed sufferings.

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4-close the eyes of the dead person immedietly after he passes away.

5-properly cover the corpse pf the deceased6-prepare the body of the dead person for burial as

soon as his death is confirmed by the physician7-Next of kin must sttle the outstanding liability of

the deceased from his estate. The state and community should contribute if the person dies insolvent.