THE MORAL SYSTEM IN ISLAM   
       
      
       
      
   Islam has laid down universal fundamental rights for humanity that are to be   
   observed and respected under all circumstances. In order to realise these   
   rights in one's everyday social life, Islam provides both legal safeguards and   
   a very effective moral    
   system. In brief, whatever improves the well-being of an individual or a   
   society is morally good, and whatever harms this well-being is morally bad.   
      
       
      
       
      
   Islam attaches great importance to the love of God and fellow human beings,   
   and discourages excessive formalism. We read in the Quran (what means): “It is   
   not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West, but [true]   
   righteousness is [in]    
   one who believes in Allaah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, and the   
   prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the   
   needy, the traveller, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and   
   who] establishes prayer    
   and gives Zakaah; [those who] fulfil their promise when they promise; and   
   [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are   
   the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous.” [Quran:   
   2:177]   
      
       
      
       
      
   These verses give a beautiful description of the righteous and religiously   
   committed individual. He should obey salutary regulations but fix his gaze on   
   the love of God and the love of humanity. An individual's faith should be true   
   and sincere and he    
   must be prepared to show it in deeds of charity to other people and by living   
   as a good citizen and supporter of social organisations. Finally, individual   
   faith must remain firm and unshaken in all circumstances.   
      
       
      
       
      
   This is the standard by which a particular mode of conduct can be classified   
   as either good or bad. It also provides the nucleus around which an   
   individual's and society’s moral code should revolve. Before laying down any   
   moral injunctions, Islam seeks    
   to implant firmly in man's heart the conviction that his dealings are with   
   God, Who sees him at all times and in all places. While he may hide himself   
   from others or deceive them, he cannot do so with God.   
      
       
      
       
      
   Islam teaches that the objective of one's life is to live a life that is   
   pleasing to God. To make such a goal possible, Islam has provided humankind   
   with the highest possible standard of morality. This moral code, which is both   
   straightforward and    
   practical, provides the individual with innumerable ways to embark upon and   
   then continue the path of moral evolution. By making Divine Revelation the   
   primary source of knowledge, moral standards are made permanent and stable.   
   However, this does not make    
   them inflexible, for there is room for reasonable adjustment and adaptation   
   when needed. The danger of moral relativism, now so widespread in many   
   societies, is thereby avoided.   
      
       
      
       
      
   Another benefit is the gradual internalisation of these moral standards, for   
   one seeks to obey them voluntarily to please God, not because some government   
   or people tell him to do so. An individual's belief in God, when added to his   
   belief in the Day of    
   Judgement, is a powerful motivating factor to live a highly moral life.   
      
       
      
       
      
   Islam does not seek to minimise the importance of traditional and   
      
   commonly accepted moral norms or give exaggerated importance to some and   
   neglect others.   
      
       
      
       
      
   The Islamic moral code incorporates all the commonly accepted moral virtues   
   and then endows them with a sense of balance and proportion, by assigning each   
   one a suitable place and function in the scheme of life. It widens the scope   
   of man's individual    
   and collective life by dealing with his domestic associations, civic conduct,   
   and his activities in the political, economic, legal, educational and social   
   realms. It covers his life from the home to the society, from the dining table   
   to the battlefield    
   and peace conferences. In short, from the cradle to the grave - for no sphere   
   of life is exempt from the universal and comprehensive application of the   
   moral principles of Islam. It makes morality reign supreme and ensures that   
   the affairs of life are    
   regulated by moral norms, and not dominated by selfish desires and petty   
   interests.   
      
       
      
       
      
   A major goal of Islam is to provide humankind with a practical and realistic   
   system of life by which he can conduct his life. It calls upon humankind not   
   only to practice virtue, but also to establish it and to eradicate all that is   
   harmful. It seeks the    
   supremacy of the conscience in all matters so that what is harmful cannot gain   
   the upper hand either in an individual's life or in society. Those who respond   
   to this call are known as Muslims, which literally means those who have   
   submitted to God. The    
   sole object of the resulting community of Muslims or Ummah is undertaking an   
   organised effort to establish what is good and to fight and eradicate what is   
   evil and harmful.   
      
       
      
       
      
   Some of Islam's basic moral teachings are given below. They cover the broad   
   spectrum of a Muslim's personal moral conduct as well as his social   
   responsibilities.   
      
       
      
       
      
   God-Consciousness   
      
      
   The Quran mentions God-consciousness as the highest quality of a Muslim,   
   saying (what means): “…The most noble of you in the sight of Allaah is the   
   most righteous of you…” [Quran: 49:13]   
      
       
      
       
      
   Humility, modesty, control of passions and desires, truthfulness, integrity,   
   patience, steadfastness and fulfilling one's promises - all these moral values   
   are mentioned many times in the Quran, such as (what means):“And God loves   
   those who are firm and    
   steadfast.” [Quran: 3:146]   
      
       
      
       
      
   The Quran also tells Muslims (what means): “And hasten to forgiveness from   
   your Lord and a garden [i.e., Paradise] as wide as the heavens and the earth,   
   prepared for the righteous. Who spend [in the cause of Allaah] during ease and   
   hardship and who    
   restrain anger and who pardon the people – and Allaah loves the doers of   
   good.” [Quran: 3:133-134] And:  “…Establish prayer, enjoin what is right,   
   forbid what is wrong, and be patient over what befalls you. Indeed, [all] that   
   is of the matters [requiring]   
    determination. And do not turn your cheek [in contempt] toward people   
   [Rather, respect them by directing your face and attention to them.] And do   
   not walk through the earth exultantly. Indeed, Allah does not like everyone   
   self-deluded and boastful. And    
   be moderate in your pace and lower your voice; indeed, the most disagreeable   
   of sounds is the voice of donkeys.”  [Quran: 31:17-19]   
      
       
      
       
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)