GNS 203 (ISLAMIC ETHICS AND CULTURE)

 

  ISLAMIC ETHICS AND CULTURE

ISLAM: ITS MEANING, SOURCES AND UNIQUENESS  

The religion of Islam is not named after a person or a people, nor was it decided by a later generation of man, as in the case of Christianity which was named after Jesus Christ, Buddhism after Gautama Buddha, Confucianism after Confucius, Marxism after Karl Marx, Judaism after the tribe of Judah and Hinduism after the Hindus. Islam (which is an Arabic word which simply means "submission or surrendering to the will of God") is the religion which was given to Adam, the first man and the first Prophet (P.B.U.H.) of God, and it was the religion of all the Prophet (P.B.U.H.)s sent by Allāh (Subhānahū  Watacālā) to mankind. 

Furthermore, its name was chosen by God Himself, and clearly mentioned in the final scripture which He revealed to man. In that final revelation, called in Arabic the Qur'ān, Allāh (Subhānahū  Watacālā) states the following: “This day have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion” (Qur'ān 5:3) “If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to God), never will it be accepted of him.” (Qur'ān 3:85) Hence, Islam does not claim to be a new religion brought by Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) into Arabia in the seventh century, but rather to be a re-expression in its final form of the true religion of Almighty God, Allāh ((Subhānahū  Watacālā)), as it was originally revealed to Adam and subsequent Prophet (P.B.U.H.)s. 

The source of Islam is Allāh ((Subhānahū  Watacālā)), the Creator of everything known and unknown to us. He is One, and He is Unique. Allāh ((Subhānahū  Watacālā)) has taught us about Islam via two mediums: the Qur'ān and the Sunnah. Both the Qur'ān and Sunnah were transmitted to us, humanity, via the Messenger of Allāh (P.B.U.H.) : Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) bin Abdullah (P.B.U.H). Despite the fact that Muslims hold the Messenger of Allāh (P.B.U.H.) in high esteem, they still believe he was nothing more and nothing less than a mortal messenger of the immortal Creator. 

The Qur'ān is a book containing the literal Word of Allāh (P.B.U.H.) . It was transmitted from Allāh (Subhānahū  Watacālā)) to an angel of His (Gabriel), and from the angel to the Messenger of Allāh (P.B.U.H.)  who delivered it to us. The Qur'ān covers a wide variety of topics, including evidence to support its claim of being the Word of the Creator, stories of earlier generations, rules which humanity is asked to obey, and information about the Hereafter. The Qur'ān claims that it is protected from change by other than Allāh ((Subhānahū  Watacālā)), and this is confirmed by its 1400 year history. The earliest copies and the latest copies are the same. 

The Sunnah is the term used to describe how the Messenger of Allāh (P.B.U.H.)  (saws) lived his life. The Messenger's life is an example for all Muslims, or those who accept Islam, to follow. Whatever the Messenger (P.B.U.H) did, said, or approved of is a source of Islam just as much as the Qur'ān. The Messenger's role is not overemphasized: his life was dictated by what the Creator desired, and the Messenger did not add or subtract to Islam according to his own personal whim. His life was such that his wife called him "a walking Qur'ān." 

The Qur'ān and Sunnah are the only two mediums by which Allāh (Subhānahū  Watacālā) has directly taught us about Islam. This leads us to the following simple but critical principle: "if any man or woman engages in a belief or action which clearly contradicts the Qur'ān or Sunnah, then that belief or action cannot be thought of as `Islamic". 

This rule applies whether the man or woman is Muslim or non-Muslim. Hence, we cannot equate Islam and the Muslims. Islam is the way of life; Muslims are people who claim to follow that way of life. A Muslim may claim to follow Islam, but be wrong. 

THE QUR'ĀN For Muslims, or followers of Islam, the Qur'ān is the actual Word of God revealed through the archangel Gabriel to the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) of Islam during the twenty-three-years period of his Prophet's mission. It was revealed in the Arabic language as a sonorous revelation which the 

  Prophet (P.B.U.H.) repeated to his companions. Arabic became therefore the language of Islam even for non-Arab Muslims. Under the direction of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.), the verses and chapters were organized in the order known to Muslims to this day. There is only one text of Qur'ān accepted by all schools of Islamic thought and there are no variants. The Qur'ān is the central sacred reality of Islam. The sound of the Qur'ān is the first and last sound that a Muslim hears in this life. As the direct Word of God and the embodiment of God's Will, the Qur'ān is considered as the guide par excellence for the life of Muslims. It is the source of all Islamic doctrines and ethics. Both the intellectual aspects of Islam and Islamic Law have their source in the Qur'ān. Perhaps there is no book revered by any human collectivity as much as the Qur'ān is revered by Muslims. Essentially a religion of the book, Islam sees all authentic religions as being associated with a scripture. That is why Muslims call Christians and Jews the "people of the book". Throughout all its chapters and verses, the Qur'ān emphasizes the significance of knowledge and encourages Muslims to learn and to acquire knowledge not only of God's laws and religious injunctions, in a language rich in its varied terminology, to the importance of seeing, contemplating, and reasoning about the world of creation and its diverse phenomena. It places the gaining of knowledge as the highest religious activity, one that is most pleasing in God's eyes. That is why wherever the message of the Qur'ān was accepted and understood, the quest for knowledge flourished. 

 PILLARS OF ISLAM AND MORAL VALUES 

Purpose of Prophet (P.B.U.H.) hood -- Perfection of Morals The holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) has stated the foremost purpose of his being sent down in this world and the method of his call to the people in these words: “I have been sent only for the purpose of perfecting good morals.” (AI-Muwatta) That great message which has left an indelible impression on the history of life, and for propagating which and for bringing people under whose influence Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) worked ceaselessly. Its purpose was nothing else but to strengthen the moral character of the people so that the world of beauty and perfection may be illuminated before their eyes and they may try to achieve it consciously and with knowledge. Worshipping has been made compulsory in Islam, and it has been included in the basic pillars of faith. But the Islamic forms of worship are not some sort of mystic exercises that link men with some unknown, mysterious being, and which subject men to perform useless acts and meaningless movements. All the Islamic compulsory forms of worship are designed as exercises and training to enable people to acquire correct morals and habits and to live righteously, and to adhere to these virtues till the end, whatever be the changes in their circumstances. 

 

PRAYER PREVENTS COMMITMENT OF EVIL

Salāt (prayer) is a compulsory form of worship, which is like an exercise towards which man is attracted with interest and willingness. He offers it continually, so that his life may be free from all diseases and the body may be healthy and strong. The holy Qur'ān and the Sunnah of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) both are the open proofs of these realities. When Allāh (Subhānahū  Watacālā) commanded the compulsory prayers to be established, He stated its wisdom in this way: “Prayer prohibits obscenity and evil.” 

To keep away from evil, wickedness and to purify from bad deeds are also realities of the prayer. In a Hadith Qudsi it is stated: “I accept the prayers of the person who adopts the policy of humility with it on account of My greatness, obliges My creatures, does not insist on sinning against Me, spends his day in remembering Me, and is kind to the poor, travellers, weak and the suffering people.” 

 

ZAKĀT IS A MEANS OF PURIFICATION 

Zakāt has been made compulsory on the eligible 'scheduled' (SāhibenNisāb) persons. It is Dot merely a tax that is collected from the pockets of the people, but its foremost purpose is to sow the seeds of kindness. sympathy and benevolence, and to provide a chance of introduction among the various sections of the society and to establish the relationship of love and friendliness. The purpose of paying Zakāt has been stated in the Qur'ān in the following words : “0 Prophet (P.B.U.H.) I Take charity from their property so that it may clean them and purify them.” (Qur'ān, 9: 103). To clean the self of the wor1d1y impurities and to raise the standard of the society to the heights of decency and purity are the wisdom behind the levy of Zakāt. For this reason the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) has taken it in a very wide sense, and to pay Zakāt has been made compulsory for every eligible Muslim. The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) has said: “To smile in the company of your brother is charity. To command to do good deeds and to prevent others from doing evil is charity. To guide a person in a place where he can go astray is charity. To remove troublesome things like thorns and bones from the road is charity. To pour water from your jug into the jug of your brother is charity. To guide a person with defective vision is charity for you.” -(Bukhāriy) The environment of desert and the Bedouin life was an environment which had its basis on internal bickering and fights-in such an environment the teachings of Islam were presented to the world and they show what aims and purpose these teachings had, and it shows where these teachings led the Arabs in that dark and dismal environment. 

 

FASTING IS A STEPPING STONE TO RIGHTEOUSNESS

Similarly, Islam has made fasting compulsory. But it is not envisaged that men should keep away from their carnal desires and other prohibited things for a fixed period only. The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) has said: “Fasting is not the name of merely keeping away from eating and drinking, but it is keeping away from wicked and obscene things. If in the state of fasting, someone abuses you or picks up a quarrel with you, say: “I am fasting.” Qur'ān states the purpose of the imposition of fasting in these words:  Fasting has been made compulsory for you, as it was made compulsory for those (followers of earlier Prophet (P.B.U.H.)s) who preceded you, so that you may become righteous.  (Qur'ān, 2: 183). 

 

HAJJ IS A COMPULSORY PILGRIMAGE TO STREGTHEN THE LOVE FOR THE WORLD Sometimes man thinks that to travel to the holy places and to perform pilgrimage, which has been made compulsory for every rich Muslim, and which is included in the basic pillars of Islam, is merely a form of worship that has no relation with the world of morality and character. This is a clear misunderstanding. Giving commands about this compulsory worship, Allāh (Subhānahū  Watacālā) states thus:  The months of Hajj are well-known. In these months whoever intends to perform Hajj should not indulge in sexual act, wicked act, and fighting during the Hajj. Whatever righteous act you will perform will be known to Allāh. Take with you provision for the journey (for Hajj), and the best provision is righteousness. So fear Me, 0 men of understanding  . (Qur'ān, 2:197) This is merely the main outline of the forms of worship which are well known and generally practised in Islam and they are its basic pillars. They show us what a deep relationship is there between religion and morality and how strong and lasting is this relationship. How varying are these forms of worship in their spirit and appearance from one another, but in those aim and purpose how close they are, which the holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) declared his main objective. Therefore, Salāt (prayer), Saum (fasting), Zakāt (Compulsory Annual Due for the Poor), Hajj (Holy Pilgrimage to Makkah and its environs) and other forms of worship like these are the stepping stones for real perfection, and are the means of cleanliness and purity that make life secure and magnificent. On account of high attributes and noble qualities that are the inalienable parts and the consequences of these forms of worship, they have been given a very high and important place in Allāh (Subhānahū  Watacālā)'s religion. If these forms of worship do not purify the hearts of men, if they do not nourish best qualities in those who observe them, and if they do not improve and make firm the relationship between Allāh (Subhānahū  Watacālā) and His slaves, then there is nothing left for men but destruction and devastation. The Most Exalted Allāh (Subhānahū  Watacālā) says:  Surely, he who appears before his Lord as a criminal, there is hell for him, in which he will neither die nor will he live. And he who will appear before Him as a faithful, who has performed good deeds-for all such people there are high positions, ever green paradise, beneath which canals will be flowing; they will live in them forever. This is the reward for him who adopts purity  . (Qur'ān, 20:74-76)

These are what I've learnt and being taught so far on GNS 203.

Thank you.