Ethical Foundations of Islam The fundamental principle that underlies Muslim ethics is 'islam', submissiveness to Allah. The Sacred Law is called the Shari'ah, or 'Pathway' and setsout the way of worship prescribed in the Qur’an and the Prophet's practice. It goes beyond the common understanding of worship as the performance of religious rituals, and encompasses the whole of human life, individual as well as social. Thus, all so-called secular activities become acts of worship, provided they are performed with pure and righteous intention, seeking God's pleasure.

Muslims name four ethical sources to which they turn in order to justify their human behaviour. • Qur'an - reading and recitation • The Sunnah or custom of Muhammad • ijma’ - the consensus • giya - analogy These four ethical sources of Islamic teaching establish for the Muslim the shari'ah, the pathway to Allah.

1. The Qur'an (Koran) is the written record of the revelation of Allah to Muhammad during his lifetime - from his first call to be an apostle until his death. • The Qur'an: • is revered by Muslims • is considered to be written without error • cannot be questioned • The principle affirmation of the Qur'an, which underlies all of the suras (chapters), is: • Allah is one • only Allah is to be worshipped

Allah is: • the God of judgement • trustworthy and forgiving • Compassionate • merciful The attitude of Islam towards Allah provides an ethical foundation for Islamic moral practice. The tribal moral practices were to become the basis for the ethical system within Islam. Muhammad applied this to Islam and demanded more of Muslims.

Moral practices of the tribal system were: • equity • hospitality • just dealing to this Muhammad added: • substitution instead of death - the tribal system dealt out the death penalty. The responsibility for the crime fell on the culprit and his kinship group. • law of retaliation still stood - however there was a new stress on the individual's responsibility • introduced the need for forgiveness (which wasn't encouraged in the tribal system.) • Based on Set your Heart on Goodness, page 85-97

Islam seeks to firmly implant in man's heart the conviction that: • his dealings are with God who sees him at all times and in all places; • he may hide himself from the whole world but not from Him; that he may deceive everyone but cannot deceive God; that he can flee from the clutches of anyone else but not from God. Thus, by setting God's pleasure as the objective of man's life, Islam has furnished the highest possible standard of morality.

2. Sunnah (Sunna) • is an Arabic term meaning 'habitual practice'. • is the customary practice of the Prophet Muhammad. The Sunnah contains eyewitness records of the Prophet Muhammad's words, actions and approbations, and is known as the Hadith. The Sira and the Hadith contain a complete and authentic record of the life and mission of the Prophet Muhammad.

These show how he exemplified the teachings and commandments of God in practice, and elaborated the principles laid down in the Qur'an in order to provide a sure guidance for their interpretation and application for all later times and societies. • The Sunnah was developed after the death of Muhammad to address moral questions that had no answer in the Qur'an. Based on Set your Heart on Goodness, page 97-98

3. The Consensus or Ijma • past generations of Muslims. After consulting the Qur'an and the Sunnah, if there is still some doubt relating to a moral issue, the Muslim community will consult the Consensus. The Consensus is governed by the public opinion of the Muslim community as expressed by the Islamic Jurists. As long as a decision does not conflict with the Qur'an or the Sunnah then this opinion will be upheld. Based on Set your Heart on Goodness, page 97-98

4. Analogy • giyas - measurements or analogies Giyas establish a parallel between a moral teaching in the Qur'an or in the Sunnah and a new set of circumstances. e.g. The Qur'an prohibits the drinking of wine because of its intoxicating effects. A modern issue today would be the taking of drugs. Therefore giyas forbid the use of drugs because of their intoxicating effect. This final ethical source can only be accessed if a moral problem can find no answer in the Qur'an, the Sunnah or the Consensus. Based on Set your Heart on Goodness, page 97-98

Terminology Halal lawful as defined by Allah Haraam any act or deed which is prohibited by Allah and will incur His wrath and punishment.

sawm Self-purification through fasting zakat Concern for, and almsgiving to, the needy hajj The pilgrimage to Makkah for those who are able shahadah Faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad salat Establishment of the daily prayers

Islam - Key Beliefs

Key Beliefs of Islam • tawhid - oneness of Allah • belief in Allah as the one true God, supreme and eternal, infinite and mighty, merciful and compassionate, creator and provider.

rusula – prophethood • belief in prophets as the Messengers of Allah • (all twenty-five prophets - e.g. Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad being the last to whom the final message was sent) without any discrimination among them.

al – Akhira – the world to come • belief in a final Day of Judgement when all people have to answer to Allah. Only those who have submitted to Islam will enter into paradise.

Belief in angels as the instruments of Allah’s will. • Belief in all the scriptures and revelations of God (e.g. books of Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus), of which the Qur’an is the final and most complete.

Monotheistic Religions that were established before the birth of Muhammad. Zoroastrianism (developed in Persia around the same time as Judaism in Syria) Judaism Christianity • Shared the following: • belief in one God • belief in the scriptures • belief in angels and devils • ethical code encompassing individual and communal accountability and responsibility

a model for his followers supported by miracles morally the best in his community Prophet became infallible after receiving the message intellectually the best in his community message is from God for the well-being of mankind

Prophet of God Military commander Muhammad a model of Muslim Life. He was a: Chief Judge Ruler Lawgiver In general, Muslims attempted to follow the words of Muhammad and to model their actions after his customary practice. The Arabic term used, that stands for the Prophet Muhammad's customary practice, is the sunna (sunnah).

The Qur’an

The Qur'an (Koran) As the word of God the Qur'an embodies the same authority for every Muslim, whether Sunni or Shi'a and makes Islam 'the religion of the book' Sacred Writings of World Religions, page 115 The Qur'an is the written record of the revelation of Allah through the angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad during his lifetime - he received these divine revelations over a period of twenty-three years.

The Qur'an: • is revered by Muslims • is considered to be written without error • cannot be questioned • The principle affirmation of the Qur'an, which underlies all of the suras (chapters), is: • Allah is one • only Allah is to be worshipped

Allah is: • the God of judgement • trustworthy and forgiving • compassionate • merciful

The Qur'an consists of 114 suras (chapters) Suras vary considerably in the length of verses. • e.g. • the longest sura is Al-Baquarah consisting of 286 verses • the shortest is Alkawthar consisting of 3 verses. In total the Qur'an has 6,666 verses.

The Qur'an speaks in a powerful, moving language about: • the reality and attributes of God • the spiritual world • God's purpose for mankind • man's relationship and responsibility to Allah • the coming of the Day of Judgement • life hereafter

The Qur'an contains: • rules for living • stories of earlier prophets and their communities • vital insights and understandings concerning the meaning of existence and human life The Qur'an gives an outline: • of the ritualistic aspects of Islam e.g. Zakah, fasting and the Hajj • of the moral and ethical codes • of criminal laws • of social, economic and state policies

From the Qur'an, Muslims derive the inspiration and impetus for their daily lives. For example: • passages of the Qur'an are recited during each of the five daily prayers • it is regarded as a book of guidance for daily living

Sunnah (Sunna) • is an Arabic term meaning 'habitual practice'. • is the customary practice of the Prophet Muhammad. • is the second source of Islamic jurisprudence, (the first being the Qur'an) • both the Qur'an and the Sunnah are indispensable - one cannot practise Islam without both being consulted.

Hadith Hadith meaning communication or narrative. Plural term for hadith is ahadith. The Hadithis the narration about the life of the Prophet Muhammad. It contains eyewitness records of the Prophet Muhammad's words, actions and approbations and is taken as a model of behaviour by Muslims. TheHadithbookscontain a complete and authentic record of the life and mission of the Prophet Muhammad.

These show how he exemplified the teachings and commandments of God in practice, and elaborated the principles laid down in the Qur'an in order to provide a sure guidance for their interpretation and application for all later times and societies. These sayings are found in books called Hadith books.

Sunni and Shi'i Islam • The division arose over the question of who has authority to rule over the community of Muslims (Ummah). • Most practices have remained the same for both groups. • They both share the same prophetic revelatory event described in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. • They both accept as fundamental Allah's unity and the mission and message of Muhammad. • Differences developed into a philosophical dispute over the nature of the Imam.

Shi'i Sunni • must be a descendent of Ali • should be chosen through consensus of the ummah • spiritual leaders • belief that Imams have always been around since the time of Adam with Adam being the first Imam • to lead the Islamic world both spiritually and in secular matters • belief in the eventual return of the 12th Imam - called the Mahdi who will lead the forces of good against evil in an apocalyptic battle before the Day of Judgement

There are many different branches of both Sunni and Shi'a Islam. Below are some of the better known groups. Sunni Tradition Khariji'i • arose 7th Century CE • belief in absolute purity of conduct and belief • exists today in small groups in North Africa and southern Arabia Muwahhidun (Wahhabis) • arose around 1800 • adhere to the teachings of Ibn Taimiya condemning all innovations in Islam Mu'tazila

Shi’a Tradition The Imami (twelvers) • dominant branch of Shi'a • believe the 12th Imam after Ali is now hidden Ismaili (Seveners) The Alawite of Syria The Druze Zaidi

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