Muslim Morals and values

I have put together a slide presentation for Muslims and non Muslims to appraise the ethical and moral values and to integrate them as a habit to strengthen the society and the nations. These are universally well recognized values

leading to peace and harmony among fellow human beings. There is a controversy about subjectivism vs.

rationalism and it is for individuals to decide

The concept of morality in Islam centers around certain basic beliefs and principles. Among these are the following: (1) God is the Creator and Source of all goodness, truth, and beauty. (2) Man is a responsible, dignified, and honorable 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 man or hold him accountable for anything beyond his power. Nor does God forbid man to enjoy the good things of life.

Principles of High Moral ground

(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 singled out as forbidden, which must be avoided. (7) Man’s ultimate responsibility is to God and his highest goal is the pleasure of his Creator.

Principles of High Moral ground

“And turn not your face away from people (with pride), nor walk in insolence through the earth. Verily, God likes not each arrogant boaster. And be moderate (or show no insolence) in your walking, and lower your voice. Verily, the harshest of all voices is the voice (braying) of the ass.” (Quran 31:18-19) Arrogance is one of the deadful sins in Christianity as well.

Islam is a comprehensive way of life, and morality is one of the cornerstones of Islam. The guiding principle for the behavior of a Muslim is “Virtuous Deeds”. This term covers all deeds, not only acts of worship. The Guardian and Judge of all deeds is God Himself.

The most fundamental characteristics of a Muslim are piety and humility. A Muslim must be humble with God and with other people:

Muslim Morals and Ethics

God sums up righteousness in Surat Al Baqarah: (2-177) “It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or

West; but it is righteousness (the quality of ) the one who believes in God and the Last Day and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; who spends of his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, to the needy, to the wayfarer, to those who ask and for the freeing of slaves; and who is steadfast in prayers, and gives Zakah (Alms); and those who fulfill their covenants which they made; and who are patient and perseverant in poverty and ailment and throughout all periods of fighting. Such are the people of truth, the pious.”

Awareness of God is key to virtuous living . “Indeed, the most honorable among you in the sight of God is the most pious.” (Quran 49:13)

Awareness of God leads to virtuous living

“And march forth toward forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for the pious. Those who spend (in the way of God) in prosperity and in adversity, who repress anger, and who pardon people; verily, God loves the doers of the good deeds.” (Quran 3:133)

The act of giving , is highly desirable, especially giving things we love. This, like acts of worship, prayers and Zakah (mandatory alms), is an integral part of worship.

Charity begins at home

“The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, but only he (will prosper) that brings to God a sound heart.” (Quran: 26:88-89)

A Muslim should not be vain or attached to the ephemeral pleasures of this world. While most people allow the material world to fill their hearts, Muslims should keep God in their hearts and the material world in their hand.

Greed is not good

Faith must be firm and should not wane when faced with adversity. Morality must be strong to vanquish corruption:

“And God loves those who are firm and steadfast.” (Quran verse 1:143)

Patience is often hardest and most beautiful when it’s against one’s own desires or anger:

Patience in adversity

“You are the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in God; and if the followers of the Book had believed it would have been better for them; of them (some) are believers and most of them are transgressors.” (Quran: 3:110)

Morality reigns in selfish desires, vanity and bad habits. Muslims must not only be virtuous, but they must also enjoin virtue. They must not only refrain from evil and vice, but they must also forbid them.

The Prophet (PBH), summarized the conduct of a Muslim: “My Sustainer has given me nine commands: to remain conscious of God,

whether in private or in public; to speak justly, whether angry or pleased; to show moderation both when poor and when rich, to reunite friendship with those who have broken off with me; to give to him who refuses me; that my silence should be occupied with thought; that my looking should be an admonition; and that I should command what is right.”

Encourage goodness and forbid evil

Many Muslim theologians see the Golden Rule implicit in some verses of the Qur'an and in the Hadith. The Golden Rule was agreed 1993 also by Muslims as a central unconditional ethical norm in the Declaration Toward a Global Ethic.[4]

Do not commit adultery: Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils). (Quran 17:32)

Do not kill unjustly: Nor take life – which Allah has made sacred – except for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully, we have given his heir authority (to demand qisas or to forgive): but let him not exceed bounds in the matter of taking life; for he is helped (by the Law). (Quran 17:33)

Care for orphaned children: Come not nigh to the orphan's property except to improve it, until he attains the age of full strength...(Quran 17:34)

Golden Rule

Keep one's promises: ...fulfill (every) engagement [i.e. promise/covenant], for (every) engagement will be enquired into. (Quran 17:34)

Be honest and fair in one's interactions: Give full measure when ye measure, and weigh with a balance that is straight: that is the most fitting and the most advantageous in the final determination. (Quran 17:35)

Do not be arrogant in one's claims or beliefs: And pursue not that of which thou hast no knowledge; for every act of hearing, or of seeing or of (feeling in) the heart will be enquired into.(Quran 17:36)

Golden Rule

Many Muslim theologians see the Golden Rule implicit in some verses of the Qur'an and in the Hadith. The Golden Rule was agreed 1993 also by Muslims as a central unconditional ethical norm in the Declaration Toward a Global Ethic.

Do not commit adultery: Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils). (Quran 17:32)

Do not kill unjustly: Nor take life – which Allah has made sacred – except for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully, we have given his heir authority (to demand qisas or to forgive): but let him not exceed bounds in the matter of taking life; for he is helped (by the Law). (Quran 17:33)

Care for orphaned children: Come not nigh to the orphan's property except to improve it, until he attains the age of full strength...(Quran 17:34)

Keep one's promises: ...fulfill (every) engagement [i.e. promise/covenant], for (every) engagement will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning). (Quran 17:34)

Golden Rule

Be honest and fair in one's interactions: Give full measure when ye measure, and weigh with a balance that is straight: that is the most fitting and the most advantageous in the final determination. (Quran 17:35)

Do not be arrogant in one's claims or beliefs: And pursue not that of which thou hast no knowledge; for every act of hearing, or of seeing or of (feeling in) the heart will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning).

(Quran 17:36)

Golden Rule

In the 17th chapter, "Al-Israa" ("The Night Journey"), verses [Quran 17:22], the Qur'an provides a set of moral stipulations which are "among the (precepts of) wisdom, which thy Lord has revealed to thee" that can be reasonably categorised as ten in number. According to S. A. Nigosian, Professor of religious studies at the University of Toronto, these resemble the Ten Commandments in the Bible and "represents the fullest statement of the code of behavior every Muslim must follow".[3] However, these verses are not regarded by Islamic scholars as set apart from any other moral stipulations in the Qur'an, nor are they regarded as a substitute, replacement, or abrogation of some other set of commandments as found in the previous revelations.

Worship only God: Take not with Allah another object of worship; or thou (O man!) wilt sit in disgrace and destitution. (Quran 17:22)

Be kind, honourable and humble to one's parents: Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour. (Quran 17:23)

Golden Rule

Be neither miserly nor wasteful in one's expenditure:And render to the kindred their due rights, as (also) to those in want, and to the wayfarer: But squander not (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift.

(Quran 17:26)

Do not engage in 'mercy killings' for fear of starvation:Kill not your children for fear of want: We shall providesustenance for them as well as for you. Verily the killingof them is a great sin. (Quran 17:31)

Golden Rule

According to Amanat , Frank Griffe and George F. Hourani:

Historically, Islamic jurists and theologians developed two different answers to the question of why or when a ruling is correct. One position, which is characterized by rationalistic objectivism and associated with the Mu'tazilite school of theology, holds that acts are inherently good or bad and that the human intellect is able to know their value without the aid of revelation. The goodness or badness of an act is tied primarily to its beneficence or harm, which the human intellect can assess. A correct legal ruling thus would be one that permits a beneficial act or prohibits something harmful.

The other position, characterized by theistic subjectivism, is that of the Ash 'rite school of theology. Adherents of this position hold that something is good only because God commands it and bad only because He prohibits it. This school of thought emphasizes that the human intellect is incapable of arriving at moral knowledge independent from the divine revelation. The ethical and legal value of an act is knowable exclusively through an evaluation of God's will as revealed in scripture. A correct ruling can be derived only from the revealed law.

Values defined

The Contrary Virtues were derived from the Psychomachia ("Battle for the Soul"), an epic poem written by Prudentius (c. 410). Practicing these virtues is alleged to protect one against temptation toward the Seven Deadly Sins: humility against pride, kindnessagainst envy, abstinence against gluttony, chastity against lust, patience against anger, liberality against greed, and diligence against sloth.

The Seven Heavenly Virtues: faith, hope, charity, fortitude, justice, temperance, prudence

The Heavenly Virtues combine the four Cardinal Virtues: prudence, temperance, fortitude -- or courage, and justice, with a variation of the theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity. I'm still researching the origins and popular usage of this formulation.

The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy Continuing the numerological mysticism of Seven, the Christian Church assembled a

list of seven good works that was included in medieval catechisms. They are: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, give shelter to strangers, clothe the naked, visit the sick, minister to prisoners, and bury the dead.

Contrary virtues and values

Contrary, Heavenly, and Cardinal Virtues

In this world of iniquity, they are a few gleams of hope in the mire of our shameful indulgences. Various formulations of Virtue have been proposed over the ages.

The Cardinal Virtues:

prudence, temperance, courage, justice

Classical Greek philosophers considered the foremost virtues to be prudence, temperance, courage, and justice. Early Christian Church theologians adopted these virtues and considered them to be equally important to all people, whether they were Christian or not.

The Theological Virtues:

love, hope, faith

St. Paul defined the three chief virtues as love, which was the essential nature of God, hope, and faith. Christian Church authorities called them the three theological virtues.

The Seven Contrary Virtues: humility, kindness, abstinence, chastity, patience, liberality, diligence

Contrary virtues and values (con t’)

Led by Catherine Dahlsgaard, we read Aristotle and Plato, Aquinas and Augustine, the Old Testament and the Talmud, Confucius, Buddha, Lao-Tze, Bushido (the samurai code), the Koran, Benjamin Franklin, and the Upanishads – some 200 virtue catalogs in all. To our surprise, almost every single one of these traditions formed across 3000 years and the entire face of the earth endorsed six virtues:

– Wisdom and knowledge – Courage – Love and humanity – Justice – Temperance – Spirituality and transcendence

Universal best six virtues

Curiosity and Interest in the World

Love of Learning

Judgment, critical thinking and open-mindedness

Ingenuity, originality, practical intelligence, street smarts

Social intelligence, personal intelligence, emotional intelligence

Perspective

Wisdom and knowledge

Valor and bravery

Perseverance, industry, diligence

Integrity, genuineness, honesty

Kindness and generosity

Loving and allowing oneself to be loved

Citizenship, duty, teamwork, Loyalty

Fairness and Equity

Leadership

CourageLove and humanity

Justice

Temperance Self-control Prudence, discretion, caution Humility and modesty Transcendence Appreciation of beauty and excellence Gratitude Hope, optimism, future-mindedness Sense of purpose Forgiveness and mercy Playfulness and humor Zest, passion, enthusiasm

Temperance Transcendence

Acceptance, Accountability, Duty, Accuracy Action Adaptability Aesthetics Ahimsa Appreciation, Thankfulness Aspiration Assertiveness Awe

Balance Boldness Bravery, Valor Caring Caution, Forethought Charity Cheerfulness Citizenship Cleanliness

Universal List of Virtues

1. Thou Shalt Have No Gods Before Me 2. Thou Shalt Not Make Graven Images 3. Thou Shalt Not Take the Lord's Name in Vain 4. Remember to Keep Holy the Sabbath 5. Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother 6. Thou Shalt Not Kill 7. Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery 8. Thou Shalt Not Steal 9. Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness 10. Thou Shalt Not Covet

Ten Commandments(Bible)

Mohandas Karamachand Gandhi, one of the most influential figures in modern social and political activism, considered these traits to be the most spiritually perilous to humanity.

Wealth without Work Pleasure without Conscience Science without Humanity Knowledge without Character Politics without Principle Commerce without Morality Worship without Sacrifice

Gandhi's Seven Deadly Sins

Gentleness Grace Gratitude Growth Harmony Helpfulness Honesty Honor Hope Humanity, Nurturing Humility Humor Idealism Impartiality Independence Industry Ingenuity Initiative Inquisitiveness Insight Integrity Intention Joyfulness Judgment Justice Kindness Knowledge Leadership Logic Love Mercy Mindfulness Moderation Moral Core

Universal List of Virtues

Collaboration Commitment Common Sense Compassion Competence Confidence Consideration Contemplation, Awareness Contentment Cooperation Courage Courtesy Creating Beauty Creativity Curiosity Daring Decisiveness Dedication Dependability Detachment Determination Devotion Diligence Discernment Discretion Doubt, Critical Thinking Dreaming Earnestness, Sincerity Empathy, Sympathy Endurance Engagement Enthusiasm Equality, Modesty Ethics Excellence Fairness Faith Faithfulness, Loyalty, Fidelity Flexibility Focus Forbearance Forgiveness Freedom Friendliness Generosity

Universal List of Virtues

Nobility No harm, Harmlessness Objectivity Openness Optimism Orderliness Organization Passion, Zest Patience Peacefulness Peacemaking Perseverance, Steadfastness, Tenacity Persistence Playfulness Politeness PragmatismPrecision Prudence Purity Purposefulness Rationality Realism Reliability Remorse, Contrition, Shame Repentance Resilience Respect Responsibility Restraint, Self-Control Reverence Righteousness Sacrifice Self-Discipline Serenity Service Simplicity Skepticism Skill Stamina Stewardship Strength Tact Teamwork Temperance Thoroughness Thrift Tolerance Trust Trustworthiness Truth-seeking Truthfulness, Candor Understanding Unity Universal Ethics Veracity Virtue Vision Wisdom Wonder

Universal List of Virtues