XII. Islam is a Moral System

XII. Islam is a Moral System

Islam has unique moral teachings. They call for strengthening the relationship between humans and their Lord, as well as with one another. They also call for people to correct and straighten themselves, both inwardly and outwardly.

Concerning the correcting and strengthening of the relationship between a person and his Lord, the Qur‘an calls for people to draw close to Allah through both physical and mental acts of worship such as prayer, the pilgrimage, and sacrifice. In addition, the Qur‘an calls us to seek knowledge about Allah through His Names and Attributes. This instils fear and awe of the Lord in people‘s hearts and establishes discipline in applying Allah‘s commands and prohibitions.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also instructed people to remember Allah at all times and in every situation. This creates a permanent connection between people and their Lord and instils stability, strength and tranquillity in their hearts. It is one of the means of protecting against evil and vice, since a Muslim will be reminded constantly that Allah is watching his or her every action. The Prophet (peace be upon him), for

example, instructed that specific invocations be said at the time of sleep, before entering the lavatory, before sexual intercourse, while travelling, when in fear, upon entering or leaving one‘s house, first thing in the morning and in the afternoon, on being afflicted by distress, anxiety or misfortune, when burdened by debt or poverty, upon entering a graveyard, when stopping for a rest or setting up camp, and in many other situations

Concerning a person‘s relationship to others, the Qur‘an promotes behaviour which strengthens and reinforces social relationships such as the importance given to the role of the family. Treating parents kindly, maintaining good relations with other family members, seeing to the rights and needs of spouses and children and dealing with them with love and mercy, and supporting

orphans and the weaker members of society are all obligatory. Conversely, disobeying parents, severing family ties, neglect or abuse of spouses and children, and social isolation are all prohibited.

In addition, the Qur‘an instructs that all people should be treated with high moral behaviour and noble manners. One is encouraged to smile, forgive, return harm with good, and have patience when dealing with other Muslims. Since this high code of moral behaviour is quite trying,

Allah has promised immense reward for the one that achieves this.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed people to adopt good manners when in gatherings, such as not raising one‘s voice, respecting elders, being gentle with

youngsters, greeting those present by saying, ―Assalâmu alaykum warahmatuallah wabarakâtuhu,‖ which means ‗may the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you‘. Islam also demands that we guard our tongues against saying bad things about others, even if what we wanted to say was true.

Islam also tells us that agreements and contracts must be fulfilled, entrusted items returned, and rulers obeyed. It enjoins noble characteristics just as it forbids vileness, baseness, crime, oppression, hostility, aggression, and all other blameworthy and reprehensible qualities.

Islam highly recommends kindness to parents. This command is mentioned eight times in the Qur‘an. In one of the verses, Allah said to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):

And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be dutiful to your parents. If one or both of them become old, do not say to them a word of disrespect nor shout at

them, but address them in terms of honour. And be highly submissive out of mercy, and pray for them saying: My Lord, bestow on them your mercy as they brought me up when I was a child. (Qur‘an 17: 23-24)

Being kind to parents might seem obvious to most. However, this is the beauty of Islam: it emphasizes this point because in reality, being kind to parents may be more difficult than being kind to strangers!

<<A man asked Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): Whom should I honour most?

The Prophet replied: Your mother.

Then the man asked: And who comes next?

The Prophet replied: Your mother.

Then the man asked again: And who comes next?

The Prophet replied: Your mother.

Then the man asked again: And who comes next?

The Prophet replied: Your father

Kindness towards relatives has been promoted by most major religions. Islam, however, takes this aspect to a new dimension. Relatives have specific rights laid out by

the Sharia (Islamic law). We are obliged to assist our relatives by economic as well as social means. The rights of relatives are based on nearness in blood relationship. This can be seen mostly in the rights of inheritors, which are specifically laid out in the Qur‘an. The Qur‘an goes a step further, even assigning rights to foster relations. A Muslim is not allowed to make a bequest that excludes any of his relatives who have been given a share in the 

inheritance. Furthermore, even the amount of charity one can assign has been limited; the rights of the relatives must be fulfilled first.

A Muslim must treat all relatives with the utmost respect and kindness, whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims. A Muslim is not allowed to boycott his or her relatives or cut off relations with them. He or she is encouraged to keep in contact with them even if these relatives were to abandon him or her. Indeed, maintaining family ties is of such great importance that a Muslim is greatly rewarded for doing any good actions that promote this.

Islam encourages treating neighbours very kindly. There is a verse in the Qur‘an that sums this all up:

... [Show] kindness unto parents, and unto near kindred, and orphans, and the needy, and unto

the neighbour who is related [to you] and the neighbour who is not related, and the fellow-traveller and the wayfarer...40 (Qur‘an 4: 36)

Also, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: <<(The Angel) Gabriel continued to urge me to treat neighbours kindly and politely, so much that I thought he would order me to make them my heirs

The Prophet also said: <<Anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day should not harm his neighbour, and anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day should entertain guests generously, and anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day should say what is good or keep quiet.

One of the Prophet‘s neighbours used to throw trash on him regularly, as he passed by. Once when she did not do this, he inquired about her, concerned that something was wrong. He found her ill in bed, and when she thought he would display anger or vengeance, she was surprised to find him merciful, despite all her rude behaviour towards

him. She then embraced Islam because of his kindness. Remember, kindness to neighbours is rewarded by Allah.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught many practical good manners, including the virtue of adopting the correct manners for eating and drinking. These include eating with one‘s right hand and not finding fault with the food but rather being satisfied with it. If you like the food,

you should eat it, but if you have no appetite for it, you should leave it in the dish without criticizing it. This is both out of respect for the blessing of the food and in order not to hurt the feelings of the person who cooked it or offered it. It is also preferred for us to eat with others and not alone, either by eating with family or by inviting a poor person to eat with us. The words ―In the name of

Allah‖ (in Arabic, bismillâh) should be said before beginning to eat, and ―All praise belongs to Allah‖ (Alhamdulillâh) after the meal, in order that people remember the blessing they have been given and the One who provided it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also prohibited people from blowing on food or drink or breathing onto it, out of respect for others who may be sharing it and to avoid the spread of contagious diseases.

Islam also enjoins both physical and spiritual cleanliness. It encourages that we keep our bodies clean, and our clothes and shoes as well. Islam has guided

Muslims for their well-being, even to the minutes detail. For example, a Muslim is encouraged to wash thoroughly after using the toilet, clean his or her teeth often (especially with the siwâk, or toothbrush), and shower after sexual relations.

Concerning spiritual purity, the Qur‘an instructs that the soul be straightened and corrected and that the heart be purified from spite, malice, jealousy, pride and inequity. It calls for integrity of heart and love, affection and humility towards people. It instructs that the tongue be purified from lying, backbiting, slander, and insult. It should then be replaced with truthfulness and softness in speech. Islam encourages unity, so much so that a Muslim is encouraged

to give as many excuses as he could for suspected bad behaviour or speech on the part of his or her fellow Muslim. Also, the wealth, property, and life of a Muslim are held sacred: this means that no one else has the right to interfere with these without the Muslim‘s express permission. The enormity of sins such as slander and backbiting is emphasized in many verses of the Qur‘an, and a chapter of the Qur‘an (Qur‘an 104) is dedicated to this very subject.

We should restrain our eyes from looking at that to which they are not entitled (such as the private parts of

others), and we should keep our ears from listening to loose and immoral talk, including lewd lyrics.

The Qur‘an praises and encourages knowledge and criticizes ignorance, saying that it leads to destruction. It commands people to action and dynamism while prohibiting wasteful talk and laziness.

It also orders that children be born within a legal marriage and that sexual desire be controlled and contained within these parameters.

To uphold the family structure and the well-being of society, the Qur‘an prohibits fornication because it is one of the worst assaults on a person‘s honour and dignity. It is something which causes disease and produces children who are looked upon by society as ‗illegitimate‘.

Likewise, the Qur‘an forbids everything which leads to fornication, so it prohibits looking at pornographic pictures and being alone with women who are not close relatives.43 It also commands that men should lower their gaze from looking or staring at women whom they have no right to look at. Muslim women thus enjoy protection and security and can be confident that a Muslim man will

not even look at her if not permitted to. The same prohibitions hold for women gazing at men unlawfully.

With this same reasoning, Islam enjoins morality in behaviour and appearance. Fashions that reduce women to sex objects are not acceptable. Islamic veiling is a means of protection from unwanted external attention. Allah says in the Qur‘an:

O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women that they should cast their outer garments over their bodies so that they should be known and not molested. (Qur‘an 33: 59)

That means, with their husbands women may wear whatever they wish in the privacy of their own homes, where they will receive only the type of attention they desire.

Islam urges men to be kind to their wives, Allah says in the Qur‘an:

He created mates from among yourselves for you to dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your hearts. (Qur‘an 30: 21)

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: <<The best of you are those who are kindest to their wives

This is because one can be kind in public where everyone is watching, yet be mean and cruel at home. Islam holds Muslims accountable even in this situation, where their true nature may be revealed. This is the true test of moral behaviour.

In Islam, the wife retains her independent legal status and family name. She is not the property of her husband in any way, but she has many rights due to her from him, as he does from her.

In Islam, it is the husband‘s obligation to give his wife a valuable gift at the time of marriage. The groom must present the bride with a marriage dowry. The bride retains her dowry even if she is later divorced. He must support his wife and children financially thereafter. The wife is never obliged to act as a co-provider for the family unless she herself voluntarily chooses to do so. It is the husband‘s

sole responsibility to support his family financially. Islam gives women (whether married, divorced or single) the right to inherit, own and trade.

Polygyny (having more than one wife) is permitted in Islam as a solution to social problems. It addresses the problem of orphans and widows in society. It is also a solution which promotes honesty and matrimonial trustworthiness (especially within the family) for those

who have a desire or need for more than one sexual partner, instead of having one wife and taking mistresses. Thus, instead of having an extramarital affair, Islam requires the man to take responsibility for his actions. Islam limits Polygyny to a maximum of four wives at one time. However, it requires the husband to maintain absolute equality in his treatment of his wives, caring for

each financially and emotionally in the same exact manner. It should be noted that if a woman is unhappy in this situation, and she fears that she will be unable to fulfil her responsibilities to her husband as well as to Allah, she could opt out of the marriage. A man is not allowed to force her to remain married.

Islam is a religion of moderation. Although divorce is allowed when necessary, family unity is encouraged. For example, in the event of a divorce, the two spouses are encouraged to bring arbitrators from their family members to help reconcile them. Islam discourages divorce, yet recognizes the rights of both partners to end their matrimonial relationship if circumstances dictate it. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: <<A believing man should not hate a believing woman. If he

dislikes one of her traits he will be pleased with another.>>45

Therefore Islam is realistic about the option of divorce, yet also encourages solutions to hold the marriage together.

It is clear that women in Islam are honoured for their roles as mothers. Islam acknowledges that a woman sacrifices her life for her children, and thus she is given an honour above that of the father.

The Qur‘an also calls for the protection and sanctity of human life and specifically mentions that the taking of an innocent life is one of the worst and most hideous crimes. The Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade breaking the bones of a dead person, so what about the taking of an innocent life? The Qur‘an prescribes a ‗life for a life‘ and an ‗eye for an eye‘ for all injuries, however large or small, unless the family of the person killed or the injured person accepts financial compensation instead.

The Qur‘an commands that a person‘s property and wealth be safe and inviolable and therefore prohibits theft, bribery, usury and deception. It calls for moderation in spending and so forbids extravagance, lavishness and the

squandering of money while at the same time forbidding the hoarding and amassing of wealth. It calls for balance and commands that people should neither be greedy, stingy and covetous nor extravagant and wasteful. It encourages people to seek their means of livelihood and for their provision in lawful ways such as buying, selling and renting (activities that bring financial or material benefit to all parties concerned). As mentioned Islam also

safeguards the rights and needs of the poor, especially those of them who are relatives or in one‘s own community, so that they do not have to go elsewhere to seek help.

Islam promotes the protection of good health and has therefore commanded that only wholesome and nutritious food be eaten, and eaten in moderation, and has prohibited the consumption of all harmful food and drink such as pork, carrion, tobacco, alcohol and other intoxicants (mind-altering substances), and so forth. It also prescribes fasting, which has many benefits for the body, especially the digestive system.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed that even animals be treated fairly and with kindness, instructing that they should be fed and watered and promising that such action would be rewarded on the Day of Resurrection. He also instructed that they should not be

made to carry a burden more than they could bear, nor tormented or caused undue suffering or killed unless they were harmful. If an animal is to be slaughtered as food then it should not be slaughtered in front of other animals, to avoid causing undue suffering.

Islam maintains respect for the person even after death. When a Muslim dies, he or she must be buried according to the tradition taught by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The body of the person is washed and perfumed. Then it is wrapped in two pieces of white cloth and the body is buried facing the Ka‗bah.

We are advised to hold the body deceased‘s gently to ensure that its bones do not break. Before and after the burial, people are encouraged to pray that Allah forgive the deceased and admit him or her into paradise. Islam prohibits sitting on or walking over the grave, in another sign of respect for the dead.