Bismillaah hir Rahmaan nir Raheem
[SIZE=-1]'In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful'[/SIZE]
Islam has provide for humanity a concrete and naturalistic way of life based on good by which he/she can conduct his/her life. It calls upon mankind not only to practice moral excellence but also to establish it and to eliminate all which is harmful. It obtains the supremacy of one's conscience in all state of affairs, so that what is harmful cannot gain the favorable position in either an individual's or a society's life. Furthermost, these rights can be realized in one's daily and social life, Islam provides a very effective moral system, “whatever improves the well-being of an individual or a society is morally good, and whatever harms this well-being is morally bad..”
Generally there are moral principles of Islam, but sometimes they are not clear yes and no answers, and particular circumstances will have to be taken into account each time a decision is made. Suicide or euthanasia, for example, Islam's respect for life and the recognition that human life is ultimately owned by God who created it, means that no human being has the right to end one's own life or that of another. In the case of abortion, however, there are situations where the life of the mother has to be put before the life of the child. To protect an already established life if put at risk by a developing life whose survival is still questionable, Islam permits abortion under certain medical conditions.
There are many theories that have derived to define morality. One can try and compare Consequentialism, Deontic Ethics, and Virtue Ethics. Moreover, try and find which concept would best suite them thus, come to a reasonable deduction, but there must be one that is correct in all aspects. Yet what is different about Islam is that it takes into consideration the well being of the norm as well as the individual, it makes laws that are universal same time can suite the individual. A complete, flawless system made with such perfection that till today no man could give a concept even close to these system of rules. Which goes on to prove how it could have only been made by the one and only Creator of all that exists.
Many individuals who do not ascribe themselves to any religion will say that they obey the law of the land and act morally, and do what is morally right, and stay away from that which is morally wrong. It is impossible for people to live along side each other with this kind of mentality, as what one person deems to be morally right, can be seen as morally wrong to another. A modern day example of this is, the cut off age for legalintimate relations in countries around the world, in the USA it varies depending on which state you live in, in the UK it is 17 for males, 16 for females, in South Korea it is 13 for both genders. Now for those living in the UK, it would be immoral for them to have Intimate relations with anyone below the age of 16, whereas countries such as South Korea, find it perfectly acceptable.
In addition to that many wars have been initiated under the banner of morality, but there has been great dispute over this as well. A recent example of this, USA and its few allies decided to invade Iraq, they thought that there was enough justification and it was morally right to do so. However, they came across heavy opposition, and they also argued their case based on morality.
This is the danger of moral relativism, now so widespread in many societies. This is why it’s imperative that one must believe in and live his life in accordance to the divine laws of almighty God. This is something that does not alter or change to suit mans desires. Hence, this corruption is thereby prevented. Another benefit is the gradual internalization 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 Judgment, is a powerful motivating factor for one to live a highly moral life.
How does one know what is righteous and what is not? On what scales are moralities appraised? We read in the Qur’an:
It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, and each and every act of obedience to Allah, etc.) that you turn your faces towards east and (or) west (in prayers); but Al-Birr is (the quality of) the one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, and to Al-Masakin (the poor), and to the wayfarer, and to those who ask, and to set slaves free, performs As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and gives the Zakat, and who fulfill their covenant when they make it, and who are As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.) in extreme poverty and ailment (disease) and at the time of fighting (during the battles). Such are the people of the truth and they are Al Muttaqun(2:177)
We are given an aesthetic description of the righteous and the religiously committed individual in these verses. This is the standard by which a particular mode of conduct can be analyzed as either good or bad. It also provides the core around which an individual's as well as a societies moral code should form a resolution about. Before laying down any moral enjoinments, Islam tries to securely instill 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 knows that 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.
In conclusion, Islam provides mankind with a higher system of morality that can be used by an individual to realize his greatest potential. It removes impurities from the soul of self-seeking pride, dictatorship, immorality and lack of discipline. It creates God-fearing men who are dedicated to their ideals, motivated by piety, abstinence, and discipline, and unable to make any compromise with falsehood. It induces feelings of moral responsibility and fosters the capacity for self-control. It nourishes noble qualities from which only good may be expected. In accompaniment tothat God sent his last and final messenger Muhammad ( may peace and blessings be upon him) to perfect the morals and character of the people, and so that we may use him as a leader and follow in his examples. He taught us how to generate kindness, generosity, mercy, sympathy, peace, tolerance, to be high-principled, fairness, and truthfulness towards all creation in all situations.
and Hi Grace seeker,
