Islamic Way of Life
Abul A‘la Al-Mawdudi
1. ISLAMIC CONCEPT OF LIFE
The chief characteristic of the Islamic Concept of Life
is that it does not admit a conflict, nay, not even a significant
separation between life-spiritual and life-mundane. It
does not confine itself merely in purifying the spiritual and
the moral life of man in the limited sense of the word. Its
domain extends to the entire gamut of life. It wants to
mould individual life as well as the social order in healthy
patterns, so that the Kingdom of God may really be established
on the earth and so that peace, contentment and
well-being may fill the world as waters fill the oceans. The
Islamic Way of Life is based on this unique approach to
life and a peculiar concept of man’s place in the Universe.
That is why it is necessary that before we proceed to discuss
the moral, social, political and economic systems of
Islam, we should have a clear idea of the Islamic Concept
of Life.
There are certain basic postulates which should be understood
and appreciated at the very outset. These postulates
are as follows:
1.1. Basic Postulate
Allah Who is the Creator, the Ruler and the Lord of
the entire Universe has created man and provided him with
temporary station in that part of His vast kingdom (cosmos)
which is known as the earth. He has endowed man
with the faculties of thinking and understanding, and has
given him the power to distinguish right from wrong. Man
has also been invested with freedom of will and choice and
the power to use the resources of the world in any manner
he likes. In short, man has been given a sort of autonomy
while being appointed by God on earth as a successor to
the beings that had previously populated it.
Before assigning to man the inheritance of the earth,
God made it explicitly clear to him that He alone is the
Lord, the Ruler and the Deity. As such, the entire Universe
and all the creatures in it (including man) must submit to
Him alone. Man must not think himself totally free and
should know that this earth is not his permanent abode.
He has been made to live upon it only during the period
of his probation, and in due course, he will return to his
Lord, to be judged according to the way he has utilized
the period of probation. The only right course for man is
to acknowledge Allah as the only Lord, the Sustainer and
the Deity and to follow His Guidance and His Commands
in all walks of life. Man must live this life with the realization
that he is to be judged and his sole objective should
be to merit the pleasure of Allah so as to emerge successful
in the final test. Conduct which is contrary to this would
lead man astray. If man follows the course of piety and
Godliness (which he is free to choose and follow) he will
succeed in this world and in the next, in this world he
will live a life of peace and contentment, and in the Hereafter
he will qualify himself for the heaven of eternal bliss,
al-Jannah. And if he chooses to follow the other course,
i.e., that of Godlessness and evil (which he is equally free
to choose and follow) his life will be one of corruption,
disruption and frustration in this world and he will meet
colossal misfortune in the life to come - that abode of pain
and misery which is called Jahannam (Hell).
After administering the warning, God set man upon
the earth and provided the very first human beings (Adam
and Eve) with Ms Guidance in accordance with which men
were to live on the earth. Thus, man’s life on this earth
did not begin in utter darkness. The very first man was
provided with a burning torch of light and guidance so that
humanity might attain its glorious destiny. The very first
man received revealed knowledge from God Himself. He
had knowledge of the reality and was given the code of
life by following which he could live a life of bliss and success.
This code of life was Islam, the attitude of complete
submission to Allah, the Creator of man and of the whole
universe. It was this religion which Adam, the first man,
passed down to posterity. But later generations gradually
drifted away from the right path and adopted different
erroneous paths. Because of negligence, they lost the original
teachings, or due to folly or mischief they adulterated
and perverted them. They associated with God innumerable
human beings, non-human objects and imaginary entities
as deities and indulged in Shirk (polytheism) of the
worst type. They mixed up the pure teachings of God
with strange myths, ideas and philosophies and thus produced
a jungle of religions and cults. They discarded the
God-given principles of social ethics and collective morality,
the Shari’ah, and deprived the human life of peace and
tranquility.
Although men departed from the path of truth, disregarded
and distorted the Shari’ah and some of them even
revolted against the code of Divine Guidance, yet God did
not destroy them or force them to the right course. Forced
conversion to the right path was not in keeping with the
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autonomy He had given to man. Instead, God appointed
certain virtuous persons from amongst the people themselves,
to discharge the responsibility of recalling and guiding
men to the right path during their sojourn on the earth.
These men believed in God, and lived a life of obedience to
Him. He honored them by His revelations and gave them
the knowledge of reality. These men, known as prophets
(peace be upon all of them), were assigned the task of presenting
the message of truth to humanity and of asking the
people to come to the path of the Lord.
These prophets were raised in all epochs, in all lands
and in all nations. Out of numerous prophets sent by God,
the Qur’an explicitly mentions twenty-five. All of them
brought the same message, all of them advocated the same
way of life (Deen) i.e., the way which was revealed to man
on the first day of his existence. All of them followed the
same guidance: the guidance which was prescribed by the
Lord for man at the outset of his career on the earth. All
of them stood for the same mission: they called men to
the religion if Islam, asked those who accepted the Divine
Guidance to live in accordance with it: and organized them
into a movement for the establishment of the Divine Law,
and for putting an end to all deviations from the Right
Path. Every prophet tried to fulfill this mission in the best
possible way. But quite a number of people never accepted
this guidance and many of those who accepted it gradually
drifted astray and, al lapse of time, lost the guidance or
distorted it through innovations and perversions.
At last, God raised Prophet Mohammed (peace be
upon him) in the land of Arabia and assigned to him the
completion of the mission for which earlier prophets were
ordained. The message of Mohammed (peace be upon
him) was for the whole of mankind. He presented anew
the teachings of Islam in their pristine form and provided
mankind once again, with the Divine Guidance which they
had lost in its original form. He organized all those who
accepted his message into one Ummah (Nation) which was
charged with reconstructing its own life in accordance with
the teachings of Islam, by calling mankind to the path of
righteousness and with establishing the supremacy of the
word of God on the earth. This guidance is enshrined in
the Holy Qur’an which constitutes the only right code of
conduct for mankind.
1.2. Iman (Faith): Its Nature And Character
We have discussed above those basic postulates of Islam
which, on the one hand, revealed God’s plan for providing
guidance to man in this world and, on the other, defined
the nature, position and status of man in it. Now, let us
study the foundations on which the Qur’an wants to develop
man’s relationship with Allah and the concept of life
which naturally follows from that relationship.
The Qur’an deals with this problem on many occasion
but the entire concept of life envisaged as epitomized in
the following verse:
” God hath purchased of the Believers. Their persons
and their goods; For their (in return) Is the Garden (of
Paradise) They fight in His Cause, And slay and are slain:
A promise binding on Him In Truth, through the Law, The
Gospel, and the Qur’an: And who is more faithful To his
Covenant than God? Then rejoice in bargain Which ye
have concluded: That is the achievement supreme. ”(Al-
Qur’an, IX:II1)
In the above verse the nature of the relationship which
comes into existence between man and God because of
Imam (the act of reposing faith in Allah) has been called
a ”bargain”. This means that Iman in Allah is not a mere
metaphysical concept; it is in the nature of a contract by
which man barters his life and his belongings with Allah in
exchange for Paradise in the life Hereafter. God so to say,
purchases a believer’s life and property and promises, by
way of price, the award of Paradise in the life after death.
The concept of bargain has important implications and we
should, therefore, first of all clearly understand its nature
and meanings.
The fact of the matter is that each and every thing in
this world belongs to Allah. He is the real owner of them
all. As such, man’s life and riches, which are part of this
world, also belong to Him, because it is He Who created
them and it is He Who has assigned them to each man
for his use. Looking at the problem from this angle; the
question of His purchasing what is already His: Man is not
their real owner; he has no title to sell them. But there
is one thing which has been conferred on man, and which
now belongs fully to him, and that is his free will, the
freedom of choice of following or not following the path of
Allah. As man has been endowed with free will in this respect,
he is free to acknowledge or not to acknowledge the
reality of things. Although this freedom of will and choice
that man possesses does not automatically make him the
real owner of all the energies and resources on which he
has command. Nor does he acquire the title to utilize
them in any way he likes. Nor does his acknowledgment
of reality or refusal to do so in any way affects reality as
such. Yet it does mean that he is free to acknowledge the
sovereignty of God and His over lordship on his own life
and belongings or refuse to acknowledge it and to arrogate
to himself the position of total independence. He may, if
he so likes, regard himself free from all obligations to the
Lord and may think that he enjoys full rights and powers
over all that he has, and thus, may use them according to
his own wishes unfettered by any higher command. It is
here that the question of bargain comes in. This bargain
does not mean that God is purchasing something which
belongs to man. Its real nature is this: All creation belongs
to God but He has bestowed certain things on man
to be used by him as a trust from God. And man has been
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given freedom to honestly fulfill the trust or if he so likes,
to betray it or misuse it. Now, God demands that man
should willingly and voluntarily (and not under duress or
compulsion) acknowledge those things as His which really
belongs to Him and man should use them as a trust from
God and not as something his own to be used as he pleases.
Thus, a man who voluntarily renounces the freedom even
to refuse God’s supremacy and instead acknowledges His
sovereignty. So to say, ”sells” his ”autonomy” (which too
is a gift from God and not something which man has acquired
of his own) to God, and gets in return God’s promise
of eternal bliss that is Paradise. A man who makes such
a bargain is a ”Mu’min” (Believer). And Iman (Belief)
is the Islamic name for this contract; while the one who
chooses not to enter into this contract, or after making
such a contract amounting to its gross breach, is one who
has followed the course of the devil. Thus Allah says:
”Say if it be that your fathers, Your sons, your brothers,
Your mates, or your kindred; The wealth that you have
gained; The commerce in which you fear a decline: or the
dwellings in which you delight Are dearer to you than God,
Or His apostle, of the striving In His cause; then wait until
Allah brings about His Decision. And God Guides not the
rebellious.” (Al-Qur’an, IX:24)
The attempt to avoid or abrogate this contract can lead
to Kufr (total disbelief). Such is the nature and the contract.
Now let us briefly study its various aspects and
stipulations.
God has put us to serious trail on two counts:
He has left man free. But even after giving him that
freedom He wishes to see whether or not man realizes his
true position. Whether he remains honest and steadfast
and maintains loyalty and allegiance to the Lord, or loses
his head and revolts against his own Creator; whether he
behaves like a noble soul, or tramples under foot all values
of decency and starts playing fantastic tricks.
He wants to see whether man is prepared to have such
confidence in God as to offer his life and wealth in return
for what is a promise. That is to materialize in the next
world and whether he is prepared to surrender his autonomy
and all the charms that go with it, in exchange for a
promise about the future.
It is an accepted principle of Islamic law that Iman consists
of adherence to a certain set of doctrines and whosoever
reposes faith in those doctrines becomes a Mu’min.
No one has a right to denounce such a man as non-believer
or drive him out of the fold of the Ummah (Islamic Community),
save when there is explicit proof of falsity or of
renunciation of the belief. This is the legal aspect of the
problem. But in the eyes of the Lord, only that Iman is
valuable which consists in complete surrender of one’s will
and choice to the Will of Allah. It is a state of thought
and action wherein man submits himself fully to Allah,
renouncing all claim to his own supremacy. It is something
that comes from the heart. It is an attitude of the
mind and prepares man for a certain course of action. If
a man recites the Kalima, enters into the contract, and
even offers his prayers and performs other acts of worship,
but in his heart he regards himself as the owner and the
sovereign dispenser of his physical and mental powers and
of his moral and material resources, uses them to his own
liking and upholds his freedom of will, then, however much
of the people may look upon him as Mu’min (believer), in
the eyes of God he will be a non-believer, for he has, in fact,
not really entered into the bargain which according to the
Qur’an is the essence of Iman (belief). If a man does not
use his powers and resources in the way God has prescribed
for him, and instead uses them in pursuits which God has
prohibited, it clearly shows that either he has not pledged
his life and property to Allah, or even after pledging them
to Him, he falsifies the pledge by his conduct.
This nature of Iman makes the Islamic way of life distinct
from, nay, the very opposite of, the non-Islamic way
of life. A Muslim, who has real faith in Allah, makes every
aspect of his subservience to the Will of Allah. His entire
life is one of obedience and surrender and he never behaves
in an arrogant or an autonomous way, except in a moment
of forgetfulness. And after such a lapse as soon as he becomes
conscious of it, he again re-addresses himself to his
Lord and repents his error. Similarly, a group of people
or a society which consist of true Muslims can never break
away from the Law of their Lord. Its political o, its social
organization, its culture, its economic policy, its legal system
and its international strategy must all be in tuned with
the Code of Guidance revealed by Allah and must, in no
way, contravene it. And if ever, through error or omission,
any contravention it committed, they must, on realizing
this, correct this immediately and return forthwith to the
state of subservience to the Law of God. It is the way of
the non-believers to feel free from God’s Guidance and to
behave as one’s own master. Whoever adopts such a policy,
even though he may bear a name similar to that of a
Muslim, is treading the satanic path and is following the
way of the non-believers.
The Will of God, which is obligatory upon man to follow,
is the one which God Himself has revealed for man’s
guidance. The Will of God is not to be determined by man
himself. God has Himself enunciated it clearly and there
is no ambiguity about it. There, if a person or society is
honest and steadfast in its contract with Allah, it must
scrupulously fashion its entire life in accordance with the
Book of God and the Sunnah (practical example) of the
Prophet (peace be upon him).
A little reflection will show that these aspects and stipulations
are logically implicit in the bargain and it is also
clear from the above discussion why the payment of the
”price” has been postponed tot he life after death. Paradise
is not the reward for the mere profession of the bar-
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gain, it is the reward for the faithful execution of the contract.
Unless the contract is fully executed and the actual
life-behavior of the ”vendor” complies with the terms of
the contract he does not become entitled to the reward.
Thus, the final act of the ”sale” is concluded only at the
last moment of the vendor’s life, and as such, it is natural
that the reward should be given to him in the Life
Hereafter.
There is another significant point which emerges from
the study of the verse quoted above (Al-Qur’an, IX:24)
when it is read with reference to its context. In the verses
preceding it, reference has been made to the people who
professed Iman and promised a life of obedience, but when
the hour of trail came they proved unequal to the task.
Some neglected the call of the hour and betrayed the cause.
Others, played tricks of hypocrisy and, refused to sacrifice
their lives and riches in the cause of Allah. The Qur’an,
after exposing these people and criticizing their insincerity
makes it clear that Iman is a contract, a form of pledge
between man and God. It does not consist of a mere profession
of belief in Allah. It is an acknowledgment of the
fact that Allah alone is our Sovereign Lord and Ruler and
that everything that man has, including his life, belongs to
Him and must be used in accordance with His directives.
If a Muslim adopts a contrary course he is insincere in his
profession of faith. True believers are only those who have
really sold their lives and all that they possessed to God
and who followed His dictates in all fields of activity. They
stake their all in obedience to the Commands of the Lord,
and do not deviate even an inch from the path of loyalty
to God. Such only are the true believers.
1.3. The Plan Of Life
This discussion makes it clear that Islam begins with
laying down the proper lines on which man’s relationship
with the Lord is to be reared; his entire individual and
social life is an exercise in developing and strengthening
this relationship. Iman, the starting point of our religion,
consists in the acceptance of this relationship by man’s intellect
and will. Thus, Islam is actual submission, the way
of surrender to the Will of God in all aspects of life and
behavior. Now, we are in a position to cast a glance over
the plan of life which Islam envisages. This plan - the code
of conduct - is known as the Shari’ah. Its sources are the
Qur’an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him).
The Final Book of God and the Final Messenger stands
today as a repository of this truth, and they invite the
whole of humanity to accept the truth. God Almighty has
endowed men with free will in the moral domain, and it is
to this free will that this acceptance bears reference. Consequently,
it is always a voluntary act and not of compulsion.
Whosoever agrees that the concept of Reality stated
by the Holy Prophet and the Holy Book is true, it is for
him to step forward and surrender his will to the Will of
God. It is this submission which is called ”Islam”, the
fructification of faith (Iman) in actual life. And those who
do so, i.e., those who of their own free will, accept God
as their Sovereign, and surrender to His Divine Will and
undertake to regulate their lives in accordance with His
Commandments, are called ”Muslims”.
All those persons who thus surrender themselves to the
persons who thus surrender themselves to the Will of God
are welded into a community and that is how the ”Muslim
society” comes into being. Thus, ” is a principled society -
a society radically different from those which are founded
on the basis of race, color or territory. This society is the
result of a deliberate choice and effort; it is the outcome of
a ”contract” which takes place between human beings and
the Creator. Those who enter into this contract, undertake
to recognize God as their sovereign, His Guidance as
Supreme, and His injunctions as absolute Law. They also
undertake to accept, without question or doubt His classifications
of Good and Evil, Right and Wrong, Permissible
and Prohibited. In short, the Islamic society agrees to limit
its volition to the extent prescribed by the All-Knowing
God. In other words, it is God and not man whose will is
the primary Source of Law in a Muslim society.
When such a society comes into existence, the Book
and the Messenger prescribe for it a code of life called the
Shari’ah, and this Society is bound to conform to it by
virtue of the contract it has entered into. It is, therefore,
inconceivable that any Muslim society worth the name can
deliberately adopt a system of life other than the Shari’ah.
If it does so, its contract is ipso facto broken and the whole
society becomes ”un-Islamic”.
But we must clearly distinguish between the everyday
sins or violations of the individuals and a deliberate revolt
against the Shari’ah. The former may not imply breaking
up of the contract, while the latter would mean nothing
short of that. The point that should be clearly understood
here is that, if an Islamic society consciously resolves not
to accept the Shari’ah, and decides to enact its own constitution
and laws or borrows them from any other source,
(in utter disregard of the Shari’ah) such a society breaks
its contract with God and forfeits its right to be called
”Islamic”.
1.4. The Objectives and Characteristics of the
Plan
Let us now proceed to understand the plan of life envisaged
by the Shari’ah. To understand that, it is essential
that we start with a clear conception of the objectives and
the fundamentals of Shari’ah.
The main objective of the Shari’ah is to construct human
life on the basis of Ma’rufat (virtues) and to cleans
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it of the Munkarat (vices). The term Ma’rufat proclaims
as good and right everything declared by Allah and by His
messenger to be so. Taking this definition as the norm,
the term Ma’rufat should denote all the virtues and good
qualities that have always been accepted as ”good” by the
pure and unadulterated human conscience. Conversely, the
word Munkarat refers to everything that Allah and His
Apostle (peace be upon him) have denounced as evil. In
the light of this understanding, it denotes all the sins and
evils that have always been condemned by pure human
nature as ”evil”. In short, the Ma’rufat are in harmony
with human nature and its requirements in general, whilst
the Munkarat are just the opposite. The Shari’ah gives a
clear view of these Ma’rufat and Munkarat and states them
as the norms to which the individual and social behavior
should conform.
The Shari’ah does not, however, limit its function to
providing us with an inventory of virtues and vices only;
it lays down the entire plan of life in such a manner that
virtues may flourish and vices may not pollute and destroy
human life.
To achieve this end, the Shari’ah has embraced in its
plan all the factors that encourage the growth of good and
has recommended steps for the removal of impediments
that might prevent its growth and development. The process
gives rise to subsidiary series of Ma’rufat consisting of
the causes and means initiating and nurturing the good,
and yet another set of Ma’rufat consisting of prohibitory
commands in relation to those things which act as preventives
or impediments to good. Similarly, there is a
subsidiary list of Munkarat which might initiate or allow
growth of evil.
The Shari’ah shapes the Islamic society in a way conducive
to the unfettered growth of good, virtue and truth
in every sphere of human activity, and gives full play to
the forces of going all directions. And at the same time
it removes all impediments in the path of virtue. Along
this, it attempts to eradicate evils from its social plan by
prohibiting vice, by obviating the causes of its appearance
and growth, by closing the inlets through which it creeps
into a society and by adopting deterrent measures to check
its occurrence.
1.5. Ma’rufat (ma’roof)
The Shari’ah classifies Ma’rufat into three categories:
the Mandatory (Fardh and Wajib), the Recommendatory
(Matlub) and the Permissible (Mubah).
The observance of the mandatory (Ma’rufat) is obligatory
on a Muslim society and the Shari’ah has given clear
and binding directions about them. The recommendatory
Ma’rufat are those which the Shari’ah wants a Muslim society
to observe and practice. Some of them have been
very clearly demanded of us, while others have been recommended
by implication and inference from the sayings
of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). Besides this,
special arrangements have been made for the growth and
encouragement of some of them in the plan of life enunciated
by the Shari’ah. Others still have simply been recommended
by the Shari’ah leaving it to the society or to its
more virtuous elements to look to their promotion.
This leaves us with the permissible Ma’rufat. Strictly
speaking, according to the Shari’ah everything which has
not been expressly prohibited by it is a Permissible Ma’ruf
(i.e., Mubah). It is not at all necessary that an express permission
should exist about it or that it should have been
expressly left to our choice. Consequently, the sphere of
permissible Ma’rufat is very wide so much so that except
for the things specifically prohibited by the Shari’ah, everything
is permissible for a Muslim. And this is exactly
the sphere where we have been given freedom and where
we can legislate according to our own discretion to suit
the requirements of our age and conditions, of course in
keeping with the general spirit of the Shari’ah.
1.6. Munkarat (Munkar)
The Munkarat (or the things prohibited in Islam) have
been grouped into two categories: Haram, i.e., those things
which have been prohibited absolutely and Makruh, i.e.,
those things which have been disliked and discouraged. It
has been enjoined on Muslims by clear mandatory injunctions
to refrain totally from everything that has been declared
Haram. As for the Makruhat the Shari’ah signifies
its dislike in some way or another, i.e., either expressly or
by implication, giving an indication also as to the degree of
such dislike. For example, there are some Makruhat bordering
on Haram, while others bear affinity with the acts
which are permissible. Of course, their number is very
large ranging between the two extremes of prohibitory and
permissible actions. Moreover, in some cases, explicit measures
have been prescribed by the Shari’ah for the prevention
of Makruhat, while in others such arrangements have
been left to the discretion of the society or of the individual.
1.7. Some other Characteristics
The Shari’ah, thus, prescribes directives for the regulation
of our individual as well as collective life. These
directives touch such varied subjects as religious rituals,
personal character, morals, habits, family relationships, social
and economic affairs, administration, rights and duties
of citizens, judicial system, laws of war and peace and international
relations. In short, it embraces all the various
departments of human life. These directives reveal what
is good and bad, what is beneficial and useful and what
is injurious and harmful. What are the virtues which are
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the evils for which we have to suppress and guard against.
What is the sphere of our voluntary, untrammeled, personal
and social action and what are its limits. And finally,
what ways and means we can adopt in establishing such
a dynamic order of society and what methods we should
avoid. The Shari’ah is a complete plan of life and an all
embracing social order - nothing superfluous, nothing lacking.
Another remarkable feature of the Shari’ah is that it
is an organic whole. The entire plan of life propounded by
Islam is animated by the same spirit. Hence, any arbitrary
division of its plan is bound to harm the spirit as well as
the structure of the Islamic order. In this respect, it might
be compared to the human body which is an organic whole.
A leg pulled out of the body cannot be called one-eight or
one-sixth man, because after its separation from the living
body, the leg can no longer perform its human function.
Nor can it be placed in the body of some other animal
with any hope of making it human to the extent of that
limb. Likewise, we cannot form a correct opinion about
the utility, efficiency and beauty of the hand, the eyes or
the nose of a human being separately, without judging its
place and function within the living body.
The same can be said in regard to the scheme of life envisaged
by the Shari’ah. Islam signifies the entire scheme
of life and not any isolated part or parts thereof. Consequently
neither can it be appropriate to view the different
part of the Shari’ah in isolation from one another and without
regard to the whole, nor will it be of any use to take any
part and bracket it with any other ”ism”. The Shari’ah can
function smoothly and can demonstrate its efficacy only if
the entire system of life is practiced in accordance with it
and not otherwise.
2. THE MORAL SYSTEM OF ISLAM
Moral sense is inborn in man and through the ages it
has served as the common man’s standard of moral behavior,
approving certain qualities and disapproving others.
While this instinctive faculty may vary from person
to person, human conscience has given a more or less uniform
verdict in favor of certain moral qualities as being
good and declared certain others as bad. On the side of
moral virtues, justice, courage, bravery and truthfulness
have always elicited praise. History does not record any
period worth the name in which falsehood, injustice, dishonesty,
and breach of trust may have been upheld. Fellowfeeling,
compassion, fidelity, and magnanimity have always
been valued while selfishness, cruelty, miserliness and bigotry
have never received the approval of the human society;
men have always appreciated perseverance, determination
and courage and have never approved of impatience,
fickle-mindedness, cowardice and imbecility. Dignity,
restraint, politeness, and amiability have throughout
the ages been counted among virtues, whereas snobbery,
misbehavior and rudeness have never found recognition as
good moral qualities. Persons having a sense of responsibility
and devotion to duty have always won the highest
regard of men; never have people who are incompetent,
slothful and lacking in sense of duty been looked upon with
approval. Similarly, in respect of the standard of good and
bad in the collective behavior of society as a whole, the
verdict has always been almost unanimous. Only that society
has been looked upon as worthy or honor and respect
which possesses the virtues of organization, discipline, mutual
affection and fellow feeling and has established a social
order based on justice, freedom and equality of men.
As opposed to this, disorganization, no-discipline, anarchy,
disunity, injustice and social imbalance have always been
considered as manifestations of decay and disintegration in
a society. Robbery, murder, larceny, adultery, fraud and
graft have always been condemned. Slandering, scandal
mongering and blackmailing has never been considered as
wholesome social activities.
Contrary to this service and care of the aged, help of
one’s kith and kin, regard for neighbors, loyalty to friends,
assistance of the weak, the destitute and the orphans, and
nursing the sick are qualities which have always been highly
valued ever since the dawn of civilization. Virtuous, polite,
mild and sincere persons have always been welcomed.
Individual who are upright, honest, sincere, outspoken and
dependable, whose needs conform to their words, who are
content with their own rightful possession, who are prompt
in the discharge of their obligations to others, who live in
peace and let others live in peace and from whom nothing
but good can be expected, have always formed the core of
any healthy human society.
This shows that human moral standards are in fact
universal and have been well-known to mankind throughout
the ages. Good and evil are not myths to be hunted
out. They are well- known realities and are equally wellunderstood
by all. The sense of good and evil is inherent
in the very nature of man. Hence, in the terminology of
the Qur’an virtue is called ”Ma’roof ’ (something to be announced)
and evil is designated as ”Munkar” (something
to be denounced); that is to say virtue is known to be desirable
for every one and evil is not known to commend
itself in any way. This fact is mentioned by the Qur’an
when it says:
”And (Allah gave to the Soul) its enlightenment as to
its wrong and its right; ..... (Quran, 91:8)
2.1. Why Differences ?
The questions that arises are: if the basic values of good
and evil have been so well-known and there has virtually
been a universal agreement thereon, then why do varying
patterns of moral behavior exist in this world? Why are
there so many and do conflicting moral philosophies? Why
6
do certain moral standards contradict each other? What
lies at the root of their difference? What is the unique
position of Islam in the context of the prevailing ethical
systems? On what grounds can we claim that Islam has a
perfect moral system? And what exactly is the distinctive
contribution of Islam in the real of ethics? These questions
are important and must be squarely faced; but justice cannot
be done to them on the brief span of this talk.
To cut a long story short, I shall briefly sum up some of
those important points which strike us at the very outset
when we undertake a critical examination of the contemporary
ethical systems and the conflicting patterns of moral
behavior.
(a) The present moral system fail to integrate various
moral virtues and norms by prescribing their specific limits
and utility and assigning to them their proper place. That
is why they fail to provide a balanced and coherent plan
of social conduct.
(b) The real cause of their differences seems to lie in
the moral systems offering different standards for good and
bad actions and enunciating different means of distinguishing
good form evil. Differences also exist in respect of the
sanction behind the moral law and in regard to the motives
which impel a person to follow it.
(c) On deeper reflection, we find that the grounds for
these differences emerge from different peoples conflicting
views and concepts about the universe, the place of man in
the universe, ’and the purpose of man on the earth. Various
theories of ethics, philosophy and religion are but a
record of the vast divergence of views of mankind on these
most vital questions, viz. Is there a God and a Sovereign
of the universe and if there is, is He One or are there many
gods? What are Divine Attributes? What is the nature of
the relationship between God and the human beings? Has
God made any arrangements for guiding humanity through
the rough and tumble of life or not? Is man answerable to
God or not? If he is, then what are the matters for which
he is to be answerable? What is the ultimate aim of man’s
creation which he should keep in view throughout his life?
Answers to these questions will determine the way of life,
the ethical philosophy and the pattern of moral behavior
of the individual and the society.
It is difficult for me in this brief talk to take stock of
the various ethical system prevalent in the world, indicate
what solutions each one of them has proposed to these
questions and what has been the impact of these answers
on the moral evolution of the society believing in these
concepts. Here I can confine myself to the Islamic concept
only and this I shall try to propound.
2.2. Islamic Concept of Life And Morality
The viewpoint of Islam, however, is that this universe
is the creation of God Who is One. He created it and
He alone is its unrivaled Master, Sovereign and Sustainer.
The whole universe is functioning under His Divine Command.
He is All-Wise, All-Powerful and Omniscient. He is
Subbooh and Quddoos that is, free from all defects, mistakes,
weaknesses and faults and pure in every respect).
His God-hood is free from partiality and injustice. Man is
His creature, subject and servant and is born to serve and
obey Him.
The correct way of life for man is to live in complete
obedience to Him. It is not for man to determine the mode
of worship and obedience; it is for God to decide this. God,
being the master, has raised from time to time prophets
for the guidance of humanity and has revealed His books
through them. It is the duty of man to take the code of
his life from these sources of divine guidance. Man is answerable
to God for all his actions in life. The time for
rendering an account will be in the life-hereafter and not
in this world. The short span of worldly life is really an
opportunity to prepare for that great test. In this life all
efforts of man should be centered on the object of soliciting
the Pleasure and Blessings of God in the Hereafter. During
this test every person is responsible for all his beliefs
and actions. He, with all his faculties and potentialities, is
on trial. There will be an impartial assessment of his conduct
in life. By a Being Who keeps a complete and correct
record not merely of his movements and actions and their
influence on all that is in the world from the tiniest speck
of dust to the loftiest mountains but also a full record of
his innermost ideas and feelings and intentions.
2.3. Goal of Moral Striving
This is Islam’s fundamental attitude towards life. This
concept of the universe and of man’s place therein determines
the real and ultimate goal which should be the object
of all the endeavors of mankind and which may be termed
briefly as ”seeking the pleasure of God”. This is the standard
by which a particular mode of conduct is judged and
classified as good or bad. This standard of judgment provides
the nucleus around which the whole moral conduct
should revolve. Man is not left like a ship without moorings,
being tossed about by the blows of wind and tides.
This dispensation places a central object before mankind
and lays down values and norms for all moral actions. It
provides us with a stable and flawless set of values which
remains unaltered under all circumstances. Moreover, with
making the ”pleasure of God” as the object of man’s life,
a highest and noblest objective is set before humanity, and
thus, unlimited possibilities are opened for man’s moral
evolution, unstained at any stage by any shadow of narrow
selfishness or bigoted race or nation worship.
While providing a normal standard Islam also furnishes
us with means of determining good and evil conduct. It
does not base our knowledge of vice and virtue on mere
7
intellect, desire, intuition, or experience derived through
the sense-organs, which constantly undergo shifts, modifications
and alterations and do not provide definite, categorical
and unchanging standards of morality. It provides
us with a definite source, the Divine Revelation, as embodied
in the Book of God and the Sunnah way of life
of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). This source
prescribes a standard or moral conduct that is permanent
and universal and holds good in every age and under all
circumstances. The moral code of Islam covers the smallest
details of domestic life as well as the broad aspects of
national and international behavior. It guides us in every
stage of life. These regulations imply the widest application
of moral principles in the affairs of our life and make
us free from exclusive dependence on any other source of
knowledge, expect as an aid to this primary source.
2.4. Sanction Behind Morality
This concept of the universe and of man’s place therein
also furnishes the sanction that must lie at the back of every
moral law. Viz., the love and fear of God, the sense of
accountability on the Day of Judgment and the promise of
eternal bliss and reward in the life hereafter. Although Islam
wants to cultivate a powerful and strong mass opinion,
which may induce individuals and groups to abide by the
principles of morality laid by it and also aims at the evolution
of a political system which would enforce the moral
law, as far as possible, through its legislative and executive
power. Islam’s moral law does not really depend on these
external pressures alone. It relies upon the inherent urge
for good in every man which is derived from belief in God
and a Day of Judgment. Before laying down any moral injunction,
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. That 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 any one else but not from God’s. That while
the world can see man’s onward life, only God probes into
his innermost intentions and desires, that while he may, in
his short sojourn on this earth, do whatever he likes but in
any event he has to die one day and present himself before
the Divine court of justice where no advocacy, favor, recommendation,
misrepresentation, deception or fraud will
be of any avail and where his future will be decided with
complete impartiality and justice. There may or may not
be any police, law court or jail in the world to enforce the
observance of these moral injunctions and regulations but
this belief firmly rooted in the heart, is the real force at
the back of the moral law of Islam which helps in getting
it enforced. If popular opinion and the coercive powers
of the state exist to give it support so much the better;
otherwise, this faith alone can keep a Muslim individual
and a Muslim community on the straight path of virtue,
provided, the spark of genuine faith dwells in their hearts.
2.5. Motives and Incentives
This concept of Islam about man and his place in the
universe also provides those motivating forces which can inspire
a person to act in conformity with the moral law. The
fact, that a man voluntarily and willingly accepts God as
his own Creator, and the obedience to God as the mode of
his life and strives to seek His Pleasure in his every action,
provides a sufficient incentive to enable him to obey the
commandments which he believes to be from God. Along
with this, the belief in the Day of Judgment and the belief
that whosoever obeys Divine Commands is sure to have
a good life ’in the Hereafter, the Eternal Life, whatever
difficulties and handicaps he may have to face in this transitory
phase of life, provides a strong incentive for virtuous
life. On the other hand, the belief that whoever violates
the Commandments of God in this world and dies in a
state of Kufr (unbelief) shall have to bear eternal punishment
however superficially nice a life he may have led
in this temporary abode, is an effective deterrent against
violation of moral law. If this hope and fear are firmly
ingrained, and deeply rooted in one’s heart, they will provide
a strong motive-force to inspire one to virtuous deeds
even on occasions when worldly consequences may appear
to be very damaging and harmful, and it will keep one
away from evil even on occasions when it looks extremely
attractive and profitable.
This clearly indicates that Islam possesses a distinctive
criterion of good and evil, its own source of moral law,
and its own sanction and motive force, and by them its
virtues in all spheres of life after knitting them into a balanced
and comprehensive plan. Thus, it can be justifiably
claimed that Islam possesses a perfect moral system of its
own. This system has many distinguishing features and I
shall refer to the three most significant ones which, in my
opinion, can be termed its special contributions to ethics.
2.6. Distinctive Features of Islamic Moral Order
By setting Divine pleasure as the objective of man’s life,
it has furnished the highest possible standard of morality.
This is bound to provide limitless avenues for the
moral revolution of humanity. By making Divine Revelation
the primary source of knowledge, it gives permanence
and stability to the moral standards which afford reasonable
scope for genuine adjustment, adaptations and innovations
though not for perversions, wild variations, atomistic
relativism or moral fluidity. It provides a sanction to
morality in the love the fear of God which will impel man
to obey the moral law even without any external pressure.
Through belief in God and the Day of Judgment, it fur-
8
nishes a motive force which enables a person to adopt the
moral conduct with earnestness and sincerity, with all the
devotion of heart and soul.
It does not, through a false sense of originality and innovation,
provide any novel moral virtues nor does it seek
to minimize the importance of the well-known moral norms
nor give exaggerated importance to some and neglect others
without cause. It takes up all the commonly known
moral virtues and with a sense of balance and proportion
it assigns a suitable place and function to each one of them
in the total plan of life. It widens the scope of their application
to cover every aspect of man’s individual and collective
life his domestic associations, his civic conduct, and his
activities in the political, economic, legal educational and
social realms. It covers his life from home to society, from
the dining table to the battlefield and peace conferences,
literally from the cradle to the grave. In short, no sphere of
life is exempt from the universal and comprehensive application
of the moral principles of Islam. It makes morality
reign supreme and ensures that the affairs of life, instead
of being dominated by selfish desires and petty interests,
should be regulated by the norms of morality.
It stipulates for man a system of life which is based
on all good and is free from all evil. It invokes the people,
not only to practice virtue, but also to establish virtue and
eradicate vice, to bid good and to forbid wrong. It wants
that the verdict of conscience should prevail and virtue
must not be subdued to play second fiddle to evil. Those
who have responded to this call and gathered together into
a community (Ummah) are given the name ”Muslim” and
the singular object underlying the formation of this community
(Ummah) is that it should make an organized effort
to establish and enforce goodness and suppress and eradicate
evil. The Qur’an is quite explicit on this fact as can
be seen from the following verse:
”Ye are the best for Peoples, evolved For mankind, Enjoining
what is right, Forbidding what is wrong, And believing
in God. If only the People of the Book Had faith, it
were best For them: among them Are some who have faith,
But most of them Are perverted transgressors.” (Qur’an,
3:1 10)
And also in the following verse:
”(They are) those who, If we establish them In the land,
establish Regular prayer and give Regular charity, enjoin
The right and forbid wrong: With God rests the end (And
decision) of (all) affairs.” (Qur’an, 22:41)
It will be a day of mourning for the community and
a bad day for the entire world if the efforts of this very
community were at anytime directed towards establishing
evil and suppressing good.
3. ISLAMIC POLITICAL SYSTEM
The political system of Islam has been based on
three principles, viz., Tawheed (Oneness of God), Risalat
(Prophethood) and Khilafat (Caliphate). It is difficult to
appreciate the different aspects of the Islamic policy without
fully understanding these three principles. I will, therefore,
begin with a brief exposition of them. Tawheed (Oneness)
means that one God alone is the Creator, Sustainer
and Master of this universe and of all that exists in it organic
or inorganic. The sovereignty of this kingdom rests
only in Him. He alone has the right to command or forbid
Worship and obedience are due to Him alone, none else
sharing it in any degree or form. Life, in all its multifarious
forms, our physical organs and faculties, the apparent
control which we have over everything that exists in this
universe, and the things themselves none of them has been
created or acquired by us in our own right. They are the
bountiful provisions of god and in bestowing them upon
us, no one is as Him. Hence, it is neither for us to decide
the aim and purpose of our existence or to prescribe
the limits in our worldly authority nor is anyone else entitled
to make these decisions for us. This right vest only
in God Who has created us endowed us with mental and
physical faculties, and provided all material provisions for
our use. This principle of the Oneness of God altogether
negates the concept of the legal and political sovereignty
of human begins, individually or collectively. Nothing can
claim sovereignty, be it a human being, a family, a class or
group of people, or even the human race in the world as a
whole. God alone is the Sovereign and His Commandments
are the Law of Islam.
The medium through which we receive the Law of God
is known as ”Risalat” (Prophet hood). We have received
two things from this source:
The Book in which God has expounded His Law; and
The authoritative interpretation and exemplification of the
Book of God by the Prophet, through his word and deed,
in his capacity as the last messenger of God. The broad
principles on which the system of human life should be
based have been stated in the Book of God. Further, the
Prophet of God has, in accordance with the intention of
the Divine Book, set up for us a model of the system of
life in Islam by practically implementing the law and providing
necessary details where required. The combination
of these two elements, according to Islamic terminology, is
called the ”Shari’ah”. There is a specific purpose for man’s
existence. This purpose is achieved when man fulfills his
function and is missed when man fads to live up to his
designated role. In that case, his life will be barren and
devoid of any original meaning. Total loss and perdition
await everyone who fails to respond to Allah’s call.
This special role relating man to his Creator is subservience
to Allah and worship of Him. All aspects of
9
man’s life are based on this consideration. Thus, the meaning
of worship must be extended to go beyond mere rituals
into all activities since Allah does not only call upon us to
perform rituals but His injunctions regulate all aspects of
life. The Qur’an develops this theme:
”Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: ’I will create a
vicegerent on earth’” (Qur’an 2:30)
It is this Khilafat on earth which encompasses the range
of activities of this human being. It consists in settlement
on earth, exploration of its resources and energies, fulfillment
of Allah’s purpose of making full use of its resources
and developing life on it. In brief this task requires the
implementation of Allah’s way which is in harmony with
the Divine Law governing the whole universe.
Thus, it becomes clear that the meaning of worship,
which is the very purpose of man’s existence and his primary
function, is much more comprehensive than mere rituals.
The role of Khilafat is definitely an integral part of
meaning of worship. The truth about worship comes out
in two essential points, namely:
1) There should be a feeling of absolute certainty and
conviction about the meaning of worship of Allah in one’s
heart; a feeling that the only possible relationship which
holds is one of creator and the created and nothing but
that.
2) It is imperative to turn to Allah dedicating to Him
every stir of one’s conscience, every fluttering of the senses,
every movement of life. This dedication should be channeled
solely to Him and nobody else. No other feeling
should have any room left, except in so far as it is construed
as part of the meaning of worship of Allah. In this way
the meaning of worship is fulfilled. Thus, work becomes
one with rituals; rituals one with settlement on earth; settlement
on earth like strive for Allah’s cause; strive in the
way of Allah like patience in bearing calamities contentedly
in the knowledge that they are part of Allah’s plan;
all these are instances of worship of Allah.
With this healthy frame of mind, based on the right
understanding on man’s role in this universe, man becomes
ready to implement Allah’s teaching, as communicated
through the message of Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him).
This is exactly what Islam means when it lays down
that man is Khalifah (servant) of God on the earth. The
state that is established in accordance with this political
theory will have to fulfill the purpose and intent of God
by working on God’s earth within the limits prescribed by
Him and in conformity with His instructions and injunctions.
3.1. Purpose Of The Islamic State
I shall now place before you a brief outline of the type
of state which is built on the foundation of Tawheed (the
Oneness of God), ”Risalat” (the Prophethood of Muhammad)
and ”Khilafat” (the Caliphate).
The Holy Qur’an clearly states that the aim and purpose
of this state is the establishment, maintenance and
development of those virtues, with which the Creator of
this universe wishes the human life to be adorned and the
prevention and eradication of those evils the presence of
which in human life is utterly abhorrent to God. The state
in Islam is not intended for political administration only
nor for the fulfillment through it of the collective will of any
particular set of people; rather, Islam places a high ideal
before the state for the achievement of which, it must use
all the means at its disposal. And this purpose is that
the qualities of purity, beauty, goodness, virtue, success
and prosperity which God wants to flourish in the life of
His people, should be engendered and evolved. And that
all kinds exploitation, injustice and disorders which, in he
view of God, are ruinous for the world and detrimental
to the life of His creatures are suppressed and prevented.
Simultaneously, by placing before us this high ideal, Islam
gives us a clear outline of its moral system clearly stating
the desired virtues and the undesirable evils. Keeping
this outline in view the Islamic state can plan its welfare
program in every age and in any environment.
The persistent demand made by Islam is that the principles
or moral in must be observed at all cost and in all
walks of life. Hence it lays down an unalterable policy for
the state to base its politics on justice, truth and honesty.
It is not prepared, under any circumstance whatsoever, to
tolerate fraud, falsehood and injustice for the sake of any
political, administrative or national expediency. Whether
it be the mutual relations of the rulers and the ruled within
the state, or the relations of the state with other states,
precedence must always be given to truth, honesty, and
justice over material consideration. It imposes similar obligations
on the state as on the individual. Viz., to fulfill all
contracts and obligations, to have uniform measures and
standards for dealings, to remember duties along with the
rights and not to forget the rights of other when expecting
them to fulfill their obligations; to use power and authority
for the establishment of justice and not for the perpetration
of injustice; to look upon duty as a sacred obligation
and to fulfill it scrupulously; and to regard power as a trust
from God and use it with the belief that one has to render
an account of one’s actions to Him in the Hereafter.
3.2. Fundamental Rights
Although an Islamic state may be set up in any portion
of the earth, Islam does not seek to restrict human
rights or privileges to the geographical limits of its own
state. Islam has laid down some universal fundamental
rights for humanity as a whole, which are to be observed
and respected under all circumstances whether such a per-
10
son is resident within the territory of the Islamic state
or outside it, whether he is at peace with the state or
at war. Human blood is sacred in any case and cannot
be spilled without justification. Its is not permissible to
oppress women, children, old people, sick persons or the
wounded. Woman’s honor and chastity are worthy of respect
under all circumstances. The hungry person must be
fed, the naked clothed, and the wounded treated medically
irrespective of whether they belong to the Islamic community
or not or even if they are from amongst its enemies.
These, and a few other provisions have been laid by Islam
fundamental rights for every man by virtue of his status
as a human being to be enjoyed under the constitution of
an Islamic state. Even the rights of citizenship in Islam
are not confined to persons born within the limits of its
state but are granted to every Muslim irrespective of his
place of birth. A Muslim ipso facto becomes the citizen of
an Islamic state as soon as he sets his foot on its territory
with the intent to live therein and thus enjoys equal rights
of citizenship along with those who acquire its citizenship
by birthright. Citizenship has therefore, to be common
among all the Islamic states that may exist in the world
and a Muslim will not need any passport for entry in or
exit from any of them. And every Muslim is to be regarded
as eligible and fit for all positions of the highest responsibility
in an Islamic State without any discussions of race
color or class. Islam has also laid down certain rights for
the non-Muslims who may be living within the boundaries
of an Islamic State and these rights must necessarily from
part of the Islamic Constitution.
According to the Islamic terminology such non-
Muslims are Dhimmee (the covenant). implying that the
Islamic state has entered into a covenant with them and
guaranteed their protection. The life, property and protected
exactly life that of a Muslim citizen. There is no
difference at all between a Muslim and Dhimmee in respect
of the civil or criminal law. The Islamic State shall not interfere
with the personal law of the Dhimmme. They will
have full freedom of conscience and belief.
3.3. Executive And Legislative
The responsibility for the administration of the Government,
in an Islamic state, is entrusted to an Amir (leader
or chief) who may be likened to the President or the Prime
Minister in the conventional democratic state.
The basic qualifications for the election of an Amir are
that he should command the confidence of the ABLUL
HAL WAL’AQD [The Constitutional Body).
They are recruited from among the scholars (of Islam),
leaders, and notables who effectively have the duty to carry
out this task of appointing the ruler. In this, they do not
act on their own personal preferences, but on behalf of the
whole nation, being as they are, its representatives. Three
conditions must be met for eligibility to membership of
this body, namely:
Moral credit (piety and moral standards). To be well
versed in religion so as to be in a position to decide upon
who deserves the position of Amir. Good and sound judgment
leading to a sharp perception of who is most suitable
for the role of Amir. The Amir can retain office only
so long as he observes Allah’s Shari’ah laws. Being himself
the primary example of it both in his dealings and
conduct, honoring his commitments and being true to his
trust; in brief, he should conform to the conditions originally
stipulated upon his holding office and will have to
vacate his office when he loses this confidence. But as long
as he retains such confidence he will have the authority
to govern and exercise the powers of the Government, of
course, in consultation with the Shura (the advisory council)
and within the limits set by a Shari’ah. Every citizen
will have the right to criticize the Amir should he deviate
from the straight path, fail to honor the trust laid in him,
transgress and tyrannize over people, change his conduct
for the worst, freeze the implementation of Allah’s penal
code, or flouts Allah’s regulations in anyway. If he fails to
live up to one of the conditions stipulated for his eligibility
to the office, the nation has the right to overrule his
judgment either by correcting him or by deposing them.
Legislation in an Islamic state will be restricted within
the limits prescribed by the law of the Shari’ah. The injunctions
of God and His legislative body can make any
alterations or modifications in them or make any law repugnant
to them. As for the commandments which are
liable to two or more interpretations the duty of ascertaining
the real intent of the Shari’ah, in such cases, will
devolve on people possessing a specialized knowledge of
the law of Shari’ah. Hence, such affairs will have to be
referred to a sub committee of the advisory council compressing
men learned in Islamic Law. A vast field will still
be available for legislation on questions not covered by any
specific injunctions of the Shari’ah and the advisory council
or legislature will be free to legislate in regard to these
matters.
In Islam the judiciary is not placed under the control
of the executive. It derives its authority directly from the
Shari’ah and is answerable to God. The judges, no doubt
can be appointed by the Government but once a judge
has occupied the bench he will have to administer justice
among the people according to the law of God in an
impartial manner. The organs and functionaries of the
Government will not be outside his legal jurisdiction much
so that even the highest executive authority of the Government
is liable to be called upon to appear in a court
of law as a plaintiff or defendant like any other citizen of
the state. Rulers and the ruled are subject to the same
law and there can be no discrimination on the basis of
position, power or privilege. Islam stands for equality and
11
scrupulously sticks to this principle in social, economic and
political realms alike.
4. ISLAMIC SOCIAL ORDER
The foundations of the social system of Islam rest on
the belief that all human beings are equal and constitute
one single fraternity.
4.1. Equality Of Mankind
God created a human pair to herald the beginning of
the life of mankind on earth and all the persons inhabiting
this world today have sprung from this pair. For some
time in the initial stages the progeny of this pair remained
a single group. It had one religion and spoke the same language.
There were little or no difference among them. But
as their numbers gradually increased, their diversification
and growth were divided into various tribes, and nationalities.
Their languages became different; their modes of
dress varied; and their manners of living also became distinct
from one another.
All these differences are said to be signs from Allah.
They do exist in the world of reality. Hence, Islam recognizes
them as matters of fact. It does not seek to wipe
them out or to ignore them but affirms that their advantage
consists in affording the only possible means of distinguishing
one form the other. But the prejudices which
have arisen among mankind out of these differences in the
shape of groupings and organizations based on race, color,
language, nationality, etc., are disapproved by Islam. Islam
regards all distinctions of birth, of high and low amen,
of upper and lower classes, on natives of the soil and aliens
as the manifestation of their ignorance. It declares that all
men in the world have sprung from the same parents and
therefore, are equal in their status as human beings.
After propounding this concept of equality of mankind,
Islam adds that if there can be any real difference between
man and man it cannot be one of race, color, country or
but one of their relationship with their Creator. The most
honored of people in the sight of God is the most righteous.
On the basis of this fundamental tenet, Islam seeks
to build principled society as against the racial, national
and parochial societies existing in the world. The basis of
cooperative effort among men in such a society is not one’s
birth but a creed an a moral principle. Any one, if he believes
in God as his Master and Lord and accepts the guidance
of the prophets (the essence of which is embodied in
Islam, the message of the last Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him)) as the law of his life, can join this community,
whether he is a resident of America or Africa whether
he belongs to the Semitic race or the Aryan; whether he is
black in color or white skinned; whether he speaks a European
language or Arabic. All those who join this community
will have the same rights and social status. They will
not be subjected to any racial, national or class distinct of
any kind. No one will be regarded as high or low. There
will be no untouchable among them, nor could be polluted
by the touch of anyone’s hand. There will be no handicaps
for them in the matter of marital relations, eating and
drinking and social contacts. None will be looked down
upon as lowly or mean by reason of his birth or profession.
Nobody will claim any distinctive rights by virtue of his
caste, community or ancestry. Man’s merit will not depend
on his family connections or riches, but only on whether
he is better than others in moral conduct or excels others
in piety and righteousness.
Such a social order, out-stepping the geographical
boundaries and limits of race, color and language as it
does, can spread itself in all parts of the world and on its
foundations can be raised the edifice of the universal brotherhood
of men. In societies based on race or nationality,
only those people can join who belong to a particular race
or country and the door is closed in the face of those who
do not belong to them. But in Ns highly principled society
anyone who accepts the creed and its moral standard
can become its member, possessing equal rights with everyone
else. As for those who do not accept this creed, the
community, while it cannot receive them within its fold, is
prepared within the limits laid down by law and decency.
To give them all the basic human rights on condition that
they are from the people of the Book or those who are
classified under their category.
After appreciating these foundations of Islamic social
order, we would like to cast a glance over the principles and
patterns of social relationship which have been fostered by
Islam.
4.2. The Institution Of Family
The foremost and fundamental institution of human
society is the unit of family. A family is established by
the coming together of a man and a woman, and their
contact brings into existence a new generation. It then
produces ties of kinship and community, which gradually
develop into a large society. The family is the institution
through which a generation prepares the succeeding generation
for the service of human civilization and for the
discharge of its social obligations with devotion, sincerity
and enthusiasm. This institution does not merely recruit
cadets for the maintenance and development of human desire
that those who have to replace them in future should
be better than themselves. In this respect, the family can
be truly called the fountain-head of the progress, development,
prosperity and strength of human civilization on
the earth. Hence, among social problems Islam devotes
much attention to those relating to the family and strives
to establish this important social unit on the healthiest
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and strongest foundations. According to Islam the correct
form of relationship between man and woman is marriage,
that is, the one in which full social responsibilities are undertaken
by them and which results in the emergence of
a family. Free sex-license and irresponsible behavior are
not condoned by Islam as innocent pastimes or ordinary
transgressions. Rather, they are acts which strike at the
very roots of human society. Hence, Islam holds every
form of extra matrimonial sex-relationship as sinful, forbidden
(Haram) and punishable under the criminal law of
Islam. It prescribes severe punishments for the offense so
that such unsociable behavior may not become common.
At the same time it aims at purifying and purging the society
of all activities which encourage such irresponsible
actions or provide opportunities for them. Regulations of
Hijab (For Muslim Women), ban on free mixing of men
and women, restrictions on filthy music and pictures, and
discouragement of the spread and propagation of obscenities
and aberrations, are all intended to guard against this.
Their sole object is to protect and strengthen the institution
of the family. Islam does not merely regard the desirable
form of social contact as just permissible but holds
and affirms it as a good and virtuous act, indeed, an act
of worship. It does not simply look upon celibacy of an
adult person with disfavor, but it calls upon every young
man to take in his turn upon himself the social responsibilities
of married life just as his parents did so in their
time. Islam does not merely regard asceticism and perpetual
celibacy as no virtue at all but as aberrations and
departures from the true nature of man and acts of revolt
against the Divine plan of things. It also strongly disapproves
those rites, ceremonies or restrictions which tend to
make marriage a difficult and tedious affair. The intention
of Islam is that marriage may become easy and fornication
the most difficult thing in society, and not vice versa as it
is in most of the societies today. Hence, after debarring a
few specified relatives from entering into matrimony with
one another, it has legalized marital relations with all other
near and distant kith and kin. It has removed all distinctions
of caste and community and permitted matrimony of
any Muslim with any other Muslim. It has recommended
that the amounts of Mehr (dower) should be fixed at a low
and easy figure, the burden of which can be easily borne by
the husband and has dispensed with the necessity of priests
and offices of compulsory registration. In an Islamic society
marriage is such a plain and simple ceremony as can
be performed anywhere before two witnesses, though it is
essential that the proceedings should not be kept secret.
The idea is that the society should know that the couple is
now going to live a matrimonial life. The family itself Islam
has assigned to man a position of authority so that he may
maintain order and disciple, as the chief of the household.
Islam expects the wife to obey and look after the comforts
and well- being of her husband and expects the children
behave accordingly to their parents. Islam does not favor
a loose and disjointed family system which is devoid of any
authority, control and discipline and in which someone is
not pointedly responsible of the proper conduct and behavior
of its members. Discipline can only be maintained
through a central authority and in the view of Islam the
position of father in the family is such that it makes him
the fittest person to take over this responsibility. But this
does not mean that man has been made a tyrant and oppressor
in the household and woman has been handed over
to him as a helpless chattel. According to Islam the real
spirit of marital life is love, understanding and mutual respect.
If the woman has been asked to obey the husband,
the latter has been called upon to exercise his privileges
towards the welfare of the family and treat the wife with
love, affection and sweetness. It makes the marital bond
strong but not unbreakable. It aims at keeping the bond
intact only so long as it is founded on the sweetness of love
or at least the possibility of lasting companionship still exists.
When this possibility dies out, it gives man the right
of divorce and woman the right of separation, and under
certain conditions where married life has become a source
of misery or nuisance, gives the Islamic courts of justice
the authority to annul the marriage.
4.3. Relatives And Neighbors
Beyond the limited circle of family the next social
sphere which is sufficiently wide is that of kinship and
blood relationship. Those who are one’s kith and kin
through relationship with common parents or common
brothers and sisters or relations through in-laws, Islam
wants them all to be mutually affectionate, cooperative
and helpful. In many places in the Qur’an good treatment
of the Zawil Qurba (near relatives) is enjoined. In
the traditions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
good treatment of one’s (Silat Al-Rahm) has been emphasized
and counted among the highest virtues. A person
who cold-shoulders his relatives or treat them an indifferent
manner is looked down upon by Islam with great disfavor.
But this does not mean that it is an Islamic virtue to
be partial or unduly lenient toward one’s relatives as may
result in injustice, is repugnant to Islam which, condemns
it as an act of Jahiliyyah (ignorance). Similarly, it is utterly
un-Islamic for a government official or public trustee
to support his at public expense or to be partial to his
kith and kin in his official divisions: his would actually be
a sinful act. Fair treatment of one’s as enjoined by Islam,
should be at one’s own expenses and within the limits of
justice and fair play.
Next to relations come the neighbors. The Qur’an has
divided them into three categories :
A neighbor who is also a relative; An alien neighbor;
and A casual or temporary neighbor with whom one had
13
occasion to live or travel for some time. All of them are deserving
of fellow- feeling, affection, courtesy and fair treatment.
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has said:
Ayesha and Ibn Omar reported from the Messenger of
Allah who said; Gabriel did not stop to advice me about
neighbor till I thought that he would soon make him an
heir. - (Agreed upon)
In another tradition the Prophet (peace be upon him)
said:
Abu Hureira reported from the Messenger of Allah who
said: ”By Allah he does not believe, by Allah he does not
believe, by Allah he does not believe”. The companions
asked who is he O Prophet of Allah? The Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) replied, ”One whose neighbor is not
immune against his mischief”.
Again, he (peace be upon him) said: that a person who
enjoys a full meal while his neighbor is starving really possesses
no faith in Islam. The Prophet was once informed
of a woman who used to offer prayers regularly and keep
fasts very often and gives alms frequently, but her neighbors
were sick of her abusive tongue. The Prophet (peace
be upon him) said that woman deserved only the fire of
hell. He was also told of another woman who did not possess
these virtues but did not trouble her neighbors either,
and the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that she will be
rewarded with paradise.
The complete sayings goes as follows:
Abu Hurairah reported that a man asked: O Messenger
of Allah! such and such a woman is reputed for such
prayer, and fasting and alms- giving, but she offends her
neighbors with her tongue. He said: She will go to Hell. He
inquired: O Messenger of Allah! such and such a woman
is reputed less for her fasting, alms- giving and prayer but
she gives alms of the remainders of curds and she does not
offend her neighbors by her tongue. He said: She will go
to Paradise. (Narrated by Ahmed and Bayhaqi)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) has laid so much emphasis
on this virtue that he has advised that whenever a
Muslim brings fruits for his children he should either send
some to his neighbors as a gift or at least not throw the
peelings outside the door so that the neighbors may not
have a feeling of deprivation.
The complete Hadith reads as follows:
Amr Ibn Shueib who reproved from his father who reproved
from his grandfather that the Messenger of Allah
said narrated it: ”Do you know what the duties of a neighbor
are?” Help him if he seeks your help, give him succor
if he seeks your succor, give him loan if he seeks you loan,
give him relief if he is needy, nurse him if he falls ill, follow
his bier if he dies, cheer him if he meets any good,
sympathize with him if any calamity befalls him, raise not
your building higher so as to obstruct his air without his
permission, harass him not, give him when you purchase
a fruit, if you do not do it, take it secretly; and let not
your children take it out to excite thereby the anger of his
children.
On one occasion the Prophet (peace be upon him) said
that a man is really good if his neighbors regard him as
such and he is bad if they consider him so. The complete
Hadith goes as follows:
Ibn Mas’ud reported that a man asked the Holy
Prophet: O Messenger of Allah! how can I know when
I do good and when I do bad? The Holy Prophet (peace
be upon him) said: When you hear your neighbors say -
you have done good, you have done good, and when you
hear them say - you have done bad, you have done bad.
(Narrated by Ibn Majah)
In brief, Islam requires all neighbors to be loving and
cooperative with one another and share one another’s sorrows
and happiness. It enjoins that they should establish
social relations in which one could depend upon the other
and regard his life, honor and property safe among his
neighbors. A society in which two persons, separated only
by a wall, remain unacquainted with one another for years
and those living in the same area of a town have no interest
or confidence in one another can never be called Islamic.
Next to these is the wider circle of relationship which
covers the entire society. The broad principles on which
Islam seeks to regulate the general gamut of our social life
are the following:
To cooperate in acts of virtue and piety and not to cooperate
in acts of sin and injustice. To this point Allah
says in the Holy Qur’an:
”Help ye one another In righteousness and piety, But
help ye not one another In sin and rancor: Fear God: for
God Is strict in punishment.” ( Quran 5:2 )
”One’s friendship and enmity should be for the pleasure
of God only; whatever you (Muslim) give should be
given because God likes it to be given, and whatever you
(Muslims) withhold should be withheld because God does
not like its gift. (Sayings of the Holy Prophet).
”You (the Muslims) are the best community ever raised
unto mankind, your duty is to command people to do good
and prevent them from committing evil.”
Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:
”Ye are the best Of Peoples, evolved For mankind, Enjoining
what is right, Forbidding what is wrong, And believing
in God. If only the People of the Book Had faith, it
were best For them: among them are some who have faith,
But most of them are perverted transgressors.” (Qur’an
3:110)
And the Prophet in various of his other teachings said:
”Do not think evil of each other nor probe into each
other’s affairs nor excite one against the other. Keep yourself
away from mutual hatred and jealousy. Do not unnecessarily
oppose each other. Always remain the slaves and
subjects of Allah and live like brothers among yourselves.”
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”Choose for others what you choose for yourself. ”
(Agreed upon)
These are some of the social values which Islam affirms
and establishes and which it wants to see enshrined in the
human society.
5. ECONOMICS PRINCIPLES OF ISLAM
Islam has laid down some principles and prescribed certain
limits for the economic activity of man so that the
entire pattern of production, exchange and distribution
of wealth may conform to the Islamic standard of justice
and equity. Islam does not concern itself with time-bound
methods and techniques of economic production or with
the details of the pattern and mechanisms and equity. Islam
does not concern itself with time- bound methods and
techniques of economic production or with the details of
the organizational pattern and mechanisms. Such methods
are specific for every age and are evolved in accordance
with the needs and requirements of community and exigencies
of the economic situation. What Islam aims, is that
whatever be the form or mechanism of economic activity,
the principles prescribed by it should find a permanent and
paramount place in such activities under all circumstances
and in all ages.
According to the Islamic point of view, God has created
for mankind the earth and all that it contains. It is, therefore,
the birthright of every human being to try and secure
his share out of the world. All men enjoy this right equally
and none can be deprived of it. Nor should one man get
precedence over another. From the standpoint of Islam,
there can be no bar on any individual, race, or class for
taking to certain means of livelihood or adopting certain
professions. All are entitled to equal opportunities in the
economic realm. Similarly, no distinction is valid in Islam
which would result in creating a monopoly of a particular
means of livelihood for a particular person, class, race or
group of people. It is the right of all men to strive and get
their share of the means of sustenance provided by God on
the earth. Islam ensures that this effort should be made in
the context of equal opportunities and fair chances for all.
5.1. Right Of Property
Resources which are provided by nature free of cost and
which can be use directly by man may be utilized freely
and every one is entitled to benefit from them to the extent
of his needs. Water flowing in the rivers and springs,
woods in the forest trees, fruits of wild plants, wild grass
and fodder, air, animals of the jungle, minerals under the
surface of the earth and similar other resources cannot be
monopolized by anyone. Nor can a restriction of any sort
be imposed on their free use by God’s creatures to fulfill
their own needs. Of course, people who many want to use
of these things for commercial purposes can be required
to pay taxes to the state. Or if there is a misuse of the
resources, the Government may step in and set the things
right. But there is no bar on the individuals to avail of
God’s earth as long as they do not interfere with the rights
of others or of the state.
Anyone who takes possession of the natural resources
directly and renders it of value acquires a rightful title over
it. For instance, if somebody takes possession of an uncultivated
piece of land, on which nobody has a prior right
of ownership, and makes a productive use of it he cannot
be arbitrarily dispossessed of that piece of land. This is
how a rights of ownership originated in the world. When
man appeared for the first time in the world and population
grew, everything was available to everyone. And
whoever took possession of anything and made it useful
in any manner became its owner; that is to say, he acquired
the right of using it specially for his own purpose
and obtaining compensation from others if they wanted to
use it. This is the natural basis of all the economic activities
of mankind and must not be tampered with. This
right of ownership which one may acquire by permissible
legal means is to be honored under all circumstances. The
legality of ownership can be inquired thoroughly by the
competent authority through legal means to determine its
validity in accordance with the Shari’ah law. If, it be found
to be illegally acquired, such ownership be annulled and be
terminated accordingly. However, in no case, shall there
be allowed any state or legislation to arbitrarily divest the
people of their legitimate rights of ownership without justifiable
cause. Islam cannot approve of an economic policy
which destroys the rights conferred by the Shari’ah however
attractive its name may be and whatever welfare pretensions
it may make. Social justice and collective good
are very dear to Islam, but not at the cost of rights given
by the Shari’ah. It is as unjust to reduce or remove the restrictions
placed by the Shari’ah on the rights of individual
ownership for the sake of collective good of the community
as it is to add such restrictions and limitations which do
not fit into the scheme of the Islamic law. It is one of the
duties of an Islamic state to protect the legal (Shari’ah)
rights of the individuals and to ensure that they fulfill their
obligations to the community as enjoined by law. That is
how Islam strikes a balance between individualism and collectivism.
5.2. The Problem Of Equality
If we observe the phenomena of nature and God’s blessings
unto mankind we find that He has not observed equality
in the distribution of His bounties and favors but in His
infinite wisdom has accorded precedence to some individuals
over others. Beauty of form, pleasantness of voice,
excellence of physique and mental talents, etc, have not
15
been granted to men in equal degree. The same is the
case with the material means of life. Human nature has
been so ordained that divergence, variety and inequality
among men in their modes and standards of living seem to
be most natural thing. Variety is the spice of life and the
driving spirit behind human effort and excellence. Consequently,
all those schemes and ideologies which are forced
to mankind are unrealistic and impossible to achieve. The
equality in which Islam believes is equality in respect of
the opportunities of struggle for securing a livelihood and
for climbing the uppermost rung of the ladder of well-being
and prosperity.
Islam desires that no legal, functional or traditional
handicaps should exist in society, to prevent an individual
from struggling for a living according to his capacity and
talent nor should any social distinctions subsist with the
object of safeguarding the privileges of a particular class,
race and dynasty or group of people. And those schemes
and ideologies which serve the vested interests or which
want to perpetrate the hold of a certain group are repugnant
to Islam and can have no place in its scheme of things.
Such movements seek to establish, through force and resort
to artificial means, an unnatural inequality in place of the
natural limited inequality which feeds the springs of incentive
to effort in a society. Hence, Islam aims at wiping them
out and putting the economic system on the natural footing
so that the opportunities of struggle may remain open
to all. At the same time Islam does not agree with those
who desire to enforce complete equality in respect of the
mean of production and the fruits of economic endeavor,
as they aim at replacing, limited natural inequalities by an
artificial equality.
Only that system can be the nearest to human nature
in which everyone joins the economic struggle at the start
and in the circumstances in which God has created him.
He, who has inherited an airplane should struggle to be
equipped with it; while he who has only a pair of legs
should stand on his feet and try to move ahead. The laws
of society should neither establish a permanent monopoly
of the airplane owner over his airplane and make it impossible
for the bare-footed to acquire an airplane nor such
that the race for everyone of them should compulsory begin
from one point. And under the same conditions and
they should all per force be tied to each other right till the
end of the race. Contrary to this the economic laws should
be such as to make it possible for the bare-footed who
started his race under adverse conditions, to secure and
possess an airplane if he can do so by dint of his struggle
and ability. And for him who inherited the airplane, to
be left behind in the race and be without it if that is due
to his own inability or incapacity or inefficiency. Effort
should be paid and inactivity penalized.
5.3. Social Justice
Islam does not wish that this economic race takes place
in an atmosphere of cold impartiality, moral neutrality and
social apathy. it deems it desirable that the participants
in the economic race should be considerate and sympathetic
to one another. On the one hand, Islam through
its moral injunctions, aims at creating a feeling of mutual
love and affection among the people. Under which they
may help their weak and weary brethren and at the same
time create a permanent institution in the society to guarantee
help and assistance to those who are lacking in the
necessary means of subsistence. People who are unable to
take part in the economic race should secure their share
from this social institution. And those who need some
assistance commence their struggle in the economic field
may also receive it in full measure from this institution.
To this end, Islam has commanded that Zakat should be
levied at the rate of 2.5% per annum on the total accumulated
wealth of the country as well as on the invested
capital. On agricultural produce 10% are levied on lands
which are irrigated by natural means (through rains) and
5% on irrigation’s which require man’s efforts. And 2.5%
is required on mineral products. The annual Zakat should
also be levied at a specified rate, on the herds of cattle
owned by anyone beyond a certain minimum number. The
amount of Zakat thus collected is to be spent on giving
assistance to the poor, the orphans and the indigent, etc.
This provides a men’s of social insurance in the presence of
which no one in an Islamic society can ever remain without
being well provided with the necessities of life. No worker
can ever be forced through fear of star to accept any conditions
of employment which may be dictated to him by
the industrialist or the landlord to his disadvantage. And
nobody’s physical health can ever be allowed to fail below
the minimum standard of fitness for lake of proper medical
care and hospitalization.
With regards to the position of the individual, vis--vis
the community, Islam aims at striking such a balance between
them as it would promote the individual liberty of
a person and at the same time ensure that such freedom
is not detrimental to the interests of the community as a
whole. But is positively conducive to its growth and tranquility.
Islam does not approve of a political or economic
organization which aims at merging the identity of the individual
into that of the community and depriving him
of the freedom essential for a proper development of his
personality and talent. The inevitable consequence of nationalizing
all the means of production in a country is the
annihilation of the individual by the community, and in
these circumstances the existence and development of his
individuality becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible.
Just as political and social freedom is essential for the
individual, economic freedom is likewise indispensable for
16
civilized moral existence. Unless we desire to completely
eliminate the individuality of man, our social life should
have enough margin for an individual to be freedom to earn
his living, to maintain the freedom of his conscience, and
to be able to develop his moral and intellectual faculties
according to his own inclinations and aptitudes. Living on
a dole or virtual dole at the hands of others cannot be very
satisfying. Even though it is plentiful because the retardation
of mental, moral and spiritual development to which
it ultimately leads can never be compensated or counterbalanced
by mere physical welfare and prosperity which
too are doubtful.
Just as Islam does not like such a system, it also does
not favor a social system which gives unbridled economic
and social freedom to individuals and gives them a blank
check to secure their individual interest and achieve their
objective even at the whole or by exploiting and misappropriating
the wealth of others. Between these two extremes
Islam has adopted the middle course according to which
the individual is first called upon, in the interest of the
community, to accept certain restricts, and is then left free
to regulate his own affairs. He has freedom of enterprise
and competition within a framework which guarantees the
good of both the individual and the society. It is not possible
to explain all these obligations and restrictions in detail
and I shall, therefore, content myself with presenting a bare
outline of them.
5.4. Obligations And Restrictions
Take the case of earning a livelihood first. The meticulous
care with which Islam has distinguished between right
and wrong in respect of the means of earning wealth is not
to be found in any other legal and social system existing
in the world. It condemns as illegal all those means of
livelihood which injure, morally or materially, the interests
of another individual or of the society as a whole.
Islamic law categorically rejects as illegal the manufacture
and sale of liquor and other intoxication, adultery,
professional dancing and obscenity, gambling, speculation,
race and lotteries, transactions of speculative, imaginary,
fraudulent or controversial nature; business transactions
in which the gain of one party is absolutely guaranteed
and assured while that of the other party is left uncertain
and doubtful; price manipulation by withholding the sale
of necessities of life; and many other similar transactions
which are detrimental to the interests of community. If we
examine this aspect of the economic laws of Islam, we will
find a long list of practices declared illegal most of which
can and are making people millionaires in the capitalistic
system. Islam forbids all these unfair means and allows
freedom of earning wealth only by those means through
which a person renders some real and useful service to the
community and thereby entities himself to a fair and just
compensation for it.
Islam accepts the rights of ownership of an individual
the rights of ownership of an individual over the
wealth earned by him by legitimate means but even these
rights are not unqualified. A man can spend his legitimate
wealth, only in legitimate avenues and by legitimate
means. Islam has imposed restrictions on expenditure so
that while one can lead a decent life, one cannot waste one’s
riches on luxurious pursuits. A person cannot transgress
the prescribed limits of exhibiting his status and affluence
and behave as super being vis--vis other persons. Certain
forms of illegal and wasteful expenditure have been clearly
and unequivocally prohibited while some others, though
not expressly banned, may be prohibited at the discretion
of the Islamic state.
One is permitted to accumulate wealth that is left over
after meeting his legitimate and reasonable requirements,
and these savings can also be used in producing more
wealth but there are some restrictions on both of these
activities. In the event of accumulation of wealth he will,
of course, have to pay Zakat at the rate of 2.5% per annum
on the accumulation exceeding the specified minimum. If
he desires to invest it in business he can only do so in
what is declared as legitimate business. It is permissible
for a man to undertake the legitimate business himself or
to make his capital available to others on a profit-loss sharing
basis. It is not at all objectionable in Islam if, working
with in these li, a man becomes even a millionaire; rather,
this will constitute a Divine favor. But in the interests
of the community as a whole Islam imposes two conditions
on the individual; first, that he should pay Zakat on
his commercial goods and ’Ushr (1/10) (which has not required
any man effort for irrigation) and 5% on irrigated
produce which has required man’., efforts of the value of
agricultural produce, secondly, that he should deal fairly
and honestly with those whom he brings into his partnership
in trade industry or agriculture, with those whom
he takes in his employment and with the state and the
community at large. If one doe: not do justice to others,
particularly his employees, of his own accord, the Islamic
state will compel him to do so.
Then again, even wealth that is accumulated within
these legal limits is not allowed by Islam to be concentrated
at a point or place for a long time. By virtue of
its of inheritance Islam spreads it over a large number of
persons from generation to generation. In this respect, the
spirit of Islamic law is different from that of other laws
prevailing in the contemporary world. Most of the inheritance
laws attempt to keep the wealth once accumulated by
a person concentrated in the hands of the beneficiary from
generation to generation. As against this, Islam has made
a law under which the wealth accumulated by a person in
his lifetime is distributed among all of his near relatives
soon after his death. If, there are no near relatives, then
17
distant relatives are to benefit from it in the proportions
laid down by the law for each one of them. And, if no distant
relative is forthcoming, then the entire Muslim society
is entitled to its inheritance. Under this law, the creation
or continuance of any big family of capitalists or landlords
becomes impossible.
6. THE SPIRITUAL SYSTEM OF ISLAM
What is the spiritual system of Islam and what is its
relation with the system of life as a whole? To understand
this, it is necessary to carefully study the difference between
the Islamic concept of spirituality and that of other
religions and ideologies. In the absence of a clear understanding
of this difference, it often happens that when talking
about the spiritual system of Islam, many of the vague
notions associated with the word ”spiritual” unconsciously
come to one’s mind, and in this state of confusion, it becomes
difficult for one to comprehend the spiritual system
of Islam which is not only transcends the due of spirit and
matter but is the nucleus of the integrated and unified
concept of life presented by Islam.
6.1. Body - Soul Conflict
The idea which has been most influential in making
the climate of thought in philosophy and religion is that
body and soul are mutually antagonistic and conflicting
and hence, they cannot go together in life, and one can
develop only at the cost of the other. For the soul, the
confines of body and matter are a prison-house; the mundane
activities of worldly life are the shackles with which
the soul is kept in bondage and its growth is arrested. Ms
has inevitably led to the well-known concept of classifying
the universe into the spiritual and the secular. Those who
chose the secular path were convinced, at the very outset,
that the demands of spirituality could not be complied
with, and thus, went headlong into a sensate outlook in
life culminating in stark materialism and hedonism. Consequently,
all spheres of worldly activities may they be social,
political, economic or cultural were deprived of the
light of spirituality and the world was smitten with injustice
and tyranny. On the other hand, those who wanted
to tread the path of spiritual excellence innovated such
ways and devices for the development and elevation of the
spirit, as to make them ”noble outcasts” in this world.
They believed that it was not possible to find any process
for spiritual growth which might be compatible with
a normal life in this world. In their view, physical selfdenial
and mortification’s of the flesh were necessary for
developing and perfecting the spirit. They invented spiritual
exercises and their ascetic practices which would kill
one’s physical desires and render the body senseless and
even useless. They regarded forests, mountains and other
solitary places, as ideal places for spiritual development
because in those hideouts the hustle and bustle of civilization
would not interfere in their spiritual practices and
nose- gazing meditations. They could not conceive of the
feasibility of any means of spiritual development except by
withdrawing themselves from the world and its affairs and
severing all contacts with society and civilization.
This conflict of body and soul resulted in the evolution
of two different ideals for the perfection of man. One of
the ideals was of material perfection, which meant that a
man should be surrounded by all the material comforts and
bounties of the world and regard himself as nothing but an
animal, the ideal being the seek dizzy heights in this realm.
The result was that he could exceed as an animal but the
man in him could not seek its flowering. Men learned to fly
like birds, swim like crocodile, run like horses and even terrorize
and destroy like wolves - but to live like noble human
beings they learned not. The other ideal was of the perfection
of spiritual life to an extent that the senses are not
only subdued and conquered but supra sensory powers are
awakened and the limitations of the sensory world are done
away with. With these new conquests men could distant
voices like powerful wireless sets, see remote objects as one
does with the telescope and develop powers through which
the mere touch of their hand or focus of their sight may
heal the unhealable. This supra sensory field has been the
other avenue of human advancement, but how throbbing
human this really is not difficult to visualize!
The Islamic viewpoint differs radically from that of all
the prevailing religious and philosophical systems in this
regard. According to Islam, God has appointed man as
his ”Khalifah” (trustee) in the universe. He has invested
him with certain authority and laid upon him certain responsibilities
and obligations for the fulfillment of which He
has endowed him with the best and most suitable physical
frame. The body has been created with the sole object
that the soul should make use of it in the exercise of its
authority and the fulfillment of its duties and responsibilities.
Hence, the body is not a prison house for the soul but
its workshop or factory, and if there is any possibility for
the growth and development of the soul, it is only through
the use of the power machines and instruments provided
by this workshop.
Consequently, this world is not a place of punishment
in which the human soul has been confined somehow but
is a field in which God has sent him to work and do his
duty toward Him. Innumerable things in this universe have
been placed at the disposal of the human soul and many
more human beings endowed with it have been created in
this world to fulfill the duties of this very vicegerent. The
natural urges of man have given birth to civilization, culture,
and social systems. The spiritual development which
is possible in this world should not take the form of man
turning his face from the workshop and retiring in some
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uninhabited comer. Rather, the only form it should take
is that man should live and work in it and give the best
account of himself. It is in the nature of an examination
center for him; every aspect and sphere of life is, as it were,
like a question paper in this test; the home, the fan3ily, the
neighborhood, the society, the
Market place, the office, the factory, the school, the law
courts, the police station, the parliament, the peace conference
and the battlefield, all represent ’question papers’
on different subjects which man has been called upon to
answer. If he does not take any question paper, or leaves
most of the answer books blank, he is bound to fail in the
examination. The only possibility of such and development
would lie in man’s spending his whole time and giving his
whole attention to this examination and to attempt as far
as possible to answer all the question papers handed over
to him.
Islam rejects and condemns the asceticism of life, and
proposes a set of methods and processes for the spiritual
development of man not outside this world but inside it,
one that passes through the rough and tumble of life. According
to it the real place for the growth, uplift and elevation
of the spirit lies right in the midstream of the activity
of life and not in solitary places of spiritual hibernation.
6.2. Criterion For Moral Development
After this exposition of the basic approach of Islam
let us try to discuss the criterion given by Islam to judge
the development of decay of the soul. The answer to this
question lies in the concept of Khilafat which has just been
mentioned. In capacity as the Khalifah (Servant) of God,
man is answerable to Him for all his activities. It is his
duty to use 0 the powers with which he is invested and
all the means placed at his disposal in this world, in accordance
with the Divine Will. He should utilize to the
fullest extent all the faculties and potentialities bestowed
upon him for seeking the approbation of God. In his dealings
with other human beings he should adopt an attitude
which is approved by God. In brief, all his efforts and
energies should be directed towards regulating the affairs
of this world in the manner in which God wants them to
be regulated. The more admirably an man performs this
function, with a sense of responsibility, obedience and humility,
and with the object of seeking the pleasure of God,
the nearer he will be to God. In Islam, spiritual development
is synonymous with nearness to God. Likewise, he
will remain away from God if he is lazy, slothful, transgressor,
rebellious and disobedient. And being away from
God signifies, in Islam, the spiritual fall and decay of man.
This explanation should make it clear that from the
Islamic point of view the sphere of activity of a religiousminded
man and of a secular-minded man is the same.
Both will work in the same field of action; rather a man
of religion will work with greater enthusiasm than a secular
minded person. The man of religion will be as active
as the seeker after the world or indeed much more active,
in the domestic and social functions of life which extend
from the confines of the household to the market square
or the venue of international conferences. Of course, what
will distinguish their course of action will be the nature
of their relations with God and the objective which they
pursue. Whatever a religious man does, will be with the
feeling that he is answerable to God, with the object of
securing Divine Pleasure, and I accordance with the Law
which God ha ordained for him. As against this, a worldly
person will be irresponsible, indifferent towards God and
will be guided only by his person,, motives in his actions.
This difference make the whole of the material life of a man
of religion a thoroughly spiritual venture and the whole of
the life of a worldly person devoid o the spark of spirituality.
6.3. Road To Spirituality
Now, we are in a position to briefly understand the road
which Islam chalks out for the pursuit of spiritual development
of man in the context of the mundane life in this
world.
The first step in this direction is Iman (faith). It means
that the idea which should hold supreme in the mind and
heart of a man is that God alone is his Master, Sovereign
and Deity; seeking His Pleasure is the aim of all his endeavors;
and His Commands alone constitute the law of his life.
This should be his firm conviction, not merely cognition of
the intellect, but also of the will. The stronger and deeper
this conviction, the more profound the faith will be, and
it will enable man to tread the path of spiritual development
with patience and steadfastness and face all the
vicissitudes firmly and squarely.
The second stage is of Ita’at (obedience) meaning that
a man divests himself of his independence altogether, and
accepts subservience to God in practice after having proclaimed
faith in Him as his creed. The subservience is
called Islam (obedience) in the language of the Qur’an.
Thus, it means that man should not only acknowledge God
as his Lord and Sovereign but should actually submit before
Him and fashion his entire life in obedience to the
Lord.
The third stage is that of Taqwa (piety) which consists
in the practical manifestation of the faith in God in the
mode of daily life.
Taqwa (piety) also consists in desisting from everything
which God has forbidden or even that which he disapproves
even slightly, in a readiness to undertake all that God has
commanded and in observing the distinction between lawful
and unlawful, right and wrong, and good and bad in
life.
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The last and the highest stage is that of Ihsan, (benediction)
which signifies that man has identified his will with
the Will of God. And has brought it, at least as far as he
is concerned, completely in tuned with the Divine Will,
with the result that he has begun to like what is liked by
the Lord and to abhor what is disapproved by Him. Man
should then, not only himself avoid the evils which God
does not like to spread on His earth, but should use all
his power and energy to wipe them off the face of earth;
and he should not merely rest content with adoring himself
with the virtues which God desires to flourish, but should
also strive to establish and propagate them in the world
even at the cost of his life. A man who reaches this state
attains the highest pinnacle of spirituality and is nearest
to God.
This path of spiritual development is not meant for
individuals only but for the communities and nations
as well. Like individuals, community also, after passing
through the various stages of spiritual elevation, may
reach the ultimate stage of Ihsan (benediction), and also
a state with all its administrative machinery may become
Mu’min (faithful), Muslim (obedient), Muttaqi (pious) and
Muhsin (beneficent). In fact, the ideals aimed by Islam are
achieved in a perfect manner only when the whole community
moves on this path and a Muttaqi and Muhsin (pious
and beneficent) state comes into existence in this world.
That is the acme of civilization where virtue reigns in
society and vice is subdued.
Let us now cast a glance at the mechanism of spiritual
training which Islam has laid down for preparing individuals
and society for this purpose.
The spiritual system of Islam rests on four fundamentals.
The first is prayer (Salat) which brings man into
communion with God five times a day, reviving His remembrance,
reiterating His fear, developing His love, reminding
man of the Divine Commands again and again, and thus,
preparing him for obedience to God. These prayers are
not to be offered individually but it is obligatory to offer
them in congregation so that the whole community and
the society may be prepared for this process of spiritual
development. It is a tool of individual as well as social
training in the path of spiritual elevation in Islam.
The second is Zakat which develops the sense of monetary
sacrifice, sympathy and cooperation among Muslims.
There are people who wrongly interpret Zakat as a mere
tax although the spirit underlying Zakat is entirely different
from that which lies at the root of a tax. The real
meaning of Zakat is sublimity and purification. By using
this word, Islam desires to impress on man the real value
of Zakat which is inspired by a true love of God, that the
monetary help he renders to his brethren will in fact, purity
and benefit his soul.
The third is fasting (Saum) which for a full month every
year, trains a man individually and the Muslim community
as a whole, in piety and self-restraint. Enables the society,
the rich and the poor alike, to experience the pangs of
hunger, and prepares the people to undergo any hardship
to seek the pleasure of God.
The fourth is Hajj (Pilgrimage) which aims at fostering
universal brotherhood of the faithful as the basis of worship
of God, and has culminated in a movement which has
been answering the call of truth throughout the centuries
and will, God willing, go on answering this call till eternity.
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