The document discusses the ethical foundations of Islam. It provides that the fundamental principle is submission to Allah. The sacred law, or Sharia, encompasses all of human life and makes secular activities acts of worship if done with righteous intention. Four main ethical sources establish the Sharia for Muslims: the Quran, the Sunnah (traditions) of Muhammad, ijma (consensus of scholars), and qiyas (analogical reasoning). Together these sources provide guidance for moral behavior and underlie Islamic ethics.

1. © 2005 Preliminary Course: Islam. This sheet may be copied for non-commercial class room use only.
Ethical Foundations of Islam
The fundamental principle that underlies Muslim
ethics is 'islam', submissiveness to Allah.
The Sacred Law is called the Shari'ah, or 'Pathway'
and sets out the way of worship prescribed in the
Qur’an and the Prophet's practice. It goes beyond
the common understanding of worship as the
performance of religious rituals, and encompasses
the whole of human life, individual as well as social.
Thus, all so-called secular activities become acts of
worship, provided they are performed with pure and
righteous intention, seeking God's pleasure.

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

3. © 2005 Preliminary Course: Islam. This sheet may be copied for non-commercial class room use only.
1. The Qur'an (Koran)
is the written record of the revelation of Allah to
Muhammad during his lifetime - from his first call to
be an apostle until his death.
The Qur'an:
• is revered by Muslims
• is considered to be written without error
• cannot be questioned
The principle affirmation of the Qur'an, which
underlies all of the suras (chapters), is:
• Allah is one
• only Allah is to be worshipped

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

5. © 2005 Preliminary Course: Islam. This sheet may be copied for non-commercial class room use only.
Moral practices of the tribal system were:
equity
hospitality
just dealing
to this Muhammad added:
substitution instead of death - the tribal system
dealt out the death penalty. The responsibility for
the crime fell on the culprit and his kinship group.
law of retaliation still stood - however there was a
new stress on the individual's responsibility
introduced the need for forgiveness (which wasn't
encouraged in the tribal system.)
Based on Set your Heart on Goodness, page 85-97

6. © 2005 Preliminary Course: Islam. This sheet may be copied for non-commercial class room use only.
Islam seeks to firmly implant in man's heart the
conviction that:
his dealings are with God who sees him at all
times and in all places;
he may hide himself from the whole world but not
from Him; that he may deceive everyone but
cannot deceive God; that he can flee from the
clutches of anyone else but not from God.
Thus, by setting God's pleasure as the objective of
man's life, Islam has furnished the highest possible
standard of morality.

7. © 2005 Preliminary Course: Islam. This sheet may be copied for non-commercial class room use only.
2. Sunnah (Sunna)
• is an Arabic term meaning 'habitual practice'.
• is the customary practice of the Prophet
Muhammad.
The Sunnah contains eyewitness records of the
Prophet Muhammad's words, actions and approbations,
and is known as the Hadith.
The Sira and the Hadith contain a complete and
authentic record of the life and mission of the
Prophet Muhammad.

8. © 2005 Preliminary Course: Islam. This sheet may be copied for non-commercial class room use only.
These show how he exemplified the teachings and
commandments of God in practice, and elaborated
the principles laid down in the Qur'an in order to
provide a sure guidance for their interpretation
and application for all later times and societies.
The Sunnah was developed after the death of
Muhammad to address moral questions that had no
answer in the Qur'an.
Based on Set your Heart on Goodness, page 97-98

9. © 2005 Preliminary Course: Islam. This sheet may be copied for non-commercial class room use only.
3. The Consensus or Ijma
• past generations of Muslims.
After consulting the Qur'an and the Sunnah, if
there is still some doubt relating to a moral issue,
the Muslim community will consult the Consensus.
The Consensus is governed by the public opinion of
the Muslim community as expressed by the Islamic
Jurists.
As long as a decision does not conflict with the
Qur'an or the Sunnah then this opinion will be
upheld.
Based on Set your Heart on Goodness, page 97-98

10. © 2005 Preliminary Course: Islam. This sheet may be copied for non-commercial class room use only.
4. Analogy
• giyas - measurements or analogies
Giyas establish a parallel between a moral teaching
in the Qur'an or in the Sunnah and a new set of
circumstances.
e.g.
The Qur'an prohibits the drinking of wine because
of its intoxicating effects.
A modern issue today would be the taking of drugs.
Therefore giyas forbid the use of drugs because
of their intoxicating effect.
This final ethical source can only be accessed if a moral
problem can find no answer in the Qur'an, the Sunnah
or the Consensus. Based on Set your Heart on Goodness, page 97-98

11. © 2005 Preliminary Course: Islam. This sheet may be copied for non-commercial class room use only.
Halal lawful as defined by Allah
Haraam any act or deed which is
prohibited by Allah and will
incur His wrath and
punishment.
Terminology