Islamic Ethics, IIUM,UIAM

1. Inter-personal Relations
• General rights of Muslims over each other
– Muslims are a brothers,
– This brotherhood is maintained through preservation
of moral actions: “Six are the rights of a Muslim
over another Muslim.” It was said to him, what
are these? Thereupon he said: “When you meet
him, offer him salam; when he invites you to a
feast accept it. When he seeks your counsel give
him, and when he sneezes and says:
‘alhamdulillah’,you say ‘yarhamuka Allah’; and
when he falls ill visit him; and when he dies
follow his bier.” (Muslim: Book of Salam)
– Prohibition to be angry with
another Muslim for more than
3 days: “It is not lawful for a Muslim to
remain aloof from his brother for more than
three days.” (Bukhari: Book of manners)

2. • Behavior towards parents and
relatives
– Family is the basic component
of the society- need to build a
strong family with high moral
level.
– One who does not respect his
parents may hardly be
expected to respect Allah:
“Thy Lord hath decreed, that ye
worship none save Him, and (that
ye show) kindness to parents. If
one of them or both of them attain
old age with thee, say not "Fie"
unto them nor repulse them, but
speak unto them a gracious word.
(23) And lower unto them the wing
of submission through mercy, and
say: My Lord! Have mercy on them
both as they did care for me when I
was little.” (17:23-24)
–The verse emphasizes on:
• To speak to them humbly and
respectfully
• Parents deserve our humble
reverence and service
• Frequently pray to Allah for their
well-being as they unselfishly
brought us up

3. – Special respect to mother: “And We
have enjoined upon man concerning his parents
- His mother bore him in weakness upon
weakness, and his weaning is in two years - Give
thanks unto Me and unto thy parents. Unto Me
is the journeying.” (31:14)
– Keeping good relationship with
relatives
• Includes reconciling: “The man who
fulfills his duties towards his relatives is not
the real protector of blood relationship but
it is one who joins it after it is severed.”
(Bukhari: Book of Manners)
– Behavior toward co-workers:
• Cooperation: “Help ye one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye
not one another in sin and aggression.” (5:2)
• Mutual respect and avoiding interference in others’ personal affairs:
“It is a sign of good faith(iman) that one does not interfere in what does not
concern him.” (Ibn Majah, Tirmidhi, Ibn Hibban)

4. – Behavior towards the superiors
• Obey them and observe the rules of law as long as they are not
against his commands: “It was narrated that the Prophet (S.A.W.) sent a
force(on a mission) and appointed over them a man. He kindled a fire and said:
Enter it. Some people made up their minds to enter it, (carrying out the order of
their commander), but others said: We fled from the fire (that’s why we have come
into the fold of Islam). The matter was reported to the Prophet. He said those who
wanted to enter it: If you had entered it, you would have remained there until the
Day of Judgment. He commanded the act of the latter group and said: There is no
submission in matters involving God’s disobedience or displeasure. Submission is
obligatory only in what is good (and reasonable). (Muslim: Kitab al-Imarah)
− Pass knowledge and
experience to juniors: “When a
person dies he is completely cut off
except from three things: (a) running
charity (b) knowledge that he had taught
and remains put to good use; and (c)
virtuous progeny praying Allah for him.”
− Learn from seniors: “Ask those
who
are knowledgeable if you don’t know.”
(16:43)

5. • To give them advice- the essence of
religion: “Religion is to give honest advice for
Allah, His Book, and His Prophet and to Muslim
leaders and public.” (Muslim: Book of Iman)
– Behavior towards subordinates
• Consultation: “…so pardon them and ask
forgiveness for them and consult with them upon
the conduct of affairs…”(3:159)
• To be kind and lenient with them: “O Allah,
who (happens to) acquire some kind of control over
the affairs of my people and is hard upon them-be
hard on upon him, and who (happens to) acquire
some kind of control over the affairs of my people
and its kind to them- be kind to them.”(Muslim:
Kitab al-Imarah)
• To serve them honestly and sincerely: “Any
ruler who has been entrusted with the affairs of a
group of Muslims and who dies as a dishonest ruler,
to him paradise is forbidden.” (Muslim: Kitab al-
Imarah)

6. • To help and be kind to them: “And serve Allah. Ascribe no thing as partner
unto Him. (Show) kindness unto parents, and unto near kindred, and orphans,
and the needy, and unto the neighbor who is of kin (unto you) and the
neighbor who is not of kin, and the fellow-traveler and the wayfarer and (the
slaves) whom your right hands possess. Lo! Allah loves not such as are proud
and boastful”(4:36)
• Behavior towards neighbors:
“Aisha reported the Prophet
(S.A.W.) as saying: Jibril kept
impressing upon me kind
treatment the neighbor until I
thought as if would confer upon
him the right of inheritance.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
• To avoid causing them harm:
Abu Huraira narrated that the
Messenger (S.A.W.) observed: “ He
will not enter Paradise whose
neighbor is not secure from his
wrongful conduct.” (Muslim: Book
of Iman)

7. • To help and be kind to them: “And serve Allah. Ascribe no thing as partner
unto Him. (Show) kindness unto parents, and unto near kindred, and orphans,
and the needy, and unto the neighbor who is of kin (unto you) and the
neighbor who is not of kin, and the fellow-traveler and the wayfarer and (the
slaves) whom your right hands possess. Lo! Allah loves not such as are proud
and boastful”(4:36)
• Behavior towards neighbors:
“Aisha reported the Prophet
(S.A.W.) as saying: Jibril kept
impressing upon me kind
treatment the neighbor until I
thought as if would confer upon
him the right of inheritance.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
• To avoid causing them harm:
Abu Huraira narrated that the
Messenger (S.A.W.) observed: “ He
will not enter Paradise whose
neighbor is not secure from his
wrongful conduct.” (Muslim: Book
of Iman)