AKHLAQ

ISLAMIC STUDIES
FAH 0013

AKHLAQ

The concept of Morality in Islam

The definition of Akhlaq
The importance of Akhlaq
Significance
Distinguishing features
Requisite Moral Qualities for Muslims

The concept of Morality in Islam

The concept of morality in Islam centres
around certain basic beliefs and principles.
1.God is the creator and source of all
goodness, truth, and beauty.
2.Man is a responsible ,dignified and
honourable agent of his creator
3.God has put everything in the heavens
and the earth in the service of mankind.
4.By his mercy and wisdom, God does not
expect the impossible from or hold him
accountable for anything beyond his power.
Nor God forbid man to enjoy the good things
of live.

The concept of Morality in Islam

5. Moderation ,practicality, and
balance are the guarantees of high
integrity and sound morality.
6. All things are permissible in
principle except what is singled out as
obligatory, which must be observed,
and what is singles out as forbidden,
which must be avoided.
7. Man`s ultimate responsibility is to
God and his highest goal is pleasure of
his creator

The definition of Akhlaq

Literally =from Arabic Word Khuluq
means character, behaviour,
personal traits, manner.
Terminology = Personal behaviour
deal with the relationship between
man and God, man and his fellow
man, man and the other elements
and creatures of the universe, man
and his innermost self.

Al-Ghazali defines an
establish state of soul from
high actions proceed easily,
without any need for
reflection and deliberation.

Ibn al-Athir
defines Akhlaq is the inner
characteristic of oneself
whetherIslamic
itKnowledge
is good
or bad
& Science

The importance of Akhlaq

1) Plays a vital role in life- the reason
why prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
was sent down to the world.
2) It is a part of Iman
3) The true value and honour of a
person is measured by his akhlaq
4) Determine the human civilization
arabic poet indeed nations that
are morally upright will last
forever. But with the fall of their
morals, it will bring about the fall
of the nations
5) To get pleasure of God in this

Akhlaq in al-Quran and al-Hadith

-al-Qalam :4
-al-Israk :23
-al-Hajj : 41
.Verily I have been sent for the
perfection of virtous moral (tradition reported
by Ahmad)
.the akhlaq of the prophet is alQuran
(narated by Aisyah r.a)
God in this world and hereafter.

There is nothing which weighs heavier

on the scales of the servant on the day
of resurrection than good morals (reported
by Abu Daud)
Whoever is not prevented by his prayers
from lewdness and iniquity, gains
nothing from Allah except remoteness
(tradition reported by al-Tabarani)

Significance
The rules of morality and ethics in Islam
must enjoy full adherence from Muslims.
First and foremost because they represent
the very one fundamental component of
obedience to Gods Shariah which is
commanded by Him:
We made for you a law (in the right way
of religion), so follow it, and not the
fancies of those who have no knowledge
Secondly , according to the al-Quran and
many traditions of the prophet, ones
faith will not be complete without
morality. For instance:

 Gods says: o you have faith; fear Allah

and be with the truthful people.
The prophet also said: modesty and faith
are twins. One who gives up one has to
lose the other too
In another occasion he declared: by God
he cannot be a believer; By God he
cannot be a believer By God he cannot
be a believer
The prophet was asked; who ? He
answered: he from whose misdeeds his
neighbour is not safe
About the action of the tongue, the
prophet said; a person who believers in
God and the hereafter should speak about
good things or else should keep quiet

Thirdly, ethical behaviour is the prerequisite

for the acceptance of ones Ibadah, as made
clear in the tradition below
It is reported that the messenger of God was
once asked about the destiny of a woman
who perpetually observed fasting and kept
vigilant at night by performing prayer. But she
committed misdeeds towards her neighbours.
The prophet remarked : there is nothing good
in her.
Lastly, the prophet on so many occasions,
when asked about the most excellent and the
best of the people, said
The best thing given to man is good
character: the best in faith among you is the
one who has the best oral character. The
nearest to God on the day of judgement will
be the one best in character

 Consequently, the Islamic principles

of ethics aim at establishing lifes
order and giving it regulation,
dignity and serenity as desired by
the teachings of Islam. Further, in
Islamic paradigm of things, no
civilization, advancement, and moral
and material prosperity of a nation is
possible without ethics.

Distinguishing features

The Islamic ethical system stands peerless so far

as it represents permanent standard values that
are of lasting validity as they are free from human
prejudices and frailties. Its supreme features,
therefore, can be summed up as follows:
1-it is divinely inspired system as it is a integral
part of Shariah.
2-Morally good intention has to be followed by
permissible action. Because tradition says: actions
are determined by intention
3-the ultimate goal behind worldly possession is
to help one to live according to the demand of his
moral life and not profit maximization. God says
Wealth and sons are allurements of the life of this
world; but things that endure, good deeds, are the
best in the sight of your Lord, as rewards, and the
best as the foundation for hopes

4- freedom to accumulate wealth is accompanied

with a sense of moral responsibilities, as no
forms of unjust exploitation and deceit, ect., are
tolerated.
5-Balanced and equitable distributive justice is
given full recognition (as Islam has inbuilt
mechanism by which wealth can circulate)
however, differences in income are tolerated.
6-Participation in worldly activities is strongly
encouraged with the proviso that any material
advancement must lead to the fulfillment of
ones own spiritual upliftment and that of the
Muslim community.

Requisite Moral Qualities for

Muslims

The prophet says: Every human is born is a state

of natural purity, and it is his encounter with the
immediate environment- within the family, and
later on society that shapes and forms his
character, habit and personality as an entity:
This underlines the paramount importance of
cultivating the seeds of good moral values in the
young of today if they are expected to become
good citizens of tomorrow. Consequently , we are
going to discuss some of the most fundamental
ethical values that need to be instilled, nurtured
and aspired by all.

God-Consciousness (taqwa)
Taqwa is the noblest of all character traits
that a Muslim should constantly strive to
develop.
Literally: to protect, to be wary, to be
careful and ti take good care of.
It is roughly translated as Godconsciousness. In the Islamic usage, it
signifies constant awareness of God,
either out of love or fear, a feeling that
constanly reminds one of the presenc of
God
A strong sense of accountability to God on
the part of a Muslim in all his actions and
intentions is the essence of taqwa.

Taqwa is the foundation of all moral behaviours

and actions. That is why the Quran declares it as:

1=The highest of the most sublime

quality that God desires to see in a
Muslim: The noble of you in Gods sight is
the one with the most taqwa
2=The path that was chosen and adopted
by the messengers: This is My path,
straight. So follow it, and not any other
paths,
3= A means of salvation for Muslims:
O people, fear your lord, and fear the day
no father shall give satisfaction to his
child, and no child shall give satisfaction
so his father . Surely Gods promise is
true.

Achievement
How does one achieve Taqwa? The
answer is through traning
(tarbiyyah) and sriving (mujahadah).
This quality can be instilled in the
child as he is gradually taught the
omnipresence and existence of God.
He also develops a constant
awareness of the fact that he is
always standing before God

Sincerity (ikhlas)

Literally means to purify, clarify, refine and remove all

impurities.
In the islamic usage it refers to the inclination and
attitude on the part of a person who in all his
undertakings, has the overriding consideration of
gaining the pleasure of God in his mind. In other words,
he does everything for sake of God.
The holy Quran defines ikhlas as the opposite of
hypocrisy (nifaq), a blameworthy attitude which literally
means trying to sell oneself. In the islamic usage a
hypocrite is someone who tries to convince people that
he is something that, in reality, he is not.
The word ikhlas is also employed as the opposite of riya
(show off) . Riya means to do good deeds outwardly
that are belied by the intention behind the activity

Honesty and
truthfulness( sidq)
Mean keeping ones commitments and
transparency in life.
Absolute honesty and fidelity in all
personal relationships and interactions, in
business dealing and transactions, and in
the administration of justice are the most
fundamental ethical concepts and
prinsiples that need to be upheld.
There are three characteristics of
hypocrite: when he speaks he lies, when
he makes a promise he breaches it, and
when he is trusted he betrays. (al-Furqan
63)

Purify, modesty, and chastity

(taharah, hayak, and iffah)

Muslims notion of purify and of living a life of modesty,

neatness and cleanliness make them regard anything
degrading either utmost abhorrence.
God and ones desire to maintain the state of balance that
is required for his/her integrity and well being. To create
such a society, islam imposes strict rules of modesty,
manners and behaviour to be observed by both men and
women
Every religion has its own moral code and among islamic
moral code is modesty so when God wants to destroy a
man or women, he takes away modesty from him/her. And
when he is deprived of modesty, he becomes the most
detestable man/women. When becomes detestable he
loses trust and when he loses trust and honesty, he
becomes extremely fraudulent. Gods blessing is snatched
away from him, he becomes extremely cursed, and when
this happens, then the yoke of Islam comes out from his
neck (become apostate)

Brotherliness (ukhuwwah)

Islam teaches its adherents to establish brotherly relations

with other felow Muslims. That is to desire for themselves.
And to dislike things for them the things that they do not
like for themselves and to rejoice their happiness and share
with them grief and sorrow.
Brotherliness frees Muslim from the attitude of apathy and
indifference towards others. This is delinested in numerous
places in the Quran and the Sunnah. For instance the
Quran provides;
O mankind; verily, w have creted you from a man and
woman, and have made you nations and tribes that you
may one another surely the noblest of you, I the sight of
God, is the best in conduct (al-Hujarat 13)
The prrohet said:
By Him in whose had is my soul, a man does not belive
until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.

Striving and Hard Work

(juhd)
Man as the vicegerent of God must strive
hard to establish a state of true
servanthood to God as well as to master
all the needed technical skill for managing
the affairs of his worldly lif. To do this, he
needs t work very hard and embark upon
jihad (striving), intellectually, morally and
technically. That is why the Quran states:
Man shall have nothing but what he strives
for.(al-Najm 39)
Naturally, no development and progress is
possible without hard work and effort.

Economy and Moderation

(iqtisad and Itidal)
The fundamental moral principle of
life, as viewd by Islam, is moderation
or balance. That is why the Quran
desribes Muslims to be a balanced
community:
Thus have We made of you an ummah
justly balanced that you might be
witnesses over nations. ( al-Baqarah:
143)

 Accordingly, the Islamic approach to

developing man morally and
materially is based on principle and
law of balance, equilibrium and
moderation. It either leans towards
asceticism nor towards greedy
materialism, but to the fulfilment of
both as directed by God. This policy
is clearly delineated and applied in
various aspects of human life, for
instance:

in eating habits and manners, the

directive is;
Voracious eating brings misfortune.
2-in dressing, the rule is:
He who puts on the clothes of fame in this world will be
clothes of disgrace by God on the day of judgement.
3-As regards to ones place of residence
Avoid luxurious living, for Gods slaves are not comfort
seeking.
4-Regarding other excessive obsessions with material
indulgences:
I have fears about you form the waywardness of your
bellies, sex and the carnal desires.
The prophet summed up the Muslim manifesto of Islam
regarding moderation as:
Beauty of form, seriousness and moderation are among the
twenty four part of prophet hood.

Universal Ethical Values

I
S
L
A
M
I
C
S
T
U
D
I
E
S

Justice (al-Adalah)

Means giving to the right person in the

right manner what ought to be given,
The opposite of justice is oppression (alzulm) injustice
Justice, at individual level, means
containing or suppressinf ones inner
wordly desires or holding them together in
correct proportions to produce a just
human being.
Justice at the social level.
*It denotes a linding moral commitment of
the individuals in any society to uphold a
dlicate balance in all aspects of their lives.

I
S
L
A
M
I
C
S
T
U
D
I
E
S

*a process of allocation of values in a

society
*who gets what, when and how?
*politics is the art of governing
mankind by deceiving them.

I
S
L
A
M
I
C
S
T
U
D
I
E
S

Types of Justice
1-towards God
2-towards his/her self
3-towards society and ecosystem
Prophet said:
You owe an obligation towards your soul,
an obligation towards your Lord and an
obligation towards your life, so you
must give to every party its own due
right.

I
S
L
A
M
I
C
S
T
U
D
I
E
S

.How to achieve justice;

-Personal purification; the purification and
reformation of one self, internally and
externally, is the starting the point from
which all good values proceed.
-inclusion of sense of duty to God; if the
thought of God dominates ones mind, it
tremendously influences one to uphold
justice.
-Kind and forgiving social attitude; the key to
stability in society is peace/harmony among
its members, thus having stability great
helps to implement justice in society

Reformation (islah)
I
S
L
A
M
I
C
S
T
U
D
I
E
S

*Islah means establishing

wholesomeness, or reform. opposite 0f
fasad which means corrupt, ruined,
evil and wrong.
Causes of corruption
*following the human caprice in
deciding right and wrong.
Had he really followed their caprices,
the heavens and the earth and
everyone within them would have
been corrupted. (al-mukminun 71)
*

I
S
L
A
M
I
C
S
T
U
D
I
E
S

Mans abuse of the position of

trust
Corruption has appeared on land
and in the sea because of what
mens hands have earned, so
that He may let them taste some
part of what they have done, and
so that perhaps they may return
al Rum 41

 Turning away from divine message or

losing the vision of the vicegerency:
and those who break Gods
covenant, and who belittle what God
has commanded to be joined, and
who work corruption in the earth,
thiers shall be the curse and thiers is
the ugly abode al-Rad 25

 Moral deviation and hypocrisy

contribution to fasad:
Among the people are some who say,
We have faith in God and in the last
day, but they do not have faith. They
eek to deceive God, but they are
deceiving only themselves, and they
are unaware. In their heart is a
disease, so God increased their
disease, and their painful
chastisement because they are liars.
When it is said to them, work not
corruption on earth, they say, we are
only doing wholesome deeds surely
they are workers of corruption, but
they are unaware.

The role of Adab al-Islam in social

relationship
The aim of Adab al-Islam to help in
establishing and maintaning healthy social
relationship.
2 What is required of muslims toward each
other is mutual responsibility and positive
assistance.
3 Muslims are encouraged to meet each otherstrengthen social bonds and defends the
individual
against
the
psychological
consequences of social isolation.
4 Acceptance of any invitation and holding
feasts- will make social ties stronger between
members of a community irrespective of social
status..

5 Social relations should be quite

free of personal interest and
engaged in wholly for the sake of
God.
6 Social life is encouraged at a
wider level-like performing
congregational prayer in the
mosque.
7 Personal cleanliness is an
important factor when
communicating with others..

Moral Crisis Among

Muslims

1)Muslims are meant to be the role

models of akhlaq for other people
2)They were made by Allah to be the best
ummah (aali Imran:110)
3)Unfortunately, some of them are not
playing the role.
4)They are facing moral crisis such as
drug
addict,
illegitimate
children,
disciplinary problems in schools, divorces
e.c.t

The crisis actually happened

because of
several factors:

a) Some muslims do not understand the

teaching of Islam(lack of knowledge)
b) Neglecting the responsibilities as
Khalifah on this earth.
c) Drowning in world of amusement and
entertainment

Whatever matters, every muslim

must continue playing his role
in propagating Islam to non
-muslim

 On the authority of Abu Said al-Khudri (may

Allah be pleased with him) , who said: I
heard the messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h) say:
Whosoever of you sees an evil action ,
let him change it with his hand; and if
he is not able to do so, then with his
tongue, and if he is not able to do so,
then with his heart..and that is the
weakest of faith.(related by Muslim

Rasullullah S.A.W (An Excellent

Example)

Prophets Muhammad came to

this world as an ideal model for
mankind..
The ideas are mentionned in alQuran and prophets tradition
Prophet came to establish
morality and assure every
muslim of security, protection,
moral integrity and a decent
life..
LingTerapan/JMJ/ENG/FBL/UM/2006

His mission was put to the test in his life and

did not stay in the stationary form of theory.
*His integrity and truthfulness were beyond
doubt not only in the sight of muslims but also
in the minds of his most staunch opponents.
*He was a successful political leader.
*He was the kindest husband, the most loving
and cherish able partner.
*He was not merely a racial leader or a national
liberator he was and still is a man of history
and the best model of him who seeks God
*in him every man can find something to learn,
and excellent examples of goodness and piety
to follow.

Sickness and Medical

Treatment
Diseases and afflictions are facts of life.
Muslims as servants of God are required to
bear ilness and afflictions with positive
attitide and patience as in the Islamic view
they are Gods blessing in disguise for
Muslims, and above all are test of one
staying true to his faith in God
Be sure We test you with something of fear
and hunger, some loss in goods or lves of
fruits of your toil, but give glad tidings to
those who patiently perserve, who say
when afflicted with a calamity: to God we
belong, and to Him is our return al-Baqarah 155156:
LingTerapan/JMJ/ENG/FBL/UM/2006

The reasons are: First diseases are part of Gods pre destination (Qadar) for a patient and to seek
treatment is reversing one qadar with another qadar.
Secondly, illness may prove useful for the patient as an opportunity to reflect and remember God.

Accordingly the prophet of God, set the following

guidelines for Muslim to observe when dealing wuth the
phenomemenon of disease:
1-Sickness is a means of strenthening a believers faith
and getting his sins expited.
the prophet said: when God wants to be good to
someone , He tries him with some hardship.
For every misfortune, illness, antiety, grief, or hurt
that afflicts a Muslim even the hurt caused by the
pricking of thorn-God removes some of his sins.
2-A patient when complaining about his sickness to a
physian or to a friend or an acquintance should not
indicate his ingratitude or anger to God. The Prophet
said: If one thanks God before complaining about his
pain or disease, then it is not considered impatience

4- Enduring sickness patiently is rewarded by

God
5-A patient is recomemded to seek medical
treatmant.
6- using prohibited things as medicine is
haram.
7-seeking treatmant with words from the
Quran of Haduth is allowed

Recommended Measures During Dead

Illness
If a person after receiving all the medical
treatments and other care and moral
support still does not recover and he is
about to die, according to the Sunnah , the
caregiver to him wil have to do the folowing:
1-Advise the dying person, if still conscious,
to say: La ilaha illa Allah
2-Lay the dying person so that the qiblat is
on his right side
3-Recite surah yasin from the Quran by the
side of a dying person so that God will ease
his deadbed sufferings.

4-close the eyes of the dead person

immedietly after he passes away.
5-properly cover the corpse pf the
deceased
6-prepare the body of the dead person for
burial as soon as his death is confirmed
by the physician
7-Next of kin must sttle the outstanding
liability of the deceased from his estate.
The state and community should
contribute if the person dies insolvent.