Morality

Moral is that which is concerned with the principles of right and wrong conduct and morality is the quality of conforming to the principles of good conduct. The question which remains is: “How do we define right and wrong or good conduct?” Right and wrong may vary according to the perspective from which one views an action.

Standards of Morality

1. Philosophy:

Under capitalism the unrestricted use of private property is considered morally good while under communism private ownership is morally evil.

2. Culture:

Inherited practices considered acceptable in one culture may be considered totally unacceptable in another. For example, when a national dance troupe from Papua New Guinea were invited to give performances in a variety of locations in Australia, the principle of a high school to which they were invited objected. He was attacked in the press for being narrow-minded, however, he refused to compromise and allow the bare breasted dancers to perform at his school.

3. Social Need:

Population control is critical in China, consequently for a woman to be pregnant for a second time is considered morally wrong in China. When America was involved in World War two, atomic testing was morally sound to protect the country. After the atomic powers decided to ban nuclear testing, those who attempted to do so, like China, India, and Pakistan were judged to be morally wrong.

4. Professional Requirements:

According to medical ethics, psychiatrists do not reveal information about their patients even if they turn out to be psychopathic serial killers and people’s lives are at stake.

5. Religion:

For Catholics, marriage is morally wrong for priests and nuns and information given in confessional is kept in confidence no matter how many lives may be threatened.

Democratic Morality

In the democratic system moral values are set according to the preference of the majority. Consequently, it is inherently unstable and incomplete.

Islamic Morality

The Islamic system of morality is a complete system that governs human relations with God, with other humans and with the environment. It is morally good to worship God and morally evil to worship His creation. Preservation of one’s life is morally good, while suicide is morally evil. Taking an animal’s life for food or for clothing is morally good while killing an animal for sport is considered morally evil.

Foundation of Islamic morality

1. Good and evil are according to God’s definition. Allah Alone knows the ultimate consequences of actions. Consequently, He Alone can absolutely define right and wrong. Good and evil may also be defined according to God’s pleasure; what pleases Him is good and right and what displeases Him is wrong and evil.

2. What God has defined as permissible (Halaal) and forbidden (Haraam) is due to real benefit and harm existing in it, whether we are able to perceive it or not. These definitions are absolutely not arbitrary.