Fundamentals of Islamic Morality

1. Knowledge

In order to act in a morally correct way one must have knowledge or be capable of understanding what is right and wrong. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said, “The pen is raised for the book of the child until it reaches maturity, the insane until he or she becomes sane and from the sleeper until he or she awakens.” Consequently, children, the insane and those unconscious are not held to be responsible for their actions.

2. Rational Choice

Errors due to accident or one being criminally forced by others are not considered Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: “Responsibility has been removed from my nation regarding acts done accidentally, out of ignorance or being forced.”

3. Proper Intent

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said, “Deeds are judged by their intentions and everyone will be rewarded according to their intent.”

4. Taqwaa

Prophet Muhammad  (Peace be upon him) said:  “Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him and though you cannot see Him you do so knowing that He sees you.”

Great stress has been placed in Islam on good moral character.  Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) summarized the essence of the Islamic message saying, 

“Indeed, I was only sent to complete the most noble of character traits.” [1]

And Allah said in the Qur’an,

 “Surely you (Muhammad) have a magnificent character.” [Surah al-Qalam (68): 4]

The Prophet’s companion Ibn ‘Abbas explained that “character” here meant “religion”, i.e. Islam.[2]  By using the term “character” to refer to the religion of Islam, Allah stresses the importance of morality in relationship to the religion. It was also reported that when the Prophet’s wife ‘Aa’ishah was asked about the Prophet’s character, she replied, “His character was that of the Qur’an.”[3]  That is, his manners were according to Allah’s instructions in the Qur’an. Consequently, the development of good character depends on closely following the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). In this regard, Allah also said in the Qur’an:                                                      

 “Indeed you have in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful example (of conduct)...” [Surah Al-Ahzab (33):21]

Thus, the rites and rituals of Islam cannot be separated from good manners. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) was reported to have said, “Righteousness is good character.” [4]

Islam teaches man how to lead a morally righteous life by pointing out the proper way to live. Any Muslim who displays bad manners such as swearing or lying is either a hypocrite pretending to be a Muslim or a very weak Muslim. Faith is inseparable from action.

Abu Hurayrah quoted the Prophet (Peace be upon him) as saying, “The believer whose faith is most complete is he whose character is best.”[5]

Consequently, throughout the Qur’an, whenever Allah instructs humankind to believe, He always links faith with command to do righteous deeds. The Prophet did the same, saying, for example, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should be good to his neighbor and kind to his guest.” [6]

That being the case, there should be an underlying principle of morality at the base of all Islamic teachings. Islam covers all aspects of human existence; spiritual, social and economic. Consequently, there is in Islam a network of moral principles governing all human relations with God, with other humans, as well as with the environment in which humans exist.

For example, from an Islamic perspective, worshipping others besides God would be considered morally wrong and bad character, in the same way that lying to others or littering the environment would be considered morally objectionable.

Therefore, it may be assumed that each of the pillars of Islam and Iman were designed to develop a particular set of moral characteristics. Without understanding the moral and spiritual goals of the pillars, they remain empty rituals which cannot benefit anyone in the next life.