Untitled

Andrew Terbrock

1-25-07

Theology

The Moral System of Islam

Islam’s founder, Muhammad was born in 570 A.D. to the Hashimi clan, who were reasonable fro the pagan holy site known as the Ka’ba. His father died before his birth and his mother when he was six years old. He then went to live with his grandfather for two years and finally with his uncle until he grew to maturity. During this time he received no formal training, and could not read or write.

At twenty-five, Muhammad married his first wife Kadija who already had children from a prior marriage, and had seven more with Muhammad. Kadija died in 619 A.D. and Muhammad remarried, having up to nine wives at a time. He married these wives fro myriad reasons; political, for pity, and passion reportedly killing the husbands of some women so they would marry him.

Muhammad began receiving revelation from God through His angel Gabriel in 610. These revelations continued throughout his life resulting in the Koran. The style of this revelation changed from poetic, and philosophical messages, to more pertinence, and practical messages; the morality of Islam. (1)

The moral system of Islam is based on five fundamental teaching, or obligations that each Muslim must fulfill in his lifetime for it to be considered a good life. They are called the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars involve a profession of faith, daily prayer, almsgiving, fasting and abstinence, and a pilgrimage.

The first of the Five Pillars that any follower of Islam completes is the profession of faith, or Shahada. One must publicly profess that there is no God but Allah, and that God’s revelation was told to the world by His one true profit, Muhammad. At least two men must witness this profession, and from that point on the professor is a Muslim.

The second pillar is salat, or salah which involves daily prayer. Every day at dawn, late morning, noon, the afternoon, and at sunset, Muslims must face toward Mecca (usually just East) and pray a prayer passed down by Muhammad to be said at such times. This prayer must be said in Arabic. While prayer in the vernacular language is encouraged, it cannot take the place of any of the five required daily prayers.

Zakah, or almsgiving is the third pillar of Islam that all Muslims must fulfill. A Muslim family is required to give a certain fraction of their personal wealth to charity. This wealth include only luxury wealth, and does not include any food, tools, home, or vehicles that are important in the family or persons livelihood. Muslims are encouraged to give alms beyond what is required of them, a practice called sadaqa, or voluntary charity.

All Muslims who have reached puberty are required to observe a fast from daybreak to dusk during Ramadan each year, and to abstain from sexual intercourse. Many children still participate in this practice, called the Sawm, even though they are not required because of their physical immaturity. The fasting is viewed as a form of purification.

Finally, all Muslims are called to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, the holy city of Islam, at least once in his life. The exceptions to this are people physically, or financially unable. However, some wealthier Muslims are known to fund a poorer Muslim’s Hajj, the name for the pilgrimage to Mecca. While in Mecca, the pilgrims walk seven times around the Ka’ba before they can touch it. They also walk seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwa as Hagar did in search of water. Pilgrims also join in prayer on the plains of Arafat as a preview to the end times, and they celebrate the end of their pilgrimage with a celebration called Id al Adha. (2)

The moral system of Islam has been summed up as, “whatever improves the well being of an individual or a society is morally good, and whatever harms this well being is morally bad.” (3) That said, much of the Koran is concerned with specific cases outlining what the proper approach to a situation may be. The language is reminiscent of the Code of Hamurabi in how specifically it references each situation.

Islam considers the use of drugs or alcohol to be immoral in that it clouds the mind, and hampers judgment. The things specifically banned are all intoxicants which are said to cover the eyes and the mind. In short, Muslims in general do not drink alcohol of any kind, but instead generally drink tea. As for drugs there were various sects that encouraged their use, but according to the source it is forbidden in the Koran by the Arabic word that describes anything that covers or hides the mind. This has led to some debate over whether substances other then alcohol are moral. (4)

On the issue of sexuality, similar rules to Christianity apply. A few exceptions are the ban on sexual intercourse during Ramadan. Another is the acceptance polygamy, in which case intercourse can be had with any of these wives. Also, any slave girls that may belong to a man are fair game for a sexual partner. On this subject the Koran state, “Blessed are the believers… who restrain their carnal desires (except with their wives and slave girls, for those are lawful to them; transgressors are those who lust after other than these.)” (5)

Muslims are required to give a certain amount of their wealth to charity each year, and is considered a form of almsgiving. They are also encouraged to give beyond that. Besides this, Muslims are required to feed any hungry travelers that may stop at their house or place of business. (6) The poor and orphans are also expressly protected by the Koran. “Did he not find you an orphan and give you shelter? / Did he not find you in error and guide you? / Did he not find you poor and enrich you? / There for do not wrong the orphan, nor chide the beggar. But proclaim the goodness of your Lord.” (7) Islam in general requires the fair treatment of the poor, and provides for mandatory support for them by their richer brothers.

The materialism that causes poverty and extreme wealth to occur is spurned by Muslim morality, and is viewed by many extremist groups as one of the great offenses of the West. An Islamic extremist site view materialism in just this way. “Right no the battle with shaitin is being lost. In modern terms, this is a battle against western secular materialism.” (8) From this we get that Muslims view material things with much the same philosophy as Igantion Indifference; excess of goods is bad if it harms the relationship with God.

Finally, Muslims view honesty as something one is with others, and himself. It is bad to lie to someone else, and it is just as bad to lie to you. Honesty in Islam is a much more serious matter then people in the United States would think. A Muslim is re3quired to tell the truth no matter if it would harm him or another. The white lies about Santa Claus, or grandma’s nasty, but love filled plates of liver are just as serious as a lie that cheats a man out of property, and the like. If a Muslim is to enter into a contract, or say he will do something, he is bound by his word that he will do it. In Islam, verbal contracts are binding. (9)

Works Cited

www.lexicorient.com/e.o/muhammad.html

www.islam101.com

www.submission.org/grugs/alcohol.html

The Koran. Translated by N.J. Dawood. Penguin Books: London, 1999. 23:5-8

Paulo Coelho. The Alchemist. Harpersanfrancisco: San Francisco, 1994.

The Koran. 93: 6-11