B.ED. GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING (GUIDE) EDC 2355: Moral Philosophy From Islamic Perspective
REPORT PRESENTION Topic:
INTRODUCTION TO MORAL PHILOSOPHY FROM ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE BY:
NOR AISHAH BT YACOB 1115502 NURNASIHAH BT AZIZAN 1111350
LECTURER:
DR. AFAREEZ BIN ABD RAZAK AL-HAFIZ
INTRODUCTION Morals are the standards or values set by society for an ethical human behavior. It can also be called the ability to differentiate between right and wrong. Morality is the obedience to the moral values there in the society, especially the following of good moral behavior. Besides, we are performing Allah’s command with our ability but we need to follow the guidelines give by Him as according to our capacity. Morals in the general society might have change considerably over the centuries but their main purpose remains the same; for example, to practice good behavior. The Holy Quran calls good as maruf- a well known things and evil as munkar- an unknown thing. It means that it is desirable to do good deeds and undesirable to treat in evil ways. The Quran says: “By the Soul! And the proportion and order given to it, and its enlightenment as to its wrong and its right- truly he succeeds that purifies it, and he fails that corrupts it.” (91:7-10). The moral values in Islam deal with the connection of a man with his God, man with others being and the man’s relationship with his soul. Apart from that, Rasullah (pbuh) once said: “The best of you are those who have the most excellent morals.” The moral values in Islam highlight on piety, patience, forgiveness, justice, kindness brotherhood, equality, truthfulness, lawful earning and acquisition of knowledge.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF MORAL VALUES IN ISLAM Moral values in Islam aim to decide human action in a Muslim society, also to promote and control their activities or doings to the benefit of the whole society and its individuals, and to bring for all individuals a good end in the other life (akhirah). It aims to combine human attributes, manners, doings that aims to prepare followers of the Lord, whom Islam described
them and clarified the path of goodness for them. Moral values in Islam then, whether they are individual such as genuineness, tolerance, or love are meant to bring individual and society benefit, and protect human benefit. From this point we determine that the moral value in Islam means to achieve the following objectives: a. Oneness and worshipping: to construct a system of morality that is directly deduced from the Quran. It is most common foundations of Muslim life is that human should seek to achieve the Oneness of the Lord, which is an essential to all what humans are thinking about the life and living, life before and after, and that is what all humans should use to seek true worshipping to the Lord. This is the system revealed from the Holy Book and Prophetic Sunnah. That is where we make some differentiate between obligation, responsibility, effort, and intention. b. to prepare the faithful individual( for system of value in Islam seek to prepare the individual with a strong building, who seek to achieve the Say of Allah, Praise the Lord, (Say, `My Prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for ALLAH, the Lord of the worlds) (Al-Anaam: 162). This is a portray that differs from the portray of good citizen in other contemporary systems. The good person in human systems could kill, be unfair, and could seek to built his self society on the account on other societies, but the good human in Islam is like Abu Bakr and Omer, May Allah be in Consent with them, who urge to avoid torture, burning or killing children, and to avoid killing trees or demolition of churches. So, moral values in Islam give us way to solve the contemporary moral problem.
c. Systemize the teaching of Quran and morality. It is balancing as Islamic value system is built on balance as the principle of everything. Allah Says that “and he has created everything, and has determined its proper measure.” (Al-Furqan: 2), For all this Islam seeks to integrate all life aspects materialistic or spiritual, and seek to build individual objective along with the society aims and call for all to integrate words with deeds, and to balance between human needs in this life and his wishes in the other life as mention by the Quran which is we as the Muslim use as the guideline. Thus, Quran is the best reference for the Muslim in every part of the life. d. Correct Morals: Islam makes the moral side a measure for good deeds, and the main side in values is the main objectives for the message of Islam. The Noble Prophet came to complete good morals, and Islam cares for development of moral feeling in human nature, and makes correctness the guide of human behavior both publicly and privately, as Islam assures the moral side in all worships.
IMPORTANCE The Prophet's high standard of manners made him a model for all Muslims to follow. The Prophet (pbuh) used to emphasize how significant good manners are for Muslims. He (pbuh) has said: “The best of you is the best among you in conduct.” [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]. He even clarified that people will be on different levels in Paradise based on their good manners saying: “The dearest and nearest among you to me on the Day of Resurrection will be the one who is the best in conduct…”[Ibn An-Najjaar]. It shows that the ultimate aim of our life is the hereafter. Since the beginning of Islam, Prophet Muhammad pbuh was mainly concerned with the teaching and disciplining the Muslim to have the best manners and personal characteristics.
DEFINITION OF MORAL, ETHICS AND AKHLAQ
Basically, many of us are still confuse about moral and ethics. How should we differentiate between moral and ethics, and how should we judge someone is morally or ethically or not? Before we discuss futher about this issue, we would like to define the term moral, ethics and akhlaq. First and foremost, the term moral comes from the Latin word “moras” which means custom. Moral meaning teaching of good and evil generally accepted regarding actions, attitudes, obligationns, manners and morals. According to W. Damon 1988, said that there is no single definition of morality that is universal and acceptable to everyone. So as general definition, moral is a social instrument that guides individuals and groups in their daily lives. It requires individuals and group to follow it. It helps people to behave rationally as members of society. So in the simple word, moral is about trait, temperament, will, opinion or actions which are worth saying right, wrong, good or bad. Good and bad teachings on morality rooted in customs. Hence also, to measure human behavior is good or bad, it can be seen whether the action was in accordance with generally accepted customs of social unity or environment. If so, then it can be good or bad an act morally, is local. Meaning that, if we want to judge some action is good or bad based on the perception of society. For example in Malay culture who are consist of Muslims, commonly daughters are not allowed to get out until late night. It is because our society will judge that the girls is an immoral person and the family of the girls will getting ashamed for the accused of did not know how to educate their children well. Then, morality is an external element that is imposed on the individual and cultivated until it becomes a habit. So for in that case, the father will punish her daughter and warning her to not come back home at late
night. He actually teach or illustrate the right behavior which is the daughter ought to do. Therefore the daughter can take the lesson from her action and do not repeat it in future. Basically, moral is more stress on relative-practice which we chose what is wrong and right. Secondly is ethics. The word ethics comes from the Greek “ethos”, which mean custom, morals, character, feeling, attitudes, ways of thinking. According to V. Grassia 1981, said that ethics can also be defined as a philosophical study of morals i.e. good behavior, moral obligation, moral attitude ,moral responsibility, social justice and good living qualities. Another definition come out by William Lilie, (1957: 1-2), ethics is a science of the conduct of human beings living in societies which, also judge this conduct to be right and wrong. So to make this clear, I provide another definition come out by Ahmad Amin, Ilmu Akhlak (Prof. KH. Farid Ma’ruf (1975,pg5) defines ethics as the sciences that explain the meaning of good and bad to explain what should be done by some other human, stating goals that must be addressed by human in their actions and point the way to do what must be done. So from these definitions, we can see that ethics and moral are actually quite same. What make both difference is term of the sources. For the moral the sources of judgement is based on culture and tradition. However for ethics the source is based on reasoning. Basically, ethics stress on social system in which those moral are applied. Besides that, ethics is more on theory. For instance we learn and know what is wrong and right, this called ethics which is related to theory. Here, we will provide an example to make this thing more comprehend. Someone will be judge an unethical man when he failed to applied the things that he already know it is wrong. For example, cheating in examination is wrong action but he do the thing eventhough he already know that it is not allowed to cheat in examination.
Last but not least is akhlaq. Generally, akhlaq is plural of the word khuluq, mean behavior, temperament, tabi’at (Louis Ma’ruf, Al- Munjid, 1975). According to saifu deen, (2007) the definition of akhlaq in the Shari'ah terminology: The morals are the characteristics which Allah (SWT) has ordered the Muslim to abide by when performing his actions, they are the commands and prohibitions related to the qualities which the Muslim should demonstrate when performing his actions be it acts of worships, transactions and others. Therefore Islam has obliged the Muslim to abide by the commands and prohibitions of Allah (SWT) in his actions, sayings and qualities when acting or talking. In essence, akhlaq
is the power of the soul that drives action easily and spontaneously without thought. Thus, akhlaq is basically the attitude inherent in a person spontaneously manifested in behavior or actions. If the spontaneous act according to both reason and religion, then it is called good morals or akhlaqul karimah. For example, honest, fair, humble, generous, polite, and so on. Conversely, when poorly known bad character or akhlaqul madzmumah. For example miserly, tyrannical, envy, jealousy, lies and so on. Good and bad morals based on the source of value, namely the Qur’an and Sunnah. According to Imam Ghazali, noble character has four cases are discreet, keeping away from bad behavior, courage (vanquish lust) and fair. “Surely I was sent to perfect good character pious”. (HR: Bukhari). In another hadith explained: “The most perfect believers are the best faith depraved. He guides all over aspects of human life, our relationship between us and The Almighty, human and human and also human to others creatures. The unique is the values in akhlak are never being changed in time, place and situation. For example, Al-Quran commands us not to commit adultery and it prohibited because it may cause harmful to religion itself, mind, oneself, progeny and property. This is fixed, and no one can change the rules in whatsoever circumstances you are.
So as conclusion, we would like to bring the recent issue that happen in our society. Nowdays, we have seen simptoms of moral decline. The factors which are the advancement of science, technology, and economics. As a result, many inequalities and injustices in society. Those who uphold the truth will be suppressed and the offender will be defended. If in the past years ago, the LGBT issue is never rise up but today this issue is being hotly discussed due to some group who are claim their right. In fact they opposed the sunnatullah. This is the indicator of the loss of akhlaq, morals, and ethics. Many of people in our society did not know how to judge some action either it is right or wrong because different people or society have different ideas about morality that impact each of our lives. For example in the issue of homosexuality, many believe that it is morally wrong , but some others believe that it is nothing wrong because they come out with the reason the group have right to chose what they want to be and we cannot discriminate the group. Here, we can see that the moral judgement can be change to recommend behavior to certain society.
References Ahmad Amin, Ilmu Akhlak (Prof. KH. Farid Ma’ruf), (Jakarta: Bulan Bintang, 1975), page 5. Louis Ma’ruf, Al-Munjid, (Beirut: Daar al-Masyriq, 1975), page. 194 Saifu deen. 2007. Akhlaq. The importance of islamic morals. Retrived from http://www.turntoislam.com/threads/akhlaq-the-importance-of-islamic-morals.19442 http://www.scribd.com/doc/51683094/00000106
