Bismillah. Wasalatu wasalaam, ala Rasulill kareem, wa Allah Alihi, wa
sahbihi, minastanabi Sunnahti eela yamideen. (May the peace and blessing of
Allah be upon the Prophet, his household and his companions, and whoever
follows his
Sunnah until the day of judgement)

In the last segment, the the universal concensus on good and evil was
presented by Mawdudi.
And now Mawdudi continues in his definition of  the Islamic way of Life as
recorded in a radio talk show in 1948  and published under teh title of
"Islamic Way of Life" By Abul A'la Mawdudi.

WHY DIFFERENCES?

The questions that arise are:
If the basic values of good and evil have been so well known and there has
virtually been a universal agreement thereon, then why do varying patters of
moral behaviour exist in this World? Why are there so many and so conflicting
moral philosophies? Why do certain moral standards contradict each other? What
lies at the root of their difference? What is the unique position of Islam in
the context of the prevailing ethical systems? On what grounds can we claim that
Islam has a perfect moral system? And what exactly is the distinctive
contribution of Islam in the real of ethics? These questions are important and must
be squarely faced; but justice cannot be done to them in the brief span of this
talk.*

(* For a comparatively detailed exposition by the author, see The Ethical
View Point of Islam, Islamic Publications, Lahore-Editor.)

To cut a long story short, I shall briefly sum up some of these important
points which strike us at the very outset when we undertake a critical
examination of the contemporary ethical systems and the conflicting patterns of moral
behaviour.

(a) The present moral system fail to integrate various moral virtues and
norms by prescribing their specific limits and utility and assigning to them their
proper place. That is why they fail to provide a balanced and coherent plan
of social conduct.

(b) The real cause of their differences seems to lie in the moral systems
offering different standards for good and bad actions and enunciating different
means of distinguishing good from evil. Differences also exist in respect of
the sanction behind the moral law and in regard to the motives which impel a
person to follow it.


(c) On deeper reflection, we find that the grounds for these differences
emerge from different peoples' conflicting views and concepts about the universe,
and the purpose of man on the earth. Various theories of ethics, philosophy
and religion are but a record of the vast divergence of views of mankind on
these most vital questions, viz. Is there a God and a Sovereign of the universe
and if there is, is He One or are there many gods? What are  Divine Attributes?
What is the nature of the relationship between God and the human beings? Has
God made any arrangements for guiding humanity through the rough and tumble of
life or not? Is man answerable to God or not? If he is, then what are the
matters for which he is to be answerable? What is the ultimate aim of  man's
creation which he should keep in view throughout his life?

Answers to these questions will determine the way of life, the ethical
philosophy and the pattern of moral behaviour  of the individual and the society.

It is difficult for me in this brief talk to take stock of the various
ethical systems prevalent in the World and indicate what solutions each of them has
proposed to these questions and what has been the impact of these answers on
the moral evolution of the society believing in these concepts. Here, I can
confirm myself to the Islamic concept only and this I shall try to propound.

ISLAMIC CONCEPT OF LIFE AND MORALITY.

The viewpoint of Islam, however, is that this universe is the creation of God
Who is One. He created it, and He alone is it's unrivalled Master, Sovereign
and Sustainer. The whole universe is functioning under His Devine Command. He
is All Wise, All Powerful and Omniscient. He is Subbooh and Quddoos ( that is,
free from all defects, mistakes, weakness, and faults and pure in every
respect) His Godhood is free from partiality and injustice. Man is His creature,
subject and servant and is born to serve and obey Him.
The correct way of life for man is to live in complete obedience to Him. It
is not for man to determine the mode of worship and obedience: it is for God to
decide this. God, being the master, has raised from time to time, prophets
for the guidance of humanity and has revealed His books through them. It is the
duty of man to take the code of his life from these sources of devine
guidance. Man is answerable to God for all his actions in life. The time for rendering
an account will be in the life-hereafter and not in this World. The short
span of Worldly life is really an opportunity to prepare for the great test. In
this life, all efforts of man should be centered on the object of soliciting
the Pleasure and Blessing of God in the Hereafter.

During this test, every person is responsible for all his beliefs and
actions. He, with all his faculties and potentialities, is on trial. There will be an
impartial assessment of his conduct in life by a Being Who keeps a complete
and correct record not merely of his movements and actions and their influence
on all that is in the World- from the tiniest speck of dust ot the loftiest
mountains, but also full record of his innermost ideas and feelings and
intentions.

GOAL OF MORAL STRIVING

This is Islam's fundamental attitude towards life. This concept of the
universe, and of man's place therein determines the real and the ultimate goal which
should be the objecti of all the endeavours of mankind and which may be
termed briefly as "seeking the pleasure of God". This is the standard by which a
particular mode of conduct is judged and classified as good or bad.

This standard of judgment provides the nucleus around which the whole moral
conduct should revolve. Man is not left like a ship without moorings, being
tossed about by the blows of wind and tides. This dispensation places a central
object before mankind and lays down values and norms for all moral actions. It
provides us with a stable and flawless set of values which remains unaltered
under all circumstances. Moreover, with making the "pleasure of God" as the
object of man's life, a highest and noblest objective is set before humanity and
thus, unlimited possibilities are opened for man's moral evolution, unstained
at any stage by any shadow of narrow selfishness or bigoted race or nation
worship.

While providing a normal standard, Islam also furnishes us with means of
determining good and evil conduct. It does not base our knowledge of vice and
virtue on mere intellect, desire, intuition, or experience derived through the
sense organs, which constantly undergo shifts, modifications and alterations and
do not provide definite, categorical  and unchanging standards of morality. It
provides us with a definite source, the Divine Revelation, as embodied in the
Book of God and the Sunnah (way of life of the Holy Prophet ( peace be upon
him). This source prescribes a standard or moral conduct that is permanent and
universal and holds good in every age and under all circumstances. The moral
code of Islam covers the smallest details of domestic life as well as the broad
aspects of national and international behaviour. It guides us in every stage
of life. These regulations imply the widest application of  moral principles
in the affairs of our life and make us free from exclusive dependence on any
other source of knowledge, except as an aid to this primary source.

SANCTION BEHIND MORALITY

This concept of the universe and of man's place therein also furnishes the
sanction that must lie at the back of every moral law, viz, the love ands fear
of God, the sense of accountability on the Day of Judgment and the promise of
eternal bliss and reward in the life hereafter. Although Islam wants to
cultivate a powerful and strong mass opinion which may induce individuals and groups
to abide by the principles of morality laid by it and also aims at the
evolution of a political system which would enforce the moral laws, as far as
possible, through it's legislative and executive powers, Islam's moral law does not
really depend on these external pressures alone.

It relies upon the inherent urge for good in every man which is derived from
belief in God and the Day of Judgment. Before laying down any moral
injunction, Islam seeks ot firmly implant in man's heart the conviction that his
dealings are with God Who sees him at all times and in all places:
That he may hide himself from the whole world, but not from Him: that he may
deceive everyone, but  cannot deceive God; that he can flee from the clutches
of any one else but not from God's; that while the word can see man's outward
life only, God probes into his innermost intentions and desires, that while he
may, in his short sojourn on this earth, do whatever he likes, but in any
event, he has to  die one day and present himself before the Devine court of
justice where no advocacy, favour, recommendation, misrepresentation, deception or
fraud will be of any avail and where his future will be decided with complete
impartiality and justice. There may or may not be any police, law court or
jail in the world to enforce the observance of these moral injunctions and
regulations but this belief, firmly rooted in the heart, is the real force at the
back of the moral law of Islam which helps in getting it enforced. If popular
opinion and the coercive powers of the state exist to give it support, so much
the better, otherwise, this faith alone can keep a Muslim individual and a
Muslim community on the straight path of virtue, provided, the spark of genuine
faith dwells in their hearts.

MOTIVES AND INCENTIVES

    This concept of Islam and about man and his place in the universe also
provides those motivating forces which can inspire a person to act in conformity
with the moral law. The fact that a man voluntarily and willingly accepts God
as his own Creator and the obedience to God as the mode of his life and
strives to seek His Pleasure in his every action, provides a sufficient incentive
to enable him to obey the commandments which he believes to be from God. Along
with this, the belief in the Day of Judgment and the belief that whosoever
obeys Divine Commands is sure to have a good life in the Hereafter, the Eternal
Life, whatever difficulties and handicaps he may face in this transitory phase
of life, provides a strong incentive for virtuous life.

On the other hand, the belief that whoever violates the Commandments of God
in this world and dies in a state of Kufr (unbelief) shall have to bear eternal
punishment however superficially nice a life he may have led in this
temporary abode, is effective deterrent against violation of moral law. If this hope
and fear are firmly ingrained and deeply rooted in one's heart, they will
provide a strong motive- force to inspire one to virtuous deeds even on occasions
when worldly consequences may appear to be very damaging and harmful, and will
keep one away from evil even on occasions when it looks extremely attractive
and profitable.

This clearly indicates that Islam possesses a distinctive criterion of good
and evil, it's own source of moral law, it's own sanction and motive force, and
by them it's virtues in all spheres of life after knitting them into a
balanced and comprehensive plan. Thus, it can be justifiably claimed that Islam
possesses a perfect moral system of it's own.
This system has many distinguishing features and I shall refer to the three
most significant ones which, in my opinion, can be termed it's special
contributions to ethics.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF ISLAMIC MORAL ORDER

(1) By setting Divine Pleasure as the objective of man's life, it has
furnished the highest possible standard of morality. This is bound to provide
limitless avenues for the moral revolution of humanity. By making Devine Revelation
the primary source of knowledge, it gives permanence and stability to the
moral standards which afford reasonable scope for genuine adjustment, adaptations
and innovations though not for perversions, wild variations, atomistic
relativism or moral fluidity. It provides a sanction to morality in the love and fear
of God which will impel man to obey the moral law even without any external
pressure.
Through belief in God and the Day of Judgment, it furnishes a motive force
which enables a person to adopt the moral conduct with earnestness and
sincerity, with all the devotion of heart and soul.

(2) It does not, through a false sense of originality and innovation, provide
any novel moral virtues, nor does it seek to minimize the importance of the
well-known moral norms nor give exaggerated importance to some and neglect
others without cause. It takes up all the commonly known moral virtues and with a
sense of balance and proportion, it assigns a suitable place and function to
each one of them in the total plan of life. It widens the scope of their
application to cover every aspect of man's individual and collective life, his
domestic associations, his civic conduct, and his activities in the political
economic, legal, educational and social realms. It covers his life from home to
society, from the dining table to the battle field and the peace conferences,
literally, from the cradle to the grave. In short, no sphere of life is exempt
from the universal and comprehensive application of the moral principles of
Islam. It makes morality reign supreme and ensures that the affairs of life,
instead of being dominated by selfish desires and petty interests, should be
regulated by the norms of morality.

(3) It stipulates for man a system of life which is based on all good and is
free from all evil. It invokes the people, not only to practice virtue, but
also to establish virtue and eradicate vice, to bid good and to forbid wrong. It
wants that the verdict of conscience should prevail and virtue must not be
subdued to play second fiddle to evil. Those who have responded to this call and
gathered together into a community (Ummah) are given the name "Muslims" and
the singular object underlying the formation of this community (Ummah) is that
it should make an organized effort to establish and enforce goodness and
suppress and eradicate evil.

(4) The Qu'ran is  quite explicit on this fact as can be seen from the
following verse:

Yee are the best of Peoples, evolved
For Mankind,
Enjoining what is right,
Frobidding what is wrong,
And believing in God,
If only the People of the Book
Had faith, it were best
For them: among then
Are some who have faith,
But most of them
Are perverted trangressors.
(Qu'ran, 3:110)

And also in the following verse:

(They are) those who,
If we establish them
In the land, establish
Regular prayer and give
Regular charity, enjoin
The right and forbid wrong:
With God rests the end
(And decision) of (all) affairs.
    (Qu'ran 22:41)

It will be a day of mourning for the community and a bad day for the entire
world if the efforts of this very community were at anytime directed towards
the establishing of evil and the suppressing of good.

(In the next segment inshallah, we move on to  the essential features of the
Islamic Political System.)

Jabou Joh

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