Ethics in Islam
Business Ethics in Islam - Part I
By: Raymond A. Klesc
When I was asked to prepare a series of articles on Islamic business ethics, I stopped to consider how someone would view my behavior in light of philosophical purity. As I am normally a harsh judge, particularly of myself, I felt that although I was a reasonably good person there was certainly room for improvement. I therefore found it difficult to set myself as an example, and I am by no means implying that I am any better than anyone else or that my example should be followed. Therefore, I present this series for enlightenment, primarily my own, and if you can gain but a simple insight into your own behavior, then it will have proved its worth.
Defining ethics is relatively simple. Ethic may be defined as a set of principles of right conduct or a theory or a system of moral values. Ethics may be defined as the study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral choices to be made by a person (moral philosophy), or as the rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession (medical ethics).
From an Islamic point of view, there is no direct translation or meaning of ethic or ethical behavior. The term most closely related to ethics in the Qur’an is khuluq. Depending on the translation this could be interpreted as “character” (A. Yusūf ‘Al). The Quran mentions khuluq in 68:4, which Ali translates as, “And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character.”
However, the Qur’an uses many terms to describe the concept of goodness or good behavior all of which contribute to the formation of character: Khayr (goodness), birr (righteousness), qist (equity), ‘adl (equilibrium and justice), haqq (truth and right), ma’rūf (known and approved), and taqwā (piety). Allah describes people who attain felicity or success in life as those who are “…inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong.” (Qur’an 3:104). I will address this Qur’anic verse in more detail in a subsequent article. Suffice to say Allah enjoins all Muslims to “learn” the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, righteousness and loathsomeness and to do good works through our lives.
Implementing or analyzing these definitions, particularly as it relates to other people or cultures, however, is often much more difficult. Perhaps the best way to illustrate this would be through an example.
Let us assume that you are driving down a well-lit major street late at night. There are no other cars on the road and the traffic light in front of you has just turned too red. You have worked late at the office, you are hungry and all you want to do is get home, eat and go to bed. As you approach the traffic light, you notice there is no traffic or cross traffic, there are no pedestrians, there appears to be no danger and it appears that you would not be caught if you decided to go through the red light. What do you do?
1. Slowly approach the red light, look cautiously in all directions then proceed through the red light after determining there is no danger; or
2. Stop at the red light, determine there is no danger, then proceed through the red light; or
3. Stop at the red light and wait for the green light, then proceed.
From a purely idealistic point of view there would be but one answer. However, all of us are products of our past. We approach life with different values and were shaped by differing principals, experiences and social norms.
Some people may be quite comfortable with answers ‘a’ or ‘b’ and perhaps ridicule anyone selecting ‘c’ as naïve. While others would immediately answer ‘c’ without hesitation and perhaps look askance at anyone who would respond otherwise.
What one would consider ethical behavior, therefore, depends on many factors that define or affect that person’s life experiences and education. Some factors affecting one’s definitions of ethical behavior are legal interpretations, organizational factors, and individual factors (life experiences and social norms).
Legal Interpretations: The legal structure of the West is often based on contemporary opinions and ever changing social norms. This often leads to confused legal opinions and frustration by the law abiding, particularly when obvious transgressions are treated with current liberal thinking. Islamic societies, on the other hand, are guided by the Shari’ah and a collection of Fiqh judgements handed down from a string of great Islamic jurist of the past starting with Imam Ibu Hanifa (see his personality profile in this issue).
Organizational Factors: The organization in which one works plays a major part in determining the ethical behavior of an individual. How can a low-level manager be expected to operate ethically and honestly when he sees his superior acting in a less than acceptable manner. We merely have to look at the state of this nation with regard to the breakdown in ethical behavior as it permeated every aspect of governance from the top to the bottom. One cannot expect to rid itself of bad ethics from the bottom. It must start at the top. The example set by management determines the behavior and attitude of the staff.
Individual Factors: We are all individuals – and thanks are to God for this wonderful diversity. Any two of us are not the same; for we all reached are present stage in life through different life experiences. Our moral development as children differed, and the values imparted upon us by our parents, just as our parents moral development was shaped through their childhood and their own approach to life was shaped within the context of an ever changing social and cultural dynamic. Our personal values are again determined through our childhood and our environment. We may have respect for other people’s property but our neighbor may not. Our family influences are yet another important factor in determining our development. Being nurtured in a loving and God fearing home yields one set of values while being raised in an atmosphere of hate or fear yields a totally different set of values. Peer influences are a very critical part of a child’s development and therefore an important part of determining their ethical attitudes. If your friend commits vandalism, then it stands to reason that you will come under pressure by him to do the same.
I have mentioned life experiences several times; and these can be both positive and negative influences upon your future behavior. Witnessing the violent death of a parent could cause emotional problems that could surface many years later in withdrawal, anxiety or violent behavior. Lastly, situational factors may lead an ordinarily honest individual to steal or depart from an otherwise normal ethical behavioral background. For instance, a mountain of debt may cause someone to falsify documents or sales receipts pay off his debts, while believing that he could “make good” the difference at a later date.
As you can see from the above, the utopian ideal of a universal ethic would be impossible to achieve. The rich diversity of mankind precludes a simple unified standard of ethical behavior. However, basic principals offered by Islam can, at least, put forth a fundamental understanding between the Muslim brotherhood of this world. The Qur’an spells out what we must do. It is our job to implement them.
In part two of this series I will discuss the specifics of an Islamic ethical system. I would hope to impart a sense of honor and duty for all believers, but more importantly, establish a sense of respect in our beliefs handed down to us from Allah.
In closing I would merely like to stress that ethical behavior in the management of a household, enterprise or nation comes from the example set at the top. As Muslims, we only have to look to the example set by our Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as the means and method to garner respect and don the robes of leadership. He led by example and his people followed out of respect for the man, first and foremost, and respect for the message he was chosen to deliver. Without that respect, he surely would have had difficulty convincing his fellow Arabs to follow. He was respected for many qualities but most importantly for his integrity and honesty. Integrity and honesty is the cornerstone of ethical behavior. For in this state, one stands in the “exalted standard of character” – the exalted character of Muhammad; may Allah deliver His blessings upon him.
By: Raymond A. Klesc
When I was asked to prepare a series of articles on Islamic business ethics, I stopped to consider how someone would view my behavior in light of philosophical purity. As I am normally a harsh judge, particularly of myself, I felt that although I was a reasonably good person there was certainly room for improvement. I therefore found it difficult to set myself as an example, and I am by no means implying that I am any better than anyone else or that my example should be followed. Therefore, I present this series for enlightenment, primarily my own, and if you can gain but a simple insight into your own behavior, then it will have proved its worth.
Defining ethics is relatively simple. Ethic may be defined as a set of principles of right conduct or a theory or a system of moral values. Ethics may be defined as the study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral choices to be made by a person (moral philosophy), or as the rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession (medical ethics).
From an Islamic point of view, there is no direct translation or meaning of ethic or ethical behavior. The term most closely related to ethics in the Qur’an is khuluq. Depending on the translation this could be interpreted as “character” (A. Yusūf ‘Al). The Quran mentions khuluq in 68:4, which Ali translates as, “And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character.”
However, the Qur’an uses many terms to describe the concept of goodness or good behavior all of which contribute to the formation of character: Khayr (goodness), birr (righteousness), qist (equity), ‘adl (equilibrium and justice), haqq (truth and right), ma’rūf (known and approved), and taqwā (piety). Allah describes people who attain felicity or success in life as those who are “…inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong.” (Qur’an 3:104). I will address this Qur’anic verse in more detail in a subsequent article. Suffice to say Allah enjoins all Muslims to “learn” the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, righteousness and loathsomeness and to do good works through our lives.
Implementing or analyzing these definitions, particularly as it relates to other people or cultures, however, is often much more difficult. Perhaps the best way to illustrate this would be through an example.
Let us assume that you are driving down a well-lit major street late at night. There are no other cars on the road and the traffic light in front of you has just turned too red. You have worked late at the office, you are hungry and all you want to do is get home, eat and go to bed. As you approach the traffic light, you notice there is no traffic or cross traffic, there are no pedestrians, there appears to be no danger and it appears that you would not be caught if you decided to go through the red light. What do you do?
1. Slowly approach the red light, look cautiously in all directions then proceed through the red light after determining there is no danger; or
2. Stop at the red light, determine there is no danger, then proceed through the red light; or
3. Stop at the red light and wait for the green light, then proceed.
From a purely idealistic point of view there would be but one answer. However, all of us are products of our past. We approach life with different values and were shaped by differing principals, experiences and social norms.
Some people may be quite comfortable with answers ‘a’ or ‘b’ and perhaps ridicule anyone selecting ‘c’ as naïve. While others would immediately answer ‘c’ without hesitation and perhaps look askance at anyone who would respond otherwise.
What one would consider ethical behavior, therefore, depends on many factors that define or affect that person’s life experiences and education. Some factors affecting one’s definitions of ethical behavior are legal interpretations, organizational factors, and individual factors (life experiences and social norms).
Legal Interpretations: The legal structure of the West is often based on contemporary opinions and ever changing social norms. This often leads to confused legal opinions and frustration by the law abiding, particularly when obvious transgressions are treated with current liberal thinking. Islamic societies, on the other hand, are guided by the Shari’ah and a collection of Fiqh judgements handed down from a string of great Islamic jurist of the past starting with Imam Ibu Hanifa (see his personality profile in this issue).
Organizational Factors: The organization in which one works plays a major part in determining the ethical behavior of an individual. How can a low-level manager be expected to operate ethically and honestly when he sees his superior acting in a less than acceptable manner. We merely have to look at the state of this nation with regard to the breakdown in ethical behavior as it permeated every aspect of governance from the top to the bottom. One cannot expect to rid itself of bad ethics from the bottom. It must start at the top. The example set by management determines the behavior and attitude of the staff.
Individual Factors: We are all individuals – and thanks are to God for this wonderful diversity. Any two of us are not the same; for we all reached are present stage in life through different life experiences. Our moral development as children differed, and the values imparted upon us by our parents, just as our parents moral development was shaped through their childhood and their own approach to life was shaped within the context of an ever changing social and cultural dynamic. Our personal values are again determined through our childhood and our environment. We may have respect for other people’s property but our neighbor may not. Our family influences are yet another important factor in determining our development. Being nurtured in a loving and God fearing home yields one set of values while being raised in an atmosphere of hate or fear yields a totally different set of values. Peer influences are a very critical part of a child’s development and therefore an important part of determining their ethical attitudes. If your friend commits vandalism, then it stands to reason that you will come under pressure by him to do the same.
I have mentioned life experiences several times; and these can be both positive and negative influences upon your future behavior. Witnessing the violent death of a parent could cause emotional problems that could surface many years later in withdrawal, anxiety or violent behavior. Lastly, situational factors may lead an ordinarily honest individual to steal or depart from an otherwise normal ethical behavioral background. For instance, a mountain of debt may cause someone to falsify documents or sales receipts pay off his debts, while believing that he could “make good” the difference at a later date.
As you can see from the above, the utopian ideal of a universal ethic would be impossible to achieve. The rich diversity of mankind precludes a simple unified standard of ethical behavior. However, basic principals offered by Islam can, at least, put forth a fundamental understanding between the Muslim brotherhood of this world. The Qur’an spells out what we must do. It is our job to implement them.
In part two of this series I will discuss the specifics of an Islamic ethical system. I would hope to impart a sense of honor and duty for all believers, but more importantly, establish a sense of respect in our beliefs handed down to us from Allah.
In closing I would merely like to stress that ethical behavior in the management of a household, enterprise or nation comes from the example set at the top. As Muslims, we only have to look to the example set by our Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as the means and method to garner respect and don the robes of leadership. He led by example and his people followed out of respect for the man, first and foremost, and respect for the message he was chosen to deliver. Without that respect, he surely would have had difficulty convincing his fellow Arabs to follow. He was respected for many qualities but most importantly for his integrity and honesty. Integrity and honesty is the cornerstone of ethical behavior. For in this state, one stands in the “exalted standard of character” – the exalted character of Muhammad; may Allah deliver His blessings upon him.
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