The Moral World Of The Qur An

This book analyzes for the first time in English the ethical theory that underpins Quranic legislation by providing a classification of specific verses in which Islam's holy book discusses moral issues. It demonstrates the ways in which the Quran theoretically and practically provides the moral code to which Muslims around the world adhere. The author divides his analysis into a survey of Quranic attitudes towards the basic ethical issues of obligation and responsibility, issues of moral psychology such as motivation and intention, as well as matters of social ethics such as the function of law in society. He then explores the meanings of individual morality, morality within the family and civil society, and the relationship of morality to the idea of the state.

This book presents the work and ideas of the Syrian writer Muhammad Shahrur to the English-speaking world. Shahrur is at the moment the most innovative intellectual thinker in the Arab Middle East. Often described as the a ~Martin Luther of Islam,a (TM) he offers a liberal, progressive reading of Islam that aims to counter the influences of religious fundamentalism and radical politics. Shahrura (TM)s innovative interpretation of the Qura (TM)an offers groundbreaking new ideas, based on his conviction that centuries of historical Islam, including scholarship in the traditional Islamic religious sciences, have obscured or even obliterated the Qura (TM)ana (TM)s progressive and revolutionary message. That message is one that has endured through each period of human history in which Islam has existed, encouraging Muslims to apply the most contemporary perspective available to interpret the Qura (TM)ana (TM)s meaning.

This book discusses the common principles of morality and ethics derived from divinely endowed intuitive reason through the creation of al-fitr' a (nature) and human intellect (al-‘aql). Biomedical topics are presented and ethical issues related to topics such as genetic testing, assisted reproduction and organ transplantation are discussed. Whereas these natural sources are God’s special gifts to human beings, God’s revelation as given to the prophets is the supernatural source of divine guidance through which human communities have been guided at all times through history. The second part of the book concentrates on the objectives of Islamic religious practice – the maqa' sid – which include: Preservation of Faith, Preservation of Life, Preservation of Mind (intellect and reason), Preservation of Progeny (al-nasl) and Preservation of Property. Lastly, the third part of the book discusses selected topical issues, including abortion, assisted reproduction devices, genetics, organ transplantation, brain death and end-of-life aspects. For each topic, the current medical evidence is followed by a detailed discussion of the ethical issues involved.

Modernity or modernism as a system of thought purporting to be enlightened and universal, has brought with it a crisis of values and a secular perspective that has undermined its own foundations and is provoking a universalized state of existential angst or anomie and moral anarchy. This treatise provides a reading of the Qur’anic view of man as insan against a background of the preoccupations of modernity. The author critiques the rapid devolution of society divorced from spiritual tradition in the modern context. The emphasis is on rationality, freedom, and morality and the goal is the reintegration of man and the recovery of community through a reconciliation of self and the rediscovery of the essential meaning of divine guidance in so far as it relates to human life in this world. Taking the Qur’an as a divine discourse of many tiers and depths, the work singles out aspects of the discourse on creation and takes it as a pivot for developing a view of moral man and moral community, with the focus remaining on the former. The main message is one of relevance, urgency, and opportunity. The urgency and the opportunity lie with man, and the relevance shines through the light of the eternal message and comes from God.

In The Ethico-Religious Concepts in the Qur'án Toshihiko Izutsu analyses the guiding spirit of the Islamic moral code, the basic ethical relationship of man to God. Izutsu asserts that, according to the Qur'anic conception, God is of an ethical nature and acts upon man in an ethical way. The resulting implications for man are enormous, requiring devotion not merely to God but to living one's life ethically.Izutsu shows that for the Qur'an our ethical response to God's actions is religion itself; it is at the same time both ethics and religion. Izutsu explores these themes by employing ethnolinguistics, a theory of the interrelations between linguistic cultural patterns, to analyse the semantic structure of major concepts in the Quar'an. Islam, which arose in the seventh century, represents one of the most sweeping religious reforms ever to appear in the East.The Quar'an shows in vividly concrete terms how time-honoured tribal norms came into bloody conflict with new ideals of life, and finally yielded to the rising power. This transitional epoch is of particular importance in the whole of Islamic thought, a time during which the key terms of a traditionally fixed system of values were transformed in their connotative structure, modified in their combinations, and finally integrated into an entirely different system.Originally published in 1959 as The Structure of the Ethical Terms in the Koran and revised under the current title in 1966 this 2002 reprint makes this classic work of Islamic studies once again available.

In this book the distinguished Islamic scholar M.A. Draz, one of the Muslim world's most erudite authorities of this century, sets out the fundamental principles of the Qur'an and its much misunderstood and misquoted teachings on gender and women, polygamy, war, faith, Judaism, Christianity and the many other issues on which the Qur'an pronounces. Draz emphasises the continuity of monotheistic doctrine and ethics through Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

The Quran is full of exciting stories, adventures, teachings and prayers, which show Allah’s love for us and explain what He requires from us as believers in and sincere servants of our Creator. The Morals of Believers is a beautifully illustrated and creatively written story about moral values.

In our day, which is characterized by a great misunderstanding of Islam, this work outlines the ideal of an Islamic society at the time of the Prophet Muhammad.