The end of the Second World War saw the rise of a political
trend that separates
politics from ethics, asserting that ethics are in fact ideologies that can only acknowledge
their own, distorted perspective on reality. In the trail of the following Cold War hundreds
of wars, big and small, were fought over different ideologies. These
conflicts appear to confirm the beliefs
of adherents to pragmatism and utilitarianism:
While politics are solely lead by interest,
ideologies (i.e., ethics), do not obey a specific master.
This separation between ethics and ideology has been overcome,
however. Seeking public
interest is also an ethical work, neither
defined by ideology nor by fixed ideas. It is rather defined
by the contribution of a given policy to enhancing peoples’ lives
and upholding their stability and prosperity, on both local and international levels. In this sense,
“managing public interest well” is an honorable end that can only be attained by honorable
and moral means. Just as ideology is not the synonym of ethics, means do not justify
ends. We should even go so far as to
say that being inappropriate means backfiring.
The basis of
totalitarian regimes, their one declared
aim, was to secure economic
welfare to the people. The means they adopted, however,
regardless of the sincere end, was coercion
and the denial of liberties, considered a distraction to
the accomplishment of ideals. This
made for the biggest injustice that
befell the same people whose lives were to
be enhanced and welfare secured.
Ethics are as
closely related to the mind, in
determining where best interests lie, as they
are to it, in determining the means that best suit its ends, while respecting human
dignity and the nobility of Man.
Q 17:7. We have honoured
the sons of Adam, provided them with
transport on land and sea, given them for sustenance
things good and pure, and conferred on them special
favours, above a great
part of our creation.
The Holy Quran shows that
God Almighty has honored humanity
in three ways, by providing three ethical
favors: the honor of the mind, stated here in Q 17:7, the honor of
choice of belief, the noblest of ethical principles,
Q 63:8. But honour belongs
to God and His Messenger, and to the Believers and the honor of righteous
work through progeny.
Q 9:105. And say:
"Work (righteousness): Soon will
God observe your work, and His Messenger, and the Believers."
When due respect is given
to ethics that seek the best interest of Man and are the solid grounds for his honor and dignity, there
is no possible doubt as to the
righteousness of the criterion for all other ideas and ethical behavior.
This individual concern, when complemented with the principle
of justice, becomes an issue of interest to the group
or society as a whole.
Justice is to be just with
oneself, one’s family and one’s close circles,
as it is to be fair in judgments and conceptions, the view of the other, the global world and in ways of
communicating on both levels.
Q 16:90. God commands
justice, the doing of good, and
liberality to kith and kin.
Q 4:58. God doth command
you to render back your Trusts to
those to whom they are due; And
when ye judge between man and man,
that ye judge with justice.
Q 5:8. And let not
the hatred of others to you make
you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just:
that is next to
piety.
Justice is thus the right
path joining thought and action,
word and behavior,
public and private
interest, inner and outer being, the
closest of relatives and the farthest of strangers, the nation and the
world.
It is based on this quality
of belief, devotion and piety, that ideal nation
emerges. The nation that chooses the
correct vision and behavior and could
therefore open up to new, vast
horizons and instill noble and committed ethics into them.
Q 3:110. Ye are the best of
peoples, evolved for mankind,
enjoining what is right, forbidding
what is wrong, and believing in God.
Q 2:143. Thus, have We made
of you an Ummat justly balanced, that
ye might be witnesses over the
nations, and the Messenger a witness over yourselves.
Amidst this grave confusion, three elements-- mind,
justice and ethics--interfere to adjust the common vision and highlight
the need for global
ethics that all humans of all religions, beliefs and doctrines, agree upon. We are hopeful of this light and see it through
piety and deep belief. Has God
Almighty not said, in his Holy Book:
Q 43:44. The
(Qur'an) is indeed the message, for
thee and for thy people; and soon shall ye (all) be brought to account?
Reference:
{Verily this Qu'ran doth guide to which is most right},
by: Abdulrahman Al-Salimi, Al-Tafahom Magazine, issue number 02/2006.
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