RESEARCH AND ETHICS : ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE

1. RESEARCH AND ETHICS : ISLAMIC
PERSPECTIVE
Dr. KHALID UL REHMAN HAKEEM
Unive rs iti Putra Malays ia

2. Islam
means Peace,
submission, obedience, and
surrender to God (Allah).
(Arabic root "Salema")
It is both a religion and a
comprehensive way of life that
concerns all behaviors and
character traits in all aspects of
human existence.

3. Morality concerns:
1) What behavior we ought to do.
2) What kind of persons we ought to be.
Ethics is the disciplined study of morality.

4. Research can be defined as the
search for knowledge, or as any
systematic investigation, with
an open mind, to establish
novel facts, usually using a
scientific method.

5. KNOWLEDGE AND RESEARCH IN
ISLAM
It is worthwhile to emphasize the importance laid
by Islam on the pursuit of learning
Recite in the name of your Lord, Who created. He created man from
a leech-like structure. Recite, and your Lord is Most Generous, Who
has taught by the pen. He taught Man that what he knew not. (96: 15.)
•Allah also says , addressing the Prophet
,‫ صلى ال عليه وسلم‬Say, “My Lord, increase my knowledge.” (20:114)
Allah asks us to look inside ourselves and at the universe to discover
God’s laws. Let man consider from what he is created.(86:5)
And in another verse:
Will they not reflect on camels, how they are created; the sky, how it
is raised; the mountains, how they are erected; and the earth, how it
is leveled.(88: 17-20)

6. Based on the above, scientific research is considered by
some scholars as farḍ kifāya (collective religious duty).
•The Prophet Muhammad ‫صلى ال عليه وسلم‬is reported
to have said: Allah created disease and its cure
except senility (death). Sons of Adam seek the cure
but not use ḥarām (forbidden) things.
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd,3874)
•I was sent to complete the epitomes of Ethics.
(Husn El Kholok, Hadith 8; 1951. p. 564.)

7. Islam puts emphasis on seeking knowledge
(doing research) and benefits from it. There is
no consideration for knowledge that provides
no utility. Islam encourages precision in
conducting research, which should add value.
In addition, Islam forces dissemination of
knowledge and prohibits hiding it.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever withholds knowledge arrives in the
judgment day leashed with a leash from fire”.
(Ahkam Al-Quran, Gassas AA)

8. Source & Characteristics of Islamic
Ethics/Morality
General Aims & Guiding principles of
Islamic Ethics

9. Are Moral and Ethical
Systems Required?

10. Are Moral and Ethical Systems Required?
In order to organize life and build
up a healthy and harmonious
society, Islam has legislated a
universal moral law.

11. Are Moral and Ethical Systems Required?
“And We have not sent down the Book (the Qur'an) to
you (O Muhammad SAW), except that you may explain
clearly unto them those things in which they differ, and
(as) a guidance and a mercy for a folk who believe. .”
(An-Nahl 16, 64)
“Allâh wishes to make clear (what is lawful and what is
unlawful) to you, and to show you the ways of those
before you, and accept your repentance, and Allâh is All­
Knower, All­Wise. ”
(An-Nisaa 4, 26)

12. Source of Ethics/Morality in the West
-the law
-individual, family, and group’s experiences
-religious beliefs
-traditions
-professional education, training, and
consensus
-authorities and experts’ opinions
-institutional policies and practices

13. Source of Ethics/Morality in Islam
The Divine
Islamic Moral
Law
or
The Shari’ah
Al-Nas
- Al-Qur’an (the direct words of Allah)
- As-Sunna (prophet Muhammad’s words and
acts - the indirect words of Allah)
Ijtihad
- consensus of independent Islamic scholars
- opinion of individual Islamic scholar

14. Source of Ethics/Morality in Islam
The Shari’ah
“O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the
Messenger, and those charged with authority
among you. If ye differ in anything among
yourselves, refer to Allah and His Messenger,
if you believe in Allah and the last day: that is
best, and most suitable for final determination”
(An-Nissa 4,59)

15. Secularization, Islam, and ethics
•Secularization means humans ruling their lives, with no regard or
consideration to a higher spiritual authority.
•This may be the basis as to why some societies have separated the church
from every day life and replaced God’s rules with man made laws and
guidelines.
•The secular reasoning evolved when societies were faced with ethical and
practical dilemmas.
•These secular guidelines, for example, deal paradoxically with some
situations, e.g. a man who marries two wives should be punished severely for
the crime of bigamy, as the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1878. Plurality of
wives (polygamy), as originally permitted by the Mormon religion, violated
criminal law and was not defensible as an exercise of religious liberty. if on
the other hand he co-habits with several women as girlfriends and has
children with them, he will not be penalized so long he is paying child
support. (Evan Bailyn. Bigamy and Polygamy,2005)

16. Islam is not only a religion; it is a way of life. As mentioned earlier, the
Shari’a controls every day activities of Muslims. Once an individual
joins Islam, he is bound by Islamic rules and hence he is obliged to
follow instructions and rules in the Quran
And so judge (you O Muhammad SAW) between
them by what Allâh has revealed and follow not
their vain desires, but beware of them lest they turn
you (O Muhammad SAW) far away from some of
that which Allâh has sent down to you. And if they
turn away, then know that Allâh's Will is to punish
them for some sins of theirs. And truly, most of men
are Fâsiqûn (rebellious and disobedient to Allâh).
(5:49)

17. Characteristics of Islamic Ethics/Morality
- Combines “who is to say what is right or wrong” with “what is
to say an action is right or wrong”.
Divine Command
Conscience
Duty and Virtue
Common Good, Justice, Rights/Respects and
Utilitarianism
- Provides one source for Law and morals.

18. Ethical/Moral Classification of Behaviors
and Character Traits in Islam
Forbidden
Discouraged
Neutral (permitted)
Recommended
(desirable)
Obligatory
(required)

19. Ethical/Moral Classification of Behaviors and
Character Traits in Islam
Desirability
0
+
-
O
R
Neutral
D
F

20. General Aims & Guiding principles of
Islamic Ethics
The purpose of the Shari’ah is to promote and protect the interests
of people by bringing benefits and preventing harms in relation to
their necessities, needs, and wants
Necessities take precedence over needs, and needs take
precedence over wants
It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces towards East or West; but it is
righteousness- to believe in God and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book,
and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin,
for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom
of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfill the
contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering)
and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth,
the God-fearing (Al Baqarah (2): 177).

21. Islamic ethical guidelines of research are derived from the purposes and
principles of the Islamic law (Shari’a).
Medical research in an Islamic community should be conducted for one of
five reasons, which are known as Maqasid Al- Shari’a .
(Kasule OH. Medical ethics from Maqasid Al-Shariat)
These reasons or goals for conducting medical research are:
1)preservation of religion and morality;
2)preservation of life and health;
3) preservation of progeny (curing infertility);
4) preservation of intellect; and
5) preservation of wealth.
If any of the five purposes is at risk, permission is then considered granted
to undertake human experiments that would be otherwise morally
according to Islam prohibited.

22. General Aims & Guiding principles of
Islamic Ethics
THE FIVE NECESSITIES
The Shari’ah
(culture and group survival)
Individual life
Sound mind
Integrity/Dignity
Property

23. General Aims & Guiding principles of
Islamic Ethics
Harm should be removed
Harm should not be removed by harm
A smaller harm is tolerated in order
to prevent a bigger harm
Individual harm is tolerated in order to
prevent public harm
Preventing harm takes precedence over
bringing benefit
Necessities render that what is
forbidden allowable
Necessities should be
carefully assessed

24. General Aims & Guiding principles of Islamic
Ethics
Difficulty brings ease
(Such as the difficulties arising from travel, illness, being forced,
forgetness, unawareness, impracticality, and legal
incompetence)
Difficulty should be removed
Needs are considered necessities in regard to
rendering what is forbidden allowable

25. General Aims & Guiding principles of Islamic
Ethics
“But if one is forced by necessity, without willful
disobedience, nor transgressing due limits, then he is
guiltless. For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
(Al-Baqara 2,173)
“ and (Allah) has imposed no difficulties on you in
religion.”
(Al-Hajj 22,78)
“Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want
to put you to difficulties.”
(Al-Baqara 2,185)
“ Allah doth wish to lighten your (difficulties): for man
was created weak (in flesh).”
(An-Nisaa 4,28)

26. General Aims & Guiding principles of Islamic
Ethics
All things are permitted until proven
otherwise
People are innocent until
proven otherwise
Tradition (orf) is taken into account
unless it contradicts Shari’ah
Obligations and engagements should
be fulfilled

27. General Aims & Guiding principles of Islamic
Ethics
“ O ye who believe! Fulfill (all) obligations.”
(Al-Maidah 5,1)
“and fulfill (every) engagement, for every
engagement, will be enquired into (on the day of
Reckoning).”
(Al-Israa 17,34)

28. Conclusion
Islam promotes seeking Knowledge and performing research .
Islamic law is based on a complete system of morality that can provide a moral
context in Research fields from a legal perspective.
Muslim teaching is also very flexible and adaptable to many new and novel
situations.
Morality and ethics in Islam are absolute and are of divine origin.
Islamic law automatically bans all immoral actions as ‘‘Haram’’ and automatically
permits all what is moral as Mubaah.
Ethical guidelines are both fixed and variable. The fixed moral and legal principles
are broad enough to encompass the needs of all times and places.
Islam rejects secularization.
Accordingly, in a Muslim community a researcher should observe that research and
the procedures followed are within the context of Shari’a.

29. References
FURTHER READING:
‫علم أصول مصادر التشريع اللسل مي فيمالصنص فيه‬
‫دار القلم‬
‫الوهاب خل ف‬
‫عبد‬
‫مؤلسسة الرلسالة‬
‫دار القلم‬
‫محمد عبد اللة دراز‬
‫عبد الوهاب خل ف‬
A primer on bioethics.
of Medicine
‫دلستور الخل ق في القرآن‬
‫علم أصول الفقة‬
L B McCullough, PhD, Baylor College
The evolution of ethics www.evolutionaryethics.com
Markkula center for applied ethics, Santa Clara University
www.scu.edu/SCU/Centers/Ethics/

30. THANK YOU