The Constitution of Ethics in the Qur’an

Author's name: Muhammad Abdullah Daraz

Definition, investigation and commentary by Dr. Abdul Sabour Shaheen

The educated Arab and Muslim public had been hearing about this valuable work without being able to read it and benefit from it, until God provided for it a young professor, one of the finest Arab and Muslim youth, Dr. Abdul Sabour Shahin, who dedicated himself for three years to translating the French text into Arabic. He combined qualities and characteristics rarely found in those who undertake such a monumental work: in addition to his background and deep religious culture, he was a professor of the Arabic language; he also had a strong command of the French language, which he studied diligently, and from which he translated into Arabic several books by a number of scholars and philosophers.
The main objective of this research is to highlight the general character of ethics derived from the wise Book of God, from both theoretical and practical perspectives. As for exploring the theoretical foundations upon which the ethical principles in the Holy Quran are based, the author expresses to us, without ambiguity, his feeling that he was setting foot for the first time on untouched ground. However, the ruggedness of the paths he resolved—God willing—to embark upon did not weaken his resolve; rather, it motivated him to defy difficulties in the service of God's true religion.
He does not deny that a number of Muslim jurists have researched the criteria of good and evil, that a number of religious scholars have spoken about the conditions of responsibility, and that some moralists have discussed the usefulness of “human effort” and the necessity of “good intentions.” However, these efforts, the value of which no one denies, have remained scattered throughout books.
Our author, from the very beginning, placed himself on the ground of ethics, addressing ethical issues one by one, according to the concepts and standards used by modern moral scholars. On the other hand, he discusses the solutions proposed by some thinkers in the East or the West, using their views and principles as a means of comparison. Throughout all of this, he always makes the Qur'an his focal point, relying directly on Qur'anic texts to derive a conclusive answer to the questions raised.