Moral responsibility of man as khalifah: an exposition of the foundations of a just order
The question of morality is one of the major themes of the Qur’an and Sunnah, and a topic of concern for philosophers and psychologists for thousands of years. It is the reason for creating man as khalifah (vicegerent) and the descent of divine guidance to mankind. This paper discusses the moral r...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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International Journal of Business, Economics and Law (IJBEL)
2016
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| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/51106/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/51106/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/51106/1/Moral_responsibility_of_Khalifah_%28Journal_publication_2016%29.pdf |
| Summary: | The question of morality is one of the major themes of the Qur’an and Sunnah, and a topic of concern for philosophers and
psychologists for thousands of years. It is the reason for creating man as khalifah (vicegerent) and the descent of divine
guidance to mankind. This paper discusses the moral responsibility of man as khalifah as enshrined in the Qur’an and Sunnah
and focuses largely upon the requirements of a just order. The paper begins with a brief introduction on the importance of moral
responsibility and concludes with a summary of man’s moral responsibility in Islam and the foundations of a just order. Using
the insights from the Qur’an and Sunnah and quotations from some scholarly articles and books, the paper contends that: firstly,
moral refinement is one of the objectives of salat, zakat, sawm (fasting) and hajj (pilgrimage) and therefore the greatest
challenge to every individual Muslim; secondly, moral responsibility is the greatest challenger to modern science and
civilization; and thirdly, the decline of moral values is one of the factors that promote the decline and fall of civilizations.
Finally, the paper contrasts al-Tawhid (the oneness of Allah) to positivism, utilitarianism and libertarianism as foundations of
morality. It is hoped that this study will make a valuable contribution to the exploration of issues regarding man’s moral
responsibility as khalifah. It is also hoped that this study will inspire scholars to provide additional contributions to the
understanding of a just order. |
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