Abrar Ahmed

Trial Nature of Worldly Life

The worldly life for humans is a trial in which they are tested by Allah on performing good deeds as directed by Allah.

Allah in Qur’an says:

“Who created death and life to test you as to which of you is the best in deeds, and He is the Mighty and the Forgiving” (Surah Al-Mulk 67, verse 2).

“Whatever is on the surface of the earth, we have made it an adornment for the earth, so that we may test the people as to who among them will do good deeds” (Surah Al-Kahf 18, verse 7).

“It is He who made you the caliphs of the earth, and gave some of you higher ranks than others, that He may test you in what He has given you.” (Surah Al-An’am, verse 6) 165).

Source of Morality

Morality is innate. It is not learnt, but reinforced through learning. The source of morality is also Allah almighty. Allah in Qur’an says:

“So make him understand his evil and his good” (Surah Al-Shams 91, verse 8).

“We have made clear to him the way. Whether he becomes thankful or disbelieving” (Surah al-Insan 71 verse 3).

Divine Appraisal on Good and Bad Deeds

The deeds of this life will not go wasted. Rather, Allah will provide just reward with His infinite knowledge and authority. Qur’an says:

“Those who do good deeds will have a good reward and more than that, and their faces will not be blackened or disgraced. These are the people of Paradise; they will abide therein forever. And those who have earned evil, then the recompense of evil will be like it, and they will be humiliated, and there will be no one to save them from Allah. It is as if their faces are covered with the blows of Shab Dejour. These are the people of Hell, they will remain therein forever” (Surah Yunus 10, verses 26, 27).

In the above-mentioned verses, the purpose of sending man into this world, the whole scheme of the life, and the source of morality is clarified. It can be described as follows.

 This world is a testing ground for man and the test is who does good deeds and who does bad deeds.
 Then the ability to distinguish between good and bad actions has been placed within the consciousness of human beings to assist them in this test. This means that according to the Holy Qur’an, the ability to distinguish between good and evil in a human being is an objective reality.
 Man has been given the right to choose between good and bad. Only in matters involving moral questions and where one has choice, one is going to be examined. It means that what is not in the power of man, there will be no questioning about it.
 The one who does good deeds will be rewarded and the one who does bad deeds will be punished.

Only in Islamic worldview, there is absolute justice and deterministic reward for deeds. Else, the existence of morality ceases if one embraces morality only as an instrument or only as a socially learned behaviour. When morality will cease to exist, then there will be no scientific basis for condemning the cruelty and brutality in this world.

A few questions still arise in the minds. If there is a disagreement about the right or wrong of something, will it mean that morality is not an objective reality?

There may be various reasons for the differences. Sometimes, due to his limited knowledge, it becomes difficult for a human being to differentiate between the rights and wrongs of something, for example, usury. So, Allah the Exalted, himself guides us in the Holy Qur’an about Riba.

In some cases, the man knows what is right and what is wrong, but under the influence of base instincts, man may adopt what is wrong. By continuously doing wrong, one becomes a victim of this habit and then starts to consider this wrong as right or tries to wear the cloak of uprightness.

Sometimes, a person does actions that are not morally correct due to greed, compulsion, ego, extravagance, custom, or illness.

How to practice ethics in extreme conditions?

In extreme situations where a person’s survival is in question, Allah allows exceptions. One can use forbidden things with two conditions. The first is that there should be no desire and the second is that it should not exceed the limit. Then, it would not be morally wrong.

Allah in Qur’an says:

“He has only forbidden you (to eat) carrion, blood, swine, and what is slaughtered in the name of any other than Allah. But if someone is compelled by necessity—neither driven by desire nor exceeding immediate need—then surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Surah Al-Nahl 16, verse 115).

Similarly, one can face similar situations in telling a lie somewhere. For example, telling a lie under the circumstances to save someone from an oppressor can also be taken in the same category.

Even in small matters, sometimes there are occasions where a person tries to do something or act according to the situation to end animosity between people. These are not morally wrong things.

Despite denying God, can ethics be followed?

The ability to differentiate between good and evil exists within man, so despite denying God, man can choose whichever of good or evil he wants.

One of the consequences of this would be that for the person who denies God, morality will no longer be an objective reality because belief in God and accountability to God is the reason behind morality being an objective reality.

When it is believed that there is no conscious entity behind this universe and everything has come into existence accidentally, then how can there be a conscious and common source of morality? When there is no conscious and common source of morality, then every person will have the power to determine their own morals as they wish, whether they are based on cruelty or goodness.

Even if the creator of the universe is believed to be a being but not a conscious being, then even ethics cannot have a conscious and common source. If this entity is considered to be sub-conscious and unrelated to this universe and that there will never be any reckoning, then still morality cannot be formalized. It is because when the creator of the universe has created everything and left it as it is, then every person should have the power to determine his morality as he wishes.

And when ethics will no longer be an objective reality, then no one will have any objective basis for condemning cruelty and brutality. It has to be accepted like any other behaviour. Finally, denial of God is a thankless and careless attitude, which in itself is a highly immoral attitude.