The Qurān and the Espousal of Ethics

Abstract

In the previous chapter, we attempted to give an account of ethics vis-à-vis Muslim education, and, in particular, to make a case for individual moral action intertwined with communal action to achieve goodness. We showed that although the Qurān does not, strictly speaking, contain any ethical theories, it does embody the Muslim ethos in a comprehensive manner. As such, we consider the Qurān as hudā al-nās—that is, a guidance for humanity. In this chapter, we look at what the Qurān is, what it brings and how it espouses—that is, how it shapes and promotes—ethics, ethical conduct and practices. For this purpose, we distinguish three primary modes through which ethics is espoused: prophetic stories, parables and eschatological expositions.