Akhlaq In Islamic Ethics

According to Hashi (2011), the terms of akhlaq (single) or khuluq (plural) which has been translated literally as ethics, or Islamic ethics, the term of khuluq has been found in the Quran for two times; in the al-Shu’ara:137 and al-Qalam:4 . Specifically, the term that has been mentioned in the Quran as khuluq al-awalin is defined by one of Muslim exegete, al-Qurtubiyi as “their ancient customs and it includes religion, character, ideology, or doctrine” . Further, Hashi (2011) also stated that there is one Arabic term which is used interchangeably with akhlaq which is adab. Here, the concept is more or less the same with the terms of ethics and morality which are used interchangeably too. In this context, ethics is referring to akhlaq which

Khalq is the physical form of man, while khuluq denotes to the spiritual form of man . In his views, al-Ghazali found that the root of akhlaq is the soul, and for every good conduct are from a good soul. Further, al-Ghazali has defined akhlaq as “the way to acquire the well-being of the soul and to guard it against the vices. It is also a study of certain religious beliefs and of rightness or wrongness of actions for the purpose of practice, and not for the sake of mere knowledge’. On top of that, despite the countless definitions of Islamic ethics, we have to highlight the principles of the Islamic ethic itself which become the essence of this discussion. According to Islamic ethics, in order to determine an action or behavior to be ethical, the action or behavior itself must be characterized as good conducts. In conjunction with that, Hashi (2011) added, “those of good conducts are in line with the primordial human nature” or in Arabic term, it is known as fitrah. Here, Islam upholds that the primordial human nature, which human beings are born with, is naturally good and in fact, it has become part of individual itself as it is

Additionally, according to the Quran, it has been mentioned that ethics is equivalent to religion in al-Qalam:4, وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character. Meanwhile, in ar-Rum:30, it has been stated that human nature is equivalent to religion, فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا ۚ فِطْرَتَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا ۚ لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ So set thou thy face steadily and truly to the Faith: (establish) Allah’s handiwork according to the pattern on which He has made mankind: no change (let there be) in the work (wrought) by Allah. that is the standard Religion: but most among mankind understand not. Therefore, as in both verses from the Quran stated that ethics is equivalent to religion and so does human nature, it has concluded that as according to Islam, religion and ethics are of those entities that make up the primordial human nature. This makes us a good human being by nature, and by displaying good behaviors it will reflect the disposition of akhlaq thus becoming signs of