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: | Conference or Workshop Item |
| Language: | English |
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Zes Rokman Resources
2016
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| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/51108/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/51108/1/51108_Moral%20responsibility%20of%20man%20as%20khalifah.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. It 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 and hajj 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. |
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