MORALITY IN THE QUR'AN: The Greater Good of Humantity

by Draz Muhammad Abdallah, Basma Abdelgafar (Introduction)

Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Draz (1312-1377 H, 1894-1958 CE) is often referred to as “the teacher of the teachers” and in “a league of his own”. He is one of the most important Islamic and Azhari scholars of the past century, and has made significant contributions to contemporary Islamic thought, especially in Qur’anic Studies and Maqasid Studies. The original form of this book is Sheikh Draz’s doctoral dissertation titled, La morale du Koran, which earned him a doctorate degree with the highest level of distinction at the renowned French Sorbonne University in 1947 CE. The Sheikh’s theory of morality presented in this book has not been matched in its originality, parsimoniousness, integrity, depth and comprehensiveness, past or present. Through a thematic interpretation of the Qur’an, the Sheikh proposes the following five critical elements of obligation, responsibility, sanction, intent, and effort. Each element plays an indispensable role in the conscience of a believer and each requiring awareness and attention. The Sheikh demonstrates that every human, believer or non-believer, possesses a “light” that enables them to determine good and evil on a fundamental level and propels them toward duty, kindness and charity. However, the believer possesses a “double light”, a deep knowledge that incorporates divine law into our very essence in a process that fuses our will with that of our Creator.

Genres: Islam

142 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 30, 2018

Reviews

[KakEllereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome read. The reference used especially from the Quran and Hadiths are clearly mentioned.
There are five key elements in the Quran's ethical doctrine which is obligation, responsibility, sanction, intention and effort.
The author explanation on each element is very detailed. I like the examples given as it makes reader like me understand better.

[sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a simplified, translated version of this dissertation as a general Muslim reader (that's to say, not as a professional or an academic). I can't objectively say whether it's a fantastic thesis, but it's... it's really something.

Where morality refers to an informed reaction towards law, Dr Draz's work posits that morality exists as a result of several key factors and conditions of its doers (such as their consciousness of law, "goodness" (ie. the moral compass) as a universal and innate part of humanity, etc). Therefore, with minor exceptions, one's morality cannot be evaluated in the absence of one or more of these factors/conditions. The Quranic elements are discussed insofar as Islamic law is concerned. As far as I know, apart from much heavier jargon in his original thesis, he also goes on to make detailed comparisons to Western philosophy.

Of course, it's challenging to simplify such a dense and complex topic. I won't deny that even after simplification, there are still parts that I don't understand because of several reasons. A large part of that is because of how some points require lengthy connect-the-dots explanations. If I were to read this a second time (and as a precaution to would-be readers), I'd prepare a notebook to jot stuff down to make the links better and do Dr Draz's thesis justice. However, it's worthwhile to mention that I was only reading it to get a general understanding. The version I read does as fantastic a job as one possibly can at simplifying a dissertation 1) without corrupting its essence (at least, it seemed like it didn't) and 2) for a general intellectual audience. It's cohesive and clear. I could understand it. It achieved its purpose for my first reading.

While I don't think I'm qualified enough to comment much on the content (which ftr I found fascinating), I must say that it's a lot more objective than the few theological discussions I've read (maybe I just haven't found the right ones). I don't think the crux of the argument is novel or paradigm shifting per se (don't quote me on this), but that doesn't make it any less brilliant. If it means anything to a more avid reader of these types of texts, Dr Draz does a stellar job at backing his claims and framing his points with contextualised evidence and verses.

I know I will revisit this in the future, be it as a reminder or as a deeper search for Truth or as a way to satiate the haunting impact it has left on me.

['Izzat Radzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most brilliant & satisfying read I've ever done.

Particularly enjoyed Chapt 4:Intentions and Inclinations and Chapt 5: Effort, as it is not quite dense amd the reading is not too arduous (cause some parts beside them have to repeatedly refer to the many Qur'ãn ãyat for better understanding.

Perhaps best to continue with Harald Motzki work, Morality in the Guise of Dreams
if not other Draz's works.

[Carla · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do not recommend this book to a new Muslim because they will become confused as hell. I have been Muslim almost half of my life and I was lost. First, the author has run-on sentences so bad that I would skip them. Some of the sentences went on and on with the adjectives and I found myself getting bored because it was going nowhere.