Islamic Feminist Ethics

Sunnah is the way of life, which the prophet Muhammad prescribed as establishing standard behavior for Muslims. The word, which means a well-trodden path, denotes the practices of the prophet that he practically lived and established as the best example and teacher. Muslims believe that they should emulate the prophet’s life in order to carry out their religious rites, fulfill divine injunctions, and mold their lives to fit into the will of God. Traditional Muslims believe that the Quran justifies Sunnah by commanding them to obey God and His messenger. After the Quran, Sunnah remains the most important source of Islamic teachings and law today.

The universal characteristics of the prophet Mohamed, as explained by Hossein “are not the same as his daily actions and day to day life…..but rather are characteristics which issue forth from his personality as a particular spiritual prototype” (63). The first quality that Muslims learn from Sunnah is piety; the quality that connects man to God. The quality of piety requires Muslims to place God first, before all else, including their own lives. Piety requires that the quality of a Muslim’s character constitute a deeper and truer aspect of what it means to be a follower of God, rather than the external aspect of religion alone.

The second quality that Muslims learn from the prophet is combativeness—continuously fighting evil and everything that contradicts the truth – and trading carnal souls for divine instructions. Combative virtues require an alert approach to injustice and discrimination. The prophet, through his character, taught that one can only achieve peace through actively engaging in the divine will of heaven. Passivity, on the other hand, distracts and delays the outward war against disruptions. The second quality of Mohammed agrees with ethical theories and principles, which dictate that it is not merely enough to acknowledge what is right, but people need to go ahead and cultivate and achieve it. The beneficence ethical principle guides humanity to do what is good (Rainbow 1).

The prophet also epitomized the quality of magnanimity. According to Sunna teachings, the prophet’s soul displayed splendor, which every committed Muslim desires to experience. To the Muslims, the prophet symbolizes nobility and magnanimity in their fullness. The prophet taught these qualities by the way he treated his companions. His nobility, strength, and serenity, are qualities that Muslim cultures in all generations seek to emulate by treating their companions right. Their strength, they believe, should be evident in the way they deal with their physical struggles, or jihad, which the prophet called smaller wars. However, it should be largely evident in the way the bigger war, which is to overcome the tendencies to pull their souls from God and remain spiritually significant.

The Sunna teaches that nobility, as an ethical norm and ideal for a Muslim, must show through generosity. Prophet Mohammed taught and practically instituted it by being charitable to all beings. His character revealed that he harbored no pettiness or narrowness in his soul and did not limit his ability to give himself to others. The third pillar of Islam, which supports nobility, not only recommends, but it requires every Muslim to give to those who deserve it as part of a Muslim character. This pillar, also known as Zakat, which means purification, purifies Muslims’ hearts from greed by sharing their wealth. According to the prophet’s Sunna, by giving till the last moment of his life, a spiritual Muslim should give without expecting anything back.

Sunna also teaches serenity, which according to the Prophet’s life, is the love of truth. All generations of Muslims, therefore, desire to emulate the prophet by putting the truth above everything else. Impartiality, logic, objectivity, and love must guide a Muslim’s judgment. A Muslim seeking justice should also base accusations and expectations on truth and not emotional prejudice.

Loving the truth, according to Sunna, is to love God who is the truth. Prophet Mohammed, through Sunnah, teaches Muslims now to live in total love and truth and offers them solid examples to follow. While the Quran gives specific commandments on different aspects of life, Sunnah teaches Muslims how to put them into practice.

Works Cited

Hossein, N.S. Ideals and Realities of Islam. Chicago: ABC International Group, Inc., 2000. Print.

Rainbow, C. Descriptions of Ethical Theories and Principles, 2002. Web. 02 Feb. 2014.