Question:
Salaam alaykum!
Is morality in Islam…
1. Deontological – i.e., an action is judged good or bad purely by its own intrinsic nature, or
2. Consequential – i.e., an action is judged based on its consequences ?
Also, many people put forward ‘moral dilemmas’ to refute religion such as putting what would be deemed as a ‘sin’ in a positive light, for example, if you kill a certain man in China your family won’t be destitute etc., or something like that to highlight that there is ‘no absolute morality’ or that what is ‘right and wrong’ changes in every situation.. Could you please explain this? I hope you understand..
Jazakallah Kheir
Answer:
Alaykum Salam,
It can be either or both depending on context. As for criminality or sinfulness it is determined by examining intention, and killing is justifiable only in certain circumstances elucidated in the Law, such as a commissioned soldier in a war, or the execution of a criminal. There is certainly right and wrong, the halal (lawful) is clear and the haram (unlawful) is clear. In between is a gray area where most people get confused.
Hajj Gibril Haddad
