Consult Your Heart : The Self as a Source of Moral Judgment

The dichotomy of God versus human is central in Qurʾānic discourse and permeates most reflections in ontology, epistemology, and ethics. For example, God’s roles as the Bestower of bounty (al-Munʿim) and the Speaker (al-Mutakallim) have been the focus of inquiries into the ethical obligations placed upon humans and the sources of knowledge in Islamic scholarship. The search for understanding this dilemma pushed Muslims to explore a methodology for understanding God’s discourse and uncovering His will – either through the Qurʾān or through the Prophet Muḥammad’s words and deeds.

The difference in methodology between jurists and Sufis around what is apparent (ẓāhir) and what is inward (bāṭin) formed a central axis in discussions within the fields of tafsīr (Qurʾānic exegesis), ḥadīth (Prophetic reports), fiqh (Islamic law), uṣūl al-fiqh (Islamic legal theory), and Sufism (Islamic mysticism). However, the search for the sources of ethical knowledge against the universality of the Lawgiver stimulates serious inquiry into the role of the individual in ethical judgment. The question of individual moral knowledge prompts us to explore interrelated issues such as: (1) the capacity to know an ethical judgment inwardly, which relates to the source of the judgment and its evidence; (2) the competence to understand the Lawgiver’s intent addressed to individuals; (3) the ethical responsibility in applying general judgments and principles, or the fatwā (legal opinion) of the muftī (jurisconsult) to specific private realities (scrutiny and caution); and (4) individual moral responsibility and choice in the face of contradictions in muftīs’ legal opinions – for example, in the case of different opinions on a particular case, how should the individual choose?

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Published in: Ḥadīth and Ethics through the Lens of Interdisciplinarity
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
See chapter on publisher's website: https://dx.doi.org/10.1163/9789004525931_013