The Imam of the mosque and the manager of the Islamic centre of Hamburg Hazrat Ayatollah Dr. Ramezani
In fact, the society without moral principles separates from social and personal personality of human and can never recognize its responsibilities properly and follows them. Hence, Quran obliges a Muslim to fulfill obligations and considers giving them up the cause of deprivation of happiness and bliss. Quran has such rules in relation to morals and emphasizes on moral rules such as religious jurisprudence rules and law rules so that the society of human moves in the path of happiness decently and achieves desirable perfection.
In the name of God the Merciful and the Compassionate
الحمد لله ربّ العالمين و الحمد لله الذی لا مُضادّ له في مُلكه و لا مُنازِعَ لَهُ في أمره. الحمدالله الذی لا شريك لَهُ في خلقه و لا شبيه لَهُ في عَظَمَتِه (جزء من دعاء الإفتتاح) وصلّی الله علی سيدّنا ونبيّنا محمّد صلّی الله عليه وعلی آله الطاهرين واصحابه المنتجبين.
عبادالله ! أُوصيكم و نفسي بتقوی الله و اتّباع امره و نهیه.
Topic: relationship between religious jurisprudence rules and moral rules
One of matters that are emphasized in the religion of the Islam involves religious jurisprudence rules and paying attention to the orders and the prohibitions of God because people have to accept the rules of God in order to foster their talents and abilities and to achieve desirable perfection.
Moreover, moral rules should be emphasized in the Islam because there is a close relationship between religious jurisprudence rules and moral rules. In other words, each rule influences the other one. For example, fasting is one of necessary rules in the Islam and all of the Islamic schools have accepted it as a necessary affair in the religion. As it has been said in the narration, fasting is one of basics of the religion[1]. This rule of God has a lot of effects on the social and personal life and the afterworld.
One of effects that have been mentioned about it in Quran is belief in God;
«ياأَيُّهَاالَّذين آمَنُواكُتِب عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيامُ كَماكُتِبَ عَلَىالَّذينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُون»[2]
It is confirmed in this verse that there is a reliable relationship between fasting and belief in God. In other words, a Muslim that fasts strengthens his or her belief in God. This belief in God provides a ground that people can benefit from the customs and the secrets of this rule of God. Relationship between fasting and thanking or relationship between fasting and bliss is referred in other verses; each one expresses this reality that there is a deep and close relationship between them.
This reality can be understood from relationships between religious and moral rules that first, these two rules have mutual effect on each other and are related to each other. Second, there are kinds of necessities and obligations in both of them. Consequently, both of them have crucial roles in the happiness and the perfection of people.
As a general rule, it can be said that Quran determines religious jurisprudence rules according to the benefits and the disadvantages of actions and their effective results on the promotion and the growth of the personality of human and has considered them obligatory and has considered the effects of these rules the formation of moral affairs. Moreover, we can insist on this claim that most of moral affairs are considered as the purposes of jurisprudence. Paying attention to most of the verses of Quran, we can understand that Quran emphasizes on this belief as sacred Surah of Maaede (verse 2) states:
«وَتَعاوَنُواعَلَىالْبِرِّوَالتَّقْوىوَلاتَعاوَنُواعَلَىالْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوانِ وَاتَّقُوااللَّهَ إِنَّاللَّهَ شَديدُالْعِقاب».
According to these verses, moral and religious jurisprudence rules are related to each other and there is no separation between them such as the following verse:
«إِنَّاللَّه َيَأْمُرُبِالْعَدْل ِوَالْإِحْسان وَإيتاءِذِي الْقُرْبىوَيَنْهىعَنِ الْفَحْشاءِوَالْمُنْكَرِوَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُون[3]
As it can be understood from this verse, fairness and benevolence have equal value and exalted God recommends both of them to human.
The effect of praying on the formation of moral values:
In this part, it is appropriate to refer to a deep relationship between prayer and most of moral affairs. Praying includes rules, customs and secrets and each one includes a lot of matters and discussions.[4] Paying attention to the effects of praying, we can understand this important point that praying has a crucial role on training the soul of human and helps human to get closer to God. Moreover, it gets persons away from vices such as vanity and jealousy, strengthens the soul of human and saves human from the temptations of Satan. Praying also strengthens the modesty and humility of human and promotes their religious and spiritual position. All of these effects have been mentioned in verses and narrations. This important matter can be understood from these effects that praying as an important obligation has an important role in growing virtues and avoiding vices.
But we can claim that morals and religious values are effective in improving culture, providing good relationships among persons in the society and modifying their relationships as much as it provides a ground to implement religious and legal obligations such as devotions, trades and social rules.
In fact, the society without moral principles separates from social and personal personality of human and can never recognize its responsibilities properly and follows them. Hence, Quran obliges a Muslim to fulfill obligations and considers giving them up the cause of deprivation of happiness and bliss. Quran has such rules in relation to morals and emphasizes on moral rules such as religious jurisprudence rules and law rules so that the society of human moves in the path of happiness decently and achieves desirable perfection.
Of course, if most of moral problems are not surveyed legally, its reason is not that human does not have any responsibilities against them, but its reason is that spiritual matters are different from the area of social and law obligations; hence, Quran expresses that society that follows law and jurisprudence obligations and responsibilities as well as moral ones achieves happiness. Hence, we should deal with both of rules so that we can achieve happiness and bliss. Therefore, it has been said in Quran
«هُوَالَّذيبَعَثَفِيالْأُمِّيِّينَرَسُولاًمِنْهُمْيَتْلُواعَلَيْهِمْآياتِهِوَيُزَكِّيهِمْوَيُعَلِّمُهُمُالْكِتابَوَالْحِكْمَةَوَإِنْكانُوامِنْقَبْلُلَفيضَلالٍمُبين» [5]
In fact, the mission of the prophet (peace of Allah be upon him and his descendants) is the combination of these two kinds of rules as well as training book, wisdom, refinement and purification. A person can achieve bliss and happiness with this purification.
« قَدْأَفْلَحَمَنْزَكَّاها[6]
Following law and jurisprudence rules that God and his messenger issue leads human to happiness and bliss.
« مَنْيُطِعِاللَّهَوَرَسُولَهُفَقَدْفازَفَوْزاًعَظيما»[7]
[1]. It Refers to the sacred Hadith from Imam Baqer ( peace be upon him)
« بُنِيَالْإِسْلَامُعَلَىخَمْسٍالصَّلَاةِوَالزَّكَاةِوَالْحَجِّوَالصَّوْمِوَالْوَلَايَة».
Al-Kafi v 2 p 18
[2] . Baqarah ( 2)/ verse 183
[3] . An-Nahl ( 16) verse 90
[4]. Refer to the explanation of the religious matters of the sources of authorities in relation to the rules of prayer and refer to two valuable books of Hazrat Imam Khomeini ( may God’s mercy be upon him) ” the customs of prayer” and ” the secrets of prayer”
[5] . Al-Jumu’a( 62)/ verse 12
[6]. Ash-Shams( 91)/ verse 9
[7] . Al-Ah-Zaab( 33)/ verse 71
