Ethical landscape: laws, norms, and morality

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, terms, and debates in modern Muslim ethics as discussed in the chapter on the ethical landscape.

Fiqh

Islamic jurisprudence; the body of rules derived from revelation (Qur'an and hadith) applying duty-based rules (farḍ/wājib) and prohibitions (ḥarām/muḥarramāt).

Sharīʿa

Divine law or the path to water; the revelation that must be interpreted by scholars through juristic effort.

Akhlāq

Moral character; virtue ethics in Islam guiding one’s inner disposition and conduct.

Adab

Etiquette or proper conduct; a code of inner virtue that radiates into outward actions.

Maṣlaḥa

Public interest; social benefits used to justify or adapt ethical and legal rulings.

Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿa

The aims of the Shari’a; five purposes: to preserve religion, life, reason, wealth, and lineage.

Niyya

Intention or sincerity behind actions; a key Islamic principle that actions are judged by intention.

Basmala

The phrase "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Dispenser of Grace" recited at the start of actions.

Farḍ

Obligatory duties; acts Muslims must perform (e.g., daily prayers, fasting, zakat, pilgrimage).

Wājib

A duty; a necessary or binding act in some legal contexts, distinct from farḍ in nuance.

Muḥarramāt/Harām

Prohibitions; actions or things Muslims must avoid (e.g., certain foods, alcohol, adultery).

Ijmā

Consensus of scholars; an important interpretive authority in Islamic law.

Ijtihād

Independent reasoning to interpret scripture; used to meet new circumstances and contexts.

Taqlīd

Following established authorities or schools of law; relying on traditional rulings.

Mujtahid

A jurist qualified to perform ijtihād; an expert in legal interpretation.

Madhhab

A school of Islamic law (e.g., Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi‘i, Hanbali; Jaʿfari for Shia).

Dār al-Ḥarb

Jurisdiction of war; territories without treaty that may be at war with the Islamic realm.

Dār al-Amān

Jurisdiction of safety; territories with peace or protection where life is not under threat of war.

Ribā (Riba)

Usury or interest; prohibited in Islam’s ethical framework and addressed in fatwas.

Fatwā

Religious legal opinion issued by muftīs or councils on practical issues under Sharīʿa.

Deoband

Islamic seminary in India (Dar al-Ulum Deoband); Hanafi tradition; influential fatwas.

Qur’an 60:10

Verse on believing women and non-Muslim husbands; context includes Mecca–Medina migration and rules about marriage and divorce.

Zinā

Unlawful sexual intercourse; a major sin in Islam, central to debates on sexuality and morality.

Abortion in Islam

Debates on termination of pregnancy; traditional allowances within four months vs newer conservative positions with biotechnological advances.

Salafism

A movement calling for return to the pious predecessors; emphasis on direct scripture over established schools; varies in practice.

Music in Islam (fatwas)

Debate over permissibility; some scholars ban it, others permit it under certain interpretations (e.g., some fatwas by Qaraḍāwī).