Moral Development in Mankind

by Zartasha Zainab

The ayahs regarding moral development in the Qur’an have been taken, and using the commentary of Abdullah Yusuf Ali, reflected upon. These ayah state:

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

“Say: I seek refuge with the Lord and Cherisher of Mankind

The King or Ruler of Mankind

The God or Judge of Mankind

From the mischief of the whisperer of Evil who withdraws After his whisper

The same who whispers into the hearts of mankind

Among Jinns and among Men” (Surah 114: 1-6)

This ayah, in its six verses seems to explain chapters of how moral development has occurred throughout centuries with the muslim community. It acknowledges both human weakness as well as a divine law that must take precedence over those human weaknesses and inclinations. It acknowledges higher attributes such as compassion, kindness, sharing, and so on often at the expense of reducing or being considerate towards our surroundings.

The first and foremost subject that requires understanding is, the acknowledgement of the creator, Allah swt. To name this creator with the attributes of “Kind or Ruler of Mankind, God or Judge of Mankind, Lord and Cherisher of Mankind” seems to acknowledge a very supreme and higher force that is far greater than the force of the individual themselves. These attributes have very powerful meanings.

The attribute “Lord and Cherisher of Mankind” seems to imply that it is Allah that sustains him and cares for him, that He provides him with all the means for his growth and development and for his protection against evil. The attributes Allah is his king or ruler seems to imply that more than any earthly king, Allah s authority to guide man’s conduct and to lead him to ways which will make for his welfare, and He has given him laws. The attribute Allah is the judge implies that all of our actions will be held accountable and brought to light. It means that all human beings will return to Him and He will Judge and be the goal of the hereafter and only Being entitled to man’s worship at any time. (1,1718)

When a person acknowledges the greatness of Allah swt, he ends up loving His creator and depending on Him. When he/she is in need they learn to turn to their creator and he/she does not feel belittled infront of any other person besides Allah swt and keeps a clear conscience not out of fear from others, but out of fear from the creator to whom all His actions will be held accountable. He becomes more proactive and realizes that he/she doesnt need to prove themselves to anyone and yet that they will be held accountable for all of their actions. They learn to place their love, their hopes, and fears seeking refuge from their own selves and outward factors only from Him. They become calm and content in being able to rely on someone at all given times and places. His importance is first and foremost emphasizes in these surah and so does obeying His will. All other things/issues become irrelevant as the individual learns to trust in Him, rely on Him and His will which is best for the self as well as dealings and interactions. And they fear the consequences only from Him, their creator.

They further seek refuge from the evil whispers of the shaitan as well as their own selfish endeavours which are against the will of Allah swt that teaches a person to be good to their soul as well as to be good in their interactions and dealings. It helps one purify the soul and further become moral developed.

The greatest moral development that any person faces is when they let things go, they oppress the evil ideas from the shaitan, they focus on higher principles and sincerely submit to the good will which is the good will of Allah swt, and submission to Allah, also known as islam. Through submitting to the will of Allah swt, one becomes capable of submitting to moral values and obtaining self control, resistance to temptation, and personal sacrifices for the welfare of others or for the community at large. They develop an understanding of the perfect will or the acknowledgement of the greatness of the creator which helps them develop morally.