End in Moral Philosophy: A Quranic Perspective

End in ethics is an important issue investigated in normative ethics and meta-ethics. The paper considers the relation between numerous and various relations by drawing upon issues in Western moral philosophy and Quranic verses via a consideration of the concept of end and issues such as plurality or unity of end and difference of ends in normative theories. It finally analyzes the end as appearing in the Quran and enumerates its parameters. The hierarchical system of instances of ends in Western moral philosophy seems to culminate in pleasure, whereas what is referred to as an “end” in Western moral philosophy appears in the Quranic literature in terms of “falāḥ” (felicitousness) and “fawz” (success). Given semantics of falāḥ and fawz, the former is a preliminary to the latter, and hierarchically speaking, the latter counts as the highest and the last Quranic end. Falāḥ involves emancipation and liberation from evils, and serves as a solution for the desired result. However, fawz is the desired result that follows falāḥ. It leads to liberation from suffering, achievement of divine mercy, and eternal enjoyment of everlasting Heavenly blessings, and the highest instance of fawz is the achievement of the positon of “divine pleasure.” However, it is possible to offer a non-teleological analysis of such Quranic issues.