نشریه پژوهش های قرآنی
سال هجدهم شماره 1 (پیاپی 69، بهار 1391)

Ethical systems have various classifications of ethical concepts. The question raised in this research is “what classification of ethical concept does the Holy Qur’ān bring up?” In this writing, two fundamental principles have been set forth; to which other ethical concepts are referred. The first is the principle of justice, which is very frequently and variously raised in the Holy Qur’ān and various interpretations made of it. However, it seems that justice in religious logic means not to like for others what you do not like for yourself. With this interpretation, many other ethical concepts can be referred to “justice”.The second fundamental principle is the principle of “benevolence”. This principle is the reference for such ethical concepts as forgiveness, expenditure for charity (infāq), altruism, etc. In this interpretation of the ethical logic of the Qur’ān, two references for ethical concepts are justice and benevolence. Nonetheless, justice defines the base of ethical behavior and benevolence its peak.

This research seeks to find an answer to the question as to whether among the ethical values we have one or more major values from which all other values originate and are regarded as its branches. First, the writer defines the two terms “value” and “fundamental”, then goes on to talk generally about the ethical values as being longitudinal and latitudinal; then, on the basis of the longitudinal perspective of ethical values, he mentions the views existing on the fundamental values and in this respect points out such views as Unitarianism, wisdom, truthfulness, justice, nobility of the soul (nafs), intellect, piety, prudence, and asceticism. Finally, and upon quoting and criticizing the evidences of each one of them, he selects the latter view.

If we intend to discover the ethical values system from among the religious sources and wish to achieve the degrees of good and evil, i.e., to distinguish good from better and bad from worse; therefore, we would turn to such concepts as comparative and superlative adjective. At first glance, we expect this concept to have only one instance, but contrary to the initial expectation, different and various instances have been stated for it in the verses and traditions!The exegetes have proposed several suggestions in interpretation of these verses and the reconciliation between the proofs: abrogation of the prior proof, negation of the initial diversity of subject, affirmation of the diversity of subject without claiming equality, affirmation of the diversity of subject and claiming their equality, restricting the circle of preference (tafḍil) (negation of absolute preference and relativity of preference), absolute negation of preference, and predication on exaggeration.In this writing, we examined these probabilities and by induction of the applications of this mode we made the conclusion that the principle of generality and absolutism are not executed in the comparative mode; rather, concerning this mode, the principality of delimitation applies, unless there is proof for its negation.

This research seeks to find out the ethical system of the Qur’an. Different explanations of the principles of Greek ethics and the ethical system of the Qur’an from the perspective of some of the Muslim Qur’an researchers include the introductory parts of this writing. The main part of this research is searching for reason to prove the writer’s claim that the epistemic system of the Qur’an is based on Oneness and the ethical system of the Qur’an is based on piety and the conceptual expanse of piety, versus iniquity, covers all the ethical virtues and vices.

What is studied in this article is: proximity to God as the value criterion, which can be traced back and comparatively studied in the works of the philosophers and religious devotees of the eras BC and AD. The Qur’an, as the complementary to the religions’ teachings has a specific perspective in this respect. This writing, along with a critical review of the definitions given of proximity, studies its nature and displays the advantage of this criterion over other criteria propounded in philosophy of ethics.

Since long ago, there has been disagreement over the first sura revealed to the Prophet as to whether Surat al-‘Alaq had been revealed to the Prophet simultaneous to his Prophetic Mission, or is it Surat al-Fatiha that has been honored to be the first Qur’anic Revelation; or whether none of these were the first sura and, rather, Surat al-Muddaththir had been the Holy Prophet’s first revelatory experience. Upon resolving the challenge to the first Revealed sura, this writing brings up the viewpoints existing on this issue and examines the evidences of each viewpoint. Then, it goes through the explanations provided for solving this challenge and presents a new solution for resolving the propounded challenge.