Major Themes of the Bible and Quran SC-634

Week 8 Ethics

Fazlur Rahman, Man in Society

1. Economic
Mecca was a prosperous commercial town but economically
unequal. The Quran responds by 102:1-4 in order to minimizing

earning wealth by exploitation of the weak.

Nevertheless, the Quran encourages earning wealth instead of
against it. But the Quran is condemning the abuse of wealth for
dissipation and exhorting for spending in the way of Allah by
helping the poor and the needy, and Allah promised to reward

manifold.
Banning of usury: term of grows several-fold used by Quran to
attract Arabians who are interested in usury since pre-Islamic
(jhiliyyah) period. Spend in the cause of Allah rather than invest

money in usury in order to suck the blood of poor.

Zakat: one out of five pillars of Islam that can boost the
economic equality. The command of zakat stated in at-Tawbah
[9]:60 detailing about 8 categories of zakat recipients. This verse
is revealed after the hijrah (immigration) of Prophet Muhammad
to Madina in order to encourage the economic inequality
between poor Meccan immigrants and well-to-do Madinese.

2. Sociopolitical
Beginning with relation in family: filial piety (31:14), even for
idolatrous parent: father of Ibrahim who denied his teaching, but

he keep praying God for his fathers forgiveness (60:4).

Strengthening Muslim brotherhood (49:10, 61:4, 69:9):
diminishing gap between muhjirn (Meccan immigrants) and

anr (Madinan helpers).

Democracy: shr as constitutional foundation.

Major Themes of the Bible and Quran SC-634

Week 8 Ethics

3. Human equality/human rights

Foundation of human equality: 49:11-13 obliterated all distinction

among men except goodness and virtue.

Polygamy: traditionalist versus modernist interpretation
of al-Nis[4]:3
This verse cannot be read separately from previous verse (4:2)
that talked about dishonestly and injustice to orphans property.
Married two, three, or four (orphaned) girls is a solution for
helping orphans. Traditionalist interpretation uses this verse for
legalization of polygamy as long as accompanied by justice
whereas modernist said this is not because of impossibility of
being justice and that permission for polygamy was meant to be

temporary and for a restricted purpose.

Equality of men and women
There are several points in the Quran potentially indicating that
men and women are unequal (2:28, 4:11-12, 4:36) which are
mostly used as legalization for mens superiority. Whereas
another parts of the Quran said that whosoever does good
deeds will get reward from God by separating male and female
(4:124, 40:40, 16:97, and 33:35). In modernist Muslim
interpretation, the superiority of men is not inherent, but
functional.