What are ethics?
Earlier: Explanation of Ethics – Dictionary Definition
“A very great responsibility lies upon the shoulders of the business and industrial community of any country…. That responsibility consists not only in contributing to the material well-being of the nation but also in setting a course based on moral and humanitarian values which will make you an honoured part of the fabric of the nation. I have in mind not only the observance of business ethics but also here the pursuit of social welfare and other progressive measures.”
Mawlana Hazar Imam, Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry Karachi, Pakistan, January 28, 1958
“Islam therefore guides man not only in his spiritual relationship with God, it also guides man in his relationship with his fellow men and his relationship with the material world around him. It encourages enterprise, but warns that enterprise, without a social conscience, is not acceptable. It is in this respect, where Islam’s message applies to all aspects of man’s life, that he will be judged not just on what he does but the manner in which he does it.”
Mawlana Hazar Imam, Foundation Ceremony, Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre, Burnaby, BC,July 26, 1982
In its pristine sense, Islam refers to the inner struggle of the individual, waged singly and in consonance with fellow believers, to engage in earthly life, and yet, to rise above its trappings in search of the Divine. But that quest is only meaningful in tandem with the effort to do good for the kin, the orphan, the needy, the vulnerable; to be just, honest, humble, tolerant and forgiving.
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