ISLAM AND ETHNICS

Abstract

The Islamic moral code incorporates all the commonly accepted moral virtues and then endows them with a sense of balance and proportion, by assigning each one a suitable place and function in the scheme of life. It widens the scope of man's individual and collective life by dealing with his domestic associations, civic conduct, and his activities in the political, economic, legal, educational, and social realms. It covers his life from The home to the society, from the dining table to the battlefield and peace conferences. In short, from the cradle to the grave - for no sphere of life is exempt from the universal and comprehensive application of the moral principles of Islam. It makes morality reign supreme and ensures that the affairs of life are regulated by moral norms, and not dominated by selfish desires and petty interests. A major goal of Islam is to provide humankind with a practical and realistic system of life by which he can conduct his life. It calls upon humankind not only to practice virtue but also to establish it and to eradicate all that is harmful. It seeks the supremacy of the conscience in all matters so that what is harmful cannot gain the upper hand either in an individual's life or in society. Those who respond to this call are known as Muslims, which literally means those who have submitted to God. The sole object of the resulting community of Muslims or Ummah is undertaking an organized effort to establish what is good and to fight and eradicate what is evil and harmful.