Muslim Ethics Emerging Vistas - review continued (Chapter 2)

Muslim Ethics Emerging Vistas


Author: Amyn B. Sajoo

Published by: I. B. Tauris Publisher’s London: New York in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies

In the second chapter, “Civility and its Discontents” he addresses how modern concept of civil society and basic practice of Ummah differ on their fundamental perceptions, which creates discontent or uneasiness in Muslims. In this explanation of differences he mentions that modern concept of civil society must have three required elements that are rule of law, equal citizenship and participatory politics with accountability to state in civic sphere. These pre-requisites separate state and church and promote the concept of dualism. It generalizes all civil societies irrespective of diversity and historical and cultural realities. So it limits the modern public sphere to serve contemporary diversities of ethnicity, culture, religion, politics and individual purpose. Where as perception of Muslim civil society for Muslims is very unique in its roots and I quote, “The world’s 1.2 billion Muslims are diverse in their cultures and understanding of Islam. But they share a weltanschauung in which din and dunya (but not the modern dawla) are merged, so that both secular and sacred resonate in the public domain. Far from precluding the institutional separation of mosque and state, this perspective takes no ideological position in that regards; the umma can thrive in a plurality of political arrangement.”




This drift in perception in civil society between liberal approaches which talks about human rights between state and society but marginalize ethics in civil domain and Muslim pluralist society where the identities and practices have deep roots in religion, create a debate in which liberal approaches have prevailed. So “appropriate conduct” and rational conduct was substituted by ethic norms and functions creating uneasiness and discontent in civil society of today’s time.