Spirit & Life

“But I think the more over-riding issue is the issue of theocracy versus secular state, and I think that at this point in time, the vast majority of countries within the Muslim world have recognized the difficulty of a theocratic state, and these difficulties are due to many different forces in these countries. But also, the pluralism within Islam. Because if you create a theocratic state, automatically you are saying there must be an interpretation which is the state interpretation of the faith…..What we are talking about are states that want to have modern forms of government but where the ethics of Islam remain the premises on which civil society is built. And I think that’s where we see this — to me very exciting — effort to maintain the ethics of Islam, but in a modern state. And I think when we’re talking about the ethics of Islam, it’s easier to have civil society institutions built on the ethics of the faith, than a theocratic state in the full form.”

His Highness the Aga Khan, interview with The Globe and Mail, January 30, 2002

“To the Imamat, the meaning of ‘quality of life’ extends to the entire ethical and social context in which people live, and not only to their material well-being measured over generation after generation. Consequently, the Imamat’s is a holistic vision of development, as is prescribed by the faith of Islam. It is about investing in people, in their pluralism, in their intellectual pursuit, and search for new and useful knowledge, just as much as in material resources. But it is also about investing with a social conscience inspired by the ethics of Islam.”

Extract from Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan at the opening of Alltex EPZ Limited at Athi River, Kenya, December 19, 2003

This ethic of exploration and interconnectedness is one that is deeply shared by the Ismaili community. It is an ethic, in fact, that is firmly rooted in our faith — a value system which grows from deeply spiritual roots.

It understands that human diversity is itself a gift of Allah — that pluralism is not a threat but a blessing. It sees the desire to explore and connect as a way to learn and grow – not to dilute our identities but to enrich our self-knowledge. This ethic emanates ultimately from a relationship to the Divine which inspires a deep sense of personal humility — and a relationship to humankind which is infused with a spirit of generous service and mutual respect.

Mawlana Hazar Imam at the inauguration of The Ismaili Centre Dubai
26 MARCH 2008

What are ethics?

Earlier: Explanation of Ethics - Ethic of Sustainable Environment: Physical, Social and Cultural

Ethic of Governance

Those who control and administer resources for the benefit of others are bound by the duty of trusteeship. In Shia Islam, this duty is owed to the Imam. The ethic of governance is grounded in the Muslim tradition through the principles of trust, probity, equity and accountability. For example, the scripture warns us against conspiring to defraud others. Furthermore, those in positions of trust should not compromise their obligations, particularly to the weak. Therefore, this obliges administrators of charitable foundations not only to maintain them, but also to enhance their value and maximize their output in order to sustain their charitable commitments.

AKDN An Ethical Framework (IIS London)

“The obligation to maintain the highest level of integrity in the management of donated resources and the institutions benefitting from them, is grounded in our faith. It is critical to the realization of the purposes of all gifts, to the conclusion and continuation and growth of philanthropic giving, and for the credibility in the eyes of the public. Muslim societies have the moral right to expect and demand that philanthropic donation be managed according to the highest ethical standards.”

Mawlana Hazar Imam - The Conference on Indigenous Philanthropy, Islamabad, Pakistan, October 17, 2000

So give what is due

To kindred, the needy,

And the wayfarer,

That is best for those

Who seek the Countenance

Of God, and it is they

Who will prosper.

The Holy Quran 30:38

O ye who believe!

Devour not usury

Doubled and multiplied;

But fear God: that

Ye may (really) prosper.

The Holy Quran 3:130

What are ethics?

Earlier: Explanation of Ethics - Ethic of Sound Mind

Ethic of Sustainable Environment: Physical, Social and Cultural

Taking care of our environment is a duty we have all been entrusted with. We have been given the responsibility to look after our resources for the benefit of all living beings. If we waste what we have been given, we are taking away from the generations to come. If we obtain wealth, whether it be material, intellectual, spiritual or cultural, we must not squander or withhold that wealth. Each generation is ethically bound to leave behind a wholesome, sustainable, social and physical environment.

AKDN An Ethical Framework (IIS London)

“Islam does not deal in dichotomies but in all encompassing unity. Spirit and body are one, man and nature are one. What is more, man is answerable to God for what man has created. Since all that we see and do resonates on the faith, the aesthetics of the environment we build and the quality of the interactions that take place within them reverberate on our spiritual lives.”

Mawlana Hazar Imam, Inauguration of the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center, Houston, June 23, 2002

“Syria boasts numerous examples of individuals and rulers responding to another precept of the Quran: the injunction that mankind holds Allah’s creation of the world in trust, with duty to leave the physical environment better than they found it.”

Mawlana Hazar Imam, Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Aleppo, Syria November 6, 2001

Next: Explanation of Ethics - Ethic of Governance

What are ethics?

Earlier: Explanation of Ethics - Ethic of Respect for Life and Health Care

Ethic of sound mind

An equal, if not greater, emphasis was placed on mental health since preservation of sound mind is among the foundational principles of Islam’s ethical code. Any substance abuse which interferes with the normal functioning of the mind is a greater violation of the ethical code for it amounts to self-inflicted loss of personal dignity and of the ability to fulfill one’s responsibility to oneself, to one’s family and to society.

AKDN An Ethical Framework (IIS London)

“Our belief is that the thing which separates man from the animals is his power of thought. Anything that impedes this process is wrong. Therefore alcohol is forbidden. I have never touched alcohol. But this, to me, is not a puritan prohibition. I don’t want to drink. I’ve never wanted to drink. There’s no pressure being placed on me by my religion.”

His Highness the Aga Khan - Interview with The Sunday Times, Weekly Review, London, United Kingdom, December 12, 1965

“Wealth and power are not objectives in themselves, but are to be used in the service of others… Those whom life has marginalised are to be helped… to free themselves from their constraints… Anything to do with drugs is to be rigorously avoided.”

Mawlana Hazar Imam, September 29, 1998, Ishkoshim, Afghan-Tajik border, Press Release

Next: Explanation of Ethics - Ethic of Sustainable Environment: Physical, Social and Cultural

What are ethics?

Earlier: Explanation of Ethics - Ethic of Self-Reliance

Ethic of Respect for Life and Health Care

As the care of the poor, the care of the sick and disabled is a frequently articulated duty. Good health, like knowledge, is a divine gift, says the Quran, which forcefully urges the sanctity of human life, equating the saving of life to the saving of the entirety of humanity.

AKDN An ethical Framework (IIS London)

“Islam is an all encompassing faith and it gives direction to every aspect of one’s life. It urges the individual to lead a balanced life, one that strives to accommodate both material progress and spiritual well-being. But no man, woman or child can hope to achieve this balance in sickness, illiteracy or squalor. … I, as the leader of my community, have become deeply involved in the provision of basic health and education, which I believe are crucial stepping stones towards mankind’s self-realization and growth.”

Speech by Mawlana Hazar Imam at the Luncheon Hosted by the Aga Khan Health and Education Services, Nairobi, Kenya, October 6, 1982

“The healthy human body is the temple in which the flame of the Holy Spirit burns, and thus it deserves the respect of scrupulous cleanliness and personal hygiene. Prayer is a daily necessity, a direct communication of the spark with the universal flame. Reasonable fasting for a month in every year, provided a man’s health is not impaired thereby, is an essential part of the body’s discipline, through which the body learns to renounce all impure desires.”

Sultan Muhammad Shah
The Memoirs of Aga Khan

Next: Explanation of Ethics - Ethic of Sound Mind

What are ethics?

Earlier: Ethic of Compassion and Sharing

Ethic of self-reliance

The poor and the deprived have a moral right to society’s compassion, the tradition reminds frequently. But Muslim ethic discourages a culture of dependency since it undermines one’s dignity. “Man shall have only that for which he labours,” says the Quran. From the time of the Prophet, the greater emphasis of the charitable effort has been to help the needy to become self-reliant.

AKDN An ethical Framework (IIS London)

“Enabling individuals to recover and maintain their dignity as befitting their statue as Allah’s greatest creation, is one of the main reasons for charitable action. There is dignity in the individual’s ability to manage his or her destiny…the best of charity, in Islamic terms, can go beyond material support alone. It can take the form of human or professional support such as the provision of education for those otherwise unable to obtain it, or the sharing of knowledge to help marginalized individuals build different and better futures for themselves.”

Mawlana Hazar Imam, Conference on Indigenous, Islamabad, Pakistan, October 17, 2000

“The voluntary sector represents, and can develop, all that is finest in the human potential…. The opportunity exists to create…. an enabling environment to bring out the very best of the human potential. And this sector has a tendency to follow a “charity” approach rather than directing itself to the major developments and changes needed for the future.”

Mawlana Hazar Imam, Keynote Address, International Development Conference, Washington, D.C., March 18, 1987

“Service is a means for each individual to actualize Islam’s ethics of inclusiveness, of compassion, of sharing, of the respect for life, and of personal responsibility for sustaining a healthy, physical, social and cultural environment. Fundamental to this concept is generosity of material resources, of time, of thought, and of knowledge. Thought helps others to help themselves. Knowledge enables the educated to provide technical information to the less educated on how to meet their own needs better and serve others.”

Princess Zahra
International Association for Volunteer Effort,
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
August 25, 1998

Next: Explanation of Ethics - Ethic of Respect for Life and Health Care

What are ethics?

Earlier: Explanation of Ethics - Ethic of Education and Research continues

Ethic of compassion and sharing

Islam urges the care of the weak and the restraint of the rich and powerful in their conduct. Scriptural tradition regards wealth as a blessing, and its honest creation one’s duty for it can aid the general welfare of society. Charity is not just sharing one’s material wealth. Generosity with one’s intellectual, spiritual, material or physical resources is highly commended. The ethic of voluntary service is, thus, a strongly marked trait of Muslim tradition.

AKDN An ethical Framework (IIS London)

“Philanthropy and charitable giving hold a very central place in the teachings of the Holy Quran, the writings of Islamic teachers, and the history of Muslims in all parts and all cultures of the Islamic World…Religion and generosity – the gifts of time, of funds, and of material – have been closely linked throughout human history… Charitable support for the poor and for the victim of disasters has an equally long and widespread history.”

– Mawlana Hazar Imam, Conference on Indigenous Philanthropy, Islamabad, Pakistan, October 17, 2000

“In exercising freedom and making our choices, our institutions must be guided, as they have been in the past, by the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (Peace of Allah be upon him), and the tradition of our tariqah, which is the tradition of Hazrat Ali: a thinking Islam and a spiritual Islam: an Islam that teaches compassion, tolerance and the dignity of man, Allah’s noblest creation.”

– Mawlana Hazar Imam, May 14, 1992

Kind words

And the covering of faults

Are better than charity

Followed by injury.

God is Free of all wants,

And He is most Forbearing.

The Holy Quran 2:263

Next: Explanation of Ethics - Ethic of Self-Reliance

What are ethics?

Earlier: Explanation of Ethics - Ethic of Education and Research

Ethic of education and research

“The relationship between the intellect of man and Faith has always been of fundamental importance to Muslims… The divine intellect Akl-e-kul, both transcends and informs the human intellect. It is this intellect which enables man to strive towards two aims dedicated by the Faith: that he should reflect upon the environment Allah has given and that he should know himself…The man of Faith who fails to pursue intellectual search is likely to have only a limited comprehension of Allah’s creation. Indeed, it is man’s intellect that enables him to expand his vision of that creation”.

– Speech by Mawlana Hazar Imam at the Inauguration of the Aga Khan University’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan November 11, 1985

Knowledge is a light

Enriching the warmth of life

And all may partake who seek it out.

Khalil Gibran

What did God give us alone of all creatures?

The intellect, by which we lord o’er all the beasts.

With intellect, we can seek out all the hows and whys,

Without it, we are but trees without fruit.

Divan of Nasir-i Khusraw 33: 28-30

Peace of mind from the torment of ignorance

comes from knowledge;

Only with knowledge can the basil of peace blossom forth

In one’s soul.

Divan of Nasir-i Khusraw 25:26

We ought not to be ashamed of appreciating truth and of acquiring it wherever it comes from, even if it comes from races distant and nations different from us.

Al-Kindi

A scholar’s education is greatly improved by travelling in quest of knowledge and meeting the authoritative teachers (of his time).

Ibn Khaldun

Next: Explanation of Ethics - Ethic of Compassion and Sharing

What are ethics?

Earlier: Explanation of Ethics - Social Conscience of Islam

Ethic of education and research

The very first revelation to the Prophet is a command to read. Learning ennobles and is obligatory upon every Muslim man and woman, the Prophet is reported to have said. “Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave, and seek for it even unto China” said the Prophet.

– AKDN An ethical Framework (IIS London)

“Study in order to acquire learning, and to adorn yourself with it; cultivate dignity and goodwill; treat with respect those who teach you, and those whom you teach. Do not make your learning oppressive to anyone, and do not permit your vanity to destroy the effects of what is really good in you.”

– Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq
Heinz Halm, The Fatimids and their Traditions of Learning
(London: I.B. Taurus & Co., 1997)

“In Islam, knowledge is two-fold. There is that revealed through the Holy Prophet (s.a.s.) and that which man discovers himself by virtue of his own intellect. Nor do these two involve any contradiction, provided man remembers that his own mind is itself the creation of God. Without this humility, no balance is possible. With it, there are no barriers. Indeed, one strength of Islam has always lain in its belief that creation is not static but continuous, that through scientific and other endeavours, God has opened and continues to open new windows for us to see the marvels of His creation.”

– Mawlana Hazar Imam, Acceptance of the Charter of Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
March 16, 1983

“Education has been important to my family for a long time. My forefathers founded Al-Azhar University in Cairo some 1000 years ago, at the time of the Fatimid caliphate in Egypt. Discovery of knowledge was seen by those founders as an embodiment of religious faith, and faith as reinforced by knowledge of the Creator’s physical world. The form of universities has changed over those 1000 years but that reciprocity between faith and knowledge remains a source of strength.”

– Mawlana Hazar Imam, Commencement Speech, M.I.T., Boston, USA, May 27, 1994

Learning, according to Qadi al-Numan, is all too often motivated by ambition, by the desire to surpass others and have reason to boast in front of others. Rivalry with friends and colleagues plays an important part in this respect. The major aim of the ambitious man is to attain high status. Such ambition is not, however, necessarily harmful. Indeed as an initial driving force, a first impulse, it is even useful; but that should not be all, for not until the learner delves into the spirit of his activity is his learning really crowned with success.

Heinz Halm, The Fatimids and their Traditions of Learning (London: I.B. Taurus & Co., 1997)

“When I say education, I mean more than acquisition of knowledge, more than mere facts, figures and book work. Education is a life-long experience in which qualities such as integrity, mental discipline, humility and honesty should be formed, particularly during the early years.”

– Speech by Mawlana Hazar Imam at the Annual General Meeting of the East Africa Muslim Welfare Society, Mombasa, Kenya, November 16, 1957

Kindle the candle of intellect in your heart

and hasten with it to the world of brightness;

If you want to light a candle in your heart,

make knowledge and goodness its wick and oil.

– Nasir-i Khusraw
Shimmering Light

Next: Explanation of Ethics - Ethic of Education and Research continues

What are ethics?

Earlier: Explanation of Ethics - Ethic of inclusiveness

“And now let me address the issue of pluralism in society. Human genius is found in its variety which is the work of Allah. Harnessing that genius to the fullest should be one of the goals of all modern societies and nations in addition to mobilizing creative capacity from all segments of society.”

Address by Mawlana Hazar Imam to the Assembly during the visit to Dushanbe, Tajikistan September 24, 1998

“The Aga Khan Development Network is a family of private, non-denominational, international development agencies created by the Ismaili Imamat as a contemporary endeavour to realize the social conscience of Islam. It works in countries in East and West Africa, Central and South Asia and other parts of the world to improve the lives of all the people in the project areas irrespective of their gender, ethnicity or religious affiliations.”

Address by Mawlana Hazar Imam to the Assembly during the visit to Dushanbe, Tajikistan September 24, 1998

“For many of my generation, the greatest technological miracle of this century has been sending men into space, and a remark made by an astronaut on one of the first flights in space has always remained in my mind. Looking down upon the earth he had just left he has said emotionally, “It’s one world.” He was not a Muslim. But this remark substantiated two fundamental aspects of our faith: the limitlessness of God’s power and the brotherhood of man.”

Mawlana Hazar Imam, Acceptance of the Charter of Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan, March 16, 1983

“There are those who enter the world in such poverty that they are deprived of both the means and the motivation to improve their lot. Unless they can be touched with the spark of individual enterprise, they will only sink into apathy, degradation, and despair. It is for us, who are more fortunate, to provide that spark.”

Mawlana Hazar Imam, Aiglemont, France, January 1967

“The voluntary sector represents, and can develop, all that is finest in the human potential…. The opportunity exists to create…. an enabling environment to bring out the very best of the human potential. And this sector has a tendency to follow a “charity” approach rather than directing itself to the major developments and changes needed for the future.”

Mawlana Hazar Imam, Keynote Address, International Development Conference, Washington, D.C. March 18, 1987

Next: Explanation of Ethics - Ethic of Education and Research

What are ethics?

Earlier: Explanation of Ethics - Islam’s Message

Ethic of inclusiveness

Islam has an inclusive vision of society. The divine spark that bestows individuality also bonds individuals in a common humanity. Humankind, says the Quran, has been created from a single soul, as male and female, as communities and nations, so that people may know one another. It invites people of all faiths to a common platform, to vie for goodness. The Prophet sought to harness individual and group differences, and talents to serve common needs of different religious groups. The Prophet encouraged a spirit of harmony and toleration amongst the various groups as components of a larger community.

– Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) An ethical Framework (IIS London)

“We have much to build with. A common Abrahamic, monotheistic tradition. Common ethical principles, founded on shared human values. Common problems of yesterday resolved together. Common challenges of tomorrow that we can best face together.”

Mawlana Hazar Imam, Baccalaureate Address, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA, May 26, 1996

“My role, first of all, is to interpret and integrate the faith with worldly life. A faith which, for us Muslims, is not separate from our daily existence. Our duty dictates that we must try to help our fellow man. My function also leads me to attempt to ameliorate the quality of life of all classes of society and to manage, based on economic and social plans, the institutional sectors of the Imamat…”

Mawlana Hazar Imam, Interview with Paris Match Magazine, Paris, France, December 28, 1995

“This far flung community is characterized despite geographical distances, by its coherence and organization, by its unwavering progressiveness, and by its universal commitment to the welfare of the less fortunate…The Ismaili community is noteworthy also for its tradition, deeply embedded in its values and in its very ethos, of the individual voluntarily donating his or her time, effort, intellect, and material resources in the service of others.”

Prince Amyn, Lisbon, Portugal, February 1996

Mankind! We created

You from a single (pair)

Of a male and a female,

And made you into

Nations and tribes, that

Ye may know each other

(Not that ye may despise

Each other). Verily

The most honoured of you

In the sight of God

Is (he who is) the most

Righteous of you;

And God has full knowledge

And is well acquainted

(With all things).

The Holy Quran 49:13

Next: Explanation of Ethics - Social Conscience of Islam

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.

AKDN Website

Next: Explanation of Ethics - Ethic of inclusiveness

What are ethics?

Webster’s Dictionary Definition …

Ethic: the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation.

Ethics: the code of conduct or behaviour governing an individual or a group; the science of the ideal of human characters.

Moral: relating to, dealing with, or capable of distinguishing between right and wrong in conduct; designating support that involves sympathy without action.

“Your attitudes and emotions, thoughts and desires, all reveal your ethics.”
– Everyday Ethics, Joshua Halberstam

“If one is to lay any claim to character, he must live his convictions daily, reflectively, in a hundred tiny ways.”
– Harry Stein, Ethics (and Other Liabilities)

“The faith establishes the moral framework within which material endeavour is to be encouraged and a ‘social conscience’ has always been a key part of our lives. Hence, as Imam, I am concerned with the encouragement of all forms of endeavour and further with the quality of its performance, because that affects the quality of human life. What is done must be done honestly, sincerely and well. We cannot afford to be incompetent because if we are, we damage the people we seek to serve.”

– Speech by Mawlana Hazar Imam at the Luncheon Hosted by the Aga Khan Social and Development Institutions, Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania, November 25, 1982

“The new notions of free enterprise, of creating wealth, these are sound notions but they should be followed within the ethic of our faith…The question is, not only what have I achieved, the question is what have I helped others to achieve? That is the notion of social conscience in Islam.”

– Mawlana Hazar Imam, Press Conference, Maputo, Mozambique, August 1998, Source: The Ismaili - Realising the Social Conscience of Islam, December 1998

——–

Value: the social principles, goals, or standards held by an individual or society

Compassion: sorrow for the sufferings or trouble of another with the urge to help

Integrity: uprightness, honesty and sincerity; unimpaired condition

Ethos: the characteristic attitudes, habits, beliefs of an individual or group

– Webster’s Dictionary

“The Muslim world offers deep roots in a system of values, emphasizing service, charity, and a sense of common responsibility, and denying what it sees to be a false dichotomy between religious and secular lives.”

– Mawlana Hazar Imam, Commencement Speech, MIT, Boston, USA, May 27, 1994

“Differences must be resolved within the ethic of our faith, through dialogue, through compassion, through tolerance, through generosity, through forgiveness, through kindness.”

– Mawlana Hazar Imam, Badakshan, May 1995, The Ismaili - Mawlana Hazar Imam’s visit to Central Asia, 22-31 May 1995

Next: Explanation of Ethics - Islam’s Message

The engagement of the Imamat in development is guided by the ethics of Islam which bridge faith and society, a premise on which I established the Aga Khan Development Network, known as the AKDN. Its cultural social and economic development agencies seek to improve opportunities and living conditions of the weakest in society, without regard to their origin, gender or faith. We work with many partners, including scores of national and international agencies.

Mawlana Hazar Imam
Annual Conference of German Ambassadors, Berlin
September 6, 2004