The Philosophical Teachings of Quran

1. The Quran: Introduction

The philosophy expounded in the Qur’an is not totally new one which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad,
as Islam did not commence with the message of the Arabian Prophet. The Qur’an in the Abrahamic theological
language is the Last Testament preceded by three previous known major Scriptures of Islam viz Torah (Law),
Zabur (Psalms) and Injeel (Gospel of Jesus). Ergo, the Qur’an propounds the same spirit of faith as enjoined
before the so- called Biblical and Islamic Prophets. Principally the Qur’an is religious not philosophical book, yet
it tackles all the mutual problems of both like the problems of world, soul, good, evil etc. the Qur’an depicts to
give universal truths for all spatial and temporal spheres. Very minute and negligible portion(s) of Qur’an which
are dealt in allegorical terms about which no one has any knowledge except Allah. Below given is the succinct
idea about philosophio-religious narratives as discussed above.

1.1. Divine Beauty

Qur’an describes the Ultimate Being or Reality as Allah who is sole Self-subsisting, All-pervading, Eternal
and Absolute. He is a noumenal a priori transcendental infinite Being whose concept could not be completely
known, comprehended, contemplated or experienced by any finite being (creation) because inter alia He is not
bound by temporal, spatial and sense content boundaries as His existence precedes these mental constructs of
humans. No vision can grasp Him. He is above all comprehension. He could only be apprehended and
experienced through natural thought and intuitive process. He uses similitudes from our experience. Similarly,
Allah explains his via revelation His Attributes by the resemblance from soaring in heavens and earth and in our
own experience. Thus, Allah elucidate His message in language and idiom which the addressees (humans) may
understand. All the attributes of Allah can be compressed into essential heads viz Life, Eternity, Unity, Power,
Truth, Beauty, Justice, Love, and Goodness. These attributes are finite symbolic perspectives of Allah as they
serve human ideals, but they do not pure arbitrary purposes. As Allah has explicated these Himself, ergo they
are bona fide portrayal of Divine essence. Furthermore, this style of premising is to tune human ideals, so that
humans could truly pursuit in harmony with Divine essence. This personality of Allah as portrayed in the Qur’an
ensures the intercourse with His Creation, thus determining the practical course and pathway for humankind1.

1.2. The Tawhid/Oneness and Omnipotence-Allah and the World

Qur’an explicates the omnipotence of Allah by describing Him as One whose personality cannot be acquired
by any person. All His Excellence cannot be premised here in detail, but inter alia some essential ideas would
be described which would provide concrete idea of Allah and His relationship with the world. The primal origin of
everything (creation) is Allah. He is the initiator of creation and adds to creation as He pleases. Considering non-
serially, His decisions are executed in the twinkling of an eye or even quicker, for there is nothing to oppose His
will. When he says, “Be,” behold' it is. His decree is absolute; no one can alter it. Every creature in the in the
cosmos willingly submits to His laws. The power over all things belong to Him, and all forces of the heavens and
the earth too. God is the creator, but also the cherisher, sustainer, protector, helper, guide, and distress and
suffering reliever of all His creatures, and is most merciful, most kind, and most forgiving. The world is not by
Him for idle sport. It is created with a purpose, for a pre-determined term, and by a plan, however hidden these
may be from humans. The creation including especially humans being cognitive and rational agents are
completely teleological. To every one of them there is a goal i.e. Allah. God is all knowledge. He is the Truth.
This Omnipotence encompass and explains the Unity (Tawhid) of Allah. This oneness is not in grammatical
sense, but one against which there is no plurality. Furthermore, the creation of cosmos and its laws are Divine
laws which cannot be abrogated in any scenario. This defies the mythological concept of miracles. His power
resides in the perfection and univocality of the laws. It does not mean that it is beyond His power to do override
any law, but His perfection does not allow to defy His Divine laws2.

1 Musavi Mujtaba Lari and Hamid Algar, “Belief in the Reality of the Unseen Involves More than God,” essay, in God and His Attributes:
Lessons on Islamic Doctrine (Qom, I.R. Iran: Foundation of Islamic C.P.W., 2010), 28–36.
2 Mian Muhammad Sharif, A History of Muslim Philosophy (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2013).

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 1.3. Ontology

All life was created out of a single source by originating from a form of water. Humans being are the highest
of God’s creation which comprises of two realities viz soul and body. The former is transcendental phenomenal
essence of human which was created out of nothing. Ergo, the ontology of human spirit is founded upon
nothingness. The souls of all humans were created from this single Soul. The complete knowledge of soul cannot
be comprehended in its perfection due to limitation of understanding. But this soul is causal reason for
consciousness self or mind which is divided into three degrees, viz impulsive/instinctive (id), realistic (ego) and
conscientious (super-ego) mind3. These are described in order of ascending hierarchy, the last being
perfect/optimum sate and ultimate purpose. The physical reality i.e., body of humans were created from the
Evolutionary process. Adam was not the first human body created, but he was the first cognitive and rational
human. The bodies of Adam and Eve both were a product of a biological principles and laws. There is a wide
spectrum of beliefs qua Adam not having biological parents. This post-historic human is infusion of human body
with soul. This controversy also arises when it is stated that Jesus was born out of Virgin Mary. The Qur’an sates
otherwise wherein it says that Adam and Jesus are alike. If one follows that Adam’s body was created out of
clay without undergoing biological process and Jesus was born by mother. Then how this could be alike if it is
anything then the two are not alike. The bodies of both Adam and Jesus were product of biological process.
Having said that the granting of cognitive and rational capacities points towards the fact that man is destined
with viceroyship of Allah on earth. Human perfection lies in assent towards acquiring Divine attributes and
intrinsic values of Allah, even though these can be acquired in toto, but still, he needs to reach to them in order
to fulfil his purpose and achieve righteousness4.

1.4. Epistemology

Due to the afore-mentioned aspects and uniqueness of humans granted by Allah, he can receive, store,
process, integrate, comprehend and contemplate the knowledge. In human domain there are three tripartite
spectra of knowledge in ascending hierarchy, viz inference, perception/observation and subjective
experience/intuition. The foremost comprises of surmises, conjectures, hypothesis and ideas. The next
embraces scientific and/or historical knowledge based on objective experience. The aftermost incorporates
instinct, intuition, inspiration and revelation. All these categories are not devoid of limitations and errors. There
is another type of knowledge which is beyond human domain viz a priori transcendental noumenal knowledge,
which is only known by the Allah5.

1.5. Free Will

Human with all such enormous power and abilities has been bestowed upon with the free will, but his freedom
is limited by the free causality of God. By granting this power coupled with reasoning and knowledge including
divine guidance ensures man explore the course of his actions. But this free will is subconsciously programmed
for bias towards and against good and evil respectively. All powerful and All Knower Allah does not mean He is
directly causing all the actions6. One the contrary due to His Omnipotence, He is aware of the selection of
choice(s) i.e., future actions of humans viewing the potential capabilities and knowledge possessed by any
individual. The discourse is the foundation and reason for the Ultimate judicious Trial at the Day of Judgement.
Ergo, this providential scheme of Allah which compass free human will ensures active rather than passive role
of humans in their decisions. This free will is also not for the Muslim, rather than humans, as Allah states that
Let there be no compulsion in faith. But to exercise this will in the best interests, Allah sent prophets to all mankind
of all temporality and spatiality for counselling via revelation so one could have guided framework for his choice
of actions.

1.6. After Life

The humans are created will meet with their fate to experience death. The decree of death is purely Royal
Divine Prerogative of Allah. The death is only felt by the soul of humans, they just taste it and enter the
transcendental world. Thus, in its true essence humans do not never completely die. The death is transposition
of human soul to another world The issue of resurrection is comprehendible even though detailed premised

3 ibid
4 Zahra Ghezelsofli, Akbar Shabani, and Mohammad Fazeli, “Investigating the Relationship between God and Man in the Tragedy of
Attar and Haft Aurang Jami,” Propósitos y Representaciones 9, no. SPE2 (2021): 3–13,
https://doi.org/10.20511/pyr2021.v9nspe2.1082.
5 Dr. Rifai Sulaiman Lebbe, “Islamic Epistemology in the Works of Ashraf Adeel. F. H Malkawi,” SSRN Electronic Journal, 2021, 3–23,

https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3852012.
6 Mohammad Mahdi Gorjian, Determinism and Free Will in the Qur’an , 2010, 3–8.

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cannot be contemplated due to lack of experience. The reasoning for the resurrection and life after death is that
some time humans did not exist, then over the period via evolutionary process, humans came into being. The
personality who would create creation out of nothing, could easily resurrect humans from existing cosmos. Man
was created from earth, its part it will become and from it brought out again. After resurrection all humans due
to their autonomy, cognition and rationality, every human will undergo Divine Judicious Trial, in which each one
would be judged deontologically and either rewarded and punished with heaven and hell respectively. This
judgement and decree will depend on the acts of the persons coupled with mercy of Lord. But one mind can
contemplate complete the afterlife as it transcends this world and for humans in this world is noumenal. Allah
has described both stances of afterlife via similitudes in human understanding and experience7.

2. Ethical Teachings
In the preceding section the philosophical concepts enunciated in the Qur’an was enshrined. This section
will deal with relevance with the human life, thereby this section will describe ethical teachings highlighted in the
Qur’an8.

2.1. Virtues

2.1.1. Life

The moral principles/laws enunciated are life giving and enriching so human living in accordance with
these laws causes pragmatic sustainability. This need is required because human is a social being and
society(ies) tends to survive and are not suicidal clubs. Qur’an stresses on partaking worldly life and condemns
asceticism. The life of human should be in balance and extremes should be avoided. But this world should not
be made sole purpose of life devoid of religiosity9.

2.1.2. Unity

The afore-mentioned moral order demands the premising of univocal moral order for any individual or
any society which should not be biased, tainted or prejudiced unjustly. But this unified demand does not deem
to take scientific, but rather humanistic approach10. The postulated laws and rules can vary depending on
societal, temporal, and spatial requirements. This unity also demands the coupling of belief with action in every
sphere of life. This concept of unity results in peace, harmony, love, affection, kindness, fairness, tolerance, etc.
Resultantly peaceful social and global environment is formed among the followers of same religion and other
religions. Ergo, Qur’an commands for unity of whole of humanity11.

2.1.3. Power

Humans have tendency and urge to possess power which implies potentiality of assuming responsibility
undertaken by him of his own accord. The urge of human power is given to human by Allah due to free will, but
his freedom is limited by free causality of Allah12. With this power comes responsibility which should be
proportionately exercised to the power. The duty of human is to participate actively in struggle for establishment
of social order based on peace, harmony, freedom of thought and justice. By thriving for power blended in action
one becomes strong, courageous, brave and steadfast.

2.1.4. Justice

Justise is the Divine attribute of Allah as enunciated in the Qur’an, so the same stresses that human
should adopt it as a moral ideal. Justice should be established in the world. This justice should be established
by following enacted law in absolute manner, but justice is manifested by not just following law, but also equity
as the latter prevails over law in order that justice should be prevailed13. The revelation itself is an embodiment
of truth and justice. The importance for justice is absolute and morally binding. Action should be free from any

7 Murtaz̤á Muṭahharī, Maliheh Sohrabi, and Zohreh Kasraian, “The Resurrection,” essay, in Eternal Life: (Life after Death) (Tehran, Iran:
Islamic Propagation Organization, 1985).
8 Khaled Abou El Fadl, “Qurʾanic Ethics and Islamic Law,” Journal of Islamic Ethics 1, no. 1–2 (2017): 7–28,

https://doi.org/10.1163/24685542-12340002.
9 Mohammed Ali Al-Bar and Hassan Chamsi-Pasha, “The Origins of Islamic Morality and Ethics,” Contemporary Bioethics, 2015, 49–

74, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18428-9_3.
10 ibid
11 ibid
12 Mian Muhammad Sharif, A History of Muslim Philosophy (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2013).
13 ibid

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biasness, prejudices and taint while establishing the justice. The covenants of inter se humans and nations
should be observed strictly14.

2.1.5. Love

Humans are programmed with emotional spark. So inter alia love is a human ideal. Humans should have
love for their Creator as complete embodiment of all moral values. Furthermore, Qur’an emphasise that humans
should be loving towards other humans in every relationship15. The love required by Qur’an is demanded in the
most beautiful standard for parents as they were worldly reason for the existence of oneself. This love is also
required by Qur’an to love even non-believers and enemies. The act of loving encapsulates that one should be
forgiving.

2.1.6. Aesthetics

It is the duty of every human to act in a way that goodness virtue be resulted. Even believers are advised to
oppose evil with goodness. The vale of beauty is also of paramount importance, as Allah’s personality is infused
with beauty. God created everything with great beauty. Human being moulded as the best and most beauty of
creation. This beauty is enshrined in Qur’an by narrating beautiful stories of prophets16. Even the language of
Qur’an in expressed in the exaltedness and beauty. The humans are directed to act and speak with beauty with
other fellow beings. This is because by acting with beauty and goodness, one soul itself becomes good and
beautiful.

2.2. Vices

The life of humans should also not act with inter alia afore-mentioned values, but also to refrain from acting
from disvalues. Below mentioned are some of the disvalues enshrined in the Qur’an.

2.2.1. Obliterating Life

The life of every human even non-believer or one’s own life is declared sacred. Ergo, it is sinful and
unlawful to kill anybody without a just cause. Killing any person without lawful cause is tantamount to slaying
whole of human race and humanity. But ending life is permitted in some limited life in case of end combat tumult
and oppression as allowing these to continue are worse than killing. Not just ending one’s life in physical sense
is prohibited but also to kill self-respect is forbidden in the Qur’an. The sacredness of life also demands to rescue
and save the life of others.

2.2.2. Scandalising

Qur’an commands humans not to defame, slander, spying, backbiting, suspicious and be sarcastic
toward others. The offensive name calling is also forbidden. All these acts are disrespectful and hateful deeds
and result in humiliation of other person(s).

2.2.3. Disunity

Like the believing and acting in disunity of Allah, the Qur’an condemns the disunity, discord ad
disharmony in individual and social life. One should not be divided into sects and schism through insolvent envy
and act by adopting multi-standard principles instead of following one behaviour based on blind unequivocal
principle.

2.2.4. Weakness

Opposed to power, weakness is a disvalue preached in the Qur’an. one should never show weakness,
or to lose hope, despair, impatient and fretful when faced with difficulties. Moreover, the abuse of power is
condemned and should be avoided as certain disvalues arise out of misuse of power. Misuse of power causes
oppression, arrogance and insolence.

14 Khaled Abou El Fadl, “Qurʾanic Ethics and Islamic Law,” Journal of Islamic Ethics 1, no. 1–2 (2017): 7–28,
https://doi.org/10.1163/24685542-12340002.
15 Mohammed Ali Al-Bar and Hassan Chamsi-Pasha, “The Origins of Islamic Morality and Ethics,” Contemporary Bioethics, 2015, 49–

74, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18428-9_3.
16 Khaled Abou El Fadl, “Qurʾanic Ethics and Islamic Law,” Journal of Islamic Ethics 1, no. 1–2 (2017): 7–28,

https://doi.org/10.1163/24685542-12340002.
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 2.2.5. Fallacy

Opposed to truth or wisdom, error and conjecture are vices which are denounced in Qur’an as equivalent
to untruth or lies. The moral life coupled in practicability do not afford fancy and conjecture as already mentioned
societies tend to survive and this could cause society to tumble and topple.

2.2.6. Hypocrisy

This disvalue is one of the gravest sins promulgated in the Qur’an. Hypocrite is defined as one with
opposite in action and intention in heart. Hypocrites are the liars manifested in its gravest form. Another vale
associated with hypocrisy is showing-off which is also disavowed in the Qur’an. The showing-off depletes all the
rewards and goodness in action, these depends on mens rea.

2.2.7. Injustice

The injustice is completely divergent and antagonistic to value of justice. Qur’an forbids humans to
deviate from truth and act under the influence of vain desires especially while judging between people. To distort
and decline/ withhold justice even on basis of animosity is one of the severest sins. Economic justice is also not
allowed by the teachings of the Qur’an thus it stresses heavily on mandatory and voluntary charity. Usury a
means devouring other people’s substance wrongfully results in injustice which results in injustice.

2.2.8. Abhorrence

Anti love is the value of hatred, harshness or unkindness. Qur’an denounces ill-speaking, vice, shameful
deeds. Humans are neither angelic nor satanic beings but possess both tendencies. Therefore, one should avoid
the latter such as ungratefulness, hastiness, impatience, despair, disbelief and arrogance all these lead to grave
injustice.

2.2.9. Steadfastness and Righteousness

Zakat, Salaat, Fasting and Pilgrimage is enforced by Qur’an to produce moral righteousness and
steadfastness. These acts of worship are in essence to liberate people by refraining them from the disvalues
and vices. Indulgence in all these acts results in psychological punctuation and strengthen one’s personality.
Qur’an on one hand warns about the outcomes of the disvalues and not acting in accordance with moral
framework of Qur’an, parallelly it teaches the concept of repentance. Allah have decreed potential acceptance
from any sin any time even after repeated breaking of covenant of repentance. The only prerequisite for
repentance is one should bona fide make repentance to the Lord to not indulge in sin anymore thereby amending
one’s conduct. This view of repentance ensures optimism and vanishing pessimism and despair. All the above-
mentioned discourse marks the righteousness and steadfastness which is called Taqwa. The presence of this
moral code saves people from destruction and going astray. Furthermore, this aids humans to prosper in life
both as individually and socially. The sole motive for adopting the complete moral code is for pragmatic
sustainability in this world and desire to win pleasure of their Lord and ultimately salvation. To be righteous
means to belief in whole of the message of Allah holistically and acting in accordance with it in perfect manner.
This highest stage is known as Ihsaan whereby person becomes believer by attaining the perfection of belief.

3. Economic Philosophy
Inter alia some economic principles enshrined in the Qur’an which are of prime philosophical importance will
be discussed in this section. The means of production and resources are created by Allah and there is complete
freedom of between individuals to acquire and indulge in them. Each human being is placed on equal arms. This
is based on principle of equality and justice. In opposition to communism, the concept of ownership of private
property is enshrined premised in Qur’an. But on state level there is compulsion of mandatory charity viz Zakat
which ensures distribution of wealth from enriched individuals in the society so the low class could be taken care
off17. The Qur’an accepts the natural inequality among the individuals and Qur’an speaks of enjoying the wealth
owned by anybody subject to the just policies of the state. The wealth owned by any one is subject to use it in
legal and lawful ways. The spending of wealth is prohibited on unlawful and illicit acts. Humans are trustee and
equitable beneficiary of wealth for the trust whose settlor is Allah. The wealth therefore should be pure and
untainted and should be acquired from legal and lawful ways. Qur’an promulgates a detailed description of

17 Muhammad Hosayni Behisti and Javad Bahonar, “Guidelines of Islamic Economy,” essay, in Philosophy of Islam (Salt Lake City:
Islamic Publications, n.d.), 195–228.
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unlawful and prohibited ways from which wealth cannot be acquired and cannot be spent on. The revelation
gives the concept of civil law justice of covenants inter se individuals for wealth generation. The extravagant
expenditure is condemned by the teachings of Qur’an. One should be spent for one’s own relative needs and
the remaining should be indulged in manner which ensures progression in society18. This way of spending results
in expiation and earning of sins and rewards respectively. The economic philosophy of Qur’an is modelled with
freedom in chained boundaries. The economic philosophy enunciated in Qur’an ensures balancing of wealth and
thus give concept of welfare and equitable society. But it does not devise a complete economic system, but just
gives foundational guiding principles which can be manifested in multi-facets systems.

4. Political Philosophy
Qur’an does not premise a concept of establishing political system. Past experiences from Muslim world
shows that interpreting a political system out of teachings of Qur’an resulted in militant and radical Islam. These
interpretations are not in conformation with hermeneutical principles of Qur’an. The teachings of Qur’an just give
the fundamental values for political morality and ethics. Likewise, the economic philosophy there is no concept
of complete unified political system devised in Qur’an. The state which is in accordance with Qur’an encompass
the sovereignty of Allah and within the framework of this sovereignty, people have free choice to promulgate a
system through mutual consultation what is in the best interests for them. Qur’an states ‘’Let there be no
compulsion in the Religion’’. This encapsulates not just freedom in domain of religion, but also in the state political
system. Qur’an has revealed for moral and ethical amelioration and not for establishing a state or global
state(world) to be administered or run by Muslims19.

5. Conclusion
From the contents expounded above the grand philosophy devised in the Qur’an is just for the purification
and amelioration of personality of human in holistic sense. The Qur’an disregards to adopt extreme views on
any stance. It demands the balance in the life of humans especially believers which would follow the above
enshrined philosophical teachings. The purification is for both of body and soul of human. The pragmatic
approach infused with spirituality and religiosity is demanded from the teachings of Qur’an which do not
encompass the mythical interpretations. The natural law is the Divine created by the Supreme Being, who does
not occasionally abrogate it. A believer should excel only by progressing in worldly and spiritual realm according
to the global and social realities. The Qur’an which concept of live world and demand improvisation according to
the societal, temporal and spatial requirements.

Total Word Count 4006

Peace Out

18Muhammad Hamidullah, essay, in Economic System of Islam: An Introduction (Islamabad, 1989), 3–22.
19Maudoodi Syed Abul ʻAla and Khurshid Ahmad, “Islamic Political System,” essay, in Islamic Way of Life (Lahore: Islamic Publications,
2004).
6
6. Bibliography
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https://doi.org/10.1163/24685542-12340002.

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Contemporary Bioethics, 2015, 49–74. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18428-9_3.

Behisti, Muhammad Hosayni, and Javad Bahonar. “Guidelines of Islamic Economy.” Essay. In Philosophy of
Islam, 195–228. Salt Lake City: Islamic Publications, 2014.

Hamidullah, Muhammad. Essay. In Economic System of Islam: An Introduction, 3–22. Islamabad, 1989.

Ghezelsofli, Zahra, Akbar Shabani, and Mohammad Fazeli. “Investigating the Relationship between God and
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https://doi.org/10.20511/pyr2021.v9nspe2.1082.

Gorjian, Mohammad Mahdi. Determinism and Free Will in the Qur’an , 2010, 3–8.

Lari, Musavi Mujtaba, and Hamid Algar. “Belief in the Reality of the Unseen Involves More than God.” Essay. In
God and His Attributes: Lessons on Islamic Doctrine, 28–36. Qom, I.R. Iran: Foundation of Islamic C.P.W.,
2010.

Maudoodi. Syed Abul ʻAla, and Khurshid Ahmad. “Islamic Political System.” Essay. In Islamic Way of Life.
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Muṭahharī, M., Sohrabi, M. and Kasraian, Z. (1985) ‘The Resurrection’, in Eternal life: (Life after death).
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Sharif, Mian. Muhammad. A history of Muslim philosophy. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2013.

Sulaiman Lebbe, Dr. Rifai. “Islamic Epistemology in the Works of Ashraf Adeel. F. H Malkawi.” SSRN
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