The Concept of Islamic Work Ethic: An Analysis of Some Salient Points in the Prophetic Tradition
Definition of Concepts
Ethics
The term Ethics can be defined as the activity of applying moral precept to concrete problems‖ (Wines, 1992: 883). Johnson (1984: 1) defines ethics as the science of conduct‖. Ethics is a science in a sense that its study represents an intellectual enterprise, a rational enquiry into its subject matter in the hope of gaining acquired knowledge‖. As such, ethics can be contrasted with art, religion or technology. Besides that, philosophers also speak of ethics as a normative science because it concerns itself with norms or standards of behavior.
Akhlaq
Akhlaq is the appropriate term in Arabic that stands for the translation of the word ethics. The root from which it derives its meaning means to create, to shape, to give form, to mould or to produce (Ba‘labaki, 1990: 521). While the term Akhlaq is a plural of khuluq, referring to collections of distinct traits of character, the knowledge of morality (ilm al-Akhlaq) is translated as ethics, moral sciences or moral philosophy (Ba`labaki, 1990: 521). Akhlaq from Islamic point of view is different from western perspectives. Ethics, according to western sociologists is relatively dependent on individual perspective in order to determine good or bad. However, in Islam, the source of ethics is its religious institution, transmitting a divine revelation to mankind. In other word, the Quran andSunnah automatically become the source of akhlaq in Islam. Thus, all modes of behavior and
character traits derived their goodness or badness from the sanction or otherwise of the holy book and the sayings and practices of the prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) who himself has been described as the best model of behavior for all believers.
Islam and Work Ethics: An Analysis of Some Salient Points in the Prophetic Tradition
1. Islam and work
Islam lays great emphasis on work. In many places in the Quran and Hadith, it has been made clear that time should not be wasted. In the Qur‘an, Allah draws attention to all the magnificent creations as an indication of the proper planning that leads to wonderful results—for Muslims believe that He creates nothing haphazardly. God relates in the Qur‘an how the heavens and the earth were created in seven days and describes that as a sign for humankind. Then the Qur‘an directs a message to humanity that they should contribute positively to the earth, that is, they should work to make use of what is created for their benefit .
That man can have nothing but what he strives for; That (the fruit of) his striving will soon come
in sight: Then will he be rewarded with a reward complete. (An-Najm 53:39-41)
In Islam, work is given special importance to the extent that it is considered as an act of worship itself. Although some people believe that they are not obliged to work because they dedicate themselves to worshiping God, this is actually a wrong perception of the concept of worship. The Muslim scholar Imam Al-Ghazali mentioned in his book Ihyaa’ `Ulum Ad-Deen (Revival of the Religious Sciences) that Jesus (peace and blessings be upon him) once saw a man who had completely devoted himself to worship. When he asked him how he got his daily bread, the man replied that his brother, who worked, provided him with food. Jesus then told him, ―That brother of yours is more religious than you are‖ (al-Ghazali, ,1988). Al-Ghazali also mentions the Prophet‘s Companion `Umar ibn Al-Khattab, who used to stress this point further by telling people, ―Never should anyone of you think that du`aa’(supplication) for sustenance without work will avail him, for heaven never rains gold nor silver‖ (al-Ghazali, 1988). Therefore, Islam lays a lot of emphasis on work and the need for man to work in earning his livelihood so as to be independent, self-sufficient and in order to uphold his dignity among his peers and in his community/society.
2. Islamic Work Ethics
Scholars have endeavored to define work ethics relating to the value system of people. Parnes and Andrian define work ethics as ―… beliefs about the moral superiority of hard work over leisure or idleness, craft pride over carelessness, sacrifice over profligacy, earned over unearned income and positive over negatives towards work‖ (Parnes and Andriasani, 1983, 102). Barbash defines work ethics as ―a commitment to work hard which is stronger than just providing a living‖ (Barbash, (1983, 4-5). Islamic work ethics is much more than that, being multi-dimensional and related to various aspects of life such as social, political and economic. Islamic work ethics could be defined as a set of values or system of beliefs derived from the Qur‘an and Sunnah concerning work and hard work. Kamal Hassan has listed five attributes of the Islamic work ethics. These are as follows:
1. Employees have to fulfill their job for the societal obligation with purpose to seek pleasure of Allah.
2. Trustworthiness as a vicegerent of Allah which comprehends all aspects of living as a human.
3. Muslim must perform his duty as a religious obligation as well as implements all ritual obligations.
Motivational reward is not only linked with earthly reward but also awarded in the hereafter.
4. Employees must adhere to diligence and efficiency as well as fairness in preserving public interest.
5. Employer-employee relationships are based on human value which is beyond race, color, language and inheritance
.
Thus, from all the above, it is clear that Islamic work ethics goes beyond hard work as it includes the concept of worship which is geared towards pleasing one‘s Lord and Creator. Work ethics in Islam in as much as it brings material gains also has its own spiritual dimension and connection to the Divine whose pleasure Muslims seek to earn in everything that they do.
3. Islamic Work Ethics in the Sunnah
It is clear that in Islam, work is not only important, but necessary. This article will try to discuss some attitudes which are central to Islamic work ethics from the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad. These attitudes are: attitude to wealth, attitude to livelihood, attitude to time and attitude to leisure
A. Attitude to wealth
Bellamy, (1956:50) in his dissertation infers that there are many contradictions in the Hadith about praise and condemnation of wealth and poverty. First, he mentions that some Hadith seems to condemn wealth. He quotes a Hadith which he narrated from al-Baihaqi as follows: It is reported in the Hadith that the patient poor man will enter heaven before the grateful rich man by forty years‖ (al-Baihaqi)
.Similarly, Bellamy quotes the Prophet as saying ―Love of the world is the beginning of all sin‖ (Bellamy, ibid: 54). Then, Bellamy sums up that the implication of these Hadiths is that there is something essentially evil in wealth which leads to it‘s owner being penalized even if he has no wrong doings (Bellamy, Ibid: 51). In order to support his view point about such contradictions, he mentions two other Hadiths in which, he says, the Prophet praises wealth. Al-Raghib al-Isbahani narrates: ―The Prophet used to take refuge against disbelief and poverty, and a man asked him, are they the same? He replied: Yes, poverty is almost disbelief‖. In another place, the Prophet mentions O God, I ask you for guidance, piety, modesty, and wealth. He also said: good and aid to fear of God is wealth‖ (Bellamy: Ibid: 59). Bellamy concludes by suggesting that the sets of Hadith which blames
wealth are the older elements in Islamic religious literature. While the other sets of Hadith which praises wealth are the latest elements. He claims the latest to be an aid to the salvation of the Muslims. Wealth, claims Bellamy, at that time was really needed to buy weapons. Therefore, he concludes, the two sets of such conflicting Hadiths,praising and blaming wealth, could not have sprung from a single source (Bellamy, Ibid: 60).
B. Attitude to Livelihood
There are plenty of Hadith from early collections which praise work. Many narrations established that the Prophet had asked Muslims to work. Miqdam ibn Ma‘adi narrates the tradition that says that the Prophet says: if someone goes out to seek nourishment for his small children, he is in the way of Allah. And if he works for his old father and mother he is in the way of Allah. And if he works for himself for modesty, it is in the way of Allah, but if he works for the purpose of pride and boasting, he is in the way of Satan.‖ (Tabarani). Similarly, in another narration the Prophet says:
―Hadrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that when a man of the Ansar came to
Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) and begged from him, he
asked him whether he had nothing in his house. When he said that he had a piece of cloth, which
he used for wearing as well as for spreading on the ground, and a wooden bowl from which he
drank water, he told him to bring them to him, and when he did so he took them in his hand and
asked, "Who will buy these?" When a man offered a dirham he asked twice or thrice. "Who will
offer more than a dirham?" and he gave them to a man who offered two dirhams. He then took
the two dirhams and giving them to the Ansari he said, "Buy food with one of them and hand it to
your family, and buy an axe with the other and bring it to me." When he bought it, Allah's
Prophetic Messenger fixed a handle on it with his own hand and said, "Go gather firewood and
sell it, and don't let me see you for a fortnight." The man went away and gathered firewood and
sold it. When he had earned ten dirhams he came to him and bought a garment with some of them
and food with others. Then Allah's Prophetic Messenger said, "This is better for you than that
begging should come as a spot on your face on the Day of Resurrection. Begging is right for only
three people: one who is in grinding poverty, one who is seriously in debt, or one who is
responsible for blood-wit he finds it difficult to pay." (Abu Dawud)
The Prophet Muhammad himself, who is considered a paragon of virtues in Islam, used to pray seeking God‘s refuge from laziness or idleness. Even before he was chosen as a messenger of God, he was a hardworking person. This earned him the respect of his employer, Khadijah, who later proposed marriage to him because of all the merits and virtues she saw in him
In his instructions to Muslims on this aspect, the Prophet Muhammad strikes a balance between worship and work. So, in as much as Muslims have to be constant in their acts of worship, they also have to work hard to earna living, as it is recorded in one of the sayings of the scholars: ―Work hard (for earning a living and survival) as if you are going to die‖. Also, in exhorting Muslims on the importance of work, the Prophet Muhammad made it clear that getting one‘s sustenance from one‘s work is one of the praiseworthy acts of worship. It is recorded in his traditions how he turned a man who came to him begging into a productive member of the society by teaching him how to work and provide for himself.
C. Attitude to Time
Many Hadiths ask Muslims to be aware of the value of time. Time is a commodity that should be rightly invested. The Prophet says that the feet of Adam‘s son will not cross the path (to Paradise) until he has been questioned and he has answered satisfactorily, about his lifetime how he spent it, about his youth, how he invested it, and about his wealth, how he earned it and how he disposed of it. This statement from The Messenger of God mentioned the value of time and its close contact to human working activities. It means that the Prophet would like the Muslims to invest or use their time wisely and forbade them to waste any part of it. The Muslim worker shall conscientiously and judiciously utilize all the working hours in dispensing all their duties and responsibilities. The
duties of Muslim workers must be as follows: they should report to work promptly on time, diligent at work, never to play around or engage in vain conservation or in long telephone calls or doing one‘s own business at the cost of another employer, or making excuses of leaving‖ (Abdul Rauf, 1991:136) The fact that ritual obligations are to be performed at their assigned time or during a prescribed period, teaches Muslim the habit of doing things promptly without delay. Habitual delay leads to confusion and causes losses and great harm. It is, after all, injustice to those involved. It is a violation of trust, a vice condemned by a mark of hypocrisy.
4. Islamic Work Ethic and Motivation
Motivation is part of work ethics. Steer M. and Porter W. define work motivation as ―how behavior gets started, is energized, is sustained, is directed, is stopped, and what kind of subjective reaction is present in the organism while all this is going‖ (Steer M. and Porter W, 1991: 5). Motivation is essentially concerned with (1) what energize human behavior, (2) what directs or channels such a behavior, and (3) how this behavior is maintained or sustained. Each of these three components represents an important factor in our understanding of working ethics.Three major categories of individual differences in characteristics have been shown to affect the motivational process; interests, attitudes and needs. The Islamic motivational theory considered two dimensions of human behavior, first, the inner human body which is concern with the spirit or iman. Second, the outer human body
which dealt with material needs such as physiological needs. The prophet says;Remember, in your body there is a lump of meat, if it is good all the body become good, but if it is bad, all of human body becomes bad, lo, it is heart‖ (Muslim)
This tradition refers to the inner spirit in determining the success or failure of certain men. Bayyumi (1970: 462) calls the motivational spirit of Islam which is perceived from the spirit of Islam as a core factor in determining success. Seyyed Huseein Nasr has laid down the concept of ―aufu al-‘Uquud‖ as motivational spirit of Islam. This concept brings out the nature of the relationship between man and God and nature, man and society and even man and his soul. (Nasr, 1989: 14) The concept of al-‘Uquud‖ encompasses moral responsibilities and human relations. Human relation is considered the important factor of industrial success in Japan and Korea. According to Nasr, Uquud (covenant) referred to in the Quran Chapter 5 Verse 1 encompasses both moral and social responsibilities of a Muslim and as such serves as an impetus to the motivational attitude in him/her. By tying a
Muslim‘s spiritual obligations to his worldly or daily work, which he/she seeks to fulfill being mindful of it following the Shariah and seeking the pleasure of God, a Muslim adhere strictly to the contractual agreement made between him and the employer and thereby aspires to perfection in his work and the output of his work(Nasr, 1989: 35 – 45)
Conclusion:
From all the discussions above, it is clear that work ethics is part and parcel of the Islamic faith and it has been emphasized by the Prophet himself in many of his sayings some of which have been quoted and explained in this paper. Although the west has taken the lead on this issue of work ethics, as earlier said, the fact that other traditions had witnessed success in their midst and developed civilizations which is based on hard work shows that this concept is not limited to the modern western tradition only. In other words, if other traditions are conscientiously studied and analyzed, it will become apparent that they contain work ethics which had worked for them hence their successes. Likewise, the concept of workaholic which usually leads to the abandonment of social responsibilities is strongly discouraged since Islam, being a moderate religion, encourages moderation in everything that a Muslim does concerning his/her work. In the Islamic work ethics, work should be moderated to the extent that it does not disturbs one‘s responsibilities to God, family and the society and does not also lead to personal depravity which could affect one‘s health. Thus, the Islamic work ethics has many dimensions to it and it is both comprehensive and holistic in nature.
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