What should Muslim pupils rely on for ethical questions?

The foundation remains the Holy Qur’an and the example of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw). But these values only gain real strength in daily life through a living faith in God and in one’s own accountability.

A Muslim pupil does not need a long list of further authorities for ethical questions. The Holy Qur’an and the example of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) provide the framework. Beyond that there is the conscience that God has placed in every human being. The verse and the hadith above show that people sense within themselves what is right and what is wrong.

More important than the search for further sources is something else. In almost every society, ethical problems share the same root. Faith in God is missing, or it has become an empty shell. And the awareness of one day having to give account is missing too. Where this root is unhealthy, new laws and more police can do little in the long run.

Young people also often face a contradiction. As they grow up, they are told that they are not bound by their parents’ values and that nobody may tell them anything in the name of God. Soon afterwards they are told that they are now fully answerable to the law and will be punished for their mistakes. First their accountability to God and to their family’s values is loosened, and then full accountability to the law is suddenly demanded.

Whoever does not believe that they will give account for their life after death will take responsibility here on earth more and more lightly. That is why what helps Muslim pupils most is a faith that is alive in the heart. It connects what they learn with what they do and gives their decisions a firm footing.