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There are two concepts in Islam that, among others, inform our
understanding of integrity; its meaning and method of attainment. These
are purity and wholeness. We will find that the Islamic definition of
integrity resembles more the scientific and natural interpretations of the
word than the philosophical or theoretical understanding, insofar as it
refers less to the consistency with which human behavior is aligned to a
given moral or ethical dogma, and more to the extent to which human
behavior is brought into agreement with intrinsic human nature.
Purity:
The Islamic understanding of purity, unarguably, bases itself on the
concept of the fitrah (natural state of the human being). Prophet Muhammad
[sallallahu alayhe wa sallam (saws),] referring to this natural state of
the human being, said, "Every new-born child is born in a state of fitrah.
Then his parents make him a Jew, a Christian or a Magian, just as an
animal is born intact. Do you observe any among them that are maimed (at
birth)?" (Ahmad).
All creatures, then, including human beings, are born in a state of innate
purity; any subsequent defilement of that natural condition results from a
variety of social influences and manipulations. It is significant that in
the above hadeeth, the impurity that develops, or that is to a degree
inflicted, is likened to an actual injury or deformity, it is a
disfiguration of the natural state of the human being.
Integrity in Islam refers to the restoration, and maintenance of that
natural and primal state of purity. Allah says:
"Set your face to the deen (religion of Islm) in sincerity which is
Allah's fitrah upon which He created mankind. There is no changing in the
creation of Allah. That is the right deen but most people know not."
(30:30). When we talk, then, of integrity, we generally refer, at least in
part, to the realization of that nature which, literally, is integral to
our being; of being true to our intrinsic qualities and character.
Wholeness:
It is fair to say that completeness is a theme of Islam. Prophet Muhammad
(saws), frequently employed metaphors to explain the message with which he
was sent, that invoked imagery of incomplete or unfinished things being
brought to completion. For instance, he, (saws), said: "My likeness and
the likeness of the Prophets before me is the likeness of a person who
built a house and made it complete and beautiful, except the place of a
brick in a corner. So people began to go around it and wonder at it and
say, "Why has not this brick been placed?" He said, "I am that brick and I
am the last of the Prophets". (Muslim). The imagery of cohesion here
reinforces the words of Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, in the Noble Qur'an
announcing the final perfection of His Revelation to mankind: "This
day I have perfected My favour upon you and have chosen for you Islam as
your religion." (Qur'an 5:3)
Similarly, this aspect of wholeness is emphasized in varying contexts;
regarding, for example the singularity of the entire Muslim Ummah (Nation)
as one body, and so on. This emphasis on holistic consistency enlightens
the second component of integrity in Islam.
Maintaining the purity of the fitrah becomes a complex and challenging
process as we age, and our duties, relationships, psychological and
emotional development become more sophisticated and varied. Care must be
taken to ensure that the intricate self of adulthood does not become
partially or wholly alienated form the natural, simpler purity present in
childhood. This requires a comprehensive alignment of all areas of life;
private and public behavior, social relationships, habits, disciplines
etc, with a system based upon the fitrah . That is, the quintessential
purity of the fitrah must be realized in the totality of one's being
through adherence to the detailed guidance of Islam.
Rather than a simple adherence to a particular ethical and moral code, as
mentioned, integrity in Islam indicates the fullest manifestation of human
essence. The wholeness is achieved by bringing into agreement human
attributes and faculties with human function and purpose. In much the same
way that we would refer to a perfectly shaped, smooth, circular wheel as
having integrity, so Muslim integrity has to do with the extent to which
the individual is actualizing in totality his or her attributes and
capabilities in accordance with the purpose for which he or she has been
endowed with them; namely the worship of Allah.
Integrity in Islam has to do with the consistency of the individual with
his or her innate purpose; the totality of the individual's life being
kept in alignment with their intrinsic function. It is not merely the
dogmatism of adherence to a relatively arbitrary code of conduct and
behavior, but the preservation of the individual's purity and
authenticity. Whereas the philosophical definition of integrity would take
violation of a given code of ethics as what invalidates one's integrity;
in Islam, the violation of integrity constitutes an alienation from one's
nature with drastic and profound consequences that ultimately invalidate
one's very life. |