Ethics are particularly important in both Islam and Confucianism. Hadith, the Islam classic about words and actions of Muhammad, elaborates various ethical rules and teachings. In Confucianism, Analects also feature discussions about ethics as a major subject.
The central value of Confucianism is Ren, a concept of benevolence and altruism. Ren is the basic virtue, and is also the goal of being righteous. The idea can be elaborated into filial piety, royalty, reciprocity, respect, forgiveness, honesty, diligence, and kindness. Filial piety is the deference towards parents, and is often placed before with love towards brothers. Confucius once taught about balancing between challenging and obedience, that “in serving his father and mother a man …show more content…
As enumerated by Muhammad, they are “to testify that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, to perform the prayers, to pay the zakat, to fast in Ramadan, and to make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to do so.” (Hadith 2) The pilgrimage is an obligation, and a pilgrim will be honored in the Islamic society. It’s considered an expression of devotion to Allah. Besides “Islam”, the belief in Allah contains another two dimensions, “Iman” and “Ihsan”. Iman is the inner faith, and can be concluded as “to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe in divine destiny.” (Hadith 2) Ihsan is the excellence of faith, described as “to worship Allah as though you are seeing Him, and while you see Him not yet truly He sees you.” (Hadith 2)
There are several similarities between ethics of Islam and Confucianism, including mutual relationship between people and obedience. The ethical dimensions of both religions are also closely related to the ritual …show more content…
Believers should eat good food, wear good clothes, and keep hygienic all the time. Those who failed live a healthy life may even be rejected by Allah. A story in Hadith illustrates the fact. “Then he mentioned [the case of] a man who, having journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty and who spreads out his hands to the sky [saying]: "O Lord! O Lord!" - while his food is unlawful, his drink unlawful, his clothing unlawful, and he is nourished unlawfully, so how can he be answered!” (Hadith 10) In contrast, Confucius accepts such a lifestyle as normal, and warns people not to despise those who don’t eat and wear the good. “The Master said, A Knight whose heart is set upon the Way, but who is ashamed of wearing shabby clothes and eating coarse food, is not worth calling into the counsel.” (Analects IV, 9) Confucius may be himself a practitioner of austerity, as shown in his words “He who seeks only coarse food to eat, water to drink and bent arm for pillow, will without looking for it find happiness to boot.” (Analects VII,
The central value of Confucianism is Ren, a concept of benevolence and altruism. Ren is the basic virtue, and is also the goal of being righteous. The idea can be elaborated into filial piety, royalty, reciprocity, respect, forgiveness, honesty, diligence, and kindness. Filial piety is the deference towards parents, and is often placed before with love towards brothers. Confucius once taught about balancing between challenging and obedience, that “in serving his father and mother a man …show more content…
As enumerated by Muhammad, they are “to testify that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, to perform the prayers, to pay the zakat, to fast in Ramadan, and to make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to do so.” (Hadith 2) The pilgrimage is an obligation, and a pilgrim will be honored in the Islamic society. It’s considered an expression of devotion to Allah. Besides “Islam”, the belief in Allah contains another two dimensions, “Iman” and “Ihsan”. Iman is the inner faith, and can be concluded as “to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe in divine destiny.” (Hadith 2) Ihsan is the excellence of faith, described as “to worship Allah as though you are seeing Him, and while you see Him not yet truly He sees you.” (Hadith 2)
There are several similarities between ethics of Islam and Confucianism, including mutual relationship between people and obedience. The ethical dimensions of both religions are also closely related to the ritual …show more content…
Believers should eat good food, wear good clothes, and keep hygienic all the time. Those who failed live a healthy life may even be rejected by Allah. A story in Hadith illustrates the fact. “Then he mentioned [the case of] a man who, having journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty and who spreads out his hands to the sky [saying]: "O Lord! O Lord!" - while his food is unlawful, his drink unlawful, his clothing unlawful, and he is nourished unlawfully, so how can he be answered!” (Hadith 10) In contrast, Confucius accepts such a lifestyle as normal, and warns people not to despise those who don’t eat and wear the good. “The Master said, A Knight whose heart is set upon the Way, but who is ashamed of wearing shabby clothes and eating coarse food, is not worth calling into the counsel.” (Analects IV, 9) Confucius may be himself a practitioner of austerity, as shown in his words “He who seeks only coarse food to eat, water to drink and bent arm for pillow, will without looking for it find happiness to boot.” (Analects VII,