The concept of "ethics" involves the choice between what is "right" and what is "wrong," but no exact equivalent of the word "ethics" exists in the Arabic language. Instead, the Arabic terms used to describe ethics cover a whole range of complimentary teachings with regard to concepts such as dignity, justice, and equality, about which Islamic legal scholars, thinkers and mystics have by no means always agreed.

In this Very Short Introduction, Tariq Ramadan examines the traditional contents of Islamic ethics and the dominant objectives of Islamic teachings. Analyzing new approaches which are currently making their appearance, he shows how the ethical considerations of Islamic ethics are not far removed from those central to the Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and even Buddhist traditions.

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