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. Analysing 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. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Author Biography

Tariq Ramadan is Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at Oxford University, teaching in two Faculties of Oriental Studies and Theology & Religion. He is Senior Research Fellow at St Antony's College (Oxford) and Doshisha University (Kyoto, Japan); Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Islamic Studies, (Qatar); Director of the Research Centre of Islamic Legislation and Ethics (CILE) (Doha, Qatar), President of the think tank European Muslim Network (EMN) in Brussels and a member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars. He holds an MA in Philosophy and French literature and PhD in Arabic and Islamic Studies from the University of Geneva. Through his writings and lectures Tariq Ramadan has contributed to the debate on the issues of Muslims in the West and Islamic revival in the Muslim world. He is active at both academic and grassroots levels.