Divine Commands: Meta-ethics and Moral Epistemology in the Islamic Tradition

The Islamic Medical Society of University of Birmingham invited Hamza Andreas Tzortzis to deliver a lecture on medical ethics in Islam. The lecture was entitled “Divine Commands: Meta-ethics and Moral Epistemology in the Islamic Tradition”. The lecture was held on 12 March 2018 and the room was filled with medical students and people from the general public.
The lecture focused on meta-ethics and moral epistemology from an Islamic perspective. Hamza used the medical example of voluntary euthanasia as a case study. Meta-ethics refers to the foundations, nature and scope of moral truths. It tries to answer the following questions: Does morality exist? What kind of value is a moral value? Where do moral values come from? Why are moral values binding? Moral epistemology focuses on what is moral. It aims to answer the question: how do we know what is good and bad?
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[@Cwizes]

I never knew this video existed, it will inshallah be very beneficial.

[@what_its_a_frog7676]

based pfp 👍

[@user-jo5th9df2s]

I love you very much brother hamza!!! keep the work up! very nice lecture!

[@Incandescence555]

Hamza Tzortzis- the Don Draper of Dawah- may Allah bless him perpetually!

[@mohamedrafik9271]

Thank you so much BROTHERS!!!!!!!

[@aghatalal4828]

Enlightening lecture.

[@Maryam-qh7ef]

This lecture is so cool.

[@kebbahydara8995]

May God help you may God help you so much thank you thank you we love you

[@noucairimounir804]

السلام عليكم و رحمۃ ﷲ و بركاته Assalamu Allaykom wa rahmato Allahi wa barakatoho

[@ayshb2150]

So... Objective morality exists not because we have moral intuition, but because our source is a 'good' reference?

[@ahnafabdullah5307]

moral intuition stems from the source

[@nothanks8594]

GEO!

[@goodlife4321]

brother hamza i have a very basic question that i need an answer from you...i am a muslim but this question has been throbbing my mind since a lot of days...that why is it that Allah made some of his creation angels, atoms and such while we humans were made as the man who will be judged? ill be blunt... i mean did we have a choice? or were we made without a choice and sent for this test? and if so, so isnt it too hard or unjust...because if i wanted to, i wouldve left this test which has a potential for hell...in that retrospective sense isnt being an angel better? plz plz do reply!!!

[@May.we.all.have.guidance]

Salamu'Alaikum wrwb. I hope this is helpful, Insha'Allah. Al-Ahzab 33:72 إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا ٱلْأَمَانَةَ عَلَى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَن يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنُۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ ظَلُومًا جَهُولًا Indeed, we offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it; but man [undertook to] bear it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant. Maybe look into tafsir about this ayah. It should settle this issue for you and answer your questions. May Allah bring you closer to Him in your search, and may Allah give you understanding of His deen🌹

[@goodlife4321]

alright thank you this has help me...so what i can get from it is that we all creation angels, atoms, humans, space , time everything before being sent to test we were in a primitive created state where our roles were to be determined the other creations took other forever non-tiring roles while we humans took this test? am i correct in assuming that? can anybody from the iera answer this plz? itll be helpful

[@thedawahacademy5508]

@Good life _"i mean did we have a choice? or were we made without a choice and sent for this test?"_ Good question. Ultimately, God is in control of everything, and he does what he wills. The verse in Al-Ahzab cites a "trust" that was offered, and only man accepted. What that "trust" was, is debated by scholars. Practically, we are addressed by Allah in his revelation, as if we are free moral agents: we can choose what to do, and we'll be held accountable. _"and if so, so isnt it too hard or unjust"_ The good news, is that it isn't hard or unjust! Allah knows what we're capable of, and he is the source of goodness and justice. "…Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship…" "...And your Lord does injustice to no one." _"because if i wanted to, i would've left this test which has a potential for hell"_ That would be a big mistake! God possesses ultimate knowledge, wisdom and goodness: if he chose to create us, and our tests in this world, then it is the best option - better than anything else that we would prefer with our limited wisdom. Emotionally one may be afraid of the potential for hell, but you must also hope for the reward of paradise. And that is what brother Hamzah finished with in the clip: Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful." If you think you're bound for punishment, then you're denying Allah's mercy. It's all good brother, Allah is kind and wants good for us, we just need to recognize and appreciate him. God increase us in goodness :D

[@sidarthur8706]

my man needs to re-read euthyphro

[@Cwizes]

He’s covered this, if you head to the KZbin channel named caliph and his recent videos you will be Able to view his response.

[@baheer156]

@@Cwizes where

[@MU5TY4544]

@@baheer156 The youtbe Channel called Caliph, just type in this channel and the dillemas name also Hamzas response is the atahri creeds view and william lane craig has written extensivley about this dillema and his position is the same as the Atharis from what I have read so for extra reading I suggest you look at his stuff.

[@bronn732]

But justice and mercy were concepts that were already established and defined and existed in societal discourse so the idea the polytheists just miraculously knew what they were without prior knowledge is misleading.

[@sorthist9007]

In a way you have just arbitrarily stated objective morals. God speaks to Muhammed and tells him the objective unchanging moral truths, that are part of his nature. However theres still no way to verify this, so if someone thinks that stoning confessing adulterers in a caliphate is not the golden objective moral standard, they have grounds to reject the religion. Same goes for executing homosexuals or apostates respectively. What you are trying to say can be used in any posited God. Just say god spoke to you last night and is now the ontological foundation for these objective morals. Then spew your own epistemological moral framework and call it objectively moral. It can include incredibly vile things like burning people for breathing too loud AND you can defend it using the god sees the picture and we see the pixel line you used. It would be better to just take responsibility for your beliefs.

[@Powertoolz]

That question would be for an entire different debate. Proof of God and is any good reason to believe the Quran is correct. Denying objective morality for going against subjective morality is a falsity. This in turn doesn't get you out of the situation you proposed. Tomorrow society could say incest is morally acceptable or beastiality is permissable because love is love or anyone belligerent opposed to the government should be executed as a secular version of an apostate aka traitor, maybe consider banning procreative sex to reduce carbon impact because more people are bad or banning slavery except if you get convicted of a crime then proceed to criminalize things minorities like. All it does is shift morality into somebody else's hands. Whether kings, parliament or mob rules.

[@youteubakount4449]

There are multiple ways to verify it in fact. Muslims have a lot of arguments to support the prophethood of Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him

[@sorthist9007]

@@youteubakount4449 These are the arguments I prefer to focus on as a result. However I'm afraid that with rights to belief comes responsibility. If you believe in the divine commands of stoning adulterers and executing gays, you better be ready for the responsibility of being judged for that belief. Too many times I see Muslims cry islamaphobia when they are judged. Its no different to a nationalist being judged for their beliefs.

[@sorthist9007]

@@Powertoolz You would have to prove your specific God first is my point. I have not seen strong evidence for this in Islam's case. It has mostly been spread by way of empire (not by sword), where the rulers were generally generous to the people they controlled, meaning many saw it beneficial to convert. This then passed down for generations. It doesn't however mean the arguments are compelling.

[@youteubakount4449]

@@sorthist9007 what would it take to convince you?