Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

New Conceptual Foundations for Islamic Business Ethics: The Contributions of Abu-Hamid Al-Ghazali

Journal of Business Ethics volume 129, pages 847–857 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

The dominant approach to understanding Islamic Business Ethics (IBE) has been based almost exclusively on either interpretations of the Qur’an and Sunna or influenced by Western understanding of Islam and ethics. However, there is a rich—largely ignored-tradition of ethical analysis conducted by Muslim philosophers which would broaden our understanding of Islamic ethics and hence IBE. We seek to correct this imbalance by examining works of Al-Ghazali, an early Muslim philosopher, scholar, and mystic. His approach to Sufism, combining an interpretation of revelation with reason, can contribute to new developments in business ethics (BE) scholarship and practice especially in Muslim communities. His thought portrays a vibrant work ethic that, while based in Sufism, has important practical implications for business. We argue that including such historically and contextually recognized perspectives in our understanding of BE, both in theory and in practice, would work well with an audience that looks to Islam as a source of justice and proper moral conduct.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Notes

  1. We prefer to use the word Sunna which means ‘way of the Prophet’ instead of Hadith as the former includes the Prophet’s actions as well as his statements.

  2. We use the term ‘philosopher’ to denote his mastery of the philosophical tools of inquiry and for his attempts to answer questions that philosophers have long attempted to answer. Al-Ghazali remains, however, one of the prime critics of Greek philosophy and also of the Muslim philosophers who followed that tradition.

  3. Even among some contemporary Muslims associated with extreme Sufi orders, it is thought that the best work that one can do is to abandon involvements in this life.

References

  • Abeng, T. (1997). Business ethics in Islamic context. Business Ethics Quarterly, 7(3), 47–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Abuznaid, S. A. (2009). Business ethics in Islam: The glaring gap in practice. International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, 2(4), 278–288.

    Google Scholar 

  • Akyol, M. (2011). Islam without extremes: A Muslim case for liberty . New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

  • Al-Ghazali, A. (1989). Al-Mizan. Beirut: Dar Al Kotob Al Ilmiyah.

    Google Scholar 

  • Al-Ghazali, A. (1993). Revival of Religious Learnings. Ihya’ ‘ulum al-din (Translated by Fazl-Ul-Karim). Karachi: Darul-Ishaat.

    Google Scholar 

  • Al-Ghazali, A. (2012). Criterion of Action (Mizan al-’Amal) Ed. By S. El Hawary  (al Maktaba al ’Asriyah, Beirut)

  • Ali, A. (1988). Scaling an Islamic work ethic. The Journal of Social Psychology, 128(5), 575–583.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ali, A. J. (1992). The Islamic work ethic in Arabia. The Journal of Psychology, 126(5), 507–519.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ali, A. J., & Al-Owaihan, A. (2008). Islamic work ethic: a critical review. Cross cultural management: An international Journal, 15(1), 5–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Almoharby, D. (2011). The current world business meltdown: Islamic religion as a regulator. Humanomics, 27(2), 97–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Qaradawi, Y. (2002). Ethics and values in Islamic economics. Beirut: Resalah.

  • Beekun, R. I. (1996). Islamic business ethics. Herndon: International Institute of Islamic Thought.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beekun, R. I., & Badawi, J. A. (2005). Balancing ethical responsibility among multiple organizational stakeholders: The Islamic perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 60, 131–145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beekun, R. I., & Westerman, J. W. (2012). Spirituality and national culture as antecedents to ethical decision-making: a comparison between the United States and Norway. Journal of Business Ethics, 110(1), 33–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calkins, M. (2000). Recovering religion’s prophetic voice for business ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 23, 339–352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De George, R. T. (1986). Theological ethics and business ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 5, 421–432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fakhry, M. (1994). Ethical theories in Islam. Leiden: Brill.

  • Fitzgerald, Timothy. (2000). The ideology of religious studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghazanfar, S. M. (2000). The economic thought of Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali and St Thomas aquinas: Some comparative parallels and links. History of Political Economy, 32(4), 857–888.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hartman, L. P., & Desjardins, J. (2011). Business ethics: Decision making for personal integrity and social responsibility. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hourani, G. (1985). Reason and tradition in Islamic ethics. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Imam, Z.B. (2001). Rational dimension of Ghazali’s sufi experience. In Hatoum A. A. & Abuali M. T. (eds.), Imam Abu-Hamid Al-Ghazali: The sufi, the philosopher, the jurist. Beirut: ISESCO & Dar-Eltaqreeb

  • Kim, D., Fisher, D., & Mccalman, D. (2009). Modernism, christianity, and business ethics: A worldview perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 90, 115–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levtzion, N. (1999). Aspects of Islamization: Weber’s observations on Islam reconsidered. In T. E. Huff & W. Schluchter (Eds.), Max weber and Islam. London: Transaction Publishers.

  • Macdonald, D. B. (1953). Al-Ghazza¯li. In H. A. R. Gibb & J. H. Kramers (Eds.), Shorter Encyclopaedia of Islam (pp. 111–114). Leiden: E. J. Brill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Metcalfe, B. D. (2006). Exploring cultural dimensions of gender and management in the Middle East. Thunderbird International Business Review, 48(1), 93–107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Modood, T. (2010). Multicultural citizenship and Muslim identity politics. Interventions, 12(2), 157–170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moosa, E. (2005). Muslim Ethics? In William Schweiker (Ed.), The Blackwell companion to religious ethics (pp. 237–243). Blackwell: Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morey, P., & Yaqin, A. (2010). Muslims in the frame. Interventions, 12(2), 145–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mozaffari, M. (1991). Why the bazar rebels. Journal of Peace Research, 28(4), 377–391.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nabhan, M. F. (2001). Educational psychology according to Al-Ghazali’s. In A. A. Hatoum & M. T. Abuali (Eds.), Imam Abu-Hamid Al-Ghazali: the sufi, the philosopher, the jurist. Beirut: ISESCO & Dar-Eltaqreeb.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nofal, N. (1993). Prospects: The quarterly review of comparative education. Paris: International Bureau of Education XXIII(3/4), 519–542.

    Google Scholar 

  • Othman, A. I. (1960). The concept of man in Islam in the writings of Al-Ghazali. Cairo: Dar al-Maaref.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pace, S. (2013). Does religion affect the materialism of consumers? An empirical investigation of buddhist ethics and the resistance of the self. Journal of Business Ethics, 112(1), 25–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Possumah, B. T., Ismail, A. G., & Shahimi, S. (2013). Bringing work back in Islamic ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 112(2), 257–270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quasem, M. A. (1978). The ethics of Al-Ghazali: A composite ethics in Islam. Delmar: Caravan Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rice, G. (1999). Islamic ethics and the implications for business. Journal of Business Ethics, 18, 345–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, F. (2004). Other-worldly and this-worldly Islam and the Islamic revival. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 14(1), 47–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saeed, M., Ahmed, Z. U., & Mukhtar, S. M. (2001). International marketing ethics from an Islamic perspective: A value-maximization approach. Journal of Business Ethics, 32(2), 127–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Savola website. (2013). http://www.savola.com/savolae/About_The_Savola_Group.php. Accessed 15 Apr 2013.

  • Schimmel, A.-M. (1975). Mystical dimensions of Islam. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sidani, Y. M., & Thornberry, J. (2010). The current Arab work ethic: Antecedents, implications, and potential remedies. Journal of Business Ethics, 91(1), 35–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Syed, J., & Ali, F. (2011). The white woman’s burden: From colonial civilisation to third world development. Third World Quarterly, 32(2), 349–365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsalikis, J., & Lassar, W. (2009). Measuring consumer perceptions of business ethical behavior in two Muslim countries. Journal of Business Ethics, 89(1), 91–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uddin, S. J. (2003). Understanding the framework of business in Islam in an era of globalization: a review. Business Ethics, 12(1), 23–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vitell, S. J. (2009). The role of religiosity in business and consumer ethics: A review of the literature. Journal of Business Ethics, 90(2), 155–167.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walker, A. G., Smither, J. W., & DeBode, J. (2012). The effects of religiosity on ethical judgments. Journal of Business Ethics, 106(4), 437–452.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watt, W. M. (1994). The faith and practice of Al-Ghazali. Oxford: Oneworld.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weber, M. (1978). Economy and society. In G. Roth & C. Wittich (Eds.), An Outline of Interpretative Sociology. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, G., & Zinkin, J. (2010). Islam and CSR: A study of the compatibility between the tenets of Islam and the UN Global Compact. Journal of Business Ethics, 91(4), 519–533.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, R. (2006). Islam and business. Thunderbird International Business Review, 48(1), 109–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yousef, D. A. (2000). Organizational commitment as a mediator of the relationship between Islamic work ethic and attitudes toward organizational change. Human Relations, 53(4), 513–537.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yousef, D. A. (2001). Islamic work ethic—A moderator between organizational commitment and job satisfaction in a cross-cultural context. Personnel Review, 30(2), 152–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zulfikar, Y. F. (2012). Do Muslims believe more in Protestant work ethic than Christians? Comparison of people with different religious background living in the US. Journal of Business Ethics, 105(4), 489–502.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Olayan School of Business, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon

    Yusuf Sidani

  2. Université de Toulouse, Toulouse Business School, Toulouse, France

    Akram Al Ariss

Authors
  1. Yusuf Sidani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Akram Al Ariss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Akram Al Ariss.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sidani, Y., Al Ariss, A. New Conceptual Foundations for Islamic Business Ethics: The Contributions of Abu-Hamid Al-Ghazali. J Bus Ethics 129, 847–857 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2136-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2136-5

Keywords

search

Navigation