Morality and divine law: Reflections on islamic theology and falsafah

Theoretically, evaluating the moral quality of an individual may vary depending on how we understand the nature and foundation of values and the extent to which the individual's acts meet the criteria for what counts as moral. Suppose we grant the existence of divine law. To what extent (and in what way) does divine law structure the conduct of morally excellent individuals, if such individuals exist? The present chapter tackles this question by examining the relationship between the conduct of the prophet Mohammad and the Quran against fundamental Islamic assumptions and within theological and philosophical frames of reference in the medieval Islamic legacy. The author of this chapter argues that the latter framework is better suited to account for the prophet's moral quality in an Islamically satisfactory fashion, despite indications to the contrary. © The several contributors 2024. All rights reserved.