WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF MORALITY?

Almighty Allah (swt) sent prophets and books to guide people to the truth and goodness. Thus, He announced the divine religions that included the orders and prohibitions that people would follow. 

Religion can be described in the most general sense as follows: "The path set by Almighty Allah (swt), chosen by people with their own minds and wills, which will lead people to the truth and goodness in terms of faith and deeds/livings." Iman (faith), which forms the basis of religion, has a direct relationship with morality. Iman, which expresses surrendering to Allah's orders and prohibitions, and being wholeheartedly committed, also requires morality. The following hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) expresses this close relationship between morality and faith: "The most complete of the believers in faith, is the one with the best character (morality) among them."(Jami' at-Tirmidhi, Rada, 11)  A moral believer will be in a superior position in terms of iman, and an immoral believer will be lacking in terms of iman.

Another proof that religion and religious values are the first source of morality is the reminder of the Prophet "One of the things people have learnt from the words of the earliest prophecy is:  If you have no shame,  do what you like." (Sunan Abu Dawud, Adab, 6) A sense of shame is one of the most basic characteristics that a person should have. Because a person who has a sense of shame stays away from committing behaviors that are considered immoral. The behavior of a person who has a sense of shame will be good, and his feelings and thoughts will also be good as a result of his fear of Allah even in an environment where no one is present. Above-mentioned hadith, which points to the importance of the sense of shame, shows that the source of morality has been religion since the first prophethood. Each of the commands included in the "ten commandments" given to the Prophet Moses, such as not associating partners with Allah, showing respect to parents, not killing, avoiding adultery and stealing, not committing forswearing, and respecting the rights of neighbors, (Torah, Exodus, 20) are also moral values. Likewise, the virtues in the Gospels such as being good to those who do us harm, helping those who ask for help, being forgiving and doing good (Gospel, Luke, 6) are actually moral values accepted by all religions sent by Almighty Allah (swt).

Separating morality from religion means separating the inner world of man from himself. However, man is a whole with his inner world. Because of this fact, morality is at the center of religions sent by Allah (swt). Similarly, Islam as the last divine religion is a source of morality. The two main sources of Islam, the Qur'an and the Sunnah, are also the source of morality.