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Undoubtedly, philosophers and scholars who are interested in ethics have set down many rules that broadly agreed with Islamic morals. But details show some differences. To them, morals are based on one aspect such as pleasure, happiness or moderation. Other aspects have been neglected rendering their rules incomplete. When IOMS set about drafting this Code, two options were considered: either to adopt the morals set down by a long line of thinkers and moralists, or to follow the rulings put forward by Islam, which is a divine religion revealed by Allah. The choice for IOMS was obvious: Islam and Islamic Sharia as a source of moral rules. The reason was no less obvious: Islamic Sharia was able to build up a civilization that traded POWs in for books and paid for a translated book with its weight in gold. Opting for Islamic Sharia was not decided on for bias or extremism but for objective reasons, some of which are:

1 The three divine religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam have in common the main objective of rectifying wrong conduct and propagating a high standard of morals.

2 God is the Originator of this universe and the Creator of man. For all the whispered temptations man is prone to hearken to, he has been honored by God in more than one way. He has been entrusted with responsibility on earth; the angels were ordered by God to prostrate for him, he has been taught the names of all things. Now, if we believe in all this we have to admit that the Creator is most knowing of the secrets of his creations. The inevitable corollary is that God's commandments coincide with all human aspects and tendencies known only by Him.

3 Islam treasures human life. An attempt on the life of an individual amounts to an attempt on the life of mankind. Likewise, an effort to save the life of an individual is of equal importance to saving the whole of mankind. Although Islam holds the individual in such high esteem, it does not allow him full reins in freedom. According to Islamic directions, my freedom ends where yours begins. This restriction is quite useful for the good of the whole society.

4 On the other hand, the moral standards postulated by philosophers and theorists remain limited because they are relative: each thinker has his own convictions, inclinations, interests, philosophy and environment. These factors are reflected on his conceptions, decisions and writings. What one may consider necessary another may not. These various visions and the confusion in determining criteria could be attributed to failure in tracing philosophy back to its real origin; viz, religion, which combines humanitarian, spiritual and transcendental elements that are not believed in by those who do not believe in divine religions.

5 Western philosophy is based on sanctifying the individual who, accordingly, is entitled to fully-fledged freedom in leading the kind of life he deems fit. So, whereas there could be a person with extreme views on religion there is another who has no faith whatsoever. It is beyond the scope of this introduction to cite examples about Western concepts; for these contradict one another. The philosopher of the market economy has his own moral attitude that may diametrically oppose that of the philosopher of socialism or communism. And, whereas religious rules urge belief in the one God, Paradise and Hell, resurrection, final judgment and divine revelation, the atheists have their different views. In other words, the point of departure are so different that seeing eye to eye is almost impossible.

6 Islam is characterized by its series of prescriptions and proscriptions i.e. permissibles and prohibitions. These do not represent optional ways of behavior. They are obligatory to the Muslim. If he does not stick to them, he will have a sinful heart for violating the rules of his religion. Islamic morals are equally obligatory to those who adopt them. Violation of such morals is at the risk of severe punishment both in this world and the Hereafter. Posited morals, however, are not obligatory as they do not constitute a part of any law or legislation.

7 If we seek to set down well-established and viable rules that are sensitive to the depths of the human soul and are not biased to social conditions, personal likes or social and economic trends, the only resort must be to an infallible divine source, i.e. the straight forward religion of Islam.

8 The English equivalent for the Arabic word akhlaq has two synonyms: ethics and morals. Western philosophers disagree about the semantic differences between them. Some use the word "morality" arguing that it includes the meaning of "ethics". Others argue for the other way around because they do not basically agree on the same points of departure.

9 "Applied ethics" is a new term that has recently floated on the surface of Western Ethics. This suggests the existence of Theoretical Ethics. Islam, however, relies on concepts and principles derived from one source: Islamic Sharia. There is no difference, therefore, between theoretical and applied ethics since they all come from the same source.

10 The ethical philosophy of most philosophers involve the theory that the end justifies the means. This licenses the trend of committing sinful acts in some positivistic theories to attain an aim considered noble by those holding such a theory.

11 Belief in the Creator and the Hereafter produces a refined Muslim with high morals who accepts ungrudgingly all prohibitions because they come from his God. He also believes in the Day of Reckoning, resurrection, Paradise and Hell. On he other hand, positivism argues that man is master of his own fate. His decisions to accept or reject are based on real and tangible facts rather than on mere ideas. There is a world of difference, then, between believers and non- believers.

Islamic Center of Southern California