Islam,
Muslims, and the Crisis of Ethical Practice.
“Is selling fake products halal?”
Dr Shabir Choudhry, London, 13 May 2026.
A thought-provoking study conducted by Hossein
Askari of George Washington University raised an uncomfortable but important
question: how closely do so-called Muslim countries actually reflect Islamic
principles in governance, justice, and public life?
The research, published in the Global Economy
Journal, attempted to measure countries not by the number of mosques,
religious slogans, or outward displays of faith, but by values that Islam
strongly emphasises — justice, accountability, honesty, welfare, equality, rule
of law, transparency, and ethical governance.
The findings surprised many people.
According to the study, countries considered most
aligned with Islamic ethical and social principles were not Muslim-majority
states. New Zealand reportedly ranked first, followed by Luxembourg, Ireland,
Iceland, Finland, Denmark, and Canada. By contrast, many Muslim countries
ranked far lower. Malaysia stood at 38th place, Kuwait at 48th, Bahrain at
64th, while Saudi Arabia was reportedly placed at 131st.
The purpose of the study was not to declare
non-Muslim countries “Islamic” in a theological sense. Rather, it sought to
demonstrate that some societies commonly associated with secular Western
democracy perform better in areas that Islam itself strongly values — fairness,
transparency, institutional integrity, protection of rights, social
responsibility, and accountability.
This distinction is intellectually important and
should not be misunderstood.
The study also highlighted a painful contradiction
within many Muslim societies. Muslims are often extremely careful regarding
ritual practices such as prayer, fasting, recitation of the Quran, observance
of Sunnah, hijab, beards, and religious dress. Yet the same seriousness is
frequently absent from public ethics, governance, honesty in trade,
professional conduct, and respect for others' rights.
This criticism is not entirely external. In fact,
it echoes a long-standing moral concern found within Islamic teachings
themselves: that religion without justice and ethical conduct risks becoming
hollow ritualism.
The distinction between outward religiosity and
ethical conduct is deeply rooted in the Quran, Hadith, and classical Islamic
moral thought. The Quran repeatedly connects worship with morality and social
responsibility. Prayer without justice is criticised. Charity without sincerity
is condemned. Oppression, dishonesty, exploitation, and abuse of power are
regarded as grave sins.
One striking anecdote often quoted in discussions
surrounding this issue concerns a Chinese businessman who reportedly complained
that some Muslim traders requested counterfeit goods carrying labels of famous
international brands. Yet when invited to share food, they refused because it
was not halal. His sarcastic question was simple but devastating:
“Is selling fake products halal?”
The point behind this criticism is obvious. Islam
does not limit morality to food, clothing, or ritual observance. Ethical
conduct in business, honesty in trade, fulfilment of contracts, fairness in
dealing with others, and respect for people’s rights are also fundamental
Islamic teachings.
Historically, Muslim civilisation earned global
respect not only through military or political power, but also through
scholarship, trustworthiness, justice, trade ethics, and intellectual
excellence.
Another widely repeated observation comes from a
Japanese convert to Islam who reportedly remarked:
“In Western countries, I see non-Muslims practising
the principles of Islam, while in Eastern countries I see Muslims but not
Islamic behaviour.”
This statement is rhetorical, not literal. It does
not mean that Western societies are Islamic in terms of faith or spirituality.
Rather, it reflects the perception that some non-Muslim societies often
demonstrate values such as punctuality, cleanliness, honesty, civic
responsibility, rule of law, meritocracy, and respect for human rights more
consistently than many Muslim-majority societies, despite their strong
religious symbolism.
At the heart of this debate lies a deeper and more
uncomfortable question: what is Islam?
If Islam is reduced merely to rituals and outward
religious identity, then one understanding emerges. But if Islam is understood
as a complete moral and social framework governing justice, honesty,
compassion, accountability, dignity, and human conduct, then the discussion
becomes far more serious.
One of the most important Hadiths on this subject
concerns the concept of spiritual bankruptcy. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him) explained that the truly bankrupt person is not someone without
wealth, but someone who appears on the Day of Judgment with prayers, fasting,
charity, and pilgrimage, yet has abused others, consumed their wealth
unlawfully, violated rights, spread injustice, shed blood, or caused suffering.
Despite outward religiosity, such a person loses everything.
This Hadith is profoundly important because it
shifts attention from appearance to character, and from slogans to conduct.
The discussion also touches upon two essential
dimensions of Islam:
- Iman — faith, belief, and declaration;
- and Ihsan — moral excellence, ethical behaviour, and beauty
in conduct.
Without both dimensions working together, religion
becomes incomplete. A society may display visible religious symbolism while
simultaneously suffering from corruption, injustice, intolerance, dishonesty,
abuse of power, sectarianism, and social decay.
It is therefore argued that personal religious
obligations — such as prayer and fasting — primarily concern the relationship
between an individual and Allah. However, social ethics concern relationships
between human beings. When justice, honesty, compassion, accountability, and
respect for human dignity disappear from society, collective decline becomes
inevitable.
Of course, such discussions must also be approached
carefully and fairly. The problems facing Muslim societies cannot be explained
solely through religious hypocrisy or moral failure. Colonialism, dictatorship,
authoritarianism, economic dependency, wars, foreign intervention, and
geopolitical exploitation have also played major roles in weakening
institutions and destabilising many Muslim countries.
At the same time, it would be intellectually
dishonest to blame every problem entirely on imperialism or external
conspiracies. Some may argue that internal weaknesses within Muslim societies —
including political fragmentation, corruption, decline in knowledge,
authoritarianism, sectarianism, moral decay, and intellectual stagnation — also
contributed to their vulnerability to colonial domination and continued
decline.
This requires serious self-reflection.
Why do societies that loudly proclaim religion
often struggle with corruption, inequality, intolerance, weak institutions, and
social injustice?
Why do outward symbols of religiosity sometimes
coexist with dishonesty, exploitation, abuse of power, and the violation of
human rights?
And why has the Muslim world, despite immense
religious devotion, often failed to become a global model of justice,
knowledge, scientific excellence, intellectual creativity, and ethical
governance?
Perhaps the answer lies not in the absence of
religion, but in the failure to internalise and practise its ethical teachings
sincerely and consistently.
A quotation frequently attributed to George Bernard
Shaw states:
“Islam is the best religion, but Muslims are the
worst followers.”
Whether Shaw said these exact words or not, the
statement continues to resonate because it reflects a painful gap between
ideals and reality.
The crisis facing many Muslim societies today is
therefore not merely political or economic; it is also moral, intellectual, and
civilisational.
No civilisation can revive itself through slogans
alone.
Genuine revival requires justice, honesty,
knowledge, compassion, accountability, self-criticism, and the courage to
confront uncomfortable truths.
Without these values, religiosity risks becoming
symbolism without substance.
The final reflection is therefore deeply
self-critical:
“How can Allah grant us the ability to practise
Islam when we have never sincerely tried?”
That question is not merely theological. It is
moral, social, political, intellectual, and civilisational.
In
conclusion, I must add that:
It is imperative to put matters in the correct
perspective, because many readers may misunderstand the study.
- The study did not claim Western countries are “Muslim”.
- Rather, it argued that some Western institutions better reflect
certain ethical and governance principles associated with Islam.
This distinction is intellectually essential.
This is arguably the core thesis of the entire
article.
The distinction between:
- Ritual, religiosity, and
- ethical/social Islam
is deeply rooted in:
- The Quran,
- Hadith,
- And classical Islamic moral thought.
This gives the argument theological legitimacy
rather than making it sound like a modern liberal critique.
This is one of the strongest parts because it
directly supports the argument from authentic Islamic tradition. This authentic
Hadith clearly says:
“The bankrupt person from my Ummah is the one who
will come with prayer, fasting and charity, but he abused others, consumed
their wealth, shed blood, and oppressed people…”
This Hadith is devastatingly powerful because it
shifts focus from outward religiosity to moral conduct.
Readers need to understand that this anecdote is
extremely effective because it exposes a moral contradiction in simple everyday
language, and we witness this in our everyday life, and sadly, tend to ignore
it.
This connects Halal consciousness with:
- Corruption in trade.
- Injustice,
- Abuse of power,
- And so many other wrongdoings.
That contrast is memorable and relatable.
It is essential to understand that some phrases are
rhetorical, and not literal.
Without clarification, some readers may
misunderstand it as glorification of the West or rejection of Muslim identity. The
clarification makes it intellectually safer and more balanced.
Academically, it is extremely important to clarify
things; otherwise, critics could easily dismiss the arguments presented by
saying:
- Muslim societies suffer because of colonialism,
- Dictatorships,
- Wars,
- Economic dependency,
- Foreign intervention,
- Authoritarian states,
- And geopolitical exploitation.
These are
bitter realities and cannot be brushed aside. It is better to acknowledge our
mistakes and shortcomings. If we associate everything with imperialism, wars
and dictatorship, does it mean that before the Muslim countries were colonised,
there was no injustice, corruption, nepotism, hypocrisy and wrongdoings in the
Muslim societies?
The counterargument could be that Muslim countries
were colonised because of injustice, corruption, immoral activities, hypocrisy
and wrongdoings.
A bitter reality is that the problems of Muslim
societies cannot be explained solely through religious hypocrisy; colonialism,
authoritarianism, economic dependency, war, and geopolitical interference,
because there is a long history behind this.
Islam is not merely ritual worship because Islam
strongly emphasises:
- Justice,
- Honesty,
- Compassion,
- Accountability,
- Dignity,
- And ethical public conduct.
Dr Shabir Choudhry is a
London-based political analyst, author, and expert on South Asian affairs, with
a focus on Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Kashmir. Email:
drshabirchoudhry@gmail.com
