New Books in Islamic Studies Mutaz al-Khatib, "Key Classical Works on Islamic Ethics" (Brill, 2024)
Sep 2, 2025
Mutaz al-Khatib, an Associate Professor at the Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics, dives into the profound realm of Islamic ethics. He discusses the intellectual lineage of ethical thought and how classical texts challenge Western frameworks. The conversation touches on the significance of author biographies in shaping moral concerns and explores the intersection of ethics with modern technology, like AI. Al-Khatib also advocates for an inclusive approach that integrates various disciplines, emphasizing the relevance of Islamic ethics in today’s complex world.
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Ethics Beyond The Greek Frame
- Islamic ethics is broader than Greek-origin philosophical ethics and bridges agent and action together.
- The field spans hadith, fiqh, kalam, Sufism, medicine and integrates deontic and virtue perspectives.
Personal Path To Interdisciplinary Ethics
- Mutaz recounts his academic path across Quran, Hadith, jurisprudence, theology and philosophy.
- That multidisciplinary training led him to treat ethics as an interdisciplinary and foundational field.
Unity Of Inner Character And External Action
- Islamic ethics addresses both inner cultivation (akhlaq) and external regulation (amal) and stresses their interconnection.
- It integrates scripture, theology, Sufism, law and engages applied fields like bioethics and AI ethics.
