Our Work
The Ihsan Initiative takes a comprehensive educational approach to raise ethical awareness of key contemporary issues. Through webinars and outputs, it aims to cultivate demand for ideas grounded in Islamic ethics.
Ethical economy, responsible tech, climate stewardship, and mental health
Our Work
The Ihsan Initiative emphasizes four critical areas of engagement:
Islamic Moral Economy: Offering ethical alternatives to financial systems, grounded in the principles of justice and welfare (maqasid al-Shari’ah), to create a more equitable economic model. Islamic Moral Economy offers a value-based approach to tackling the economic and financial challenges faced by humanity. As a response to global economic issues, it provides an alternative grounded in ethical principles.
This framework envisions morally conscious individuals who strive for Ihsan (beneficence or excellence) in all their actions, guided by the concept of *maqasid al-Shari’ah* (objectives of Shari’ah) The primary aim of Islamic Moral Economy, both in theory and practice, is to enhance human welfare. By aligning economic practices with ethical and spiritual values, it seeks to foster a more just and sustainable system that benefits all of humanity.
Ethics in Technology: Advocating for an ethical framework to guide technological advancements, ensuring that innovation serves humanity and minimizes harm. Technological advancements demand ethical considerations to ensure they promote human well-being while mitigating potential risks. In recent years, Western literature has increasingly questioned traditional moral frameworks in the context of rapid technological progress, which disrupts established concepts of labor and human effort. Many scholars agree that the rise of the Industrial Intelligence Revolution could lead to both societal and moral crises.
While the Western paradigm largely emphasizes a consequentialist ethical approach, the Islamic tradition—especially through the philosophy embedded in *Maqasid al-Shari’ah*—offers a moral framework that could be globally relevant. Islam’s 1,400-year-old ethical heritage provides a distinctive lens for addressing these modern dilemmas. The Ihsan Initiative seeks to enrich Islamic moral thought by reconnecting with this tradition, fostering cross-cultural dialogue, and translating ethical insights into practical solutions for today’s global challenges.
Climate Change: Highlighting Istikhlaf (stewardship) as a moral imperative to protect and sustain the environment through collective action and responsible resource management. Climate change raises profound moral questions regarding global inequality, historical responsibility for emissions, and the rights of future generations. According to the World Meteorological Organization, climate change indicators reached unprecedented levels in 2023.
The Ihsan Initiative calls for individuals to engage in collective action, recognize problems, and understand the intersection between personal responsibility and collective efforts. If we fail to address these pressing issues, the environmental changes caused by human activity will exact a devastating toll on future generations. We have a moral obligation to prevent this harm and ensure that we leave behind a world as vibrant and full of potential as the one we inherited. To meet this obligation, decisive action is imperative to safeguard the planet for those who come after us.
The concept of environmental equilibrium is exemplified by the notion of *Istikhlaf*—the human responsibility for stewardship of the Earth. From an ecological perspective, this includes the reconstruction and management of the natural environment through efforts such as planting, afforestation, and the sustainable development of natural resources.
Mental Health: Addressing mental health challenges by integrating spiritual and ethical values, fostering awareness, and developing programs to enhance individual and societal well-being.
In 2022, the World Health Organization reported that one in eight people globally live with a mental disorder, while the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention estimated 1.6 million suicide attempts in the same year.
The Ihsan Initiative seeks to address the growing challenges of mental health while offering meaningful contributions rooted in Islamic morality. This includes forming an international working group to explore these profound challenges within the context of mental health and Islamic ethics.
Activities
Initiatives
