Title: When are we Excused from being Moral? Question: On the one hand, in your article titled "Principles of Islamic Ethics - An Introduction" (among other articles), you maintain that ethical behavior is a requisite of a Muslim's articles of faith, and that he must be moral and ethical, irrespective of the volume of the cost that is borne or the magnitude of the sacrifice(s) that is/are required. On the other hand, you contend that Islam permits that a Muslim may even 'renounce' his commitment to Islam, if it allows him to save himself from some pressing danger. This principle, you argue, can be extended to situations in which lying may be required, forbidden foods may be eaten, and so forth. These two positions seem incompatible. How can we be both moral no matter what the circumstances, and yet, as it were, relinquish morality under 'certain' circumstances? Please comment/clarify. Thanks. Omar Sarwar Singapore Answer: The examples of exceptions from adhering to truthfulness that you have cited relate to situations of undue exploitation and injustice. Thus, in effect, these examples imply that when truthfulness is likely to render the person a target of exploitation and injustice, he would then not be punished for making a false statement and, thereby, saving himself (or someone else) from becoming a target of exploitation, persecution and injustice. The foregoing clarification, in its essence, implies that it is only under situations where adhering to a moral value (in this case, truthfulness) would result in injustice and persecution - or any other greater moral cost - that a person shall be excused from adhering to that moral value. Thus, adhering to the truth - even at the possible cost of losing one's life - in a court of law is a moral requirement, which every Muslim should steadfastly try to fulfill. However, lack of adherence to the truth, because of the possible cost of rendering oneself or someone else a target of persecution and injustice, should not be considered as a punishable moral crime. I hope this helps. Regards, Moiz Amjad November 25, 2002