Abstract

The objective of this study is to introduce an Islamic doctrine concerning morality in the context of belief as derived from several authoritative Islamic sources. The result is not expected to provide scientific facts, but rather to introduce a doctrine, propose a theory, and discuss its pedagogical aspects. The approach in this study is focused on how Islam conceives of itself. The universally acknowledged Islamic texts are used as the high point of tradition. ;The author addresses morality in the context of belief as understood from Muhammad Rad&dotbelow;I's compilation of Imam `Ali ibn Abi-T&dotbelow;alib's sermons and addresses, Nahj al-Balaghah . The researcher obtained information from h&dotbelow;adiths ascribed to Imam `Ali concerning morality in the context of belief. The emphasis of the study is on the h&dotbelow;adith that elaborates on the pillars of belief, which contain several moral elements. Elaborations on relevant verses of the Qur'an, especially if they are quoted in the body of the h&dotbelow;adiths , are included in the study. In conclusion, a theory about morality and belief and its pedagogical aspects is presented. ;This examination opens alternative perspectives and conceptual frameworks in order to enhance the scholarship and discourse about morality. Pedagogical aspects of the proposed theory in this research may have some applications in moral education programs. In addition, this inquiry provides insight regarding an Islamic doctrine from the popular early works that have guided the thoughts of many Muslim thinkers, such as Muslim mystics. ;This study uses textual and contextual analysis. The latent and manifest content of the texts are analyzed. The meaning of the text is interpreted in the light of the Qur'an, exegesis of Nahj al-Balaghah and the commentaries of past and present scholars. ;For the first time such a detailed examination has been made of the reciprocal effect of belief and morality in Islam. Such an understanding has not been made in any language whatsoever including in Arabic and Persian. An entirely original contribution of this dissertation is evolving a number of tables and diagrams which facilitate the comprehension of the theme. ;1B.H. stands for Before Hijrah and A.H. stands for After Hijrah. 2Christian Era