All Muslim Engineers around the world are welcomed and cordially invited to participate in this forum. Please don’t hesitate to ask questions, post notes, send cases, raise issues or any concern related to morality. The ICEE Forum was established in order to create an intellectual environment for all Muslim Engineers to discuss issues related to engineering ethics. We all aim at achieving a better understanding of this noble profession and how to practice it properly in order to reduce harm and improve health safety and the well being of all people. Islam teaches that:
“whoever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind.” (Qur’an, 5:32)
- Codes of ethics are important in engineering; because they underline the moral responsibilities, rights, and duties of every engineer. Engineering is a social profession, i.e., a profession that essentially interacts with people and the environment. In order to achieve safety, health and the well being of people, the practice of engineers must be embedded with moral values that set the standards of this profession and guide its practice. In addition, the codes of ethics promote a responsible conduct that prevents harm to be caused. In one word, an engineer cannot achieve the level of “excellence” without a moral commitment to one’s community and humanity at large.
- Islamic engineering ethics derives its obligations and moral commitment from both reason (‘Aql) and revelation (Naql). While most of the codes of engineering ethics (such as NSPE, IPENZ, Royal Academy-UK, IEEE, and many others) emphasize the moral obligations based on what make sense and rationally acceptable, the Islamic Code of Engineering Ethics (ICEE), goes beyond the rational justification to add a spiritual dimension that inspire people and make them internally committed to do good, even in the absence of an external authority. In other words, the ICEE helps engineers to avoid secret violence. While the ICEE is comprehensive, it is not mutually incompatible with NSPE or IEEE or other codes.
- Islamic law (Shari’ah) offers a comprehensive and yet detailed approach to engineering ethics. I was able to elucidate four Islamic fundamental canons or moral principles in addition to some auxiliary and procedurals concepts.
- Call for Papers: The Petroleum Institute Conference on Engineering Ethics, Abu Dhabi, UAE April 6, 7, 2011 (link)