Work ethics from the Islamic and Hindu traditions: in quest of common ground

Abstract

Interest in the role of spiritual and religious traditions in the workplace has been growing in recent years. In this article, we seek to contribute to this burgeoning field of study by investigating the significance of work in man’s life according to the Islamic and Hindu traditions and, in particular, the common work-related ethical principles advocated in the two religions. We focus our discussion on three key interrelated ethical principles which apply to the domain of work: justice, benevolence, and trusteeship – all of which are espoused in both Islam and Hinduism and which, we argue, stem from the key metaphysical principle of “unity”, a shared doctrine in both religions.

Keywords:

• Islam
• Hinduism
• religion
• work ethics
• metaphysical principles
• unity

Acknowledgment

The authors gratefully acknowledge the comments and suggestions from two anonymous reviewers and the JMSR editorial board. The usual caveat applies.