Islamic Legal Analysis

The holy Quran and tradition`s moral principles for prevention of cyber crimes

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mohammad ali Ameri 1
Jalal Ansari 2
Mostafa Moradi 3

1 Assistant Professor and Faculty Member of NAJA Institute of Law Enforcement Sciences and Social Studies.

2 PhD student in criminal law and criminology and university lecturer.

3 Master of criminal law and criminology

Abstract
Cyberspace has become prevalent in the lives of millions people, but as much as it has turned into a tool of entertainment, gathering knowledge and information, it has deviated from the moral principles.  Islamic ethics consists of moral guidelines which shows the right path to human beings including the manner of using the information technology based on the human morality. There are various examples of these principles in the Qur'an and Sunnah, such as fulfilling the covenant, enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, or other cases, which in addition to their functions in preventing sin, can also be effective in preventing cybercrime as well. This study is based on a descriptive and analytical method, and its  findings show that the principles of Islamic ethics in the Qur'an and Sunnah are appropriate for all nations and times and when applied, lead to the creation of a moral society and subsequent success in crime prevention.

Highlights

All human beings have a secondary life and identity, and that is their life and identity in cyberspace, which is expanding day by day. Major changes in the more advanced and diversified cyberspace cause many changes in social structures and our physical environments which are often unpredictable. Currently, the growing influence of cyberspace among the people, especially in Muslim countries, is quiet considerable. If we do not take seriously the fact that we are building a new environment in which future generations will live, we will have a problem. Although ethical and professional principles for IT users, including professionals, have been adopted by professional organizations and committees such as the American Computer Machinery Association as cited in the article, however, given the growing number of cybercrime cases, it turns out that IT users, including professionals, still face many ethical issues. Islamic sources (Holy Quran and Sunnah) provide high moral standards for individuals, communities and levels of the ummah (nation). Islamic ethics is stable, comprehensive, just and standard that is suitable for all nations and times; and when pursued, it leads to the creation of a moral community, followed by success in crime prevention. This article introduces the main steps of the roadmap as well as new principles for cyberspace users based on Islamic moral values. This effort can be useful in solving many issues related to the ethics of cyberspace users. This provides a good opportunity for IT users, especially Muslims, to understand and implement the standard and comprehensive moral values ​​of their lives based on the moral principles of Islam, in order to succeed in preventing cybercrime.

 

Suggestions

1- Piety (fear of God) should be achieved as the main characteristic of a Muslim, so that he does not commit any crime that is harmful to others.

2- Tracking software can be installed to monitor and control the daily activities of IT users who use IT resources.

3- Different types of courses can be introduced based on Islamic ethics from elementary levels to higher education levels.

4-Understanding the fact that computer literacy and combining ethical issues with IT-related issues is a fundamental and essential skill in educational systems.

5- Creating a high level of awareness related to information security and issues related to cybercrime among home users, government and educational institutions, and in the private sector and among legal officers;

6- Increasing the exchange of information on information security and cybercrime at the regional and national levels;

7- Formation of policies and legal regulatory frameworks at the national level that are compatible with existing or developing legal instruments;

8- Establishing effective national and transnational mechanisms to prevent cybercrime and improve protection to identify and respond to cybercrime

9- Creating safe and secure environments for users, especially children and adolescents

10- Establishing effective mechanisms for identifying and responding to cybercrime at the national and regional levels, including the creation of environments that help report cybercrime

11- Accepting and agreeing of the people with the instructions related to observing the ethical principles governing cyberspace

12- Promoting the power of people's understanding of the destructive nature of immoral issues in cyberspace and creating obstacles in the way of these issues

 

Keywords

Islamic ethics
cyber ethics
Quran and Sunnah
cybercrime
prevention

Article Title Persian

مبانی اخلاقی قرآن و سنت برای پیشگیری از جرایم سایبری

Authors Persian

محمدعلی عامری 1
جلال انصاری 2
مصطفی مرادی 3
1 Assistant Professor and Faculty Member of NAJA Institute of Law Enforcement Sciences and Social Studies.
3 Master of criminal law and criminology
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