Standing Against Corruption: An Islamic Perspective on the International Anti-Corruption Day

Every year, December 9 marks the International Anti-Corruption Day, established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2003 following the adoption of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). This day serves as a reminder of the urgent need to promote integrity, transparency, and accountability in all aspects of life—individual, social, and institutional.

According to the United Nations, corruption includes the abuse of entrusted power for private gain—such as bribery, embezzlement, fraud, and favoritism. However, in the moral and spiritual vocabulary of Islam, the term “fasād” (corruption) carries an even broader and deeper meaning, encompassing any act that disrupts the divine balance (mīzān) established by God in the universe and society.

Quranic Teachings on Combating Corruption

The Holy Quran frequently condemns corruption and injustice, both moral and material. God says, “Indeed, God does not love corruption” (2:205).

The Quran also identifies various forms of corruption:

• Moral and social corruption: spreading injustice, lying, oppression, and moral decay (10:91 and 28:77).

• Economic corruption: exploitation of the weak, hoarding wealth unjustly, and taking usury (2:279 and 11:85).

• Environmental corruption: “Do not spread corruption on the earth after it has been set right.” (7:56 ﴿

These verses illustrate that corruption (fasād) in the Quranic worldview is not limited to financial misconduct or political dishonesty; it includes any behavior that destroys harmony, justice, or life itself.

Modern Forms of Corruption

While traditional examples include bribery, fraud, and oppression, today we witness new forms of fasad that threaten not only human ethics but also the natural world.

Environmental violations—such as polluting water resources, producing harmful emissions, and destroying ecosystems—have become among the most destructive forms of corruption in our time.

Harms that may once have been limited in scale have, due to population growth and industrial expansion, become large-scale transgressions against God’s creation. From an Islamic perspective, these acts represent a grave betrayal of trust (amanah) toward the Earth and future generations.

Islamic Teachings on Integrity and Responsibility

The Ahl al-Bayt (p) emphasized that corruption is not merely a social ill but a spiritual disease that erodes justice and faith. Imam Ali (p) said, “The corruption of the people lies in the corruption of their leaders, and the reform of the people lies in the reform of their leaders” (Nahj al-Balāghah, Sermon 129). He also said, “A community cannot be set right except through the righteousness of its leaders, and leaders cannot be set right except through the integrity and uprightness of the people” (Nahj al-Balāghah, Sermon 216).

This profound statement by Imam Ali (p) highlights the mutual interdependence between just leadership and a morally responsible society. In the Islamic ethical vision, corruption arises when this balance collapses—when rulers stray from justice or when people abandon integrity and accountability. True reform (iṣlāḥ) emerges only when both leaders and citizens fulfill their divinely entrusted responsibilities with honesty, righteousness, and a shared commitment to the common good.

These teachings call every believer to resist corruption in all its forms—from deceit and dishonesty to negligence of communal and environmental duties.

A Collective Moral Duty

In Islam, fighting corruption is not the task of governments alone; it is a collective obligation (farḍ kifāyah) upon the entire ummah. Each person—scholar, leader, or citizen—has a role in cultivating integrity, transparency, and justice within their sphere of influence.

As the Quran reminds us, “And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression” (5:2). Thus, confronting corruption, whether moral, financial, or environmental, is an essential part of our spiritual mission and a reflection of our submission to God’s justice.

Conclusion

As the world observes International Anti-Corruption Day, Muslims are reminded that integrity and justice are central pillars of faith. True reform (islaḥ) begins in the heart, extends to the household, the community, and ultimately to the global order.

Standing against corruption in all its forms is an act of devotion, a form of jihad for truth, fairness, and preservation of the trust (amanah) that God has bestowed upon humankind.

“And do not cause corruption on the earth after it has been set right” (7:56).