Amanah: A Clean Slate for a Good State
Prof. Asep Saepudin Jahar, M.A., Ph.D.
Rector of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta
On 14 October, the world marks World Standards Day, a reminder of the importance of “standards” in modern life—from technology and food safety to good governance. Yet behind this celebration lies a deeper question: Does our nation also possess clear public‑moral standards, beyond technical and procedural ones? We live in an age where trust is the rarest currency. The OECD's Trust in Government Report 2024 shows a downward trend in citizens’ confidence in public institutions across many democracies.
Causes are manifold: political polarization, corruption, disinformation, and a psychological distance between people and government. This is not merely a political symptom; it is a moral decline. Society has lost a shared consciousness for distinguishing right from wrong, good service from private interest.
The era that many scholars call the post‑truth age is defined by narratives supplanting facts, with doubt replacing faith. Max Weber’s famous lecture Politics as a Vocation (1919) warned: “A modern state does not live on violence but on legitimacy.” Power endures not because it is strong, but because it is believed. Trust is born from consistency in public ethics, not propaganda.
The Moral Standards of a Modern State
A modern nation cannot thrive solely on law. It needs a moral spirit that underpins every policy. When justice disappears, the entire system loses its integrity, no matter how efficient it may be.
In Indonesia we often praise rules while forgetting the ethical intent behind them. We draft regulations but rarely ask whether their implementers act justly. Al‑Mawardi, in Adab al-Dunya wa al-Din, states: “Justice is the foundation of the state; if it collapses, the entire edifice of power crumbles, no matter how strong its walls.” This principle aligns with the Qur’anic spirit of al‑‘adl (justice) and al‑ihsan (benevolence): Al‑‘adl maintains social balance. Al‑ihsan goes beyond justice by extending kindness.
In Weberian terms, public ethics is not a formality brought to the office; it is a collective consciousness that every administrative decision has a moral impact on public welfare. A rector, judge, doctor, or public official must be judged not only by outcomes but by the integrity of intent and process.
The Cost of Moral Deficit
Francis Fukuyama, in Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity (1995), argues that high‑trust societies foster healthy economic growth. Low public trust traps a society in social costs such as excessive oversight, administrative suspicion, and collective inefficiency. Public moral standards are not an empty idealism; they form an invisible infrastructure that lets the state run smoothly because citizens and officials trust one another.
From Ethics to Exemplars
In the digital age, public morality is built not only by institutions but also by role models. Transparency cannot be hidden, and lies cannot be sustained. The greatest responsibility falls on those who hold authority, including academia. As a rector, I remind myself that leading a university means being part of an ethical ecosystem.
A campus is not just a place for thought; it is where disciplinary habits are forged. If universities lose integrity, future generations will lack moral direction. Public ethics is therefore not the sole remit of ministries or religious bodies; it is a collective duty of every profession and moral leader.
Historically, Islamic jurists (qadi, mufti) were not merely arbiters but social exemplars. Ibn Khaldun in Muqaddimah wrote: “Civilization rests on morals; if morals decay, power becomes a burden rather than a blessing.” These words, though classical, are strikingly modern today. Our civilization capable of building sophisticated technologies from scratches, yet we often forget to nurture moral intelligence along the way.
In Islamic social ethics, the principle of maslahah (public welfare) surpasses personal interest. Public ethics places decisions at the level of maslahah ‘ammah (the greater good). Thus a public official, lecturer, or rector who crafts policy is essentially writing the nation’s moral charter. The trust crisis stems not from overly critical citizens but from leaders rarely offering reasons worthy of belief. Restoring it requires no grand campaign, just consistent small acts that align words with deeds and promises into reality.
Healing Trust
A great nation is not one without conflict; it is a nation that has moral standards to resolve conflicts. Public ethics serves as the compass amid change, the reminder amid ambition, and the light amid foggy interests.
Therefore, World Standards Day should remind us not only of product quality but of the quality of public conscience itself. A state devoid of ethics is like a body without a heart: it is able to move yet lacking moral pulse.
In the post‑truth era our challenge is not just to fight fake news but to restore faith that officials serve the people, scholars pursue truth, and citizens speak for good.Al‑Ghazali taught that trust (amanah) is the foundation of all social bonds; without it, fear dominates.
As Jürgen Habermas notes in The Theory of Communicative Action (1984): “Social legitimacy only arises when society believes public actions are based on honest communication and good intentions.” Hence politics, law, and science only make sense if rooted in honesty. Honesty may seem simple, but it is the bedrock of national morality.
Let the World Standards Day be a moment to realign our moral standards where progress measured not by how many regulations pass, but by how deeply ethics are practiced; public trust earned not through campaigns, but through consistent sincerity.
And perhaps, as the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Your leaders are mirrors of you.” If we want this country to be trusted, each of us must begin to become trustworthy individuals.
This article was originally published in Disway on Wednesday (10/10/2025)