Integrity, Time, and the Culture of Anti-Corruption

Integrity is more than honesty or compliance with rules. It reflects the consistency between what a person believes, professes, and practises, particularly when personal interests are at stake or when actions are unlikely to be observed by others. Derived from the Latin integer, meaning whole or complete, integrity represents moral wholeness and inner strength, demonstrated through amanah (trustworthiness), adherence to ethical principles, and accuracy and truthfulness in fulfilling duties and responsibilities.

From an Islamic perspective, integrity is grounded in īmān (faith), expressed through iḥsān (God-consciousness), and demonstrated through ʿamal ṣāliḥ (righteous deeds). Faith nurtures the moral conviction necessary to uphold an amanah, while awareness of accountability before Allah encourages individuals to act ethically, honour their commitments, and exercise their responsibilities conscientiously, even in the absence of external supervision.

This understanding has important implications for combating corruption. Although rules, monitoring, investigations, and enforcement remain essential, they cannot independently guarantee ethical conduct. Sustainable integrity also requires sound moral character, a conscious commitment to accountability before Allah, and an organisational culture that values honesty, fairness, transparency, and mutual responsibility.

Integrity, therefore, extends beyond individual virtue. It must be reflected in leadership behaviour, institutional systems, and everyday decisions. When personal conviction is aligned with organisational practices, integrity becomes a shared commitment that strengthens trust, promotes responsible stewardship, and supports institutional excellence. Ultimately, an enduring culture of anti-corruption requires not only the prevention of wrongdoing but also the cultivation of individuals and institutions committed to doing what is right.

The Relationship Between Integrity and Time: The Message of Surah Al-ʿAsr

In his talk, Prof. Emeritus Dato' Sri Dr Osman Bakar emphasised the importance of understanding Surah Al-ʿAsr in the context of combating corruption. Although brief, this chapter of the Qur'an presents a profound framework for an ethical and purposeful life, connecting time with faith, righteous action, truth, and perseverance. Allah declares: "By the passage of time! Surely humanity is in grave loss, except those who have faith, do good, and urge each other to the truth, and urge each other to perseverance." (Qur'an, 103:1-3; translation adapted from The Clear Quran.)

The surah begins with an oath by time. This invites us to reflect on the significance of time in human existence. Time is not something we create or possess absolutely. It is part of Allah's creation, and our lives unfold within it. Every moment that passes represents an opportunity that cannot be recovered in precisely the same form.

The declaration that humanity is in a state of loss should prompt serious reflection. We are constantly losing time, opportunities, and possibilities. We may also lose resources, relationships, credibility, and the trust of others through our failure to manage time and fulfil our responsibilities. At the organisational level, we may fail to achieve strategic objectives, make timely decisions, use resources effectively, and respond adequately to the needs of our stakeholders. In turn, we lose opportunities to serve society, improve institutional performance, and fulfil our responsibilities.

Essentially, Surah Al-ʿAsr teaches that we can overcome this state of loss through faith, good deeds, encouraging one another to uphold the truth, and practising patience. These four qualities are interconnected. Faith establishes the moral foundation; righteous deeds translate faith into action; truth provides the ethical direction; and patience sustains the commitment to do what is right even when it becomes difficult. This understanding has a direct implication for integrity. To value time is not simply to work faster or complete more tasks. It is to use the time entrusted to us for purposes that are truthful, beneficial, and morally responsible.

When we understand Surah Al-ʿAsr in this way, time management becomes more than an administrative skill. It becomes an expression of personal discipline, professional responsibility, and spiritual accountability.

Faith and Righteous Action as Foundations for Combating Corruption

From an Islamic perspective, strengthening faith in Allah provides an important moral foundation for resisting such behaviour. Faith reminds individuals that their actions have consequences beyond immediate personal gain, social approval, or the possibility of punishment. Surah Al-ʿAsr connects faith directly with righteous deeds. This connection is significant because integrity cannot remain an abstract belief or a declaration of good intentions. It must be demonstrated through conduct.

A person may speak eloquently about honesty yet manipulate information for personal benefit. A leader may advocate accountability yet misuse institutional resources. An employee may endorse organisational values yet deliberately neglect responsibilities. In such cases, there is a gap between professed principles and actual behaviour.

Righteous action helps close this gap. It requires individuals to translate their beliefs into honest decisions, responsible work, fairness in dealing with others, and the rejection of practices that undermine the common good.

Corruption, by contrast, involves the abuse or distortion of entrusted responsibilities for improper purposes. It can take the form of bribery, fraud, favouritism, conflicts of interest, or the misuse of authority and resources. Its consequences extend beyond the immediate transaction. Corruption erodes trust, weakens institutions, and diverts resources from their intended beneficiaries.

Faith and righteous action therefore complement formal anti-corruption measures. Faith provides an internal moral compass, while righteous action demonstrates that the compass is genuinely guiding behaviour.

Truth and Patience: Building an Organisational Culture of Integrity

Within an organisation, this principle should shape relationships between leaders and subordinates, supervisors and employees, and colleagues at every level. Leaders have a responsibility to remind their subordinates of the importance of honesty, accountability, and responsible conduct. However, the responsibility does not flow in one direction only. Prof. Emeritus Dato' Sri Dr Osman Bakar emphasised that subordinates must also be able to remind their leaders when decisions or actions appear inconsistent with ethical principles. Such reminders should be offered respectfully, constructively, and with a genuine commitment to the organisation's well-being.

Equally, leaders must be willing to listen to criticism, acknowledge mistakes, and correct decisions when necessary. This is what a healthy culture of integrity should look like: a culture in which people are not afraid to speak the truth, wrongdoing is not concealed to protect personal interests, and ethical concerns are addressed rather than ignored.

Upholding the truth may invite pressure, resistance, or personal inconvenience. Employees who reject misconduct, leaders who resist favouritism, and individuals who report wrongdoing may face opposition. In such situations, patience means remaining steadfast in doing what is right rather than passively accepting misconduct. Organisations that uphold truth and practise patience are better able to build trust, correct mistakes, and maintain ethical standards over time.

In many meetings, we begin with Surah Al-Fatihah and conclude with Surah Al-ʿAsr. These practices can serve as reminders of our spiritual and moral responsibilities. Yet their significance depends on whether we carry their teachings into our decisions and behaviour after the meeting ends. Moreover, reciting Surah Al-ʿAsr without practising its message risks reducing a profound ethical teaching to a routine. If we genuinely understand its message, we should become more conscious of how we use time, more committed to doing good, more willing to uphold the truth, and more patient in fulfilling our responsibilities. An organisation achieves excellence not merely when its members know the right values, but when they practise those values and help one another uphold them.

Corruption as a Breakdown of Order and Integrity

Although corruption is commonly understood in terms of bribery and the abuse of entrusted power, its consequences can be considered more broadly. Corruption distorts the proper functioning of individuals, families, organisations, and societies by replacing legitimate responsibilities with improper interests.

At the individual level, corruption reflects a departure from honesty and moral responsibility. Within a family, dishonesty and the abuse of trust can damage relationships and undermine its stability. Within an organisation, corruption can distort decision-making, weaken accountability, and divert resources away from their intended purposes. At the societal and global levels, widespread corruption can erode public confidence, weaken institutions, and undermine collective efforts to achieve justice and well-being.

Why do individuals engage in corrupt practices? There is no single explanation. Corruption can be encouraged by opportunities for personal gain, weak oversight, conflicts of interest, organisational pressures, poor accountability, and social norms that tolerate misconduct. At the individual level, it may also reflect a weakened commitment to moral principles. This is why strengthening integrity must accompany institutional reform. Systems should be designed to reduce opportunities for corruption, while individuals should cultivate the character and convictions needed to resist it.

Integrity is not simply the absence of corrupt behaviour. It is the positive commitment to act honestly, fulfil one's responsibilities, and use entrusted authority and resources for their legitimate purposes. The objective is not merely to prevent disorder. It is to cultivate individuals and organisations that actively contribute to justice, trust, and the common good.

Iḥsān and the Consciousness of Divine Accountability

The Hadith encourages a person to act rightly because doing so is part of a sincere commitment to Allah, even when no human observer is present. This spiritual dimension is especially important in the fight against corruption. Monitoring systems may be limited. Supervisors cannot observe every decision, and formal audits cannot capture every instance of misconduct. Some ethical choices are made in private, beyond the immediate reach of institutional controls.

The consciousness of divine accountability addresses this limitation by reminding believers that the absence of human witnesses does not mean the absence of accountability. Islamic teachings describe the recording of human deeds by appointed angels. This understanding reinforces the idea that every action matters, including actions that escape public scrutiny or formal institutional monitoring.

We may think that a private decision will never be discovered. We may believe that a small misuse of resources is insignificant or that a minor act of dishonesty will have no consequences. Yet the Islamic conception of accountability calls us to consider not only whether others can see what we do, but whether our actions are consistent with our responsibilities before Allah. One way to understand this is to imagine that every action is being recorded in an 'internal video'. This analogy helps us appreciate the idea that our conduct is preserved and that we will ultimately be accountable for it.

In short, a strong internal safeguard against wrongdoing is a conscience informed by faith, guided by iḥsān, and conscious of accountability before Allah. Such a conscience should reinforce, rather than replace, transparent systems and institutional controls. Surah Al-ʿAsr highlights the importance of integrity, responsible use of time, and mutual accountability in achieving organisational excellence. Time should be treated as an amanah, while integrity must be reflected in everyday conduct rather than merely in formal declarations.

Conclusion: Do Not Merely Recite, but Practise

Dr. Shukran Abd Rahman is a Professor of Psychology at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and Principal Director of its Office of Strategic Institution Transformation (OSIT). His expertise includes Industrial and Organisational Psychology, Islamic Psychology, career development, organisational transformation, and higher education leadership.