Effat University believes that the nation's future lies in the divine act of reading, as expressed in the Holy Quran. The verb IQRA, 'read,' transformed a nation that favored the oral transmission of culture and the lyrical expression of ideas into a nation that produced a formidable number of written manuscripts. Effat University maintains that its prospects reside in reviving this vital part of the divine inspiration, reading, and increasing comprehensive human knowledge to provide the nation with an infusion of new blood and guide it towards enlightenment.
Effat University strives to impart international and humanistic Islamic values to its students. It prepares them to become influential members of their respective institutions and useful contributors to their society without being either narrow-minded or obsessed with liberalism leading to dissolution.
God has brought a well-balanced nation to the world. By heeding divine instruction, Effat University will bestow society with generations of innovative leaders: "Act! Allah will behold your actions, and (so will) His messenger and the believers, and ye will be brought back to the Knower of the Invisible and the Visible, and He will tell you what ye used to do". (Sort Al- Tawba: Verse 105).
Ethical values define human beings; they sign a highly cultivated mind and a devotion to the world of moral ideals. It is possible to distinguish between the values of the individual, the values of society, and the institution's values. By the latter, we mean the bond that brings together members of an institution, creating one cohesive body and the traits that characterize that institution's members.
Effat University is chiefly concerned with developing individuals who possess solid values when an increasing focus on technological development has taken us away from a focus on spiritual and moral issues (which seem to erode further with each new development).
The University's core values stem from the Quran's first word that Gabriel taught to Prophet Mohammed (PBUH): 'IQRA' or 'read'. It is as though Allah Almighty wanted to say that reading and knowledge are the roots of each action, even if this action is a call to embrace the new and final religion, Islam. Thus, the sacred text did not begin with words such as 'pray', 'worship', or 'invocate' because these significant actions may not be adequately accomplished without being supported by the acquisition of knowledge, which will transport them from a world of ignorance into a world of enlightenment.
Effat University considers reading a mixture of inherent and acquired knowledge; therefore, reading is a synthesis of (i) divine inspiration and (ii) careful observation of the universe. The first of these is the essence of values, while the second is the source of innovation, development, and life creation. In Arabic, the word 'reading' can also mean 'recitation,' which can imply a gathering of people. Accordingly, the verb qara'a, 'to read', means 'to gather' it also means 'good hospitality'.
It is on this semantic basis that Effat University has established its IQRA core values, and it is within the IQRA framework that the University has developed its ambitious and lofty mission. Recitation engenders fullness of thought, and gathering together advances the quest for the various domains of knowledge. The product is leadership accomplished through creativity and innovation.
Hospitality indicates superior communication and interpersonal skills, which involve reaching out to people and opening doors of opportunity for them. This allows them to avail themselves of what we have to offer and means that we, too, may benefit from their contributions. Effat University sees its ideas and programs as a banquet available to all: 'To the winter home called the bolted one and saw not the host in bereavement.'
Difference and individuality characterize human beings. Ideas, ambitions, emotions, behaviors, beliefs, and social groupings shape who we are. Cross-cultural fertilization yields constructive results by producing a master discourse through which identity, similarity, and difference are identified.
Islam is not only a religion but a way of life. Islam provides a universal code of conduct governed by ethics. The Holy Quran and Hadith of the Prophet Mohammad (Peace be Upon Him) provide holistic guidelines to every person's affairs. These guidelines emphasize authenticity through virtues, including kindness, honesty, tolerance, self-restraint, patience, forgiveness, and compassion. Such values govern human interaction at all levels and in all different settings. All the 114 Surat of the Quran emphasize ethical behavior at all levels, but Surat Al-Hujuratt, in particular, pays specific attention to standards of social behavior. Surat Al-Hujuratt preaches 18 universal codes of ethics in its 18 ayas.
Effat University's Code of Ethical Conduct draws on the teachings of Islam. The Code is also influenced by the philosophy of the founder of Effat University, Queen Effat Al Thunayyan (God rest her soul), who unceasingly sought to strike a balance between traditionalism and modernity, and the IQRA Core Values derived from the imperative 'read,' the first word of the Quran revealed over 1400 years ago.
Since its establishment in 1999, Effat University's values have fostered stewardship, respect, care, and attention for all its constituents. Our commitment to integrity, honesty, and fairness in our operations - of which teaching, research, and service to the community are considered an asset - has set us apart nationally and internationally as an institution seeking excellence in all its endeavors.
Drafting this holistic Code of Ethical Conduct is a crucial step towards the development of Effat University. Our mission is to advocate ethical conduct in the management of our academic, research, and community service activities, as well as interactions with our stakeholders. Effat designated eight fundamental pillars that constituted its Code of ethical conduct and named them 'Tarbawyyat Effat.' These pillars are regulatory measures and crucial to the University's progress as it competes for academic excellence in today's highly competitive higher-education environment.
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