Our Role in Removing the Social Evils That Have Corrupted the Majority of Muslims
By
Kaniz Fatma, New Age Islam
27 February
2023
Social
Reforms and Our Responsibility
Main
Points
1. A permanent
"social reform" section is present in almost all humans, Muslims or
non-Muslims.
2. Plans and
efforts made for the cause of reforming society are mostly being done in the
wrong direction.
3. Through his
special and beautiful teachings, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) lifted
people out of the mire of destruction, the pit of condemnation, and brought
them to the top of the world.
4. Some of the
issues that plague modern Muslim civilization are violations of both human and
divine rights.
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The phrase
"Social Reform" is a lovely title and endearing combination of two
words. Those who hear, speak, or read this title begin to observe several
social evils that have rendered the Muslim society dirty, corrupt and poisonous
via their windows of the mind and brain. Currently, this phrase is frequently
read, written, spoken, and recited in a great many contexts. Many groups,
associations, conferences, and meetings are held with the intention of
reforming society. Countless parties are also created for this goal.
A permanent
"social reform" section is present in almost all humans, Muslims or
non-Muslims. Non-Muslims have also created their own unique committee with this
goal in mind. Newspapers and the media are both involved in pursuing this
objective. Government measures are also being carried out. But despite the
combined efforts of many circles and groups, nothing meaningful has happened.
They stay at the same location as when they initially left. Society is rife
with corruption, and it keeps getting worse.
The question
of how to carry out reformation work arises. We can answer this question by
reflecting on the following verse from the Quran:
“As for
those who struggle in Our cause, We will surely guide them along Our Way. And
Allah is certainly with the good-doers.” (29:69)
In another
verse, Allah Almighty says, “O you who believe! If you help (in the cause
of) Allah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm.” (47:7)
The divine
promise cannot be falsified or broken. It is conceivable for day to become night,
for the sun to rise in the west rather than the east, for the earth and the sky
to move from their positions, but it is impossible to breach a promise made by
Almighty God. The only conclusion that can be formed in light of all of these
initiatives is that no matter what plans or efforts are made in the name of
"reforming society," they are all being done in the wrong direction.
In reality, their attempts lack the qualities and elements that can appeal to
others. If our efforts and the steps we take to "reform society" are
sincere and on the correct track, Allah's assistance will undoubtedly be
incorporated and drawn to them. As a consequence, the people will be impacted,
their reform will be accomplished, and positive outcomes will undoubtedly be
discovered.
The word
"society" refers to a group of individuals, and it is the duty of
each individual to keep his society free from all kinds of flaws and squalor.
Islam has taught Muslims to be aware of their surroundings and to be worried
about any potential problems. Good things will happen when there is sincere
interest in reforming society.
Humanity
was on the verge of annihilation when the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was born.
Allah, the Most High, said in the Holy Qur'an:
“Remember
the blessing of Allah upon you: When you were enemies to each other, and He
brought your hearts together, so that, you became brothers through His
blessing. You were at the brink of a pit of Fire, then He saved you from it.
This is how Allah makes His signs clear to you, so that you may take the right
path.” (3:102-103)
Through his
special and beautiful teachings, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) lifted
people out of the mire of destruction, the pit of condemnation, and brought
them to the top of the world. He also presented to the world a society that is
so pure and beautiful that its example cannot be given until the Day of
Resurrection. How the people underwent reformation, earned the status of
companions, and will always serve as examples for humanity. The Holy Quran says:
“You are
the best community ever raised for humanity—you encourage good, forbid evil,
and believe in Allah. Had the People of the Book believed, it would have been
better for them. Some of them are faithful, but most are rebellious.” (3:110)
Similar to this,
the Holy Qur'an stated the following when describing the mutual obligations of
Muslim men and women:
“The
believers, both men and women, are guardians of one another. They encourage
good and forbid evil, establish prayer and pay alms-tax, and obey Allah and His
Messenger. It is they who will be shown Allah’s mercy. Surely Allah is
Almighty, All-Wise.”
(9:71)
He Almighty
said in another verse:
“They
are˺ those who, if established in the land by Us, would perform prayer, pay
alms-tax, encourage what is good, and forbid what is evil. And with Allah rests
the outcome of all affairs.” (22: 41)
The Prophet
also gave guidelines for performing the tasks related to social reforms. Each
among you who sees evil should make an effort to stop it with their power. They
should try to stop it with their tongue if they are unable to do so. If you
don't have the guts to even say it out loud, consider this work to be bad in
your heart. The least degree of faith is shown in the last one.
The Prophet
(peace be upon him) made a significant instruction regarding how to do social
reforms in the hadith above. The process for carrying out this task has also
been described. Until someone puts an end to the evils, does not worry, and
tries to abstain from the evils, it is difficult for any society to get
reformed. In this hadith, the Prophet mentioned three stages of preventing and
forbidding wrongdoing. According to scholars, while it is the responsibility of
the state to reform society through force, intellectuals and preachers are
responsible for doing it through their tongues.
One of the
reasons for awarding this nation with the title of "Khair-e-Ummat" in
the Holy Qur'an is that it is the one that encourages people to do good deeds
and prevents them from doing bad deeds.
The main
reason for the corruption that has spread in our society today is that the
heads of the family who are the guardians of the family, when they see the
members of the family committing a sin, instead of stopping and reprimanding
them, they also start participating in this sin.
Deliberately
ignoring evil leads to a great destruction. In the Holy Qur'an, Allah Almighty
explained one of the reasons why People of Israel were cursed and deprived. (Al-Ma'idah: 78.79)
Enjoining
good and forbidding people from evil is such an important act that the Prophet
(PBUH) said: "By the One in Whose Hand my soul is! Either you command good
and forbid evil, or Allah will soon send upon you a punishment from Him, then
you will pray to Him but He will not respond to you." (Tirmidhi: 2095)
The Muslim
community is currently affected by a number of social flaws. Instead of only
making pronouncements about Islamic principles and ideals, it is our
responsibility to implement them. It is our responsibility to take action to
remove corruption, disobedience, and immorality and to support the conversion
of our families to being obedient servants of Allah Almighty. We must realize
the bitter truth that we have neglected our religious ideals.
Extravagance
in weddings, the demand for dowry, ignorance of the fundamentals of Islamic
teachings, and violations of both human and divine rights are some of the
problems that are pervasive in contemporary Muslim society. In order to create
and advance our society, we are compelled to fulfil our obligation to promote
good and forbid bad.
The Holy
Quran says:
“O
believers! Protect Yourself and Your Family From the Fire of Hell.” [66:6]
Allah
Almighty orders His believing servants to defend themselves and their families
from His punishment with Taqwa, and by directing their families to do
the same. One is shielded from the flames of hell by practising Taqwa
and adhering to the religion of Islam. One should also advise his family,
including his parents, children, brothers, and sisters, to fear Allah and uphold
His Din by advising them to adhere to Al-Haqq (the Truth), collaborate in acts
of righteousness and Taqwa, encourage Ma'ruf (that which is deemed to be right,
beneficial, or appropriate by Islam and forbid Munkar (that which is
unacceptable or disapproved of by Islam).
If this is
taken into account, it is usually impossible for a person to make a commitment
to morally upright behaviour and then to uphold it when society and the
environment are unfavourable for him. A steadfast worshipper will likewise have
difficulties in exercising his right. Nowadays, it's harder to stay away from
things that are forbidden than it used to be. The underlying reason for this is
that when an entire environment, town, or family is struggling with a sin, it
makes it challenging for even one individual to find salvation.
The Holy
Prophet assembled his family members and called them to the truth when this
verse was revealed to him. Even though some people in the beginning rejected
the truth, eventually, members of the family started converting to Islam.
The need
for starting the act of social reforms with family and friends is that
instruction and preaching are less successful on others if a person's family,
close relatives and family are not his companions and colleagues in his ideas
and practical programme. The common people's response to the Holy Prophet's
invitation and sermon at the beginning of Islam was that he should first
correct his family of Quraysh before taking their news. When Islam spread
within the family and when it got accomplishment at the time of the conquest of
Makkah, its outcome was revealed in the Holy Qur'an's words: "And you
see the people entering into the religion of Allah in multitudes," (110:2)
Our youth,
who make up the heart of the community, are already leaders in this field, and
our preachers, who serve as role models for the people in our society, should
execute this kind of reform. Thus, let everyone be motivated to put each reform
into practise. With God's help, our society will soon change and turn into
something truly pure and pleasant.
Imparting
education is the most important element in the sector of social reforms. This
element needs to be as accessible to the Muslim population as possible because
Muslims are lagging behind in education.
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Kaniz Fatma is a classic Islamic scholar and a
regular columnist for New Age Islam.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-spiritualism/social-evils-corrupted-muslims/d/129204
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