A Society’s Responsibility

The standard of life has changed in such a manner that people have become enslaved by their own wishes and habits. A materialistic approach in every niche and corner and superfluity of the amenities of life have caused a potential threat to the sanctity of moral values that just being the wealthy suffices to be respectable righteous and honorable. So, the paradigms of relationships among people in society have changed terribly. The earlier Muslims were successful in their expeditions because they were simple in daily life and resolute in divine commandments; they were not enslaved by their habits and wishes. The study of history reveals that even during the best practices of democratic values, the governments and states were devastated because of corrupt social values. Had there been the healthy society and moral values among the masses, the states would not have perished. Societal values determine the type of government and rules. The best governments and finest administrations and bureaucracies can be formed provided the society is vibrant, receptive, lively and responsible. But, miserably, in our type of society even if Junaid Baghdadi becomes the head of the state, the prospective change will not occur. It is the duty of the society to produce capable, proficient and consummate leadership according to their demands and necessities but we only want to talk about the effect and not the principal cause. The current crisis of leadership that we see is because of our lethargic social values. When back in 1258AD, Tatars of Mongols demolished Muslim states, Islam re-emerged just because of some spirited people who were vigorous in the revival of spiritual and moral ideals in society. The Tartars beat Muslims on political military and administrative fronts but surrendered before moral, educational and spiritual values of Islam. Nonetheless they became the caretakers and custodians of Islam. Renowned English historian Arnold Taibu says,” This was unbelievable that Tartars would embrace Islam because in case of choosing religion, the Christians were closer than Muslims. Islam just emerged from the remnants of its burns and conquered the heats of Tartars.” Thus governments and authority are not permanent things. The primary thing is the norms of society. If the society is producing righteous, virtuous, just and capable people, there is no perplexity. Revival of society means that the society must be standing on some values and principles. We must primarily take care of building these values, as when these values are ascertained, they emanate and prevail in the society. The resulting social, political and financial institutions will rest on such values and principles. For instance, the western society has some values and principles and the institutions there owe and oblige them. The West was at a time not civilized, so some intellectuals and conscious peoples started the movements of following certain values. When the society accepted them, they also became part of their institutions. For example democracy is a western value. It says difference of opinion will be accommodated as a basic right and the majority votes will be considered in decision making. When society accepted it as a social value, it also became of part of institutions and corporations. Thus parliamentary democracy originated.

ISLAMIC SOCIETY: An Islamic society has some values and principles. Unless we practice and establish them in our society, they will never become part of our institutions. For example, the Muslim society is founded on the belief of judgement on the doomsday. When this belief is firmed up in the daily practices of society, it will also become part of our institutions leading to the sense of responsibility and fear of impeachment on doomsday. This will help us in eradicating corruption. The institutional policies will emanate from this color of belief and value. The people at work in shops and corporate institutions will not be able to neglect this factor that they will be answerable on doomsday. We must now promote our social values and practice them in our lives. We sometimes feel hesitant to follow our Islamic Values. This sense of shyness is leading to gradual elimination of moral and ethical values which, if become norm of society, would in effect eliminate lots of potential problems and dilemmas that we are facing now. Therefore, revival of such values should be promoted and be practiced in not only private but public and corporate life too. This will ensure the actual change that we aspire to occur, although it is an evolutionary process, we must not get tired of practicing these values.