The Universe not
only is, but is also becoming and moving from what is to what will be. Human
beings are part of this process. In so far as they are conscious and behave
rationally and intelligently they move from "what-is" to
"what-ought-to-be". To live we need "Facts" as well as
"Values", ideas as to what is true and what is good. Our actions are
based on both. We need knowledge, motives and ability for action. Ethics deals
with motives and values.
The Universe can
be represented by a circle where the centre represents absolute unity and
harmony, denoted by A (for Allah), and the circumference C, represents maximum
multiplicity and disorder. Human beings, as all other things, can be regarded
as lying somewhere B, between the lines connecting A to C. There are movements
along these lines both inwards and outwards, from A towards B to C and from C
towards B to A, which we may call evolution and involution, regeneration and
degeneration. These are relative terms.
Human beings, as
the Universe of which they are part, can be regarded as having three
interacting aspects or levels:- a physical, a mental
and a spiritual denoted by C, B and A. (There is correspondence between these
and the physical triad, matter, energy and order). Righteousness, which is a
state of being refers to the spiritual aspect,
morality to the mental and Law (including political organization) refers to the
physical. States and their controlling Governments cannot compel or enforce
righteousness or morality because force refers to the physical. But they can
facilitate or obstruct morality because the mental is a bridge between the
physical and the spiritual. The spiritual state of being of a people governs
their morality, which governs their laws. Conversely, their Laws affect their
moral development, which affects their spiritual state.
There are in
general four questions in Ethics:-
1. What is the
Good?
2. How can it be
known and obeyed?
3. Why should it
be obeyed?
4. How can it be
established?
I.
The first question is: What is the Good?
In Islam all
things begin with Allah. He is creator of all facts and also all values. He is
the ultimate objectivity.
For some people
this presents a problem:- Since evil exists, God is
either not good or He is not omnipotent.
This problem can
be solved as follows:-
Firstly, we
cannot say that Allah conforms to something called "Good". If He did
then, the Good would be greater than Him and He would be subject to it. But by
definition Allah is the Greatest. If, however, "good" was something
less than Allah, then there could be other things that Allah also did, which
were evil. This problem is solved by defining "Good" as "that
which Allah does or Commands.". It is an attribute of Allah.
"(Allah it is) Who
made good everything that He has created..." 32:7
"Whatever befalls thee of good, O man, it
is from Allah; and whatever befalls thee of bad it is from thy soul. We have
sent thee (Muhammad) to instruct mankind as a Messenger, and Allah suffices for
a witness." 4:79
If Allah is the
Good and we have Unity (Tawhid) rather than duality then evil is merely the
absence of good. It has been shown in another article that existence is layered
- there are 7 heavens, which might be represented by concentric circles or
spheres (not in space or time but qualitatively). Each succeeding one can be
regarded as condensing from a previous finer one so that it is courser, more
rigid and inert. The closer one gets to the centre or source, Allah, the
greater is the goodness. The further one is from Allah the further from
goodness. Goodness diminishes and the furthest spheres can be called the Outer
Darkness. But there is no point at which Allah or His influence is not present.
The Universe was
made for a purpose and all things in it have a function with respect to that
purpose. It is the purpose, which defines what is good or bad. That which
flouts the purpose or ceases to fulfil it suffers,
degenerates and is destroyed. This leaves those things that do fulfil the
purpose. The destruction of that which does not fulfil
the purpose or flouts it, is also a good thing because otherwise it would cause
chaos and because it releases materials and energy for new constructions which
will fulfil the purpose.
"Have they not pondered upon themselves?
Allah created not the heavens and the earth, and that
which is between them save with Truth and for a destined end." 30:8 and
38:28
"Allah says: I was a hidden treasure, and I wished to be known. Therefore I created the
universe so that I might be known."
"And He it is Who created the heavens and
the earth in six periods - and His Throne was upon the water - that He might
try you which of you is best in conduct..." 11:7 and see 67:2-5
"(I swear) By the
sun and its noonday brightness! And the moon when it follows him! And the day
when it displays him! And the night when it covers him! And the wondrous
structure of the heavens and Him who built it! And the earth and Who spread it! And the soul and Who
fashioned it, And enlightened it with what is wrong and right for it! 91:9. He
indeed is successful who causes it to grow (or purifies it)! And he indeed is a
failure who corrupts it!" 91:1-10
Thus the purpose
is the increase in knowledge and awareness and the evolution of human
capacities for this. But why Allah wished to be known is a mystery hidden in
Allah alone. Something has to be the ultimate irreducible, which cannot be
explained in terms of anything else. We could, of course, have started just
with the existence of the Universe, taking that for granted as scientists do,
but this would have given us no purpose and no ethics. By affirming that Allah
exits, it is also affirmed that there is intelligence, consciousness and
purpose behind the observed Universe. This is a good explanation for their
existence in us and gives meaning to our life. It is a more reasonable
assumption than the existence of the Universe, which is dead. It is only
possible to sustain this attitude artificially by dividing reality into the
conscious observer and the dead object and also ignoring the interaction between
them. Having done this we are required to study only the object and ignore the
observer entirely. But religion is concerned mainly with the observer and his
interactions with the Cosmos. If he does not fulfil his purpose then he can be
removed.
"Thy Lord is the Absolute, the Lord of
Mercy. If He will, He can remove you and can cause what He will to follow after
you, even as He raised you from the seed of other folk. Lo! that
which ye are promised will surely come to pass, and ye cannot escape. Say (O,
Muhammad): O my people! Work according to your power. Lo! I too am working.
Thus ye will come to know for which of us will be the happy sequel. Lo! The
wrongdoers will not be successful" 6:134-136 Also 35:16
"Dost not thou see that Allah created the
heavens and the earth in Truth? If He please He can remove you and bring
(replace you with) a new creation." 14:19
Some people
suppose that there is no purpose to the Universe and that all changes are
random. But scientific investigation shows that there is certainly a direction
of development. This cannot arise from random changes. Most laws of Physics are
time-reversible. That is, it does not matter whether we think that the cause is
in the past or the future. But the Laws of Thermodynamics require that entropy
or disorder should always increase - there is an inherent tendency that energy
must always flow from points of high density to points of lower density and not
the other way. This defines the direction of time. In other words things do not
spontaneously become ordered but do tend to degenerate and need constant
repair. Therefore, the existence of the original order from which the
deterioration takes place and the arising of order, which defines evolution,
requires causes coming from outside. There is, therefore, a natural distinction
between imperfection and perfection and there are different degrees of
imperfection and perfection.
Obviously, this
flow of energy is impossible unless there are also areas of low or negative
concentration. Here the flow must increase the concentration of energy - that
is, evolution must take place. Thus things hotter than surroundings must cool
down, but things colder than surrounding must heat up. The expansion of space
ever since the Big Bang may be regarded as a cause of the difference in
concentration of energy – Energy must flow into the newly created space.
Perhaps it is introduction of order into the Universe that is causing the
expansion. Evolution on this planet depends on energy coming from the rest of
the Cosmos, including the sun. But it must be absorbed by things on the earth
otherwise it will simply be re-radiated out of the earth again. There are,
therefore, three factors involved in evolution:- The
descending active forces A, the passive or receptive factor C and the transforming
processes of nature B. The existence of these is scientifically inexplicable.
We must
distinguish between Objective and subjective values. Objectively, there is no
evil. Evil is the absence of good. But human beings judge things according to
how these affect themselves. Whatever causes us suffering is regarded as evil
and whatever gives us pleasure we call good. The distinction between these two
value systems arose when man received the ability to disobey Allah owing to the
introduction into him of the divine spark (32:9). This disobedience led to
their expulsion from Paradise, the realm of
innocence and brought them suffering. Human beings are now required to
transcend this pair of opposite and flee unto Allah, the Unity (51:49-50), and
return to Paradise. The story is a formula for
a profound truth that also provides us with our Ethics. There is a difference
between what is really beneficial to us and what we only think is beneficial.
For our own sake, we ought to adopt the objective value system. That is, we
must judge by what Allah has given (5:44, 47). This is defined as Surrender
(Islam). When we injure ourselves we suffer pain. We dislike pain. But pain is
an indicator that we have injured ourselves. Without it we might die. But because
of pain we are led to do something beneficial. Therefore, pain is good.
An objection
could be raised that Good has no meaning except in contrast with evil.
Therefore, to say that the Universe is all good has no meaning. But the verse 4:79, does make the contrast. In effect it tells us that the
Real World is good and our subjective judgments are bad. In other words we know
about the goodness of God as a contrast to the evil produced by our subjective
judgments. It is these also which lead to evil behaviour - behaviour that is
not in accordance with our nature as made by Allah - or vice versa.
In a sense the
scientific attitude transcends the pair of opposites in that it makes no moral
judgments - there are only facts. But this attitude seems wrong and cuts out
much knowledge. If there is a purpose and all things have a function, then we
must know what this function is. It is only in medicine that we recognize a
state of health and a state of disease. This is because we recognize that the
various organs do have a function with respect to the whole. There is no reason
whatever for believing that this principle does not extent to the whole
universe. It is also true that facts by themselves are useless. They must be
given meaning and this is done by interpreting them according to a value
system. Those who try to ignore the value system behind science let one into it
unconsciously and, therefore, without control. In fact, the search, selection,
interpretation, organization and application of facts, all depend on assumptions,
motives and actions and science is often driven by desire for profit, power or
prestige, personal, corporate or national, or by the desire to create a
technology to control nature. Or it might be altruistic, owing to the desire to
serve humanity. From the Islamic point of view it must have the desire to serve
Allah and facilitate spiritual development.
There is, of
course, an objective polarity between the state of disease and health. The pair
of opposites do exist in nature - pleasure and pain,
electrons/positrons, matter/antimatter etc. But they do cooperate and
complement each other and do combine. It is also to our own advantage that we
wish to cultivate health and avoid disease. Thus, even an objective value
system is relative to man. We must, therefore, distinguish between a subjective
and an objective value system (both refer to man) and both are distinguished
from the Absolute value system - i.e. the purpose and judgment of Allah.
Ultimately surrender means accepting the Absolute system.
From the Islamic
Ethical viewpoint we can derive the following general principles. They are
implied in the thesis because they are the foundations on which it is based.
The
"Good" has meaning only with respect to a structure, pattern or
system. An organism, for instance, has a structure in which the parts are
subordinate to the whole and have a function and purpose with respect to the
whole. That which fulfils this purpose is called good, and that which obstructs
or negates it's fulfilment is called evil. The Good,
therefore depends on the nature of the system. Value refers to order.
A Community,
Humanity, the whole Biosphere, the Planet, the Solar system, the Galaxy, the
Universe itself, they are all systems, one part of the other. Values descend,
as it were, from the higher to the lower, from a whole to the part. Values
ultimately come from Allah. It is necessary to ensure that the system
considered B, is a self-consistent system of sub-systems A, and itself fits
harmoniously into a higher system, C. And that system C also fits into a still
higher system D. And that system A also has self-consistent parts. And so on.
Conflicts, contradictions or disharmonies may arise at any of several levels
and this creates suffering. The purpose of this is to stimulate the arising of
those processes or activities that will remove the source of the suffering,
namely the conflicts or contradictions, and restore harmony.
So we can define
the Good as follows:-
(1) That which
conforms to the purposes of Allah is good. This includes Unity, Harmony and
Peace. The Attributes of Allah specify different aspects of this.
(2) All things
have been created as instruments for the purposes of Allah. Therefore, that
which facilitates their proper functioning and enhances it is good.
(3) Human beings
as vicegerents are instruments and have the Spirit of Allah in them. That which
facilitates the welfare and development of the soul is good. As the mind and
body are instruments through which this can be done their welfare and
development is also important.
(4) As all human
beings arise from a single soul and are interdependent, the welfare and
development of other people and the community is an integral part of personal
development.
All things
should be judged by these criteria. They provide an Objective Value System (OVS) as opposed to one which subjective
(SVS), and, therefore, based on human desires and whims.
Evil is spoken
of in the Quran as "errors" or "missing the mark or target"
or "straying from a path". The following notions are used:-
Gunah - Everything has a proper place in the scheme
of things. When something is out of its proper place, we have Gunah.
Zanb - Everything has a perfect or ideal order and
is correctly equipped for its proper function. If there is some abnormal
growth, a disease, we have Zanb. A desire that goes beyond actual need, or a perversion is such a growth. There must be
neither more nor less in size and quantity. Both excess and insufficiency are
evils. A balance is required.
Jurm - Everything is part of some greater whole.
When the part is cut off from the whole or functions as if it were independent, or if the means become the ends, then we
have Jurm. Cancers, criminality are examples. There
must also be sufficient diversity, flexibility and cooperation. The function of
the part must not be obstructed by some other part.
These three
apply to the Universe, the planet, the ecological system, human societies, as
well as human physiology and psychology. They are obviously connected with
organization and equilibrium, with the adjustment of an entity as part of a
greater whole, and ultimately to Allah. They should be
regarded as objective definitions or the Three Principles of Evil.
Ithm - deliberate transgression, rebellion.
Kufr - infidelity consists of rejection of God
as the One Supreme Power.
Shirk consists of associating partners with God,
polytheism - i.e. dividing the ultimate power.
Munafaqin - Hypocrites that say one thing and do another
or where the outer manifestation conflicts with the inner state.
II.
The second question is: How is the good possible?
If Allah is
omni-potent then He controls all things. If he does, then human beings have no
free will. The same is the case if He is omniscient and knows before hand what
will happen. Their behaviour must then be fully determined. How then can they
be rewarded or punished for their actions? This would make Allah unjust.
The solution to
this problem is that nothing can be done without power and all power comes from
Allah. Punishment and reward are really the direct consequences of action
according to law. Human beings have the power to know these laws and this
knowledge modifies them. This knowledge may come from direct experience,
observation, instruction from parents, Prophets, Scriptures etc. That is, they
are causes for their altered behaviour. There are several levels of
functioning, mechanical, physiological, chemical, biological, electronic,
electromagnetic, psychological, social, and spiritual. It is possible to
control a lower form of functioning from a higher centre. For example reflex
actions at lower levels in the nervous system can be controlled from higher
centres in the brain. It is also possible, given suitable causes, to behave in
many alternative ways. Freedom refers to this. The highest form of functioning
is from the spirit within. But this is still the power of Allah.
Although we are
prone to temptations and addictions such as greed and the rationalisations or
whisperings of Satan, which mislead us we can change by accepting the guidance
of Allah which He sends through the Prophets and the Scriptures and by direct
inspiration. These are causal forces and we ought to put ourselves under their
influence.
"O ye who believe! Respond unto Allah and His Messenger when He calls you to that which
quickens you; and know that Allah comes in between a man and his own heart; and
that He it is unto Whom ye shall be gathered."
8:24
The word for
repentance is Tauba. It means "turning" and refers to change in the
orientation of the mind. It implies the recognition of the error, the motive to
rectify it and appropriate actions to rectifying it.
The ordinary
worldly or secular orientation of the mind is as follows:- (i)
There are events in the world which (ii) affect the senses, these (iii) produce
certain feelings and desires, these (iv) govern thought, these (v) affect our
consciousness and perception, which. (vi) produce our
idea of self or ego, which (vii) produces our world view.
The religious
orientation is the reverse of this:- (i) There is an
idea Allah, which (ii) produces an idea of self in relation to Allah, which
(iii) governs our consciousness, conscience and will, which (iv) governs
thought processes, which (v) affect feelings and motives, which (vi) lead to
efforts and actions, which (vii) change the world.
All human beings
together derive from, and constitute, a single soul (4:1.) We are also part of
the Cosmos, interacting and interdependent with it, and formed by the
materials, laws and force which operate in it. We can represent the Cosmos by a
circle, which contains many smaller circles, representing parts of the Cosmos
e.g. galaxies. These contain still smaller circles representing still smaller
parts and so on, to this planet, a particular community and down to the
individual. All kinds of forces are flowing from the greater circles into the
lesser, and from the lesser to the greater at all levels. Impulses coming from
the Absolute enter into the Cosmos, which must adjust itself accordingly. This,
in turn, affects the other circles at all levels. Each circle,
and this applies to the individual human being, has a certain amount of
autonomy and is responsible for the area of the Cosmos represented by his
circle. His actions affect not only himself but also the development of the
rest of the cosmos to various degrees. A person is an agent of Allah
unconsciously, but is also required to become one consciously.
III.
The third question is:- Why do good?
The answer is: Because Human beings have an
inbuilt desire, urge or striving to avoid what is painful, injurious and
destructive to them and to seek that which is pleasurable, beneficial and
constructive.
"Whosoever goes right, it is only for the
good of his soul that he goes right, and whosoever errs, errs only to its hurt.
No laden soul can bear another's load." 17:15 and 41:46, 45:15
"And whosoever strives, strives only for
himself, for Lo! Allah is altogether Independent of all creatures." 3:97
"O mankind! Be careful of your duty to
your Lord, who created you from one soul, and created there from its mate, and
scattered from the twain a multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty
towards Allah, in whose name ye claim rights of one another, and the wombs that
bore you; verily, Allah is Watcher over you." 4:1
"He it is who made you vicegerents of the
earth, and raised some of you above others in degree (or rank, virtue, power,
wealth, ability etc.), to try you by that which he has given you; Verily, thy
Lord is swift to punish, but, verily, He is Forgiving and Merciful." 6:166
"Then He fashioned him and breathed into
him of His spirit, and made for you the faculties of hearing, and sight and
hearts (feeling); little is it that you give thanks." 32:9
We ought to do good and avoid evil because:-
(1) It accords
with our own nature. and therefore, we do it for our
own spiritual welfare and development. This desire is built into us. (17:15)
(2) All human
souls are one. We are part of the society and of humanity, as a cell in our
body is part of that body. Therefore, the welfare and development of each individual
is linked with that of the society and of humanity. This awareness is built
into us and produces natural conscience or love, which, however, is often
repressed.(4:1). The golden rule according to a Hadith
is to like for others what one likes for oneself and dislike for others what
one dislikes for others. But this should not be naively understood. People do
vary in what is good or bad for them and also in their tastes, which may not be
what they need, or is beneficial for them. But all have a built in desire to do
themselves good.
(3) Humanity,
however, is a part of all life and of the planet in which it has arisen, and
they are inter-dependent with these. There is an unconscious feeling of
identity, which ought to exist at the conscious level. 6:166
(4) Humanity
also contains a spark of the divine. Human beings have been made by nature as
Vicegerents They are, in fact, instruments of Allah, containing His spirit
(32:9) This gives them the awareness, the faculties and the responsibilities
that make them human. The identity with, and the love of, Allah should be a
natural part of their humanity. Flouting this destroys their humanity.
At the highest level :-
"Say: Verily, my worship and my sacrifice, and my living and my
dying belong to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. He has no partner. This I am commanded and I am foremost of those who
surrender (unto Him)" 6:163-164
"And they give food out of love for Allah
to the poor and the orphan and the captive, (saying) We only feed you for
Allah's sake; we desire from you neither reward nor thanks. " 76:8
IV.
The fourth question is:- How can the good be
established?
"Verily,
good things annul evil things. This is a reminder for the mindful." 11:114
"And those who patiently persevere,
craving their Lord's Countenance, and are steadfast in prayer, and spend,
secretly and openly, in charity from what We have bestowed upon them, and
overcome evil with good - these shall have the sequel of the final (heavenly)
Home." 13:22
"Allah coins a similitude (or parable); (On
the one hand) a slave owned by another, having control over nothing, and (on
the other hand) one on whom We have bestowed a goodly
favours from Us, and who spends there from freely secretly and openly - shall
they be held equal? Praise be to Allah, but most of
them understand not." 16:75
"Verily, Allah commands justice, the doing
of good (kindness, benevolence), and liberality to kindred, and He forbids all
shameful deeds (lewdness, abomination, perversity) and wickedness (wrong,
injustice, oppression, rebellion); He exhorts you that haply ye may be
mindful." 16:90
"Wealth and children are an ornament of
the life of this world; but good works which endure are better with thy Lord,
for recompense, and better for hope." 18:47
"Say: Shall we inform you of those who
lose most by their works? Those who erred in their endeavours in the life of
this world, and who thought they were acquiring good by their deeds."
18:104-105
"And those who seek guidance, Allah will
increase their guidance. And enduring good works are best with thy Lord for a
reward, and best for restoration (or eventual returns)." 19:76
"Eat of the good things We
have provided you with, but do not commit excesses therein, lest My wrath
justly descend upon you; for on whomsoever My wrath descends they perish
indeed." 20:81
It is necessary
to know (a) the objective criteria by which things are judged and on which the
Objective Value System (OVS) is based. (b) Knowledge of the current situation
and the causes for the departure from the OVS are also required. (c) Various
techniques must be known, created and applied in order to replace the
Subjective Value System (SVS) with the OVS.
If no objective
values are recognized, then human desires and whims are taken as the criteria.
If this happens then everyone’s opinions must be regarded as good or bad as
anyone else’s. This would create conflicts. Communal life can, then, only be
possible through a power struggle and the imposition of rules of conduct and
interaction by those who have the power through the use of force. This requires
an authoritarian hierarchical structure, formal laws, rules and regulations,
Bureaucracies, large police forces, armies, lawyers, security and accounting
systems, prisons and other institutions for punishment and control. The State
becomes an oppressive machine. This, in a purely secular society, would be the
only ways of maintaining order. However, apart from (a) fear of punishment, (b)
greed for rewards has been harnessed as an instrument of policy and (c)
indoctrination or mental conditioning is also widely used. This, however,
disables mental capacities.
If there are no
objective value systems then nothing matters objectively. If there are no
subjective values then nothing matters subjectively either. The recognition of
a value system, subjective or objective, depends on people and on their
capacity for perception. In this sense all value systems are subjective. If
communal life is to created, then three possibilities
exist - (a) That people remain separate as far as possible. (b) That there must
be a power struggle by which one set of values is imposed on others. (c) There
is some kind of compromise on things which all have in common. E.g. we all want
to live, so murder is banned.
If that which is
advantageous or disadvantageous to a person is the criterion of good and evil
then the only reason murdering someone else is wrong is that he might get
murdered also. If he is strong, rich or clever enough or has some other
advantage he can avoid this. But if a social consensus is made then the
community collectively or those through whom they act will be stronger, richer
or cleverer etc. So even the third option boils down to a
question of power.
However, human
beings have certain things in common and their environment also has certain
things in common. This means that experiences (the interaction between the man
and environment) also have something in common. This can be a basis of communal
consensus. But this may be difficult to maintain. But even on the roads we have
collisions and accidents and quarrels as to right of way and so on. Apart from
the primary deterrent, the danger to one’s own life, there are traffic laws
carrying penalties. Differences of opinion exist about almost everything.
Uniformity may be the result of cultural conditioning. But a more objective way
of getting agreement is through rules of debate, elections, courts and science.
But all these also require a consensus. This, in its turn depends, on the
quality of people. Consensus can also take the form of abiding by the advice of
those who are better endowed with knowledge, perception and ability.
There are,
therefore, three ways of getting agreement:- (a) The
use of force or punishment and rewards (b) Methods of obtaining Social
Consensus. (c) Enhancing the capacity of people to perceive objective truths
and values.
All three have
to be used in societies that consist of people at many levels of development.
Those who are wholly self-centred cannot be allowed to jeopardize the welfare
of others. Social consensus depends largely on the notion of justice. The
greatest good arises from an educational system that will motivate people to do
good from their own initiative and enhance their
knowledge and ability with which to do this. Islam tries to reduce compulsion
(2:256) and favours consensus (42:38) and psychological development (91:7-10).
Religions also
use fear of punishment and pain and desire for reward. But here, fear refers to
the destruction of the soul that comes from separation from Allah, and reward
refers to the fulfilment of the soul through nearness to Allah, the source of
all things. Indoctrination is used to create certain basic habits that are
easier to maintain than constant effort. These produce suitable social
conditions in which an ordered and purposive life can be led without wastage of
energy, attention and time in fighting sources of disorder and distraction. But
that is only a first step on the ladder.
(1) Fear, (2) Desire and (3) Indoctrination
can be regarded as the three Lower Motives. Religions also use justice, love,
recognition of truth and surrender (or self-identification with Allah). The
desire for Justice may be regarded as an Intermediate Motive because it is not
as self-centred as the previous three and not as selfless as the next three.
Love, Truth and Surrender provide the Higher motives.
(4) Justice - Every action has consequences
according to natural law both in the individual himself and in the environment
on which he depends. The environment, therefore, affects a person according to
how he has affected it. The Legal system men create must be based on such laws
otherwise it will create injustices which will have detrimental affects on the
whole community. Justice implies that things are made equal and proportional.
In nature pain and pleasure govern the direction of development. In human
societies it is necessary that good action and beneficial work will have
appropriate and equivalent rewards and harmful ones will have appropriate and
equivalent punishment, that retaliation for harm can exist as a preventative.
The Law should be based on objective research in human nature, not whims and
speculations. The criminal must be caught. The virtuous must be known.
Journalists should investigate and report on the virtuous, but also on miscreants
and not for the sake of scandal and sensationalism. Trials have to be carried
out in the open. This requires Judges and lawyers who are righteous, free from
bias and all political or commercial control. But the public in general must
also be involved, not only because a crime is an offence against the society
and each person in it, but also because they must see that justice is done both
as an education and for the maintenance of Justice. A general sense of values
and of social responsibility is essential.
(5) Love, (Compassion, benevolence and
Mercy) - Human beings have an
inbuilt conscience, the capacity for sympathy, empathy and fellow feeling. A
person perceives that he is the same as other human beings to a large extent
and even like other living things and when he sees certain expressions or
behaviour patterns in others which are the same as those he himself undergoes
then he can also feel the associated experiences e.g. pleasure and pain. This
ought to stimulate him to the same kinds of reactions. A person acts morally
when he does that which will benefit himself, others and the common environment
and avoids doing that which will harm him, others or the common environment.
Therefore, love should be cultivated by establishing things that encourage it and
removing things that obstruct or negate it. A good loving, stable marriage and
family environment is essential to bring up a
generation that has love in it. This should be embedded in an extended family
for mutual support, and the whole society should become a network in which
every marriage is the knot. But this requires that the parent generation is
able to love. If there is a lack of it because the society has disintegrated
then the re-establishment of it is a difficult task requiring constant and appropriate
effort over a long period.
(6) Truth - We are all parts of a greater
totality into which we fit and towards which we have a function. We need to
recognize this and act accordingly. Knowledge of facts as well as values is
required if an ethical social system is to be created. Research is required and
a comprehensive and effective Education system needs to be provided. Its
purpose is to cultivate character, psychological integration, the spiritual, mental and physical faculties. As all aspects
of life affect human beings the educational system involves the whole of life
including the social, cultural, political and economic systems, social and
family life, health and social services, the arts and sciences, entertainment,
literature, magazines, films, television, computers, sport, the institutions,
organization, and law.
(7) Surrender - Since people are socially
conditioned to function below their capacities special psychological methods
must be used. The following should be encouraged:-
(a) The cultivation
of the remembrance of Allah and a person's relationship with Him.
(b) The use of
methods which uncover and develop conscience, consciousness and will. Prayer, meditation etc.
(c) The constant
study of the Quran, other scriptures and uplifting literature to remind, deepen
and reinforce the values.
(d) The
deliberate practice of kindness, charity, love, forgiveness, mutual help. This
creates the outer conditions in which the inner conditions can develop. Where
everyone is selfish there self-preservation itself requires the cultivation of
self-interest.
(e) The
cultivation of empathy. Most criminals and miscreants are persons who cannot or
do not feel for their victims. They have never thought about the damage they
do. This must be counteracted.
(f) The
provision of training in useful directions. The cultivation
of purposes. Much misdemeanour is due to aimlessness and boredom.
(g) The use of
Psychological methods of dissolving evil. For instance resentment is dissolved
by forgiveness. Attitudes of tolerance remove irritation. Non-expectancy
removes disappointment. The cultivation of optimism and gratitude removes
resentment. And so on. Certain sayings and proverbs help.
(5) Practical considerations:-
(a) It is
essential to determine as far as possible all effects of an action. Not to do
this is also a failure of intention. Much harm has been done by good intention
without knowledge.
(b) Not only are good intentions and knowledge required but
also ability. Lack of ability has also caused great problems specially
when political regimes are set up.
(c) Most actions
have both good and evil aspects. The amount of good done should always outweigh
the amount of evil done. If it is possible to do greater good, then doing less
good is evil.
(d) If it is
possible to decrease the amount of evil, then not to do this is evil.
(e) Things which
are good in moderation may be bad in excess or when insufficient.
(f) To punish
someone is to do them evil. If this can be avoided without encouraging evil
then forgiveness should be practiced.
(g) Punishments
or rewards can be of various kinds - physical, mental, and emotional. It is
possible to humiliate a person or deprive him of friends or of material means
rather than incarcerate him or doing a physical injury. The most effective
means should be created and applied. But the same applies to rewards.
An examination
of the following verse shows that things may have varying amounts of benefit
and harm in them. These must be weighed up. If the harm is greater than the
good then clearly the action does a balance of harm. It follows by Qiyas, analogical reasoning that if the benefit of
something is greater then it would be good to do it, but bad not to.
“They will ask thee about khamr (fermented
drinks) and elmaisar (getting something too easily, i.e. gambling, usury etc.),
say, "In them both is great sin and some profit to men; but the sin of
both is greater than the profit of the same." They will ask thee what they
shall expend in alms: Say: "The surplus (what is beyond need)." Thus
does Allah manifest to you His signs; haply ye may reflect .”
2:219