WOULD THAT THERE HAD BEEN MORE PEOPLE with a vestige of good among the generations of those who came before you, WHO FORBADE CORRUPTION IN THE EARTH, other than the few among them whom We saved. Those who did wrong gladly pursued the life of luxury that they were given and were evildoers.(Surah Hud, 116)
The Qur’an emphasizes the selfish nature of human beings’ earthly nature in the words, “Truly man was created headstrong –desperate when bad things happen…” (Surat al-Ma’arij, 19-20)
When people encounter situations that are difficult in terms of their earthly desires, when they find themselves in difficulties, they make enormous efforts to free themselves. However, because of the selfish nature of earthly desires, they do not show the necessary sympathy for situations that others find themselves in but that do not affect or discomfort them personally. They never try to resolve other people’s problems with the same energy and determination they exhibit in the face of their own.
No such behaviour is possible in true Muslim moral values. A true believer will regard the difficulties or troubles of another Muslim as his own, even if that person is at the other end of the world. He will use all the material and other means God has given him; his reason, intelligence, conscience, abilities, knowledge and talent, to the very end in order to find a solution. He will never say, “There are many people who are cleverer and more effective than I am who can find a solution to this problem, so let them take care of it.” Almost every days brings with it reports in the newspapers and on the television of the terrible scale of the oppression that Muslims are subjected to. The world is obviously in a state of chaos. Muslims are clearly exposed to a policy of aggression all over the world. The rights of Muslims who are tortured, oppressed, taken away from their homes with no explanation being given and never heard of again or kept prisoner in jails with no justification ever being provided are not being protected.
There is quite clearly a need for strong, determined, sincere and aware Muslims of good conscience who will defend the rights of these oppressed people.
It is unacceptable for a believer to behave uncaringly, apathetically, unconcernedly or uninterestedly in the face of that state of affairs. Faced with this picture, all believers and all rational human beings must spur their feelings of public spiritedness into action. Qur’anic moral values require them to encourage all rational Muslims of good conscience to, like themselves, do all in their power to help.
The result will be a glorious force, and even a small step taken will, by God’s leave, produce a power that will influence the whole world.
THE FACT THAT ISLAMIC MORAL VALUES DO NOT YET RULE THE WORLD MUST STIR ALL MUSLIMS
In the words of the Qur’an God describes those, “...WHO GLADLY PURSUED THE LIFE OF LUXURY THEY WERE GIVEN” and thus ignore their responsibilities. (Surah Hud, 116)
It is impossible for people of virtue and good conscience and who fear God to abandon their responsibilities and ignore the sufferings of Muslims all over the world, even though they see them perfectly clearly, and to devote themselves solely to their own interests and banal worldly gain. God will hold people who run away from their responsibilities and leave them to others, even though they know full well what they should do, in the hereafter.
For that reason, people must not only take action themselves in such a situation, but must also call on other Muslims to join together, spread moral virtues across the world and strive to bring oppression to an end. God tells us in the Qur’an that proper moral values require us to "... spur on the muminun..." (Surat an-Nisa, 84).