These days there are so many efforts are being made to reform our society. There are so many societies, so many associations, so many organisations, which have been set up with the express purpose of reforming our society, and reform human behaviour. However, when we look at the state of our society and what is happening in our shops, and markets, and offices, it seems like these efforts are proving totally futile. One can not see any appreciable difference being made in the prevailing practices of our society as a result of all these efforts at reformation. If there is any progress it is actually in the reverse direction. There are individual good examples here and there but on the whole our society seems to be going backwards in terms of morality. Why is that?
The above question has been answered in the following verse of the Quran:
"O those who believe, take care of your own selves. The one who has gone astray cannot harm you, if you are on the right path. To Allah is the return of you all. Then, He will tell you what you have been doing." (Surah Al-Ma'idah: 105)
In this verse the Holy Quran has told us that the reason our efforts for societal reform are failing is that whenever any of us sets out to reform our society, they always start with the goal of reforming others. He wants others to change and become better human beings but doesn't even consider that he himself may need to change too and become a better human being. Our gatherings are full of criticisms of other people about how bad they are and how wrong they are, but none of us takes a moment to reflect that may be I am doing something bad too, may be I also need to improve as a human being, may be I also need to reform myself.
In a Hadith Rasool Allah SAW has said that the person who says that the whole world has become corrupt (criticising others that they has strayed from the right path, they are engaging in sins), he is the most corrupt of them all.
The way we need to start when setting out to reform our society is that we look at ourselves first and critically examine ur own behaviour, what is that we do which fits in with the dictates of the Shariah, what is against it, and if I am engaging in behaviours that displease Allah SWT then how do we go about reforming those undesirable behaviours of our own? If a few individuals start reforming themselves, and then a few more, and then a few more, one day it would lead to the reform of the whole society. But if all of us keep trying to reform others, but not ourselves, no meaningful change would ever come to our society.
Adapted from the talk "How can our society be reformed?" by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani DB.
The above question has been answered in the following verse of the Quran:
"O those who believe, take care of your own selves. The one who has gone astray cannot harm you, if you are on the right path. To Allah is the return of you all. Then, He will tell you what you have been doing." (Surah Al-Ma'idah: 105)
In this verse the Holy Quran has told us that the reason our efforts for societal reform are failing is that whenever any of us sets out to reform our society, they always start with the goal of reforming others. He wants others to change and become better human beings but doesn't even consider that he himself may need to change too and become a better human being. Our gatherings are full of criticisms of other people about how bad they are and how wrong they are, but none of us takes a moment to reflect that may be I am doing something bad too, may be I also need to improve as a human being, may be I also need to reform myself.
In a Hadith Rasool Allah SAW has said that the person who says that the whole world has become corrupt (criticising others that they has strayed from the right path, they are engaging in sins), he is the most corrupt of them all.
The way we need to start when setting out to reform our society is that we look at ourselves first and critically examine ur own behaviour, what is that we do which fits in with the dictates of the Shariah, what is against it, and if I am engaging in behaviours that displease Allah SWT then how do we go about reforming those undesirable behaviours of our own? If a few individuals start reforming themselves, and then a few more, and then a few more, one day it would lead to the reform of the whole society. But if all of us keep trying to reform others, but not ourselves, no meaningful change would ever come to our society.
Adapted from the talk "How can our society be reformed?" by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani DB.
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