Avoid Corruption, Seek Mercy and Be Merciful
ادْعُواْ رَبَّكُمْ تَضَرُّعًا وَخُفْيَةً إِنَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ {55}وَلاَ تُفْسِدُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلاَحِهَا وَادْعُوهُ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا إِنَّ رَحْمَتَ اللّهِ قَرِيبٌ مِّنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ {الأعراف 55-56}
Call upon your Lord humbly and in private – He does not like those who transgress the bounds. Do not corrupt the earth after it has been set right – call on Him fearing and hoping. The mercy of Allah is close to those who do good. (Al-A’raf 7:55-56)
We should pray to Allah always. We should call upon him humbly, privately, fearing His anger and hoping for His love and mercy. We must not do aggression, transgression of His bounds and must avoid all evil, mischief and corruption. Allah’s mercy is close to all those who do good things.
We human beings are busy in making corruptions and increasing evil in the world. We see some of the consequences of our bad deeds and still we do not learn any lessons and do not change our way of life and reform our conditions. Allah has warned human beings through His Prophets and Messengers, in the Qur’an and other Scriptures that disasters will descend from all directions if you continue doing wrong things. Allah has set limits and bounds in this world. These bounds are both natural and moral. When we transgress any bounds of Allah, whether natural or moral, we incur terrible consequences. Sometimes we see these consequences immediately and sometimes they are delayed so that people may repent and change their habits and customs. The Qur’an says that every disaster that happens in the world is because of human beings own deeds:
وَمَا أَصَابَكُم مِّن مُّصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَن كَثِيرٍ {30}وَمَا أَنتُم بِمُعْجِزِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ {الشورى 30-31}
Whatever misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your own hands have done, but He forgives much. You cannot escape anywhere on earth and you have no protector or helper other than Allah.
(Al-Shura 42:30-31)
Look at what is happening around the globe. During the past ten days more than three hundred thousand people killed in floods, cyclones and earth quakes. There are millions who are homeless and injured in Myanmar, China, and Iran, and in many other places in the world including North America. All these are results of pollutions, bombings, nuclear tests, waste and destruction of environment. In spite of all the knowledge and technology, people are not learning how to behave in a responsible manner.
Recently At the 17th meeting of the Fiqh Academy of India about four hundred Muslim Ulama and Muftis issued a very strong statement reminding human beings about their responsibilities towards environment. The statement said:
There is no doubt that the industrial revolution has provided ample comforts of life to humankind but at the same time it has caused extra ordinary air, water and sound pollution. It has affected the equilibration of weather. All sort of diseases have cropped up. The scientists are of the view that if it was not controlled the consequences will be disastrous for the humanity. The science has also suggested the ways to absorb the elements of pollution. But to get maximum production through minimum expenditures the industrialists are not making use of it. It is something despicable in term of Islamic and humanistic values.”
The Ulama came up with the following resolutions:
It is incumbent upon the industrialists that if they go for an industry that causes pollution they must use the means that could dissolve the pollution, to avoid detriment to the environment and there by save humanity from the adverse effects of pollution.
The advent of multinational companies, no doubt, is advantageous from some aspects as there is competition in the market and consumers get better quality products but these industries have brought along with them the industrial wastage and various kinds of pollutions. This seminar therefore demands that all the companies whether national or multinational must be made liable to abide by the laws enacted to keep the environment pollution free.
The dangers the world is facing due to environmental pollution are mostly from the developed countries. To earn more and more profit and to get cheapest products, they did not care to make their industries environment friendly, nor did they use the means to dissolve pollution, so much so that now when the pollution has become a formidable threat, they are unwilling to own their responsibility. This seminar urges them to be alive to their responsibilities towards humanity.
All human beings are also urged to keep their environment pollution free. They must avoid doing anything that causes pollution in their localities and is harmful to others.
As we have to be concerned about protection of natural order, we should be also concerned about the protection of moral and social order of this world. We should not neglect our duty to spread morality and justice in the world. When corruption starts, it affects not only those who do wrong but also those who do not do anything to stop it. Allah says in the Qur’an:
وَاتَّقُواْ فِتْنَةً لاَّ تُصِيبَنَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنكُمْ خَآصَّةً وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ {الأنفال 25}
Beware of the evil that would harm not only the wrongdoers among you: know that Allah is severe in punishment. (Al-Anfal 8:25)
It is sad that yesterday the California Supreme Court made a decision in favor of gay marriages. Homosexual marriages are sinful according to the law of Allah both in the Qur’an and in the Bible. When people openly and defiantly go against the law of God they invite trouble upon themselves. As a community of mercy for all people, it is our duty to speak against it on moral and social grounds. We should support many of our neighbors of other faiths who are against it. We should remind people with wisdom and good preaching that this will harm them and their families. Our Prophet – peace be upon him - stood against female infanticide in Makkah from the very beginning. He did not say that let those non-believers kill their daughters, it is none of my concern. He told them very clearly that it was wrong. Many decent people of Makkah who were reluctant to speak became bold and became his friends when they saw him taking up an import social cause. When a wrong affects the society, it should be opposed.
This week is also the 60th anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel. It was so unfortunate that the creation of a state caused the displacement and suffering to the native Palestinian people. Millions of Palestinians, human beings, Muslims and Christians, were kicked out from their homes, their land. Many of them were killed and murdered and there are many who are living as refugees for the past 60 years. A great injustice was done to them. They did not do any crime to suffer this treatment, but they were victimized because they were weak. We pray to Allah to restore their honor and their legitimate rights to them. May Allah unite them to work together for their own rights and may Allah unite the Ummah to help and support them. May Allah guide the humanity to see the truth as truth and see the injustice as injustice.
(Khutbah at ISOC – Jumadal Ula 10, 1429/ May 16, 2008)
