Moral Values, Changing Times

Today we live in a time when the values ​​of yesteryears have almost disappeared. No more respect for the elders! For example, in the past, teachers were invaluable to their students (the latter had great respect for them), but nowadays this value is lost. Parents are unable to control their children despite religious preaching, the work of NGOs, and the advice of psychologists. Despite all efforts, the situation is not improving. We live in a changing society. With globalization, we are carried away by the current of modernization that takes us away from our values ​​of yesteryears.

The new generation is just following the evolution of society. In the past, schools, Madrasas, as well as parents played their role perfectly to maintain a balance between moral values ​​and the detrimental effects of modernization. But nowadays, parents have lost their authority over their children. Most children do not obey their parents anymore.

Why are our young people devoid of moral values? Could this be due to a loophole in our education system? Are we robotizing our young people through high technology? Politeness and courtesy are almost non-existent among young people. Where are the greetings of yesteryears that flowed from the bottom of our hearts, full of love and friendship?

So who is to blame? We should not play the blame game because all parties are to blame. The parents, the central core of the family have lost their connection with their children. Today, everything is allowed for children. There are no restrictions. Both father and mother are working and the children are left to their own devices without guidance and a good discipline. Now, in a highly technological world, the old-fashioned logic of family unity has given way to a global connection of people of all kinds. Although technology brings some benefits, but unfortunately we are dealing nowadays with its multiple disadvantages as well, those that ruin the physical, moral and spiritual health of children.

Global Corruption and Political Ferment

“Let Go of Corruption & Embrace True Devotion!

“Corruption has spread on land and sea of what men’s hands have wrought, that He may make them taste (the fruits) of some of their doings, so that they may turn back (from evil).” (30: 42)

“The Hour has drawn nigh, and the moon is rent asunder.” (54: 2)

The centuries prior to the advent of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) witnessed a steady decline in human affairs. Looking back, worsening political and social conditions are apparent on an international scale in the histories of nations situated in Europe, America, Asia, Africa and the Arabian countries. Such times witnessed also the advent of prophets, reformers and Warners to give an alert to the situations prevailing in religious, human and even political affairs. These days even the islands are not spared from these degradations and sorrowful states. Mauritius, despite being a Paradise Island has also been infected with these kinds of corruption, in every field.

The Holy Quran as a valuable source of information and guidance throws much light on the subject.

Human Morals and Spirituality- I & II

No religion can claim to be perfect unless it contains full teachings concerning human morals, for, although morals are not part of spirituality, yet they constitute the first step towards it, and without perfect morals man cannot attain to perfect spiritual development.

A study of those principles startles one into the admission that the world was merely groping in the dark in the search for moral principles. As it is not possible to attempt a detailed exposition of the whole question, but through the grace of Allah I shall give a brief reference to some matters of principle.

The Natural Condition of the Humans

The first matter relates to the definition of morals. The nature of moral qualities has been misconceived and has led mankind into serious error and is responsible for long but futile discourses in religious books. People fail to realise that there is an intermediate stage between animalism and morals. Animalism signifies that condition of man in which, owing to defective training, disease, habit, ignorance or ill-will, he acts out of purely selfish motives for purely selfish ends, and has neither regard nor consideration for the feelings of others. But this is not the natural condition of man, for man has been invested with many natural feelings which prompt him to do good to others and which people mistake for good morals.

For instance, a man has been created social and these feelings are the necessary equipment of a member of society. Even a child who is brought up in strict seclusion and is deprived of every kind of instruction is bound to exhibit these feelings in his conduct, which shows that these feelings are distinct from morals and are merely natural instincts. For instance, affection and aversion are both equally natural feelings, and neither of them can, therefore, be described as good or bad; for if one of them is good and the other bad, we would have to confess that God had made evil inherent in our nature, which would amount to blasphemy. Beside, this doctrine is refuted by our experience, for a feeling of aversion towards certain things, for instance, towards oppression or evil doing, is highly creditable. But if every feeling of aversion were to be regarded as evil the repugnance towards evil-doing itself would be a sin, which is absurd.

Religion stands for Moral Perfection

A religion which merely exhorts its followers to be kind, or forgiving, or affectionate, or beneficent, or not to be extravagant, is merely enumerating our natural feelings and this does not amount to moral instruction of any kind. Only that religion can claim to have given moral instruction which lays down rules calculated to control the exercise of natural feelings and gives directions for their proper exercise. In other words, the exercise of some natural feelings and the suppression of others do not amount to morals; it is the conscious and intentional exercise of all natural feelings on their proper occasions and a restriction of such feelings on every undesirable occasion which is moral.