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The concept of ethics is useless without religious values

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shibli:
Concept of peace, ethics and human values is useless without the concept of hereafter:
Is robbing a good or an evil act? A normal balanced person would say it is evil. How would a person who does not believe in the hereafter (life after death) convince a powerful and influential criminal that robbing is evil? Suppose I am the most powerful and influential criminal in the world. At the same time I am an Intelligent and a logical person. I say that robbing is good because it helps me lead a luxurious life. Thus robbing is good for me. If anybody can put forward a single logical argument as to why it is evil for me, I will stop immediately. People usually put forward the following arguments:

a. The person who is robbed will face difficulties
Some may say that the person who is robbed will face difficulties. I certainly agree that it is bad for the person who is robbed. But it is good for me. If I rob a thousand dollars, I can enjoy a good meal at a 5 star restaurant.

b. Some one may rob you
Some people argue that someday I may be robbed. No one can rob me because I am a very powerful criminal and I have hundreds of bodyguards. I can rob anybody but nobody can rob me. Robbing may be a risky profession for a common man but not for an influential person like me.

c. The police may arrest you
Some may say, if you rob, you can be arrested by the police. The police cannot arrest me because I have the police on my payroll. I have the ministers on my payroll. I agree that if a common man robs, he will be arrested and it will be bad for him, but I am an extraordinarily influential and powerful criminal. Give me one logical reason why it is bad for me and I will stop robbing.

d. It’s easy money
Some may say it’s easy money and not hard-earned money. I agree completely that it is easy money, and that is one of the main reasons why I rob. If a person has the option of earning money the easy as well as the hard way, any logical person would choose the easy way.

e. It is against humanity
Some may say it is against humanity and that a person should care for other human beings. I counter argue by asking as to who wrote this law called ‘humanity’ and why should I follow it? This law may be good for the emotional and sentimental people but I am a logical person and I see no benefit in caring for other human beings.

f. It is a selfish act
Some may say that robbing is being selfish. It is true that robbing is a selfish act; but then why should I not be selfish? It helps me enjoy life.

i) No logical reason for robbing being an evil act
Hence all arguments that attempt to prove that robbing is an evil act are futile. These arguments may satisfy a common man but not a powerful and influential criminal like me. None of the arguments can be defended on the strength of reason and logic. It is no surprise that there are so many criminals in this world. Similarly raping, cheating etc. can be justified as good for a person like me and there is no logical argument that can convince me that these things are bad.

ii) A Muslim can convince a powerful and influential criminal
Now let us switch sides. Suppose you are the most powerful and influential criminal in the world, who has the police and the ministers on his payroll. You have army of thugs to protect you. But a Muslim can convince you that robbing, raping, cheating, etc. are evil acts. Even if the same arguments to prove that robbing is evil are put forth, the criminal will respond the same way as s/he did earlier. All his or her arguments are true only when s/he is the most powerful and influential criminal.

iii) Every human being wants justice
Even if s/he does not want justice for others s/he wants justice for himself. Some people are intoxicated by power and influence and inflict pain and suffering on others. The same people, however, would surely object if some injustice was done to them. The reason such people become insensitive to the sufferings of others is that they worship power and influence. Power and influence, they feel, not only allow them to inflict injustice on others but also prevent others from doing likewise to them.

iv) God is the Most Powerful and Just
The Qur’an says: “Allah is never unjust in the least degree” [Al-Qur’an 4:40]

v) Why does God not punish me?
The criminal, being a logical and scientific person, agrees that God exists, after being presented with scientific facts from the Qur’an. He may argue as to why God, if He is Powerful and Just, does not punish him.

vi) The people who do injustice should be punished
Every person who has suffered injustice, irrespective of financial or social status, almost certainly wants the perpetrator of injustice to be punished. Every normal person would like the robber or the rapist to be taught a lesson. Though a large number of criminals are punished, many even go scot-free. They lead a pleasant, luxurious life, and even enjoy a peaceful existence. If injustice is done to a powerful and influential person, by someone more powerful and more influential than he, even such a person would want that person perpetrators of injustice to be punished.

vii) This life is a test for the hereafter
This life is a test for the hereafter. [Al-Qur’an 67:2]

viii) Final justice on the day of judgement
Final justice will be meted out on the Day of Judgement. After a person dies, s/he will be resurrected on the Day of Judgement along with the rest of mankind. It is possible that a person receives part of his punishment in this world. The final reward and punishment will only be in the hereafter. God Almighty may not punish a robber or a rapist in this world but he will surely be held accountable on the Day of Judgement and will be punished in the hereafter i.e. life after death.

ix) What punishment can the human law give Hitler?
Hitler incinerated six million Jews during his reign of terror. Even if the police had arrested him, what punishment can the human law give Hitler for justice to prevail? The most they can do is to send Hitler to the gas chamber. But that will only be punishment for the killing of one Jew. What about the remaining five million, nine hundred and ninety nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine Jews?

x) Allah can burn Hitler more than six million times in hellfire
If Allah wishes He can incinerate Hitler six million times in the hereafter in the hellfire. It is clear that without convincing a person about the hereafter, i.e. life after death, the concept of human values and the good or evil nature of acts is impossible to prove to any person who is doing injustice especially when he is influential and powerful.

Dr. Zakir Naik

shibli:
Can anyone tell me how we can educate the corrupted politicians on ethics if he or she doesn't believe in GOD at all?

mir:
I guess there is no certain ethical standards and moral values. It changes over social and geographical even on religious aspects.

But one thing is accepted worldwide that human must be ethical on his personal and social perspective.

Quest for peace is a journey which unfortunately often been interrupted by religious discriminant values! History talks.

Well, its very easy to teach the ethical issues to our politicians. We ourselves need to be ethical on our own personal life. That's the beginning....

Masud I Rahman

shibli:
"I guess there is no certain ethical standards and moral values. It changes over social and geographical even on religious aspects." Yes i agree with your statement except in the case of the holy Qur'an.

Earlier homosexuality was prohibited in many countries. Today it is allowed in many developed countries like in the UK. Pornography is also allowed in many countries nowadays. My question is where we shall draw the line or put the benchmark. So we need to follow the guidelines set by the Almighty. The Qur'an, the last n final testament from God has maintained the same original form ever since it was revealed. "No other book in the earth keeps the original pure form as The Qur'an." said by the orientalist, famous historian and harsh critic of Islam, William Moore. Before the Second world War in the museum of Germany, hundreds of different copies of Qur'an of different times were collected to verify their verses. All the words of all copies were found word for word exact n accurate. No other book in the earth is as recited n memorized as the Qur'an. Millions of people have been memorizing it ever since it was revealed. At least every year millions of people across the world have been verifying it in the TARABEEH. The Qur'an is not a book of science, rather it's a book of signs; in fact it is the miracle of all miracles.  

However, my question is why should we be ethical? For the sake of humanity? Who introduced the term humanity or humanism? Why should we be humane? For our own satisfaction!! Degeneration will occur if there is no belief in God. Ethics without religious values are useless. You talked about religious discriminant values. It is because people of different religions hardly read and follow their scriptures. please don't look at the followers, rather let's go back to the scriptures. Jesus(pbuh) never claimed divinity, rather he said, "I cast out devil with the spirit of GOD","My father is greater than I" but most Christians believe in trinity; father, son n holy spirit. Buddah never said "make a statue of me or worship me but Buddhists are doing as such. According to Bedha, there is no image of God, no protima but Hindus are doing the opposite.

Most importantly, politicians of the world for their personal gain and media supported by them divide people and create mischief on this earth. History also says that the so-called secularism n communism could not bring peace n prosperity to certain countries n nations.

The glorious Qur'an has got the solutions to the problems of humanity. Let's study more and more, shouldn't we?

shibli:
 What we refer to as "moral values" are the concepts introduced by religion that make life beautiful and rewarding. Whenever these values are distorted, we face a really disturbing picture in society.

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