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The concept of ethics is useless without religious values

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shibli:
Why are religious values necessary to be a good human being? Because the glorious Qur'an is the only book undistorted ever. It's declared by the non-muslim harsh critics of Islam. The concept of Humanism changes over the time across the countries and places. I have found many people who speak for ethics are after money. I have seen people who speak for LOVE are miser and hardly donate money to the poor. The Qur'an says if you save more than 30000 taka in a year, you have to donate 2.5% to the poor. It's compulsory.

Please don't look at the followers; Islam cannot be judged by looking at the followers. The followers are responsible if they don't follow the Qur'an. But the so-called atheism or humanism has got no unchangeable instruction manuals that often vary from person to person. In the UK, having a baby without marriage is nothing about unethical. Who knows someday will come when they will say marrying own brother or sister is ethical? 

shibli:
Dear Sameen sir

We, the human beings, want reward and recognition in every case. If you are sure that you are NOT going to get any reward and recognition from the organization you work, how long will you work there?  But DIU recognized your efforts and rewarded you with the position of Senior Lecturer.

Reward and recognition are there in the mind of every human being. Even you can get things done by a child with the motivation of reward. But if Allah wants to grant us reward n recognition; we, human beings are not happy with His system. Allah said, surely we, human beings are ungrateful. We hardly recognize and appreciate the bounties and facilities we get every single second from HIM. 

As a matter of fact, the concept of ethics is useless without the concept of HEREAFTER. Degeneration will occur if there is no belief in GOD.

Mustafizur rRhman:
Dont misunderstand me sir, I m not an atheist, I m a believer. I also do believe that Islam makes poeple better human beings. I only wanted to get more information from u my dear sir nothing else.

shibli:
Crude Understanding of Disbelief

The foremost and inherent characteristic of the members of an ignorant society is their unwillingness to develop a consciousness of God. Thus, people in this state of ignorance simply avoid complying with the commandments of God, having developed their own moral principles and a way of thinking contrary to everything approved of as being right by the Qur'an. The Qur'an, the last Divine Book, provides all the answers to all possible questions the individual might raise throughout his life. It offers all the key explanations and solutions which he needs in every aspect of his life.

People in this state of ignorance establish a system and then face difficulty in complying with the rules of the system they have themselves created. This is the direct outcome of a crude understanding. However, rather than eradicating this fundamental mistake, ignorant people struggle to find ways of being successful in this relentless competition.

Contrary to the ignorant society's criteria laid down for superiority — in other words property, power and status — the real superiority calls for faith in God and fear of God. The colour of one's skin, good-looks or prosperity have no importance in the presence of God. One day, everyone, be he poor or wealthy, beautiful or ugly, will be wrapped in a simple shroud and placed in a pit — which will reduce his body into insignificance.

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.

First of all, in an environment where no rules and limits are observed, "lawlessness" prevails. In this system, everyone lays down his own rules and principles, based on highly variable criteria. In the ignorant society the basic principle that is applied is not to go to extremes in social conduct and hence not to incur any reaction from the society. It is wholly acceptable to do anything wrong, as long as it is not publicly disclosed. Ignorant people deliver speeches about virtuous conduct and morals, or severely condemn those who hold a contrary view. However, they themselves violate these values when they are convinced that nobody sees them.

shibli:

When asking why poor countries are poor, it is quite common to hear, especially in wealthier countries that are perceived to have minimal corruption (at least domestically) that other countries are poor because of corruption. Yet, corruption is not something limited to third world despots. Rich countries too have been involved in corrupt practices around the world.

As Professor Robert Neild from Trinity College, Cambridge University writes in Public Corruption; The Dark Side of Social Evolution (London: Anthem Press, 2002), “Rich countries and their agencies … commonly have been and are accomplices in corruption abroad, encouraging it by their actions rather than impeding it….” (p.209). Specific problems he highlights include:

    * The impact of Cold War corruption (supporting dictatorships, destabilizing democracies, funding opposition, etc);
   
* Firms from rich countries bribing rulers and officials from developing countries to gain export contracts, particularly in the arms trade and in construction (even justifying it by suggesting bribery is “customary” in those countries, so they need to do it to, in order to compete);
   
 * The “corruption-inducing effects of the purchase, by the rich countries and their international corporations, of concessions in Third World countries to exploit natural deposits of oil, copper, gold, diamonds and the like.” Payments made to rulers often violate local (and Western) rules, keeping corrupt rulers in power, who also embezzle a lot of money away.
   
 * The drug trade. Neild suggests that international law and national laws in rich countries that prohibit drugs may serve to “produce a scarcity value irresistible to producers, smugglers and dealers.” Governments and civil society in the third world are often “undermined, sometimes destroyed” by the violence and corruption that goes with the drug trade. “This is probably the most important way in which the policies of rich countries foster corruption and violence. Yet the effect on the Third World seems scarcely to enter discussion of alternative drug policies in the rich countries.” Legalizing drugs, a system of taxation and regulation, comparable to that applied to tobacco and alcohol might do more to reduce corruption in the world than any other measure rich countries could take, he suggests. (See this site’s section on illicit drugs for more on that aspect.)

Rich countries have been used to it, too:

 

Bribery may be pervasive, but it is difficult to detect. Many Western companies do not dirty their own hands, but instead pay local agents, who get a 10 per cent or so “success fee” if a contract goes through and who have access to the necessary “slush funds” to ensure that it does. Bribery is also increasingly subtle.… Until recently, bribery was seen as a normal business practice. Many countries including France, Germany and the UK treated bribes as legitimate business expenses which could be claimed for tax deduction purposes.

— Dr Susan Hawley, Exporting Corruption; Privatisation, Multinationals and Bribery, The Corner House, June 2000

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