Islam's response to contemporary world problems (25)
The Holy Quran continues to elaborate on this theme of society, stating:
وَالَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ عَنِ اللَّغۡوِ مُعۡرِضُوۡنَ
"And those who shun all that is vain". (Q. 23: Al-Muminun: 4)
All those who possess wisdom avoid wasting energy on useless and meaningless pursuits.
Spending time for entertainment in moderation is neither wrong nor forbidden by Islam. However, if amusement exerts a negative influence on society as a whole, it is certainly not recommended. On the other hand, if instead of providing a genuine outlet for the stresses of life, fun becomes a goal in itself, it is condemned as LAGHW (vain and useless) in Quranic terminology. When amusement begins to interfere with daily affairs or mortgages available time that could have been better spent otherwise, it is also considered vain according to the Arabic word LAGHW.
Television and recently mobile phones have brought immense good to society, but children remain glued to the screens all day long. When men come home from work, they continue to sit in front of these devices no matter what programme is on offer. In doing so, they neglect their responsibilities towards their children, wives, friends and society in general. Television and mobile phones have certainly become a modern plague. So much time is spent in this day and age watching these inventions that it is a difficult challenge for everyone to properly weigh the pros and cons of this attitude. But this is not all.
By showing violent films, TV often presents an image of crime, which, instead of creating a feeling of repulsion in the hearts of children, achieves just the opposite. Even in children-only programmes it is common to find popular figures who mischievously invent pranks that wreak havoc on the peace of the home. As entertaining and amusing as such programmes are, they are certainly not educational. There is no doubt that many difficult children owe their behaviour to the viewing of such programmes and grow up with the possibility of becoming potential criminals.
In adult programmes, innovative methods of transgression are taught in subtle ways. An idle life of play and fun, representing what existence should be, is so promisingly portrayed as to leave a false impression on the mind. How little awareness of the distance between fantasy and reality, and what should be and what is!
The pursuit of vain pleasures that the Holy Quran forbids is not a minor or inconsequential matter, as many might consider it to be. This and similar modes of amusement play an important role in creating an environment where the level of frustration only increases. One wonders when the saturation point will be reached.
The Holy Quran calls for restraint of desires: envy must not be allowed to give rise to insatiable and inordinate desires.
This teaching carries a very important message regarding discipline and restraint of ambitions. Islam is certainly not a religion of escapism or denial through monasticism or asceticism, in which man is asked to suppress all his natural desires in order to attain Nirvana or liberation from material attachments. According to the philosophy of Nirvana, it is desires that bind us to matter and make us slaves to materialism. Its simple answer is to reject and deny oneself all desires.
Islam rejects this philosophy as man-made, unnatural and inadequate to solve problems. The concept of Nirvana is closer to death than to peace. Islam has a totally different solution to offer. Destroying desires, according to Islam, is not the answer to solving the riddle of life.
Among several measures suggested to create social peace is the admonition that man must discipline and restrain his desires and keep them under control. Otherwise, it would be impossible for any man to achieve peace through the satisfaction of desire. As we indicated earlier, desires always go faster than they can be pursued. However small these measures may seem, they are potentially very effective and important. For example The Holy Quran states:
وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَیۡنَیۡکَ اِلٰی مَا مَتَّعۡنَا بِہٖۤ اَزۡوَاجًا مِّنۡہُمۡ زَہۡرَۃَ الۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا ۬ۙ لِنَفۡتِنَہُمۡ فِیۡہِ ؕ وَرِزۡقُ رَبِّکَ خَیۡرٌ وَّاَبۡقٰی
"And do not strain your eyes after that which we have granted to some classes of them to enjoy for a short time - the splendour of the present world - that we may test them therewith. Indeed, the bounty of your Lord is better and more lasting". (Q. 20: Ta-Ha: 132)
The Holy Quran forbids thinking ill of others, behaving noisily, snooping or defaming:
یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوا اجۡتَنِبُوۡا کَثِیۡرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ ۫ اِنَّ بَعۡضَ الظَّنِّ اِثۡمٌ وَّلَا تَجَسَّسُوۡا وَلَا یَغۡتَبۡ بَّعۡضُکُمۡ بَعۡضًا ؕ اَیُحِبُّ اَحَدُکُمۡ اَنۡ یَّاۡکُلَ لَحۡمَ اَخِیۡہِ مَیۡتًا فَکَرِہۡتُمُوۡہُ ؕ وَاتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِیۡمٌ
"O you believers! Avoid suspicion as much as possible; and beware, for some suspicions border on sin. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his deceased brother? Surely it would be repugnant to you. But fear Al'lah, for verily Al'lah is the Remiscerer with compassion, and He is Merciful". (Q. 49: Al-Huyurat: 13)
In Islamic society, the promotion of alliances plays a very important role. The sanctity of international covenants and treaties is considered fundamental to the concept of the unity of Islamic society. Believers are described in The Holy Quran as:
وَالَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ لِاَمٰنٰتِہِمۡ وَعَہۡدِہِمۡ رٰعُوۡنَ
"Those who are attentive to their agreements and covenants". (Q.23: Al-Muminun: 9)
(lpbd) - Peace and blessings of God be upon him.
(To be continued in installment 26)