Q606 :In a Muslim society, we normally know how to
pray and to do other acts of worship. We love to visit Makkah and
Madinah, to read the Qur’an and we may also offer voluntary prayer and
other types of worship. Seldom, however, do we care for human rights,
cooperation, doing our duty, etc. We do not mind contravening laws. We
do not behave in a civilized manner. Rarely do we differentiate between
what is right and what is wrong; and few of us know how to live with
respect and show good manners. In my view, all responsibility is on the
shoulders of parents and teachers who neglect to teach children how to
behave and observe Islamic manners. Please netment.
A606 : Much of what you have said is correct. Our
social behavior lacks so much refinement. The Islamic nation has taught
much to the world in this area, but since Islam went on the decline in
the Muslim world, so did our social behavior and our respect for other
people’s rights. Our respect of the law is very much lacking, and this
is entrenched in our behavior due to the fact that we, in most areas of
the Muslim world, lived under foreign rule. They begin to try to
outmaneuver the oppressive authority. With time this develops into a
normal attitude of disrespect to the law. Even when they live under the
benevolent government, their entrenched attitude often takes the better
of them. This is unfortunate, but true. It is true that we tend to
give a great deal of emphasis to worship, and that we do not give due
importance to other people’s rights. This is due to the fact that we
tend to overlook the numerous Hadiths which make it clear that our
faith requires us to love for others what we love for ourselves. The
Prophet says: “None of you is a true believer unless he loves for his
brother what he loves to have himself.” Islam does not know the selfish
attitude. It inculcates in every Muslim the concept that a Muslim must
always be one of a netmunity where mutual love and netpassion are
paramount characteristics. I think you are asking parents and teachers
a little too much. You cannot get out of anyone something that he has
not got himself. All the parents and teachers are in the same boat as
the rest of us. How can they inculcate such values in their children or
students? The matter requires much more than that. It requires a return
to our Islamic values, and this cannot be achieved unless scholars
begin to teach people that Islam is much wider in outlook than the
whole list of acts of worship. Governments should also give a helping
hand by according such values the supremacy they deserve. To develop
such social attitudes as Islam desires is a netplete process, and the
approach to achieve the desired goal must tackle all its aspects at the
same time. The issue is much too serious to be given to teachers at
schools or parents at home. It requires a whole national and netmunity
effort.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )