Violation of Reason

Violation of Reason A very important social law regarding general suffering for particular wrongs is laid down in the chapter Al-Anfal (The Spoils of War) of the Quran. The translation of the relevant verse is as follows: And beware of an affliction that will not smite exclusively those among you who have done wrong. Know that God is severe in exacting retribution. (8:25) This Quranic verse refers to a situation when, in a society, some of its members are involved in corruption, while others remain silent and become indifferent. If this situation persists for long, the law of nature inflicts punishment upon that society. But this punishment is not only confined to those who are directly involved in corruption, but covers the whole of society because, if some members have been directly involved in the corruption, others, on account of their silence, have been indirectly involved. In social matters, justice and human rights are not the criteria: in such matters practical wisdom has to be taken into consideration. Often pragmatism has to be the deciding factor. This law also covers those situations in which some are engaged in violence against others, while the rest of society’s members have chosen to remain detached. But when reaction comes from the afflicted party, it affects the whole of society and not just those who were directly engaged in violence. So, in every situation, people must look to the result of their actions.