THE ISLAMIC WAY OF LIFE

A believer sees all of humanity as his family and the entire universe as his abode. The great importance given to moral character serves as a criterion by which to judge all other Islamic virtues. If one is good to others, it is evidence that one is also good in relation to God. The Prophet Muhammad puts it thus: One who is not grateful to man cannot be grateful to God either. (Al-Bayhaqi) SOCIAL RELATIONS Individual Responsibility To preserve society from instability and keep it in a perpetually reformed state, Islam has a basic commandment mentioned at many places in the Quran. One such Quranic verse reads: “(Believers are those)... who enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil” (9: 112). The point has been repeated in a number of traditions of the Prophet, such as the following: “A believer ought to open the gate of good and close the door of evil” (Musnad Ahmad). This commandment has been misrepresented by certain self-styled advocates of Islamic revolution as being political in nature. It is entirely non-political. It indicates that every member of society ought to have a strong sense of responsibility towards society. None should remain indifferent on seeing the perpetration of evil or injustice. One should feel the pain of others in one's own heart. When one sees someone engaged in calumny and slander of others, one should attempt to stop it. Every member of society should consider the upholding of virtue to be an essential duty. The greatest concern of every individual should be to follow what is good and to see that goodness flourishes in society and evil is uprooted. This needs to be done with gentleness and well-wishing, not harshness and violence. This explains why social responsibility is linked with acts of worship in Islam. Family Life A sane society is an extension of a sane family. Human society at large is a single family gradually extended throughout history. Islam emphasises the significance of a disciplined and well-organised family life because it supports and maintains social stability. A family begins when a male and a female decide as members of society to live together under one roof. However, Islam does not allow such a relationship between a man and a woman, unless it is based on a legitimate marital contract, meant to guarantee lifelong partnership of rights and duties,