Moral society

Society is not the product of a big bang something that has come into being just by accident. It owes its genesis and existence to the interdependence of individuals and groups for satisfying their biological and psychological needs.
In the process, social actors (individuals and groups) tacitly agree on certain principles that provide a strong basis for society to survive as a viable entity. Any deviation from those principles creates trust deficit which manifests itself in weak social relations, business failure, and dissolution of state.
And the beauty of principles is that they never change for any individual, organisation or nation, however powerful they may be. Following principles in life is like navigating the sea with the help of lighthouses located at beaches and other risky locations.
The lighthouse and naval vessel legend describes an encounter between a US aircraft carrier (identified as the US Navy) and apparently another vessel. Sensing a possible collision, the US Navy requests the other ship to change its course which responds by asking the US Navy to turn away from its chosen course. The captain of the US Navy reiterates his demand, identifying the ship he commands, and making threats but to no avail. At last, he changes its direction when he elicits the response from the other side, “I am a lighthouse. Your call”. One may debunk and challenge the veracity of this legend but no one can dispute its lesson.
The Holy Quran gives historical accounts of different people and then warns that Divine laws (principles) will not change for any individual or nation. Justice, for example, is one of the core principles underlying human interaction. Society loses its foundation if justice is either denied or delayed, if it is selectively dispensed, or if it does not appear to have been done to all and sundry regardless of their peculiar identity.
Abu Bakr (RA), after assuming the office of caliph, declared, “The weakest among you is powerful in my eyes until I do not get him his due and the most powerful among you is the weakest in my eyes until I do not make him pay due rights to others”.
A judge, Qadi Shurayh, decided a civil case in favour of a Jew against Ali (RA), who was the caliph at the time, because of insufficient evidence.
Now pause and see how justice is administered in this pure country. There is more than one judicial system available for different classes of society. Justice is a luxury that the poor and underprivileged have no right to aspire for. Because there is no effective system of justice (rewarding the right and punishing the wrong), crime has more room to flourish and we see the rising tide in murders, abduction for ransom, and financial corruption.
However, it is society that ultimately grants legitimacy to a government and shapes its character. Is it possible for rulers to remain clean and honest in the midst of a corrupt society? Our society, regardless of how we describe and measure it, places high premium on property and power rather than on good character and noble ambitions. A drug dealer is not judged according to his heinous crime against humanity. He is accorded VIP protocol everywhere he visits thanks to his flashy cars. Who will dare to see beyond the obvious to find young drug addicts dying a lingering death in the vicinity of the Karkhano market oblivious to the scorching summer and chilly winter?
Society promotes what it tolerates. The Last Messenger (pbuh) is reported to have said, “If one of you sees something wrong, let him change it with his hand; if he cannot, then with his tongue; if he cannot, then with his heart and this is the weakest faith.” To stop evil by force (by hand) is the exclusive domain of the state or anyone in position of authority provided other options have been exhausted and legal requirements have been fulfilled.
In order to strengthen the moral basis of society, it is necessary for a common man to speak up against social evils in whatever capacity he can or at least avoid becoming part of the evil network. As taxes sustains economy so morality sustains society with benefits for all its segments.
The writer teaches at FAST-NU, Peshawar.
Email: zeb.khan@nu.edu.pk