ISLAM recognises the importance of the family. It is a natural and fundamental unit of society. If all families of a given society are conscious of their roles and responsibilities in creating and developing healthy, righteous members, then society and subsequently the nation will benefit.

We all belong to a family and our nurturing, growth, mindset and character revolve around our family traditions. According to medical science, every child is a carrier of genetic factors of its family. Similarly, it is also evident from social history that many children prefer the vocations of their parents.

If a child is born in a politician’s or sportsman’s family, then it is probable he may become a politician or a sportsman in future to continue the family tradition. Also, if a family is educated with a strong inclination towards a particular religion, then the child is likely to pursue the same tradition. Thus the child is a reflection of the parents and carries forth family traditions.

Parents are always concerned about their children. Even prophets have expressed deep concern for their offspring. The Holy Quran refers to Hazrat Ibrahim, who wished that his children may be steadfast on the straight path and be regular in their prayers. He prayed, “My Lord! Make me one who performs prayer and also from my offspring….” (14:40). When Allah granted him leadership (imamah), he asked for the same position for his offspring (2:124).

Families in modern times face numerous challenges. Modernisation and urbanisation have totally changed the traditional patterns of family life. People are more conscious and in a hurry to earn more money to improve the quality of material life. No doubt in the present age when the cost of living is high it has become necessary for everyone to contribute towards the family income. But one must not forget the traditional values which are considered essential for family harmony.

In an ideal family setting, children get enough attention, quality time, love, guidance and patronage from their elders to build their future lives and similarly, grandparents enjoy respect, good healthcare and financial protection. Nowadays, many parents are busy in their jobs for long hours and children as well as grandparents are often neglected. They feel alienated and some youngsters can develop behavioural problems.

Islam does not prohibit the legal ways of earning money, but it does underline a sense of responsibility towards family, society and the ummah at large. The Holy Quran directs believers to “…Ward off from yourselves and your families a fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stone….” (66:6).

Every family wishes for its children to achieve the best in their careers. But certain eternal values whose roots are to be found in all civilisations must be adhered to. For example, the first and foremost requirement of every child is to have his mother’s milk at the start of life.

Nowadays, many mothers, due to a number of reasons, avoid breastfeeding their children, which results not only in physical weakness of the child but also intellectual and spiritual frailty. The Quran says that mothers should suckle their children for two whole years (2:233).

The second requirement is to provide the right environment that makes a child curious, imaginative and ethical. The home should be made a centre of Islamic values where future leadership is nurtured. The parents, as well as other senior members of the family, must avoid abusive language, violence and other unethical practices in the home environment. They should keep their home environment free from unhealthy activities like smoking, drugs and other abuses.

At a tender age, many children do not listen to their parents, but they do try to copy them. If the parents are sincere towards their religion, practising it daily and have a positive attitude towards their neighbours, kith and kin and humanity their children will also acquire the same traits later in life. If parents solve problems by creating understanding through mutual discussion, the children will develop the same method.

Another important aspect relates to schooling. It is incumbent upon parents to make sure their children get quality education.

Schools are supportive in the overall nurturing of a child, but the main responsibility lies on parents. Children spend a few hours in school, but the majority of their time is spent at home. In the Quran, our worldly life is likened to a sport (6:32); all sports require the spirit of sportsmanship. Likewise, our life is demanding, littered with challenges. Its competitive nature requires consistent and persistent efforts. It is a jihad in Islamic parlance.

In other words, one needs exercise to stay healthy, reading and reflection to stay fit intellectually, positive attitude in social interactions to command respect, savings and prudent living to meet economic exigencies and above all the regular practice of religion to strengthen the faith.

A cursory look at the present society indicates the alarmingly low level of the ethical standards of our new generation. The burgeoning gap between parents and children has blighted the social fabric and day-to-day incidents of violence and lawlessness require urgent steps to improve the situation.

The government has a great responsibility in this regard. For example, it needs to revise the curriculum and make relevant changes. The media, educationists and social scientists also need to contribute by suggesting essential changes to improve the child-parent relationship and strengthen the bonds of family life.

The writer is an educationist.

amin.valiani@itrebp.org

DailyDawn: 11.01.2013

SURAH Luqman provides an outline of the Islamic ethical framework. Verses 12 to 19 clearly spell out the indicators of a well-organised ethical framework for everyone.

God says in Verse 12 that, “And certainly We gave wisdom to Luqman [and said] be thankful to God. Those who are grateful are grateful [for their own soul]. And whoever denies, then God is free of need and praiseworthy”.

The innate ethical sense programmed in a human being commands him or her to be thankful to God. This act of thanksgiving makes a person humble and generous to fellow human beings. Those who show compassion and warmth to the creatures of God are the true manifestations of ethical sensibility.

The act of thanksgiving purges our egos from feelings of evil and whisperings of all sorts, hate, jealousy, revenge and oppression. This ego-cleansing activity has been termed by the Sufis as takhliya. Some spiritual teachers have made it mandatory upon their students to engage in takhliya every night and prepare a balance sheet and diagnose and rectify in case some evil feelings towards a fellow creature have crept into one’s thoughts and feelings.

The visible psychological effect of this purging gradually makes an ego recipient to the pain and suffering of fellow creatures.

The real value of thanksgiving is thus revealed in one’s own ego transforming and becoming humble. The permanent psychological advantage thus lies in humility and not pride and prejudice. It connects a person with God.

Then Luqman engages in a conversation with his son from verse 13 onwards. He advises him, “…Do not indulge in an act of association (shirk) with God. Shirk is the greatest injustice”. The next verse urges man to be kind to his parents: “…His mother carried him bearing weakness after weakness…. Be thankful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the [final] destination”.

Parental care is thus incumbent upon a person under all circumstances, except in case one’s parents force one to engage in an act of association (shirk) with God. The right of parental care is inalienable because God says that one should keep worldly relations with one’s parents in a decent manner even if they force one to indulge in shirk, but one must not engage in it at any cost.

The intactness of familial organisation is irreversibly connected to parental care. The sociological implication of ethical sensibility can be seen here very explicitly that bears upon the social foundations of human societies. The act of being thankful to God and one’s parents not only cleanses one’s ego but keeps the social system healthy, clean and dependable.

Verse 16 takes up the problem of evil very squarely. Luqman advising his son says, “Oh son! If the [evil] is equivalent to a mustard seed and remains hidden inside a rock or in the heavens or in the earth, God shall bring it forth. Verily God is subtle and aware”.

Those who think that they can get away with doing evil or hide it from divine accountability are mistaken. God has made examples of evil individuals and evil civilisations that transgressed and committed tyranny against others. The best practice Luqman advises his son is to stay away from evil.

Verses 17 to 19 describe the behavioural attributes of a person which have far-reaching moral, cultural and social consequences for a harmonious and healthy society. Luqman advises, “Oh my son! Establish prayer, and command good and forbid evil and be patient over what befalls you….” The next verse advises “And do not turn thy face away from people and do not walk in insolence on the land. Verily, God does not like the arrogant and the boastful”. Verse 19 says that “And be moderate in your pace and lower your voice. Verily the braying of the donkey is the most disagreeable of sounds”.

The practice of prayer connects one with God. This spiritual connection has a logical corollary: that one practises well and avoids evil in life. This also leads one to be patient and bear the pains, discomfort and losses in one’s life.

This patience is then reflected in interpersonal life and psychomotor activities of a person. One walks in harmony and talks with temperance. The attributes outlined by Luqman help create an ethical personality that is likeable. The ethical individual thus created would form the basis of a trust-efficient, interdependent and harmonious social fabric. The ethical and self-aware individuals then turn out to be the building blocks of a socially aware and critical collective.

This ethical model is absent from our collective life. Our public discourse and our textbooks promote pedagogy of loud speech, arrogance, complaining, discrimination and impatience etc. Our personality building discourse in classrooms as well as personality testing methods are based on alien ethical concepts.

For example, aggressive, competitive and self-confident are considered to be the core values of a successful manager. So management books are replete with examples of ‘aggressive managers’ who achieved success in their life by subscribing to utilitarian ethics, and which only focus around the notion of self-interest. One must pause here and ask what kind of ‘success’ one is looking for.

Similarly, TV talk shows, which promote loud speech and violent aggression, are highly rated and liked. Thus, our crisis is ethical and not of a political or economic nature.

The writer is a social scientist based at the University of Management and Technology, Lahore.

http://dawn.com/2013/01/18/the-ethical-framework/

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"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

IT can be argued that the biggest dilemma confronting the Muslim world currently is a moral and ethical one. The root cause of all the major ills that plague Muslims — ignorance, poverty, intolerance, etc — is the fact that many of us have failed to apply the practical ethics taught by Islam in our everyday lives.

The Quran and Sunnah contain very clear guidelines regarding the construction of an ethical personality. The Almighty desires that each individual reach the exalted station of ashraf al-makhluqat, the pinnacle of creation. Yet most Muslims are content — out of either lack of direction or lack of effort — to be counted amongst the asfala safileen, or the lowest of the low. The disastrous results of such a course of action are clear for all to see.

But what is strange is that in a country like Pakistan, which is so full of religiosity and claims to be an ‘Islamic’ society, there is a huge moral and ethical vacuum. This either means that the majority of us are hypocrites, or we have not endeavoured far enough into the bottomless oceans of knowledge to seek out the pearls of truth — and act upon it. One would like to believe the latter is the case.

Considering that Rabiul Awwal, and particularly this day, is linked to the blessed birth of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) — that greatest of teachers and possessor of the most sublime morals — it would be in order to reacquaint ourselves with the examples of moral excellence found in the life of the Messenger. This is important for two reasons.

Firstly, in order to improve our own ethical situation we need to go beyond just professing love for the Prophet and try to apply his example to our own lives. Secondly, in the wake of crude attempts by some to malign his impeccable character, Muslims need to practically demonstrate to other communities what it means to be a follower of the Messenger. In other words, burning down our own cities to ‘protect’ his honour is light years away from the example he has set; building a compassionate, knowledgeable, egalitarian and indeed ethical society is in line with what the Prophet taught.

To get a proper idea about the personality of the Prophet, we must consult the traditional primary sources of Islam: the Quran and the authentic hadith. This is important for as Iranian scholar Prof Syed Hossein Nasr argues in his book Ideals and Realities of Islam, “In order to understand the significance of the Prophet it is not sufficient to study from the outside historical texts pertaining to his life. One must view him also from within the Islamic point of view. …”

However, it is also important to consider what those outside of Islam say about the Prophet, especially regarding his moral excellence. While there is much spurious material available in historical texts meant to malign the Prophet’s character — due partly to Orientalist biases against Islam and partly due to the early controversies regarding the recording of hadith within the Islamic realm — there are some truly remarkable and frank admissions from non-Muslim thinkers regarding the Messenger’s ethical excellence.

For example English historian Edward Gibbon says in History of the Saracen Empire, which he co-authored: “The greatest success of Muhammad’s (PBUH) life was effected by sheer moral force without the stroke of a sword.” On the other hand Mahatma Gandhi is quoted to have said: “I became more … convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam. … It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for his pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission.”

Aside from the words of such luminaries of history, most Muslims have — from childhood — heard traditions in which the moral excellence and outstanding character of the Prophet have been highlighted. Traditions which speak of his magnanimity towards adversaries, his tenderness towards the weak, the poor and the downtrodden of society, his love of knowledge, his dislike of arrogance and ostentation, his simplicity etc. Yet if we study our own society most of these values are completely absent, despite our claims of love for the Prophet.

Instead, what we find here and in most Muslim states is a vicious society steeped in ignorance, malice and exploitation. Justice — the foundation upon which an Islamic society is built — is completely absent. And those who talk of imposing Sharia present a frightening, mutilated version of Islam, one which is at complete odds with the Prophet’s Islam.

This disconnect between what we preach and what we practise must be urgently addressed in order to reform society. The pulpit must be at the forefront of this struggle: instead of focusing on relatively minor issues and fanning differences, society’s shortcomings (and their solutions) must be highlighted in mosques. This is admittedly a tall order, but until the pulpit — perhaps the most powerful of religious platforms — is used to construct a better society, change will not be forthcoming.

Going back to what Prof Nasr has written, in the Holy Quran the Almighty announces that He and the angels confer blessings upon the Prophet, going on to order those who believe to do the same (‘Surah Ahzab’). Such is the stature of the Noble Messenger that without conferring blessings upon him and his progeny the daily prayers are incomplete. These are clear signs for those who believe that there is no better an example to emulate in order to achieve excellence in this world and the next.

The writer is a member of staff.

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"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

Is Sharia immutable?
By Asghar Ali Engineer

IT is believed by millions of Muslims across the world that Sharia laws are immutable and represent divine will. This is based on serious misunderstanding. Sharia is not and cannot be immutable.

Recently I was invited to the Jaipur Literary Festival to be part of a panel discussion on the book Heaven on Earth by Sadakat Kadri of London, which is on the application of Sharia laws across the Muslim world. He has travelled to different Muslim countries and talked to various ulema and muftis about Sharia as applied to their respective countries.

All of them were defenders of conservative Sharia formulations and refused to admit any change. They maintained that Sharia being divine cannot be changed. It is from this rigidity of our ulema that the misunderstanding among common Muslims arises that Sharia is divine and hence immutable.

In fact our ulema forget that ijtihad was not only permitted but encouraged by the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) and the hadith pertaining to Ma’adh bin Jabal is well-known.

When the Prophet appointed him to the governorship of Yemen and he came to take leave of the Prophet, Ma’adh was asked how he would govern. Ma’adh said, according to the Quran. The Prophet thereupon asked what he would do if he did not find the solution to the problem in the Quran, to which Ma’adh said he would govern according to the Sunnah. But when the Prophet asked if he could not find it in the Sunnah also, Ma’adh said “ana ajtahidu” (I will exert myself to find the solution). The Prophet thereupon patted his back and told him he was right.

All ulema accept this hadith and yet, while theoretically admitting the permissibility of ijtihad, refuse to engage in it or allow it saying there is no one capable of doing it.

In fact, what is unalterable are the principles and values underlying Sharia ie usul al-fiqh. But laws based on these usul must undergo change in keeping with changes in the social and cultural context. In fact cultural context plays a very important role in the formulation of Sharia. The Arab adaat (customs and traditions) form an important part of Sharia formulations.

The late Abdurrahman Wahid, who headed Indonesia’s religious organisation Nahdlatul Ulama and also served as president of that country, told me once that there was great debate among the ulema of Indonesia over whether Indonesian customs and traditions can become part of Sharia as applicable in that country; those who advocated Indonesian adaat ultimately won.

Let us remember that what was called the Muslim ummah (community) during the Prophet’s time was limited to Arabia only. But when Islam spread to different areas the ummah was no more confined to the Arabs alone; it also encompassed the Iranians, Uzbeks, Turks, Chinese, Indians and others. Thus there were various linguistic and cultural groups within the fold of Islam.

Sharia was influenced by these factors. Thus the ummah was no longer a homogenous group but comprised of various cultural communities with their own age-old customs and traditions.

However, the values, maqasid (intentions) and masalih (welfare) of human beings did not change. Maqasid al-sharia and masalih al-sharia do not change, but in order to keep these values, maqasid and masalih intact, the rules framed by the ulema must change. When Imam Shafi’i moved from Hejaz to Egypt, which was a confluence of Arab and Coptic cultures, he realised this and changed his position on several issues.

However, what I am saying does not apply to ibadaat ie matters pertaining to worship, the world hereafter etc but only to matters pertaining to mu’amalat ie interpersonal relations like marriage, divorce, inheritance and many other similar socio-economic matters.

The most important, of course, among these is matters pertaining to marriage, divorce etc. In Jaipur I spoke mainly on women’s position in Sharia and women’s position in the Quran.

The fact that the venue was packed with people shows the interest women’s position in general and that of Muslim women in particular generates. I commented that the book referred to earlier deals with only the status quo and application of Sharia laws of patriarchal and feudalised Islamic societies. It very much misses what I call the transcendental Quranic vision. The Quran gives absolutely equal rights to man and woman without any discrimination.

However, the Quran was revealed in a highly patriarchal society which later also became feudalised when the caliphate turned into a feudal empire. Thus patriarchy and feudalism completely distorted the fundamental Quranic vision of gender equality and women’s individuality and dignity.

Unless we understand these sociological and cultural aspects and relate them to the theological one, we will miss the very revolutionary role which Islam wanted to play in totally transforming women’s status.

However, it is highly regrettable that Muslim societies could not produce ulema with the capacity to relate sociology with theology. Even in modern and post-modern societies our ulema totally lack a transcendental vision of Islam. They have become prisoners of the past and have frozen Islam in a feudal, patriarchal state.

We need theologians with vision to fulfil the Quran’s mission of going beyond the present which is full of injustice. Our society is replete with gender injustices and the Quran’s central value is justice — justice in all areas of life. Gender justice is as emphatically emphasised as justice in social and economic matters.

In order to emphasise gender justice it is high time that we produce female theologians with profound knowledge of the Arabic language. Even the most conservative ulema cannot oppose the concept of female theologians.

The writer is an Islamic scholar who also heads the Centre for Study of Society & Secularism, Mumbai.

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"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

Leadership criteria

By Muhammad Burdbar Khan

IT is often stated that the real reason behind the world’s perennial financial, economic and political crises is the lack of ethical leadership.

If one ponders over the state of affairs in Pakistan as well, it becomes clear that it is also the singular lack of leadership that is driving the country into the abyss.

Leadership can be commonly defined as directly or indirectly influencing others, by means of formal authority or personal attributes, to act in accordance with one’s intent or a shared purpose.

There is an emphasis on the role of ‘transformational’ leadership in academic circles these days. It has been preferred as a better mode of leadership than ‘transactional’ leadership, which is characterised by a swapping, trading or bargaining motive in an exchange process between a leader and the led.

Transactional leadership lacks lasting engagement between the two sides as both ‘use’ one another as we commonly see in material exchanges. On the contrary, transformational leadership involves the mutual ‘raising’ of both sides to higher levels of motivation and morality.

It is acknowledged that authentic transformational leadership must rest on a moral foundation of legitimate values. The difference between authentic and pseudo-transformational leadership lies in the presence or absence of such a moral foundation of the leader.

In addition, leaders in different spheres of life may impart ethical values to followers who seek guidance from authorities they respect and trust. However, if the values spread are unethical, these authorities are pseudo-transformational, as we commonly see in Pakistan. Ironically, although still eyed with suspicion, spirituality at the workplace has gained currency in the West and there is even talk of spiritual leadership in Western academic circles.

Spirituality based leadership, academically, does not differ much from leadership, but rather proposes that leadership must be based on self-realisation, personal character, and foster integrity and character throughout the organisation. Besides virtuous behaviour, spirituality looks for transcendence in human life. Consciousness and affirmation of the higher self is considered essential in spiritual leadership behaviour for engendering care for others.

The moral development of the leader, thus, embraces the individual, familial and spiritual dynamics of the personality. Small wonder, then, that transformational leadership incorporates terms such as ethics, character, transcendence etc. Such leaders receive power without seeking it.

We can find accounts of these leadership styles in spiritual and religious traditions. We find authentic transformational leadership to be more consistent than transactional leadership with Islamic traditions. In Islam, the general philosophy of life centres on Tawhid — the oneness of the Creator.

From this unity of the Creator follows the unity of creation, and unity of purpose in the life of a human being. In the Islamic concept of the universe, man has been appointed as a vicegerent (khalifah) on this earth by God and everything has been given to him in trust (amanah).

As part of society, he has to perform his duties while being conscious of that trust. In fact, there are verses of the Quran pointing to the same concept: “Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: “I will create a vicegerent on earth. …” (2:30).

Leadership in Islam is considered a trust. A leader is entrusted with leading a group of people or managing an organisation. The leader is responsible as well as accountable. There are two levels of trust: responsibility and accountability. Trust goes with responsibility and accountability as is depicted in the following verse: “O David! We did indeed make thee a vicegerent on earth: so judge thou between men in truth (and justice): Nor follow thou the lusts (of thy heart), for they will mislead thee from the path of Allah: for those who wander astray from the path of Allah, is a penalty grievous, for that they forget the Day of Account” (38:26).

Islam acknowledges that leadership is exercised at different levels. A well-known prophetic tradition outlines the concept of multi-level leadership: “Each of you is a guardian and is responsible for his subjects. The ruler, who has authority over people, is a guardian and is responsible for them. … So, all of you are guardians and are responsible for your charges” (Muslim, 2000, 663).

Thus, leadership has to be exercised at the level of the family, community, organisation and country. A leader is accountable to God primarily, but he/she is accountable to the people/follower as well. The Prophet (PBUH) has been quoted to have said: “If a person dies having cheated the people he/she was entrusted with, he/she will not smell the scent of paradise” (Muslim, 2000).

In fact, one should not seek a leadership role in Islam for the sake of power but only when one has the expertise to help others in a crisis situation. Interestingly, it is quite contrary to what we see these days when all and sundry make a beeline for the corridors of power for any potential benefit.

Many prophetic traditions emphasise that appointments to leadership positions should be mainly based on qualifications and the ability to do the job. A Quranic verse states: “…Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. …” (49:13).

The preceding discussion informs us that the world in general and Pakistan in particular urgently needs transformational leadership bordering on spiritual leadership which must rest on moral foundations.

More importantly, only those must be considered for positions of leadership who are competent and qualified for the job and who are not only conscious of their immense responsibilities but also mindful of ultimate accountability to the higher (divine) self.

The writer is member of the adjunct faculty at Stirling Management School, University of Stirling, Scotland.

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"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

Importance of Discipline
By Amin Valliani

February 15, 2013

AT many places in the Holy Quran there is reference to the universe and its different phenomena. It invites us to reflect on the working of all celestial bodies and learn lessons in order to be successful in life.

All celestial bodies are governed by discipline an organised and coordinated system with an invisible linkage.

We see the daily rising and setting of the sun, the moon appears and shines according to phases, the seasons change on a yearly basis and the days and nights occur according to their length fixed in every season.

Similarly on the earth we see green trees, colourful flowers, sweet and delicious fruits, towering mountains, gushing water channels, animals, birds, bees and insects and the oceans. All these are bound together by natural laws which allow them to exist with an integrated coherence.

Within the human body there are several systems, such as the respiratory, circulatory, digestive, nervous and reproductive systems working according to set patterns.

By studying all of this one can learn and discover the secrets of nature. Allah promises that `We will show them Our signs in the universe and in their own selves until it becomes manifest to them that this is the truth. ...` (41:53).

Natural laws are inherent in the working of the entire universe. They are balanced, well-integrated and divinely enforced ever since the universe was created.

Islam, being a natural religion, has emphasised learning from nature. It has prescribed community practices like the daily prayers, fasting, Haj and other acts of worship synchronising with the movement of celestial bodies. Thus we learn many lessons but the most important lesson one can learn is discipline. It can be regarded as a major theme, a core value and a great secret of success in any area of human endeavour.

Every human desires success in life, but success depends on strictly following the path of discipline. To be disciplined means to follow the teachings of a guide, whether that guide is a person, an ethic, a community, a historical tradition or a set of ideas and to organise one`s behaviour and attitude according to those teachings, as per the Encyclopaedia of Religion.

The Holy Prophet (PBUH) spent years in order to change the unruly Arab culture into a civilised society. Islam encourages Muslims to display responsible behaviour in life. It disallows drinking alcohol, gambling and other vices which take people towards indiscipline and laxity. The Holy Quran portrays a vivid picture of the Day of Judgment characterised by an extreme sense of discipline. It says `On the day when it comes no person shall speak except by His (Allah`s)leave. ...` (11:105).

A human in this world is like a student in a school. He has to learn lessons of regularity, punctuality, mindfulness and attentiveness to what his teachers say. Discipline makes our lives easy and enables us to realise our goals. Overall, society becomes caring and law-abiding.

As far as our nation`s history is concerned, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah dreamt that Pakistan would be an egalitarian, progressive and peaceful society. He gave certain ideals like unity, faith and discipline. If the country had been run according to these ideals the nation would have progressed and would not be in the mess it is in now.

Discipline is one of the most important requirements if a nation is to progress. It leads man to the path of success, be it in any field or institution. Without adhering to a strict sense of discipline, achieving success becomes very difficult.

Discipline differentiates humans from beasts. For example a stray animal leads an irregular and undisciplined life. It sleeps wherever it finds a place, scavenges through garbage for scraps of food etc. Animals do not have a sense of right and wrong, nor a guide or directions to regulate their life. But humans are subject to discipline and their success lies in adherence to it.

A society without a strong sense of discipline in all areas of life has, time and again in human history, proved to be well on the way to decay. Unfortunately over the last many years many state organisations in Pakistan, as well as the public at large, have ignored the Islamic message of discipline.

For example we often read reports pointing out financial indiscipline in matters of public funds. Government officers running the public services have become lax. Major cities like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad present the worse scenario of indiscipline. Markets are plagued by rampant encroachments, traffic on the roads is hugger-mugger, people travel on the roofs of buses without realising the inherent dangers. Lack of discipline makes our main roads jam-packed causing irritation and friction on thoroughfares. Illegal parking and crumbling roads make urban life a nightmare. These are just a few examples.

This state of indiscipline is tied to the overall state of affairs prevailing in Pakistan.

Changing mindsets and the culture of indiscipline is much harder than changing the law. It needs proper planning with clear indications about where society needs to be headed. The media and the education system have to play a crucial role in this regard. As a suggestion, television channels can try and convince people to change their thinking, attitude and style of working. They can telecast short plays highlighting core values and Islamic messages based on discipline, regularity, punctuality and empathy for others. This may persuade people to lead more disciplined lives.

• The writer is an educationist.

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Mitta do apni hasti ko, agar kuch martaba chahiye,
k dana khak men mil kar gul-i-gulzar banta hai.

Culture, ethics & architecture
By Muhammad Ali

BUILDING and construction have been significant activities in human civilisation. The journey from caves to building gigantic cities reflects the enormous interest and capacity of human beings in these areas.

Studying the built environment has become one of the important disciplines of human knowledge. The built environment encompasses the entire man-made environment such as buildings, roads, parks, rural and urban planning/development, social/religious spaces etc.

Because of the strong connection between the built environment and quality of life, this area has received extensive attention in many societies and therefore it is studied in connection with other disciplines such as health, development, education and ethics. However, in developing countries like Pakistan this notion has not yet received considerable attention.

Today, many Muslim societies like Pakistan are facing enormous challenges in terms of the built environment. At times construction-related activities are driven largely by economic forces with less consideration for their impact on common people and the environment. It is also observed that sometimes, buildings are constructed while copying from other contexts without considering the local context/culture. This process has posed critical challenges.

For example in many cities, like Karachi, open spaces such as parks and gardens are gradually being replaced with huge buildings. Increasingly, social areas are vanishing. The mushrooming of underdeveloped slums creates enormous challenges to fulfilling the basic needs of the dwellers.

Most buildings are constructed poorly without considering human safety and security. As a result the quality of life is impacted in terms of physical and mental health, social life, education and economic development. Living in a globalised world there is no harm in learning from other societies about architecture and construction but context, needs, cultures, values etc should be kept in mind. The quality of architecture is not limited to technical knowledge. Rather, it also requires cultural and ethical knowledge. Although the ethical and cultural dimension can be learnt from different sources, the rich heritage of Muslims in art and architecture can be one of the most powerful sources.

Historically, Muslim societies have contributed significantly to art and architecture. They have played a vital role in building or extending exemplary cities such as Abbasid Baghdad, Fatimid Cairo, Safavid Isfahan, Ottoman Istanbul and Mughal Lahore. These cities have significance for different reasons such as their design, structure, construction and facilities. They have been hubs of economic and cultural activities for centuries and survive even today.

While building these cities conscious decisions were made in terms of planning and construction, particularly keeping in mind the public interest, strategic position and economic prospects. For example, when Al-Mansur, the second Abbasid caliph, came to power, he envisioned a modern city for his capital (modern-day Baghdad).

According to the famous Muslim historian Al-Tabari, the caliph took a deep interest in the planning and construction of the city. Along with inducting experts from different parts of the world, he himself visited the location and spent months there to supervise the planning and construction process.

Baghdad has been considered impressive for its design, construction, infrastructure, facilities for common people etc. This city has been the centre for different civilisations and cultures for centuries. Similarly, other cities built by Muslims have also been appreciated for their planning and architectural design.

Today, along with technical knowledge the cultural and ethical dimensions of Muslim architecture need to be explored to gain an insight and respond to the challenges in the contemporary Muslim world. Various characteristics of Muslim architecture have been highlighted in literature, which are still relevant to deal with the challenges of architecture.

Adaptability is viewed as one of the important aspects of Muslim architecture. Muslims have learnt from other traditions but they have adapted them wisely by modifying and adding according to their cultural and contextual needs.

Durability is considered another important aspect of the architecture. Many buildings/constructions have survived for centuries and are still in good condition.

Muslim architecture is also seen as user-friendly. For instance space, ventilation and light were particularly taken into account while designing the interior and exterior of buildings.

Furthermore, aesthetics played a predominant role in Muslim architecture. Geometrical shapes were extensively used in the design as symbols. Calligraphy has traditionally been the most prominent feature. Colours were selected carefully with an eye to the kind of building they were to be used for. Water and greenery were considered one of the important aspects of architecture to symbolise religious/ cultural ideals such as purity and jannah.

A conscious effort to engage with diverse kinds of Islamic architecture will not only be helpful to learn from, but also to support efforts to preserve heritage. Such engagement will also provide common people with an opportunity to enhance their quality of life through the process of integration into their heritage.

In short, the built environment is very much connected to human life. The rich Muslim heritage in architecture can be a valuable source for Muslims to learn from in order to respond to the ethical/cultural issues of architecture. In this regard, conscious efforts are needed at multiple levels such as the policy level, through education, media etc, to educate the people about the importance of the built environment in enhancing the quality of life.

The writer is an educator.

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"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

UNTIL yesterday, a woman was considered a man’s property after marriage and gratification with her was considered his absolute right.

She could not deny her husband this right, whether she wanted to or not. In the early 1980s I was sent a query about this issue. I went through all available traditional Islamic literature and found nothing addressing this problem.

I also studied literature on women’s movements in various countries and found that no such concept exists in Western laws too. But then I came across a judgment of a British court which addressed the question of a husband forcing himself on an unwilling wife.

This set me thinking and compelled me to study the Quran from this angle. As we all know most of the Quranic verses were revealed over a period of 23 years and were in response to some or the other problem which arose in the Prophet’s (PBUH) life. It seems that no such problem arose as women in those days also considered it their duty to surrender quietly to their husbands’ demands. For the same reason hadith literature was also silent on this question.

But mere silence does not mean approval. The Quran is also silent about punishment for drinking. Does it mean drinking is allowed? Not at all. The punishment for drinking was prescribed through analogical reasoning. Also, the Prophet was strongly in favour of ijtihad based on Quranic values and the values of Sunnah. It is also important to note that it would amount to injuring the basic spirit of the Quran to assign fixed meanings to its verses.

If the Quran is a book of eternal guidance, especially in new situations arising from time to time, one must have the freedom to rethink the meanings of its verses in novel situations.

Also, what is more important to note is that the Quran was not meant for guidance of one or two generations of Arabs but was meant to guide entire humanity for all times to come. Although it is true that the Quran addresses some specific problems of immediate relevance to the Arabs of the time, the Holy Book is much more than that. It gives certain eternal moral and ethical values and a transcendent vision going much beyond the time it was revealed in. Only persons of great vision could capture this spirit of the Quran.

Again it was for this reason that its verses — ever dynamic and pregnant with meaning — were interpreted in different ways. Also, if we confine the Quran to Arab culture, customs and traditions, it will lose much of its relevance for the coming ages.

What the Quran prescribed by way of women’s rights was revolutionary enough. It gave to women what no woman could have imagined at the time. Yet there were severe constraints at that time and extremely low consciousness among women themselves in that era.

Now times are changing fast and women’s consciousness is not what it was when the ulema of the time were formulating Sharia laws. The whole approach to the divine text has to change in keeping with the transcendent vision of our own times. This requires not only the study of the Quran in great depth but more than that focus on its real vision. In the past the ulema, in keeping with the spirit of their own times, considered woman, above anything else, a reproductive agent and also a means for the gratification of men’s desires. Sadly even verses on polygamy and possession of slave girls were interpreted in this light and even contemporary ulema talk of polygamy as necessary because women go through menstrual cycles and pregnancy. Nothing could be more absurd than this.

Even a cursory study of the Quran makes it clear that a woman is as much a spiritual entity with dignity of her own as a man. The Holy Book repeatedly advises men to treat women in all matters, including marriage, divorce and even weaning of children, with utmost sensitivity, compassion and mercy. The Prophet gave women the greatest respect both in the roles of mother and wife.

It was for this reason that when women asked the Prophet about their status, Verse 33:35 was revealed, which gave women the most exalted spiritual status. How can they then be treated as mere objects of sexual desire as most of our ulema reduce them to?

Desire is not the end but a means of perpetuating the human species and women have a more exalted status in this respect as they fulfil the reproductive function. But for them the human species would be extinct. Men thus cannot treat women as an object of sexual desire but a most noble means of perpetuating the human race.

Thus any attempt to force women to merely fulfil men’s lust would be un-Quranic in spirit and against her dignity. Love and tenderness are most fundamental where relations between man and wife are concerned. It is these feelings according to the Quran which create a strong marital bond. If there is no love and tenderness, such a marriage cannot be successful.

The writer is an Islamic scholar who also heads the Centre for Study of Society & Secularism, Mumbai.

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"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

15.03.2013 THE earth and its environment are the most valuable assets for all creation. Be it the tiniest insect or a gargantuan creature, all are dependent on the earth’s resources.

Among all earthly creations, the position of human beings is superb. Man has a special relation and connection with the earth. Being worthy of prostration by the angels, he is regarded as the crown of creation, a microcosm of the universe and a trustee of all that is created. He is God’s vicegerent on earth and assigned the responsibility of taking care of other creations.

He has been gifted with divine guidance, a potential to develop his intellect and build a repository of knowledge. He can also develop his intuition to become a spiritual being. These developments enable him to foresee the portents of the future and act accordingly. Allah says that “It is He who created for you all that is on earth. …”
(2:29). The resources of the earth — material and non-material — are all under man’s trusteeship.

The higher position of humans leads to higher responsibility. This includes the responsibility of protecting the earth against all perils. The earth has all the ways and means needed for man’s survival and development. Allah has created the earth for human habitation. Among the known celestial bodies, it has been inhabited by humans and other creatures from time immemorial. It is a place of worshiping Allah and prostrating before Him, seeking blessings and invoking His name day and night.

The Quran refers to the earth very often as a reflection of Allah’s power of creation and invites us to look at the mountains, rivers, trees and flowers as evidence of Allah’s grace for humanity. The earth provides divine signs and symbols, paving the way to develop one’s self, society and the world at large. Islam guides humanity about how to fulfil the responsibilities related to the earth and carry out development cautiously, thoughtfully and conscientiously.

The earth is an exciting place where man can develop a reflective self and a humane society to foretaste the promises of the life hereafter. The social interactions that take place on earth also impact on one’s faith and spiritual life. It is a training ground where a believer learns how to lead a pious life. If he is able to live a pious life here, he would resultantly be capable of inheriting an abode in paradise.

We have inherited the earth from our ancestors and will leave it behind for future generations. It has the beauty and resources to sustain humanity for centuries to come. Therefore, every human act should strengthen its beauty and safeguard its resources.

Humans have been warned over time to be cautious as every act of man has an impact and leaves an imprint on the earth. The earth has been assigned the task of providing sustenance and shelter to all creatures. It is spacious enough to perform prayers. It has been symbolised as a sowing field to harvest in the hereafter. In short Allah says “…Therein you shall live and therein you shall die and from it you shall be brought out” (7:25).

History testifies that humanity has always been capitalising on the earth’s resources. Many a time the quest for the earth’s resources has become a bone of contention among different nations. Many have fought wars and killed each other over the competition for earthly resources. The earth provides evidence of tyrannies, atrocities and bloodshed of past nations as well as signs and symbols of man’s past achievements in order for us to think and draw lessons.

The present era of modernisation and industrialisation has also brought new challenges for the earth. Myriad human activities have created a sense of fear among saner circles that rampant use of resources and unwarranted extinction of natural life would render the earth barren.

Many societies have witnessed the fast-disappearing natural beauty. Rapid expansion of population, increasing environmental degradation and uneven development have contributed to make a mess of the earth.

The environment is affected with the advancement of modern technology, cultivable land has been turned into industrial zones, mining, exploration, dams, deforestation and highways have changed the nature of the environment. Though laws exist in Pakistan requiring environmental impact assessments to regulate developmental projects and ensure sustainable development, these need to be rigorously implemented.

Also, the growing precariousness of resources demands self-assessment with a change of mindset. Aggrandisement, avarice, excess spending and showing off are vices which the human nature is prone to. These vices have often led some to plunder and subsequently degenerate the earth.

We have been enjoined to be careful in the use of natural resources and to leave behind the world and its resources in a better shape than it was when we came into it.
Being the trustees, our ideal spending patterns should be in conformity with Islamic values that reflect simplicity, modesty and forethought. This does not imply, however, that one should refrain from utilising nature-gifted resources for meeting legitimate needs or providing necessary comforts.

Yet it does require some sort of sanity, sound and serious judgment and consideration when it comes to consumption. Islam’s central emphasis is on walking the middle path, avoiding the epicurean as well as the miserly ways of life.

The writer is an educationist.

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"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

EVERY year March 8 is celebrated as International Women`s Day. ... Women deserve to be appreciated and encouraged because they have rendered numerous sacrifices and endured injustices and are still facing discrimination and ill-treatment ... in society. ...Women can play apivotalrole in the social and economic development of the country and it is the duty of the state to give proper attentionto progress of the female population.

...The celebration of the ..

day reminds us of the significance of females in our society and urges us to accept their due rights, give them proper share in the policymaking institutions and work for their development, especially in underdeveloped areas.

Nobody can deny women their rights across the globe and in the present era womenare in the position to raise a voice for their rights and against violations. ... The male population alone cannot overcome the existing problems and it is the need of the hour to take advantage of women`s support and experiences in different fields and sectors.[we also need to] . .

focus on the issues of rural women. It is a fact that women in the rural [areas J can play avital role in boosting the national economy. ...The government should also take notice of the injustices [meted out to women. It should] particularly [focus on] stopping child marriages, `marriages` with the Quran, acid-throwing incidents and harassment of women.