When Moral Values Go Astray

There was a group of people who, when it was said to them "do not commit corruption", they responded, "we are but putting things right". Whereas, in God's view, they are the ones who are truly spreading corruption even though they admit that they are neither cognizant nor mindful of it.  Even though those people think that they have a good, ethical mission, they lack the true vision of right and wrong. Consequently, they contribute to moral chaos in society. The attitude of such a group is recorded in the Qur'an, al-Baqarah, 2:11-12. Moreover, there is even a hopeless case of one who-because evil in his conduct is so alluring to him-he regards Evil as Good (see Fatir, 35: 8; al-Naml, 27: 24; al-‘Ankabut, 29: 38).
The worldview of Islam reminds Muslims not to act merely as they please, as without the aid of Revealed knowledge, contradiction with regard to what constitutes good or bad, will arise.
With regard to the value of action in the context of morality, so-called instincts are in a state of battle; some minds consider certain acts to be good, while others consider those to be bad. Even one person can be of two minds concerning one and the same action. Consideration of what is good or bad may also come to be based on mere whim, since capriciousness (al-hawa) often wins out over one's intellect and obscures its moral valuation.

When permissiveness is allowed, then society gives rise to terrorists, for example who commit injury against the innocent, students who turn upon their teachers and violate the educational institutions, and children who are hostile to their parents-all the while claiming they are putting things right and consider that which is Evil to be Good.
Additionally, ethical relativism will allow for decorum to be led astray and permit widespread abandonment of any standard comprising that which is decent, proper, and right in terms of speech, dress, and behaviour.

Article courtesy of Dr. Mohd Sani b. Badron, IKIM Fellow, Additional <LINKS>