Pakistan is one of those two countries which were made in the name of religion so that the people of Pakistan can openly live and practice their lives according to the teachings of Islam. Today after almost 74 years I feel sorry to say that we have failed the reason for which our country was made after so many sacrifices. I am talking about our society in which social principles and etiquette are completely missing. According to us, we are a so-called Muslim state, so let’s take a look at what Islamic teachings ask us to do. The best and ultimate source of teaching is Quran for us. In Surah al Hujrat, Allah has told us the social principles and etiquettes. In it He has mentioned some vital important ethics and rules of society, it teaches etiquette and norms to be observed in the Muslim community, including the proper conduct towards the Islamic Prophet (PBUH), an injunction against acting on any news without verification, a call for reconciliation and peace, as well injunctions against defamation, suspicion, and backbiting. It also declares a universal brotherhood among Muslims.
In Surah al-Hujrat, the thirteenth verse, which is one of the most famous verses of the Quran teaches us to establish equality with regard to race and origin only God can determine one’s nobility based on his piety. Its translation is “O mankind! Indeed, We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is righteous of you. Indeed, Allah knows and acquainted.” (49:13)
Now if we talk about the current situation in Pakistan, especially our political system, everything is going on in the opposite direction. The one big problem today in Pakistan is the spread of fake news, media paints the news in different colors to make it more attractive to the audience and portrays it differently which threatens the image of Pakistan on a global level and the worst thing is that people of Pakistan (majority of them) very easily believe in such news without even investigating, which creates a lot of hate and misinformation in society. Political leaders are bashing each other, getting personal, and accusing each other without any authentic proof, and their followers without even investigating are blindly following them and adding up in spreading the hate.
Let’s check what Allah in surah al-Hujrat says about it:
“O you who believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and became, over what you have done, regretful!” (49:6)
Every day newspapers are full of crime scenes from around Pakistan, it gives me goosebumps when I read that a brother killed his own brother or sister, or a son killed his own parents. We as a society have forgotten all the ethics, we have lost that connection that our ancestors, who sacrificed their lives for Pakistan, used to have with Allah.
In the 10th verse of surah Al-Hujrat, Allah tells us:
“The believers are but a single brotherhood: So make peace and reconciliation between your two (contending) brothers; and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy.” (49:10)
We all laugh when our leaders from different political parties abuse each other and call them funny and hilarious nicknames this is where we as a nation fail. We have normalized so many things like this which Quran totally refrains us to do.
Let me tell you what Allah says about this: “Let not a folk deride a folk who may be better than they (are), not let women (deride) women who may be better than they are; neither defame one another nor insult one another by nicknames. Bad is the name of lewdness after faith. And whosoever does not repent, such are evil is equal to doers.” (49:11)
All the issues mentioned above are just 1% of the total social issues present today in Pakistan. If we only understand what Allah is trying to teach us in this Surah, I am sure half of the problems will be gone and I hope Pakistan will be on the top happiest countries list, which is now 105 out of 146 countries. In addition, a very famous news channel was portraying this as “oh good we are above India at least” not seeing there are 104 countries above us. Instead of celebrating that, we are above India we can work hard and spread positivity to be on the top of the list. I pray we as a Nation work unitedly and stay connected to Allah and His teachings and refrain from insulting, mocking, backbiting, name-calling, and spying on others.
