39 replies to this topic

[pbarry]

We have a saying (here in the West) - that if you look for the bad, you will find it every time. However, if you look for the good, you will find that too. Our country is full of kind, decent, moral people and JUST LIKE EVERYWHERE ELSE, even in the Middle East, there are people who fit your description above. Opinions like yours are so one-sided that all they accomplish is to further divide our societies. This will never bring peace. You continue to brush everyone in the West  with the same paint and to focus only on the negative. It is clear you do not live here, because your description of our society (as a whole) is obviously biased and one-sided. It is unfortunate that you cannot see all that good that is here. If you could you would be more human and therefor a bringing of peace and unity. Your comments do nothing but continue the tensions and hatreds and misunderstandings that have brought our world to the turmoil it is in. If you really believe the things you say then I would think you would be looking for commonalities, not differences.

[~RuQaYaH~]

Hassan kachal, on 19 May 2011 - 10:44 AM, said:

Good post, And this is essentially the point.

All those who posted about how great things are mainly focused on things like scientific and technological advances, which are no doubt important. Yet there's been no mention of morality, and it is on that front that mankind is seriously at a loss.

There have been plenty of moral advances. The mass reduction in slavery (slavery still exists in various forms but it is not like it used to be and the world's economies are no longer built on the institution), institutionalised and even other racism, advances in women's rights/ workers rights/disability rights etc etc. The development of international human rights norms and international humanitarian law have created much moral advancement in society (though ofcourse not every single thing that they espouse has been good/perfect).

There has ofcourse been alot of moral degradation too - a rise in fornication, adultery, homosexuality, indecent dress, individualism, materialism, a reduction in general manners/respect towards others etc etc.

The former advancement relates more to institutional change and creating opportunities for disadvantaged groups whereas the latter relates to moral degradation as a result of granting more and more individual freedom. Which outweighs which, I don't know. But to say that morally it has all been bad is inaccurate and also note that although moral degradation in the sense described above is occurring virtually everywhere, those issues are most serious in industrialised countries.

Anyway, as I stated earlier, globalisation and things like media and new media forms means that humans do indeed have greater potential for evil, but it also means that we have greater potential for good. Instead of complaining about how terrible society is and how the media is being used to cause further moral degradation, we should put our efforts on using it to do good. May Allah (swt) hasten the reappearance of our Imam and may he inspire us to actively work towards the reappearance while we wait.

wasalaam

[kazmicabc]

Ruqayah you have explained the topic beautifully.


I feel we need to hasten our guards against moral evils and strengthen our remembrance of Allah subhanahutallah and Imam e Asar (A.S). This really helps in a society which feeds you corruption through you senses like sight and hearing. Prepare for the ultimate and know that its not too far when we hear our Imams call.

[3rd June]

Every coin has two sides, so lets look at the brighter side.
Every rose has its thorns, so lets look only on the rose.

[Aly ReZa]

interesting thread

[Saviour]

In The Name Of Allah, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful.

Layla40, on 29 April 2011 - 06:44 PM, said:

AGREED. But, compared to the age of ignorance, in this era we are a lot more forward thinking and have the advantage of technology and easily-obtainable knowledge.

SALLAM ALYKUM WA RAHMATULLAHI WA BARAQUATUH.

layla, I do understand what you mean but people are still very ignorant! To the point where one Muslim may even look down on an other Muslim, due to the colour of there skin, there ethnicity etc. This is not only in the East but in the West. As Ignorance has no religion  race or faith. Ignorance is a disease for everyone. But there is also a medicne and I do agree nowadays, it is MUCH easier to fins information. Alhumdulila (Praise be to Allah).

alimasta, on 29 April 2011 - 11:36 AM, said:

salam alaikum,

Mankind has always had a past in which human beings exploit and kill other human beings. But are we in the worst age of man. I believe so, because the propensity of badness so to speak is now global - due to of course enhanced communication - internet, tv, films - feeding man's base desires, and exporting cultures around the globe. As well as that we are in the age in which people think in terms of nihilism, totalitarioanism, utalitarianism, skepticism, aetheism - hence a country can bomb another country if thousands die it is Ok as long as the outcome is beneficial in some way for whoever. I believe we are in a bad age, an immoral age, worse than that of Jahiliyyah. Because as a theist, a Muslim, humankind has totally forsaken the Divine. Sometimes on a personal level I look around and I feel sickened as to what humans have become. But usually I keep these views to myself because at the end of the day I believe every human being makes his/her own choice and fights his/her own battles - and the only rope I want to hold on to is that of Ahl al-Bait

you agree?

wsalams

Alimasta, you are right we do live in a worlds where evil prevails over good, where no one stands up for anyone else; even to the point when no one is Alive to stand up for anyone.

We may live in a World where an innocent child is born into a family full of ignorance.

We may live in World where our Muslim brothers are killed Every SINGLE DAY.

We may live in a world where if one man dies, it's a tragedy but if thousands do, its a statistic.

But.

We also live in worlds where SOMETIME, just Sometimes. Some one Stands up. Where Muslims help each other.
Where a baby child is relieved from his ignorance. I do believe what you are saying is not wrong. But just not fully Correct.

[jonspaker]

I completely agree with your say!

[MohsinQ]

Ya Baqiyatullah (aj), on 18 May 2011 - 07:27 AM, said:

Ya Baqiyatullah (aj), on 18 May 2011 - 07:27 AM, said:

Awesome picture

[MohsinQ]

asharp, on 24 May 2011 - 11:28 PM, said:

Bro i disagree with the comic.

You telling me if you are honest the world will not decieve you? thats nonsense.

asharp, on 24 May 2011 - 11:28 PM, said:

Bro i disagree with the comic.

You telling me if you are honest the world will not decieve you? thats nonsense.

If you follow what masumeen [as] have to teach, you would understand ..

[sir abbas]

thing z that nature of human being this era z same like men of stone age, only technology z changing due this men slaughtering other man. its only islam which creates boundaries among them

[yellow billed magpie]

Hussien, on 13 May 2011 - 01:58 PM, said:

  

I disagree. I believe that we live in one of the best times of human history. We age and live longer. We have defeated the most numbers of diseases that have killed human beings through out history. We are more conscious, we are more knowledgeable, and we are more informed than any other time in human history. If human life is related to humanity, then we live in the most humane period of human history because we have managed to create a world for 7 billion people. No other time in human history has the human population exploded so suddenly and so extensively- i.e. today we are the most humane. I further believe that since the machines have been an integral part of our successes and achievements, the age of machines (industrial age) is the age thats beyond good and evil. For we have also never been this savage as we are today where loss of human life is not an accidental possibility but a must of our status quo and way of life. Good and Evil are two faces of the same coin. The more you sow, the more you reap- both good and evil. The more we try to do good, the more we will do bad. inaction as our best action... collectively speaking that is.
Whats alarms me personally is the speed at which the machines are taking over our lives. We are on the verge of loosing our choices and our humanity... tipping the gravity of man further towards his evil tendencies.

Salam-not to mention the TREMENDOUS burden and strain that we, all 7billion of us, are inflicting on the Earth, and the limited resources it provides us with...Eveything here is finite, and we are using and abusing it-hopefully with all our new technology and information, humans can begin to implement better behavior for ourselves and the rest of creation...How does that go? Everything we have is on loan to us from Allah...? Shouldnt we be taking better care of it?

[yellow billed magpie]

sir abbas, on 24 January 2012 - 03:05 AM, said:

thing z that nature of human being this era z same like men of stone age, only technology z changing due this men slaughtering other man. its only islam which creates boundaries among them

Salam-its like humans made advancements in every field except we didnt evolve with our advancements-as if we are still in the stone age by the way we treat and respect each other, the motivations behind our actions still seem to be primitive...Im not saying EVERYONE is this way...Just a general overview..

[y3qub]

I utterly disagree with this. We are at the age when the potential for good is at its highest. Yes, technology and modernity have the capacity to inflict more horror and terror into the world than ever before; yet, it is our responsibility to see that goodness overcomes our propensity to harm, hurt, kill, etc. This is our struggle as humans.

[md. ammar ali]

present age

[shiaaliibrahim]

I think injustice, greed, selfishness and indifference are at an all-time high in the world.  The interventions in Africa, the Middle-east, the Balkans and elsewhere by hegemonic powers are magnified because of the Internet and other media.  If a person so chooses, they can be aware of almost everything happening in the world.   The technology can spread truth, which it does, but it can and does spread deception at an alarming rate and volume.  

An example of the power to deceive is as follows:  On 9-11, I was on the east coast flying in from Chicago.  When I got to my office I tuned in to the radio like everyone else to hear what was happening.  The radio in Fredricksburg, MD said that an attack occurred at a military base that day at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds (where they stored anthrax), Fox television reported arrests of  Israelis in vans with traces of explosives and more Israelis taken into custody for being observed prior to 9-11 engaged in illegal or suspicious reconnaissance of government buildings and key financial locations.  They were reporting this on the radio all day every half hour in Maryland on 9-11-2001.  The next day not a single word about the attack on the military base and within a few more days no more information about Israelis.  

Now days no one even talks about any of this stuff because of the power of the media and the willingness of those that control it to lie and conceive the rest of us.  I do not think that there has ever been a time in history where lies are spoken about so freely and the truth is treated so poorly.  As Muslims we hear lies about our religion everyday - some Muslims don't know what to believe because of it and some believe things about our religion that are absolutely false.  I hope that it can't get any worst.