Weakening Social Fabric

Enam Lone

In this modern world, our rate of change of almost everything is fast. That of trending careers and fashions. That of advancement in technology and living standards. And unfortunately, that of our values and morals as well. We don’t mind switching polarities of morality for just a change. The value of our long held values seems to be diminishing. As a replacement, we blindly welcome and adopt the bogus versions of these sensitive parameters from outside.

Old age homes (modified, of course) are made to appear as a fair contingency to our youth to live their life independently. Dating and hanging out are presented as off shoots of freedom. Obscene and lewd clothing, low cut tops and skin tight slacks are supposed to display your broad-mindedness and modernity. Rooster looking hairstyle makes you cool. And confronting elders is being straight forward. To top it all, you’re required to be ‘tolerant’ towards all these policies of cultural and ethical ‘renovation’.

All this evolution stems from our inferiority complex at the root level. We view the principles of our society as being outdated. We feel its interwoven fabrics have slackened. So we look up to the western societies, to instill some freshness into ours. We thus, effectively compromise the good that we’ve been living with, for all those centuries. We resort to comparisons in matters where originality is of prime importance. Values to a society are like blood to a living being. And our mutilation of these values is leeching at this blood.

The evaporation of our values, morals and modesty begets more thunderous and grim clouds overhead than we can ever imagine. Their rains are far more acidic than anything. So much so that they can quietly combust the robes of any society that they lash on. It’s as lethal trojan to our entire civilization as it’s to our individuality.

It’s the dilution of these social attributes that has landed us in the petty state that we are in today. With all these anti-social impurities injected into our brains our life has become restricted to an alarming degree.

So, at some point, we need to draw a line. Quarantine our skies. Work towards saving ourselves from this corrupt business. Immorality, to speak of one, is not just an “other” perception. It’s a seriously contagious affliction. And it worsens exponentially with time, as you begin to lose the sheen of your conscience. Your values get more and more fragile. And you transform into a “different” aka “modern” person without you even knowing it. (The meanings of “modernism” being altered). And immodesty being a concurrent phenomenon.

It’s not just the intruder that is to be blamed. It’s we who are the prime players in this game.

Social awareness at the root level may come in handy in this regard. Not that we are not already aware of what is at stake. But just to awaken the sleeping sense of responsibility and morality among the folks in general and our youth in particular.

Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: “The best amongst you are those who are best in morals.”

He (peace be upon him) also said, “Faith consists of more than sixty branches (i.e. parts). And Haya (This term Haya covers a large number of concepts which are to be taken together; amongst them are self respect, modesty, bashfulness, and scruple, etc.) is a part of faith.”

To quote a friend, “Anyone who reads the life story of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon Him) will be amazed by the weight put on morals and good manners, be it between the Prophet and his Lord, his Companions, his family, his neighbors, and the whole society including the unfaithful.

Here is the testimony of one of the Companions who accompanied the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for a very long time. It is Anas Ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with Him), the Prophet’s servant, who said, “I served the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon Him) for ten years, and, by Allah, he never said to me any harsh word, and he never said to me about a thing as to why I had done that and as to why I had not done that.” (Muslim)

– Enam Lone is an engineering student.