MORAL AND ETHICAL DEVELOPMENT IN SOCIETY
ALL the major religions have two different aspects to them — theology and the moral scheme. Theology means the set of beliefs or doctrinal base of a religion; in other words, the inner contents of a religion. Whereas, the moral scheme of a religion refers to its ethical system.
In terms of theology, there are differences between religions. For example, some religions have the monistic concept of God, while other religions believe in the monotheistic concept of God.
Differences lead to intellectual exchange and intellectual development.
Differences of this kind have always been the subject of discussion among theologians and no doubt, they will continue to be so in the future. But like other intellectual discussions about differences, these are basically confined to scholars, having nothing to do with the common people. Most people can live out their daily lives without concerning themselves with, or even without knowing about these issues. These issues are the concern of a few individuals and not of the majority of any society.
However, these differences are not simply matters about which people are at odds with each other; they also have a positive role to play. Differences invite discussions, lead to intellectual exchange and necessitate knowing more and more about one’s own religion as well as the religion of others. Thus, differences, in terms of results, leads to intellectual development, enhancing the level of thinking. It leads to overall development in religious disciplines. In fact, difference is not an unwanted evil. On the contrary, it is a great good. Difference has a positive role in religious studies.
The other aspect of any religion is its ethical system. That is, the standard of moral conduct. In this area, there is little difference between religions. Almost all the religions preach the same moral values to be followed in the daily life of a man or a woman.
There are two main branches of religions: the Aryan religions and the Semitic religions. A study of both branches of religions shows that in terms of moral teachings, there are great similarities between them, and likewise with Islam. For example:
Mankind as one family O mankind! Fear your Lord, who created you from a single soul.
He created its mate from it and from the two of them spread
countless men and women [throughout the earth]. It means that all men and women share a common ancestor. That is,
all men and women are brothers and sisters to one another. There is
complete commonality between different races and groups of people.
The Prophet of Islam declared: Mankind is a divine family. The Prophet of Islam used to rise early in the morning and say after his
morning prayer: “O God, I bear witness that all men and women are
sisters and brothers to each other.” (Hadith-Abu Daud 1508) These references quoted from Islamic scriptures, are the same
teachings which you can find in other religions like Hinduism,
Judaism, and Christianity, etc. Common teachings of this kind in all
the religions provide the initial base of a good relationship between
all men and women. In a family, all its members live with a sense
of oneness, a sense which inculcates in family members the spirit
of unity and harmony. This family culture is desirable on a global level among all nations and
races. This kind of universal relationship is endorsed by almost all the
religions. There may be some differences in belief, but in terms of social
life, every religious individual—irrespective of his personal traditions—
should live in society just as he is living in his family. Love and Compassion Love your enemy. It means: love all, including your enemy. Likewise, the same teaching
is to be found in the Quran. The Quran in one of its chapters gives this
guidance to its believers: Good deeds and bad deeds are not equal. Do a good deed
in return for a bad deed and you will see that your enemy
has become your dearest friend. Love or compassion is the greatest social value; it is the basis of all
moral teachings or moral requirements. And it is also a fact that this
teaching is found in every religion. If you study the various religions,
you will find that all of them try to promote a ‘culture of love’ in
society. To build a love-based society is the sole target of every religion.
Do unto others as you would have others do unto you
The Prophet of Islam once said: Do with others what you want others to do with you. The same maxim is to be found in Judaism. Rabbi Hillel the Elder is
known to have said: “What is hateful (or hurtful) to you, do not do to
any other man.” (Talmud-Shabbat, 31a) This is a universal teaching, which you can find in almost every religion,
in one verse or the other. This religious teaching gives us a very simple
criterion for living as a good member of society. Everybody knows what is good for him and what is bad for him. Apply
this personal experience to all other members of society. If everyone
observes this formula of moral conduct, the whole of society will
emerge as a good society. This common religious rule is the simplest
for social construction. Peace at any cost Peace is the best. That is, in the case of controversy, adopt the peaceful rather than the
confrontational course of action. This concept has also been adopted
by other religions as their basic teaching. For example, let us take
Christianity. In one of the chapters of the New Testament, there is the
following verse: Blessed are the peacemakers. It is a fact that peace is a common teaching of all the religions. It is also
a fact that peace is the summum bonum; peace is the greatest good
which leads to the building of a better society; without peace there
is no development. Peace provides the environment in which every
group can flourish without being harmful to others; peaceful living is
the most important part of moral living. Good Social Behaviour Human society is based on a well-known maxim—give and take.
When you give something to others you create a situation in which
you certainly garner positive fruit in return. The relationship between
an individual and society is one of interchange; both the partners give
something to the other and receive something from others, so it is a
reciprocal relationship. The establishment of a harmonious relationship between all the
members of society is a common requirement of all religions. No
religious activity can be carried out without normal social conditions.
It is, therefore, in the best interests of all religions for moral behaviour
to be recognized as the greatest means of normalizing the relationship
between different sections of a society and ensuring peaceable living
conditions. So, in view of this, every religion teaches its members to
adopt a good moral standard. There are ample references in all religions that provide us with a good
base for building a better society through partnership. This is the
basic role of every religion. Without playing this role, religion becomes
irrelevant to humanity. The above commonalities amongst religions provide a base for the
development of a harmonious society. However, in order to administer
and regulate practical matters in society the role of a suitable political
administration cannot be denied. Different roles of Religion and Political Administration Political rule has a basic regulatory function in the practical matters of
a nation. It is put in place to maintain peace and harmony among the
people and to ensure justice and check crimes. No religious institution
can play the role of political masters. And no political master—given the
limitations of political administration—can play the role of a religious
institution. Both the institutions have their specific roles and both
institutions are complementary to each other. It is the complementary
roles of the two institutions that ensures building of a better society.
THE QURAN 4: 1
Hadith-Al Baihaqi 6: 2528
In terms of theology there are differences between
religions; however, almost all religions preach
similar moral values.
There is a famous saying of Jesus Christ:
NEW TESTAMENT, Luke 6: 35
THE QURAN, 41: 34
In a family, all its members live with a sense of oneness,
which inculcates the spirit of unity and harmony.
Hadith–Sahih Muslim, 12
The Quran lays great emphasis on peace. For example, there is a verse
in the Quran which says:
THE QURAN, 4: 128
NEW TESTAMENT, Matthew 5: 9
No religious institution can play the role of political
master. And no political master can play the role of
a religious institution.
Moral development is not simply a matter of individual conduct towards
others. It is profoundly related to the development of an individual’s
personality. When one engages in good social behaviour, one is in the
process of self-development. Good social behaviour is thus a great
aid to the building of one’s character. Good social behaviour means
positive behaviour; and positive behaviour inculcates positive thinking
in every man and woman. Good social behaviour makes one a good
human being.
Love is the greatest social value;
the basis of all moral teachings and requirements.
Religion and political administration are the two basic instruments
by which every society is regulated. Both have a very important role.
Religion being intended to build a moral base for society, it is the duty
of religious people to condition the minds of the people on a moral
basis. It is their duty to create an ethical atmosphere in society and to
promote human friendly behaviour among all the members of society.