Bismillah Al- Rahman Al- Rahim

Concept of a healthy Society in Islam A question often comes in the mind of those living in a majority Muslim area that the country, the State and the city they live in, does produce the picture of an Islamic state? You may have come across these questions that if the society we live in is not an Islamic society then what are the basic elements of an Islamic society? In this moment westernized people will come forward and will claim that the society we live in, is a secular society as Islam and the matter of faith relates with the person. It means that in their opinion, Islam has no concept of a civil society. Islam has a very clear concept about a healthy society. We have the right to say that such Society is based on five pillars: 1-Education 2-Work 3-Research and investigation in news 4-mediation 5-Qisas 1-Education In an Islamic state education is compulsory for all men and women. This is the meaning of the famous and commonly accepted narration of the Holy Prophet SAWW that seeking knowledge is compulsory for all , men and women. So in a real Islamic State there is no discrimination of education between rich and poor ;men and women. 2-Work Islamic Society is based on work. In narrations from the Holy prophet SAWW it is very evident that one who works to earn money is a real friend of God while the other who does not go to work is a prey to Satan. Our pious Imam said I would kiss the hands of a worker or labor, whether clean or dirty. You will always see that Islam does not allow making easy money and that is why Gamboling is haram and prohibited in Islam. When we say that Islam stress on work it very true but we have to remove two confusions in this regard : a)Some people thinks that Friday and some other days in the year are holidays and we should quit work on these days. It is a wrong perception as the Sura(chapter) JUMA of the Holy Book reads: When the Salat terminates then spread in the earth and seek the extra bounty of Allah. ( means go to work). (62:10) It is very evident that the people should quit their work at the time of Salat and after that they are recommended to join their work or business.
b) It is presupposed that the sustenance of each and every soul is guaranteed by God then the efforts and work is useless to bring about any change in this regard..This is a wrong assumption and in contrary to Holy Quran which says Nothing is there for a human except what he has struggled for it.(53:39) We will provide the real answer to this wrong assumption by saying that if your sustenance(RIZQ) is guaranteed then it is deposited and still you are supposed to draw it by doing the work then work is still essential.

In short, Islam stress on work and to earn Halal money to provide more facilities to yourself and your family. Islam says you should be in a postion to pay Zakat money (charity) rather, to collect it. (02: 03) (23: 04)If you do not go to work and put your economical burden on others, then you will be termed as Maloon. ( one who is away from the bounty of Allah SWT ) no matter you pray or fast. .

3- Research and investigation in news: In an Islamic society the news can be accepted only when it comes from the confirmed sources. If you get the news from non-authentic sources then you are supposed to make investigation. Here comes three dimensions but the most prominent is the role of media that if it broadcasts the news without confirmation then it may mislead the society. These dimensions are: 1-Investigation in getting news 2-Research in the narrations of the Holy prophet SAWW 3- Published material should be based on facts and figures. A Society is supposed to have four pillars: 1-Parliament 2-judiciary 3-law enforcement agencies 4-Press and Media So it is true that media stands fourth in the orientation of a society. It is also true that Press and nation rise and fall together. That is why we will like to address this forth pillar and how it works in an Islamic society. There are three important points in this regard. 1.Role of media in its own society. 2-Interaction of our media with international media 3-Responsiblities of people Role of media and its criticism: There is no denying in the fact that the media of a society should represent its own values and should play a constructive role in the society. Our media has not played its own vital role; rather it has highlighted the western culture and the western lifestyles. Can we ask this question from our media men that what problems did you solve of a Pakistani society? What type of entertainment have you provided to them? What measures you have taken to improve the education, health and economy of the people of Pakistan? Criticism of the generals and political figures cannot be counted for all. We mean that to improve the literacy rate and the economy, health and education of Pakistani people and to

remove the roots of corruption and to establish our institutions what role our media has played? What is your role in preserving your own language, culture and values? Have you not learnt lessons from Indian media, which in the beginning served its people and solved many of their problems? What about Iranian media that still preserves its own values and projects Islam. A narration form the early days of Islam: Let us go back to the beginning of Islam to fix these problems. It is narrated that the tribe of Bani Mostalaq embarrassed Islam in the ninth year of Hijra with its head Harris bin Zaraar. Before returning back to home they settled to pay zakat money. The Holy prophet SAWW sent Walid bin Aqba with some troops tocollect zakat money. He went and coming back to Medina he reported that: 1-People ofBani Mostalaq has left Islam 2-They declined me to pay Zakat money 3-They wanted to kill me. The Islamic society of that time comes under the influence of these news. The only source of these news were Walid and his fairness was still to be judged. The facts were totally against the reports. This society when came under the massive attack of rumours provided by Walid then the Muslim commanders asserted pressure on the Holy prophet SAWW to take an action and to sent some troops for retaliation. The whole society was planning to do so when the revelation came down on the Holy prophet SAWW refraining them to do so and terming Walid as Fasiq ( one who does not feel ashamed in welcoming an evil) and advising them to stop forwarding the news without confirmation. O those having faith if a disobeyer came to you with news then confiem it and make research so that you should not mislead the people to astray as you will feel sorrow of what you have done. ( 49-06) Results we can draw from this verse are: R-1 A real Islamic Society is based on confirmed and confident network of news and in such a society people do not rely on the news without confirmation and investigation. On the contrary if the rumors will easily rotate in a society then it will face internal problems and may lead to a civil war. We can give examples of the rumors and its after effects as follows: Examples: a) Battle of Ohod where the rumors about the life of the Holy prophet SAWW did its work. b) When Imam Hassan A.S. moved his army against Syrian invasion. His army men gave him tough time because of a number of rumors. c) Blame on one of the wives of the holy prophet SAWW d) Blame on any pious lady that she has committed an adultery. e) The so called war against terrorism f) Sectarian war going on in Iraq between Sunni and Shia Muslims and all the killings are the result of it. g) Al-Qaeda of Bin Laden has attacked the world trade center h) The chief justice was plotting against the president. i) The present system of Government is weakened and a change is very nearer.

We dont feel any essence to make Research about the given news. Sometimes we do not have our own independent and fair reporters and sometimes we do not have the courage to bring the facts to the society that is why the society is in the dark and we are witness to the instability in our society due to these rumors. Such Society can never be healthy nor Islamic. R2) Second Result: The holy Prophet SAWW asked Harris to pay charity but He never forced him to do so and he never invaded any state or tribe for not paying zakat money or charity. This shows that in an Islamic State people are asserted to perform their duties but they are never, ever forced to do so. Similarly Imam Hassan A.S. did not force people to continue their war against Syrian invasion. This freedom is limited to an extent where we are not disrupting an Islamic Society and its basic set up and in such a meaning it is true to say, There is no compulsion in Islam for the right way is segregated from the wrong one.(Holy Quran 02:256) R3) In a Healthy Society there is no objection in having an interaction with non-Muslim media men and journalists. What is advised is not rely on any news without confirmation. So we may easily exchange news and analysis form the international media irrespective of their religion and may share their opinions. R4) Any type of execution will be un-Islamic if someone was reported to be involved in a crime. R5) The narrations lying in our mother sources of Hadith and history is not all true. It needs investigations and Research like other reports and news. 4-Mediation The fourth and the last pillar in the formation of an Islamic Society is Mediation. If there is any rivalry between two groups or twp person the Muslims should meadiate to solve tier differences by mediation. You may easily noticed that how much we arre lacking in practicing it. In the running crisis the differences between the government and the judiciary could be minimized by mediation but even the religious and political groups and movements instead of mediating become parties And if two parties of the Believers quarrel, make peace between them. . (49:9)