Sign in to follow this  
NASSIR

How to reconcile the virtues of Unity with the inevitable vices of Self-Interest

Recommended Posts

NASSIR   

By
Abdulkadir Nur Salah (Donyale)

October 15, 2009

8234.jpg

...One of the biggest elements of unity is the
Institution of Justice.
Thus, if we can establish a system that dispenses justice to all the members of a society, then we are not too far from reaching unity. Many prominent scholars argue that Allah does not destroy a community, nation, or a society as long as they are doing justice. Allah says in surrah huud “In truth thy lord destroyed not the townships tyrannously while their folk were doing right” (11:117). The implications of Justice do not only concern individuals who hold high offices, rather it is obligatory upon every member of the society to uphold and defend the virtues of justice.

 

No one defines justice better than Aristotle, who believed justice was a character trait, not a state of being. He continues his definition of justice by explaining the opposite of justice, which is “the injustice person”. The unjust person is someone who is over occupied by greed or self-indulgence. On the contrary the scope of justice is defined by everything that is good with respect to one’s neighbors/ fellow citizens.

 

The other element that parallels with justice is
unified leadership.
Unified leadership plays a major role in determining success or failure towards the formation of a stable and unified society. The prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in a hadith “if three persons set out on a journey, they should appoint one of them their leader.” Many contemporary scholars argue that even the formation of poor leadership is better than anarchy. One of the most prominent Muslim theologist ibnu Taimiyah (rahimahullah) said,
“sixty years of an unjust ruler is better than one night without a Sultan”.
He continues his argument and says, “it should be noted that to regulate the affairs of people is one of the most important requirements of the religion.”

 

The vagueness of the term “unity” signals as one of the most difficult values to achieve and its meaning is relative in every given society.

 

Unity is achieved through an inclusive effort that requires the participation of all the members of our society. Hence, if society was like a cell, the nucleus of the society would constitute its unity and the shield, which is the cell membrane, would constitute Justice. To obtain unity, we must learn to collaborate our interest with the general interest of the society. However, if the two afflict, we must take sides with the one that produces the greatest Output which is the general interest of all.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Sign in to follow this