Islam in the modern world Societies and individuals in the modern world are becoming increasingly secular in the way they choose to live. The notion of modernity and freedoms has seen a movement away from religions and a drive towards liberal thinking and differing philosophies on the best way to live and conduct relations. However these change in moving away from religion has not necessarily brought about positive developments in many facets of modern life. The purpose of this essay is to highlight how Islam not only fits in the current modern world, but it can also resolve some of the most complex social issues faced by the modern world.
Issues such as alcohol consumption, Drug addiction, gambling and unethical financial practices have plagued societies for many years. This paper will look at how Islam has a solution for each of these problems. As per the World Health Organisation, there has been a sharp increase in alcohol addiction in the world’s population. Alcohol is stated to be the world’s third largest risk for acute health problems and deaths; it is the leading cause of death in the Western society including America, Pacific and Europe.
The use of alcohol is associated with 2. 5 million deaths yearly. Within the age group of 15 to 29 year olds, approximately 32,000 deaths are related to alcohol abuse which is 9% of total deaths in that age group (World Health Organisation, 2011).
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In the novel Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, civilized society lives in a world of science and technology. Major changes have occurred during the future; Utopia now revolves around a religion of drugs and sex. God and the cross have been replaced by Ford and the symbol T . Instead of Sunday church, members now attend solidarity services where morals and tradition are not learned, but rather ...
Addictive drug usage is another big problem faced by the modern societies. Illegal drugs have proven to have catastrophic impacts on human bodies and minds. Individuals addicted to drugs require extensive assistance through rehabilitation processes to bring them back to normal life.
In a study conducted between 1979 and 1999, the death number related to drugs apart from alcohol and tobacco increased an additional 79% to nine deaths for each 100,000 people. The use of illicit drugs and an alcohol can have deeper effects into the social and economic character of the society and its population (Australian Bureau of Statistic, 2001) Islam forbids the use of any substance which alters the state of mind. This includes the use of alcohol and drugs. The implementation of this Islamic principal will see improvements to the society, and its members starting from an individual’s health and well being.
The above indicated number of yearly deaths will be eliminated or significantly reduced. The will likely be a flowing effect of benefit to the family relationships which will flow into shaping a safer society (Michalak, L, & Trocki, K, 2006).
(Kamarulzaman, A. , & Saifuddeen, S. M, 2010).
Secondly, one of the biggest social problems facing the majority of the developed countries in the world is gambling. On surface it is portrayed as a social activity normally indulged in while consuming alcohol at clubs or casinos.
Looking at some of the after effects and impacts of this practise, it becomes very clear this is another addiction that often leads to catastrophic results. According to research conducted by Australian government up to 10 persons are impacted negatively by a single individuals gambling addiction in Australia (Australian Government Problem Gambling, 2010).
According to another study, problem gamblers get divorce six times more than to the normal people (Australian Government Problem Gambling, 2010).
Islam takes a very strong stance on gambling and prohibits all association with it.
The main idea behind this prohibition is the fact that any earnings are not worked hard for rather accumulated through an act of gamble, this creates an addictive behaviour to rely on gambling thus corrupting the human mind to move away from working for its needs. Whatever is considered unlawful in Islam is considered unlawful regardless of what quantities it’s committed. The Quran in Chapter 5. 90 and again in chapter 2. 219 captures the strong stance of Islam against gambling and prohibits any association with it.
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Looking at the ethical view of gambling through the eyes of Utilitarianism and Deontology perspectives we will find 2 very different views with the same outcome. Should there be any restriction of gambling? Is it a form of freedom, or an invitation to addiction? George Washington said: “Gambling is the child of avarice, the brother of iniquity, and the father of mischief.” Benjamin Franklin ...
According to a research conducted by the Australian government, Islamic finance is the fastest growing segment in the financial industry. Islamic finance rejects the concept of interest payments and dealing with uncertainty. Equal sharing of risks whether it is loans or an investment is one if the key aspects of Islamic finance (Australian trade commission, 2010).
Charging interest is not only forbidden it is also considered immoral in Islam. The main reason being there is no consideration for the reduction in alue of the loan security, which means regardless of the value of the loan security, the borrower is always liable to pay interest even if loan security has dropped below its principal value. Under this model the financial institutions are always the winners as they keep earning interest regardless of the fate of the property market. On the other hand families with properties worth less than their loan amount are enslaved to the bank and have to keep paying interest. Under the Islamic finance model, the bank buys the property and rents it out to the consumer for a fee. Therefore the consumer pays both the principal and the rent.
And for the Islamic banks itself, instead of borrowing from the regular channels, Islamic banks issue Islamic bonds or Sukuk which is infact rights to the loans. The buyers of these bonds receive the loan payments. Thus entire process is free of interest payments. Following the above principal, Islamic banks share both the profit as well as the risk of a loss, thus being partners in all aspects. The recent GFC (Global financial crisis) that swept across the world was the result of the modern economic model. Under the Islamic finance principles, events that triggered GFC wouldn’t have been allowed to prosper in the first place (Toby, 2010).
In addition to the providing a solution to the problems faced by the modern world, Islam provides a complete way of life. Given the failure of the modern world to control endemic issues faced by large portions of the global populace, it is only logical to consider Islam as a realistic and practical solution to the world’s problems. Islam covers every facet of life, regardless of the current trends in modernity. Islam has played a central role in the development of science and provides a balanced philosophical approach which focus on preventing problems.
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Being a strict vegetarian means making the choice to eat absolutely no meat, poultry, or fish. The health risks of being a vegetarian was a major concern, but it has been proven that non-meat foods can provide all the nutrients necessary for a healthy, complete diet. Jeanne Peters, R. D. , the former nutrition specialist to Pritikin Systems, argues that A science has proved that a plant-based diet ...
It is this foresight in Islamic thought that makes it the ideal religion to play an important role in minimising risks in the modern world. References World Health Organisation, (2011) Alcohol [Online] Available at http://http://www. who. int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs349/en/index. html# [Accessed 12 March 2013] Australian Bureau Of Statistic (2001) Illicit Drug Use[Online] Available at http://http://www. abs. gov. au/ausstats/abs@. nsf/0/5297543A4FB65250CA256B11001DC42E [Accessed 12 March 2013] Michalak, L, & Trocki, K (2006) ‘Alcohol and Islam: an overview ‘ Contemporary Drug Problems [Online] 33, (4)521,523-562.
Available at http://search. proquest. com. ezproxy. uws. edu. au/docview/233169511 [Accessed 10 March 2013] Kamarulzaman, A. , & Saifuddeen, S. M. .(2010) ‘International Journal of Drug Policy’ Islam and harm reduction [Online] 21,(2)115-118. Available at http://www. sciencedirect. com. ezproxy. uws. edu. au/science/article/pii/S0955395909001558 [Accessed 12 March 2013] Australian Government Problem Gambling (2010) Problem Gambling [Online] Available at http://www. problemgambling. gov. au/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Families-Friends-Resource-Designed-FINAL-120703. df [Accessed 13 March 2013] Australian Government Problem Gambling (2010) The facts GAMBLING IN AUSTRALIA [Online] Available at http://www. problemgambling. gov. au/facts/ [Accessed 12 March 2013] Australian trade commission (2010) Islamic Financial [Online] Available at http://http://www. austrade. gov. au/ArticleDocuments/2792/Islamic-Finance-Publication. pdf. aspx [Accessed 13 March 2013] Toby, M. (2010) ‘My Global Financial Crisis’ Journal of Communication Inquiry [Online] 34, (4)432-438. Available athttp://http://jci. sagepub. com. ezproxy. uws. edu. au/content/34/4/432. full. pdf+
