The Holy Qur'an, like a pristine and boundless spring, guides humanity towards felicity and salvation. The foundational concepts of Corruption on Earth and United Ummah are two essential pillars in understanding the social and ethical system of Islam. Corruption on Earth is likened to a fire that undermines the foundations of order and justice, whereas the United Ummah is akin to a steadfast edifice built upon unity and legality. These concepts are elucidated profoundly and sagaciously within the divine verses. This treatise, through contemplation upon the Qur'anic verses and scholarly discourses, examines these two notions and explores their theoretical and practical dimensions towards the realisation of a just and exalted society. The objective is to present a profound analysis that, in harmony with Qur'anic principles, proposes strategies for preventing corruption and reinforcing the unity of the Ummah.
Corruption on Earth in the Holy Qur'an refers to any disruption of the divine order in social, economic, ethical, and environmental domains. This concept is like a wound upon the body of society, which, if left untreated, disintegrates its foundations. The Qur'an distinguishes corruption into two types: gradual (mufsid) and sudden (ifsad). Gradual corruption resembles a slow but destructive current that, over time, takes root in society through wrongful behaviours such as oppression, rebellion, and vice. Sudden corruption, however, is like a flash flood that instantly disrupts social order through destructive actions.
And when your Lord said to the angels, I am placing a vicegerent on earth, they said, Will You place therein one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood?
Surah Al-Baqarah
This verse from Surah Al-Baqarah refers to the angels' anticipation of humanity's potential for corruption on Earth. Corruption here signifies any deviation from the divine order that may lead to bloodshed, oppression, and destruction. The angels, aware of human capacities, indicate that corruption results from straying from moderation and justice.
Sudden corruption resembles thunderbolts that shatter the societal sky abruptly. This type of corruption arises from immediate and destructive actions, such as sudden capital injection or withdrawal in the market, causing economic fluctuations, or political blackmail. The Holy Qur'an states:
And when it is said to them, Do not cause corruption on the earth, they say, We are but reformers.
Surah Al-Baqarah
This verse refers to hypocrites who, under the guise of reform, fuel sudden corruption. Such behaviour, akin to the abrupt dumping of coins in the market or causing currency volatility, rapidly disrupts social order. These actions, sometimes accompanied by propaganda or rumours, require stringent oversight and regulation to prevent their spread.
Gradual corruption is akin to a chronic disease that slowly infiltrates the body of society and, if untreated, collapses its foundations. This form results from persistent, long-term behaviours such as oppression, rebellion, and moral decay. The Qur'an states:
Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves; and when Allah intends for a people ill, there is no repelling it.
Surah Ar-Rad
This verse emphasises the collective responsibility of society in generating or preventing corruption. Gradual corruption, such as widespread poverty, injustice, or systemic corruption, results from continuous shortcomings of society and elites. Addressing this type of corruption requires structural reforms and ongoing supervision.
Corruption on Earth, in its gradual and sudden forms, poses a major obstacle to the realisation of justice and divine order. Gradual corruption results from sustained wrongful actions, while sudden corruption stems from abrupt and destructive deeds. The Holy Qur'an, by presenting illuminating verses, offers strategies for preventing these corruptions, which will be further examined in relation to the concept of the United Ummah in subsequent sections.
The United Ummah is like a robust tree, rooted in unity and branching in justice. This concept emphasises coherence in thought, culture, and social systems and provides a foundation for preventing corruption. The Qur'an states:
Indeed, this your nation is one nation, and I am your Lord, so worship Me.
Surah Al-Anbiya
This verse from Surah Al-Anbiya conditions the worship of God on the unity of the Ummah. The unity of the Ummah, like a pure stream, strengthens social authority and prevents division and corruption.
The United Ummah without legality and just systems is like a ship without a rudder that sinks amid storms of corruption. The Qur'an states:
And for each of you We have appointed a law and a clear way. And if Allah had willed, He would have made you one nation.
Surah Al-Maidah
This verse underscores the necessity of Shariah and methodology as the foundations of legality. Just systems, such as taxation and supervision, sustain the United Ummah.
Supervision acts as a vigilant guardian preventing the spread of corruption in society. The Qur'an states:
Those who, if We give them authority in the land, establish prayer and give zakah and enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong; and to Allah belongs the outcome of all matters.
Surah Al-Hajj
This verse highlights the role of enjoining good and forbidding evil as tools of supervision. Establishing prayer and paying zakah symbolise legality and economic justice, which prevent corruption.
The United Ummah, relying on unity, legality, and supervision, provides the groundwork for realising justice and preventing corruption. Qur'anic verses, emphasising Shariah, methodology, and enjoining good, offer strategies to strengthen this unity.
The concept of Kun Fayakun (Be, and it is) is like a key that unveils the secret of gradualness in divine creation. It signifies the realisation of divine will through causes and agents such as angels, nature, and humanity. The Qur'an states:
His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, Be, and it is.
Surah Ya-Sin
The particle fa in this verse does not indicate literary causation but signifies relativity and gradualness in the fulfilment of divine will. Divine creation is like a continuous flow gradually actualised through causes and agents. Corruption on Earth results from deviation from this gradual system and its rectification requires return to it.
Religious knowledge, like a radiant torch, is charged with the responsibility of devising just systems to prevent the spread of corruption. This knowledge strengthens the United Ummah by designing supervisory, fiscal, and disclosure systems. Negligence in this regard is akin to extinguishing a light in darkness, leading to the expansion of corruption.
The concept of Kun Fayakun emphasises gradualness and reformation in the universe. Religious knowledge, based on this principle, must establish just systems to prevent corruption and fortify the United Ummah.
Division is like a fissure in the body of the Ummah that paves the way for corruption. The Qur'an states:
And We divided them throughout the earth into nations. Some of them are righteous, and some of them are otherwise. And We tested them with good and evil that perhaps they might return.
Surah Al-Araf
Division, like fragmentation of lands or communities, leads to weakness and corruption. The United Ummah, by creating unity and legality, prevents this division.
The unity of the Ummah, like a strong cord, preserves society against storms of corruption. This unity, through the implementation of justice and supervision, enhances social authority.
Division is a precursor to corruption and weakness, whereas the United Ummah, through unity and legality, strengthens social authority and prevents corruption.
The Holy Qur'an, by presenting the concepts of Corruption on Earth and the United Ummah, provides a comprehensive guide for realising justice and divine order in society. Corruption, in its gradual and sudden forms, is an obstacle to social felicity, while the United Ummah, emphasising unity, legality, and supervision, offers a strategy to prevent these corruptions. The verses of Surahs Al-Baqarah, Ar-Rad, Al-Anbiya, Al-Maidah, Al-Hajj, Ya-Sin, and Al-Araf meticulously and wisely elucidate these two concepts. Religious knowledge bears the duty of formulating just systems, such as auditing and declaration, to facilitate the realisation of the United Ummah and the prevention of corruption. The Islamic society, by returning to these Qur'anic principles, can, like a shining star, traverse the path of felicity and justice.
