Values constitute the cornerstone of civilizational progress, which relies on material, political, and spiritual foundations. Values, ethics, and virtues are among the spiritual foundations inherent in any civilization. Human values encompass principles and ethics that guide individuals, based on respect for their dignity, freedom, rights, and the protection of their honour, wealth, mind, characterized by tolerance, justice, and equality without discrimination based on colour, religion, or nationality.
Human life is inevitably intertwined with loss of loved ones, financial setbacks, illnesses, or surrounding hardships. Similarly, societies experience crises, whether political, economic, or social. No era is devoid of significant events resembling violent earthquakes that surround them, causing damage that may extend temporally and geographically, as is the case with wars, environmental disasters like earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, pandemics, and others.
Islamic civilization has been distinguished by a humane ethical system during crises, marked by patience, steadfastness, aid, and relief efforts
Values of Islamic Civilization During Crises
Islamic civilization has been characterized by a humane ethical system during crises that was proportional to the event, which helps to overcome and mitigate its effects. This includes patience, steadfastness, prompt assistance, and relief efforts without delay or negligence, and avoiding the spread of weakness, defeatism, and psychological breakdown.
Patience and Steadfastness:
The value of patience and steadfastness becomes evident for those afflicted by calamities, especially when they endure for a long time, potentially leading to weakened mental and physical strength. Dissatisfaction may arise unless this weakness is resisted with patience, reliance on God, and seeking His help. God says, "And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient" (Al-Baqarah: 155).
Al-Sa'di, in his interpretation of this verse, points out that God informs us He will test His servants with a small amount of fear from enemies and a small amount of hunger. If He were to test them with complete fear or complete hunger, they would perish. Trials are meant to purify, not to destroy. The loss of wealth and loved ones, whether children, relatives, or friends, is inevitable. When these trials occur, people are divided into two groups: those who are impatient and those who are patient. Whoever is granted patience by God restrains themselves from expressing dissatisfaction through words or actions, seeks reward from God, and recognizes that the reward for their patience is greater than the calamity they faced. Thus, the calamity becomes a blessing for them, and they receive the reward promised to the patient. (1)
Supplication during crises and pleading to God is a practice of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and aids in patience and steadfastness. God says, "Then why, when Our punishment came to them, did they not humble themselves? But their hearts became hardened," (Al-An'am: 43). Fear and panic during crises are natural human reactions, like crying during calamities, which do not indicate dissatisfaction.
Afflicted not left to endure bitterness of patience and steadfastness alone; assistance and relief are acts of human virtue
Muslims have endured many hardships, such as the three-year siege in the Valley of Abu Talib, where the cries of their children from hunger were heard, and during the battles of Badr, Uhud, and the Confederates. When fear and panic spread greatly among the Muslims in the Battle of Badr, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) prayed to God fervently until Abu Bakr, out of concern, said to him, " You have cried out enough to your Lord." Al-Nawawi explains that the scholars said the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed this supplication to be seen by his companions in such a state, thereby strengthening their hearts with his prayers and supplications. (2)
Assistance and Relief:
The afflicted are not left alone to endure the bitterness of patience and steadfastness without assistance. Providing help and relief is an act of human virtue, and it is even more obligatory towards fellow believers, as indicated by the Quran and Sunnah. For instance, during the Year of Ashes in Medina in the time of Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), the land experienced severe drought, causing people to suffer from extreme hardship and hunger for nine months. Umar wrote to the provincial governors seeking aid for the people of Medina and its surroundings. The first to respond was Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah, who brought four thousand camels loaded with food, which he distributed. Amr ibn al-As also sent food to Medina by sea, making food prices in Medina comparable to those in Egypt. (3)
Another example is the assistance provided by Yusuf ibn Tashfin, the leader of the Almoravids in Morocco, to the fragmented Muslim rulers in Andalusia. They showed great weakness and inability to confront the King of Castile, so they requested help from the Almoravids to save Andalusia from falling city after city. The Almoravids responded to the call, and with the help of the local rulers, they defeated the Christians in the Battle of Sagrajas in 479 AH, a significant event in Islamic history that helped preserve Andalusia under Muslim rule for several more centuries. (4)
Avoiding Psychological Defeat:
When the enemies surrounded the Muslims during the Battle of the Confederates from all sides to annihilate them, they laid a severe siege, causing the Muslims' hearts to tremble with intense fear and hunger. The hypocrites, those with diseased hearts, and the fearmongers began spreading panic, fear, and psychological defeat among the believers to weaken their faith and confidence in victory. This group is the worst and most harmful, as they discourage jihad and demonstrate their lack of strength to fight their enemy. If given the opportunity, they would embrace discord. They, and others like them, are obstacles to combat.
One of the most severe crises facing the Islamic Ummah today is the ongoing genocide in Gaza
In His words, the Almighty says: "And when there comes to them information about [public] security or fear, they spread it around" (An-Nisa: 83). Al-Sa'di says (5): "When an important matter or one related to public interest comes to them, whether it brings security and joy to the believers or fear which is a calamity upon them, they must verify it and not hastily spread that news."
Values of Human Civilization in the Present Time
One of the most severe crises facing the Islamic Ummah today is the ongoing genocide in Gaza, where human dignity is violated through killing, arrest, destruction, burning, and starvation of more than two million people under the world's watch for seven months since October 7th last year, resulting in nearly 120,000 martyrs and injured.
The values of patience and steadfastness are evident among the people of Gaza despite the immense humanitarian disaster and daily massacres committed by the Zionist occupation. The various forms of patience and steadfastness among the people of Gaza are as follows:
- Patience and steadfastness on the battlefield: Despite the enemy's superiority in numbers, equipment, advanced weapons, information technology, artificial intelligence, and strong support from European countries and America, they continue to fight their enemy with courage and steadfastness.
- Patience and steadfastness despite fear and hunger: Despite losing wealth and homes, being denied medicine, having houses demolished, families displaced, and plans for forced displacement thwarted, those who survive are at risk of dying from hunger or untreated illness.
- Patience and steadfastness in the face of losing loved ones: Entire families have been completely exterminated, some have lost part of their family, or some of their children. This calamity has affected everyone, yet we only hear words of patience, steadfastness, and acceptance of God's decree without complaint or resentment.
Despite this resilience and steadfastness, human values have not succeeded in rescuing and relieving them or in preventing the oppression they face by working to stop the genocide they are experiencing, lifting the siege on them, and helping to remove the effects of the humanitarian disaster they are living through by providing food, water, medicine, safe shelter, and means of life!
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(1) Al-Sa'di, "Tayseer Al-Kareem Ar-Rahman fi Tafseer Kalam Al-Mannan," edited by Abdulrahman bin Mualla Al-Luwaikha, Dar Al-Salam Publishing and Distribution, Riyadh, 2nd edition, 1422 AH/2002 AD, vol. 1, p. 76.
(2) Al-Nawawi, "Sharh Sahih Muslim," Book of Jihad and Expeditions, Chapter: Battle of Badr (1779).
(3) Ibn Al-Athir, "Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh," Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyya, Beirut, 1407 AH/1987 AD, vol. 2, p. 374.
(4) Abdullah Anan, "Dawlat al-Islam fi al-Andalus," Maktabat al-Khanji, Cairo, 4th edition, 1417 AH/1997 AD, vol. 2, pp. 315-326.
(5) Al-Sa'di, "Tayseer Al-Kareem Ar-Rahman," vol. 1, p. 91.
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