Corruption is a plague that eats away at the core of nations, a primary cause of the collapse of civilizations and the downfall of empires. When it spreads within a society, it corrupts its morals, destroys its people, and undermines its foundations. Western countries serve as a prime example; corruption has become widespread in all its aspects, leading to the disintegration of values and the spread of chaos. As a result, it has become a deteriorating structure on the verge of collapse at any moment. On the other hand, Islam offers a comprehensive framework to combat corruption, ensuring justice, morality, and righteousness prevail in society.
One of the most evident manifestations of moral and ethical corruption in Western countries today is the spread of pornography. In some European countries, the revenue from the sex trade is estimated to be in the billions annually, as is the case in the United Kingdom. Moreover, prostitutes and pimps are now seen as workers earning their livelihood, and their rights are even advocated! However, Islam strongly condemns such practices, as they contradict righteousness and moral purity.
Western countries also experience high rates of family breakdown. According to Eurostat, the marriage rate in the European Union has declined from 8.0 per 1,000 people in 1964 to 3.2 in 2020, while the divorce rate has risen from 0.8 per 1,000 in 1964 to 1.6 in 2020. In France, divorce cases among individuals over 50 have increased over the past 30 years, representing 33.5% of all divorces in 2016. Islam emphasizes the importance of family cohesion and encourages righteousness to maintain stable and healthy family structures.
Another manifestation of moral decay is the rampant spread of drugs, which leads to higher crime rates and deaths from overdoses. In the United States, drug-related deaths reached approximately 70,630 in 2019, according to a World Health Organization report. Meanwhile, Europe has witnessed a noticeable increase in the availability of synthetic drugs and rising addiction rates, posing a severe threat to social security. Islam combats corruption by prohibiting intoxicants and substances that destroy human intellect and dignity, ensuring righteousness prevails in society.
As to administrative and financial corruption, there has been a significant decline in standards of integrity and transparency in many Western countries. In the United States, for example, its ranking on the Corruption Perceptions Index fell to 65 out of 100 in 2024 due to major corporate financial scandals and the influence of money in politics. In Germany, cases of corruption related to political party financing have emerged, such as the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) scandal. In France, prominent political figures have been implicated in corruption cases involving public contracts, such as the “Bygmalion” scandal, which exposed financial irregularities during the 2012 presidential election. On the contrary, Islam provides a just economic system, ensuring fairness, transparency, and ethical business dealings.
These crises highlight the urgent need for a strong ethical framework and just principles to combat corruption—values that Islam has established to protect societies and ensure their stability. Thus, the Quran warns against corruption and has legislated measures to safeguard society and deter corrupt individuals.
1- Prohibiting Corruption:
The superiority of the Muslim Ummah lies in its duty to enjoin good and forbid evil, leading to righteousness. If it neglects this duty, corruption will spread unchecked, leading to devastation of lands. Allah says, “You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah. If only the People of the Scripture had believed, it would have been better for them. Among them are believers, but most of them are defiantly disobedient.” (Aal-Imran: 110)
Sayyid Qutb commented: “A nation where corruption occurs through enslaving people to entities other than Allah in any form, yet finds those who rise to combat it, is a nation that is saved from destruction. But a nation where oppressors prevail and corruption spreads unchecked, where no one stands up to fight injustice and evil, or where dissent exists but is ineffective, then the divine law is fulfilled upon them—either through annihilation or gradual decline and decay.” (1)
Since the consequences of corruption are severe, the Quran presents numerous examples to warn against its dangers. One such example is the story of Qarun, who spread corruption, oppressed his people, and arrogantly attributed his wealth and status to his own knowledge and power. However, Allah ultimately caused the earth to swallow him and his wealth, demonstrating the fate of corrupt individuals. Allah says, “That home of the Hereafter We assign to those who do not desire exaltedness upon the earth or corruption. And the [best] outcome is for the righteous.” (Al-Qasas: 83)
Similarly, the story of the people of Prophet Shu'ayb highlights the consequences of corruption. They were among the most corrupt nations, so he warned them: “And do not deprive people of their due and do not commit abuse on earth, spreading corruption.” (Ash-Shu'ara: 183)
Yet, they mocked Allah’s signs and refused to listen to the warning. As a result, they were struck with divine punishment: “But they denied him, so the punishment of the day of the black cloud seized them. Indeed, it was the punishment of a terrible day.” (Ash-Shu'ara: 189) And the examples remain abundant in the Quran.
7 Penalties for Failing to Promote Virtue and Preventing Vice
2-Law of Struggling Against Corruption:
The struggle between truth and falsehood is a divine law and the methodology of prophets in combating corruption. Allah says, “And if it were not for Allah checking [some] people by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted.” (Al-Baqarah: 251)
Imam At-Tabari explained: “If Allah did not push back some people—those who obey Him and believe in Him—against others—those who disobey Him and associate partners with Him—the earth would be ruined. Meaning, its people would perish due to Allah's punishment, causing the land to be laid to waste. But Allah, in His mercy, spares them by countering the wicked with the righteous and the obedient with the disobedient.” (2)
This struggle unleashes hidden potentials, shakes off the lethargy that paralyzes societies, and sharpens minds and hearts so that Allah’s forces prevail and corruption is eradicated, bringing about the highest forms of goodness and reform.
3- Exposing the Corrupted:
Islam actively works to combat corruption by exposing those who spread it. Allah exposed the Jews and their actions, saying: “Every time they kindled the fire of war [against you], Allah extinguished it. And they strive throughout the land [causing] corruption, and Allah does not like corrupters.” (Al-Ma’idah: 64)
They continuously “Kindle the flames of war, discord, and fighting by attempting to prevent the unity of the Arabs, hindering their transition from illiteracy to knowledge, and from idolatry to monotheism, as well as by plotting against the believers and casting doubts about their religion—out of envy toward them and a desire to maintain their own superiority over them. But Allah does not love the corrupters on earth; thus, He does not grant success to their deeds, nor does He make their efforts fruitful, for they stand in opposition to His divine wisdom, which seeks the righteousness of people and the flourishing of lands.” (3)
This is evident in their widespread global corruption today, especially in Palestine, where they unleash all forms of evil against Islam and Muslims. Some may mistakenly believe that they are victorious due to their global influence and support. However, their victory is temporary, for Allah has promised to vanquish corruption and grant triumph to the sincere believers. The steadfast resistance in Palestine continues to humiliate them and inflict defeat upon them time and again.
Allah also warns us about the hypocrisy of corrupt individuals: “And when it is said to them, 'Do not cause corruption on the earth,' they say, 'We are but reformers.' Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters, but they not perceive it not.” (Al-Baqarah: 11-12) This serves as a call for reformers to expose them and warn people of their corruption.
Allah’s laws in the universe favor no one; just as righteousness and integrity lead to prosperity in this life and the next, corruption and immorality result only in destruction and disgrace. Allah has made clear the humiliating fate of corrupters in this world and the intensified punishment awaiting them in the Hereafter. Salvation lies only in holding firmly to the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, following the path of the righteous reformers.
Reform Impact on the Nation's Goodness
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- Tafsir Modoee Encyclopedia.
- Mahasin al-Islam Encyclopedia
- Aljazeera.net
- Fi Dhilal Al-Quran, Sayyid Qutb, 4/1933.
- Al-Jami' li-Ahkam Al-Qur'an, Al-Qurtubi, 1/117.
- Tafsir Al-Manar, Muhammad Rashid Rida, 6/380.