Islam & Europe - Peace, Identity & Integration — Page 54
54 ISLAM & EUROPE: PEACE, IDENTITY & INTEGRATION right, the Holy Quran has also given many guiding principles for day-to-day life through which people can live together peacefully, irrespective of their different backgrounds or beliefs. For example, chapter 2, verse 189 of the Holy Quran lays down the principles for fair-trading and ensuring the integrity of all financial relationships or transactions. In this verse, Allah the Almighty has instructed Muslims that they must never acquire wealth or property through means of deception; rather, Muslims are taught to be honest, trustworthy and to uphold the truth so that grievances and malice do not develop between different parties. Islam teaches that unfair dealing and unjust trading weakens the unity within society and destroys its peace. Certainly, at a time when so much of the world’s disorder and suffering, both at an individual and a collective level, is based upon selfishness and greed, the principles of equity and justice are crucial to maintaining peace within society. Furthermore, in chapter 83, verses 2-4, the Holy Quran states: “Woe unto those who give short measure. Those who, when they take by measure from other people, take it full; but when they give by measure to others or weigh to them, they give them less. ” These verses affirm that those who are exploitative in business transactions, who try to short-change others, whilst demanding more than their dues in return and who resort to deception and fraud, are cursed and will be disgraced.