Islam - Its Meaning for Modern Man — Page 227
227 emphasised, for a lot of harm may be, and indeed is, done by a wrong concept of what may be owed to children. The Quran stresses the need of proper upbringing and points out that love of children involves the duty of safeguarding their future, both here and in the Hereafter (66:7). The natural instinct opposed to love is hate, repugnance, or enmity. If not regulated, it may occasion great damage. Under proper regulation, it promotes dignity, self-respect, and righteousness. It is wrong to consider hate or repugnance in itself as an undesirable moral quality. In the first place it is not a moral quality at all; it is a natural instinct. In itself it is, so to speak, morally as neutral as love. Its proper regulation converts it into a moral quality. One must hate evil; one must resent certain types of wrongdoing. For instance, the Quran says: “Allah has endeared faith to you, and has made it attractive to you, and He has put repugnance in your hearts toward disbelief, disobedience and transgression. Such, indeed, are those who follow the right course, through the grace and favour of Allah. Allah is All-Knowing, Wise” (49:8 ⎯ 9). A certain amount of misconception has been created in this connection by confusing wrong and evil with the wrongdoer and the perpetrator of evil. The two must be kept distinct. How a wrongdoer should be dealt with has already been noticed in