World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace — Page 33
33 I SLAM ’ S T EACHINGS OF L OYALTY AND L O v E FOR O NE ’ S N ATION ways cannot be expected to act in a loyal manner, because loyalty is intertwined with high moral values. Loyalty cannot exist with- out high moral values and high moral values cannot exist with- out loyalty. Whilst it is true that different people may have dif- ferent views about high moral standards, yet the religion of Islam revolves solely around seeking God’s pleasure. Thus, Muslims are instructed to always act in a manner that is pleasing to Him. In short, according to Islamic teachings, God Almighty has for- bidden all forms of treachery or rebellion, whether against one’s country or one’s government. This is because rebellion or acting against the state is a threat to the peace and security of a nation. Indeed, where internal rebellion or opposition occurs, then it fans the flames of external opposition and encourages outsiders to take advantage of the internal disorder. Hence, the consequences of disloyalty to your nation can be far-reaching and extreme. Thus, anything that can cause harm to a nation is included in the term bagh a that I have described. Keeping all of this in mind, loyalty to one’s nation requires a person to display patience, to show moral- ity and to follow the laws of the land. Generally speaking, in the modern era, most governments are run democratically. Therefore if a person or group wishes to change the government, then they should do so by following the proper democratic process. They should make themselves heard by voting at the ballot box. Votes should not be cast on the basis of personal preferences or personal interests, but in fact, Islam teaches that a person’s vote should be exercised with a sense of loyalty and love for his country. A person’s vote should be cast with the betterment of the nation in mind. Therefore, a person should not look at his own priorities and from which candidate or