Islam and Human Rights — Page 183
183 v i Prevalent Attitudes Towards Human Rights Among Muslims The Prophet said: “My generation is the best, then the succeeding one, then the one after that, and thereafter a decline will set in which will last a thousand years”. 77 So it has proved. The decline in moral and spiritual values began as the Prophet had indicated, and as the neglect of these values proceeded it began to undermine other values also, as was inevitable. But the process was a gradual one and was slowed down by frequent regional revivals and efforts at reform. The revolution ushered in by Islam was so comprehensive, so all-pervading, so broad-based and went down so deep that even a prolonged period of decline did not make the ill results visible to an outside observer till more than half of it had 77 Bukhari IV, Sect. :Ar-Raqaq, Ch. :On eschewing worldly splendour.