Islam's Response to Contemporary Issues — Page 66
66 islam’s response to contemporary issues Four Characteristics of a Materialistic Society ‘What has brought you into the Fire of Hell?’ They will say. ‘We were not of those who worshipped God, nor did we feed the poor. And we indulged in vain talk with those who indulge therein. And we used to deny the Day of Judgement. ’ 10 The features of a godless and materialistic society could not have been summed up more precisely and comprehensively. These are: 1. Failure to perform worship. 2. Failure to feed the poor. 3. Indulgence in vain pursuits. 4. Denial of the Day of Reckoning or accountability. Before proceeding further, let us remove a confusion, which makes it difficult to truly diagnose the state of a society. Even in societies where the belief in God seems to be strong and prominent and the belief in the Hereafter is an integral part of their faith, such evils flourish as cannot be logically conceived to exist among believers of God and life after death with full accountability. The question then arises as to why such societies believe in a God and the Hereafter, yet in all other characteristics remain materialistic through and through? The answer to this question is not difficult to find when we examine, in depth, the nature of the beliefs. In fact, just a remote theosophical belief in a God cannot influence the social behaviour of such believers. This is because such beliefs are only