Page 44 - Solution, the values of the Qurʼan

42 SOLUTION THE VALUES OF THE QUR'AN

2. The Criteria for Judging People Becomes Money and Rank

Money and status serve as the main criteria to assess people in
societies where the values of the Qur'an and the Sunnah are not adhered
to. In these societies, all strata are saturated with this mentality, giving us
an abundance of examples to analyze.
The attitudes assumed by a storekeeper towards two different
customers provide striking clues about this issue. The storekeeper
assumes a polite and attentive attitude towards the one whom, from his
appearance, he assumes to be well-off. The other customer, on the other
hand, who looks rather poor, is not treated so well by the storekeeper.
This attitude does not change although both customers visit the store to
buy the same things, and spend the same amount of money. Appearance
or status determines the way the storekeeper treats his customers.
These criteria do not hold true for someone who lives by the Qur'an. A
believer is well mannered towards another human being simply because
he is a "human being". He does not subject people around him to
prejudicial discrimination of any kind. To appreciate someone, he does
not need "labels". Whether a person is wealthy or poor, whether he lives
in a hut or a mansion does not matter to him. One's costly clothes, pretty

face, graduate degree from a prestigious university, social standing, or
similar status symbols have no meaning whatsoever to him. Allah, in the
Qur'an, mentions one's faith in Allah and closeness to Him as the sole
criteria to apply in loving people.

3. Troubles in Education
Every individual is entitled to have access to education. Regardless of
religion, language, race or status, every individual has the right to strive
for knowledge. Social injustice, however, renders this virtually
impossible, introducing many problems demanding immediate solution,

the foremost being unavailability of free education for every member of a
community. In many countries, due to poverty, huge numbers of children
and teenagers are deprived of quality education. Access to a handful of