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Quranic Wisdom

Violation of Reason

very important social law regarding general suffering for
A
particular wrongs is laid down in the chapter Al-Anfal (The
Spoils of War) of the Quran. The translation of the relevant verse
is as follows:

And beware of an affliction that will not smite exclusively
those among you who have done wrong. Know that God is severe
in exacting retribution. (8:25)
This Quranic verse refers to a situation when, in a society,
some of its members are involved in corruption, while others
remain silent and become indifferent. If this situation persists for
long, the law of nature inflicts punishment upon that society. But
this punishment is not only confined to those who are directly
involved in corruption, but covers the whole of society because,
if some members have been directly involved in the corruption,
others, on account of their silence, have been indirectly involved.

In social matters, justice and human rights are not
the criteria: in such matters practical wisdom has to
be taken into consideration. Often pragmatism has to
be the deciding factor.

This law also covers those situations in which some are
engaged in violence against others, while the rest of society’s
members have chosen to remain detached. But when reaction
comes from the afflicted party, it affects the whole of society
and not just those who were directly engaged in violence. So, in
every situation, people must look to the result of their actions.

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