Nowadays, the world considers itself more sober, conscious and educated than in the past. Even in the poor countries there are such intelligent souls who have greatly excelled in education in their respective fields. Highly intellectual minds work together in large research centres of the world.
Under such circumstances, one should have imagined that people would have joined together and jointly tried to end the wrong ways of thinking and the follies of the past that had resulted in animosities and had led to horrific wars. The God-given intellect and scientific progress should have been used for the betterment of humanity and for devising permissible methods of deriving benefits from one another's resources.
God has bestowed each and every country with natural resources that should have been fully utilised to turn the world into a haven of peace. God has gifted many countries with an excellent climate and environment for growing different crops. Had proper planning been adopted to use modern technology for agriculture, the economy would have strengthened and hunger could have been eliminated from the earth.
Those countries that have been endowed with mineral resources should be allowed to develop and trade at fair prices and openly, and one country should benefit from the resources of the other country. So, this would be the right way, the way that is preferred by God Almighty. God Almighty sends His messengers to the people so that they can show them the ways that bring people closer to God. At the same time, God says that there is complete freedom in matters of faith. According to our beliefs, reward and punishment will be after death as well. But under the system that God has set up, when the cruelty is inflicted on His creation and justice and fair play are ignored, then by the laws of nature, the after-effects can be seen in this world as well. Severe reactions to such injustice are observed and there can be no guarantee about the reaction being right or wrong.
The true way to conquer the world is that every effort should be made to give the poorer nations their due status.
A major issue today is the economic crisis of what has been termed as the credit crunch. Strange as it may sound, the evidence points towards one fact.
The Holy Quran guides us by saying: avoid interest because interest is such a curse that it is a danger for domestic, national and international peace. We have been warned that he who accepts interest will one day be as one whom Satan has smitten with insanity. So, we Muslims have been warned that in order to avoid such a situation, stop dealing in interest because money that you get for interest does not enhance your wealth, although on the face of it, it may seem to you that it is increasing. Inevitably, a time comes when its true effects emerge.
Furthermore, we have been cautioned that we are not allowed to enter into the business of interest, with the warning that if you do so, it will be a war against God.
This factor is obvious from today's credit crunch. In the beginning there were individuals who borrowed money to buy property; but before they could see ownership of the property they used to die burdened with the debt. But now there are governments that are burdened with debt and smitten as if with insanity.
Large companies have become bankrupt. Some banks and financial institution have folded or been bailed out and this situation prevails in every country, regardless of its being rich or poor. You know better than I do about this crisis. The money of the depositors has been wiped off. Now it depends upon governments as to how and to what extent to protect them. But for the time being, the peace of mind of the families, business-men and leaders of the governments in most countries of the world has all but been destroyed.
Does this situation not compel us to think that the world is heading to the logical conclusion whose warning was given to us well in advance? God knows better what the further consequences of this situation will be.
God Almighty has said: Come towards peace that can only be guaranteed when there is pure and wholesome trade and when resources are put into usage in a proper and fair manner.
Now I end these brief points of our teachings with a reminder that the true peace of the world lies only in turning towards God. May God enable the world to understand this point; only then will they be able to discharge the rights of others.
