By all rational calculations, ethics is a losing proposition.
Why should I take money out of my pocket, and give it to someone else for free?
Why should I waste my time and effort to help someone who is incapable of returning the favour?
Furthermore, why should I refrain from committing crimes if I'm certain that the police will never catch me?
These are all entirely logical questions.
Even if we assume for the sake of argument that the Western citizen adheres to ethics in their society (which only happens to the extent mandated by the law anyway), the question remains: What about the American or European citizen who sees their government invade and destroy other countries, knowing that plundering the natural resources of those nations will eventually benefit them?
If ethics are beneficial to society, then why should we adhere to them when we deal with those outside of our society?! Or do you want us to adhere to ethics with all humans regardless of their race, ethnicity, or location... Are you out of your mind?!
What about the giant corporations that manufacture modern technological devices, which Western citizens enjoy, knowing full well that their production relies on cheap child labour working under inhumane conditions? What about the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?! We wanted to terrorise the world into total submission.. We had to do it!
Why should we care about the lives of a quarter of a million Japanese? They are not from our society, and they don't have the capability for revenge.
But the truth is that even the concept of caring about your society isn't even followed.
We see men abandon their families and evade supporting their children!
Women kill the foetuses in the womb to be able to make more money.
Even the idea of self-care, prevalent in the West, means prioritising your comfort above all responsibilities.
Not happy with your spouse? Divorce them.
Feeling that marriage would restrict your freedom as a man? Don't get married.
What about the next generation?! Why don't we promote pornography and the mental disorder called "gender" to them? When they awaken from that nightmare, we won't be alive anymore.
Why sacrifice current profit? For what exactly? Can you give me an answer that doesn't include the words "God" or "afterlife"?
When a person doesn't worship their Creator, they end up worshipping themselves.
God says in the Quran:
"Have you seen he who took as his god his [own] desire and Allah left him astray due to [his] knowledge and sealed his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allah?"
Trying to replace God with law or societal norms is a doomed endeavour.
Because as they say "Everything is legal unless you get caught"
The concept of law itself is tied to an authority that enforces punishment on violators.
The only way out of this is
For the Muslim, that higher authority is Allah, the Almighty. Therefore, you find a Muslim not hesitating to sacrifice their wealth, immediate pleasure, or even their lives for a greater goal.
They know with certainty that Allah will reward them for their deeds in the Hereafter. Practising selflessness and sacrifice, for both Muslims and non-Muslims, is a worldly losing decision.
But for Muslims alone, it's a winning decision in the eternal afterlife.
In Islam, there is a remarkable balance between the concept of individuality and independence in its correct form, and the consideration for the societal framework.
Every individual will come alone on the Day of Judgment, and Allah, the Almighty, will hold them accountable. Allah, the Exalted, said, "And [for] every person, We have imposed his fate upon his neck, and We will produce for him on the Day of Resurrection a record which he will encounter spread open. [It will be said], 'Read your record. Sufficient is yourself against you this Day as accountant.'"
He also said, "And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another."
On the other hand, Islam regards the community as a unified entity, safeguarded by its individuals and protecting its individuals. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself."
As for the relationship between Muslims and others, listen to the words of the Prophet, spoken fourteen centuries ago, at a time when racism was a natural part of human interaction: The Prophet said, "There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab, nor for a non-Arab over an Arab. Neither is the white superior over the black, nor is the black superior over the white - except by righteousness. People are all the children of Adam, and Adam was created from dust."
In the Muslim community individuals don’t live for themselves, but rather, everyone lives under the umbrella of Islam.
It was mentioned in the Quran: "Verily, this Ummah of yours is a single Ummah, and I am your Lord, so worship Me."
This is the difference between a unified community that worships one God, and a society where each individual worships themselves.
