JK News Today
As we celebrate the sacred and blessed occasion of Eid al-Adha, we must also pause and reflect on the painful decline of our society. As a society, we urgently need to introspect and ask ourselves why we are losing our religious, moral, and even basic human values. The recent heart-wrenching incident in Budgam should shake our conscience to the core. This deeply tragic and unfortunate incident must force us to seriously reflect and bring a complete change in our declining social behavior and descending values. The rising incidents of crime, violence, and the growing menace of drugs are clear signs that our society is drifting away from morality and humanity. If we fail to protect our social fabric today, one can only fear what kind of future awaits us tomorrow. This decline did not happen overnight. We have witnessed it declining over the years and decades. We were not like this before. Our ancestors may not have been as educated or well-read as we are today, but they possessed far greater character, morality, and humanity. This land was once known for peace, dignity, and spirituality. Our valley was proudly called “Peer Waer” (the land of saints). Sadly, it feels as though we have lost that identity, and with every passing day, we are drifting even further away from it. Even nature may not forgive us for our negligence towards society. Perhaps nature has already started warning us. Look at the changing weather patterns, the frequent natural calamities, the shrinking glaciers, and the loss of our water resources. These may be signs of nature’s anger and imbalance. The Holy Quran reminds us that when people become morally corrupt and turn away from virtue, Allah’s wrath descends upon them. Before it is too late, we must introspect, pray, sincerely repent, and seek Almighty Allah’s mercy, forgiveness, and blessings. Eid al-Adha symbolises sacrifice. Let us make a sincere commitment this Eid that we will sacrifice our time, comfort, efforts, and abilities to help rebuild a noble, compassionate, and morally strong society. I humbly appeal to our respected Ulama and religious scholars to use the pulpits during Eid prayers to remind people that we urgently need introspection, repentance, and a return towards morality and humanity. May this blessed Eid bring peace to our hearts, dignity to our society, unity among people, and endless blessings upon all of us. Eid Mubarak!
