The Quran about corruption
In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful
The empirical experience of mankind has come up against the order and balance of the surrounding world. The harmony of the opposite phenomena, the coherence of the processes taking place, is admired by the inquisitive and contemplative mind.
To maintain harmony, the Creator urged a person not to perform actions that could lead to corruption.
And cause not corruption upon the earth after its reformation. And invoke Him in fear and aspiration. Indeed, the mercy of God is near to the doers of good. (7:56)
The imbalance in nature and society with disruptions in the current events is indeed due to the wrong actions of a person, who sometimes does not realize this.
And when it is said to them, “Do not cause corruption on the earth,” they say, “We are but improvers!” Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters, but they perceive [it] not. (2:11-12)
Thus, there are two types of people’s behaviour: those who do good and the ones who corrupt.
Or should we treat those who believe and corrected themselves like corrupters in the land? Or should We treat those who circumspect like the wicked? (38:28)
The Creator set the standard – the Quran, according to which He determines the inclination of man.
But if they turn away, then indeed – God is Knowing of the corrupters. (3:63)
And of them are those who believe in it, and of them are those who do not believe in it. And your Lord is most knowing of the corrupters (10:40)
The Quran prescribes a charity, particularly to orphans. Concerning this action, people also differ.
And they ask you about orphans.
Say, “Improvement for them is best. And if you mix your affairs with theirs – they are your brothers. And God knows the corrupter from the amender. And if God had willed, He could have put you in difficulty. Indeed, God is Exalted in Might and Wise. (2:220)
We understand that the people who do good things are the counterweight to the corrupters around them. The activities of both are clearly visible, the results of which are due to the coherence of actions. It turns out, that higher mutual assistance of corrupted characters can be the reason for corruption on the earth.
And those who closed themselves are patrons of one another. If you do not do so, there will be distemper on earth and great corruption. (8:73)
It is clearly shown that there is a dependence of the state of society on the state of the believers. Thus, the responsibility of the believers is tremendous.
However, missing the degree of responsibility, looking back at the past keeps believers in stagnation. The example of the predecessors is good for analysis, but not for copying, especially since the main part of the history does not give the concept of harmony.
So why were there not among the generations before you those of enduring discrimination forbidding corruption on earth – except a few of those We saved from among them?
But those who wronged pursued what luxury they were given therein, and they were criminals. (11:116)
As was already mentioned, some people may not realize that they are corrupters. Therefore, it is very important to recognize the signs of the corruption. Those can be:
Breaking the links
Who break the obligation before God after ratifying it and sever that which God has ordered to be joined and cause corruption on earth. It is those who are the losers! (2:27)
But those who break the obligation before God after ratifying it and sever that which God has ordered to be joined and spread corruption on earth – for them is the curse, and they will have the worst home! (13:25)
So would you perhaps, if you turned away, cause corruption on earth and sever your [ties of] relationship? Those are the ones that God has cursed, so He deafened them and blinded their vision! (47:22-23)
The shedding of blood
And when your Lord said to the maintainers, “Indeed, I will place upon the earth a successor”, they asked, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood? We declare Your praise and sanctify You.”
God replied, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know!” (2:30)
Destruction
And when he goes away, he strives throughout the land to cause corruption therein and destroy crops and animals. And God does not like corruption. (2:205)
And do not deprive people of their due and do not commit abuse on earth, spreading corruption! (26:83)
All of the above has precedents in the history of mankind.
Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with ‘Aad – [With] Iram – who had lofty pillars, The likes of whom had never been created in the land?
And [with] Thamud, who carved out the rocks in the valley?
And [with] pharaoh, owner of the stakes? – [All of] whom oppressed within the lands
And increased therein the corruption! (89:6-12)
Lawlessness generates corruption, on the basis of which we can identify additional examples of corruption from the history.
On the example of the people of Lot, it turns out that same-sex relations – corruption
Lut (Lot) said, “My Lord, support me against the corrupting people!” (29:30)
Another messenger – Shuaib, along with service to God, called not to spoil everything around.
And to Madyan [We sent] their brother Shu’ayb, and he said, “O my nation! Serve God and expect the last day and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption!”
At the same time, Shuaib emphasized that apostasy from the Lord’s way and deception is the corruption.
And to [the nation of] Madyan [We sent] their brother Shu’ayb.
He said, “O my nation! Serve God; You have no deity other than Him! There has come to you clear evidence from your Lord. So fulfill the measure and weight and do not deprive people of their due and cause not corruption upon the earth after its reformation. That is better for you, if you should be believers. And do not sit on every path, threatening and averting from the way of God those who believe Him, seeking to make it [seem] deviant. And remember when you were few and He increased you. And see how was the end of the corrupters. (7:85-86)
And O my nation! Give full measure and weight in justice and do not deprive the people of their due and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption! (11:85)
The next messenger Salih also called for harmony, but he still faced the corruption of his fellow tribesmen.
And remember when He made you successors after the ‘Aad and settled you in the land, [and] you take for yourselves palaces from its plains and carve from the mountains, homes. Then remember the favors of God and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption!” (7:74)
And there were in the city nine family heads causing corruption in the land and not amending. (27:48)
In the instructive story with Joseph there is a sign that theft is a corruption.
They said, “By God, you have certainly known that we did not come to cause corruption in the land, and we have not been thieves!” (12:73)
Extensively presented in the Quran, the story with Moses gives several examples of corruption.
Then We sent after them Musa (Moses) with Our signs to pharaoh and his establishment, but they were unjust toward them. So see how was the end of the corrupters! (7:103)
Manifestations of corruption are also murder and artificial fragmentation of society.
And the eminent among the nation of pharaoh said,” Will you leave Musa (Moses) and his nation to cause corruption in the land and abandon you and your gods?”
He said, “We will kill their sons and keep their women alive; and indeed, we are subjugators over them!” (7:127)
Indeed, pharaoh exalted himself in the land and made its people into groupings, oppressing one part of them, slaughtering their sons and keeping their females alive. Indeed, he was of the corrupters! (28:4)
Witchcraft also belongs to corruption.
And when they had thrown, Musa (Moses) said, “What you have brought is [only] magic. Indeed, God will expose its worthlessness. Indeed, God does not amend the work of corrupters. (10:81)
The corruption is regarded by the Creator as resistance to the Divine Signs clearly proving the truth.
And they rejected them, while their [inner] selves were convinced thereof, out of obscurantism and haughtiness. So see how was the end of the corrupters! (27:14)
An important moment is the fact of an insuperable barrier for acceptance of the repentance before death due to the corruption, a vivid example of which is the death of the pharaoh.
Now? And you had disobeyed before and were of the corrupters. (10:91)
After all twists and turns, for a long-awaited freedom, Moses commanded his people to be detached from corruption.
And when Musa (Moses) prayed for water for his nation, so We said, “Strike with your staff the stone.” And there gushed forth from it twelve springs, and every people knew its watering place. “Eat and drink from the provision of God, and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption!” (2:60)
Moses addressed a similar appeal to his brother Aaron.
And Musa (Moses) said to his brother Harun (Aaron), “Take my place among my nation, do right [by them], and do not follow the way of the corrupters!” (7:142)
From the story with David, we understand that protection from the aggressor, perseverance in justice is a barrier to corruption.
So they defeated them by permission of God, and Dawud (David) killed Jalut (Goliath), and God gave him the kingship and judgement and taught him from that which He willed. And if it were not for God protecting some people from the others, the earth would have been corrupted, but God is full of bounty to the worlds. (2:251)
The activity of the one who is called the two-horned was dedicated to prevent the corruption.
They said, “O owner of the two-horns! Indeed Gog and Magog are [great] corrupters in the land. So may we assign for you an expenditure that you might make between us and them a barrier?” (18:94)
On the example of Karun, we can conclude that: pride, money-grubbing and arrogance – the forerunners to corruption.
Thereupon his nation said to him, “Do not exult. Indeed, God does not like the exultant. But seek, through that which God has given you, the home of the hereafter; and [yet], do not forget your share of the world. And do good as God has done good to you. And desire not corruption in the land. Indeed, God does not like corrupters.” (28:77)
The Jewish priests were irreconcilable opponents of Muhammad. Because of blind hatred, their insults extended even to the Creator.
And the Jews say, “The hand of God is chained.” Chained are their hands, and cursed are they for what they say. Rather, both His hands are extended; He spends however He wills. And that which has been revealed to you from your Lord will surely increase many of them in transgression and closed nature. And We have cast among them animosity and hatred until the day of standing before God. Every time they kindled the fire of war, God extinguished it. And they strive throughout the land with corruption, and God does not like those who spread corruption! (5:64)
Such spiritual state of the Jewish “wise men” has already led to disastrous results.
And We conveyed to the Children of Israel in the Prescription that, “You will surely cause corruption on the earth twice, and you will surely reach great haughtiness!” (17:4)
The Quran has an example with an imbalance in the universe as an evidence of true monotheism.
Had there been within the heavens and earth gods besides God, they both would have been ruined. So exalted is God, Lord of the abiding, above what they describe! (21:22)
Divine truth is impartial and only this approach contributes to the order in the whole environment of mankind.
But if the truth had followed their passions, the heavens and the earth and whoever is in them would have been ruined. Rather, We have brought them their reminder, but they, from their reminder, are turning away! (23:71)
The causal relationship, reflected in the Quran, provides answers to the questions related to current events.
Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return! (30:41)
This algorithm applies not only to natural phenomena, but also to the state of society. To prevent disproportion in the society, believers are instructed not to uphold the laws leading to corruption.
And do not obey the order of the transgressors, Who cause corruption in the land and do not amend!” (26:151-152)
Thus, an active civil position is stimulated. Only active participation of believers in the political life of the country can contribute to the formation of the laws of the country in accordance with the prescriptions of God.
In this sense, the following passage is very important:
Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against God and His messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land. That is for them a disgrace in this world; and for them in the hereafter is a great punishment, except for those who return [repenting] before you apprehend them. And know that God is Forgiving and Merciful. (5:33-34)
No matter how the world treats punishments, the death penalty, physical punishment of criminals or deportation must be present in the criminal responsibility of the citizens.
The moratorium on the death penalty showed its inadequacy, and the absence of real punishment for thieves, corrupt officials, bandits, etc., gives a permanent relapse, because the current penitentiary system does not give any correction to criminals, and does not stop the nature of the crime itself.
However, the lack of well-deserved punishment in this life is not the reason for the criminals to be calm. The court after death will put everything in its place.
Those who closed themselves and averted from the way of God – We will increase them in punishment over [their] punishment for what corruption they were causing. (16:88)
The corrupters will be given the place they deserve, and the beneficiaries, respectively, their own one.
That home of the hereafter We assign to those who do not desire exaltedness upon the earth or corruption. And the [best] outcome is for the circumspect! (28:83)