What to call members of modern culture?

[fschmidt]

I have been calling members of modern western culture "modern scum". While this is accurate, it isn't good manners. Islam teaches that one should have good manners. (I am not Muslim, but I attend mosque and generally try to follow what Islam teaches.) So I would like to improve my manners and find a replacement for the term "modern scum".

I first thought of something like "modernians" but that isn't very descriptive and would require an adjective. The best adjective that I can think of for modern culture is "depraved". So that produces "depraved modernians" which seems cumbersome. So maybe I should just use a noun form of the adjective like "depravians". And I could describe the depraved world of modern culture as "depravia".

Please let me know what you think I should call members of modern culture.

 

['Abdullah]

I have been calling members of modern western culture "modern scum". While this is accurate, it isn't good manners. Islam teaches that one should have good manners. (I am not Muslim, but I attend mosque and generally try to follow what Islam teaches.) So I would like to improve my manners and find a replacement for the term "modern scum".

I first thought of something like "modernians" but that isn't very descriptive and would require an adjective. The best adjective that I can think of for modern culture is "depraved". So that produces "depraved modernians" which seems cumbersome. So maybe I should just use a noun form of the adjective like "depravians". And I could describe the depraved world of modern culture as "depravia".

Please let me know what you think I should call members of modern culture.

I dont think you need to call Western Culture anything. People understand very well what Western culture is. If the purpose is to bring a positive change and bring people back to God then we should avoid any name calling. Have patience, listen to people and give respect to their opinion without judging them and I am sure most people will listen to you and will also respect your opinion. But if we start any discussion with name calling then it is not going anywhere.

 

[fschmidt]

I dont think you need to call Western Culture anything. People understand very well what Western culture is. If the purpose is to bring a positive change and bring people back to God then we should avoid any name calling. Have patience, listen to people and give respect to their opinion without judging them and I am sure most people will listen to you and will also respect your opinion. But if we start any discussion with name calling then it is not going anywhere.

This just doesn't work. I have no interest in talking to depravians, I hate them passionately and I would just rather avoid them. But they constantly harass me and I need some means of addressing this. For example I have this subreddit promoting good software. Naturally depravians hate everything that is good incuding good software, so they attack what I say. How should I respond? I need to say something like "please ignore the depravians, they hate everything that is good". I need to make decent people aware of the fact that they should do everything in the exact opposite manner of depravians, incuding programming, if they want to do anything good.

 

['Abdullah]

This just doesn't work. I have no interest in talking to depravians, I hate them passionately and I would just rather avoid them. But they constantly harass me and I need some means of addressing this. For example I have this subreddit promoting good software. Naturally depravians hate everything that is good incuding good software, so they attack what I say. How should I respond? I need to say something like "please ignore the depravians, they hate everything that is good". I need to make decent people aware of the fact that they should do everything in the exact opposite manner of depravians, incuding programming, if they want to do anything good.

I understand your issue my friend and is only advising you to do what Quran tells us to do. When ignorant people harass you, the best strategy is to say Salam ( Peace ) to them.

And the servants of the Most Beneficent walk on the earth in humility and when the ignorant address them, they say: “Peace”! ( Quran Chapter 25, verse 63)

Trust that no one can harm you unless Allah wills and if Allah wills that then trust that there is good in it for you.
Hate only begets hate. If you respond back to them in a derogatory way then what is the difference between them and you? On the other hand, if you show that you don't hate them and only wants the best for them then it is quite possible that the worse enemies can become your good friends. Allah says in the Quran:

And the good deed and the evil deed are not equal. Repel (evil) with what is best. Then the one whom you had enmity in between becomes as if he were a compassionate friend.(Quran Chapter 41, verse 34)​

 

[Ahmed.]

There is one thing in common with all non-Muslim cultures, whether its ancient or modern and that is its evils are rooted in ignorance, so Islam callls it 'jahaliya' (ignorant culture) and its people are called 'jahil' (ignorant)

And as Habib said, we should return good for their ignorant behaviour as these people are commiting mistakes as they're in the dark, and mistakes can be rectified, and the enlightened peoples duty is to set the good example for them and show them the way

 

[Studentofdeed]

Im going to ask this if you agree with what islam preaches then what's preventing you from become a full muslim?

Also the fact you have more knowledge and have better manners this should make you more softer with others not harsher. The prophet Muhammad saw was the most knowledgeable of us and he was the most humble and kind hearted. Religion should make you disciplined not harsh hearted. Be kind to them and you never know that any good deed you do may touch their heart and guide them to islam or become better if there is goodness in them.

Take my example...I was always turned off by women in hijab when I was little boy. Because they used always look at me arrogantly and in a judgmental way. It was really condescending...I was very naive. However i also met good muslim brothers and sisters who if they had not been kind and soft hearted to me, I would not have been guided through the will of Allah. So please consider my words

 

[fschmidt]

Im going to ask this if you agree with what islam preaches then what's preventing you from become a full muslim?

I relate better to the Old Testament. I can find no reason to believe in an afterlife. But I find the moral advice in the Quran to be excellent.

Also the fact you have more knowledge and have better manners this should make you more softer with others not harsher. The prophet Muhammad saw was the most knowledgeable of us and he was the most humble and kind hearted. Religion should make you disciplined not harsh hearted. Be kind to them and you never know that any good deed you do may touch their heart and guide them to islam or become better if there is goodness in them.

I can control my behavior but not my sentiment. I passionately hate members of modern culture and I only wish for their death. But I have good self-discipline so I do not act on my feelings.

Those who say that members of modern culture are ignorant are extremely misguided. Members of modern culture are no more ignorant than Satan is. In fact they are much like Satan. They know good and evil, and they hate good and love evil.

 

[Studentofdeed]

If you arent kind to others and merciful how do you expect others to be kind to you?

The old testament is from Allah, yes but it is outdated and changed. Quran is the final and new message. Follow that. If you do not belive then look at the prophecies of Muhammad SAW. All are true! The most specific one is the bedouin arabs. Back then they were nomads and nobody's. The prophet saw predicted they would be building gigantic towers and competing in money and wealth...and look at that today. Another one is the body of pharoh. None of the old versions mention the body of the pharoh being preserved but the quran says it is. There is much more...islam is whole package, you have to accept all of it. Look deeper rather than just the surface

 

['Abdullah]

I relate better to the Old Testament. I can find no reason to believe in an afterlife. But I find the moral advice in the Quran to be excellent.

So you don't believe in life after death? I would think this would be the easiest thing to believe in because we can't get true justice in this world. And the fact that our justice system is so broken is an evidence within itself of life after death. Humans naturally seek justice in all aspects of their lives. When a person works, they expect to receive an appropriate salary. When an individual is harmed, they seek compensation. When someone helps another, they anticipate appreciation for their effort. Even though humans strive hard to establish justice, the reality is that this world will never be perfectly just. Many criminals go unpunished while the oppressed are denied basic rights. Do their lives simply dissolve without any accountability or fair dealing?

Allah proclaims in the Quran:

Do those who commit evil deeds really think that We will deal with them in the same way as those who believe and do righteous deeds, that they will be alike in their living and their dying? How badly they judge!(45:21)

.

If our man-made judicial systems punish people for committing injustices against other people, it is even more understandable that God would punish those who deny Him His rights and commit injustices against His creation. God says in the Quran:

“We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Judgment, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least, and if there be (no more than) the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it (to account): and enough are We to take account” (21:47).

Do you really think Hitler is going to have same end as you will have after death? Does it makes any sense to you?

I can control my behavior but not my sentiment. I passionately hate members of modern culture and I only wish for their death. But I have good self-discipline so I do not act on my feelings.

Those who say that members of modern culture are ignorant are extremely misguided. Members of modern culture are no more ignorant than Satan is. In fact they are much like Satan. They know good and evil, and they hate good and love evil.

I understand what you are saying. If most people are source of corruption and spread evil in the society and attack you personally then you have every right to fight back and defend yourself but even in self defense there are rules set in place in Islam which one should follow. But that's a separate topic and we can talk about this if needed in more details.

 

['Abdullah]

So you don't believe in life after death? I would think this would be the easiest thing to believe in because we can't get true justice in this world. And the fact that our justice system is so broken is an evidence within itself of life after death. Humans naturally seek justice in all aspects of their lives. When a person works, they expect to receive an appropriate salary. When an individual is harmed, they seek compensation. When someone helps another, they anticipate appreciation for their effort. Even though humans strive hard to establish justice, the reality is that this world will never be perfectly just. Many criminals go unpunished while the oppressed are denied basic rights. Do their lives simply dissolve without any accountability or fair dealing?

Allah proclaims in the Quran:
.

If our man-made judicial systems punish people for committing injustices against other people, it is even more understandable that God would punish those who deny Him His rights and commit injustices against His creation. God says in the Quran:



Do you really think Hitler is going to have same end as you will have after death? Does it makes any sense to you?


I understand what you are saying. If most people are source of corruption and spread evil in the society and attack you personally then you have every right to fight back and defend yourself but even in self defense there are rules set in place in Islam which one should follow. But that's a separate topic and we can talk about this if needed in more details.

[MENTION=30692]fschmidt[/MENTION] You may find video with link below helpful:

https://youtu.be/jfZMWB-z4Tc?t=108​