The Silent Funeral of Conscience: A Call Back to Humanity Through Islam

In the quietest hour of the night, when the world sleeps and silence rules, a voice inside often tries to whisper — my conscience. But that voice grows fainter by the day. Dying a slow, invisible death — not from age, but from neglect.

Each day, I perform seemingly harmless acts of indifference. I tip the valet at an upscale restaurant without thinking twice about the fact that his entire day’s wage may not equal what I just spent on dessert. I buy vegetables from a street vendor and notice his son helping him — a boy who should be at school, not working. I look away, rationalize, and move on. But something inside me — something human — decays.

This slow erosion isn’t unique to me. It is a shared tragedy. A collective blindness. We all, in some way, play our part in this quiet burial of our conscience.

The Everyday Deaths of Our Humanity

When I roll up my car window to block out the sight of a woman begging in rags, not her cry, my conscience suffocates.
When I gift my children the latest gadgets, only to pass children of their age selling trinkets on the road barefoot and underfed — my humanity stumbles.
When my maid’s daughter skips school to wash my dishes, and I let her, my empathy dims.
When a child is raped or murdered, and I offer a prayer of gratitude that it wasn’t mine — my soul cracks.
When I blame politicians for every injustice while choosing silence in my own circle — I surrender my power and silence my moral compass.
When I pollute, bribe, ignore violence, and overspend without thought, I am not just participating in a system — I’m maintaining it.

These aren’t grand crimes. These are quiet murders of humanity. Every time we choose convenience over compassion, silence over action, apathy over justice — our conscience dies a little. And so does our claim to humanity.

But Why Should This Matter?

Because we were not created to be blind bystanders. We were not put on this earth merely to survive in bubbles of comfort. We were born — and commanded — to feel, to care, to act. And this is where our faith comes in.

Islam: The Religion of Living Conscience

Islam is not a religion of rituals alone. It is a complete code of life that begins with conscience and ends in compassion. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did not rise to power by building empires — he won hearts by healing them. He fed the poor, stood up for the oppressed, walked with orphans, and wept for the suffering of others. He taught that the best among you are those who are most beneficial to others.

The essence of Islam is not just prayer mats and fasting — it is how we treat people, especially the most vulnerable among us.

  • “Have you seen the one who denies the religion? It is he who repulses the orphan, and does not encourage the feeding of the poor.”
    (Surah Al-Ma'un 107:1–3)

These verses don’t point fingers at atheists or non-believers — they expose us. Muslims who practice ritual but abandon conscience. Who claim piety but lack humanity.

When we forget that every act of cruelty, every moment of silence in the face of injustice, and every selfish indulgence at the cost of another's pain — chips away at our soul, we forget Islam itself.

Awakening the Conscience Before It’s Too Late

If I — if we — continue to let this decay go unnoticed, one night we will call out to our conscience and hear nothing in return. A complete death. Not of the body, but of the very thing that made us Muslim. Not in name, but in heart and action.

But as long as that inner voice still breathes — even faintly — there is hope. A chance to revive it. Through charity. Through empathy. Through standing up for others. Through honesty and sacrifice. Through becoming the Muslims we are meant to be, not just the ones we appear to be.

Islam Is Humanity

Islam is not separate from humanity. Islam is humanity. When we lose our humanity, we don’t just drift away from our conscience — we drift away from Islam.

Let us return. Let us resurrect our dying conscience with the teachings of the Prophet ﷺ and the guidance of the Qur'an. Let us be Muslims not just in attire, speech, or ritual — but in heart, deed, and soul.

Because a society can survive without wealth, but it cannot survive without conscience.

And remember:

“The most beloved of people to Allah are those who bring the greatest benefit to others.”
— Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat)

Let us bring our conscience back to life — for in its revival lies the true revival of our Deen.

Read this article on Linkedin: Linkedin Article

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Hidden Barrier to Education: How Elite Schools in Pakistan Are Widening the Gap

Image
The Privilege Wall: How Pakistan’s Elite Schools Are Failing the Spirit of Education In the heart of a country struggling with literacy, inequality, and economic challenges, a silent but deeply concerning crisis is unfolding within the walls of Pakistan’s most elite private schools—institutions that claim to offer world-class education but in reality are building walls between classes, not bridges to a brighter future. This issue has become more apparent through personal experience—one that reflects a much bigger, systemic flaw.  Recently a friend shared his experience with International School of Lahore, "I went through the admission process of a well-known private school in Lahore for my child. The assessment was cleared with ease. Being an involved and informed parent, I had spent months preparing my child academically and socially, knowing she had the skills and personality to thrive. But as it turned out, the real assessment was not of the child—but of the parents." The ...
Read more

Awakening the Silent Majority: It's Time to Reclaim Our Rights and Demand Justice

Image
In a world where systems are designed to keep the rich richer and the poor poorer, it’s easy to feel lost and frustrated. What we call “development” often disguises itself as progress for all, but in reality, it benefits the elite while pushing the underprivileged deeper into hardship. Take solar energy—an innovation meant to cut electricity bills and offer clean, renewable power. But can the average person afford a solar system worth hundreds of thousands of rupees? Not unless the government steps in with subsidies, easy loans, or installment plans for low-income households. In contrast, most subsidies benefit commercial users and the wealthy. A better policy would be to provide interest-free loans or tax rebates for middle and low-income families to install solar panels—empowering them with self-reliance and savings. Then there’s the shift to electric vehicles (EVs)—meant to reduce pollution and cut fuel costs. But with EVs priced beyond the reach of a common citizen, who are they re...
Read more