CHITRAL: In a country like Pakistan, where over 97 percent of the population is Muslim, number of mosques per square kilometer is highest in the world and proportion of prayer goers is higher than any muslim country, one would naturally expect a strong ethical outcome of this religiosity but instead, unfortunately financial corruption also remains the highest in proportion to display of religiosity, and is more or less acknowledged as systemic. This contradiction raises an uncomfortable but necessary question: “Are Islamic teachings inadequate to check financial corruption?”
Islamic doctrine, in its original and comprehensive form, leaves little ambiguity regarding financial ethics. The Qur’an and Sunnah strongly condemn dishonesty, bribery, fraud, hoarding, and the misuse of public trust, while elevating justice, accountability, and transparency as core moral obligations. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ warned unequivocally that nations before Islam were destroyed not due to lack of worship or rituals, but because justice was selectively applied and corruption tolerated among the powerful. These teachings are neither symbolic nor secondary; they are foundational principles meant to regulate both personal conduct and public institutions- but are they being preached by our preachers?
The persistence of corruption, is the result of a selective engagement with religion—one that prioritizes rituals, symbols, and identity over moral accountability and social justice. Prayer, fasting, and pilgrimage are emphasized to the core, while honesty in dealings, fairness in governance, and fear of accountability in the hereafter are treated as negotiable. When religion is reduced to personal piety and public display, stripped of its ethical demands, it loses its transformative power. The crisis, is of neglected values—where ritual survives, but moral courage and institutional integrity are left to starve. .. CN report, 14 Dec 2025
7 thoughts on “Religion reduced to mere rituals breeds a nation hollow at its core”
It is so depressing when you find prayer leaders unwilling to even translate, let alone explain in short the essence of the soorahs in the prayer before commencing it. How can we follow the message of prayers when we don’t understand the meaning of what we are reciting’.
Fully agreed. When religion is practiced only as ritual, it loses its moral force.
It is high time we demand from our religious leaders and preachers to preach us through example the importance of a sound character in a muslim. Only preaching rituals and ignoring character building is the cause of our outward religiosity and dilapidated moral fiber. If done so, at least our future generations can have a chance to become muslims in the true spirit of it.
Well written article on the root cause of all social evels- Our preachers and religious leaders have their own interpretation of Islam based on practices of rituals with zero emphasis and effect on practical life
Yes, we must move from a derivated ritualistic Islam to a more practical Islam -the real Islam, where all the universal principals of behaving like a good human being are embodied and given top priority, as was envisioned by our Holy Prophet (PBUH).
1. Well-to-do religious-minded intellectuals should realize that it is their duty, not prerogative, to convey to others, in the best manner, the instructions and spirit of religion.
2. Deployment of prayer leaders should be selection and tenure based.
Are Islamic Teachings Inadequate in Preventing Financial Corruption?
The relationship between religion—including Islam—and financial conduct is complex and shaped by historical, economic, and social contexts. It is often assumed that religion should function today in the same way it did in its early stages, but this expectation overlooks the profound transformations that societies and economies have undergone.
First, the nature of the economy itself has changed. In pre-modern societies, economic life was relatively simple, localized, and morally embedded within social and religious structures. In contrast, modern economies are highly complex, globalized, and institutionalized. Today, money functions almost like a new religion of humankind: it provides security, status, and psychological satisfaction. For many people, a healthy bank balance offers more reassurance and fulfillment than participation in religious rituals or attendance at places of worship. In such a context, religious moral injunctions struggle to compete with the power and immediacy of financial incentives.
Second, modern religion itself has become dependent on money. Without financial resources, religious institutions cannot function. Clergy, religious leaders, and institutions require continuous funding to sustain their activities and social standing. In Pakistan, as in many other parts of the world, religious leaders depend on regular donations to maintain respectable living standards—often including prime residential locations, expensive vehicles, and international travel. This financial dependency inevitably compromises the moral authority of religion to critique wealth accumulation and corruption, especially when religious institutions are themselves embedded within the same economic structures.
Third, morality is not the core operational mechanism of religion in contemporary society. While religions promote moral values, they often rely on fear—of divine punishment or the afterlife—to enforce ethical behavior. In modern times, however, this mechanism has significantly weakened. Many people no longer regulate their actions based on moral or religious fear. Instead, only enforceable civil laws, institutional accountability, and tangible punishment appear effective in curbing corruption.
In conclusion, the inadequacy of religious teachings—including Islamic teachings—in preventing financial corruption is not necessarily a failure of doctrine, but a consequence of structural changes in economy, power, and social behavior. In the modern world, ethical governance depends less on moral preaching and more on strong institutions, transparent systems, and the consistent application of law.