Good afternoon. The first item of business is time for reflection, and our time for reflection leader today is Dr Muhammad Adrees, president of the Muslim Council of Scotland.
Honourable MSPs, and ladies and gentlemen, I begin in the name of God, the kind and the caring.
I am delighted to be present in this wonderful Scottish Parliament. Scotland is a nation of great men and women, from William Wallace to Andy Murray, Sir Alex Ferguson to Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and, of course, Robert Burns, the man of words—the poet.
Words have power: words are read, and reading is a great way of leading an intelligent life that supports democracy and promotes respect of human rights. We read books for pleasure, sometimes we read them to pass the time and sometimes we read them to make ourselves smarter. We read religious books as a way of getting instructions that will help us to live a good life and to experience closeness and proximity to, and the love of, God.
As legislators, you make laws, and you know why that is important: it is the basis of a just society. Law appeals to reason; it makes sense. The Quran is also a book of law but, more important, it teaches us moral values—
“Rules that determine the way you think, a state of mind that leads to good actions, an attitude to be kind so that we can practise the moral values of kindness, patience, and forgiveness.”
The Quran, like the gospels, is full of such moral teachings.
Muslim families, like the majority of Scottish people, are deeply concerned about preserving and transmitting the traditional moral values, because we want to have kind and caring citizens in the future. Moral values are fundamental for a flourishing and healthy human society. The Quran uses various styles of teaching morality, including instructions and wise storytelling. It promotes those values by telling stories of the great masters: Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammed—peace be upon him.
In our smartphone times, society faces more challenges. Its fast-moving social media influence our mood and lives, creating fear and insecurity and an unrealistic sense of independence, yet interdependency is the reality of society. The moral and spiritual values of co-operation and working together are described on page after page of the Quran.
Psychologists are saying that people are suffering from moral confusion. Many people are lost, and they are hopeless; others lack a sense of meaning and purpose of life. They have trouble distinguishing right from wrong and they question whether such standards even exist.
The Quran is a manual—a guide for our worldly lives. Every Friday afternoon, before the congregational prayers, I read this verse from the pulpit, just like the Imams here in Scotland read it. People listen:
“God commands justice, generosity and giving to relatives or those who are needy. He forbids indecency, all kinds of evil and cruelty. He teaches you this so you will live a good life.”
That is verse 90 of Surah Al-Nahl of the holy Quran.
A complimentary copy of the Quran in plain English has been presented to you all; it was posted earlier. I hope that you have all received it. Please enjoy reading it and capture its gems, savour its pearls and spices. God bless you all. Thank you so much.