Consider the last time you made a purchase on Amazon. Did you ever pause to reflect on the multitude of people you had to place your trust in before finalizing your transaction? Before your purchase, you probably looked at the reviews for the product or talked to friends and family you trusted to give you a fair assessment.
You relied on Amazon to safeguard your payment information and keep it secure. You trusted your bank to process the payment on your behalf. Additionally, you had faith in the internet service providers and servers facilitating the transaction. Moreover, you believed that the seller would possess the item as advertised and dispatch it to you once the payment was confirmed.
You counted on the manufacturer and producer of the item to deliver a quality product; for instance, if you purchased a book, you assumed the author had invested time and effort into its creation. Similarly, if you bought a computer, you relied on the manufacturer’s adherence to quality and reliability standards. Consequently, you extended your trust to countless suppliers responsible for the numerous components that constituted the computer. You anticipated that the computer would function flawlessly and not arrive damaged or pose any safety hazards.
Finally, you entrusted the delivery of the product to several companies and individuals, expecting them to act with integrity and refrain from misappropriating the item for their own benefit.
In essence, purchasing an item on Amazon entails placing trust in a vast network of entities, ranging from the platform to financial institutions, suppliers, manufacturers, sellers, reviewers, and delivery personnel.
Now imagine, upon delivery, you were not home, and a package thief came by your doorstep and stole your product from you. What would that do to your psyche? How would such a small act of corruption cause you and so many others to lose trust in the whole system?
Consider how you start viewing the members of your community? Before, you would see a person just going out for a casual stroll, but now you view them with suspicion. You wonder, are they actually going for a walk, or are they a package thief. Consider that when you go to Amazon, the postal service, your credit card company, and the seller and tell them what happened, they start doubting your integrity? Despite you being the victim, they don’t know if that is true or if you are trying to scam them. Very quickly, we see that the societal cost of this one theft far exceeded the cost of the actual goods stolen.
In order for a society to flourish and thrive, the presence of trust among its members is absolutely critical. Trust serves as the foundation upon which individuals build relationships, collaborate, and engage in various social, economic, and political activities. It plays a pivotal role in shaping a society’s overall well-being and progress. If a society loses trust in one another, then that society crumbles. Therefore, trust makes up the fabric that ties society together.
16:91 You shall fulfill your covenant with GOD when you make such a covenant. You shall not violate the oaths after swearing (by God) to carry them out, for you have made GOD a guarantor for you. GOD knows everything you do. 16:92 Do not be like the knitter who unravels her strong knitting into piles of flimsy yarn. This is your example if you abuse the oaths to take advantage of one another. Whether one group is larger than the other, GOD thus puts you to the test. He will surely show you on the Day of Resurrection everything you had disputed. 16:93 Had GOD willed, He could have made you one congregation. But He sends astray whoever chooses to go astray, and He guides whoever wishes to be guided. You will surely be asked about everything you have done. 16:94 Do not abuse the oaths among you, lest you slide back after having a strong foothold, then you incur misery. Such is the consequence of repelling from the path of GOD (by setting a bad example); you incur a terrible retribution. 16:95 Do not sell your oaths before GOD short. What GOD possesses is far better for you, if you only knew. 16:96 What you possess runs out, but what GOD possesses lasts forever. We will surely reward those who steadfastly persevere; we will recompense them for their righteous works.
Now consider the viewpoint of the thief. Why would the thief consider doing such acts? From their standpoint, they think that the risk verse reward plays in their favor. Particularly, if no one is coming after them or looking to prosecute them, they will be more emboldened to carry on with this kind of theft. What about others who see that this is being treated as a nonpunishable offense? They will start doing the same thing. Therefore if society doesn’t take the proper steps to punish people for this crime and hold them accountable for their actions, then it will persist and the problem will just get progressively worse.
In 2014, California passed Proposition 47, which reduced stealing items valued at less than $950 worth of merchandise as a misdemeanor.
California Penal Code 459.5 describes the crime of shoplifting as entering an open business during regular hours with the intent to steal merchandise valued at $950 or less. PC 459.5 shoplifting is stealing items under $950 and a misdemeanor crime.
After the BLM riots in California, there was a movement to defund the police, and society blamed the police when they arrested criminals. So the police stopped enforcing many laws, including theft, to avoid possible negative altercations. This signaled to criminals that they could walk into a store, load up whatever they wanted and just walk out.
Stores themselves passed policies prohibiting their staff from interfering with these thieves. If you were a bystander and attempted to intervene, you could be arrested for assault and battery if you tried to apprehend or stop the thief. The situation got so bad that many stores in heavily affected areas like San Francisco closed shop, and the ones that remained open kept everything behind locked barriers, including ketchup and mustard.
When the politicians are pressed as to why they allow such lawlessness, they defend the thieves and blame the stores. Now consider you live in an impoverished neighborhood with limited access to storefronts, and due to the perpetual loss the remaining stores face from looting and theft, the last storefronts close shop because it is no longer economical for them to remain open as they are losing more money than they make. Then the politicians come into the picture claiming the stores are discriminating for not operating in these impoverished neighborhoods, effectively blaming the victim in the crime.
2:204 Among the people, one may impress you with his utterances concerning this life, and may even call upon GOD to witness his innermost thoughts, while he is a most ardent opponent. 2:205 As soon as he leaves, he roams the earth corruptingly, destroying properties and lives. GOD does not love corruption. 2:206 When he is told, “Observe GOD,” he becomes arrogantly indignant. Consequently, his only destiny is Hell; what a miserable abode. 2:207 Then there are those who dedicate their lives to serving GOD; GOD is compassionate towards such worshipers. 2:208 O you who believe, you shall embrace total submission; do not follow the steps of Satan, for he is your most ardent enemy. 2:209 If you backslide, after the clear proofs have come to you, then know that GOD is Almighty, Most Wise.
A friend of mine was in the San Francisco Bay Area for a business trip. During his trip, he stops to get a quick coffee. Five minutes later, when he returned to his car, he saw that someone had smashed his window and stolen his bag with his laptop. When the cops arrived, they asked him if he had left his bag in the car, and he said he did. The cops then questioned why he would do that? So rather than blaming the criminals he was being blamed for expecting a certain level of trust in society.
But this is not a fault of just bad policing. This is a reflection of the morals and expectations of the members of society. Below is a quote from the American political scientist Michael Parenti, who explains that the function of police is social control and not policing.
“I could demonstrate to you that every single bank robbery, that in every single case practically, the cost of the police was more than the actual money that the robbers took from the bank. Does that mean, ‘Oh, you see, there’s really no economic interest involved, then. They’re not protecting the banks. The police are just doing this because they’re on a power trip, or they’re macho, or they’re control freaks, that’s why they do it.’ No, of course it’s an economic… of course they’re defending the banks. Of course, because if they didn’t stop that bank robbery, regardless of the cost, this could jeopardize the entire banking system. You see there are people who believe that the function of the police is to fight crime. And that is not true. The function of police is social control and the protection of property.”
While this quote has some truth, it misses the bigger picture, that police on their own cannot maintain social control. This is obvious when we see how quickly society can fall into disarray when the members of that society want chaos. The police only enforce what society at large values. If society values the protection of property, then the police can act accordingly. But, if the society does not, the only way you can make society fall back in line is through extreme measures like instituting Marshall law or a totalitarian state. Without the people’s consent, the police cannot maintain order when the masses want chaos.
What package thieves and looters fail to realize is that civility in society is incredibly fragile. Once it is lost, the outcome is hardship, insecurity, and starvation. But most people who act corruptingly only think about the short-term gain and fail to realize the long-term detriment to themselves, as well as for years to come for their careless, narcissistic acts.
One of the societies that the Quran mentions that was annihilated is that of Midyan, who was warned by their messenger Shu’aib. Shu’aib warned this society to refrain from corruption and treat people like you would want to be treated.
11:84 To Midyan we sent their brother Shu’aib. He said, “O my people, worship GOD; you have no other god beside Him. Do not cheat when you measure or weigh. I see that you are prosperous, and I fear for you the retribution of an overwhelming day. 11:85 “O my people, you shall give full measure and full weight, equitably. Do not cheat the people out of their rights, and do not roam the earth corruptingly. 11:86 “Whatever GOD provides for you, no matter how small, is far better for you, if you are really believers. I am not a guardian over you.” 11:87 They said, “O Shu’aib, does your religion dictate upon you that we must abandon our parents’ religion, or running our businesses in any manner we choose? Surely, you are known for being clement, wise.”
An Apple Store was recently looted, and there was a video of a kid walking out proud with an iMac he just stole. People seeing him with his new possession became jealous and harras and attacked him until it was stolen away from him. The irony was that the kid was upset by what had just happened. What this child did not realize is that in a society where he does not respect the private property of others, how can he be surprised that people will not respect his ownership of the product he just stole.
People who partake in these acts do not fathom the long-term damage they are costing society. Recently there was a TikToker who would make videos of himself causing havoc on innocent bystanders. For instance, he would barge into a person’s home with his friends and try to startle the people there. So a community that trusted their neighbors and did not feel compelled to lock their doors now would think twice before doing that again. In another video, he and his friends would run up to someone and get in their face, making the person think they were getting mugged. This kid thinks these are victimless crimes, but he does not know how much damage he is doing to the well-being of society.
In order for a society to flourish, there needs to be trust among the members of that society. If faith is lost, then the fabric of society comes undone and the society fails. This is why as submitters, we must maintain the highest level of moral integrity and advocate for others to do the same.
26:84 “Let the example I set for the future generations be a good one.
3:104 Let there be a community of you who invite to what is good, advocate righteousness, and forbid evil. These are the winners.
22:40 They were evicted from their homes unjustly, for no reason other than saying, “Our Lord is GOD.” If it were not for GOD’s supporting of some people against others, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and masjids—where the name of GOD is commemorated frequently—would have been destroyed. Absolutely, GOD supports those who support Him. GOD is Powerful, Almighty.