Future-proofing the Muslim world

OVER the years, there has been growing usage of the term “future-proofing” by decision-makers of the world – from the European Union and Japan to Malaysia – as they seek to progress in a way that anticipates future social, economic and environmental challenges such as unemployment or climate change.

From the viewpoint of Islam, the Prophet Muhammad and his subsequent intellectual-spiritual inheritors – the luminaries of Islam – have always acted in a manner that would “future-proof” mankind from erroneous thoughts and action (batil), base desires (nafs al-hayawaniyyah), and disorder on the earth (fasad).