سماجی اقدار
The phrase سماجی اقدار (samaaji aqdaar) is a fundamental and comprehensive term in Urdu that refers to social values, societal norms, or the moral and ethical principles that govern and guide human behavior within a community or society. It encompasses the collective beliefs, standards, and practices that a particular group of people considers important, desirable, and worthy of preservation and promotion. These values form the invisible yet powerful framework that shapes how individuals interact with one another, how communities function, and how a society defines itself and its identity.
The phrase is composed of two essential parts: the adjective سماجی (samaaji), meaning social or pertaining to society, and the plural noun اقدار (aqdaar), which is the plural of قدر (qadr), meaning value, worth, importance, or measure. Together, they create a concept that lies at the very heart of human civilization the shared understanding of what is good, right, and meaningful in collective life.
The word سماجی (samaaji) is derived from سماج (samaaj), meaning society, which itself comes from Arabic roots related to gathering, assembling, and community. This etymology emphasizes that social values are not individual inventions but collective creations they emerge from the interactions, shared experiences, and共同 history of people living together. Social values are the glue that holds society together, the unwritten rules that make cooperation, trust, and mutual understanding possible.
The word اقدار (aqdaar) is rich with meaning. Its singular form قدر (qadr) can mean value, worth, importance, measure, estimate, or destiny. The plural اقدار thus refers to the multiple values, standards, and principles that a society holds dear. In the context of social values, these include concepts such as honesty (ایمانداری, imaandaari), justice (عدل, adl), respect (احترام, ehtram), loyalty (وفاداری, wafadaari), patience (صبر, sabr), tolerance (رواداری, rawadaari), sacrifice (ایثار, eisaar), and service to humanity (خدمت خلق, khidmat-e-khalq).
The Rekhta Dictionary defines اقدار as "پیمانے، اندازے" (measures, estimates) and "قدر و قیمت، افادے کے لحاظ سے اہمیتیں" (value and price, importance in terms of utility). This definition highlights that social values are essentially the "measures" by which a society evaluates behavior they are the standards against which actions are judged good or bad, right or wrong.
The Wikipedia article on ethics provides a philosophical framework for understanding values, explaining that values determine the importance of things or actions, with the aim of establishing what is best to do or what way is best to live. Values influence people's attitudes and can be ethical, ideological, religious, political, social, or artistic. The article notes that there has been considerable debate about whether certain values are intrinsic (existing in themselves) or whether they can be categorized as good or evil.
An Urdu News article elaborates on the role of social values as the guardians of social etiquette and norms. The author argues that alongside formal laws and regulations, social values serve as protectors of social conduct. When a person violates ethical and value-based norms, when someone transgresses against religious teachings and established principles, members of society particularly community elders step in to prevent such behavior. This demonstrates that social values are not merely abstract concepts but active forces that regulate behavior through social pressure, moral suasion, and collective action.
The Daily Pakistan article emphasizes that ethical values are what make humans human. They are the principles on the basis of which an individual lives their life, treats others, and plays a positive role in society. The article lists numerous values including truthfulness, honesty, justice, respect, loyalty, patience, tolerance, sacrifice, and service to humanity. It cites the famous hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: "I have been sent to perfect good character" (انما بعثت لاتمم حسن الخلق), highlighting that ethical teachings are a central pillar of Islam.
The New Age Islam article discusses the importance of ethical values in the Quran, noting that after monotheism (توحید) and prayer (نماز), the Quran emphasizes good manners and kindness the most. The Quran seeks to establish a society where members are connected like a family, caring for each other's happiness and comfort, helping one another, and working together for the development and welfare of society. A society based on justice, equality, honesty, and tolerance is the goal of Islam.