Peace be upon you!
it has been seen through this discussion , that a very very unrealistic approach has been maintained throughout the discussion. Although some people knew the real answer to this question, but they didnt realize they actually know it. The question basically, is a faulty one.. and needs to be further discussed.
a comment to everybody's approach one by one...
Niaz:
Due to his interest in his religion, niaz saw everything by the eye of Islam, telling us that all the above deeds are equal in importance. and that is not exaclty the real answer to it, though very very close. We just need to discuss it on wider basis.
Najim:
his approach was all the more close to the real answer to the question, but basically, he had a problem explaining it. i repeat, we need to discuss it on wider basis.
Boss:
i was expecting more from you... u just did it the normal way... if i asked my heart, i had gone that way too, no doubt if we could seperate all the above values, humanitarian was the one i wouldve chosen.
Mudassar:
mudassar's post was of an ordinary value, he is sort of right, sort of wrong. but the point where he is right, is what i will duiscuss later on to answer the question.
S malik:
again.... kinda knows it, kinda not.
All the replies in this discussion were correct, to some extent, but the common problem with all the replies was that they couldnt mention the criteria they were using. personally, not knowing the criteria, and going for what my heart says, i wouldve certainly gone for the fourth value, and it is quite a nice thing to see my friends reaching the correct answer just by onservation of the society. but there is a lot more to this question then just chosing a value out of four.
Listen jalaluddin... your question was indeed a rare one.. but the answer to it is quite simple.
In all religions, all ethical codes, all sets of rules, there is always a "mono-istic" approach! all the components of a set of laws, all componets of a code of ethics, all components of a religion, are based on a single truth. So there is ONE truth which is taken to be the ultimate one, and all the componenets of the religion, ethical code, or set of laws are based on that single truth.
In islam, that truth is "toheed" , the exact meaning of which has been competely explained in chapter CXII, "the sincere religion."
SO all religions or set of laws in general, believe in one truth on which all the components are based.
Thus according to any religion, set of laws, or code of conduct, all the values, are but a component of a single truth.
The materialistic, ethical, humanitarian and spiritual values in any set of laws, are interrelated. Thus saving a drowning person is ,at the same time, ethical, humanitarian, and spiritual deed for most of us. similarly, working for food, is at the same time a metarilistic, ethical, as well as spiritual deed for some of us.
thus in a given set of laws, it is IMPOSSIBLE to devide the deeds in the above mentioned four values, becoz all of them are interrelated to each other, thus being components of a single truth.