One of the most important reasons for anarchy and depression, two of the greatest problems in today’s societies, is undoubtedly moral degeneration. In the past prophets were sent to nations which were morally degenerated. As a matter of fact, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) states that he was sent to complete moral virtues (Muvatta, "Husn al-Huluq" 8; Ahmed ibn Hanbal, Musnad, II, 381). We learn from the Quran that the nations which could not save themselves from the vortex of immorality, despite having prophets sent to them, were punished severely with divine retribution.

In today’s world, where science and technology has rapidly developed, where new weapons of mass-destruction are created daily, where the largest share of national budgets has been allocated to the defense industry, there can be no doubt that the importance of ethical values has become increasingly more important.

Islamic morality is aimed at the individual forming a just and honest personality in general and a “Muslim identity” in particular. The only guide to this morality is the life of Prophet Muhammad. It is an undeniable fact that the sunnah (practices) of Prophet Muhammad is an important factor in forming such a Muslim identity. It is clear that Muslim nations, which can be very different in terms of race or culture or which can be very distant to each other regionally, have the same general moral values. There is a significant unity and similarity between their belief values; their attitudes, considerations of what is halal or haram (permitted or forbidden), their traditions, how they perceive events and natural phenomena, their style of dressing, even how they entertain themselves. We can state that today there is a unique system of values and a homogenous culture among Muslims, just like in the past. Despite the limitless power of the dominant “global” culture and its effort to replace local cultures, some of the unique features of Muslim nations have been able to survive, and we owe this success to a large extent to Islam. The sunnah of Prophet Muhammad helps to create a common identity and a common life-style among Muslim nations, even when they belong to different races and cultures or are found in different geographical locations. Naturally, the Quran is the main source for this culture, but the Quran usually provides only general principles. On the other hand, Prophet Muhammad was a living example in every issue, from governmental administration to the most basic daily behavior. People are more affected by a living example of another human rather than general principles from a text. As a matter of fact, Muslims have followed the beautiful example of the Prophet, as ordered by the Holy Quran, and they try to live their lives like him. The sunnah has become the most important factor in sustaining the faith of Muslims and in preserving their identity in the periods of difficulty.