Every person speaks about moral values, irrespective of being religious or irreligious. Every person speaks about moral values, but the question is why should a person adhere to moral values? If speaking a lie in a situation helps a person, then why should he speak the truth? If dishonesty is helping a person in a situation, then why should he be honest? Moral values require an incentive or motivation. Simply saying do this or don’t do that, isn't enough.

You will have to give an incentive to motivate people to follow moral values. The principle given in Islam is accountability. A person is free in this world. He enjoys freedom. But this freedom is not a gift. It's not your right. Your freedom is not given to you as a right. It's not a gift. This freedom is given as a test. God has made this world for test. People have been given freedom so that God can see who misuses his freedom and who does proper use of freedom. Who will do proper use of freedom and who will do misuse of freedom? Based on this moral record, God will take every person to account after death. The Islamic concept is that life doesn’t end at death. After death, an eternal life begins. In this eternal life, a person will either go to Hell or Heaven. Life after death is called the world Hereafter. In this next world, a person will have one of two results: punishment or reward. One who gets punishment will go to Hell. One who gets reward will go to Paradise. This keeps a person in control. This works as a speed breaker for a person.

Wherever a person has the choice to do right or wrong, utter a lie or speak the truth, be honest or dishonest, misuse his freedom or do its proper use. Whenever he faces such a choice, he should think. The concept of accountability compels a person to think what he should do in every such situation. If he works against moral values, he will have to pay the price after death in the form of punishment.