Society from the Viewpoint of Islam

When the culture of such a community is based on divine teachings, this is called a religious society. In other words, it is religion and the laws of God that determine the modes, manners, and behaviours of people of that particular society in order to lead it towards success in life and salvation in afterlife. In such a society, along with Shari'a or religious injunctions, the divine gift of intellect also plays the basic role, since it is the proper use of the wonder of the brain that help mankind to understand the wisdom of religious concepts and the dynamism of a morally sound and ethical life. Thus, in a truly religious society, the Shari'a and the intellect are iserparable. According to the holy Qur'an, the human society ought to be sound, healthy and pleasant, and this is possible when divine injunctions, as promulgated by the Messengers of God, are implemented and steadfastly adhered to. For instance, we read in ayah 24 of Surah Anfal:

"O you who have faith! Answer Allah and the Prophet when he summons you to that which will give you life. Know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart and that toward Him you will be mustered."

Thus this ayah makes clear to us the purpose of creation and life, with the emphasis that we all eventually return to the Almighty Creator, Who will judge us on the basis of our actions in life. It means the best ways of living an ideally perfect life is to heed God's commandments. Similarly, in part of ayah 38 of Surah Baqarah, God says:

"…should any guidance come to you from Me, those who follow My guidance shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve."

God gives tidings to the believers that He is their actual Leader and He always guides us to the right path by helping us discern the ways of darkness and light. In other words, if we human beings hold fast to the dynamism of the Shari'ah by practicing what is obligatory and abstaining from what is haraam or unlawful for us, then God surely protects us and saves us from the pitfalls of life. Thus, in a religious society, one of the fundamental principles is observance of truth, in both word and deed. This what we learned from the exemplary behaviour of the Almighty' Last and Greatest Messenger, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny). The Prophet's First Infallible Successor, Imam Ali (PBUH) says: Whoever confront truth and righteousness is eventually annihilated. Verse 35 of Yunus Sura reads:

"Is there anyone among your partners who may guide to the truth?’ Say, ‘Allah guides to the truth. Is He who guides to the truth worthier to be followed, or he who is not guided unless he is shown the way?..."

This ayah is a clear indication that only the truthful are worthy of leadership of mankind, and only they, and not the untruthful, guide the society towards prosperity and salvation.

Another important criterion of the religious society is the proper development of the intellect in order to make it sound and harmonious with human nature. The gist of a hadith from the Prophet's 5th Infallible Heir, Imam Mohammad Baqer (PBUH) says that God the All-Glorious regards the intellect as the Best of His creation, adding that the intellect never becomes perfect unless it becomes conscious and cognizant of God, since it is on the basis of the intellect and its use that a person commits act, and thus deserved either rewards or punishment. It is because of the intellect that God has referred to Adam in the holy Qur'an as His Vicegerent on Earth, since no other form of creation has been given such outstanding and discerning brains. It is also on the basis of the intellect that the religious society chooses justice and fairness, in contrast to irreligious societies, where neither truth is termed the criteria, nor is the concept of justice. The goal of all Prophets has been establishment of all justice in human societies. It is truth and the concept of justice that enables our intellect to campaign against oppression, corruption, and sorts of exploitation. It is the implementation of justice that keeps religious injunctions alive in society and gives meaning to acts of worship. It is justice that ensures solidarity and cooperation in society, with its fair division of the responsibilities of the various strata of the community in accordance with their respective capabilities. According to the holy Qur'an, the peak of human perfection is piety and it is justice that paves the way for achieving piety.

Another basic characteristic of the religious society is the observance of law. In Islam, the source of law is the principle of monotheism, around which all and everything revolves. The source of all laws is thus the dynamism of the Shari'a, the practicability of which was shown by the Prophet and the Infallible Imams of his household. In view of this fact, whatever rules and expediencies that the righteous leader or the leadership decrees in modern societies, in order to safeguard public interests, is based on the letter and spirit of God's Revealed Word, the holy Qur'an, and the Sunnah and Seerah or behaviour and practice of Prophet Mohammad (blessing of God upon him and his progeny). For instance, the Father of the Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini (may his soul rest in peace), said regarding the basis of laws in the religious: In Islam, the government is neither despotic to impose whims and personal opinions on the society, nor is it a secular republic to draft laws that are shortsighted and against the nature of man and the purpose of creation and afterlife. The Islamic government is based on Divine Revelation, which safeguard from drifting and deviating towards dictatorship or liberal democracy.

An Islamic society laws pursue perfection, morality and dignity. Ethics play a vital role in all Islamic civil laws and injunctions. Even in penal and criminal laws, special attention has been paid to preservation of human dignity and privacy. Therefore, in the religious society, mankind is the main and basic axis in the world of creation, in contrast to the decadent liberal democratic societies of the West, where neither truth prevails nor the concept of justice, let alone piety, moral uprightness and human dignity.

The End
Source: IRIB News Agency

When the culture of such a community is based on divine teachings, this is called a religious society. In other words, it is religion and the laws of God that determine the modes, manners, and behaviours of people of that particular society in order to lead it towards success in life and salvation in afterlife. In such a society, along with Shari'a or religious injunctions, the divine gift of intellect also plays the basic role, since it is the proper use of the wonder of the brain that help mankind to understand the wisdom of religious concepts and the dynamism of a morally sound and ethical life. Thus, in a truly religious society, the Shari'a and the intellect are iserparable. According to the holy Qur'an, the human society ought to be sound, healthy and pleasant, and this is possible when divine injunctions, as promulgated by the Messengers of God, are implemented and steadfastly adhered to. For instance, we read in ayah 24 of Surah Anfal: "O you who have faith! Answer Allah and the Prophet when he summons you to that which will give you life. Know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart and that toward Him you will be mustered." Thus this ayah makes clear to us the purpose of creation and life, with the emphasis that we all eventually return to the Almighty Creator, Who will judge us on the basis of our actions in life. It means the best ways of living an ideally perfect life is to heed God's commandments. Similarly, in part of ayah 38 of Surah Baqarah, God says: "…should any guidance come to you from Me, those who follow My guidance shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve." God gives tidings to the believers that He is their actual Leader and He always guides us to the right path by helping us discern the ways of darkness and light. In other words, if we human beings hold fast to the dynamism of the Shari'ah by practicing what is obligatory and abstaining from what is haraam or unlawful for us, then God surely protects us and saves us from the pitfalls of life. Thus, in a religious society, one of the fundamental principles is observance of truth, in both word and deed. This what we learned from the exemplary behaviour of the Almighty' Last and Greatest Messenger, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny). The Prophet's First Infallible Successor, Imam Ali (PBUH) says: Whoever confront truth and righteousness is eventually annihilated. Verse 35 of Yunus Sura reads: "Is there anyone among your partners who may guide to the truth?’ Say, ‘Allah guides to the truth. Is He who guides to the truth worthier to be followed, or he who is not guided unless he is shown the way?..." This ayah is a clear indication that only the truthful are worthy of leadership of mankind, and only they, and not the untruthful, guide the society towards prosperity and salvation. Another important criterion of the religious society is the proper development of the intellect in order to make it sound and harmonious with human nature. The gist of a hadith from the Prophet's 5th Infallible Heir, Imam Mohammad Baqer (PBUH) says that God the All-Glorious regards the intellect as the Best of His creation, adding that the intellect never becomes perfect unless it becomes conscious and cognizant of God, since it is on the basis of the intellect and its use that a person commits act, and thus deserved either rewards or punishment. It is because of the intellect that God has referred to Adam in the holy Qur'an as His Vicegerent on Earth, since no other form of creation has been given such outstanding and discerning brains. It is also on the basis of the intellect that the religious society chooses justice and fairness, in contrast to irreligious societies, where neither truth is termed the criteria, nor is the concept of justice. The goal of all Prophets has been establishment of all justice in human societies. It is truth and the concept of justice that enables our intellect to campaign against oppression, corruption, and sorts of exploitation. It is the implementation of justice that keeps religious injunctions alive in society and gives meaning to acts of worship. It is justice that ensures solidarity and cooperation in society, with its fair division of the responsibilities of the various strata of the community in accordance with their respective capabilities. According to the holy Qur'an, the peak of human perfection is piety and it is justice that paves the way for achieving piety. Another basic characteristic of the religious society is the observance of law. In Islam, the source of law is the principle of monotheism, around which all and everything revolves. The source of all laws is thus the dynamism of the Shari'a, the practicability of which was shown by the Prophet and the Infallible Imams of his household. In view of this fact, whatever rules and expediencies that the righteous leader or the leadership decrees in modern societies, in order to safeguard public interests, is based on the letter and spirit of God's Revealed Word, the holy Qur'an, and the Sunnah and Seerah or behaviour and practice of Prophet Mohammad (blessing of God upon him and his progeny). For instance, the Father of the Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini (may his soul rest in peace), said regarding the basis of laws in the religious: In Islam, the government is neither despotic to impose whims and personal opinions on the society, nor is it a secular republic to draft laws that are shortsighted and against the nature of man and the purpose of creation and afterlife. The Islamic government is based on Divine Revelation, which safeguard from drifting and deviating towards dictatorship or liberal democracy. An Islamic society laws pursue perfection, morality and dignity. Ethics play a vital role in all Islamic civil laws and injunctions. Even in penal and criminal laws, special attention has been paid to preservation of human dignity and privacy. Therefore, in the religious society, mankind is the main and basic axis in the world of creation, in contrast to the decadent liberal democratic societies of the West, where neither truth prevails nor the concept of justice, let alone piety, moral uprightness and human dignity. The End Source: IRIB News Agency