Quranic Foundations And Structure Of Muslim Society
THE
QUR’ANIC VIEW OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE SOCIETY
The mission of the Qur’an in respect
of both the Individual and the Society is vehemently Integralistic—the
principle of Integralism being grounded in the concept of Unity (tawheed), and
expressing itself in the balanced and harmonious realization of the basic
values of Piety, Truth, Justice, Wisdom, Love, Beauty and Selflessness.
The Ideational religious approach to
human life may either be: (1) ritualistic, or (2) mystical. The ritualistic
approach leads to barren Formalism, or Externalism, which brings into play
juristic hairsplitting and bigotry even in purely devotional matters. Often
falling victim to the cruel disease of ‘piety-complex’, the adherents of this
approach present the picture of a soldier who has acquired only a uniform but
no soldierly training. The mystical approach leads to inertia, or to
superstitions, or both. As opposed to both of those approaches, the Qur’anic
approach is Integralistic, i.e., directed to the build-up of an integrated
life, which is fundamentally ethico-religious in character. ‘Fundamentally
ethico-religious’ means that the Qur’an has emphasized the simultaneous pursuit
of both Religion and Morality. Indeed, religiosity without regard for the moral
refinement and development emerges in the Qur’anic view as nothing less than an
opiate, because the very concept of ‘godliness’ loses all meaning without the
active pursuit of the highest Morality.
The mission of a Muslim is: To build
up his own personality, his social environment, and the world in general, as
good; and, for that purpose, to equip himself to possible heights of perfection
in respect of, and to cooperate with others in the pursuit of, all healthy and
constructive human activities.
The external make-up of an Islamic
personality is fundamentally grounded in natural grace, because the Qur’an has
ordained no sophistications.
Religious persons of a particular
type feel that they should attach practically all importance to the Law of
Grace, and much less or no importance to the Natural Law. No doubt, both of
those Laws are operative, under the Divine Plan, in the universe and in the
lives of human beings. But, the Holy Qur’an demands that a Muslim should
function in life with as much regard for the Natural Law as the wisest
Materialist, because God Himself has made the function of the Natural Law as
fundamental, and that of the Law of Grace as supererogatory.
The adoption of the atheistic
mechanistic view of the universe and Man is advocated by its adherents as the
only and necessary condition for Scientific progress. That is, however,
fallacious; because the Qur’anic concept of the ‘Reign of Law’ also ensures it
in the same measure, and without damage to the spiritual and moral values.
The Qur’an rules out the exploitation
of man by man in all forms, whether in the social sphere in respect of the
economic and the political matters, or in the sphere of Religion in respect of
certain so-called religious practices whereby superstitions are traded in as a
commodity. Similarly, it is firmly opposed to all forms of tyranny.
Wealthy-ness has been very often
wedded to wickedness, and the Holy Qur’an has condemned it in that perspective
time and again.
Hence, while Islam permits private
enterprise in business and industry, its permission is not unqualified.
Because, it permits only controlled freedom in respect of both earning and
spending one’s wealth, whereby the emergence of both Monopoly Capitalism and
its child, the luxurious and aristocratic living, are ruled out, and the
possessors of surplus wealth are stopped from adopting the cult of indulgence
in ‘wealth, wine, and woman’, while the Islamic society as a whole shoulders
the responsibility of the provision of basic needs of life to all with dignity.
We may sum up the Qur’anic standpoint
in respect of Muslim society by saying in negative terms that, with all the practice of
religious rituals, the Muslim society loses a vital part of its Islamic
character if;
1.
any
form of exploitation and tyranny is practised, and economic and political
justice is not comprehensively enforced;
2.
the
highest moral Idealism is not made the very lifeblood of the social order and
the basic pursuit of the individuals;
3.
the
mission of the conquest of Nature is forsaken,—a mission that necessitates the
pursuit of Empirical Knowledge and Technology at the highest level.
to be continued . . . . .
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