DUTIES TO OTHERS

 

 Quranic Foundations And Structure Of Muslim Society

3. DUTIES TO OTHERS

The obligatoriness of duties to Others is to be conceived in their two-fold origin: (1) in human shortcomings at the different stages of life, which necessitate assistance by other human beings; and (2) in the inherent social nature of human life. Indeed, the individual and the society are mutually related & interdependent, and the individual’s realisation of moral good is not conceivable, according to the Qur’anic view, without reference to the societal whole.

 

Now, viewing the human personality in its two basic aspects, i.e., the empirical and the rational, duties to Others split up into two categories with regards to the ends that they should serve,—namely: (1) Duties relating to ‘Happiness’, or, Material Well-being; (2) Duties relating to ‘Moral Perfection’—meant actually to ensure Spiritual & Moral Preservation and Advancement.

 

Viewed with reference to those who are to be served by these duties, two basic categories emerge, namely: 

(1) Individualistic duties, or, duties to other individuals as individuals; 

(2) Collectivistic duties, or, duties relating to the Societal Whole.

 

As regards ‘Duties to Other Individuals’, they may be viewed basically in two perspectives: (1) other individuals in general, and (2) other individuals as related to the moral agent through specified functional relationships. Then, the other individuals may be Muslims—and that would form the primary reference,—and as such they have to be treated as members of the Islamic social order. Also, there may be—in fact, there are—the non-Muslims who, in the first instance, cannot be regarded properly as members of the Islamic social order, even though they may be living in an Islamic state; and, secondly, there may be among them persons belonging to different categories: for example: 

(1) non-Muslims who are friendly towards Muslims and tolerant towards Islam; 

(2) non-Muslims who are simply indifferent to Muslims and Islam; and 

(3) non-Muslims who are hostile to Muslims and Islam.

Islam prescribes duties towards all the above categories of other individuals, laying down certain duties that are based on the concept that all human beings have certain inviolable rights as human beings and that absolute justice must be practised towards all; and giving another set of duties, in addition, relating to the specified areas of relationships.

Source

to be continued . . . . . 

Quranic Foundation & Structure Of Muslim Society In The End Times