The Individual and The Society

 The Individual and The Society

Prof. Dr. M. Shahidullah

In the Islamic conception the whole Muslim community is just like a body and the individual Muslims are its limbs. The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) says:

“The believers are like one body. If its eye complains, the whole body complains, and if its head complains the whole body complains". (Muslim).

The Holy Qur‘an urges the Muslims to remain united and stresses the evil effects of disunion:—

“And hold fast by the cord of Allah all together and be not separated. And remember Allah’s favour on you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts so by His favour you became brethren, and you were on the brink of a pit of fire, then He saved you from it” (3:102).

In the above verse the holding fast to the cord of Allah, i.e., the Holy Qur‘an has been insistent upon as a means for social unity for Muslims. In the following verse the cause of disunity has been mentioned to be the mutual wrangling and also its evil consequences:—

“And obey Allah and His Messenger, and wrangle not with one another; or else, you will be cowardly and your valour will depart. Be patient. Surely Allah is with the patient.” (8:46).

The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) has preached the importance of society: —

“Surely Allah will not gather together my followers (or he said: the followers of Muhammad) over misguidance. And the Hand of Allah is upon the united body. And whoever becomes separate, will be separated into the fire” (Tirmizi; ibid l 1307). “Follow the biggest group, because whoever becomes separate will be separated into the fire”. (Ibn Majah; ibid 1:307). “And surely whoever goes out of the united body to the extent of a span has indeed put off the band of Islam from his neck except that he returns and whoever calls with the call of the Days of Ignorance, he will be among the stones of Hell, even though he fasts and prays and thinks that he is a Muslim” (Ahmed and Tirmizi; ibid 1:307).

In its rituals Islam emphasizes the importance of society. For five times a day attendance at the congregational prayers has been insisted upon. When the blind companion of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) named Abdullah Ibn Umme Maktum wanted to be excused from attending congregational prayers, he did not allow him. Once the Holy Prophet said: “I wish that the call for the prayers is announced and I burn the houses of those who do not attend the congregation.” Attendance at the Friday prayer is compulsory for all free adult male persons. This is a bigger gathering than at the everyday prayers. Then there are two ‘Id prayers to be performed at a meadow at the outskirts of the city to enable all persons to attend there. So the congregation will be bigger than that in Friday prayers. It is wajib, that is, obligatory. The biggest annual gathering of the Muslims of the world is at Arafat in Makkah during the Hajj session. It is compulsory once in life-time on all those Muslims, male and female, who are adults and physically capable of long journey and have the pecuniary means, provided that there is no obstacles in the way. The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) has said to the effect that if any person for whom it is compulsory to perform the Hajj does not do it, let him die a Jew or a Christian. From all these it is clear that Islam attaches a very great importance to social virtues. Hence the Muslims have been very appropriately called Ahles Sunnan waljama’ah. i.e., the people of holy customs and the united body.

Allama Iqbal, the great philosopher – poet of Islam, has thus described the relationship of the society and the individual in his “Rumuz-i-Bekhudi":–

فرد را ربطِ جماعت رحمت است

جوہرِ او را کمال از ملت است

The attachment of the individual with the society is a blessing, the perfection of his inner elements is from the community.

فرد تا اندر جماعت گم شود

قطرۂ وسعت طلب قلزم شود

When the individual is annihilated in the midst of the society, a drop desiring expansion becomes the Red Sea.

An Islamic state like Pakistan is in fact a big jam’at (a united body or society). As it is obligatory to remain affiliated to a jama’at, so it is also obligatory to remain loyal to the state. According to the following Qur’anic verse, obedience to the head of the State is as much obligatory as obedience to Allah and His Prophet (ﷺ):—

“O those who believe, obey Allah, and obey the Prophet and those who are in authority from among you.

The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) has said:-

“He who dies without the oath of fealty, dies the death of the days of ignorance. (Hadis).

According to the teachings of Islam the individual and the society are mutually bound together. The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) has said:—

“A believer is to a believer like the wall one part strengthening another part” (Hadith).

Hence in Islam as much stress is laid on charity as on prayers. In the Holy Qur’an the injunction for prayers goes together with the injunction for Zakat. Charity is of course recommended by all religions.  But it is only in Islam it has been made compulsory forever moderately rich persons. The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) has said:— “He is not a Muslim who eats his fill, while his neighbour remains hungry.”

Duty to one’s fellow beings has been given so much importance in Islam that in some sayings of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) a man who fails in some important duties to others has been called a hypocrite, even if he fasts, prays and thinks himself to be a Muslim.