Quran and Islamic Society

The difference between the Islamic society and all the other societies lies in the origin of its thoughts, actions, social behavior, upbringing, trading, politics and the source of its movements and the axis of all the intellectual, industrial and reformative activities, i.e. Quran and Sunnah (tradition). Therefore, if the Muslims can bring such a revolution in the Islamic world at the beginning of the fifteenth century inside their societies, there future will indeed become successful and accompanied with prosperity and freedom; and they will find themselves capable and suitable for propagating the message of Islam in the entire world and rescuing humanity from all these waywardness and misguidance.

Unfortunately, ignorance towards the rulings, teachings and sayings of Quran as well as the lack of access for majority of Muslims to the actual motives and goals of this pure religion, have caused some so called broad minded individuals, but actually the misguided and ones with lack of knowledge, have denied and doubted this reality that Quran must be the source of all movements and the origin of reformative steps taken for the society.

If the motive behind these people, who express such opinions, is not the blind imitation of the foreigners and the approval of the enemies of Islam, and if they do not emphasize and insist in their belief, then we should make them content with proofs, arguments and reminders from the clear verses of Quran in the significant political, social and organizational issues, so that in every stage among the stages of human life, every era and in every aspect, like: world life and the hereafter, soul and body, apparent and hidden, individual and social, he needs Allah’s guidance and seeks help from the heavenly guides and follows the comprehensive divine program. As per the studies and researches in the heavenly religions and books and the social schools of thoughts, other than the holy Quran, there is no other prescription which is eternal, sufficient and comprehensive of all the aspects of life.

Other individuals have taken the thought of division between religion and world much forwards and they wish to narrow the realm of Quran’s guidance and confine the religion to worships, moral values and beliefs. In fact, they want to present Quran only as a book of ethics or a book of supplications and recite it in demise anniversaries and upon the graves of the dead, see off a traveler before his journey with Quran, or mention one copy of Quran in the alumni of marriage and dowry for the sake of blessing, or tie it around ones arm; and perhaps only a small group of people incline towards seeking the benefit of reciting the Quran.

But, is our benefit and utility from Quran confined to this extent and is this the meaning of “whoever keeps it in front of him, it will lead him to paradise”?[1]

It is evident that those who separated Quran from the world and society, from meetings and gatherings, from the governance of countries, houses and other affairs, and divided Islam into thought and action, are misguided ones; because as per the firm verses of Quran, the consensus of Muslims, the traditions of Allah’s Messenger and the infallible leaders (peace be upon them), their Hadiths and Islamic jurisprudence, religion is not separate from world and the teachings of Quran are not confined to the acts of worship, faith and moral values.

In order to systemize the worldly affairs such as the monetary, economic, judiciary, government, social and political issues, numerous explicit verses exist inside the Quran and whoever studies the Quran carefully, will find that the message of Quran is to guide the humanity in all the dimensions of life. Separation of religion from world – which has been proposed by some out of foreign imitation – is not at all in accordance to the teachings of Islam and it implies on a defect in the religion and Sharia, and its insufficiency in meeting all the social and political demands and needs.

A few others consider Quran as complete, comprehensive and inclusive but in the field of action, the incline towards other teachings and derive their thoughts, ideologies and life program from non-Islam schools of thoughts and other places; and thereafter, they strive to interpret and distort the texts of Quran and tradition as per those thoughts and teachings. Hence, some of them try to study Quranic verses by avoiding the narrations and Hadiths, and abstaining the traditions. In this manner, they create a separation between Quran and the Holy Progeny (peace be upon them), and they do not pay heed to the consensus of the jurisprudents as well as the understanding and interpretations of the senior clerics. Undoubtedly, their motive behind choosing this method is to create documents and evidences for following their opinions obtained from others and imitating the foreigners, and the western or eastern schools of thought.

These two groups also, do not move forward in the light of the Islamic teachings. Their method distances them from the Quran, conceals the exquisite beauty of Islam, thus creating an intellectual and ideological chaos and disorientation.

The fifth group of people are those who seriously and certainly consider Quran as the source of guidance and the only Book of direction in this world and the hereafter; and they are not willing to extract their program of life from any other school or source. They honor the texts and words of the Book and the tradition; they have faith in the permissible, forbidden, mandatory, recommended and undesirable, and consider Quran as the guide for all.

These people can be called the People of Quran and the nation of Quran; and they are the ones who can say the phrase “Quran is my Book”.

This group is the group loyal towards Quran and demands total implication of Quranic rulings; although their loyalty and sacrifice is not alike but with examinations and accidents, it will be known that to what extent and in what quantity have they devoted themselves for making the society Quranic.

Have they made themselves content merely with inner faith and intellectual debates regarding this topic, or are they willing to step ahead and actually apply all the Islamic directions on their life issues like moral values, transactions, upbringing, economy etc. and are they paying attention towards the warnings, good-tidings and teachings of Quran?

The duty of this group towards their religion and Quran is that they must regard Quran as the source of intellectual rejuvenation and the action plan, then firmly decide not to deviate from it on any place and in any circumstance; and they will not confine the utility of Quran to the extent of beautifying the pages of its copies, the axis of its discussions, the intellectual, jurisprudent and research studies, and benefit their tongues, hands, eyes and eyes from its recitation, writing and listening, but instead, they will make the execution of Quranic rulings – which is the book for religion and world, and program for life – and will give importance to it. They will not limit their religion and its commands to the boundaries of faith, worship, individual and spiritual aspects, but will regard the rulings of Quran as the point of reference and compliance in every field; and they will administer this world and the hereafter with its rulings.

Till the time this condition does not come into existence inside the Muslim societies, and they dignified and courageous people do not make themselves determined for its execution, and until they do not truthfully and purely strive and work hard for it, mere intellectual debates and action-less faith will not establish the leadership and guidance of Quran on the absolute chair of dominance upon all the aspects of mankind. Therefore, we must do something due to which the light of Islam shines upon all the different aspects of Muslim life and the manifestation of its influence and dominance can be witnessed in all the various dominions of their existence.

Certainly, if the intellectual and theological arguments do not precede the actions, the cause of delivering Islam’s message and its establishment will not be fulfilled. The religious leaders and heads must seriously and truthfully take such prominent and effective steps that shall help protect Islam and its rulings from remaining hidden in the texts, books of Hadith and Jurisprudence, and inside the rooms, classrooms and libraries of the students studying in religious seminaries; so that these rulings and commands can be executed and implied in all other fields, specially the fields of action and reformation at all times and places.

Until the world does not witness Quran among the Muslim societies as the reference of all the affairs and the source of all the movements and actions, it will never understand anything about the reality of Islam and its power of reforming the most modern societies.

The world tell us: If you claim that you belong to the nation of the seal of Prophets (peace be upon him), if you claim that Islam is the religion of God and Quran is the Book of God, and you know the laws of governance, society, trade, life and death, and that you have complete faith in it, and you do not assume any defect and incompletion inside it, then why do you follow others and blindly accept and propagate their views, ideologies, principles and methods?

Why do we rarely find Islam in your gatherings except inside mosques, in worship rituals, in cemeteries, in religious sessions, inside the schools of religious students and religious books? Why has the extensive and progressive social programs of Islam been avoided and ignored to a great extent? Why has the appearances of non-Islamic societies dominated all your places, such as your streets, offices, organizations, and even the training, trading and advertising areas?

It is the duty of Muslims to respond to all these questions by recreating and establishing the Islamic society.

In the present era, the best and greatest service that must be provided by every Muslim for Islam and Quran is that he must fight against the confinement of Quran within the boundaries of worship, mosques, houses of clerics and separating Quran from the society and world affairs – which is a dangerous western ideology and alien to Islam – and propagate the extensive teachings and motives of Islam; so that every place, every area and gathering, organization and office, becomes the depicter of Islamic teachings and the Islamic society progresses in an unprecedented way.

Allah (s.w.t.) said:

“If you help Allah, He will help you and make your feet steady”. [2]