By Arman Neyazi, New Age Islam
2 June 2021
Allah, The Almighty Has Commanded Humankind To Create A Well-Knit Society Saying That All The Human Beings Are Brothers And Sister As They All Are Born From A Single Parentage
Main Points:
1. Murderous attack in a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand and Sri Lanka Easter bombings, to name a few are the result of the lack of cohesiveness in the society.
2. In an attached society, it is almost impossible for anyone to live with a terrorist ideology or a feeling of hatred.
3. To bring cohesiveness among the tribes and the people of different ideologies Prophet Muhammad (SAW) conferred religious rights to the minority communities.
4. Terror activities, performed by any religious sect or community or political organisation is the result of hatred.
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Allah, the Almighty has commanded humankind to maintain a well-knit society to be able to come to the rescue of each other in case of necessity. In Surah An-Nisa, the Holy Quran reminds human being of the necessity and advantages of a cohesive society saying that all human being are brothers and sister as they all are born from a single parentage. Allah, the All-knower commands in the said Ayat to honour the ties between them. Consider the Ayat:
O humanity! Be mindful of your Lord Who created you from a single soul, and from it, He created its mate, and through both, He spread countless men and women. And be mindful of Allah—in Whose Name you appeal to one another—and honour family ties. Surely Allah is ever Watchful over you. (Surah an-Nisa, 4:1)
Courtesy: Researchgate.net
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The Terrorist and Inhuman Activities Are the Result of A Divided Society
Murderous attack in a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand and Sri Lanka Easter bombings, to name a few, on the religious institutions and individuals are the result of the lack of cohesiveness in the society. In an attached society, it is almost impossible for anyone to live with a terrorist ideology or a feeling of hatred for a long time . There is a strong possibility that one or the other member of the society or community comes to know of the dangerous mindset of the individual or a community before it is too late. In such a case various steps can be taken to wipe out the dangerous ideology or a wave of hatred from the individual or the community.
An attached and well-knit society is a source of a peaceful and prosperous community and nation. Cohesiveness brings people close and strengthens the bonds of trust and faith. There is probably no nation that does not have several different religious, ethnic and ideological groups hence binding all of them in trust and with the help of inclusiveness is important for the nation to develop. A cohesive society automatically generates the power to dismantle the under-carpet hostility, conflict and mistrust among the inhabitants of the country. It is true for the member of the same religious and ethnic groups too, where there are different ideologies or schools of thoughts.
Prophet of Islam, Rahmat ul Lil Alameen, first of all, created a cohesive society and then began his campaign of Allah’s oneness (Wahdaniyat)and the advantages of it are for everyone to see. To bring cohesiveness among the tribes and the people of different ideologies Prophet Muhammad (SAW) conferred religious rights to the minority communities and mentioned it in the Charter of Madina as under:
“The Jews from the tribe of Bani ‘Auf are a part of the community with the believers. For the Jews their religion and the Muslims their religion.”
Awarding religious rights to the minorities created cohesiveness in the society and created trust among the Jews and the Muslims. This a big proof that a cohesive society is a society that develops and creates social and financial stability.
Quranic Ayaat Proclaiming a Cohesive Society
Incoherence, be it among the nations or the communities, religious and social or the individuals is the sign of a devilish mind. Devils are there to destroy and angels are there to bring every kind of development. The messengers of a cohesive and well-knit society are angels by their souls.
As Allah, the Most Gracious says in the Holy Quran that humankind is distributed in tribes and nations so that they may know each other. To know each other, as per the command of God, the human being will have to create a cohesive society. Consider following verses of the Holy Quran that testify the importance of all of us living together as a family:
O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another…… (Surah Al-Hujurat:13)
“And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of God, and be not divided among yourselves, and remember God’s favour on you, for you were enemies and He joined your hearts together, so that by His grace, you became brethren and you were on a brink of a Pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus God makes clear His signs to you, that you may be guided.” (Quran 3:103)
“The believers, men and women, are Auliya (helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of one another, they enjoining what is good and eradicate what is evil. They offer the prayers and pay the zakat and obey God and His Messenger. Surely, God will have His Mercy on them. Surely, God is All-Mighty, All-Wise.” (Quran 9:71)
Muhammad Abu Zahra, an Egyptian intellectual and an influential Hanafi jurist highlights the importance of a cohesive society and Islam’s campaign for it in his renowned book ‘al-'Alaqat al-Dawliyah fi al-Islam (International Relations in Islam)’ mentioning following Quranic Ayat given as under:
Verily we have honoured the children of Adam (Al-Isra: 70)
O mankind, indeed, we have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. (Al-Hujurat, 49:13)
O humanity! Be mindful of your Lord Who created you from a single soul, and from it, He created its mate, and through both He spread countless men and women. And be mindful of Allah—in Whose Name you appeal to one another—and honour family ties. Surely Allah is ever Watchful over you. (Surah an-Nisa, 4:1)
“There is no compulsion in religion” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:256)
Duty of 'The Noblest Of Creation' and 'The Vicegerent’ of Allah
Taking into account that the titles of 'The Noblest Of Creation' and 'The Vicegerent’ bestowed by Allah the Most Merciful are not specifically for the believers. These titles are for human being. It means the Muslims, the Hindus, the Christians, the Jews and the members of all other religions and faith are proclaimed as 'The Noblest Of Creation' and 'The Vicegerent’. This, therefore, is the duty of all of us to create a cohesive unit where all live in cohesion like a well-knit family. If the world did this, it will be for its benefit. The terror activities, performed by any religious sect or community or political organisation is the result of hatred for each other be it on any religious or social level. All these anti-social activities can be controlled only by creating cohesion among each other. Let Allah’s 'The Noblest Of Creation' and 'The Vicegerent’ perform their duty and be counted in the best of the souls. The sooner we do it, the better.
Hadees Traditions Proclaiming A Cohesive Society
Let us close this discussion with beautiful, expressive and inviting for a cohesive society Prophetic traditions, that go as under:
“Allah helps His slave as long as he helps his brother”. (Sahih Muslim)
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: ‘Have taqwa (fear) of Allah wherever you may be, and follow up a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out, and behave well towards the people. (Hadith 18, 40 Hadith an-Nawawi)
On the authority of Abu Dharr Jundub ibn Junadah, and Abu Abdur-Rahman Muadh bin Jabal (RA)
Narrated An-Nu`man bin Bashir: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "You see the believers as regards their being merciful among themselves and showing love among themselves and being kind, resembling one body, so that, if any part of the body is not well then the whole body shares the sleeplessness (insomnia) and fever with it." (Sahih al-Bukhari 6011)
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "You see the believers as regards their being merciful among themselves and showing love among themselves and being kind, resembling one body, so that, if any part of the body is not well then the whole body shares the sleeplessness (insomnia) and fever with it." Narrated An-Nu`man bin Bashir (Sahih al-Bukhari 6011)
And Allah knows the best.
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Arman Neyazi is a columnist with NewAgeIslam.com.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-pluralism/cohesive-cohesion-integrated-society/d/124922
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