Undoubtedly, no religion has respected relation of individual and society, and has strengthened the social chains by its decrees and regulations like Islam. Of course, a divine and eternal religion, guaranteeing education of hidden talents of man, and his perfection and progress should certainly be so.
For understanding the importance of society in view of Islam, and special concern of Islam to this subject, studying following instructions is sufficient:
1- If you do not surprise, there is not even one individual instruction among the basic instructions of Islam! The best reason is enactment of Islamic jurisprudence, consisting of sorbs, transactions and policies. There is no need for explaining the sociality of the second and third parts making the major part of jurisprudence. In the first part too, which is based on relation of creature with Creator, the spirit of society patently governs on it.
Daily obligations, which are the most important Islamic sorbs are so mingled with social concepts that separating them is difficult, and when they are performed individually it seems that they have lost their real sense.
For instance, the introduction of prayer, which is prayer call and prayer perform is nothing else than a public invitation and declaration to the society, and performing this obligation in congregation, and in case of solitude, it does not have any sense save preserving a practice and establishing a sort of mental readiness for inclusion in this obligation.
Al- Hamd sura, which is the beginning of the prayer and includes the main invocation and supplication, is uttered in a plural form (نَعْبُدُ - نَسْتَعینُ - اِهْدِنا). And the salutation at the end of prayer is in a plural form, and in case of solitude, it nearly loses its main concept. All of these indicate that the foundation of this great obligation is based on society, and moreover, strange and unique emphases are made in respect to performing this obligation in congregation.
Among Islamic sorbs, pilgrimage is stronger than the others in view of disregard to the material world and its formalities, attachments and privileges, and notice to the realities is observed therein very strikingly, but it is strange that nevertheless in view of social appearance and its effects, it is stronger and more rooted than all other sorbs.
2- Importance of social relations in view of Islam is so high that it is considered as one of the signs of God and indications of monotheism, where it says:
وَ مِنْ آیاتِهِ اَنْ خَلَقَ لَکُمْ مِنْ اَنْفُسِکُمْ اَزْواجاً لِتَسْکُنُوا اِلَیْها وَ جَعَلَ بَیْنَکُمْ مَوَدَّةً وَ رَحْمَةً).
And of His signs is that He created for you, of yourselves, spouses, that you might repose in them, and He has set between you love and mercy.
3- Holy Quran reiterates that one of the miraculous deeds of Prophet S.A. was creation of more friendship among the hearts, where it says:
هُوَ الَّذِی اَیَّدَکَ بِنَصْرِهِ وَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِینَ * وَ اَلَّفَ بَیْنَ قُلُوبِهِمْ).
He has confirmed thee with His help, and with the believers, and brought their hearts together.
The above verse makes an interesting reference to this point that material things could not create friendship alone, because they themselves, in contrary with belief and spirituality, are the causes of scattering, disturbance and struggle.
It is remarkable that in this phrase of Quran, confirmation of the believers is immediately mentioned after divine confirmation, and this shows the high importance of the subject.
4- Quran calls scattering and hypocrisy as one of the divine chastisements:
قُلْ هُوَ الْقادِرُ عَلى اَنْ یَبْعَثَ عَلَیْکُمْ عَذاباً مِنْ فَوْقِکُمْ اَوْ مِنْ تَحْتِ اَرْجُلِکُمْ اَوْ یَلْبِسَکُمْ شِیَعاً وَ یُذِیقَ بَعْضَکُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْض).
Say: He is able to send forth upon you Chastisement, from above you or from under your feet, or to confuse you in sects and to make you taste the violence of one another.
And somewhere else Quran has placed it besides the burning fire, which swallows and incinerates every thing:
وَ کُنْتُمْ عَلى شَفا حُفْرَة مِنَ النّارِ فَاَنْقَذَکُمْ مِنْها).
You were upon the brink of a pit of Fire, and He delivered you from it.
5- Quran calls the relation of believers brotherhood which is the nearest and more respectful family relations established based on equal and mutual respect.
6- In Islamic instructions, there are a few sins equal with creating enmity and scattering among people, as there are a few good deeds equal with bringing hearts of people together.
It is narrated from Imam Sadegh A.S. in Ehtejaj book:
«اِنَّ مِنْ اَکْبَرِ السِّحْرِ النَّمِیمَةُ یُفَرَّقُ بِها بَیْنَ الْمُتَحابِّیْنَ وَ یُجْلَبُ الْعَداوَةُ عَلَى الْمُتَصافِینَ وَ یُسْفَکُ بِهَا الدِّماءُ وَ یُهْدَمُ بِهَا الدُّورُ وَ یُکْشَفُ بِهَا السُّتُورُ، وَ النَّمّامُ اَشَرُّ مَنْ وَطِىءَ الاَْرْضَ بِقَدَم».
The most important charm (in view of effect of causing disunity) is gossip, which causes dispersion among the friends and attracts enmity. A lot of bloods are shed as a result of it, and the houses are ruined, and the secrets and mysteries of people will be disclosed. The informer is the worst one stepping on the earth.
Moreover, it should be considered that in some of Islamic traditions, charm is compared with blasphemy.
7- Islam even does not permit Moslems, save in exceptional cases, to sulk each other so that their amity is weakened and the cordiality of their friendship is decreased.
In the numerous traditions being narrated from Islamic leaders in this respect, it is forbidden in a harsh tone in more than seven traditions, and if inevitable, its permitted limit is determined to be three days.
Prophet S.A. says:
«لا یَحِلُّ لِمُسْلِم اَنْ یَهْجُرَ اَخاهُ فَوقَ ثَلاثَةِ اَیّام».
It is not permitted for a Moslem to sulk more than three days with his religious brother.
And in another tradition, he says:
«نُهِیَ عَنِ الْهِجْرانِ، فَمَنْ کانَ لابُدَّ فاعِلا فَلا یَهْجُر اَخاهُ اَکْثَرَ مِنْ ثَلاثَةِ اَیّام، فَمَنْ کانَ هاجِراً لاَِخِیهِ اَکْثَرَ مِنْ ذلِکَ کانَتِ النّارُ اَوْلى بِهِ».
Sulking is forbidden, and one who performs it of necessity, shall not be in sulks with his brother more than three days. One, who is in sulks more than this, is more worthy of the Fire!
In these traditions, Islamic leaders have introduced continuation of sulk as exclusion from Islam's reality, and taking the lead in placation as the cause of taking the lead in entry to paradise.
8- In Islam, kindness, friendship, equality, assistance and cooperation are the certain duties of each Moslem, and all are obliged to observe these principles.
We read in a tradition from Imam Sadegh A.S.:
«یَحِقُّ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِینَ الاِْجْتِهادُ فِی التَّواصُلِ، وَ التَّعاوُنُ عَلَى التَّعاطُفِ، وَ الْمُواساةُ لاَِهْلِ الْحاجَةِ، وَ تَعاطُفُ بَعْضِهِمْ عَلى بَعْض، حَتّى تَکُونُوا کَما اَمَرَکُمُ اللهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلّ رُحَماءُ بَیْنَهُمْ».
It is obligatory for the Moslems to try for bringing their hearts together, and do not neglect cooperation mixed with kindness, observe equity among the needy, and express their affection to each other to become the proof of utterance of God they are kind with each other.
9- Islam has not only mentioned the matters of friendship, kindness, social cooperation, and equity as a command and obligation, but also has offered comprehensive plans for bringing forth these commands.
Thus, in one hand Islam has forbidden the factors causing dispersion, hypocrisy and scattering, including slander, gossip, overriding, strictness in adjudication, suspicion, mis-nomination, too much humor, and on the other hand has eulogized the factors resulting in consolidation of kindness, friendship and mutual trust, such as visiting, shaking hands and embracing, good opinion, expressing friendship to each other, defending the reputation of each other in one's absence, reconciliation of difference and disunion, attempt in fulfilling supplications of each other and such like, and thereby Islam has founded a humanistic society in its full sense based on real affections, and has proceeded this issue as far as has called it one of the most essential means of life.
Prophet S.A. says:
«اِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لَیَسْکُنُ اِلَى الْمُؤْمِنِ کَما یَسْکُنُ الْقَلْبُ الْظَمآنُ اِلَى الْماءِ الْبارِدِ».
The same tranquility, which the thirsty feel when finding water, the believers feel in solidarity with each other.
Furthermore, it is inferred from this interpretation that the need of society's individuals to social life is based on a natural and normal need, without which it is not possible for a man to live.
10- It is noteworthy that Islam has never contented to any limit of social relations, and is continuously trying for making these relations more strong and nearer, and proceeds in this part as far as it says: there should be such a spiritual relation among the believers that even their bodies are influenced.
Prophet S.A. in a tradition says:
«اَلا وَ اِنَّ وُدَّ الْمُؤْمِنِ مِنْ اَعْظَمِ سَبَبِ الاِْیمانِ ... اَلا وَ اِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَیْنِ اِذا تَحابّا فِی اللهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ تَصافَیا فِی اللهِ کانا کَالْجَسَدِ الْواحِدِ اِذَا اشْتَکى اَحَدُهُما مِنْ جَسَدِهِ مَوْضِعاً وَجَدَ الاْخَرُ اَلَمَ ذلِکَ الْمَوْضِعِ».
Pay attention that friendship with a believer is one of the greatest causes of belief, and two believers who make friends with each other for God, become like a body so that when one of them feels discomfort in one part of his body, the other too feels pain in the same part.
It is deduced from above tradition that sometimes friendship and relation of two believers becomes so strong and solid that their bodies are unified, and when one of them feels discomfort in one of the organs of his body, the similar organ will become painful in the body of the other without any special cause. That is to say the relation of spirits is so strong that the complications of each body are transferred to the other (as it is narrated about some of Prophet's S.A. companions).
This is not unlikely considering two introductions.
First, the relation of spirit with body is so close that mental discomforts leave a deep effect in the body. Nowadays, psychiatrists believe that most of physical diseases do not have any special physical cause, such as organ disorders or microbes, and are merely the effect of mental distresses.
Second, it is currently proved that transmission and exchange between two minds is possible even from remote distances. In other words, two persons can create a mental relation with each other through a particular spiritual agreement and or exercise without any physical means, and transmit their thoughts to each other's brain. This is called telepathy.
So, it is possible for distresses of a person to be transmitted to his friend through mental relation, and then that particular distress will influence on his body, and make the similar organ painful.
11- Joining to great assemblies: Islam instructs people to join greater assemblies.
Imam Ali A.S. in a sermon for repressing the thoughts of divisive minority of Kharijites (Rebels) says:
«وَ الْزَمُوا السَّوادَ الاَْعْظَمَ فَاِنَّ یَدَ اللهِ مَعَ الْجَماعَةِ وَ اِیّاکُمْ وَ الْفُرْقَةَ فَاِنَّ الشّاذَّ مِنَ النّاسِ لِلشَّیْطانِ کَما اَنَّ الشّاذَّ مِنَ الْغَنَمِ لِلذِّئْبِ... وَ اِنَّما حُکِّمَ الْحَکَمانِ لِیُحْیِیا ما اَحْیَا الْقُرْآنُ وَ یُمِیتا ما اَماتَ الْقُرْآنُ، وَ اِحْیاؤُهُ الاِْجْتِماعُ عَلَیْهِ وَ اِماتَتُهُ الاِْفْتِراقُ عَنْهُ».
Be with the great majority because Allah's hand (of protection) is on keeping unity. You should beware of division because the isolator from the group is (a prey) for Satan just as the isolator from the flock of sheep is (a prey) for the wolf. Certainly the two arbitrators were appointed to revive what Quran revives and to kill what Quran kills. Revival of Quran means uniting each other and acting accordingly, and killing it refers to scattering and isolation from it.
Studying in the life of predecessors too indicates that smaller societies have been always more retarded in view of culture and appearances of human civilization, and developed cultures and civilizations have appeared in the great and extensive societies.
Thus, in the above phrases, first it is invited to attend in the great societies, and then it refers that God's hand is over such societies, and in contrast, the single footers are the victim of Satan, and are excluded from divine support, and the similitude mentioned in the next phrase shows that overcoming the social problems and salvation from the paws of wolfs is only possible within the society, and thereby, the more massive and condense society results in the more powerful and victorious society against the events.
And finally, he says in the last phrases that reviving Quran means gathering and uniting around it, and killing it means scattering and proceeding in a path alone!
Moreover, we can use two following issues for showing Islam's attempt for the greater societies:
1- In view of Islam, significance of each congregation prayer depends on the number of its participants, and also the reward of mosques, including Bazar mosque, city's great mosque and the mosques belonging to the Moslems, and finally The Sacred Mosque, which is the greatest center of Islamic society, is in proportion with their social situation.
2- Islam has encouraged breeding and increasing population. Prophet S.A. says:
«اُطْلُبُوا الْوَلَدَ فَاِنِّی مُکاثِرٌ بِکُمُ الاُْمَمَ غَداً».
Desire child because I will boast in the day of resurrection for plentitude of your population.
It should be noted that plentitude of population may cause discomforts and problems in some societies in view of insufficient foodstuffs, and such like, but these transitory and exceptional problems can never devaluate human resources for a society. These problems may occasionally occur for those nations for example lacking abundant underground resources or agricultural products and such like.
1- The Romans sura (30), verse 21
2- The Spoils sura (8), verses 62 & 63
3- Cattle sura (6), verse 65
4- The House of Imran sura (3), verse 103
5- Tabarsi, Ehtejaj, 340/2
6- Majlessi, Beharol Anvar, 189/75
7- Horre Ameli, Vassaelo Shiite, 586/8, narration 8
8- Horre Ameli, Vassaelo Shiite, 552/8, narration 2
9- Majlessi, Beharol Anvar, 280/74
10- The same document
11- Nahjol Balaghe, sermon 127
12- Horre Ameli, Vassaelo Shiite, 3/14, narration 2
