Man by nature is a living being who
likes to live in a community. The reason that the Almighty has bestowed
him with this nature is that He does not create human beings at their very
birth in the prime of their youth; similarly, human beings do not generally
die in their youth without passing through old age. On the contrary, a
human being is created as a feeble child in the womb of the mother who
enters this world to be welcomed by her loving affection. He then grows
being nurtured and nourished through others. At first, he drags himself
and then crawls along his knees before he is able to stand on his feet.
Even after this state, he needs the help of others at every step. Finally,
after going through various phases of childhood and adolescence he enters
the prime of his youth. This blooming period of his life also does not
last more than twenty to thirty years. Then comes old age and in spite
of attaining great heights in intellect in his prime, he once again has
to turn to others to fulfill his needs like a frail child.
This life cycle of man entails that
he live in a social set up. From the very beginning of his life, this affinity
towards a social set up is fully found in his being. He does not need to
find this tendency in his external world. When he enters this world, he
brings with him all his internal urges and inner motivations and uses them
to fulfill his needs wherever and whenever required.
The history of mankind shows that
on this very basis of human nature, Adam, the founder of the human dynasty
was blessed with a wife from his own species – someone who was meant to
be his companion. From these two sprung many men and women as their progeny.
Gradually, a family, a tribe and finally a state came into existence. The
resultant social set up afforded man the opportunity to realize his hidden
potentials and urges. While pointing out this fact, the Qur’an says:
يَاأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ
وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا
وَنِسَاءً وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَتَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ إِنَّ
اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا
(1:4)
O mankind! Fear your Lord, Who created you from
a single person, created, of like species his mate, and from these two
scattered countless men and women [in this world], and fear Allah through
whom you seek mutual help and fear breaking blood relationships. Indeed
God is watching over you. (4:1)
A little deliberation shows that this
verse embodies all the principles upon which the Almighty has based human
society. Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi, while pointing out these principles writes:
Firstly, this world is not unattended; on the
contrary, it has been created by the Almighty who is the God of everyone.
It is therefore unseemly for a person to create disorder in it and disobey
His authority. Everyone should remain fearful of the Almighty’s grasp –
the Almighty who is the Creator and Master of everyone.
Secondly, the Almighty has created man from a
single soul: Adam. Consequently, mankind is the progeny of one father.
No one is superior to the other. Whatever their colour, cast or creed,
all human beings are equal.
Thirdly, just as mankind is the progeny of one
father, their mother is also one: Eve. Hence, no one is superior to the
other. One father and mother have created this global family. It is evident
from the verse that Eve is of the same species as Adam. This further means
that women are not inferior beings. As human beings, men and women are
equal in status.
Fourthly, the bases of mutual help and co-operation
in a society are three driving forces: unity of God, unity of ancestors
and blood relationships. It is essential that every person realize the
obligation these blood relationships entail and fulfill it. It is also
his responsibility to safeguard these relationships and be on guard that
no slogan should be able to destroy these blood relationships and replace
it with some ignorance ?….. If such a thing emerges in a society, it should
ring an alarm [in our ears] and it is the duty of every sensitive member
of the society to do his utmost to impede its progress. The words:
‘وَاتَّقُوا
اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَتَسَاءَلُونَ بِه وَالْأَرْحَامَ’ (And fear Allah through whom you seek mutual help and fear breaking blood
relationships) at the end of the verse sound this warning. Hence, according to
Islam, it is these pillars on which stands the whole edifice of family,
society and state. As long as these pillars are intact, this edifice is
intact. If these become weak, the edifice would be endangered and if they are
razed down, the edifice would too be demolished.1
In order to firmly establish a society on these fundamentals,
an everlasting bond between the spouses is made essential in the religion
of the Prophets. The Almighty has informed us that to fulfill this scheme
both a man and a woman are innately equipped with all the necessary urges
so that they are able to become true companions of one another and live
as two souls united in one body:
وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا
لِتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُمْ مَوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً إِنَّ فِي
ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ(21:30)
And among His Signs is that He created for you
mates from among your species that you may obtain comfort from them, and
[for this purpose], He has put love and sympathy within you; surely, in
this are signs for those who reflect. (30:21)
If the whole life of a human being – from
childhood to old age – is kept in consideration, sense and reason endorse
that to fulfill his physical, psychological and social needs an everlasting
marriage bond between the spouses is essential. Consequently, the Almighty
has given a detailed social law to man through His Prophets regarding the
society which is established on this basis.
(Translated from ‘Mizan’ by Shehzad Saleem)
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