The Social System of Islam

• Introduction
• “No man is an island”
o No one can live a happy and satisfied life in isolation
o People are dependent upon each other
o There is economic dependence
▪ Dependence for different resources
• Farmers
• Tool-makers
• Different professions
• Different industries
• Different markets
• The first human society that developed in the universe
o Science says it was due to abiogenesis
• Quran says:
o Adam and Huwwa
o Surah Nisa Verse 1

O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person
(Adam)

o This is the beginning of the Human species

• Surah Hujraat Verse 13

People, We created you all from a single man and a single woman, and made you
into races and tribes so that you should recognize one another.

o First family and then society

• Family formation:
• Male and female’s equal formation
• Nikaah ka qanoon
▪ Surah Nisa Verse 22
 ▪ This delineates where it is possible to marry

Do not marry women that your fathers married

▪ Surah Nisa Verse 23

You are forbidden to take as wives your mothers, daughters, sisters, paternal and
maternal aunts, the daughters of brothers and daughters of sisters, your milk-
mothers and milk-sisters, your wives’ mothers, the stepdaughters in your care-
those born of women with whom you have consummated marriage, if you have
not consummated the marriage, then you will not be blamed- wives of your
begotten sons, two sisters simultaneously- with the exception of what is past:
God is most forgiving and merciful-

▪ Surah Nisa Verse 3

you may marry whichever [other] women seem good to you, two, three, or four.
If you fear that you cannot be equitable [to them], then marry only one, or your
slave(s): that is more likely to make you avoid bias.

• This is an option, not a commandment

• Nikaah is the only way for family formation in Islam

The relation of husband and wife

• Surah Baqarah Verse 187

Your spouses are a garment for you as you are for them.

• Closeness of husband and wife

o Clothes are made by needle and cloth
o Needle is hard; cloth is soft
• Surah Nisa Verse 4

Give women their bridal gift upon marriage graciously (in good-cheer)

o It has to be according to financial status of the wife and the husband

 o Gifts bring people closer
o Hadith:

▪
o This is not the price of your wives; it’s the first gift
o There is no concept of a fixed haq-mehr
o This is not supposed to be a very exorbitant amount
• According to Allah; the most disliked thing is Talaaq

• Sense of Responsibility in Islamic Social System

• Everyone will be held responsible for their actions
• Thus, Islam emphasizes on the sense of responsibility in its Social System
• No one will come to you demanding his rights
• You will fulfill your duties and responsibilities yourself
o No one will be deprived
• These are called the Rights of people upon the People
o Huqooq-ul-Ibaad

• Huqooq-ul-Ibaad
Rights of Parents
• There is no concept of old homes in Islam
• Most important are rights of Prophet
• Surah Bani Israil
o Verse 23

▪
and that you be kind to your parents. If either or both of them reach old age with
you, say no word that shows impatience with them, and do not be harsh with
them, but speak to them respectfully

o Verse 24

“My Lord! Be merciful to them as they raised me when I was young.”

• Hadith:
o A man came to the Prophet and said, ‘O Messenger of God! Who among the
people is the most worthy of my good companionship? The Prophet said: Your
mother. The man said, ‘Then who?' The Prophet said: Then your mother. The
man further asked, ‘Then who?' The Prophet said: Then your mother. The man
asked again, ‘Then who?' The Prophet said: Then your father. (Bukhari, Muslim).

Rights of Children
• First sound in ear should be the Azaan
• Nomenclature:
o Give child a meaningful name
o Characteristics of good personalities
o Name decided by 7th day
• Aqeeqa
o If son then 2 goats, and meat distributed to poor
o If daughter then 1 goat is fine
▪ This difference is just like the inheritance division
o Take deprived people along

Rights of wives

•
• The best among you is the one who is best to his wives (or family) and I am the best of those
who are good to their wives
(families) (Sunan ibn Mājah).
 •

Your spouses are a garment for you as you are for them.

• There is no idea of inferiority of women in Islam

o Surah Teen Verse 4

Indeed, We created humans in the best form.

• Surah Bani Israil Verse 70

Indeed, We have honoured the children of Adam

• Here both humans and children of Adam, do not exclude women

• Prophet used to help wives in household work

Rights of Relations/ Kin

• Silah-e-Rehmi
o Mending damaged relationships
o Continuing to make an effort with kin
o Forgive mistakes
o Strengthen links and connections
• If you pay Zakat to a relative
o It has dual reward
• Someone who severs contacts
o He will not even be forgiven on Lailat-ul-Qadr

• Condemned social evils of society

• Surah Hujraat
 • Surah Hujraat Verse 6

Believers, if a troublemaker brings you news, check it first, in case you wrong
others unwittingly and later regret what you have done,

• Spreading false rumors is condemned

• These spread hatred and restlessness
• Islam promotes comfort and peace
• Spreading a false rumor is equal to lying
o Spreading them without verification is being a liar
o Hadith:
▪ “A person will be filled with lies simply by narrating everything he hears.” Muslim
• Surah Hujraat Verse 11

Believers, no one group of men should jeer at another, who may after all be
better than them; no one group of women should jeer at another, who may after
all be better than them; do not speak ill of one another; do not use offensive
nicknames for one another. How bad it is to be called a mischief-maker after
accepting faith! Those who do not repent of this behaviour are evildoers.

o 5 things:
▪ Don’t jeer
▪ Women shouldn’t jeer
▪ Don’t speak ill of anyone
▪ And don’t use offensive nicknames
• Surah Hujraat Verse 12

O believers! Avoid many suspicions, ˹for˺ indeed, some suspicions are sinful. And
do not spy, nor backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of
their dead brother? You would despise that!

o 3 things:
▪ Avoid suspicions
▪ Don’t backbite
• Because a person cannot defend himself
▪ Flesh of dead brother

• Promoted positive behavior in society

• Surah Hujraat Verse 9
And if two groups of believers fight each other, then make peace between them.

• Verse 10

The believers are brothers, so make peace between your two brothers and be
mindful of God, so that you may be given mercy.

• Surah Hujraat Verse 13

People, We created you all from a single man and a single woman, and made you
into races and tribes so that you should recognize one another. Surely the most
noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you.

• Allah is saying that nobility is not related to tribe or race but to piety

• Islamic society versus Muslim society

• The good characteristics of Muslims

• Surah Furqan
o Verse 63-77

The servants of the Lord of Mercy are those who walk humbly on the earth, and
who, when the foolish address them, reply, ‘Peace’ (Verse 63)

▪ Don’t argue in vain

▪ Tolerance is promoted in this
o Verse 67

˹They are˺ those who spend neither wastefully nor stingily, but moderately in
between.

▪ This becomes a race

▪ Leads to inferiority complexes in society
▪ People try to live beyond their legal expenses through illegal means
 ▪ Islam condemns spending when it is not required and when it is excessive
• There is concept of Tabzeer
o Spending where it is not required
• People who spend extravagantly are the brothers of Satan
o Surah Bani Israil, Verse 27

those who squander are the brothers of Satan, and Satan is most ungrateful to his
Lord-

• Rights of Animals
• Abu Huraira (R.A) reported: ALLAH [S.W.T]’s Messenger [S.A.W.S] as saying that a
woman was thrown into Hell-Fire because of a cat whom she had tied and did not provide
it with food nor did she set it free to cat insects of the earth until it died inch by inch.
• Halal animals can be slaughtered
o But the knife should be sharp
o And one animal should not be slaughtered in front of another
o Do not hunt in the breeding season of birds