Page 223 - Quranic Wisdom - New.indd

Quranic Wisdom

matters, it means concentrated thinking. Here, religion and
secularism go hand in hand on the road of life.

Individualism versus Collectivism

he Quran has much to say about social duties and
Tcollective living, the most important of which is that no society
can be healthy without unity and solidarity among its people.
The Quran sets forth this principle in the chapter Al-‘Imran (The
Family of Imran):
Hold fast to the cord of God and let nothing divide
you. (3:103)
It is said that man is a social animal and cannot fulfil his
requirements without living in a society. Just as water is essential
for the life of a fish, so also is society essential for the life of an
individual.
Social unity cannot be achieved on unilateral terms. If every
member of society wants to live on his or her own, then social
living cannot be established. Social unity is so important that it
should be achieved at the cost of individual sacrifice.

Society is like a school where all its members are
trained both in terms of experience and in terms of
knowledge. There is no substitute for living in a
society; no amount of study can compensate for living
aloof in a society.

It is a fact that the maintenance of social unity may lead to
the erosion of individual freedom, but paying this price is the
lesser evil, because if individual members are not ready to pay
this price, they will be bound to pay a greater price—that is, social

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