In this concern we find a plenty of “hadeeths” which urge the individual to join the community and to be in harmony with them and to be molded into its block after it has been proved to mindful people that strength and might are in communication.
And after it is certified in the narrations that Allah (be exalted) has made in it all advantages and blessings the prophet (S.W.A.) says “The Hand of Allah is with the community, the Satan runs with whom he dissents from the community” 99
He also says: “He who deviates from the community even a span has taken the noose of Islam off his neck” 100
There is in all that a decisive evidence that Islam is a social religion which tries to connect the individual with the community as much as there is a chance to do so.
Here we must point out to the truth that oppressive rulers had misapplied the concept of (the community) in the worst manner to strengthen their authorities and to protect their thrones. So they began to wreak their wrath upon everyone who speaks frankly the word of right and apposses their illegal domination, and try to disclose their unislamic manners, Amaweians- who took the general wealth to be their and Allah’s creature to be their slaves- killed every one who revolts against them under the plea that he has departed from the community, Abbaassians also followed that strategy, rather they exceeded the Amaweians in innovating the manners of killing and torture.
He who skims over the books of history finds that it reports very ugly depictions of the manners of torturing and murder which Amaweian and Abbassians had committed against Alaweians under a flimsy excuse which is departing from the general view and community.
However the prophet (S.W.A.) had clarified distinctly the concept of (the community) which doesn’t mean necessarily – the majority – as the shallow-minded think and as the oppressors misinterpret, rather it means the community of the followers of right even if they are few, the prophet (S.W.A.) said: “He who departs from the community of Moslems takes the loop of Islam off from his neck, it is said: O prophet of Allah’ what is the community of Moslems? He replayed: community of the follower of right even though they are few” 101
Back to the original topic, it has become clear that the Islamic ideology calls the Moslem to join the community, there is an inquiry here which imposes itself: there are so many “hadeeths” in our sources calling the Moslem to prefer solitude and finally to keep far away from people, the author of “Jaame’a elsaa’adaat” Sheikh Alnaraaqi answers this question by saying: “The ascendants adhered to generalize the praise of seclusion, to its advantages such as the prophet’s (S.W.A.) saying “Allah loves the hidden pious servant”, and his (S.W.A.) saying “The best of all people is a believer who strives in the path of Allah sacrificing his spirit and money, then a man secluded in one of the mountain passes”
And Imam Alsaadiq’s saying “Time has corrupted, brothers have changed, seclusion has become more tranquil to one’s heart” and his (A.S.) saying “lessen your acquaintances and denounce whom you know of them”, till he (Sheikh Neraki) said: the right is to say: the priority of which of them i-e seclusion or association varies according to the persons, circumstances, times and places so every one must consider his state…
For some people it is better to seclude themselves completely, for others association is better, for another kind a midway between seclusion and association” 102
To reconcile the two tendencies we can say: the tendency, which calls for seclusion can be taken for several facets, one of them is that be taking oneself to warship demands staying far from people for a certain time to dedicate oneself to Allah (be exalted).
This matter- naturally- is not applied to all kinds of worship as “Alhaaj” (pilgrimage) for example, which is a worship with a social nature during which people gather from everywhere in one place at a definite time to perform certain rituals.
From another side seclusion can be taken for avoiding association with evil people, it is stated in the prophet’s (S.W.A) sermon to Abbizer Alghifaari (A.S.) “…O Abbazar’ good friend is better than seclusion, seclusion is better than bad friend…” 103
As to associating with good people it is a recommended matter and Islam-as we have mentioned- urges to it.
Generally there are exceptional states which demand seclusion from people, as the general rule in Islam insists on associating with people and to forbear their harms.
The prophet (S.W.A.) says, “The believer who associates with people is better than the believer who doesn’t associate with people and doesn’t forbear their harm” 104
Islam dislikes complete seclusion from people whatever excuse it has whether ritual it was an other excuses, as there is no monasticism in Islam as it is known. Some of the evidences of that is that the prophet (S.W.A.) missed some one then he asked about him, he came, the man said: I wanted to go to this mountain and seclude myself from people to worship Allah (be exalted), the prophet (S.W.A.) said: ”Certainly one’s endurance of what he dislikes for an hour in some of the needs of Islam is better than worshipping alone for forty years” 105
In the light of that there are some positions demand that one should join the community and to be molded in it such as the states of “Jihaad” (struggle with weapons), joining the congregational prayer in mosques and studying in the centers of knowledge and the like.
Secondly, Changing the orders of social relationships:
The pre-Islamic society considered the relationship of blood and relative as the bases of all social relations.
So it puts the precept of kinship above the precepts of right-ness and justice when they contradict each other. The Holy Qur’an Has denounced this unislamic zealotry frankly:
“When He put the zealotry in the hearts of disbelievers the zealotry of the unislamic era” 106
The Islamic ideology worked to eradicate the clouds of zealotry out of the hearts, it doesn’t accept the priority of some people to others built on kinship or nationality, color, estayles and race. Instead of that it established new relations on moral principals; they are piety and virtue.
However the belief refuses all kinds of zealotry, as it is impossible to harmonize belief with zealotry.
It is related from Abbi Abdullah (A.S.) that he said; “the prophet (S.W.A.) said: He who fanaticizes or the others fanaticized to him has taken the noose of Islam off his neck.” 107 He also said: “He is not of us who propagates for a zealotry” he is not of us who fights for the sake of a zealotry, he is not of us who died for the sake of a zealotry “ 108
And after it is certified in the narrations that Allah (be exalted) has made in it all advantages and blessings the prophet (S.W.A.) says “The Hand of Allah is with the community, the Satan runs with whom he dissents from the community” 99
He also says: “He who deviates from the community even a span has taken the noose of Islam off his neck” 100
There is in all that a decisive evidence that Islam is a social religion which tries to connect the individual with the community as much as there is a chance to do so.
Here we must point out to the truth that oppressive rulers had misapplied the concept of (the community) in the worst manner to strengthen their authorities and to protect their thrones. So they began to wreak their wrath upon everyone who speaks frankly the word of right and apposses their illegal domination, and try to disclose their unislamic manners, Amaweians- who took the general wealth to be their and Allah’s creature to be their slaves- killed every one who revolts against them under the plea that he has departed from the community, Abbaassians also followed that strategy, rather they exceeded the Amaweians in innovating the manners of killing and torture.
He who skims over the books of history finds that it reports very ugly depictions of the manners of torturing and murder which Amaweian and Abbassians had committed against Alaweians under a flimsy excuse which is departing from the general view and community.
However the prophet (S.W.A.) had clarified distinctly the concept of (the community) which doesn’t mean necessarily – the majority – as the shallow-minded think and as the oppressors misinterpret, rather it means the community of the followers of right even if they are few, the prophet (S.W.A.) said: “He who departs from the community of Moslems takes the loop of Islam off from his neck, it is said: O prophet of Allah’ what is the community of Moslems? He replayed: community of the follower of right even though they are few” 101
Back to the original topic, it has become clear that the Islamic ideology calls the Moslem to join the community, there is an inquiry here which imposes itself: there are so many “hadeeths” in our sources calling the Moslem to prefer solitude and finally to keep far away from people, the author of “Jaame’a elsaa’adaat” Sheikh Alnaraaqi answers this question by saying: “The ascendants adhered to generalize the praise of seclusion, to its advantages such as the prophet’s (S.W.A.) saying “Allah loves the hidden pious servant”, and his (S.W.A.) saying “The best of all people is a believer who strives in the path of Allah sacrificing his spirit and money, then a man secluded in one of the mountain passes”
And Imam Alsaadiq’s saying “Time has corrupted, brothers have changed, seclusion has become more tranquil to one’s heart” and his (A.S.) saying “lessen your acquaintances and denounce whom you know of them”, till he (Sheikh Neraki) said: the right is to say: the priority of which of them i-e seclusion or association varies according to the persons, circumstances, times and places so every one must consider his state…
For some people it is better to seclude themselves completely, for others association is better, for another kind a midway between seclusion and association” 102
To reconcile the two tendencies we can say: the tendency, which calls for seclusion can be taken for several facets, one of them is that be taking oneself to warship demands staying far from people for a certain time to dedicate oneself to Allah (be exalted).
This matter- naturally- is not applied to all kinds of worship as “Alhaaj” (pilgrimage) for example, which is a worship with a social nature during which people gather from everywhere in one place at a definite time to perform certain rituals.
From another side seclusion can be taken for avoiding association with evil people, it is stated in the prophet’s (S.W.A) sermon to Abbizer Alghifaari (A.S.) “…O Abbazar’ good friend is better than seclusion, seclusion is better than bad friend…” 103
As to associating with good people it is a recommended matter and Islam-as we have mentioned- urges to it.
Generally there are exceptional states which demand seclusion from people, as the general rule in Islam insists on associating with people and to forbear their harms.
The prophet (S.W.A.) says, “The believer who associates with people is better than the believer who doesn’t associate with people and doesn’t forbear their harm” 104
Islam dislikes complete seclusion from people whatever excuse it has whether ritual it was an other excuses, as there is no monasticism in Islam as it is known. Some of the evidences of that is that the prophet (S.W.A.) missed some one then he asked about him, he came, the man said: I wanted to go to this mountain and seclude myself from people to worship Allah (be exalted), the prophet (S.W.A.) said: ”Certainly one’s endurance of what he dislikes for an hour in some of the needs of Islam is better than worshipping alone for forty years” 105
In the light of that there are some positions demand that one should join the community and to be molded in it such as the states of “Jihaad” (struggle with weapons), joining the congregational prayer in mosques and studying in the centers of knowledge and the like.
Secondly, Changing the orders of social relationships:
The pre-Islamic society considered the relationship of blood and relative as the bases of all social relations.
So it puts the precept of kinship above the precepts of right-ness and justice when they contradict each other. The Holy Qur’an Has denounced this unislamic zealotry frankly:
“When He put the zealotry in the hearts of disbelievers the zealotry of the unislamic era” 106
The Islamic ideology worked to eradicate the clouds of zealotry out of the hearts, it doesn’t accept the priority of some people to others built on kinship or nationality, color, estayles and race. Instead of that it established new relations on moral principals; they are piety and virtue.
However the belief refuses all kinds of zealotry, as it is impossible to harmonize belief with zealotry.
It is related from Abbi Abdullah (A.S.) that he said; “the prophet (S.W.A.) said: He who fanaticizes or the others fanaticized to him has taken the noose of Islam off his neck.” 107 He also said: “He is not of us who propagates for a zealotry” he is not of us who fights for the sake of a zealotry, he is not of us who died for the sake of a zealotry “ 108
Notes:
99. Kenzel aumaal 1:206
100. Kenzel aumaal 1: 206/ 1035.
101. Rawzatel waaeizeen: Alfattal alnissabouri 334- Alrezi pub. Qum.
102. Jaamel sa’adaat; Alneraaqhi 3:195-197, Alnejjaf alashraf pub. 3/ 1383 H.
103. Mekarem Al-Akhlak, by Al-Tebrisy vol.1 p. 466/769.
104. Kenzel aumaal 1: 154/ 769.
105. Kenzelaumaal 4: 454/ 11354.
106. Alfateh: 48-26.
107. Usool Al-Kafi vol.2, p. 308/ ch. Of zealotry.
108. Sunnan Abbi dawood 2: 332/ 4- ch. of zealotry.