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Society and Culture : Islamic Perspective
Dr. A F M Khalid Hosen |
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Society means social mode of life, the customs and organization of a civilized nation , Man is the main source of society, the controller of society which is built, expanded on the basis of human ideas and culture . Society is continuous growth; its institutions take shape in a variety of ways and respond slowly to the working of time . According to Mac Iver society is a web of social relationships in and through which we live . Talcott Parsons defined society as a social system in which a considerable number of individuals are in a complex and delicate state of mutual interdependence tend greatly to limit the scope ‘for personal’, emotional feelings, or at least its direct expression in action . Naturally there are close link of the society with the mode of life. George M. Foster enunciated this link in a shorter works: society means people and culture means the behaviour of people . Social scientist R.T. Schaefer explains society, as a fairly large number of people who live in the same territory are relatively independent of people outside their area and particularly in a common culture .
Etymologically the word culture derived from Latin ‘Cultura’ which means cultivation; tillage; rearing; the art or practice of cultivating; the method of cultivating and intellectual development . Similarly the Arabic word ‘Tahjib’ and Bengali words ‘Smaskriti’ or ‘Krishti’ are almost synonymous in meaning and nature of ‘Cultura’. The Arabic word ‘Tahjib’ signifies the clearing or trimming of trees by cutting of the extremities of the branches in order that they may increase in growth and beauty .
From this point of view culture is the cultivation of mind and the cultivation of soul. Culture is the sweetness and height in life – sweetness and light within and sweetness and light without. Cultivation of land produces crops, flora and fauna while cultivation of mind begets sweetness and light. In that sense culture is the act of developing by education, discipline, social experience, the training or refining of the moral and intellectual faculties . Culture is a flexible term, which connotes various definitions. It has wider implication and popular currency propounded by social scientists, historians and anthropologists. Mac Iver says in his ‘Society- an introductory analysis’-our culture is what we are and our civilization is what we use .
The scholars and lexicographers elucidate culture as the total pattern of human behaviour and its products embodied in thoughts, speech, action and artifacts and dependent upon man’s capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations through the use of tools, language and systems of abstract thoughts . Edward Burnett Tylor defined culture as that complex whole includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as member of society while Abul Hashim discussed culture as the development of the faculties of man both external and internal, and is its manifestation in his immediate material environment . The existence and use of culture depends upon on ability possessed by man alone. So, culture is the expression of entire life pattern and the achievements of particular people of a society to which the individual or group belongs. It is an outcome of milieu in which it is begotten. Culture is as like as the essence of a full-blown flower, which a nation attains it in its most sublime form. Culture reaches its acme when latent faculties find expression to their highest accomplishment. It is quintessence of a society as the fragrance of a full-blown flower. In that sense it can be said that while the pursuit of high ideals reaches their realization, it defuses fragrance and beauty.
The characteristics of the culture of a society present as much appeal to a man belonging to other community as the fragrance or beauty attracts the sense of a passerby. In that sense it can be said that the main source of culture is ideals of a nation . The very utterance of word culture connotes before us a perspective of refined, elevated taste and pursuit. When we think a man as cultured one such an idea inevitably springs up on the mirror of our mind. The personality of an individual of a society represents the culture of a community as a whole. Every community or society possesses its own distinctive and corporate personality. This corporate culture reflects in the life of that particular community. In effect, culture is as such the characteristics of an individual community, which presents itself and finds reflection in the life of an individual belonging to that particular community. The characteristic of a man can called his personality while characteristics of a nation is its culture.
The basis of culture of a society or nation is the attributes that exude from the distinction. According to Tylor man acquire those characteristics as a member of that particular society. On the other hand according to Abul Hashim culture of a society is, therefore, found in the everyday business of life and actual living condition of its people. The development of secular and mental faculties of an individual was influenced by his concerned social or religious ideals and way of life, which is the criterion of distinction of the culture of a society from the culture of other society. We would like to make the point clear every man has its own outlook towards life and the world which is termed as his philosophy of life whether that is correct or partially correct or mistaken or even conscious or unconscious, distinct or indistinct, right or wrong.
Out look towards life revolves round the cherished belief, inherited values and refined manner of individual. The behaviour of life is controlled by the outlook towards life, whether for bad or good, also changes his pattern of thinking, mode and doing that runs through the activities of a people and distinguishes them from all other people. For this reason it is seen that the change of allegiance or deviation from the ideals of a nation or a change in the life of an individual also becomes manifestly perceptible as the national culture attains excellence or suffers decadence .
Culture is a broader concept than society. Activities of an individual of a society in a structural pattern interacting produce culture. Culture has an evolutionary growth by symbols and language indicating conglomeration of ideals through the ages extending in increase of population and environmental changes. Every society has a way of life and that way of life determines its culture. The individual belonging to a society is therefore subservient to the culture of that society as a whole . According to T.S. Eliot that is fundamental and it is the meaning of the term ‘culture’ in relation to the whole society. There is no race in the world which dose not possesses culture of its own. Tribal people who have preserved its primitive way of life in the deep forest is not also bereft of culture. Because they also manufacturer of some thing or other. They have also some notions about life and death and norms, which regulate their biological life.
Culture has different level. In the primitive society it is the lowest level and in the developed society it is in a refined stage. Refinement and lucidity pervades the developed societies. Refined out look towards life leads to lofty thinking that ultimately results in the invention of many material adjuncts that contributes to human comfort. Although free thinking leads to invention of material adjuncts, a society cannot be called a civilized one unless it is guided by noble sentiments, illumination of soul through divine belief and lofty behaviour. A civilized society attains substantive achievement, which is enduring, and they stand the test of time. These achievements are the treasure of entire humanity. In this respect the observance of Bertrand Russell in his “Un popular Essays” is aptly quoting. He observes:
“A country is civilized if it has much machinery, many motor cars, many bathrooms, and a great deal of rapid locomotion. To these things, in my opinion, most modern men attach too much important. Civilization, is the more important sense, is a thing of a mind, not a material adjuncts to the physical side of living”
RELATION OF CULTURE TO RELIGION
Culture has congruous relation to religion and no culture has attained perfection except together with a religion. Religion makes man refined, ideal and accountable to the Lord providence for their deeds. A true pious man controls his passions, evil-self and always endeavours to direct his own-self to the good, sweetness and ennoblement. The religious belief and outlook of an individual or a group of people exert influence on their activities in a refined form. The religious milieu helps to build a sound cultural base for the society and keeps its people from erosion of values and decadence of ideal.
The relation of culture to religion is deep and profound. As we have mentioned earlier that the culture is the cultivation of mind and soul. Sweetness and light within and without cannot be achieved without religious faith and practice. Cultivation of mind and soul occurs in an unflinching faith in transcendental Being and in meditation on the infinity of creation. In the process the individual realizing his own insignificance becomes humble, sweet and enlightened which is the sinequanon of culture as such. Culture without religion can not fulfill its meaning. Purely a secular concept of life without belief in the Next world cannot awaken mind to its proper cultivation. Only religion connects mind with the infinities Creator and His creation. One who withdraws from his Creator and accountability before Him cannot cultivate his spirit. He remains confined to cultivation of fleshly and sensual pleasure. Therefore to him culture is merely nude or half nude dancing, voluptuous music and demonstration of physical beauty. Such dance and demonstration excite carnal desires and exclude sweetness in life and fade way light of soul. The beast in man is let loose by this kind of physical obscenities and there is not even an iota of human aspect of culture. Soul is the core of his life. Man has been framed in the comeliest form and made by nature upright. Religious belief is immanent in his character.
He is prone to response to the nature which is intrinsically right by nature so adherence to religious ideals and observance of the divine decrees are as much as part of his nature as his physical existence. Any deviation from that ideal results in spiritual catastrophe as well as anomalies in this mundane life that ultimately leaves him to the eternal damnation in the world hereafter. A religious man is as such natural man as spirit has been firmly engrafted in his corporal form.
Religion or no religion has its manifestation in the life of an individual values may be monotheistic in nature or atheistic in nature. They reflect in cultural practice and pursuit of life. A religious man has lofty ideals before him and he attains it through the sublimation of his existence and purgation of evil propensities. On the other hand an atheist or an agnostic pursues his life as human being no spiritual existence. In other words he does not believe in the accountability to any other entity for actions .
As such an air of worldliness permeates through his earthly life. He develops such attitude towards life and existence through his inner volitions. If the milieu is secular and atheistic in nature they may exercise great influence on his being or existence. Environments, heredity, inculcation of values and imbibing of new ideas have profound influence on his life. It reflects itself in the form of culture i.e. mode of living, language, customs, works of art, rituals, ceremonies even in dress and social contact. A religious man on the other hand may be imbued with religious beliefs from his inner volition. He may be spiritually illuminated through the scripture, precepts and religious milieu. In this case also heredity, genetics, pedigree and long lineage of religious heritage it becomes an asset for him and mold his make up according to the heritage he has attained from his social, religious and ethnic background. The behaviour assumes a set pattern. It is distinct from a culture which dose not co-relates with his spiritual pursuit. Culture steams out of his fundamentals belief and meaning of life is enormously affected by his action that in turn reflects light in its dignified form.
Religion is the part of human nature. His culture exudes religious truth, which has such a tremendous force that it exercises salutary effect in the society and the people ameliorate his actions . A man who is allegiant to religion is indeed a beacon of light. He can show the radiant path of truth and beauty. Of course he has to overcome many hardship and allurements through his unswerving faith and strong determination. His life is indeed a struggle against all odds and impediments. The more the society becomes complex the more his position in this mundane world becomes difficult. He has to wage a crusade to preserve pristine beauty of religion and sanctity of life. He has to make tremendous sacrifice to preserve the eternal varieties of life as has been enunciated in the Holy Scriptures. The life serves as a litmus test for him. A true believer or a pious man ultimately become triumphant both Here and the Hereafter. A man truly imbued with religious tenets is indeed a distinguished person who commands esteem and awe from other people by the force of his sanctimonious existence and probity of life.
Religion serves as an essence of his life. The belief in the Hereafter and divine dispensation elevates his existence and gives him peace and tranquility notwithstanding his worldly trials and tribulations. He faces plight and endures it with exotic fortitude. A religious man as such is a gem of a man who is ameliorated by other people of society. So, religion is inextricably linked with culture, way of life and meaning of the whole existence. A religious man possesses an ennobling character, a noble purpose. For him life is full of meaning and as such he leads a meaningful life and consecrates his life for the glorification of the Supreme Being.
With the above discussion we come to the logical conclusion that the appearance and development of culture essentially depends on a religion. This view has been firmly advocated by one of the greatest modern thinkers of twentieth century, Noble laureate T.S. Eliot in the following thought- provoking words:
“Yet there is an aspect in which we can see a religion as the whole way of life of a people, from birth to the grave, from morning to night and even in sleep, and that way of life is also its culture” .
It is worthwhile to mention here that the religion encompasses both earthly life and the life Hereafter. But if a society neglects the life here and exclusively devotes his energies for the salvation in the Hereafter it deviates from obligation to life Here. In consequence of this, it lags behind in the culture of material pursuit; penury, straitened circumstance and economic plight grip it with all its besetting problems. On the other hand if a society becomes too much preoccupied with the earthly life and indulges in secular pleasures than slowly but inevitably decadence keeps in that society. Life is a matter of delicate balance of the Here and the Hereafter. A slight disequilibrium results in a great catastrophe.
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Writer : Editor, Monthly At-Tawheed, Jameah Islamia, Patiya, Chittagong, Bangladesh. |
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| http://www.sonarbangladesh.com/articles/DrAFMKhalidHosen |
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* অধ্যাপক, ইসলামের ইতিহাস ও সংস্কৃতি, ওমর গণি এম ই এস কলেজ, জাকির হোসেন রোড, চট্টগ্রাম-৪২২৫
* সম্পাদক, মাসিক 'আত-তাওহীদ আল' জামেয়া আল-ইসলামিয়া, পটিয়া, চট্টগ্রাম।
* খতীব, হযরত উসমান (রা.) জামে মসজিদ বাস স্টেশন, হালিশহর এ ব্লক, চট্টগ্রাম।
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হাটহাজারী থেকে নাকিব লিখেছেন,