Table Of ContentIslamic Propagation Organization
Society and History
Murtadha Mutahhari
Islamic Propagation Organization
This text authored by Martyr Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari
serves to present the Islamic approach to society and history.
The author combined these two areas of study as the discussion
of the problems that deal with society and history are closely
related and this analysis reveals Islam’s profoundness in dealing
with various issues.
Contents
Note by the Publisher of the Book ........................................................................ i
Introduction ................................................................................................... iii
What is Society? ................................................................................................ 1
Is Man Social by Nature? .............................................................................. 2
Does Society have an Essential and Independent Existence? ..................... 7
First View ................................................................................................. 7
Second View ............................................................................................ 8
Third View ................................................................................................ 9
Fourth View ............................................................................................ 11
The Qur’anic View .................................................................................. 13
Society and Tradition ....................................................................................... 21
Determinism or Freedom ............................................................................ 25
Social Divisions and Polarization ..................................................................... 31
Nature of Society: Homogeneity or Heterogeneity? ......................................... 39
Societies of the Future ..................................................................................... 45
What is History? ............................................................................................... 59
Scientific History .......................................................................................... 69
1. Authenticity and Inauthenticity of Traditional History .......................... 70
2. Causation in History ........................................................................... 73
Is History Materialistic in Nature? ..................................................................... 81
Basic Principles of Historical Materialism .................................................... 84
1. Priority of matter over spirit ................................................................ 84
2. Primacy and priority of material needs over intellectual needs .......... 88
3. Priority of action over thought ............................................................ 91
4. Priority of the Social Existence of Man Over His Individual Existence, or
the Principle of Priority of Sociology Over Psychology ........................... 95
5. Priority of Material Aspect of Society over its Intellectual Aspect ..... 100
Conclusions ............................................................................................... 113
1. The first conclusion is related to the problem of study of society and
history ................................................................................................... 114
2. The law governing history is deterministic, inviolable, and external to
human will ............................................................................................ 117
3. Each historical period is quite different from the other period in character
and nature ............................................................................................ 124
Criticism of Historical Materialism ................................................................... 139
1. Baselessness ........................................................................................ 142
2. Revision of Views by Its Founders ........................................................ 144
3. Contradiction of Necessary Correspondence between Base and
Superstructure: .......................................................................................... 156
4. Nonconformity of Ideological and Class Bases ..................................... 159
5. Independence of Cultural Developments............................................... 160
6. Historical Materialism Contradicts Itself ................................................. 163
Islam and Historical Materialism ..................................................................... 165
Criticism ..................................................................................................... 183
Islam's 'Philosophy' of History ........................................................................ 225
Criteria ....................................................................................................... 225
1. Strategy of the Call ................................................................................ 226
2. An Ideology's Nomenclature .................................................................. 240
3. Favourable and Unfavourable Conditions for Acceptability ................... 241
4. Rise and Fall of Societies ...................................................................... 244
A. Justice and Injustice ......................................................................... 244
B. Unity and Disunity ............................................................................ 245
C. Practice or Neglect of the Principle of al-‘Amr bi al-Ma’ruf wa al-Nahy
‘an al-Munkar ........................................................................................ 246
D. Moral Corruption and Degeneration ................................................. 247
Evolution and Change in History .................................................................... 249
1. The Racial Theory ................................................................................. 252
2. The Geographical Theory ...................................................................... 253
3. The Theory of the Role of Genius or Heroes ......................................... 254
4. The Economic Theory ........................................................................... 256
5. The Religious Theory ............................................................................ 256
6. The Theory of Nature ............................................................................ 261
The Role of Personality in History ............................................................. 263
Note by the Publisher of the Book
It is a matter of obvious regret that the manuscript of Martyr
Mutahhari ends at this point. It is obvious that the author had in
his mind many other ideas which he could not enter. He
achieved this cherished desire to obtain martyrdom in the way
of God. We hope, in future, to present a more complete
discussion with the help of his scattered notes, added them to
the future editions of the book.
i
Introduction
The outlook of a school of thought regarding society and history
and its specific approach to them, plays a decisive role in its
ideology. From this point of view, it is essential, in the context
of Islamic world outlook, to throw light on the Islamic approach
to society and history.
It is evident that Islam is neither a theory of society nor a philo-
sophy of history. In the sacred Book of Islam, no social or
historical problem is dealt with in the technical jargon of
sociology and philosophy of history. In the same way no other
problem, ethical, legal or philosophical, is discussed in the
Qur’an, either in the current terms or according to the traditional
classification of sciences. However, these and other problems
related with various sciences can be deduced from the Book.
Islamic thinking on society and history, because of its special
importance, is a topic that deserves to be studied and
investigated properly, and, like its many other teachings, reveals
Islam's profoundness in dealing with various issues. Since the
problems that deal with society and history are closely related,
and since we wish to discuss them briefly, it was apt to discuss
them together in a single book. However, we shall discuss the
problem related to society and history only to the extent that
would help in understanding Islamic ideology.
We shall begin with society and then proceed to discuss history.
Following are some of the questions that can be raised about
society:
1. What is society?
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Society and History
2. Is man by nature social and gregarious?
3. Is it true that the individual is primary and society is
secondary, or is the truth contrary to it, that is, society is primary
and individual is secondary in importance? Or is there any third
possible approach?
4. The relationship between society and tradition.
5. Whether the individual is free or if he is determined by
society and the social structure?
6. In what institutions, poles, and groups is society classifiable
according to its primary divisions?
7. Whether human societies are absolutely of the same nature
and essence, their differences being similar to the differences
among members of the same species? Or if they vary according
to geographic variations, temporal and spatial conditions, and
levels of development of their culture and civilization, assuming
different forms and essences with each calling for a separate
sociology based upon its particular ideology?
In other words, is a single system of sociology, ethics, and
ideology applicable to all humanity, in the same way as a single
system of medicine and laws of physiology applies to all human
beings regardless of their geographic, racial and historical
variations?
Does every society, according to its regional, cultural and
historical background, require a special sociology and affirm a
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