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Studies in the Paths of Society and Civilization

Sayed Mahmoud Al-Mosawi

  • 180 pages
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About the book

Translated from Arabic — the Arabic original is the authoritative text.Read the Arabic original

Author:
Sayed Mahmoud Al-Mosawi
Pages:
180
Price:
Free
Country of publication:
Bahrain
Publication date:
2007
Book file:

About the book:

Contemporary questions expressing new civilizational challenges are falling densely upon society, as the base in which all the instruments of action move and through whose expanses all the aims of all the active parties in life roam. This density of questions is nothing but trials imposed by the new reality that nations are living as a result of the civilizational movement and its transformations, and there is no doubt that the need is pressing to search for new answers and treatments for everything that is new, so that a person may be able to face difficulties and challenges, and be able to interact with new developments; indeed, so that he may consequently attain a positive influence on their directions. This conclusion is the one at which many readings by thinkers, researchers and observers of the present situation have arrived. And although this has resulted from a realistic and mature reading of the present, it lacks the most important dimension of these conclusions, since the utmost that these views arrive at is that we need new answers that match the new challenges in their horizon and depth; yet the more important question is the nature of those answers and the type of those responses. The nature we mean lies in the dimension that guarantees the soundness of the course and the credibility of the solutions and answers. We are not in need of an action that fills the void so much as we are in need of a correct and upright action that, in turn, places us on the straight course that does not let those who tread it deviate. When we put forward the Noble Qurʾan as a source of inspiration and guidance, it is because it is the light that Allah the Exalted sent forth and revealed to His Prophet Muhammad (s); in it is wisdom, in it are light, guidance and insights, in it are healing, mercy and good admonition, and in it are right conduct and uprightness; and it is what gives the glad tidings of a good life. Such are the contents of the verses of the Mighty Book for all aspects of life, and they call to upright courses. This places us before an important truth: that we have believed in this Noble Qurʾan, and that it has been sent down from an All-knowing, All-aware, All-wise God, and that in it is healing for societies; so we must be truthful with ourselves in this faith, which calls us to open up to the Noble Qurʾan not only in its individual aspect, but in the aspect of its civilizational treatments that relate to the concerns of the Umma and the transformations of great effect that befall it. For the Qurʾan came to raise up the Umma; it came as guidance and glad tidings for all the worlds, and in it is the cure for their ailment. It is therefore of great importance that we rely on the light of the Qurʾan in our contemporary studies, and we must restore confidence in the treatments that the Qurʾan gives us and present them to the world as benefits drawn from divine guidance. This approach is the one this book has adopted and emphasizes through its engagement with contemporary studies, inspired by the guidance and insights of the Noble Qurʾan. These studies were contributions of mine at several scholarly forums, at conferences and symposia, and most of them were published in the studies journal al-Basaʾir. I ask Allah the Exalted that they meet with acceptance; and Allah stands behind the intent. Sayed Mahmoud Sayed ʿAdnan Al-Mosawi, Bani Jamra / Bahrain, 7/12/2006 CE

Contents of the book

Table of contents

8 chapters · 74 headings
  1. 1Introductionp. 7
  2. 21 │ The Qurʾan and the Freedom of Society: Problems of the Contemporary Realityp. 11
  3. Absolute Freedomp. 15
  4. The Suppression of Freedomp. 18
  5. The Free Societyp. 20
  6. Problems of the Contemporary Realityp. 25
  7. Religious Freedomp. 30
  8. The Responsibility of Propagationp. 33
  9. Guidance Is a Divine Affairp. 36
  10. Religious Freedom Does Not Mean Validationp. 40
  11. 32 │ Managing Differences in Communities of Faithp. 43
  12. From a Qurʾanic Standpointp. 43
  13. The Formation of the Community of Faithp. 47
  14. The Origin of Differencesp. 50
  15. Practicing Reformp. 54
  16. The Method of Social Reformp. 55
  17. The Intellectual Foundation of Reformp. 58
  18. The Ethics of Interaction in the Community of Faithp. 60
  19. A Person's View of Himselfp. 61
  20. A Person's View of the Otherp. 63
  21. Getting Rid of Differences Is One of the Conditions of Opennessp. 66
  22. Summaryp. 67
  23. 43 │ Personal Religiosity in the Face of the Influences of Globalizationp. 69
  24. A Qurʾanic Readingp. 69
  25. The Transformation of Personalityp. 72
  26. Personal Religiosity and the Contents of Globalizationp. 74
  27. Causes of Influence at the Personal Levelp. 76
  28. Manipulating Tastesp. 76
  29. Manifestations of the Challenges in Today's Realityp. 81
  30. 1 / Lustful Mediap. 81
  31. 2 / Spreading the Western Patternp. 82
  32. 3 / Fashionp. 83
  33. 4 / Youth and Womenp. 83
  34. 5 / Children, Another Stakep. 84
  35. A Brief Treatmentp. 85
  36. 54 │ Cultural Content in Contemporary Islamic Discoursep. 87
  37. Mass Culture and the Importance of Studying Itp. 94
  38. The Problem of Cultural Contentp. 97
  39. Wisdom Is the Content of Mass Culturep. 100
  40. 1 / Directing Youth toward Religious Knowledgep. 102
  41. 2 / Developing Media Methodsp. 102
  42. 3 / Spreading Islam on a Wide Scalep. 103
  43. 65 │ A Qurʾanic Vision of the Course of Civilizationsp. 109
  44. The Components of Civilizational Risep. 112
  45. 1 / The Fraternal Relationship between Righteousness and Societyp. 113
  46. 2 / Clarity of Vision and the Guarantee of Continuityp. 115
  47. 3 / Principled Practicep. 117
  48. The Phenomenon of Civilizational Dazzlementp. 118
  49. Returning to the Realitiesp. 120
  50. Civilizational Responsibilityp. 124
  51. Entering the Circle of Those Held to Accountp. 125
  52. Measuring the Level of Societiesp. 126
  53. The Path of Salvationp. 128
  54. Civilizational Collapsep. 130
  55. Civilizational Extravagancep. 131
  56. A Collapse That Goes beyond Reasonp. 133
  57. The Real Testp. 134
  58. 76 │ Dialogue of Civilizations and Readiness for Activationp. 137
  59. Qurʾanic Entry Pointsp. 137
  60. The Nature of Dialoguep. 141
  61. The First Entry Pointp. 149
  62. The Second Entry Pointp. 150
  63. The Third Entry Pointp. 151
  64. The Qurʾanic Features of the Entry Points of Dialoguep. 151
  65. 87 │ A Qurʾanic Vision of Media and Culturep. 155
  66. A Foundational Introductionp. 155
  67. Who Is the Hypocrite?p. 159
  68. 1 / Hypocrisy Is Hypocrisyp. 160
  69. Signs by Which the Hypocrite Is Knownp. 162
  70. 2 / The Other Instance of Hypocrisy Is the Faithless among the People of the Bookp. 168
  71. Why the Caution?p. 170
  72. The Relationship between the Hypocrite and the Polytheistp. 171
  73. 1 / The Hypocrite Is a Follower of the Polytheistp. 172
  74. 2 / The Hypocrites Think That the Faithless Possess Honorp. 173