State and Society The Demise of Villages and the Flourishing of Cities

Description

This book examines and analyzes the historical trajectory of states and societies as revealed in the Holy Quran, tracing the development of human societies from a matriarchal to a patriarchal society to an era of equality and pluralism. It explains that every backward, monolithic society carries within itself the seeds of its own destruction and suffering, and indeed, it is society that provides pretexts for external intervention, as is the case with colonialism.

After affirming that the Holy Quran does not advocate the abolition of pluralism and private property, the book presents a fundamental concept in the movement of societies: that human history progresses towards development, pluralism, and the demise of backwardness and monolithicity. This is explored alongside discussions on the rise of cities, the conflict between the authority of knowledge and the authority of law, the duality of consultation (shura) and freedom in the Quran, and other related issues.