Individuality as the Core Principle

Individuality lies at the heart of everything; it is the essence of accountability and honor in Islamic teachings. Islam emphasizes this principle, as the scales of justice on the Day of Judgment are set up for individuals, not groups. Allah says: “No bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another” (6:164), “Whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it” (99:7-8), and again “And We inherit him in what he says, and he will come to Us alone” (19:80). Further, Allah states: “There is no one in the heavens and earth but that he comes to the Most Merciful as a servant. He has enumerated them and counted them a [precise] counting. And all of them are coming to Him on the Day of Resurrection alone” (19:93-95). Finally, He reminds: “And you have come to Us alone, just as We created you the first time” (6:94).
Thus, in Islam, the individual is the primary focus of legislation, while the community serves as a secondary aspect, functioning to enhance individual development. The individual can only achieve completeness through their experiences within the community. Solitary worship serves as a school for theoretical preparation, but its practical application only occurs through interactions within the community and dealing with its members.
Worship holds no value unless it manifests in how one treats others, as this treatment itself is an act of worship. The Infallible [Prophet] said: “Religion is proper interaction.” Islamic legislation, [properly understood], whether in the form of penalties or retributive justice, is designed to complement acts of worship in cultivating individuals who benefit themselves first and the community second.
To illustrate this, consider the [Islamic Law] regarding the punishment for theft, one of the four fundamental punishments (hudud). If a thief steals less than the prescribed amount, they are not to be amputated. Similarly, If they steal the prescribed amount but it is not from a secure place, the punishment is not applied. If they steal the prescribed amount from a secure place, the matter is examined: if they are starving to the point of desperation, they are not to be amputated; if they are not hungry, the question is whether they are sick. If they are sick, they are not to be amputated, but rather treated. If the punishment is not removed by any mitigating circumstances, and all the elements of theft are established, the hand is to be amputated.
The wisdom behind the amputation relates to the connection between the mind and the hand. A person who is ignorant tends to attempt to solve their problems with their hands. For example, if you discuss an issue with them, and they are overwhelmed by the argument, they will resort to violence with their hands. What Allah seeks from His creation are their hearts and minds. “It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him” (22:37).
The relationship between the hand and the mind reveals the wisdom of the Wisest Legislator, who deemed that when the hand is disabled by amputation, the mind becomes active. It awakens and devises methods of interaction that are closer to peaceful resolutions than to confrontational ones. Thus, through this amputation, which was unavoidable, a benefit for the individual is achieved by stimulating their mind, and a benefit for the community is secured by protecting its rights from being violated. This is what we meant earlier when we said that the laws of Islam, whether in punishments or retribution, are designed to cooperate with the laws of worship in nurturing the individual in a way that benefits them first, and benefits the community second.
The peace we seek, as mentioned in the prelude to this discussion, can only prevail on earth when each individual finds peace within themselves. Armed and unarmed conflicts between groups are but reflections of the inner turmoil within individuals, stemming from the division between their outward actions and hidden thoughts. True peace within the self is achieved when the individual attains harmony between their thought, speech, and action.
Such harmony is realized when a person thinks as they wish, speaks as they think, and acts as they speak, ensuring that their actions bring only good and benefit to others. Once this state is achieved, the individual transcends societal laws, as their self-discipline and virtuous conduct elevate them. For such individuals, the Qur’anic principle applies: “No blame shall be upon those who do good” (9:91).
When the individual attains this level of moral and personal completeness, they become the true human being, the free individual. Such individuals can only emerge within a complete society, one based on three pillars: political justice, referred to as democracy; economic justice, referred to as socialism; and social justice, which entails the eradication of traditional class structures that have defined the history of class struggle across the ages, becoming sharper and more defined since the Industrial Revolution in the past two centuries. Social justice, to a great extent, is a natural outcome of equality in governance and wealth, democracy and socialism. It is also a direct result of comprehensive individual education.
In this complete society, relationships among individuals are founded on constitutional law at the base and a generous public opinion at the apex. This public opinion accommodates diverse personalities, as its goal is to nurture individuals who distinguish themselves from the masses through originality and individuality.
In Islamic thought, constitutional law reconciles the individual’s need for absolute individual freedom with the community’s need for comprehensive social justice. It neither sacrifices the individual for the community nor the community for the individual. Instead, it achieves a balanced and fair distribution, serving both individual and communal interests simultaneously and seamlessly. A prime example of this is the Islamic penalty for theft, as previously discussed.
The individual who achieves peace with his or her self is the Muslim about whom the infallible one said: "The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand other Muslims are safe." And "Muslims" here is understood in the broader sense, meaning all people. A Muslim is one from whom all creatures are safe, whether from their tongue, their hand, or the thoughts of their hidden conscience. The infallible also said: "Islam is a restraint against killing." This means that the Muslim is not violent, neither through their actions nor through any intention of harm that might arise in their mind. For this reason, the infallible also said: "Bad character is an unforgivable sin, and ill thoughts is a sin that spreads." And he said: "It is forbidden for a Muslim to harm another Muslim, his blood, his wealth, his honor, or to harbor ill thoughts of him."
And when you understand the depth of this hadith at this level, you will know that the Muslim in the phrase "another Muslim" refers to the broader meaning, which includes all of God's creation, whether trees, stones, or dust. This is indicated by Allah's saying: "So is it other than the religion of Allah that they desire, while to Him has submitted whoever is in the heavens and on the earth, willingly or by compulsion, and to Him they will be returned?" (3:83). You will also understand that the Muslim in the phrase " for a Muslim" refers to the specific meaning intended in Allah’s saying: "Except one who comes to Allah with a sound heart" (26:89), a heart free from division between an outward behavior that contradicts an inward disposition, or rather, a heart free from the subtle forms of social hypocrisy, which are the afflictions of the most learned of individuals. The sound heart is the heart at "peace".
There is a hadith that says: "Everything has a heart, and the heart of the Qur’an is Yasin, and Yasin has a heart." The knowers have understood that the heart of Yasin is the verse: "Peace, a word from a Merciful Lord" (36:58). Thus, peace in Islam is the essence of the essence, and the foundation of all foundations. The phrase "As-Salamu Alaikum" (Peace be upon you) is the Muslim’s greeting in all encounters throughout the day. This beautiful, radiant phrase, with its sweet tone and harmonious sound, deserves to be practically applied in daily life, using its true means and methods, so that peace may prevail on earth, love may fill the hearts of people, and joy and happiness may brighten their faces.