The Social Functions of Religious and Quranic Ethics in the Society from the Perspective of Tafsir al-Mizan

Allameh Tabatabai believes ethics is ‘the most virtuous of habits’ acquired through repeating good deeds. He holds that the basis and the criterion of a moral act is the sacred essence of God and love for Him, and the social functions of morality include securing worldly and otherworldly bliss, securing physical and mental health of man, betterment of the society, creation of social unity and solidarity, regulation of the social life of man, development of civilization and culture, etc. From Allameh Tabatabai’s point of view, the society has a legal identity and disposition, is of a nature independent of the individuals, and its potency dominates the authority and mind of the individual. Accordingly, he believes morality is not isolated from social conditions, and it changes as soon as conditions change. He holds that the Quran hints at its independent nature by accepting the existence, life, book, understanding, practice, obedience, and sin for the society. Allameh believes that morality affects the society, and the society reciprocally impacts on morality. According to him, morality is the spirit of society, and the regulations in a society are influenced and determined by morality. There is an interactive relationship between morality and actions in the society, and actions, beliefs, and morality reciprocally impact on each other