We Are Not Alone We Are Social Creatures

Human Nature as a Social Being

Humans are both individual beings and social creatures. As an individual being, he has a unique character that is different from each other, even if it is the result of cloning, with his mind and free will. And as a social being he needs another human being, needs a group – in its minimal form, which recognizes its existence, and in its maximal form - a group in which he can depend on it.

As a social creature, man cannot live alone. Humans need togetherness in their lives. All of that is in order to give each other and benefit each other. The rich cannot live without the poor who are his servants, his employees, his drivers, and so on.

Similarly, the poor cannot live without the rich who hire and hire them. Allah SWT said: “Are they the ones who share the mercy of your Lord?We have determined among them their livelihood in the life of the world, and We have exalted some of them to some degree, that some may use others. And the mercy of your Lord is better than that which they amass.”(Al-zukhruf: 32).

Aristotle categorized humans into “Zoon Politicon” which means humans are creatures who want to always hang out and gather. So humans are creatures of society. It is because of the nature of sociability and society that humans are known as social creatures.

He said that human beings are social beings not intended to assert the idea of human obligation to socialize with others, but the idea of social beings primarily intends to point directly to the perfection of human identity and identity.

According to the Islamic view, humans are etymologically called also human who in Arabic comes from the root of the word nasiya which means forgetting. And if viewed from the root of the word al-uns then the word human means benign. From both roots the word human is used to refer to humans, because humans have forgetful and benign nature.

In a sense, humans are always adjusting to the new circumstances around them. The existence of humans is very real in contrast to other creatures. As in reality, humans are creatures that walk on two legs and have the ability to think.

While thinking itself is the basic nature of man that determines the nature of man itself and distinguishes it with other creatures. Humans also have the work they produce so that it is different from other creatures.

The results of human work can be seen in the historical settings and psychological settings, geographical, emotional and intellectual situations behind the results of his work. From the work made by man, making him as a creature that creates history.

Social understanding according to experts (Paul Ernes and Enda M.C) is “The relationship of individuals in a community and how they establish relationships between each other in various joint activities and these relationships are the core of the community an interaction between them in their respective environment and not bound by a particular pattern”.

Because social is a way humans relate to each other in various activities, it is in line with the development of human culture, so along with the development of human, social nature also develops along with the development of institutions that arise based on goals or activities that have been mutually agreed by them.

According to Koentjarainingrat, in the life of the community, there are a lot of social institutions. The diversity of social institutions varies from person to person in a community.

According to him, there are eight kinds of social institutions, which are as follows: First, social institutions that aim to meet the needs of kinship life, such as family. Second, social institutions that aim to meet human needs for livelihoods, such as agriculture. Third, social institutions that aim to meet educational needs, such as educational institutions. Fourth, social institutions that aim to meet human scientific needs, such as science. Fifth, social institutions that aim to meet spiritual needs in expressing a sense of beauty and recreation, such as fine art, painting. Sixth, social institutions that aim to meet the human need to connect with God or the supernatural, such as mosques, churches, temples, monasteries. Seventh, social institutions that aim to meet the need to regulate the lives of groups/countries, such as governments, political parties. Eight, social institutions that aim to take care of human physical needs, such as the maintenance of health and beauty.

Humans act as individual beings and social beings that can be distinguished through their rights and obligations. But the two cannot be separated because humans are part of society. Human relations as an individual with his society are intertwined in harmony, harmony, and balance.

Interaction is a reciprocal activity between individuals in a relationship of living together. Interaction is intended, process in accordance with the development of the soul and physical of each person and in accordance with the time from non-formal interactions such as friends and society to formal interactions such as organization, and others.

There are several factors that affect human life in society, namely; natural factors or nature of God; factors that meet each other's needs; and factors of interdependence. The existence of all these factors can be accepted by the common sense of every human being, so that the human being is truly a society, so that the human being is truly social, as expressed by Ibn Khaldun that social life is not just the nature of God but also a need for the human type in order to meet the needs of his life.

If reciprocal behavior (social interaction) is repeated and continuous, then this interaction will develop into social interrelation. While social interrelation in society will appear in the form of a feeling of cohabitation, association, and environment based on a sense of civilized humanity, harmonious family and solid unity.Thus not every individual group is a society. In social life there are various relationships or cooperation, among others, relationships between status, friendship, interests, and family relationships. As social beings, humans are endowed by the Creator, among others, the nature of human beings.

From the description above, when viewed from an Islamic perspective, both from the normative and interactive aspects of sharia practice. That view is broadly: First, the Creation of man, even all of His created beings in pairs, gives the meaning of interdependence, living together, interacting and interacting with each other. Second, the values in the implementation of congregational prayer, fasting, zakat and Hajj also provide lessons that humans are naturally required to empathize with others. So, sociality is a human nature in the course of his life. They cannot live alone.

They need others to live together, to learn together in life as human beings, to seek their perfection in the common order of life. A personality of the individuals in its social community will reach its extinction if man is unable to accept the presence of others in his environment to achieve the goal of living together.

Living together exists naturally because each person wills it. Each person wills it because he is aware that his own battles are only achieved through his cooperation with other humans. Living together exists first of all to fulfill the will and purpose of every human person in order to perfect himself.

This is what is meant by good life, namely the actualization of the perfection of life of each individual human being in the context of living together. This is the core view of Islam towards humans in the context of life as social beings.

In order to establish social relations in its general meaning - there are three conceptual ones that need to be considered. First, Ta’aruf. Ta’aruf (knowing each other), in order to make it happen, we need to know other people, both physical, thought, emotional and psychological. Allah SWT said, which means: “Hi man, We created you from a man and a woman and made you nations and tribes so that you may know one another. Verily, the noblest among you, by Allah, is the most pious among you. Verily Allah is All-Knowing, All-Knowing.” (Al Hujurat:13).

Ta’aruf needs to be done from the environment closest to us; family, school or workplace environment, to bertha’aruf in the wider community.

In the present era the problem of ta’aruf almost less attention, especially in urban areas. People are busy thinking about personal interests and do not care about the surrounding environment as can be seen in residential areas (real estate) all live with all individualistic. Second, tafahum.

At the tafahum (mutual understanding) stage, we do not just know our brothers, but we also try to understand them. For example, if we have known the habits of a colleague who used to speak in a loud tone, of course we will understand it and not make us irritable.

Also if we know the habits of other sensitive colleagues, of course we will understand it with caution in associating with him. It should be noted that this tafahum is a two-way activity. So do not let us continue to position ourselves want to be understood by people without trying to also understand others. Third, Ta’awun. Ta’awun (help-help) is an activity that we instinctively often (want) do.