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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Trends of History in Qur'an Analysis of Social Elements 1 We have said that to explain the fact that religion is one of the norms of history, it is necessary to analyse the elements forming society so that we may know what these elements are and in what forms and norms they are combined.

To answer these questions we have chosen the following Qur'anic verse When your Lord said to the angels: `I am placing in the earth a vicegerent,' they said: `Will You put there one who will make there mischief and will shed blood, while we proclaim Your praise and glorify You?' (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:30) When we study this verse, we observe that Allah informs the angels that He has laid the foundation of a society on the earth. We naturally want to know what elements form this society.

From the expressions used in this verse by the Qur'an the following three main elements can be derived (i) Man (ii) Earth or nature as a whole as indicated by the words: "I am placing a vicegerent in the earth ". Here the second element is the earth or nature as a whole, the first element being man whom Allah has appointed His vicegerent in the earth. (iii) The third element is a mental bond which binds man to the earth or nature on the one hand and to other fellow human beings on the other.

This bond has been called by the Qur'an vicegerency. These are the three elements which form society on the earth: (i) man, (ii) nature, (iii) Vicegerency - the bond which binds man to the earth and to his fellow human beings. When we look at human societies, we find that the first two elements are common to all of them. You cannot find a single society in which man may not be living with his fellow beings, or not living on the earth or not having a contact with nature in order to play his role.

As far as these two elements are concerned, all societies are alike. But as for the third element, each society has its own variety of bond. Societies, in other words, differ in the nature and the form of the bond which they have. Thus the third element, that is the element of a mental bond is changeable and it differs from society to society. Every society operates it differently. This bond can be expressed in two ways.

According to one way of expression it has four sides and according to the other three only. The four-sided relationship is that which binds man and nature with other men.