For example...

For example, a passenger of a bus, a train, an aeroplane or a ship normally does not feel any necessity at the time of purchasing his ticket to make inquiries about the moral character of other passengers, their views and their motives of journey. Normally such inquiries are not even possible. He and other passengers are interested only in using a particular means of transport for going from one place to another, and no deep and extensive aquaintance is required to achieve this end.

Characteristics of Intentional Society This tie is, lasting within the limits of the objective of the society and continues to exist until the group is dissolved for one reason or the other. As this type of society comes into existence with the intention of co‑operation for the realization of a particular object, therefore, in this case co‑existence is coupled with co‑operation and mutual and reciprocal responsibility.

In this type of get‑together members of the group select each other, and as the way of thinking and doing of each one of them affects the destiny of the others, they contemplate certain rules and criteria for the membership of their group. The co‑existence and co‑operation between the members of the group and their mutual relations are based on the principles and rules accepted by each member consciously and after careful study.

Members of the group work whole‑heartedly for its growth and development. A definite example of an intentional society is a family, which in its Islamic form is a model for every other such society.

It has all the characteristics of an ideal intentional society, such as: The husband and wife choose each other intentionally and willingly; With a view to lead a common life, With common responsibility, With reciprocal rights and obligations based on a definite social system accompanied by whole‑hearted co‑operation to secure a better and more developed life for themselves and their children. Individual and society Man is a gregarious and social being.

There can be no doubt that the conditions of his life depend on the condi­tions of the society in which he lives. But how and to what extent? Is this dependence such that it does not in any way curtail the independence of an individual to mould his life according to his own choice? Or is it such that it makes him absolutely subservient to his social environment? Or is it neither this nor that but has some interme­diate position?