Islamic View on the Role of Social Environment in Shaping Human Behaviour

Abstract

There is need for everyone to be aware of the best kind of behaviours they are expected to demonstrate as role models in order to bring a lasting solution in our teeming youth and produce morally as well as intellectually sound individuals. The objectives of this study are to find out the social environmental factors that shape human behaviour according Islamic view. This qualitative study used content analysis as the instrument for collecting data. This analysis involved prominent Western psychology books to represent Western views and involved al-Quran, Hadith and tafsir to represent Islamic views on the subject matter. While Western psychologists concentrated more on the outer and observable factors as the factors that shape human behaviour, Muslim scholar included and emphasised on the contribution of the inner composition of man, the soul, to his behaviour and personality development. The findings also highlighted that human beings, irrespective of their religious faith, need to be God-conscious in order to bring out the positive behaviour. By so doing, man could transform the social environment into a better place for the benefit of all humanity. Students, parents, educationists and society can easily mould the good behaviour that lead to the production of intellectual individuals who are morally upright, spiritually sound with the best of leadership capability.