Islamic Social Action

This article aims to analyze the component of social action in Islam based on Smelser's theory of social action. Basically, Islamic social action consists of four pillars. The first pillar is value or submission to Allah - striving for the Paradise, which should be reliable and constant so as to preserve the stability of action. They involve the highest degree of Qur'anic control. The second pillar is norm or faith and working righteousness or faith and Shari'ah. Shari'ah is flexible compared to values and faith. However this flexibility must not break down values. Norms have the ability to control but less so than values, and they have more ability to change but less so than social organization. The third pillar is social organization which involves social institutions and the construction of relationships along the lines of social positions, status and roles. This construction should be controlled by the Islamic norms and values of Islamic action. It is the place where Muslims are motivated to behave as Muslims. Social organization has the ability to control but less than values and norms, while it is flexible and able to change more than the upper components but less so than situational facilities which are the fourth pillar. These facilities include knowledge of actor on the environment, predictability of consequences of action, tools and skills that help or hinder the actor to select the suitable means to achieve his goals. The highest degree of motivation and flexibility is under situational facilities, but they are poor in terms of control. They refer to behavior itself the abilities of the actors and alternatives in situations.