Factors Promoting and Hindering Social Cohesion from the Perspective of the Qur’an and Sunnah: A Thematic Analysis

Cheraghi Kootiani, Esmaeel

doi:10.22034/arq.2026.247831

Factors Promoting and Hindering Social Cohesion from the Perspective of the Qur’an and Sunnah: A Thematic Analysis

Document Type : Original Article

Author

esmaeel cheraghi kootiani

Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute, Qom, Iran

10.22034/arq.2026.247831

Abstract

The continuity and advancement of societies require both the strengthening of social solidarity and the removal of the obstacles that undermine it. Social solidarity is widely regarded as a key element in preserving the structure of society and achieving sustainable development. Various factors may contribute to its formation and consolidation. Language, ethnicity, nationality, the presence of a common enemy, social participation, justice, and shared values and norms are among the phenomena identified in the social sciences as foundations of solidarity. This study seeks to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the subject by examining the factors that strengthen social solidarity and the barriers that hinder it from the perspective of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Adopting a qualitative approach, the study employs thematic analysis to present a systematic account of the Qur’anic and Prophetic perspectives on social solidarity. The findings indicate that, according to religious teachings, social solidarity constitutes a divine covenant within the social order (core theme) and is influenced by factors that either reinforce or weaken it (main themes). From the perspective of the Qur’an and Sunnah, shared faith, unity and adherence to religious teachings, faith-based social sentiments, the strengthening of intergenerational bonds, emphasis on common beliefs, convergence based on a shared system of values and norms, the promotion of justice, and the establishment of a unified legal framework constitute the principal foundations of social solidarity (strengthening subthemes). Conversely, religious discord, the intensification of social divisions and internal conflicts, and excessive nationalism constitute serious barriers to the realization of social solidarity (weakening subthemes). The study concludes that social solidarity is indispensable to the stability, continuity, and dynamism of society. Accordingly, both the reinforcement of the factors that foster solidarity and the mitigation of the barriers that undermine it require serious attention from members of the public, actors who shape the broader culture of society, and governing institutions

Keywords

Solidarity

Social solidarity

Social cohesion

Unity

Convergence

Subjects

social Sciences

The Holy Qurʾan

Nahj al-Balāghah

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