What are the rights of society over the individual, and do they take precedence over the individual's interest, and is a Muslim obligated to avert harm from others even if they are exposed to harm as a result?

The fundamental principle is to prioritize public interest over private interest, unless the private interest becomes strong and the public interest weakens. Al-Zuhayli mentioned that the public interest in each category of interests takes precedence over the private interest within that same category. Al-Shatibi affirms this principle, but with the condition that the public interest does not harm the private interest. When interests conflict, the preference is given based on the magnitude of hardship, so the interest that averts greater hardship is prioritized. Regarding removing harm from others if it entails harm to oneself, the original principle is that it is not obligatory, because safety from harm to oneself is a condition for the obligation to forbid evil (munkar).