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HUMAN
CIVILIZATION
If we study the means and factors which led to the
development of human societies in the past, this truth becomes evident to
us that in his life, man only demands and pursues his own prosperity and
happiness. Of course, this happiness would not be possible without the
total provision of all means of existence.
On the other hand, with his understanding, gifted by
Allah, man realizes that he can never attain and prepare all his needs on
his own, so as to provide the means of his ideal welfare and prosperity,
because he realizes that he cannot solve the problems of life and reach
perfection by himself. As a result, he necessarily submits himself to a
social life to supply his needs and considers cooperation with others as
the easiest means towards achieving his goal. He engages in acquiring the
means of his livelihood collectively. That is to say, each person
undertakes to provide some of the means and makes them available. Then,
all individuals gather the outcome of their activities. Proportionate with
his activity and social status, each individual takes a share and uses it
to manage his life.
In this way, he will work hand in hand with his fellowmen
to ensure his welfare. This is to say that they all endeavour for one
another and pile up the outcomes of their activities. Then each member of
the society gathers the product of his activity in accordance with his
position and the extent of his endeavour.
THE NEED FOR REGULATIONS IN THE SOCIETY
As the results of the activities of individuals are
linked with one another and since everyone wants to benefit from them,
forcibly, inconvenience and conflict of interests are indispensable
elements of this contact and constant relation. It is needless to say that
material benefits are normally the source of all kinds of differences,
animosities, and loss of sincerity. In order to maintain sincerity among
people, society requires a series of regulations, the observance of which
prevents disturbance and chaos.
It is self-evident that if no laws and regulations for
the management of the society exist, there will be a chaos in which human
society cannot survive even for a single day.
Certainly, these rules vary from one society to another
based on the extent of civilization or savagery of tribes and nations, and
the level of understanding of societies and their governments. In neither
case is a society free from the need of a series of traditions and
regulations which are at least respected by most of its members. In the
history of mankind, never has a society evolved without possessing common
rites, traditions, and regulations.
MAN
IS NOT FREE AGAINST REGULATIONS
As man performs all his actions with his own free
will and choice, he feels a sort of freedom of action for himself. By
considering this freedom of action as "absolute", that is,
"unconditional", he wants total freedom and escapes from any restriction.
For this reason, man suffers from any prohibition and deprivation
inflicted on himself. Finally, he feels compelled and senses failure
whenever a restriction is imposed on him. Therefore, no matter how small
the number of social regulations are, they are against man's
freedom-seeking nature because they limit him to some extent.
On the other hand, he finds that if he disagrees to
forfeit a part of his freedom by abiding by the laws for the sake of the
protection of society and its order, a chaos will result that will
suddenly annihilate all his freedom and peace. This is just as if he
seizes a morsel from others when others will undoubtedly seize morsels
from him. In like manner, if he oppresses others, they will oppress him as
well.
Therefore, in order to maintain some freedom for himself,
he dispenses with a part of his freedom and inevitably respects social
regulations.
WEAK
POINT IN THE IMPLEMENTATION
OF REGULATIONS
As mentioned before, there is a kind of conflict and
incompatibility between man's freedom-seeking nature and social
regulations. That is, laws are like chains that are linked to man's feet
and he constantly tries to break them and set himself free from captivity.
This is the greatest danger which always threatens social regulations and
shakes its foundations.
In this regard, alongside practical regulations and
duties, there are always other regulations intended to punish offenders
which frighten and prevent them from opposition, and to encourage people
to abide by the laws by making them confident of receiving rewards and
prizes. It cannot be denied that the subject matter (i.e., fear of
punishment and eagerness for receiving rewards) aids the enforcement of
laws to some extent, but it cannot fully prevent violations and safeguard
the influence and domination of laws. This is because penal codes, like
other laws, are vulnerable to violation and are constantly threatened by
the freedom-seeking nature of man, because those who have full power and
capability can overtly oppose them without fear and fright, or they can
force judicial and executive organizations to act according to their
desire, by using their influence.
And those who do not have adequate influence and power
can take advantage of the negligence or weakness of the authorities to
fulfil their oppositions covertly. They can attain their ends through
bribery, mediation, or by way of friendship and relationship with the
influential sector to disrupt the working order of the society and to
paralyse it.
The best evidence for this subject is that every day we
observe thousands of these types of oppositions and violations against
laws in various human societies.
THE ORIGINAL SOURCE OF THE
WEAKNESS OF LAWS
We must now find out where the original source of
danger lies and how to subdue the unyielding and freedom seeking nature of
man in order to prevent his opposition to the law.
The source of this danger, which is the main cause for
penetration of corruption in a society and which cannot even be prevented
by regulations, is that the ordinary social methods which have brought the
laws into existence consider the material aspects of individuals and
ignore their spiritualities and instincts. They only aim at providing
harmony, maintaining order, and balancing the actions of people in such a
way that will not result in discord and conflict. Social laws demand
adherence of their articles and tend to control the actions of people.
Such laws ignore men's innate attributes and innermost feelings which
instigate their actions and which are the internal enemies of
regulations.
Whenever the freedom-seeking nature of man and hundreds
of other instincts (such as selfishness, voluptuousness, which are the
main causes of corruption) are ignored, there will be chaos and
disturbance and the scope of differences will become wider day by day.
Since all laws are always threatened by the attack and invasion of
powerful rebels and the night-time attacks of ingenious robbers springing
from these instincts; therefore, they fall short of preventing corruption
and differences.
THE ADVANTAGE OF RELIGION
OVER OTHER LAWS
The latest social method for the protection of laws
is to establish penal codes and appoint officials to enforce them. But as
mentioned earlier, penal laws and officials cannot restrain the mutinous
nature and other rebellious instincts of man and fail to enforce social
regulations.
In addition to appointing officials to maintain control
and formulating regulations to castigate violators and rebels as
established by human laws, religion has other powerful means at its
disposal whereby it can defeat and annihilate any antagonistic force.
(1) As a result of uniting social life and the worship of
the Almighty Allah, religion has initiated a divine responsibility for man
in all his individual and social acts and holds man responsible in all his
endeavours and hesitations.
Since Sublime Allah has full control over man by His
infinite might and knowledge he is thoroughly aware of any thought that
man nurtures in his mind and any secret in man's heart; and nothing is
hidden to Him.
In addition to appointing an external police, religion
puts man under the care of his conscience which never neglects its duty.
Man cannot escape from the rewards and retribution of conscience.
The Almighty Allah states:
" ... And Allah comprehends what they do
(8:47)."
"... And He is with you wherever you are ,..
(57:4)."
"... And your Lord will most surely pay back to all
their deeds in full ...(11:111)."
"... Surely Allah ever watches over you
(4:1)."
If we compare the conditions of a man who is governed by
laws with one who lives under the jurisdiction of religion, the advantage
and superiority of religion will become quite evident. A society, whose
members are all religious and perform their religious du ties and know
that Allah observes their action in every respect, is protected from the
malevolence of its members towards one another. Thus, the general public
who live in such an environment are safeguarded against the actions and
statements of others. They even have security in their thinking, whereas
this purport does not exist in the laws of the universe. Religion has also
prohibited man from mistrust.
"O you who believe! avoid most of suspicion, for
surely suspicion in some cases is a sin, and do not spy...
(49:12)."
Man feels quite comfortable in a religious environment.
He will spend a lifetime in utmost joy and comfort and will attain
everlasting welfare.
But in a society governed only by human laws, man
refrains from unlawful acts when he sees the police watching his actions;
otherwise, he may commit any offence.
(2) Under the guidance of religion, every religious
person discovers the fact that his life is not limited to a life of short
duration in this ephemeral world, rather there is an infinite and endless
life ahead of him which does not terminate by death. He realizes that the
only way to attain everlasting prosperity and eternal comfort is to follow
religious laws descended by the Almighty Allah through His prophets. He
knows that religious laws are descended by the Wise, Powerful, and
Knowledgeable Allah who controls man's inward and outward behaviour and.
who examines man's overt and covert activities. It is, therefore,
impossible for man to conceal an act so as to undermine Allah's
commands.
(3) According to his religious beliefs, every pious man
knows that performing religious orders is, in fact, the obedience to
Allah. Even if by so doing he does not get any rewards from the standpoint
of servitude, he will receive a good remuneration by the favour and grace
of Allah. Thus by observing religious commandments, he voluntarily makes a
dealing and transaction, because he forfeits a part of his freedom
willingly and, in return, gains the satisfaction of Compassionate Allah
and receives an excellent reward.
By following religious rules and provisions, a, religious
man quite happily engages in dealings. The more he loses his freedom, the
more he receives benefits. He sells a merchandise and replaces it with a
better one. But one who is not committed to religion considers the
observation of laws and provisions a loss for himself. His freedom-seeking
nature suffers from the loss of a part of his freedom and seeks an
opportunity to set himself free from captivity in order to regain his
freedom.
Be it known that religion differs from laws in other
respects as well. Religious people willingly avoid committing sins, but
the followers of laws only avoid committing crimes because of fear.
Religion controls the entire body of pious men, whereas laws only dominate
the hands and feet. Religion commands openly and secretly, but laws can
only command publicly. Not only is religion a guardian preventing
blameworthy acts, but also it is a teacher and educator teaching virtue
and perfection. Laws, however, have no other function but to serve as
police.
If we assume the benefit of other laws to be one u nit,
then the advantage of religion is more than a thousand units. Thus, those
who try to uproot religion by adhering to other laws resemble people who
cut their legs by their hands and then replace them with wooden legs.
Thus, from the aforementioned statements, it becomes
evident that religion is the best and most exalted way that can organize
human society and persuade people to observe social laws more than any
other method.
