Islam and the Problems of Contemporary Man

Man’s deviation from universal norms can be illustrated by an example. When the U.S. gained its independence from foreign political domination, a newly liberated American is said to have gone out to celebrate his freedom in his own way. He strutted exuberantly down the street, swinging his arms in a carefree manner, and ignoring other pedestrians. Eventually he hit a passerby on the nose. The passer-by was enraged and said: “What is this foolhardiness? What makes you walk in this frivolous manner, swinging your hands about in this way?” “America is free,” the man replied. I’m free to do what I want and walk as I wish. “Well,” replied the passer-by, “your freedom ends where my nose begins.” The passerby’s response was, in fact, the voice of man’s true nature, calling out for the establishment in human society of the universal norms. All astronomical bodies revolve in their own orbit. No star or planet leaves its orbit to enter another. As a result the vast order of the universe has functioned without deviation for billions of years. This is the law of nature. Man instinctively wishes to be guided by this universal law. The American passer-by’s response was an expression of this desire. In a world which has been forcefully subjugated to the will of God, only man has a will of his own. The problems which he encounters in life are in fact the price that he has to pay for his freedom. The entire universe conforms to the will of God, and functions in a system of exemplary harmony. Man, however, misuses his freedom and strays from the path that God has laid down for him. All his problems can be traced to this fundamental deviation. There are multiple problems facing man today: the nuclear arms race, the danger of a third world war and the inevitable holocaust that would ensue the economic recession which has led to unprecedented unemployment in the industrial countries, inflation, crises in industrial relations, exploitation of backward countries by technologically advanced nations, and pollution to name just a few. All these problems can be traced to one fundamental source: man’s misuse of his freedom. Man does not keep to his own sphere; he does not restrict his freedom to the area which has been allotted to him. He continually infringes upon the domain of others; he is not ready to confine himself to the sphere where the ‘nose’ of the other begins.