The Religion of Nature

The Religion of Nature

1992 3-4 March-April 15 The Religion of Nature (379) If a man wishes to travel across the sea, he will not do so if he were walking on dry land. He does not go on foot straight into the sea as if he were on terra firma. Instead, for the occasion, he will hire a boat, sit in it, and continue on his journey.

By such behaviour, he acknowledges that he is living in a world made not by him but his Creator, and that the world is subject to God’s laws. Man is, therefore, obliged to lead his life in complete accordance with this external world made by God, at least as regards matters of a physical nature. Had man thought him self the Creator of this world, he would have walked straight into the water as he walks across the land. Man had opted for this conformance with the laws of the world of nature in 50 per cent of his life. He never deviates from it. But he has abandoned this conformance in the other 50 per cent of his life.

There are two aspects to a man’s life, the one physical and the other ethical. In the physical aspect of his life man has totally submitted to God as have the rest of the animate and inanimate objects in this world. But in the ethical aspect, he follows the dictates of his own conscience – or desires – instead of God’s commands. Instead of the posture of submission, he adopts the stance of rebellion. How is this contradiction to be resolved? The only solution to this problem is in the acceptance of Islam. In that way, a man becomes God’s servant one hundred per cent: he gives Him his total obedience.

Since the result of deviation from nature in the material world immediately comes to light, man, in the material aspect of his life conforms to natural laws. In the world, however, the result of any deviation does not immediately become known, and so man goes on defying God’s laws.

If a farmer does not follow the right method of cultivation, he cannot expect to reap a full harvest. Similarly, one who does not obey the moral code in this world will find that only remorse arid deprivation will be his lot in the life hereafter.