Spirit of Islam, Nov-Dec 2025

H uman beings are endowed with freedom, yet we often struggle to use this liberty well. Inanimate things in the universe obey natural laws without hesitation, and animals live by instinct without doubt or debate. By contrast, only humans must consciously shape their destinies—and, paradoxically, despite remarkable faculties, we frequently stumble in directing our lives. Measured against the vastness of reality, the human creature appears, in a profound sense, incomplete. The universe is an interconnected whole. To frame a coherent way of life, one would ideally understand the whole. We are but fractional parts of this immense tapestry, and to unlock the meaning of our existence would seem to require a grasp of the cosmos in its entirety. History shows that humanity has repeatedly wrestled with this impossible task. Contemporary science, for all its triumphs, confirms our limits: our capacities cannot contain the totality of knowledge that such an undertaking would demand. Water is channelled by the contours of the earth; animals follow paths etched by instinct. They are untroubled by questions of right and wrong; their world simply unfolds. Humans are different. Our exploration of life reveals an inbuilt moral sense and a persistent awareness of “ought”. We cannot fully detach ourselves from this ethical striving, yet we find it hard to anchor it securely. Our perception, bounded by immediate senses and personal standpoint, yields a subjective view. We intuit that true, objective values must exist, yet we struggle to see them steadily and whole. Whenever people attempt to plan a life, two fundamental questions appear. First: what should be the foundation of action? Second: what limits ought to govern it? The soundness of any human endeavour depends on how we answer these two questions. And THE CASE FOR EXTERNAL GUIDANCE Thinking Beyond Ourselves Whenever people attempt to plan a life, two fundamental questions appear. First: what should be the foundation of action? Second: what limits ought to govern it? The soundness of any human endeavour depends on how we answer these two questions.