By modern man undermining the divinely prohibited towards himself and others in the name of ‘Liberalism’ or to do as one pleases, away from divine regulation, he inherently becomes doubtful that others possess ‘red lines’ or hold any sense of duty towards him.
Consider this. What Allāh obligated upon us does not benefit Him in the slightest. He is the Omnipotent, the All-Wise, and the All-Powerful. He was such before everything in existence and He will continue to be thus, eternally after we die. Our obedience does not increase Him in any of this and the lack of it does not bring about the opposite.
What He obligated on us individually is also an obligation on the rest of society. Whilst Allāh commands us not to steal or to trespass the inviolable rights of others, He likewise commands millions of others, a much larger mass than ourselves to not steal from us or to trespass our inviolable rights.
Man seeks protection from the harm brought about by others indulging in the prohibited, much more than desiring to indulge in the same thing. For instance, if man can guarantee that others would afford him protection, he would not only reciprocate that favour, but invest much less in protecting himself.
Global military of ‘Defence’ spending, neared $2 trillion dollars in 2014 alone.[1] Rather than being a function of modern progress, it is in fact the result of modern man’s distrust that his fellow human will afford him security, or preserve the inviolability of his blood, which is otherwise a divine covenant. By modern man undermining the divinely prohibited towards himself and others in the name of ‘Liberalism’ or to do as one pleases, away from divine regulation, he inherently becomes doubtful that others possess ‘red lines’ or hold any sense of duty towards him.
One consequence of this negatively reciprocal downward cycle brought about by the unrestrained and sceptical society is the ‘Security Dilemma’. In this, the first nation state increases its own military capabilities –out of scepticism that the another intends to destroy it-, which causes the other to become less secure –out of the same scepticism-, therefore increasing its own military capabilities and so on. The resulting unlimited procurement and advancement of weapons invariably results in states becoming capable of decimating one another should conflict ever take place. Such technological ‘advancement’ and ‘progressive’ thinking, as dubbed by the modern world, results from its distrust that others possess morality as basic as protecting your neighbour from uninvited harm. The dilemma is that this same ‘progression’ has become capable of ending existence altogether, as ‘progressive’ as it may have been.
The Creator’s directives provide for man’s substantial needs and revoking these directives results in bottomless individual and societal voids. Attempting to fill these with other than the Creator’s directives creates a dilemma, like unendingly trying to fill a black hole with cement.
Before seeing divine prohibitions as being ‘restrictive’, we in fact endlessly benefit from a restriction – the Ḥarām – more than any ‘benefit’ gained were that thing to not be prohibited to begin with. Security is one example, but such can be extended to any prohibition whatsoever.
The prohibition of fornication on the individual level -or indeed its punitive punishment- restricts one’s ‘liberty’ to fornicate on the one hand, but provides for much more protection from the society towards that person in question. An unrestricted individual can only adulterize so much, but an unrestricted collective can always out-adulterize that individual, until his his own loved ones become its victims. Provocative dress is an effective sanction to one’s loved ones to be provoked by others. As such, the unrestricted is the biggest victim of his liberties.
Since we are the direct beneficiaries of what is divinely permitted and restricted, we are effectively already receiving our wage (i.e., the benefit) for not needing to invest so heavily in protecting ourselves. After such ‘benefits’, the logical expectation – if the divine transaction was one of tit-for-tat justice – is definitely no further remuneration.
But, as it stands, Allāh, through His legislation, gives and then rewards on top of what He gives. It is, therefore, entirely out of Allāh’s bounty (rather than Justice) that He rewards us for our obedience, or else we would solely deserve the benefit brought about by the legislation itself and nothing further.
[Allāh] has made disbelief, rebelliousness, and disobedience detestable to you. Those are the ones rightly guided. ˹This is˺ a bounty and a blessing from Allah. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.[2]
We see this when the prophets called their people to Allāh. Though most generally rejected their call, almost all of the prophets we know of told their people:
“I do not ask you for any reward for this ˹message˺. My reward is only from the Lord of all worlds.”[3]
This naturally raises the question. Were the Prophets not aware that their people would not pay for what they rejected when offered to them the first time, free of charge? Of course, but it is as if they are telling their people, “since I am calling you to what is entirely for your benefit; those needs which you would pay exorbitant amounts to fulfil, such as your protection, lives, upright conduct, justice and the like, including ultimate salvation, I would naturally deserve payment. But I bring you fulfilment of a need from the Divine, that is impossible to satisfy even if you were to pay for it exorbitantly. One that is so priceless that none, save Allāh, the Source of that benefit can afford and thus, ‘my reward is only from the Lord of all worlds.‘”
And it is with this mindset that we should approach divine jurisdiction. It is so objectively true and beneficial that it would otherwise deserve that we give in exchange for it, let alone to be compensated for it when we observe it!
References:
[1] According to https://www.securitydegreehub.com/security-spending/ – accessed 02/11/2022
[2] Al-Qur’an 49:7-8
[3] Al-Qur’an 26-145 among other verses
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