Having understood religion and peace in previous chapters we now move on to understand how important coherence amongst all systems of the universe is. Before moving on, let us have a brief revision of what we have learnt.
A detailed analysis reveals that everything, from an atom to a galaxy, is bound in a set system consisting of specific rules [religion]. Everything in the entire universe is performing its assigned task by following certain rules and regulations [religion]. The coordination among all systems assures smooth [peaceful] functioning of all affairs of the universe and a little disturbance in one may cause chaos and disorder in other systems.
As each and every system of the universe is not only complicated but interconnected, it requires an extraordinary/superhuman strategy to bring harmony among all systems. As it is the most intricate matter, therefore, all systems of the universe are set by the Creator Himself; there is no room for any self-made rules [or religion] in the realms of the universe.
Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is, over all things, Disposer of affairs (39: 62)
Nothing can devise rules for itself. Water itself, for instance, cannot devise rules for its composition as there is a set formula of water. Similarly, it cannot decide itself as how it would behave in different situations or in certain temperatures. There is a set rule under which it boils, evaporates, freezes or flows; it cannot deviate from what is set for it. Similarly, everything in the universe is bound in a set system [religion]; it has no other choice.
And to Allah prostrate [obey/submit] whoever is within the heavens and the earth, willingly or by compulsion…………………. (13: 15)
Any system once set by the creator, remains set forever, nothing can bring change in it. The formula [or religion] of water, for instance, is same as it was a billion years ago and it will remain same till the end of the time.
……. No change should there be in the creation of Allah………. (30: 30)
………. you will find no change in Our rules (17: 77)
As all systems are set, anything that goes against them cannot sustain; it is eventually destroyed.
4.1 COHERENCE IN HUMAN LIFE
Human life itself is a combination of very complicated biological, mental, and social systems. In addition to this, living in accordance with the physical environment, and to maintain biological, mental, and social balance/peace, is again a very intricate matter. It is not possible for humans to devise such rules for themselves which could help them in maintaining overall peace. It is therefore, not for humans to invent or devise rules but to follow what is recommended by the Creator. As Allah is the Creator [details in chapter –], it is Only He Who knows systems well and thus it is Only He Who can truthfully instruct the right course/direction of a balanced/peaceful life; we cannot live a balanced/peaceful life on our own either by ignoring or deviating from His instructions [religion].
Indeed, your Rubb – He is the Knowing Creator (15: 86)
………………He shares not His legislation with anyone (18: 26)
4.2 FAVORS OF ALLAH UPON HUMANS
Every element of the physical environment has been purposely created for the benefits of humans. The sun, moon, air, water, soil, minerals, metals, plants, animals, insects and even bacteria; everything has been created to facilitate humans [details in chapter: ]. In other words, they are natural supporters [resources] of a human life.
And He placed at your service whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth – all is from Him. In that are signs for a people who think (45: 13)
Humans can use anything for their benefit if they utilize it in the correct manner. The correct manner is the one which is cohesive with the environment and in accordance with the recommendations of Allah.
Allah has created a supportive environment for humans. He has created everything in balance so that humans could easily co-exist with all other systems of the earth. A little disturbance in the balance may put human life in huge trouble.
Ironically, the only creation that can spoil the balance is none other than the humans themselves. By the excessive use or misuse of natural resources, humans not only disturb the balance, but they contaminate/spoil their own environment. When the environment is contaminated/spoiled beyond a certain degree, it poses a great threat to the peaceful existence of humankind. Allah, therefore, guides humanity:
The sun and the moon move according to plan. And the stars and the trees prostrate [submit] themselves [to Allah]. And the sky, He raised; and set up the balance. So do not transgress in the balance (55: 5-8)
Allah has placed on the earth everything that is beneficial and protective for humans.
And the earth – We have spread it and cast therein firmly set mountains and caused to grow therein [something] of every well-balanced thing (15: 19)
Even the sky contains protective layer [Ozone] which protects all biological life, including humans, on earth from the damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun.
And We made the sky a protected ceiling………….. (21: 32)
4.3 PROBLEMS CREATED BY HUMANS
The humans of present time can witness how disturbance in the natural balance can cause damage to human life. The contamination of a natural environment disturbs the natural balance. We can see how immense increase in manufacturing industries has raised pollution level. Each manufacturing activity adds waste or pollution in the environment. The waste material from these industries contaminates air, water, and soil. The emission of greenhouse gasses [or carbon gases] in excessive amount in the air cause depletion of Ozone. Moreover, industrial waste contaminates soil and seas which put all kind of land and marine life in danger. The contamination of physical environment cause climate changes and global warming. This contamination further destabilizes the ecosystem. The toxic chemical waste makes soil infertile and unsustainable for plants. Plants are a primary food source for humans and all other moving/living creatures. If plants disappear from our land, there will be no food at all. No food simply means no life.
Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to the righteousness] (30: 41)
The disturbance in the natural balance not only affects the environment, but it poses a great threat to human health as well. The contaminated air, water, and soil cause several, skin, eyes, lungs, heart, and kidney related illnesses; they also cause developmental defects and neurological deformities in the children of the affected people. Pollution/contamination, thus, not only affects existing population, but it also affects upcoming generations.
4.4 BALANCE IN HUMAN LIFE IS ASSOCIATED WITH BALANCE IN THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Living in coherence with the physical environment creates peace in physical/biological, mental, and social parts of human life. If any change occurs in a physical environment which is not in accordance with the human design, it develops physical, mental, and social problems.
Physical/biological, mental, and social parts of human life are not separate; they are cyclically linked with each other. A little change or imbalance in one part automatically affects the other two parts. When for example, the body develops some physical problem or illness [due to physical change in the environment], it automatically triggers stress. Stress is a mental state which significantly affects every day social life – the way a person, acts, reacts, interacts, [processes emotions, pays attention, learns something or make some decisions] – all these behaviors are associated with social life. A person with a disturbed mind cannot interact normally/peacefully with others. Stressful social relations not only disturb one or two people, but they disturb the entire chain of relationships. Stress, in fact, is lethal; it can spring up from any source [physical, mental, or social] and can ruin not only an individual’s life, but the entire social group.
Humans need an appropriate physical environment to sustain. A healthy environment produces healthy bodies which in turn, develops a healthy mind. Furthermore, a healthy body with a healthy mind can build healthy social relations, and healthy social relations make up a healthy society. A healthy society, in turn, produce healthy bodies and healthy minds who are careful of their physical environment.
4.5 WHAT HUMANS CAN DO TO MAINTAIN BALANCE IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT
As mentioned before, Allah has created an appropriate environment for humans and has given them a complete set of guidance to maintain balance between their selves and the environment. One of the basic principles of living in coherence [maintaining balance] with the physical environment is taking care of its resources.
……………and do not waste. He [Allah] does not love the wasteful (6: 141)
Allah has created everything to facilitate humans. The excessive use or misuse of natural resources creates trouble for none other than humans themselves. Control over the excessive use can only be established when a person holds control on his/her desires. Desire is a never-ending urge for anything. A need can be fulfilled, desire cannot.
Allah provides guidelines which direct a person as to how he can establish control on himself [details in chapter –]. When a person ignores these instructions and deviates from guidance, he cannot manage control on himself. A person with weak self-control can easily become a victim of desires.
……………And who is more astray than one who follows his desire without guidance from Allah?………… (28: 50)
The best way to handle a desire is to know [and accept] the reality.
Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children – like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries, and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris……………… (57: 20)
Knowing the reality that nothing is ever lasting, helps a person to believe that every physical existence is just for a temporary benefit. It is illogical to stock it or to run after it mindlessly.
4.6 DESIRES ARE DISASTROUS
As most desires are attached with needs, a person who is deviant or neglectful of guidance treats his desires as his needs and keeps running after his desires considering them as his needs. A race for desire is always disastrous because it eats up all resources. The depletion of resources creates trouble for the entire community. As humans depends upon the environment and its resources for the fulfilment of their needs, a scarcity of resources can put their survival in danger.
If the truth conformed to their desires, the heavens, the earth, and everyone in them would have gone to ruin ……………………… (23: 71)
Peace prevails in a society only if human needs are fulfilled properly. The moment humans feel deprived of their needs, they either start fighting for them or find unethical [non-recommended] means to fulfil their needs. Both ways harm their peace.
4.7 HOW NEEDS OF ALL HUMANS CAN BE FULFILLED
A careful use of physical/natural resources makes it possible to fulfil needs of all members of a society. The needs of all members of a society can only be fulfilled if there prevails a system of justice. Social as well as physical justice cannot be maintained if there are no standard rules or guidance in place.
…maintain the weights with justice, and do not violate the balance (55: 9)
And give the relative his right, and [also] the poor and the traveler, and do not spend wastefully (17: 26)
4.8 HOW IMPORTANT ARE SOCIAL RULES?
A society which is deviant, ignorant or neglectful of social rules and guidance, generates negative social behaviors such as selfishness and negligence. Selfish and neglectful individuals do not care about the environment they live in. Any damage to the environment not only endangers their own life, but it affects the life of others, and their upcoming generations as well.
The earth is a limited livable space for humans in the entire universe. When compared to the size of the universe, it is not more than a speck. In case of any misuse or exploitation of the earth one cannot escape the damaging consequences as he/she also lives on the very same planet [details in chapter: Understanding life and death].
Whoever acts righteously does so for himself; and whoever works evil does so against himself. Your Rubb is not unjust to the servants (41: 46)
4.9 INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND MODERN HUMAN LIFE
Humans are purposely created to make inventions and make their life easier and comfortable [details in chapter:]. They are the only creation which explore the environment and make invention to improve their standard of living. Allah does not prevent humans from making discoveries and improving their standards of living by making inventions. He rather provides clues to humans which help them in making inventions. Whatever humans have invented so far, its idea, material and mechanism, everything has been taken from nature [details in chapter ]. Allah has created each and everything to facilitate humans. They can make the best use of these resources only if they do not overuse or misuse them.
Desire [demand] for more, increases the production of items. An increase in production means increase in manufacturing industries. The more the manufacturing industries produce the items, the more they add harmful waste in the environment. Thus, the urge for more makes both users and the manufacturers neglectful of the wellbeing of others. This selfish behavior puts both parties at risk.
Furthermore, gadgetries and technology have become an inevitable part of modern life; we cannot expel them from our lives altogether. However, we can minimize their use by limiting/controlling our desires according to our needs. Only a self-controlled person can limit his desires. Allah has created the earth to fulfil all needs of all humans. If humans learn to live according to their needs and make what is just enough to fulfil their needs, then no problem can emerge. It is only greed which pushes them towards never-ending desires and prevents them from reasoning or paying attention to guidance.
Desire is a form of greed; it makes a person stingy and selfish. Stinginess prevents a person to share and cooperate whereas, selfishness encourages a person to become wasteful, dishonest, and unjust; it makes a person neglectful of the welfare of others. A selfish person disrespects and overlooks all kinds of ethics, rules, and laws.
…………. do not forget your share of the world. And do good as Allah has done good to you. And desire no corruption in the land. Indeed, Allah does not like corrupters. (28: 77)
Yet the wrongdoers follow their desires without knowledge. ……………… (30: 29)
When a person gets into the game of wanting more [desire], he/she opens the gates of competition. Competition gives rise to negative social behaviors, both in the winner and in the loser. It produces arrogance and boastfulness in the winner, and jealousy and trauma in the loser. Competition, therefore, is lethal; it causes stress, both in the winner and in the loser – a winner gets stressed to maintain his/her position and the loser also gets stressed because of not achieving the target. Competition produces more negative behaviors like greed [in the winner] and animosity [in the loser]. Jealousy and animosity pave the ways for different social crimes like stealing and even murder.
Humans are social beings; their success as a community lies in cooperation, not in competition. The love for material things [desires] and the race for more [competition] puts them in a constant state of physical, mental, and social stress. Whereas cooperation produces love, respect, and kindness for each other.
4.10 A LIFESTYLE OF PEACE AND HARMONY
The religion [of Allah] relieves humans from all kinds of stress. It guides them to live in a society by taking care of each other. It gives a standard lifestyle, which contains self-control, cooperation, justice, honesty, mercy, respect, and kindness.
………………And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things and as guidance and mercy ……………… (16: 89) [Details in chap:]
Allah has given a complete set of social rules to humanity – rules, when followed precisely, bring coherence and peace, not only in social systems, but in other systems as well. These rules prove effective only when they are taken as a complete set – acceptance of some and deviance from others can make/bring no good.
Just as nothing else can devise rules [religion] for itself, similarly, humans cannot devise social rules [religion/way of life] for themselves. They are supposed to follow what is commanded by the Creator.
Moreover, as everything is existing and working in coherence with all systems of the universe, similarly, humans also need to live in coherence with every other thing and its related system. Living in accordance with other systems makes life more comfortable and less strenuous. On the other hand, problems emerge when humans ignore the commands or deviate from the recommended course/lifestyle by introducing their own way of life.
4.11 DISADVANTAGES OF DEVIATIONS FROM THE RELIGION OF COHERENCE
Deviation from the given religion or alteration/innovation of any kind, disturbs other links of life. Those who develop a lifestyle according to their own desires ruin their peace. Peace, as already mentioned, refers to the smooth and coordinated functioning of all systems. If humans devise rules [religion] for themselves, they still cannot make them compatible with the entire set of systems. Those who do so, create trouble not only for themselves but for others as well.
And when it is said to them, “Do not make trouble on earth,” they say, “We are only reformers.” In fact, they are the troublemakers, but they are not aware (2: 11-12)
No other religion/lifestyle [way of life] can bring peace in human life if it is not in accordance with all the systems set by Allah. Every system is working under His instructions.Deviation means destruction because nothing can act [live] against working/existing systems.
Do they desire other than the religion of Allah, when to Him has submitted everything in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly……………? (3: 83)
To Allah bows down [submit] everything in the heavens and everything on earth – every living creature, and the angels, and without being proud. They fear their Rubb above them, and they do what they are commanded (16: 49-50)
………………Legislation is not but for Allah. He has commanded that you worship [submit] not except Him. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know (12: 40). [Details of the benefits of the submission to Allah in chapter: ]
……We put you, on an ordained way concerning the matter [of religion]; so, follow it and do not follow the inclinations of those who do not know (45: 18)
Say, “Are you going to teach Allah about your religion (way of life), when Allah knows everything in the heavens and the earth, and Allah is aware of all things?” (49: 16)
Only who is respectful, fearful, and mindful of Allah can act according to the rules [details in chapter –]. A neglectful person does not take commands of Allah seriously and thus ruins his own life. Negligence from Allah means negligence of one’s own benefits.
… be not like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves. Those are the defiantly disobedient (59: 19)
O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance (33: 41)
And content yourself with those who pray to their Rubb morning and evening, desiring His Presence. And do not turn your eyes away from them, desiring the glitter of this world. And do not obey him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance – so he follows his own desires – and his priorities are confused (18: 28)