In the name of ALLAH the most kind the most merciful.
Peace be upon the beloved messenger of ALLAH Muhammad Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam.
ALLAH the Almighty has said in the glorious Quran,
“And do not put yourselves into destruction” (2: 195)
In another verse ALLAH the Almighty has said,
“And they wronged us not – but they were [only] wronging themselves.”
(2:57)
The beloved messenger of ALLAH the Almighty, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has said,
“The world is a prison for a believer and a paradise for a disbeliever.”
(Muslim, Thirmidhi)
A person who is in a prison is restricted from certain things until he leaves the prison and is freed in to society. When one is free that is when he can do those things that he was unable to carry out before. Knowing that he was going to be freed from prison the inmate will not jeopardise his chances of being freed to a world which is more better and meaningful than the one he is in now.
Similarly this world is a prison for a believer due to its laws in comparison to the bounties of the hereafter. A person who does not believe in the commandments of ALLAH the Almighty will have no fear or worry in over stepping the mark and pursuing ones desires even if that results in the displeasure of ALLAH the Almighty. Therefore he has taken this world as his paradise and tries to pursue such a life as if he is going to remain in this world forever.
Many a time people ask,
“Why are there so many restrictions in Islam?”
“Why can’t we do want we want?”
Why?! Why?! Why?!
Firstly as mentioned in the previous posts this world is full of trials and tribulations. If there were no restrictions in this place we call earth, this world itself would be paradise.
Secondly if a person ponders on the legal rulings of Islam, each person will come to the conclusion that ALLAH the Almighty has prohibited certain acts for our own benefit.
Let’s take alcohol for example, ALLAH the Almighty has said in the glorious Qur’an,
They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, “In them is great sin and [yet, some] benefit for people. But their sin is greater than their benefit.” (2:219)
From the above verse we come to know the prohibition of alcohol. ALLAH the Almighty has clearly mentioned that the evil of it outweighs its benefits. In this day and age through modern technology we find that alcohol poses a serious threat to ones health. There are many disadvantages of drinking alcohol.
Effects of alcohol on your body…..
BRAIN:
Alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways, and can affect the way the brain looks and works. These disruptions can change mood and behaviour, and make it harder to think clearly and move with coordination.
HEART:
Drinking a lot over a long time or too much on a single occasion can damage the heart, causing problems including:
Cardiomyopathy – Stretching and drooping of heart muscle
Arrhythmias – Irregular heart beat
Stroke
High blood pressure
LIVER:
Heavy drinking takes a toll on the liver, and can lead to a variety of problems and liver inflammations including:
Steatosis, or fatty liver
Alcoholic hepatitis
Fibrosis
Cirrhosis
PANCREAS:
Alcohol causes the pancreas to produce toxic substances that can eventually lead to pancreatitis, a dangerous inflammation and swelling of the blood vessels in the pancreas that prevents proper digestion.
CANCER:
Drinking too much alcohol can increase your risk of developing certain cancers, including cancers of the:
Mouth
Esophagus
Throat
Liver
Breast
IMMUNE SYSTEM:
Drinking too much can weaken your immune system, making your body a much easier target for disease. Chronic drinkers are more liable to contract diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis than people who do not drink too much. Drinking a lot on a single occasion slows your body’s ability to ward off infections – even up to 24 hours after getting drunk.
(Taken from NIH- National institute on alcohol abuse and alcoholism)
Clearly we can see that the ill effects of alcohol outweigh the benefits. Thus ALLAH the Almighty has given the verdict of alcohol being a sin and commanded us to refrain from it.
A person who has a lot of alcohol intake starts to vomit, pass out, dehydrate and lose their thinking process as mentioned above. Not to mention the hangover the next morning.
Another example is adultery. Indulging in a relationship full of lust to fulfill ones desires may give a person pleasure for a few minutes but the results of this kind of indulgence can make one ill and in some cases more than often, life threatening. Some illnesses that may be inflicted on a person are:
Chlamydia,
Gonorrhea,
Syphilis,
Genital herpes,
Genital warts,
HIV, Aids etc.
So to save a person from getting these illnesses in the first place we have been instructed to stay away from this act if done against the permitted method i.e. Marriage.
ALLAH the Almighty has set boundaries for our own protection to save us from destruction caused by our own hands. So we may be free from deviance, ignorance and negligence.
Take a look at this world we live in. We have boundaries set in this world as well so that peace can prevail and havoc may subside. If everyone was given permission to do what they want the whole world would be on its knees within minutes.
Imagine a world where there is no restrictions at all. A world where committing a murder is not looked down upon. Imagine if robbery was legalised, what would you claim to be yours and how would you safe guard your belongings?!
Does the world we live in have NO restrictions?!
Just as we have law and order sanctioned by our governments and constitutions, in the same way ALLAH the Almighty has kept boundaries for us so we stay within our roles as servants and we may save ourselves from our own physical and spiritual destruction.
So we have rules in place for our own benefit so we can live in harmony. These boundaries are kept in place so that you and I can LIVE in this world.
So I ask you again my dear readers, are you restricted or do you have freedom?
If a child wants to touch the fire out of curiosity after you repeatedly forbid him from doing so, would you stop the child or let the child carry on?
Of course you would prevent the child for his own good and his own safety. So have you not restricted your child? But at the same time have you not actually given the child freedom by saving him from the pain and agony of feeling the effects of the fire and saved his life so he can LIVE in a safe environment?!
They may be some people who will let the child touch the fire so the child will learn that this is not something to play with and next time the child will keep that in mind and learn from experience.
In the same way ALLAH the Almighty loves us so much that he has kept boundaries for our own salvation. ALLAH the Almighty loves us more than anyone can ever love us. ALLAH the Almighty loves us more than a mother loves her child, after all we are his creation. So just like the child we are cautioned not to cross the boundaries and touch the fire, in this case actions that are forbidden. Sometimes for those who are stubborn we may get a touch of the fire as a result of our ignorance or negligence only to realise its dangers and to turn back to ALLAH the Almighty.
So these laws are kept in place for our benefit and for our safety. Freedom is achieved through these boundaries that are set so we may prosper in this life and also in the hereafter by attaining the pleasure of ALLAH the Almighty and following his commands through the medium and example of the blessed prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The reason for this post my humble readers is that people, muslims and non muslims alike pinpoint the restrictions of Islam and make it out that Islam is a narrow minded religion that does not fit in to this era nor in our society. Obviously this is not the case. Such comments are vacuous comments and due to ones ignorance.
Remember my humble readers, Islam is a way of life and Islam teaches all of us discipline and manners so we may prosper and live side my side in an orderly fashion.
So remember, total freedom is not in following your desires but rather freedom is in subduing your desires and saving yourself from destruction.
We have laws in place to keep us on the straight path so that we don’t sway from side to side and so that we do not fall into the traps of satan and forget our objective of being in this world which is to worship our creator ALLAH the Almighty.
Some of us may attain total freedom in this world despite all the restrictions imposed on us due to understanding why the laws are laid down in the first place and implementing those acts which we are supposed to do and refraining from those acts which we are forbidden from.
All of us will attain total freedom in the hereafter if we try to free ourselves from sins in this world.
Learn to be humble and subservient to your creator, you will find peace in your heart and mind. When that becomes a reality you have achieved total freedom.
I end this post by saying, all praises are due to ALLAH the Almighty and peace be upon all his beloved honourable prophets especially our beloved master Muhammad Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam.