Interaction between Social Laws and Physical Laws

       

We have already seen in the article ‘Social Laws- existence in pairs’ dated. 16-11-2011 that, in view of the Quran, both physical laws and social laws are natural laws and both these natural laws are developed and regulated by Allah.  There is an interaction between recommended social laws and physical laws.

It is commonly believed that natural laws are only physical laws e.g. mechanical, chemical, biological laws. These laws are termed as natural laws because human intervention is not involved in developing these laws. As against natural laws, social laws (e.g. socio-politico-economic laws) are described as man-made laws. But actually, in view of Quran, these social laws are also natural laws. Quran has given certain social laws. Allah has devised such social laws for mankind which have been given an option to adopt or not to adopt such social laws; all the rest is with Allah. If mankind adopts such social laws as enshrined in Quran, Allah generates positive social consequences; otherwise negative social consequences are unleashed by Allah. In both forms-positive and negative forms- social laws are Allah's laws and as such are natural laws. The man-made social laws are in fact negative consequences/ implications generated by Allah as a result of  avoiding/neglecting Quranic/ natural social laws. In other words, all social laws are as much natural laws as physical laws are: social laws are either recommended by Allah or are negative social consequences generated by Allah due to avoiding recommended social laws.

Both social laws and physical laws are regulated by Allah. Social laws are always regulated by Allah on the basis of human actions/ activities but physical laws may also be regulated by Allah on the basis of human actions/ activities. Actually there is an interaction between recommended social laws and physical laws. When required social laws/practices are adopted, corresponding physical laws are brought at the disposal of the relevant people to make use of those physical laws.  For instance, when we collect water at a certain place and make this water fall from a certain height on a turbine, that turbine start rotating and consequently electricity is produced. In this process of electricity production, social activities are confined to collection of water; to make water move in a direction from where it may fall; and putting turbine and related machines in functional condition and at the proper place. The remaining part of this process of electricity production is related to working of physical laws. The water falls on the turbine from the height under a physical law which is called Gravity; the turbine rotate under a physical law; the related machines operate under physical law; electricity is produced from water under physical law. In other words, when required social action/ activity is done by humans; when required social law is implemented by people, relevant physical laws are brought at their disposal. By undertaking required social conduct/ actions/ practices, people may be enabled to get relevant physical laws in operation and make use of those physical laws. But it does not mean physical laws cannot be operated without human actions; surely all physical laws can be and are operated without human actions as they are operated on the basis of human effort/ action. For instance, water will fall from the height under physical law even if no human action is involved; similarly all physical laws will be operated also without human actions. Allah regulates physical laws with and without  basis of human actions/ practices. There is an interaction between required social laws and physical laws. One such interaction we see on the eve of ‘ghazwa e badr’.

For ‘ghazwa e badr’ the Muslims made available maximum resources out of resources which they had. They provided for 70 camels, two horses, 313 men infantry and cavalry as against non-Muslims’ 950 men infantry and cavalry, 170 camels and 100 horses. It means the Muslims had provided the required minimum military strength. Though non-Muslims far exceeded the Muslims in military strength, but the Muslims decided to fight the non-Muslims with whatever minimum strength they (muslims) had mustered. It was this social conduct of the Muslims, which had made angels come down to add to the military strength of the Muslims. If Muslims had not provided for maximum resources out of what they had; if the Muslims had not taken decision to fight the non-Muslims despite non-Muslims’ superior military strength; if Muslims had not provided for minimum required military strength to fight the non-Muslims, angels might have not been brought down to add to military strength of the Muslims. Coming of angels to add to physical/ military strength of the Muslims is a physical law; this physical law was got operated only after the Muslims followed the required social law/conduct/ action.

Because physical laws are regulated by Allah, it means if any human practice/ activity/ action can get physical law in operation and enable human beings to make use of such physical law, such human practice/ activity/ action would be in line with the revealed knowledge (which encourages and tells us how to make use of all physical forces). It means there exists an interaction between recommended social laws and physical laws. It does not mean humans always use physical laws for the good; humans may use physical laws for the bad as well. But what mechanism/ activity/ practice makes human enabled to make use of physical law is always in line with the revealed knowledge. In other words, if Muslims’ conduct/ practices/ actions in social fields become in line with the revealed knowledge i.e. Quran and Sunnah, all corresponding physical forces working in this universe would be brought at their disposal.

We may conclude that social laws are as much natural laws as physical laws are. Allah regulates both social laws and physical laws. Social laws are always regulated by Allah on the basis of the relevant  people’s actions, but physical laws are regulated by Allah with and without people’s actions are involved. When social laws/practices as recommended in the revealed knowledge are followed, corresponding physical laws are brought at the disposal of relevant people so that they may make use of them. There is an interaction between recommended social laws and physical laws.