Our God — Page 190
190 protect one from the penalties incurred under the law of nature. For this, precautions prescribed in the law of nature are required. For instance, the event of drowning follows the laws of nature and a righteous person will have to learn to swim and take other precautions to save himself from drowning, just like anyone else. Just being righteous will not save him from drowning in water. Similarly, the birth of a disabled baby is an act of nature and seek- ing its cause in the Shariah is pointless. Here, parents need to turn to the law of nature and parents should seek the cure for their sickness, weakness, and defects, and focus on improving the envi- ronmental factors that lead to such disabilities. It is Essential for Human Progress that the Law of Nature Remains Separate and Independent of the Shariah One may ask why the law of nature does not submit to the law of the Shariah and why a righteous and God-fearing person is not saved from mishaps and misfortunes. The first answer, as already explained, is that the two laws are different and work independently, yet the scenario presented by the objector requires that the two laws amalgamate. However, their separate existence indicates that they were meant to remain independent. The second and actual answer is that God ordained the two sets of laws for two kinds of progress of man: the law of nature leads to material progress and the law of Shariah is required for moral and spiritual progress. If conformity with the law of Shariah were to protect against the ill consequences of the violation of the law