Our God — Page 191
Refutation of Arguments Supporting Atheism 191 of nature, this would have hindered one’s material progress. For instance, if the righteousness of a man were to protect him from drowning, burning, or electrical hazards, then he would have no motivation to learn about or understand harmful processes, or to find ways to control them. Remember, the material progress of a person is possible only because he knows that unless he studies the laws of nature and properties of matter, he will not be able to discover the means of welfare, comfort, and progress for himself. That is why man is always engaged in the study of nature and properties of elements. They say, ‘necessity is the mother of invention’. If the material needs of man are fulfilled merely by conforming to Shariah, then nobody will waste their time in the study of nature and proper- ties of elements. All material progress will come to a standstill and material knowledge will come to an end. Therefore, it is pure Divine grace that the two laws (of nature and Shariah) do not interfere with each other. Some calamities are also fore-runners of this blessing, as after facing calamities, one develops awareness and motivation to find ways to avoid these in the future. Thus, measures taken after the loss of a few lives lead to saving millions of lives from future hazards. In short, both of these laws are meant to bring about different kinds of progress for mankind. If the two laws were to amalgam- ate or give way to each other, it would be very harmful and det- rimental for the progress of mankind. The fact is that the parallel working of these two laws is entirely appropriate and highly judi- cious for the collective welfare and progress of mankind, and one cannot think of anything better. Sometimes, pious and righteous people meet apparently