Absolute Justice, Kindness and Kinship — Page 64
The Animal Kingdom 63 than man, but this is not necessarily conclusive. A lion only acts as he has been taught by nature, he does not deviate from a prescribed pattern. Man, on the other hand, must choose his own path. An award is merited only when there is an option of choice. When there is no option, the question of award does not come up. But where there are options there is also a need for legislating a code of conduct in the areas of rights, obligations, proprieties, improprieties etc. Therefore to make the right choice man stands in need of guidance from God. It is needed because of varying customs, habits, traditions, values and social backgrounds which prevail differently in different parts of the world. This is the philosophy of the Divine teachings which all the major religions of the world share. Hence through a long, meandering course of gradual and steady instruction, man has ultimately reached the stage of humane conduct which distinguishes him from the animal kingdom of the lower order. This instruction comprises the inculcation of values not only belonging to the domain of ‘Adl, but also to the areas of I h s a n and I t a ’i Dhil-Qurb a. Moreover, light is also thrown on the meaning of Ajrun Ghairu Mamn u n which speaks of an endless journey of achievements and rewards, further refining man’s conduct as he progresses. But it all hinges on the right choices on the part of man. If man continues