Moral Principles as the Basis of Islamic Culture — Page 10
the highest spiritual and secular authority to the law and has made it responsible for the discharge of even the lightest obligitio. ri. It· is this principle alone that can ensure the due discharge of obligations on the part of every person including those who ·are set in authority over others. If a prophet or the Head of a State were to claim prerogatives or privileges that would put him in any relpect above the law, every other person in authority would begin to arrogate similar privileges to himself According to Islam not only is a prophet required to set an ex- ample and present an ideal in. his. own, conduct but the law that a prophet propounds must also be perfect and be based upon the highest dioral and spiritual principles. It is the moral principle behind the law which becomes the principal instrument for the evolution of a culture. It is a common error to suppose that a law, particularly a law propounded by a religion, mat be }'ropounded merely for the sake of the law itself or for the sake of emphasizing the authority, ·power or might of the law~giver. For instance, it is supp0sed that man is re- quired to do worship as a mere act of homage to God or that he is reqwreci to fast as a symbol of his a Uegiance to God and that these acts have no meaning or significance in themselves beyond serving as tokens of obedience and allegiance. Islam repudiates this idea. The Quran says: r'Why do JOM imagine that God imposes obligations 11pon yo11 which hatJc no mea;1ing or purpose?" (Ch. LXXI, v. 13) One of God's attributes mentioned in the Quran is Hakeem which means that God does nothing without purpo5e and object. ·Congregational prayer which has been made obligatory in Islam, is an act worship. With regard to this, the Quran says, "The Salat (i. e. congregational prayer) is designed to safeg1Jard yo11 against evil and improper cond11ct. " (Ch. XXIX, v. 45) In the same way the Quran explains that fast-. ing has. been enjoined "as a safeg11ard 4gainst corr11ption, tyr11nn1 an,d ariogance/' (Ch. II, v. 183) The same applies to the whole of the Islamic law. Islam does not. countenance the impsit~on of. any obligation or the promulgation of any law or rule merely for the pur. pose of emphasizing power or authority. Every ordinance, rule, regulation must have a reason, a purpose, an object and these must be