STUDY GUIDE 16
The Law of God
READING ASSIGNMENT
Holy Qur'an
Surah 58: "The Pleading Woman" (Read entire surah)
Surah 45 "The Kneeling" (Read entire surah)
Surah 6: "The Cattle", Section 19:
"Guiding Rules of Life"
INTRODUCTION
The Law of Allah (God) is the Ladder by which we climb up into Oneness with Him, becoming possessors of His Spirit.
"La ilaha illa Allah" - "There is no God but Allah"
"This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments." 1 John 5:3
"You are the best nation raised up for men: you enjoin good and forbid evil and you believe in Allah." Holy Qur'an:109
"And know that this is My path, the right one, so follow it and follow not other ways, for they will lead you away from His Way. This He enjoins on you that you may keep your duty ... Again, We gave the Book to Moses to complete Our blessings on him who would do good and making plain all things and a Guidance and a Mercy, so that they might believe in the meeting with their Lord." Holy Qur'an 6:154,155
QUESTION
Why did Allah (God) give us Law?
The Arabic word for 'Divine Law' is "al-Shari'ah". By "al-Shari'ah" is meant everything legislated by Allah (God) for ordering man's life; it includes principles of belief, principles of administration and justice, principles of morality and human relationships and principles of knowledge.
The root meaning of the word "Islam" is to "enter into peace" and a "Muslim" is "one who makes his peace with God" through complete submission to His Will and makes peace with his fellow man by refraining from evil or injury to another and also by doing good to him.
1. LAW OF GOD
A. The body of commandments which express the Will of God with regard to the conduct of His intelligent creatures. Also, any of His specific commandments.
B. The Will of God as expressed through Revelation, including the Scriptures, Messengers and Prophets.
C. The Will of God as implanted by nature in the human mind, or as
capable of being demonstrated by Reason.
D. A system of Divine commands and the penalties imposed for disobedience. A religious system, including Christian, Jewish or Islamic faith.
E. That which the Deity (God) imposed upon matter. e.g., the Law of Motion:
(1) A body at rest will remain at rest or, if in motion, will continue in the direction it started in, unless acted upon by some external force;
(2) A change of motion takes place in the direction of the impressed force and is proportional to it;
(3) Action and reaction are equal and in contrary directions.
II. LAW OF MEN
A. That which is established and has binding force.
B. What is considered just, right or proper.
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C. A rule of action or procedure.
D. A manner of life.
(Sources of preceding definitions include Milestones, by Sayed Qutb, The Religion of Islam, by Maulana Muhammad Ali, The Oxford Dictionary and Black's Law Dictionary
DISCUSSION
1. Why Allah (God) Gave Us, Law
"I will write My Law in their hearts. I will put My Fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me." (Jeremiah 31:33)
Allah spoke to the angels, "I am going to place a ruler in the Earth.' The angels asked, "That will create mischief and cause the shedding of blood?" He replied, "I know what you know not."
Allah (God) knew that placing a certain type of ruler in the Earth would result in disorder. He knew that His Divine Presence would not be felt as much under such a ruler, because the people would obey that ruler by His Permission. Allah's Rule is based upon the Spirit, while this ruler would base his world on the flesh, the carnal (material).
Out of His Mercy, Allah (God) determined to send prophets who would be examples of His Law and they would give His Law to those who still wished to obey Allah (God). Those who obeyed God, even while the world was under the rule of the carnal, would receive the Fruit of the Spirit.
There is no way a savage who has lost the way of civilization can be civilized, except by law and just and equitable law enforcement. There is no way we can produce Love for one another in our present condition, except by law and just and equitable law enforcement.
The nature of Law is such that it must be applied with equity and fairness; otherwise, in its misapplication, it produces rebellion.
When the Law is given and a reason for the Law is given with it, there is more longevity in the obedience of the people to the Law because they understand it. Understanding gives the people the Will to obey, the Power to obey, because they are informed why they should do what they are ordered to do.
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II. History of the Use of Divine Law
"Let the history of Israel serve as an example for us."
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
"I spake not unto your fathers concerning sacrifices: but this thing I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice and I will be your God." Jeremiah 7:22,23
There is no way for a savage people to learn love until that people sees Love demonstrated through the proper administration of the Law. This is consistent in the history of His methods in dealing with those who have deviated from His path.
In the Bible, as early as Genesis 2:16, there is Divine Law and obedience to that Law in order for Adam (man) to remain in the Garden of Eden (state of peace). -it is disobedience to the Will of Allah (God) that causes Adam to fall.
At the close of the Bible, in Revelations 22, we read, "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have a right to the tree of life."
In the Old Testament, Israel is made an exalted nation through obedience to Divine Law and ultimately destroyed through rebellion to Divine Law. All communications to the people of Israel are in the form of Divine Commands.
"If you will obey My voice indeed...you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people." Exodus 19:5.
In the last 3 chapters of Exodus, the following expression appears 19 times:
"According to all the Lord commanded Moses, so did he." Exodus 40
"I set before you blessing, if you obey, and a curse if you will not obey." Deut. 1 1:26
There is no way that Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) could have brought about such a complete change in the lives and conduct of a whole people within his own lifetime without the revelation of Divine Law (contained in the Holy Qur'an) and obedience to that which was revealed.
In less than 25 years, a people who were ignorant, immoral, worshippers of idols had been transformed from the lowest depths to the highest pinnacle of civilization.
The transformation of the people of Arabia 1400 years ago was a sign of the force and power of Divine Law, which has the ultimate goal of bringing man to perfection through submission to the Will of Allah (God).
Yakub set up a Law. The reason for his success and the success of his followers was obedience to his law. Obedience to his law facilitated the process of grafting the
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brown, yellow and white out of Black. Obedience to the Restrictive Laws of Islam will facilitate the process of grafting us back to ourselves.
Ill. The Ultimate Goal
The Essence of Divine Law is Love. The goal to which the Law leads, if properly applied, is Love.
The apparent harshness of the Law is actually the greater Love for the preservation of peace in the community rather than to secure the individuals in wrong. individuals are never greater than the Nation and individual sacrifice their lives for the preservation and defense of their Nation. The execution of Just Law is for the preservation of the Nation.
Jesus appeared to be at variance with Moses, but he was not. Jesus was the Fulfiller of the Law and the Fulfillment of the Law is Love. When one gains Love for Allah (God), and for His Creation, then in that Love is contained the Law. One willingly obeys Divine Law out of Love.
We need Love, but not without Law. Again, we need to see Love demonstrated through the proper administration of the Law.
A savage can only be restrained from savage actions by good law enforcement. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad gave us a Law that forbid us from even quarrelling with each other (Holy Qur'an). He taught us we should not break our word; we should not invade our brother's home; we should not disturb our brother's property; our brother's life is sacred.
Once we learn to respect the Law and carry it into practice, this will cause us to grow into love for one another.
We have not yet grown sufficiently to act in the Spirit of Love, therefore we must walk up the Ladder of Law to reach that goal.
Many Muslims, under the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, felt oppressed; but what they felt was not oppression. What they felt was the pain of the struggle to restrict the low desires by means of the Law. Oppression does not emanate from Law; it emanates- from improper administration of the Law.
When the Honorable Elijah Muhammad departed, Imam Warith Deen Muhammad literally cast the Law aside and Love went with it, because without the Law, we lost the Power of Unity essential to the life of the Nation.
"Ye are the salt of the earth, but if the salt have lost its savor, with what shall it be salted? It is thereafter good for nothing but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men." Matthew 5:13
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In our fall, many of us thought it was the Law that was our enemy, while in reality, the Law was our best friend. Our enemy was in fact our unwillingness to live by the Law and our rebelliousness against the Law.
In my effort to rebuild the Nation of Islam, I had to come to the people in a way that would attract and not frighten them by holding the Law in front of them. I gradually taught the people and to a degree we have done well. From teaching alone, most people straightened up to a degree. However, teaching is not enough. Along with teaching, there must be the Ladder of Law to reach the Love that will produce the Unity and the Power to liberate ourselves and our people completely from the grip of our enemies.
When we grow up in the Law, then we will no longer need the ladder of the Law, as it is written, "Love God with all of your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself."
On these two (2) commandments hang the Law and the Prophets; on these two (2) commandments we are above Law and have Power in the Spirit to bring about a New World Order. The Spirit of God is Love. When we are in the Spirit of Love, we will no longer have any use for the ladder we had to climb up to reach the goal. There will be no more need for Law or Prophets, for Love has answered it all.
There is a song, "Love lift us up where we belong..." It is His Law that will lift us up where we belong. And it is Love that will keep us there that we will never fall from Grace.
"And now abideth Faith, Hope, Love, these three; but the greatest of these is Love." 1 Corinthians 13:13.
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