Development of Religious Deterrent

Development of Religious Deterrent

By: HE Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saud Al Siyabi, The Secretary General in Mufti's Office

Interview by: Ahmad Nasser Al Harthy

          Religion has various dimensions encompassing man’s aspects and life, some of us might care for a particular aspect considering it as important because it forms the depth and essence of religion, no doubt that the doctrinal aspects and other religious rites and the worships are important and basic in shaping a man’s life and his way towards well-being and integrity. Yet there is another dimension and that is the day to day life that must be framed with faith and straightforward behavior so that this man can become happy. Islam was concerned about promoting the religious deterrent which sees it as an internal controller of man and his stimulus when approaching wrongdoing or juristic breach so that he refrains from and repents.

          How important is the religious deterrent in the man’s life? And what are the factors that help a man to promote it? And how one can utilize religious deterrent to reduce road traffic accidents?.

Man’s submission to Almighty

          We pose these issues to HE Sheikh Ahmad Bin Saud Al Siyabi, the Secretary General in Mufti's Office whom we asked at the beginning of the interview about the importance of religious deterrent in man’s life. He replied by citing to the great Arab poet Abu Tayyib Al Mutanabbi who said :

          “Injustice is the sole’s nature and if you find a man of chastity then he doesn't commit injustice "

          It is said that among those preventive drawbacks against injustice is the religious deterrent drawback because linguistically religion means submission and compliance and the divine faith carries a man to compliance and submission to Allah the Almighty, making sure that if a man submits to Allah and complies with Him that will lead to making him be in harmony with his fellow man and treat him amicably and kindly. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:

          (The Believers, men And women, are protectors, One of another: they enjoin What is just, and forbid What is evil: they observe Regular prayers, practice regular charity, and obey Allah and His Apostle, On them will Allah pour His mercy: for Allah is Exalted in power, Wise.)

Factors to promote the religious deterrent

          As the factors that help man to promote his internal religious deterrent, His Excellency says that a man’s religious deterrent develops by the acknowledgement of man that he has a Creator who Created him and a Maker who Made him and that he did not come by chance to this existence

          Adding that thinking of the creation of Allah is one of the factors which has a great impact in promoting a man’s religious deterrent, as Allah says in the Holy Qur'an:

          (Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth; In the alternation Of the Night and the Day; In the sailing of the ships Through the Ocean For the profit of mankind; In the rain which Allah Sends down from the skies; And the life which He gives therewith To an earth that is dead; In the beasts of all kinds That He scatters Through the earth; In the change of the winds And the clouds which they Trail like their slaves Between the sky and the earth; (Here) indeed are Signs For a people that are Wise.)

          He pointed out that God fearing is among the components of a man’s religious deterrent because Allah the Almighty ends many of the law verses of Qur’an by commending that one should be God’s fearing. That is the command of Allah for God fearing is the commitment to those rules, no doubt that mentioning Allah the Almighty inculcates in one’s self and heart tendency to love religion as Allah says in the Holy Qur'an:

          (Those who believe, and whose hearts Find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt In the remembrance of Allah Do hearts find satisfaction)

          Religious deterrent achieve peace and prosperity

          His Excellency confirms the necessity to utilize religious deterrent in ma’s life because once achieved; life will be prosperous, peaceful, and happy as it is going to be the outcome of cooperation on well-being and integrity subjugating to the divine command:

          (Help ye one another In righteousness and piety, But help ye not one another In sin and rancour: Fear Allah: for Allah is strict in punishment.)

          And therefore accidents that lead to deadly outcomes and painful catastrophes among which are the road accidents which are at the top of the list in our country resulting from driving recklessly without taking account of the lives of others and the lives of the drivers will in no doubt becomes less.

Advice and Directives

          His Excellency added that car drivers should know the value of the human sole and that killing a man is among the greatest forbidden things by Allah:

          (That if any one slew A person — unless it be for murder or for spreading Mischief in the land — It would be as if he slew the whole people; And if any one saved a life, It would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.)

          His Excellency concluded the interview by stressing the importance that a person who commits a road accident must know that he has committed a number of forbidden things in Islam and the positive law which all humanity has submitted to, those laws regulate the relationship among the human race among those forbidden things are:

·       Suicide

·       Homicide

·       Property self destruction

·       Other People property destruction

·       Self inflicting injuries

·       Inflicting injuries to other people

·       Pollution of the environment as a result of traffic accidents, environmental pollutants and deformation of the general scenery.

Reference:

Tarawih Magazine (Ramadan 1431/August 2010), by Ministry of Endowment and Islamic Affairs, page: 5-6.