What Are the Divine Laws, and What Role Do They Play in Our Lives?

Imagine a world where everything is random and haphazard, not following any particular rules or order. For instance, the sun rises whenever it feels like it, the Earth revolves around the sun at a variable speed, your heart rate becomes irregular, and the more water you drink, the thirstier you become. How do you think life would be in such a world? Of course, if there were something called life at that time! We gladly announce that the mentioned fantasy world is merely a product of our minds, and in reality, nothing is irregular. Everything in the universe follows a specific formula, law, and mathematics. These laws have been the same since the beginning of creation and will remain so until the last day of life on this earth. This is because a skilled Mathematician created the world; He calculated and accounted everything from the very beginning, aligning all the components of this complex system with one another and with the structure of our soul. These precise mathematical rules that govern all aspects of our lives are referred to as “Divine Laws.”[1]

• What are the divine laws, and what role do they play in our lives?
• Are these laws limited only to physical and material rules, or do they also encompass the metaphysical realm?
• What is the relationship between religious rulings and divine laws?

 Divine Laws Are the Mathematical Rules Governing Creation

Often, we do not have a fond memory of mathematics and consider it as a collection of difficult and not useful concepts and formulas. But it is interesting that the very moment we think about the ineffectiveness of mathematics, we unconsciously use mathematics ourselves. We choose our words based on their mathematical properties. Our brain neurons operate based on precise mathematical formulas, and most importantly, our soul, which is the source of our physical life and the origin of our thoughts, has a completely mathematical structure.

However, the mathematical essence of creation is broader than concepts like derivatives, integrals, etc. The mathematical structure of creation means that everything in the world has specific limits, measures, and outcomes. For example, ice melts when near fire, salt dissolves in water, water evaporates when exposed to heat, and so forth. These physical laws have been the same since the beginning of the creation of the world and will remain so as long as life exists on earth. In fact, these are fixed and inviolable principles which are based on precise formulas and produce the same result everywhere on earth. The formulas governing the material world are so precise and inviolable that scientists can discover and predict their outcomes and use them to develop cutting-edge technologies. For example, they can build a missile that travels very long distances and, in a specific moment, hits its desired geographical coordinates without the slightest deviation. Or for instance, they can determine the behavior of atoms in a chemical reaction and, based on the properties of atoms and molecules, make different chemical compounds. If these laws were unpredictable, no science would have emerged. In that case, a doctor could not even prescribe a single capsule because it was possible that the properties of the capsule and the patient’s reaction could change drastically from today to tomorrow. Not only physics, chemistry, and biology, but even words have their own specific mathematics. You may have heard about the effect of words on changing the structure of water droplets. Words also have such an effect on our psyche. An insulting word makes us nervous, while a loving word makes us feel good. These different effects occur even though both of these words are made up of fixed letters.

Divine Laws in the Metaphysical World

Divine laws are not solely limited to the material world; they also govern the metaphysical world. Basically, there is nothing beyond divine laws in the world. For example, one of the divine laws in the metaphysical world involves increased sustenance and provisions through voluntary almsgiving (Infaq). Based on materialistic calculations, someone who spends his wealth charitably should naturally become poorer, yet he becomes richer. This is because God has designed the metaphysical world in such a manner. There is also the opposite situation; someone who gathers wealth through unlawful means, instead of becoming happier and more content, becomes more and more depressed and restless every day, losing blessings in his life. This is because the system of creation is designed in such a way, and this is another divine law and mathematical rule that govern creation.

Many of us accept the mathematics of the material world, but not the mathematics of the metaphysical world. If we are asked “How much is two plus two?” we answer “four” right away. But if we are asked to give voluntary alms to become rich, it takes a long time to loosen our purse strings! While voluntary almsgiving is the same as “two plus two,” it is hard for us to believe that it increases wealth because it happens imperceptibly. The idea that giving charity protects us against calamities, waking up for Tahjjud[2] before Fajr[3] and staying awake until sunrise increase sustenance, and praying for others is more effective than praying for oneself is not something abstract or unreal. These are precise mathematical formulas and simple equations that govern our lives, whether we believe in them or not, whether we follow them or not.

There are many examples of divine laws that govern our individual and social lives, which are referred to in the verses of the Holy Quran and the narrations of the Household of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The laws of decree and destiny, trials and tribulations, divine assistance, infallibility, success (towfiq), the precedence of divine mercy over His wrath, the effect of human deeds on their lives, divine tests, and so on are examples of dozens of laws with which we constantly deal in our daily lives.

Religious Rulings Are Nothing but Mathematics

Understanding the divine laws in the material world is easy for all of us and leaves no room for questioning or doubt. For instance, we never ask a pharmacist why he carefully measures chemical substances in milligrams or less for the production of a specific medication. This is because we know that if the percentage of a substance in a particular medication exceeds or falls short of the permissible limit, the medication could become ineffective or even toxic. Similarly, we never ask a design engineer why he measures a mechanical piece with precision, down to the millimeter. It is because we know if the size of that piece is only slightly more or less than the standard limit, it will not fit properly with the other components and may disable the entire machine. But when it comes to the laws of metaphysics, we always have misconceptions and questions. For example, we always wonder why it is a problem if a few strands of women’s hair are not covered? Why can’t we perform prayers with false nails and nail polish? If we clean and disinfect a dog, why is it still considered impure? These are the kinds of questions we may often ask.

The reason for these misunderstandings about religious rulings is that we believe in the mathematical essence of the world of creation only within the confines of “physical” laws, and we find it difficult to believe in the formulas of the “metaphysical” world. Since the Creator of the material world is also the creator of the metaphysical world, the entire system of creation follows fixed laws. Observing limits and measures is as influential in the spiritual system as it is in the material system, even if the result of adhering to these limits is not currently tangible or visible to us.

When we look at a treatise on practical laws,[4] we see nothing but numbers, measures, and formulas. In fact, the book is more of a mathematical book than a religious one, designed based on the structure of  our true self and for our eternal life. The maraji[5] must extract and take mathematical laws from God’s book and His official deputies, namely the Household of Prophet Muhammad (PBUT), and make these laws available to us. The rulings in the treatise on practical laws are basically formulas and measures, based on which God has designed the mathematics of our soul. If we do not observe these rulings, it is like making an asymmetrical piece that does not fit with the rest of the components of a device or producing a medicine without carefully measuring its chemical ingredients.

In the upcoming lessons, we will talk more about divine laws, the mathematical structure of the soul, and the mathematical laws governing creation.

 [1]. Sunnah

[2]. Tahajjud is a special prayer performed at night when people are asleep or indulged in their desires.

[3]. It begins at dawn and ends just before sunrise.

[4]. Risalah

[5]. A Marja is a title bestowed upon the highest-ranking Twelver Shia religious cleric, who is authorized by a hawzah (a seminary where Shi’a Muslim scholars are educated) to issue legal rulings within the framework of Islamic law for their followers and subordinate clerics.