The (lawful) and the (unlawful) are for Allah to decide. He has also authorized his Messenger (saws) to announce them. The human being who makes a craft is the one who will specify its purpose and what can and cannot be done with it, in order to ensure its preservation. Here, we will give an example – for to Allah (swt) belongs the loftiest similitude – just to bring this point closer to the mind: When a person makes a computer, car, refrigerator or any other product, he will also write a manual for it to show how it is to be used. A user should not operate the product except according to the manual, in order to ensure it is properly used. This is because, the one who made it knows it best and is aware of what it needs. What more Allah (swt), Who had created the human being, defined his role in this life and informed him of all that is good for him here and all that is unlawful? A question arises here: Why would Allah (swt) create the unlawful? The answer to this question is that the unlawful exists for its own purpose. For example, the pig exists not for us to eat it, but for other tasks connected to the picking up of microbes and worms and other tasks like those. Thus, it is incorrect for us to question why Allah (swt) has created the unlawful if He does not want us to commit it, because the unlawful does not exist to be an alternative to the lawful for human beings, but for its own purpose. An Islamic legal maxim states: (The original ruling for something is Ibahah (permissible) as long as there is no decisive evidence of its prohibition). Thus, the lawful is vast and many, while the unlawful is few and limited. We are not allowed to make permissible that which is forbidden by Allah (swt), nor are we allowed to make forbidden that which is made permissible by Allah (swt). For example, we cannot make usury lawful, whereas the Prophet (saws) has said:

“What is lawful is clear and what is unlawful is clear, but between them are certain doubtful things which many people do not recognize. He who guards against doubtful things keeps his religion and his honour blameless, but he who falls into doubtful things falls into what is unlawful, just as a shepherd who pastures his animals round a preserve will soon pasture them in it. Every king has a preserve, and God’s preserve is the things He has declared unlawful.”[1]

(… يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُحَرِّمُوا طَيِّبَاتِ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ و ) (O you who have believed, do not prohibit the good things which Allah has made lawful to you …): A group of three men came to the houses of the wives of the Prophet (saws) asking how the Prophet (saws) was worshipping (Allah). When they were informed about that, they considered their worship insufficient and said, “Where are we from the Prophet (saws), as his past and future sins have been forgiven.” Then one of them said, “I will offer the prayer throughout the night forever.” The other said, “I will fast throughout the year and will not break my fast.” The third said, “I will keep away from the women and will not marry forever.” Allah’s Messenger (saws) came to them and said:

By Allah, I am more submissive to Allah and more afraid of Him than you; yet I fast and break my fast, I do sleep and I also marry women. So he who does not follow my tradition in religion, is not from me (not one of my followers).[2]

Therefore, we follow the noble Prophet (saws) with regards to what Allah (swt) permits and forbids.

(  وَلَا تَعْتَدُوا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ … ) (…and do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors): Transgression means the overstepping of the limits and excessiveness. When a person makes forbidden that which is made permissible by Allah (swt), it is as if he has transgressed over the limits laid down by Him (swt). Allah (swt) has said:

 تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ فَلَا تَقْرَبُوهَا

(These are the limits [set by] Allah, so do not approach them) (Al-Baqara: 187)

 تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ فَلَا تَعْتَدُوهَا

(These are the limits of Allah, so do not transgress them.) (Al-Baqara: 299)

Therefore, Allah (swt) does not like those who violate rights, transgress upon others and overstep the limits set by Allah (swt), such that they make permissible that which Allah (swt) has forbidden.

 

[1] Sahih al-Bukhari: Book of Faith, Chapter of the one who guards against doubtful things, Hadith No. 52.

[2] Sahih al-Bukhari: Book of Marriage, Chapter: Awakening the desire for marriage, Hadith No. 4776