al-Din wa al-Sunan al-Kawniyya
- Author died
- 1407 AH
- Editions
- Islamic University of Madinah
al-Din wa al-Sunan al-Kawniyya (Religion and Cosmic Laws) is a treatise by the Moroccan scholar Muhammad Taqi al-Din al-Hilali (d. 1407 AH / 1987 CE) examining the harmony between divine revelation and natural laws, while refuting ascetic practices that conflict with human nature. It was authored while al-Hilali was a faculty member at the College of Da'wah and Usul al-Din at the Islamic University of Madinah and appeared as an article in the university's journal.
Core Thesis
Al-Hilali establishes that the true religion never conflicts with universal cosmic laws (al-sunan al-kawniyya), because both share a single source: the divine will and decree of God. He contends that anyone attempting to combat or suppress natural laws in the name of piety will inevitably be defeated, bringing physical and psychological misery upon themselves and their followers. As a fundamental illustration, he cites the universal principle of mating and reproduction established across animal and plant life; claiming that abstaining from it constitutes a religious virtue is a futile defiance of divine design.
Critique of Hindu Asceticism and Reincarnation
Drawing on his personal observations during travels across India—including visits to Delhi, Bombay, and Lucknow in 1343 AH—al-Hilali criticizes beliefs and practices rooted in reincarnation (tanasukh al-arwah). He argues that Hindu ascetics developed speculative theories regarding the transmigration of souls into higher or lower castes and animal forms, which produced severe social consequences, such as the rigid caste hierarchy and the subjugation of approximately eighty million "untouchables" (al-manbudhun). He notes that social and political reform attempts by Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar failed to fundamentally dismantle these deep-seated caste convictions among orthodox adherents, whereas conversion to Islam offered former untouchables immediate social equality and communal integration.
Al-Hilali also analyzes the doctrine prohibiting the killing and consumption of animals, which stems from the fear of harming reincarnated ancestors. He critiques the classical poet Abu al-Ala al-Ma'arri for adopting a similar stance and abstaining from meat and animal products for forty years; al-Hilali argues that this reflected ignorance of cosmic laws, as God structured life such that living organisms derive sustenance from plants and other organisms, and lawful animal products were expressly permitted by divine law and practiced by the prophets. Citing Ahmad Shalabi's comparative religion work Muqaranat al-Adyan, he details the severe mortification practiced by Indian hermits—including self-starvation, intentional exposure to burning heat and freezing rain, and extreme sensory deprivation.
Critique of Extreme Sufi Asceticism
Al-Hilali expresses astonishment that certain Muslim mystics adopted severe practices of self-torment that paralleled Hindu ascetics rather than adhering to the Quran, Sunnah, and early Muslim practice. Drawing directly from Ibn al-Jawzi's critical work Talbis Iblis (The Devil's Deception), he cites several historical anecdotes and Ibn al-Jawzi's refutations of them:
- Ibn al-Kurayti's Robe: The account of Ibn al-Kurayti plunging into the freezing Tigris River wearing a heavy patchwork robe (muraqqa'a) whose sleeves alone weighed twenty-two pounds, and vowing not to remove it until it dried naturally—which took an entire month. Al-Hilali quotes Ibn al-Jawzi's assessment that such actions constitute sinful self-torment, not spiritual virtue.
- Simulated Theft: The narration cited approvingly by Abu Hamid al-Ghazali in Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din where Ibn al-Kurayti deliberately stole garments from a public bathhouse so he would be caught, beaten, and branded as a thief to crush his ego. Al-Hilali cites Ibn al-Jawzi's sharp objection to al-Ghazali's endorsement, arguing that Islamic law strictly forbids treating the heart through the deliberate commission of sins.
- Reckless Exposure: The story of Abu al-Hasan al-Thuri throwing himself into mud, water, and dangerous reed beds frequented by wild predators.
- Extreme Starvation: Reports of prolonged deprivation, such as Sahl ibn 'Abd Allah al-Tustari subsisting on lotus leaves and chaff.
The Islamic Concept of Worship
In the concluding part of the work, al-Hilali argues that monasticism (tarahhub) and isolation are fundamentally contrary to Islamic teachings. He cites the hadith of the three men who resolved to spend their entire lives in unbroken fasting, nocturnal prayer without sleep, and celibacy, whom the Prophet ﷺ rebuked, declaring that his way encompasses fasting and breaking fast, praying and sleeping, and marrying women.
Al-Hilali emphasizes that worship ('ibada) is not restricted to formal rituals like prayer and fasting; rather, every righteous word or deed performed for the sake of God constitutes worship. Relying on hadiths narrated by Abu Dharr, Abu Hurayrah, and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, he demonstrates that charity and piety encompass broader social responsibilities, including reconciling disputing parties, assisting others with transport, removing harmful objects from roads, building infrastructure such as bridges and paved routes, earning lawful wealth to support one's family, treating one's spouse kindly, and fulfilling duties toward neighbors, guests, kin, and travelers.
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