Man's Physical Urges and His Freewill (1/3)

From what I have discussed in the previous chapter, it is clear that the heaven and earth and all that it contains have been created for man. Now arises a fundamental question as to why the Creator harnessed this universe for man? Why has man been given the authority to explore its vastness and what lies in it the way he or she likes, with certain restrictions as explained in the previous chapter? The answer is very simple, but needs a lot of elaboration to make it clear to the reader.

The Creator, while creating man, instilled him with some strong urges.  These urges want satisfaction or fulfillment (when their call is supreme in the human body). These are the brute forces of nature. They can also be termed as animal urge natural instincts.  They are common both to human beings and to animals. They, one way or the other, are predominantly found in all animate beings that are pulsating with life. These urges are for:

1. Rest (Sleep).

2. Food.

3. Sex.

The Objective Behind These Urges

These are overwhelming urges in human beings and want fulfillment when they are strongly felt.  Now the question arises to why were these urges put in man? Let us ponder over it.

1. The Urge for Sleep

Man by nature is weak. He is made of flesh and bones. He is not a robot.  After a day’s trial, he gets tired and feels exhausted. He needs rest and sleep. If he is extremely exhausted, he will fall asleep even at the gallows. A sound sleep soothes his tired body and mind. After a few hours of sleep, he feels fresh, rejuvenated and ready to fulfill the obligations of his life again. God is very considerate in this respect. He created day and night for this purpose.

 “And He it is Who makes night a covering for you, and sleep as repose, and makes the day a resurrection.” (The Qur'an, Surah Al-Furqan, 25: 47)

“It is out of His Mercy that He has made for you night and day that you may rest therein, and that you may seek of His Grace (Provision), and in order that you may be grateful.” (The Qur'an, Surah Al-Qasas, 28: 73)

A. The Scope of This Urge

Now, to have a few hours of sleep, man needs a place and a peaceful environment so that he can have rest without disturbance or any interference from outside.  It is quite natural for him to see that while sleeping, nobody does any harm either to his person or to his belongings. How will he get this environment? Who will create it for him? Who will provide the indispensable conditions to meet his urge for a few hours of undisturbed sleep?

Man through the ages has developed the concept of a society state to   meet   this end. The institution of government developed to administer and maintain law and order in society.   Law   enforcing   authorities   gradually   developed regular army and police force to look after this basic need of man. All the people of the world that an individual should not be disturbed while he is within the four walls of his house and that no outside element or power attacks his home or the land in which he is living or interferes with his privacy have recognized   it.   This   fosters   the   development   of   various political and legal institutions to frame laws and to maintain peace not only in the country where he resides but elsewhere in the world too.

The entire race of armaments is to create deterring forces so that no power should even dare to disturb the peace of the world. All the political maneuverings at home and abroad, all human institutions and international efforts to maintain and develop peace, and keep war away from the human society are nothing but the off-shoots of the human desire to have a peaceful environment for a harmonious growth, and a regular few hours of undisturbed sleep which of course is man’s natural urge.

B. The Other Way Around

Let us consider another aspect of this urge, which is very natural. Man in his crudest form can sleep even on bare ground or on rocks if his urge for sleep overpowers him. He needs no formality, no pomp and show, no foam-made or water-filled mattresses, or the cozy atmosphere of a bedroom. Man has the choice before him, to get his sleep in an ordinary fashion or burden his life with luxuries and comforts. If the choice is the first, his living will be simple, natural and easy. But if his choice falls in the second category, there is no end to the maximization of his comforts. The entire development of the building industry, the total range of furniture and decorations, the ever developing industry to provide personal comforts, all are serving man's desire to live in ease and comfort as much as possible. This has instilled in man an everlasting mania of ever- raising the standard of living, which is becoming costlier day by day, more competitive and chauvinistic in its outcome.

This self- imposed race that continues till one's last breath makes man gradually the slave to his urges. An urge that was put in him by the Creator to soothe his body with the comfort of sleep has become an end of his life. He is loading his life with artificial means of comfort. He is busy day in and day out improving his life’s standard that in turn is the main cause of increasing the cost of living. It results in constant demand for higher and higher wages that inflates the cost of production of goods and services, promotes labor turmoil and embitters the life of the ‘have-nots.'  It makes individuals selfish and interested in only looking after their personal comforts and luxury. Thus, an urge that was a source of true pleasure and comfort has become a source of burden and legacy of extravagance through the free choice of man himself. The more man is involved in luxury the more he is drifting away from the pleasure of a natural, sound, deep and pleasant sleep.

This materialistic attitude of life has contributed towards hedonistic behavior such as alcoholism. Drug addiction has become a menace and the use of sleeping pills for a few hours’ sleep has become a need and the fashion of our day-to-day life.  What  a  great  calamity  it  has  become  for  the  human society.  It is man’s own choice, by exercising his own freewill, the way he or she likes. Man is bound to reap the evil consequences of his life- style in this world and in the Hereafter. There is no escape from it unless man brings moderation to his life pattern. Instead of making himself a slave to his physical urge, he has to bring under his control, if he desires to lead a natural and comfortable life. He has to give up his artificial life-style to meet his urge for sleep in a natural way, in a simple and safe environment.

(Continued)