The Interrelation Between Shariah Rulings and Human Nature: A Research Study in Light of the Thoughts of Imam al-Shāṭibī and Shāh Walīullāh ad-Dihlawī

ا حکا ِم شر یعت ا ور انسا نی فطر ت کا باہمی ربط: امام شاطبیؒ اور شاہ ولی اللہ ؒ کے افکار کی روشنی میں تحقیقی مطا لعہ

Abstract

This research explores the intrinsic relationship between Islamic legal rulings (Aḥkām al-Sharīʿah) and human nature (Fiṭrah) by analyzing the scholarly perspectives of two great Islamic intellectuals—Imam al-Shāṭibī and Shāh Walīullāh ad-Dihlawī. Both thinkers emphasize that Islamic law is not externally imposed upon human beings but is rather rooted in the essential characteristics and needs of human nature. Imam al-Shāṭibī, through his seminal work al-Muwāfaqāt, elaborates on the objectives of Islamic law (Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah), explaining that the purpose behind divine commands is the preservation and nourishment of essential human needs—both spiritual and material. Similarly, Shāh Walīullāh, in his magnum opus Ḥujjatullāh al-Bālighah, asserts that Sharīʿah is designed in harmony with human intellect, emotions, and moral intuition. He presents the laws of Islam as facilitative rather than restrictive. This research illustrates how the alignment of Sharīʿah with Fiṭrah offers a powerful rebuttal to contemporary claims that Islamic law is rigid or unnatural. In today’s modern world, where the relevance of religious law is often questioned, revisiting the harmony between Sharīʿah and Fiṭrah not only reaffirms the rationality and flexibility of Islamic law but also highlights its role in fostering individual well-being, social justice, and spiritual growth. The study concludes that a proper understanding of Sharīʿah cannot be attained without acknowledging its deep roots in human nature, making it not a burden but a divine expression of mercy and wisdom.