Obligations in the religion of Islam

As it was said in the previous matters, the religion of the Islam is based on benefits and disadvantages. It also deals with the duties and the obligations of human. For example, it is important to know who is responsible for fulfilling obligations and whether obligations are personal and social.
a) Personal obligations: personal obligations mean that persons as superior persons on the earth should be faithful to do some affairs. In other words, they should fulfill some obligations such as praying that is necessary for persons under any circumstances, whether they are alone or in the society. Moreover, they should give up doing some affairs such as wine that is haram under any circumstances for persons to do and persons are not allowed to do haram affairs with their own choice and freedom.
b) Social obligations: social obligations are affairs that have social aspects and in fact, duties and obligations are left to persons according to their interaction in the society. For example, if a person lives on the earth alone, he or she can continue to his or her life and there are no limitations for him or her. However, when a person owns a place, persons cannot enter there without permission and it is considered as an expropriated rule. To trade with others, the obliged should know the rules and the obligations properly and should act their duties. The affairs that are about the topics of social life are called the social rules. These kinds of rules are common in the Islam in order to prevent from chaos in the society. Some rules have been enacted so that each person can achieve to his or her rights.
In fact, these rules help persons to have relationships with themselves and the community properly and recognize right path from wrong path according to religious norms. Consequently, having such point of view toward the religion can be understood that Islam has enacted rules and regulations in order to control the relationship of persons with themselves, others and God so that persons do not have problem in recognizing right path in the life and try to achieve to perfection that they have been created for with fulfilling their obligations.
Reviewing holy verses can be understood that a person has some obligations in each situation so that a person can act according to religious beliefs and moral principles and they do not go awry. Of course, it is completely clear that the rules and the regulations are not impractical and cliché, but if we focus on its philosophy, it turns out that they are according to the nature of God and they are not obligatory as it has been said in the sacred verse
لَقَدْ أَرْ‌سَلْنَا رُ‌سُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَنزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ
In this verse, the word '' Layaghum'' has been used, but the word '' Layaghim'' has not been used. Their difference is that the former is not obligatory. In other words, if someone recognizes the rule of God properly, he or she will try to implement it and will not have to do it since it is based on nature. In fact, it can be understood from this word that all of the rules of God have been enacted according to common nature among persons. by exalted God
Hence, exalted God has said in another verse
فاقم وجهک للدین حنیفاً
''Since tendency to the right path is in your inner, focus on the right religion''. God also states in the rest of the verse
فطرت الله التی فطر الناس علیها
All of the rules are based on the creation of the nature of human; therefore, it is clear that the nature of God is not changeable and it exists in the inner of all human.
لا تبدیل لخلق الله
Therefore, this point is necessary in the rules of God. According to these verses, it can be proved that the orders of God are natural and we can accept that this is a great blessing that has been reminded several times in the sacred Surah of Al-Rahman so that we do not forget the blessings of God. Hence, God has stated in different verses of this Surah
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَ‌بِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
'' Which blessings of God do you forget?''
Repeating the verses admonishes us that we recognize the blessings of God and thank them. It is completely clear that if we look at the rules of God carefully, this can be understood that the rules of God that are enacted for human are the best blessing after different aspects of the nature of human. The kindness and the blessing of God are as much as the prophet (peace of Allah be upon him and his descendants) and innocent Imams (peace be upon them) have been appointed and chosen in order to enact the rules, interpret the verses of God and show us the right path so that we do not go awry.
This important point was emphasized in the previous matters that the religion of the Islam specified the obligations and the rights of human in details and even determined the duties and the obligations of persons when there was contrast between personal and social rights. It was said that a right was something that was in the favor of a person and was left to others and an obligation was something that was left to a person and was in the favor of others. Hence, there is equality and proportionate between the right of a person and the obligation of another person. In other words, there are obligations as many as rights for persons in the society. Moreover, as it was mentioned in the previous matters, if a society is based on fairness and wisdom, there is a mutual relationship between rights and obligations. Hence, it can be concluded that a person in the society has rights as well as obligations toward the society and others and it is not appropriate that a person has only obligations or only rights. Of course, it is completely clear that the right of each person is as much as his or her obligations and responsibilities toward the society and others. Therefore, persons that have no responsibilities and obligations toward the society and others will not benefit from the rights of others.
However, it should be reminded that obligations are necessary when persons are able to fulfill them. Hence, old persons that are old and sick and cannot work and try in the life have no obligations toward the society and others due to lack of ability. Consequently, the Islam that is merciful and kind toward human has rules and regulations for these persons in the society. It has been mentioned in the Islamic trains that they should be highly respected by all of persons in the society and the government and should have the rights of citizenship and human and no one should ignore their rights for living. As it has been said in our narrations
وَقّرواکِبارَکم
Respect adults and old people and behave them mildly''. This verse emphasizes on preserving the rights of this group of people''.
In the religion of the Islam, the rights of human have been emphasized as exactly and completely as there are wisdom and philosophy for individual rules such as praying so that persons can gain real relaxation that is their right.
Since praying, reciting Quran and other individual rules have crucial and key role, they are considered as vajeb (necessary) affairs and persons should try to achieve to real relaxation not temporary material enjoyment and the way of achieving to this real relaxation has been determined by religious trains. Hence, Quran states
اقم الصلوة لذکری
In another verse, Quran states that remembering God is only factor of relaxation and assurance.
الا بذکرالله تطمئن القلوب
Hence, it can be claimed that the obligations of God are determined so that persons can achieve to the rights of human. In summary, the path of achieving to real bliss and happiness in the Islam is through following the religion. What is important to know is that only human can use from the benefits and advantages of divine obligations. Hence, it is completely clear that none of these obligations and religious duties have benefits for God because God is enriched of enjoyments and does not need any things from his creatures and all of these obligations from God are like the recommendations of a physician for his patients. In fact, following the recommendations of a physician is in the favor of a patient not a physician and if a patient disobeys the orders of his or her physician, he or she and their society will hurt. Hence, if a person does not follow the obligations and the right path, only he or she will go awry. Because compassionate merciful God wants to benefit all of his blessings and mercies for human, he has sent his prophets in order to guide human. To thank the great blessings of God, we should fulfill our obligations perfectly so that we can achieve to comfort, relaxation and the happiness of the life and the doomsday. Amir Al-Momenin(peace be upon him) stated '' God has created the doomsday full of blessings and sent the prophets in order to invite human there. Unfortunately, some persons have not accepted the invitation of God; as a consequence, they have been disgraced in this world due to their bad deeds.
One of points about the religion and the way that exalted God has specified for the happiness of the life is completely clear and obvious is that the goodness of each person is the same way that has been determined for two reasons: first, exalted God is wise and sagacious and his order is issued according to his wisdom and justice. Therefore, responsibilities that he leaves to human are out of corruptions and vices. Second, as long as conditions are not present for fulfilling obligations, exalted God does not make human fulfill obligations. For example, although prayer includes personal and social benefits, it was not vajeb. (necessary) as an obligation at the beginning of Bethat since people were not ready enough to fulfill it. Moreover, all of the Islamic rules were not necessary to fulfill at once, but they became necessary to fulfill little by little when there were enough conditions.
Another point is that fulfilling obligations is necessary if there is enough chance to know rules, their aspects and conditions for fulfilling them. Hence, obligations that the obliged cannot know are not issued by God. For example, before Eyd arrives, the value of fasting of that day should be said for the obliged; otherwise, punishing someone for his or her sins is not permitted before he or she knows them.
It should be also said that all conditions related to obligations should be considered in issuing obligations in the religion of the Islam, these conditions may be the nature of obligations, the obliged or obligations.
The nature of obligations means that they should be out of vices and ugliness. Moreover, obligations should be issued by God before persons are obliged to fulfill them so that the obliged can have enough chance to know the conditions and the aspects of obligations.
Two points should be considered about the obliged: a) obligations should not be in the way that the obliged cannot fulfill. In other words, whatever can be done should be considered as obligations. Hence, it is not appropriate to oblige human to fly the sky because he or she cannot fly the sky. b) Whatever is considered as obligations should be good. In other words, they should definitely have benefits; therefore, they are called vajeb obligations. If not, they are called mostahab obligations. Of course, it is completely clear that if doing something is necessary, giving it up will have corrupted consequences and will be haram; therefore, persons should refuse to give them up. Hence, fulfilling obligations should have benefits and be much better doing other things.