The Call of the Quran
4. Moral Concept of Islam
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to move in its respective orbit and not to encroach
upon the orbit of another heavenly body. It is, in a
way, a physical allegory of a divinely approved
social principle. By using the analogy of the stars
and the heavenly bodies, God demonstrates the law
that He wishes to see incorporated in human life
with conscious effort.
This suggests that every human being has to
function in his own particular sphere without
trespassing upon the domain of any other
individual.
This Quranic law is illustrated by an incident, which
took place in a western country, shortly after it had
won freedom. One of its citizens came out on to the
street, vigorously flapping his arms. In his excitement
he hit the nose of a passerby. The latter asked the
freedom-lover why he had hit him on the nose. He
retorted by saying that his country was now free and
that, in consequence, he was free to do whatever he
wanted. The passerby politely remarked, “Your
freedom ends where my nose begins.”
Every individual in this world has freedom of action.
Yet this freedom is not limitless. People are bound to
