First of all, the true religion must be compatible with man's initial natural disposition that needs a direct relationship with its Creator without the interference of mediators, which represents man's virtues and good qualities.
It also has to be a religion that is easy and simple, understood and not complicated, and appropriate for every time and place.
It must be a consistent religion for all generations, countries, and all types of people along with various laws that fit man's need in all times. It must not accept additions or omissions depending on personal desires as in the case of customs and traditions that have been established by people.
It must include clear beliefs and must not need a mediator. It must not depend on emotions; rather, it must depend on sound and proven evidence.
It must cover all issues of life and all time and place, and must be fit for this worldly life and for the Hereafter, and it must build the soul without forgetting the body.
It must protect people's lives, honor, and properties and must respect their rights and minds.
Thus, whoever does not follow such a methodology that conforms with his natural disposition will live a confused and an unstable life, and will feel constriction in his chest and breath, let alone the torment in the Hereafter.
When humanity perishes, none will remain except the Ever-Living Who never dies. Whoever says that the commitment to morals under the umbrella of religion is unimportant is like one who studies for twelve years and at the end says that he does not want the certificate.
Allah Almighty said:
{We will turn to whatever deeds they did and turn them into scattered dust.} [41] Surat al-Furqān: 23.
Populating the earth and good morals are not the objectives of religion; rather, they are a means. The objective of religion is to acquaint man with his Lord, then with the source of his existence, his way, and his destiny. A good end and destiny cannot be attained except through knowing the Lord of the worlds by worshiping Him and winning His pleasure. The way to achieve this is by populating the earth and adopting good morals on condition that one's deeds are meant to seek Allah's pleasure.
Let us assume that someone has subscribed to a social insurance agency to get a pension; however, the company made a statement that it will not be able to pay pensions and will shut down soon and that person learns about it, will he continue to deal with it?
Whenever man realizes the inevitable fact that humanity will perish and that it is incapable of rewarding him at the end, and that everything he has offered for the sake of humanity will turn into scattered dust, he will feel terribly disappointed. The believer is the one who works, exerts effort, treats people kindly, and helps humanity for the sake of Allah and, consequently, attains happiness in this world and in the Hereafter.
It is meaningless if the employee maintains his relationship with his colleagues and respects them while neglecting his relationship with his employer. Therefore, to attain goodness in our life and win others' respect our relationship with our Creator must be the best and strongest one.
In addition, there is a question that we must ask: What drives man to adopt morals and values and respect the laws or respect other people? What is the criterion that disciplines man and forces him to do what is good and keep away from evil? If people's answer is that man does so by the force of law, we should reply by saying that law is not available in every time and place and it is not sufficient to solve all conflicts on the local and international levels. Moreover, most of people's deeds are done away from law and from the eyes of people.
The need for religion is sufficiently proven by the existence of this great number of religions which the majority of nations resort to for organizing their life and disciplining the attitudes of its people on the basis of religious laws. As we know, the only criterion that could discipline man in the absence of law is his religious beliefs, since the law cannot be with man in all times and and places.
The only thing that could act as a deterrent and restraint for man is his inner belief in the existence of a watcher and a reckoner. This belief is deeply engraved in one's heart and comes clearly to the surface when man is about to do something wrong. At this moment, his good and evil urges are in conflict and he tries to conceal from people any disgraceful act, or any act that is condemned by the sound natural disposition. All this proves the fact that the concept of religion and belief exists in the depths of the human soul.
The religion is there to fill the vacancy that man-made laws could never fill or force the minds and hearts to abide by them regardless of time and place.
The motive behind doing goodness differs from one person to another and everyone has his own motives and personal interests that drive him to abide by certain morals and values. For example:
The punishment: It could be what deters man from harming people.
The reward: It could be what drives man to do good.
Self-satisfaction: it could be what disciplines man and helps him control his desires and yearnings, as man has a mood and personal desires, and what appeals to him today might not appeal to him tomorrow.
The religious restraint: It is knowing Allah and fearing Him and being aware of His existence wherever one goes, and it is a strong and efficient motive. [42] Atheism a giant leap of faith Dr. Raida Jarrar.
Religion has a great impact on stimulating people's feelings and emotions whether negatively or positively. This proves that people's natural disposition is originally built upon knowing Allah and it could be used often, whether intentionally or unintentionally, as a motive that drives man. This indicates the significance of religion in man's awareness since it is related to his Creator.
The mind's role is to judge things and approve them; however, the mind's inability to reach the purpose behind man's existence, for instance, does not cancel its role; rather, it gives religion the chance to inform it of what it has failed to realize. The religion informs the mind of its Creator, the source of its existence, and the purpose behind its existence, then the mind carries out the process of understanding, judging, and approving such information. Thus, acknowledging the Creator's existence does not deactivate the mind or logic.