Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim

1. Opening

In the world of manufacturing, every sophisticated device always comes with a Standard Operating Procedure [SOP]. Biologically and psychologically, humans are the most complex “device” in the universe. Our nervous system, hormones, and consciousness have a precise rhythm. Allah’s Sharia is not an external interference that disrupts us; it is the original algorithm designed so that all systems within us operate in harmony. When we live according to His rules, we are actually minimizing inner “friction.” Tranquility of the soul arises when there is synchronization between our outward behavior and the spiritual blueprint Allah embedded in us since the womb.

Allah Ta‘ālā affirms that He is the Owner of the most detailed human design:

أَلَا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ خَلَقَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ

“Does He who created not know, while He is the Subtle, the Acquainted?” (QS. Al-Mulk: 14)

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also reminded us that obedience is the key to the soundness of the entire body:

أَلَا وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ أَلَا وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ

“Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body—if it is sound, the whole body is sound; if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. Beware! It is the heart.” (HR. Bukhārī & Muslim)

2. Lessons and Message

Many of us feel we know better how to manage life than the Creator of Life. We try to “modify” moral rules and lifestyles for the sake of trends, but what we get instead is mental breakdown and social collapse. Don’t be arrogant by thinking you can run life without His guidance. Following the Sharia isn’t about limiting freedom—it’s about keeping your life’s “engine” from exploding due to operational error.

There was a man whose life was ruined by addiction and hedonistic circles. At his lowest point, he prostrated and said, “O Allah, I’ve tried living my way and I’ve failed completely. Now, I surrender my life to Your way.” Miraculously, slowly but surely, his mental health improved, his relationship with his family healed, and he found a peace he had never known before. He wept, realizing that all this time he had been “at war” with his own fiṭrah [innate nature]. It turned out that returning to Allah’s rules was the fastest way to find his lost self.

Imagine you buy a luxury car worth billions of rupiah. The manual says the car must be filled with gasoline, but you insist on filling it with syrup because you feel syrup is sweeter and cheaper. What happens? The car stalls and the engine is ruined

. It’s not that the factory is cruel for requiring “gasoline only”—it’s that you don’t understand the engine’s settings. Sharia is the “gasoline” for the soul; it does have rules, but it’s the only way you can speed toward your destination.

Someone protested, “Why does Islam forbid this and that? Allah doesn’t lose anything if I sin.” A wise person replied, “True, Allah doesn’t lose. But if you use your smartphone to grind chili paste because you feel it’s your ‘human right’ as the owner, who loses? Your phone is destroyed, your chili paste isn’t smooth, your hand gets cut. Allah gives rules not because He needs your obedience, but because He doesn’t want you to become a ‘smartphone’ that ends up as a mortar!” The wisdom: Allah’s rules are how He preserves our dignity so we remain human, not just a heap of flesh moving without direction.

3. Conclusion and Closing

My blessed brothrrs, life will feel light when we stop trying to be “God” for ourselves. Allah is the Designer, and He has given the best settings through Islam so we can function perfectly. Let’s return to our Factory Settings—devotion to Him—and feel how truly blissful life is when run according to His procedure.

والله أعلم بالصواب

الحمد لله رب العالمين

Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmaullahi Wabarakatuh.

ِAbu Sultan Al-Qadrie