One may ask why the law of nature does not submit to the law of the Shariah and why a righteous and God-fearing person is not saved from mishaps and misfortunes. The first answer, as already explained, is that the two laws are different and work independently, yet the scenario presented by the objector requires that the two laws amalgamate. However, their separate existence indicates that they were meant to remain independent.
The second and actual answer is that God ordained the two sets of laws for two kinds of progress of man: the law of nature leads to material progress and the law of Shariah is required for moral and spiritual progress. If conformity with the law of Shariah were to protect against the ill consequences of the violation of the law of nature, this would have hindered one’s material progress. For instance, if the righteousness of a man were to protect him from drowning, burning, or electrical hazards, then he would have no motivation to learn about or understand harmful processes, or to find ways to control them.
Remember, the material progress of a person is possible only because he knows that unless he studies the laws of nature and properties of matter, he will not be able to discover the means of welfare, comfort, and progress for himself. That is why man is always engaged in the study of nature and properties of elements. They say, ‘necessity is the mother of invention’. If the material needs of man are fulfilled merely by conforming to Shariah, then nobody will waste their time in the study of nature and properties of elements. All material progress will come to a standstill and material knowledge will come to an end. Therefore, it is pure Divine grace that the two laws (of nature and Shariah) do not interfere with each other. Some calamities are also fore-runners of this blessing, as after facing calamities, one develops awareness and motivation to find ways to avoid these in the future. Thus, measures taken after the loss of a few lives lead to saving millions of lives from future hazards.
In short, both of these laws are meant to bring about different kinds of progress for mankind. If the two laws were to amalgamate or give way to each other, it would be very harmful and detrimental for the progress of mankind. The fact is that the parallel working of these two laws is entirely appropriate and highly judicious for the collective welfare and progress of mankind, and one cannot think of anything better.
Sometimes, pious and righteous people meet apparently untimely deaths as a result of accidents or some other law of nature, leaving their relatives in a state of extraordinary shock or loss. According to the teaching of Islam, God provides for the bereaved family out of His mercy in some other ways. God enforces His law for the welfare and progress of the world and does not break His law for anyone under normal circumstances. However, He is, at the same time, very kind to His good people and most faithful to them. Therefore, on such occasions, He most surely compensates their losses by some other means. For example, for sufferings in this world, He grants them special reward in the Hereafter, generously provides for their progeny the blessings of this world, or demonstrates some other means of Mercy and Justice without compromising the rights of others.
As for the children who are born with weakness and disability which hinder their spiritual progress, Islam teaches us that God will consider their disability on the Day of Judgement. They will not be accountable for deeds which were beyond their control nor will they suffer any loss of reward because of their physical debility. God says in the Quran that His law of recompense takes into account every act of goodness for reward and does not ignore any extenuating factor.