Why should we follow religious rules?

God is wise, omniscient and omnipotent and the whole existence is under his sway.[1] In numerous verses of the Quran the omniscience and vast knowledge of God has been alluded to. Here are some examples:
[He is] Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, so high is He above what they associate [with Him].[2]
…and that Allah has encompassed all things in knowledge.[3]
He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills.[4]
Such existence who is conscious of everything and whose knowledge is indefectible, when orders us to do something whose philosophy we may not know, the reason advises us to obey him and disobedience to him would be irrational. The Quran tells us that God’s rules are based on wisdom even if we think otherwise: Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.[5]
Unfortunately, some opponents of Islam out of ignorance or enmity towards Islam pose objections in this regard, some of which may influence the believers in the faith. They say: Religion invites people towards blind imitating which is against man’s conscience or at least some religious rules are not acceptable. This objection is one of those questions raised against Islam which every person could understand its baselessness by pondering on Islamic rules.
Answer to this objection
Human being in addition to the capabilities he has in common with other beings, has a number of capacities which are peculiar to man himself. These faculties root from the existence of intellect and free will in man. The sense of perception and the ability to choose in animals are based on instinct and animals are not aware of their abilities, but man through immediate knowledge understands that he has special qualities that can be realized only through free will.[6] The point is, in most cases man does not know how to realize those qualities, and thus God Almighty out of mercy has revealed a set of rules through which man can realize those faculties, a realization which is dependent on man’s choice and no one forces him to accomplish it.
God has revealed these laws and has stated that acting upon them will help man move toward perfection and failing to act upon them will deprive him from reaching that state of perfection. That’s why He has said: Indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or be he ungrateful.[7] And also has said: There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.[8]
Therefore, anyone who follows these rules and obeys God by respecting and observing them, his capabilities will be realized, otherwise the realization of his capabilities will not occur and he will not become perfect. Such person will be resurrected incomplete on the Day of Judgment and because perfection is the existential desire of man, thus the reason rules that if man wants to reach his ultimate perfection which can be realized only through free will should follow God’s laws, because it is only He who better knows how these faculties could be realized. Therefore, the obligation of obeying God is a rational obligation. The same way that the reason obligates man to follow what the physician prescribes for him so that he reobtains his health, or obligates the student to obey his teacher to realize his learning faculty and acquire knowledge, it obligates man to obey God to arrive at his final abode while he has achieved perfection.
Conclusion:
Firstly, according to the Holy Quran chapter two verse No. 256, there is no external coercion upon man to follow religious rules. He can follow them and achieve the perfection he has the ability to reach, or he can follow them not and die while he is incomplete.
Secondly, there is no blind imitation in religion, because religious rules source form revelation the authenticity of which is under no doubt. Because of that, the reason obliges man to follow such rules which emanate from the absolute knowledge of God who knows man better than everyone else and whose rules are ordained according to man’s abilities and needs. The same way that obedience to the physician brings about health for the patient, and obedience to the teacher brings about knowledge for the student, obedience to God and acting upon his rules brings about perfection for man.[9]

Footnotes:
[1] Murtaza Mutahhari, Principles of Philosophy and Method of Realism (collection of works), Sadra Publications, p. 272.
[2] 23:92, عالِمِ الْغَیْبِ وَ الشَّهادَةِ فَتَعالى‏ عَمَّا یُشْرِکُون.
[3] 65:12, وَأَنَّ اللَّـهَ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا.
[4] 2:255, يَعْلَمُ مَا بَينْ‏ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَ مَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَ لَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشىَ‏ءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاء.
[5] 2:216, کُتِبَ عَلَیْکُمُ الْقِتَالُ وَ هُوَ کُرْهٌ لَکُمْ وَ عَسَىٰ أَنْ تَکْرَهُوا شَیْئًا وَ هُوَ خَیْرٌ لَکُمْ ۖ وَ عَسَىٰ أَنْ تُحِبُّوا شَیْئًا وَ هُوَ شَرٌّ لَکُمْ وَ اللَّهُ یَعْلَمُ وَ أَنْتُمْ لَاتَعْلَمُونَ.
[6] For more details see: Ta’lim and Tarbiat in Islam, Murtaza Mutahhari, p. 57 and Thematic Exegesis of the Quran, Abd Allah Javadi Amoli, Vol. 2, p. 513.
[7] 76:3, إِنَّا هَدَيْناهُ السَّبيلَ إِمَّا شاكِراً وَ إِمَّا كَفُوراً.
[8] 2:256, لا إِكْراهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَدْ تَبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَ يُؤْمِنْ بِاللَّهِ فقد استَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقى‏ لاَ انْفِصامَ لَها وَ اللَّهُ سَميعٌ عَليمٌ‏.
[9] http://www.btid.org/fa/news/88998