The Concept of Religion in Islam

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Bismillah, Alhamdulillah, Assalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah.

Religion, a commonly used term in English for the translation of the word Deen, does not fully encompass the many linked concepts depicted by the Arabic Deen. Hence, some have suggested that Deen is more than just religion; it is a way of life. Perhaps using ‘way of life” is a better translation. However, that still misses out on the more subtle meanings/implications carried by the word Deen.

I refer to Prof Syed Naquib’s exposition of the word Deen that can be found in several of his writings, particularly “The Concept of Religion and the Foundations of Ethics and Morality”.  In summary, four concepts are interrelated in the use of the word, namely indebtedness, submissiveness, judicious power and natural disposition.

As for indebtedness, a form of the same word Deen is used in the study of the laws of transactions, where it refers to the contract of loan between two parties.  It comes almost immediately, or perhaps it is inherently meant that when a particular thing is loaned, it ought to be returned to the owner in due time. With regards to this point, Prof  Syed Naquib made a subtle yet significant distinction between the two words used in the Quran to refer to the idea of loan or borrowing, namely Dain and Qard. A Dain or ‘loan’ is a contract where a substitute with equal value can be used to repay or settle the loan. Common examples include the loan of cash that can be paid using cheque. Qard, however, refers to the idea of borrowing where no substitute should be used to settle the borrowing. Think of borrowing a library book where at the end of two weeks, the same library book has to be returned. In the case of Man, Man’s very own existence is the substance of this borrowing from God, and that in due time, he ought to be returned. Interestingly, the Quran employs the term raja’a, return, many times.

Man was once non-existing and after a certain moment, he comes into existence. The cause of Man’s existence is the act of Creation by Allah, and as such, the subject of Man’s loan to Allah is his own self, for if it were not because of Allah’s act of creation, Man would not have existed. As such, it is only right that he returns to Allah. Such a view is highly Theo-centric; where Allah is indeed truly central in all and the most important of Man’s affairs. Consider that the primary distinction to classify existence is as such: Allah as Creator on the one hand, and Everything else created by Him on the other.

Almost immediately, the second meaning of the word deen follows suit just as neatly: Submissiveness. To return to Him properly, Man needs to submit. True submission involves adhering to His Commands, in a manner that Allah Himself has prescribed. To do otherwise and to submit in ways other than what Allah demands cannot be truly called to be Submission. Hence Islam also means submission. As for the meaning of Islam related to peace; it is the peace attained through proper submission to Allah the Creator.

Next is the meaning related to judicious power, as used in the term Maaliki Yaumid Deen (Al fatihah, verse 4) and Allah’s Name Ad-Dayyan (the Judge). In any contract of loan, it has to be the case that the rules and regulations pertaining to it are already in place, lest no meaningful loan can possibly take place. Hence, there is naturally a judgment regarding whether or not the loan and its repayment are legitimate. Therefore Allah judges Man’s actions accordingly.

And since Man, since the very beginning of his existence has already acknowledged Allah both individually and collectively simultaneously in the exclamation “Balaa Shahidnaa” (Al-A’raf Verse 172), it follows suit that Man’s natural inclination is to submit in the right manner to the Creator. Hence Deen implies the religion of Fitrah for all Mankind.

Thus we see that the word Deen is indeed holistic and involves many related concepts put together in one piece, thereby elucidating what it means to be a human being living in this world and submitting to the God who created everything, and thus be Muslims. As such, the ideal for Muslims is really to submit whole-heartedly and fully, into the religion of Islam.  Such concepts, when truly understood, insyaAllah will help us stand on firm grounds when responding to calls for observing to a manner of submission that can even be deemed ‘less-strict’.

Wallahu a’lam.

Wasallahu ala Sayyidina Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wasallam

Written by: Siswand

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1 COMMENT

  1. Excellent write-up!

    A simple and first step to understanding the world and the Real Sustainer better.

    God bless!

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