Slides from Dr Maziah Mustapha,IIUM/UIAM

1. The concept of religion (din)

2. 4 significations of term din or religion
1-indebtedness
2-submissiveness
3-judicious power
4-natural inclination or tendency

3. Its meaning
-the verb dana which derives from din
conveys the meaning of being indebted
-the term dain-one subjects to oneself in
term of obeying, to the law governing the
debts and to the creditor, who is likewise
designated as a dain

4. In short,
-one in debt is under obligation
-being in debt and under obligation
naturally involves judgment and conviction

5. As far as Islam is concerned, there are 2
primary significations
1-the signification of being in the state of
debt to mean to abase oneself, to serve,
to become enslaved
2-the signification of being in the state of
judge, ruler and governor to mean the
becoming, powerful and strong, a master ,
one elevated in rank and glorious

6. To whom is the debt owed?
-man is indebted to God, his Creator/
provider for bringing man into existence
and maintaining him in his existence
-man was once did not exist, and now he
is
-man in Islam knows that his creation and
existence cannot be directed to his
parents

7. -man also knows that he does not cause
his own growth and development

8. What is the nature of the debt?
-the nature of the debt of creation and
existence is so tremendously total-for man
is in a state of utter loss, for he possesses
really nothing himself (103:2)

9. -man owns nothing to repay his debt
except his own consciousness of the fact
that man he is himself the very substance
of the debt, so must he repay with himself,
so must he return to Him Who owns
absolutely

10. -so the rightly man sincerely enslaves
himself for God
-by returning himself to God, man will
receive his good return multiplied many
times over (2:245)

11. Submissiveness refers to
-conscious and willing submission
-a continuous act lived throughout the
entire span of one’s ethical life nor is it the
kind that operates only within the realm of
the heart without manifesting itself
outwardly in the action

12. -as far as Islam is concerned
-it does not entails loss of freedom for
man, since freedom means to act as true
nature demands

13. In short, submissiveness comprises of
these 3
1-sincere
2-total submission to the Will of God
3-it is in the form of din

14. -man of Islam who is conscious of his
destiny
Man of Islam realizes that he is himself a
microcosmic representation as well as
macrocosmos
-man in Islam is both soul& body, the soul
govern the body

15. -for man has 2 souls, the rational must
exert its power and rule over the animal
soul which must be rendered to it
-making the latter subject to the former,
the man is described has attained the
freedom

16. Judicious power
Its Meaning
-God’s government of the realm of
creation
-man in Islam who acknowledges God as
Lord (Rabb), has to mean also to
acknowledge His Absolute King (Malik),
Possessor and Owner (Sahib), Ruler,
Governor, Master, Creator, Cherisher,
Sustainer

17. •Ruler,
•Governor,
•Master,
• Creator,
•Cherisher,
•Sustainer
Possessor
and Owner
(Sahib),
Absolute King
(Malik),
God as
Lord (Rabb),

18. Its nature
-all human soul have the same status in
relation to their Lord; that of being subject,
possessed, owned, ruled, governed
enslaved, created, cherished and
sustained

19. -it is based on a unique brotherhood-when
it manifested as man in Islam, the same
souls united, that which unites an
individual in Islam to another

20. -in this firm spiritual foundation, neither
individual has to suffer loss of individuality
and personality nor society has to loss its
polity and authority

21. Natural Inclination (fitrah)
Its meaning
-literally - an inborn natural or innate
disposition
-innate natural disposition which cannot be
change, and which exists at birth in all
human beings

22. -technically-
-it is the pattern according to which God
has created all things, (30:30)
In short,
-it is God’s manner of creating
-it is the law of God

23. Man’s Fitrah
-the ideal form of the human constitution is
in fact in harmony with the din or the ideal
form of religion
-a reflection of natural human tendency in
man to serve God and worship Him

24. -before man’s creation, he has sealed a
covenant with God by acknowledging the
truth of God’s Lordship
-thus, submission to fitrah brings harmony
for it means realization of what is inherent
in one true nature and opposition to it
bring discord, for it means realization of

25. of what is extraneous to one’s nature
-when man is manifested as man in this
worldly life he will, if rightly guided, act
accordingly so that his ??????????? will
be presented for the sake of God

26. -Islam as din of fitrah for its law and
teaching are in full harmony with the
normal and natural inclination of human
fitrah

27. -according to Shah Wali Allah there are 4
qualities needed to be at the state of so
called as fitrah
1-purity
2-humbling oneself
3-magnanimity (samahah, the soul
refuses to follow the animalistic force)
4-justice (‘adalah)

28. Veils
preventing
the fitrah
veil of nature
veil of world
misunderstanding
/ misinterpretation

29. Modes to remove veils
1-any devotional practices that control the
animalistic force like fasting, praying at
night
2-u/taking the repudiation of those who
following their physical natures that aginst
the right practice, by explaining the way to
become free of every domination by
nature