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Fitrah: Inborn Natural
Predisposition In attempting a
definition of ‘fitrâh’, I give an exposition of its linguistic and
religious meaning. The religious understanding of fitrah is based on the
positive interpretation of fitrah… Suffice it to say that
linguistic and positive religious explanations have one thing in common:
both define fitrah as an inborn natural predisposition which cannot
change, and which exists at birth in all human beings. What makes our
religious understanding positive is that it not only acknowledges fitrah
as a natural predisposition, but also one which is inclined towards right
action and submission to Allâh, the One God. After discussing the implications for human responsibility, I compare, for the benefit of Western readers, the Islamic concept of original goodness with the Christian concept of original sin. I argue that the doctrine of original sin, from an Islâmic point of view, cannot be reconciled with the notion of Divine mercy nor the human responsibility. Since the doctrine of original sin features significantly in the Christian concept of human nature, and as Islâm and Christianity are the world’s largest revealed religions, this aspect of their creeds presents an interesting contrast, well worth investigating. The Linguistic Meaning
of Fitrah ‘Every newborn child is
born in a state of fitrah. Then his parents make him a Jew, a Christian or
a Magian, just as an animal is born intact. Do you observe any among them
that are maimed (at birth)?’[1] The word fitrah comes
from the Arabic radicals fa ta ra, the verbal noun being fatrun. The root
action means, he clove, split, slit, rent or cracked it. Note the usage of
the first form fatarahu (He created it); that is, He caused it to exist,
newly, for the first time. Thus fatiru’s-samâwât, the Originator or
Creator of the heavens.[2] The second form,
fattara(hu) (verbal noun taftir), denotes repetition, muchness and
frequency of the root action which means, as we saw, he clove, split,
slit, rent or cracked it.[3] Futira (‘ala shay’) is equivalent to
tubi‘a, which is the passive form of taba‘a (verbal noun tab‘un) he
sealed, stamped, printed or impressed, being a synonym of khatama, he
sealed. Ar-Râghib says that it means the impression of a thing with the
engraving of the signet and stamp; thus taba‘a’llâhu ‘alâ qalbihî
‘Allâh sealed his heart’, that is the unbeliever’s heart.
Similarly, khatama ‘alaihi, pertains to the natural constitution which
denotes a quality of the soul; either by creation or habit, but more
especially the creation.[4] Also, taba ‘a’llâhu ‘alâ amr –
‘Allâh created (him) with a disposition to the affair, state or
condition’. Likewise, tubi‘a ‘ala shay’ ‘he was created with a
disposition to a thing’ which is synonymous with jubila or futira.[5]
Tab‘un – originally a verbal noun – signifies nature or an inborn
disposition. Its synonyms are sajjiyah, jibillah, khalîqah, tabî‘ah
and mizâj. These are names for innate natural disposition which cannot
change, and which exists at birth in all human beings.[6] Thus, fitrah,
having the same meaning as tab‘un, linguistically means an inborn
natural disposition. The term fitrah literally means, creation; the causing a thing to exist for the first time; and the natural constitution with which a child is created in his mother’s womb. It is said that is the meaning in the Qur’ân (30:29), and in the central, opening hadîth.[7] The Religious Meaning
of Fitrah In the context of the hadîth,
according to Abű Haytham, fitrah means to be born either prosperous or
unprosperous [in relation to the soul]: ‘And if his parents are
Jews, they make him a Jew, with respect to his worldly situation; [i.e.
with respect to inheritance, etc.] and if Christians, they make him a
Christian, with respect to that situation; and if Magians, they make him a
Magian, with respect to that situation; his situation is the same as that
of his parents until his tongue speaks for him; but if he dies before his
attaining to the age when sexual maturity begins to show itself, he dies
in a state of conformity to his preceding natural constitution, with which
he was created in his mother’s womb.’[8] Fitrah is also associated
with Islâm and being born as a Muslim. This is when fitrah is viewed in
respect to shahâdah – that there is no god but Allâh and that Muhammad
is the Messenger of Allâh – which makes a person a Muslim. Fitrah, in
this sense, is the faculty, which He has created in mankind, of knowing
Allâh. It is the natural constitution with which the child is created in
his mother’s womb, whereby he is capable of accepting the religion of
truth.[9] That fitrah refers to religion is further shown in a tradition
in which it is related that the Prophet, may Allâh bless him and grant
him peace, taught a man to repeat certain words when lying down to sleep,
and said: ‘Then if you die that same night, you die upon the fitrah (in
the true dîn).’ Also by the saying: ‘The paring of the nails is of
the fitrah (i.e. of the dîn).’[10] This meaning is affirmed
by sűrah 30 âyah 30: ‘Set your face to the dîn
in sincerity (hanîfan) which is Allâh’s fitrah (the nature made by Allâh)
upon which He created mankind (fatâra’n-nâs). There is no changing the
creation of Allâh. That is the right dîn but most people know not.’ Apparently Abű Hurairah,
may Allâh be pleased with him, cited this verse after the central hadîth
which means that, in his view, the fitrah of the hadîth is the same
fitrah in the âyah. The âyah refers to the fitrah as good because the
right religion is being described as Allâh’s fitrah. Thus according to
Abű Hurairah, fitrah is associated with the dîn of Islâm.[11] Since Allâh’s fitrah
is engraved upon the human soul, mankind is born in a state in which tawhîd
is integral. Since tawhîd is intrinsic to man’s fitrah, the prophets,
peace be upon them, came to remind man of it, and to guide him to that
which is integral to his original nature. The âyah describes a fitrah of
primordial faith which Allâh Himself implanted in human nature. It
implies Islâm’s essential message of submission to the will of Allâh
as taught as practised by the prophets. The Laws or the sharî‘ah,
which the prophets were sent with, are guiding lights to the essential
faith in Allâh which is created in every human being. Furthermore, since
this faith comes from Allâh, it naturally follows that only laws capable
of guiding man back to it must also come from Allâh, hence Islâm is also
called dîn al-fitrah, the religion of human nature. That every child is born
in this pure state of fitrah is also supported by the following hadîth
concerning the polytheists: ‘It is related that the
Prophet, may Allâh bless him and grant him peace, said that he saw in a
vision an old man at the front of a large tree and around him were
children and in the vision he was told that the old man was Ibrahîm and
that the children who were around him were the children who, before
attaining the age of discretion, had died. At this, some Muslims had asked
hum: "And the children of the polytheists too, Messenger of Allâh?"
The Prophet, may Allâh bless him and grant him peace, replied: "The
children of the polytheists as well."[12] Being with Ibrahîm meant being in Paradise, and this includes children of polytheistic
families. It is clear, from the Qur’ân and from the hadîth, that every
child is born with a pure nature, as a Muslim. Islâm recognizes that all
children, whether born of believing or unbelieving parents, go to Paradise
if they die before attaining the age of discretion. Imâm Nawawî defined
fitrah as the unconfirmed state which exists until the individual
consciously acknowledges his belief. Hence, if a child were to die before
he attains discretion he would be on of the inmates of Paradise. This view
applies to the children of polytheists as well, and is supported by the
above-quoted hadîth. The legal implication of this hadîth is that all
children are born pure, sinless and predisposed to belief in one God;
moreover they are of the inmates of Paradise; however, if their parents
are non-Muslims, the religion of their parents will be applicable to them
in this world.[13] Islâm is also called dîn
al-fitrah, the religion of human nature, because its laws and its
teachings are in full harmony with the normal and the natural inclination
of the human fitrah to believe in and submit to the Creator. Like the word
al-Islâm, the word dîn also means, according to Lane, obedience and
submission, among other meanings. Allâh states: ‘And who is better in
obedience (in dîn) than he who resigns himself to Allâh?’ (Qur’ân
4:125) ‘There shall be no
compulsion in obedience (dîn).’ (Qur’ân 2:256) Ad-dîn implies religion
in the widest sense of the word, embracing both the practical aspects of
the acts of worship and ordinary transactions of life, and the teachings
of religion; and it is a name for that whereby one serves Allâh. ‘Truly, the religion (dîn)
in the sight of Allâh is al-Islâm.’ (Qur’ân 3:19) And, according to Lane,
it means particularly the religion of al-Islâm. The synonyms of ad-dîn
are ash-sharî‘ah (the law), tawhîd (Oneness of Allâh) and wara‘
(caution). Ad-dîn also comes from the verb dana, meaning ‘he had
indebted’. This is significant, according to al-Attas, because man is
indebted to Allâh for his existence and sustenance. The believer will
realise that his spirit acknowledged Allâh in pre-existence, and that the
debt that he must return is his self, and this can be done by service and
submission to Allâh. This return implies a return to man’s inherent
spiritual nature, to his fitrah. The one who submits to Allâh is called
‘abd (a slave) of Allâh, and his service is called ‘ibâdah (slavehood
or conscious submission to the will of Allâh). By worshipping Allâh in
such a manner, man in fulfilling the purpose of his creation and
existence. ‘I have not created the
Jinn and man but that they should serve Me (li ya‘budűnî).’ (Qur’ân
51:56) Such worship or
submission does not entail loss of freedom, for, freedom is to act as
one’s true nature demands; that is, as one’s fitrah demands. Al-Attas
succinctly explains the connection between submission, fitrah and dîn as
follows: ‘When we say that such a man is fulfilling the purpose for his creation and existence, it is obvious that that man’s obligation to serve God is felt by him as normal because it comes as a natural inclination on the man’s part to do so. This natural tendency in man to serve and worship God is also referred to as dîn, … here in the religious context it has a more specific signification of the natural state of being called fitrah. In fact dîn also means fitrah. Fitrah is the pattern according to which God has created all things… Submission to it brings harmony, for it means realisation of what is inherent in one’s true nature; opposition to it brings discord, for it means realisation of what is extraneous to one’s true nature.’[14] Fitrah and Human
Responsibility Man is distinguished from
the rest of the creation because he has been endowed with intellect (‘aql)
and free-will (irâdah). The intellect enables him to discern right from
wrong. He can use these faculties to complement his fitrah and to please
Allâh or to be untrue to it and displease Allâh. The choice is his. The
prophets and Divine revelation are external sources of guidance to guide
the intellect and will of man. The Qur’ân declares that the Prophet,
may Allâh bless him and grant him peace, enjoins the right and lawful
things (ma‘rűf) and forbids the wrong and unlawful things (munkar). Man
is responsible for his actions and accountable to Allâh for every atom of
right and wrong that he does. It is in this sense of accountability that
guides man to act in accordance with the Divine will. It empowers him to
struggle against the wrong-doing of his lower self (nafs) as well as the
negative influences of the social circumstances. The central hadîth makes
plain that it is the social circumstances after the birth of the child
that causes the individual to diverge from fitrah. Hence if someone
follows an aberrant path it is not because of any innate wrong within his
nature, but because of the emergence of the lower self or nafs after
birth, and negative effects in the social circumstances. The concept of fitrah as
original goodness, in my view, does not merely connote a passive
receptivity to good and right action, but an active inclination and a
natural innate predisposition to know Allâh, to submit to Him and to do
right. This is man’s natural tendency in the absence of contrary
factors. Although all children are born in a state of fitrah, the
influence of the environment is decisive; parents may influence the
religion of the child by making him a Christian, Jew or Magian. If there
are no adverse influences, then the child will continuously manifest his
fitrah as his true nature. Since many infants are born with gross physical
deformities, the maiming referred to in this hadîth is not meant in the
physical sense; it means that all children are born spiritually pure, in a
state of fitrah. The reference to animals born intact in the central hadîth
should be viewed as an analogy to illustrate the parallel spiritual
wholeness of children at birth. It is precisely because of man’s free-will and intellect that he is able to overcome the negative influences of the environment and attain to the highest level of psycho-spiritual development, an-nafs al-mutma’innah, ‘the self made tranquil’. At this level, his inner and outer being, his soul and body, are able to conform to the requirements of his fitrah and the dictates of the sharî‘ah. He actualises his fitrah, and attains psycho-spiritual integration and inner peace. Alienation from Fitrah The central hadîth
suggest that circumstantial (i.e. parental and other social) influences
cause man to change and become alienated from his fitrah. However in
Qur’ân 30:30 (‘There is no changing in the creation of Allâh.’)
suggests that fitrah is universal unchanging given of the human
constitution. This meaning is consistent with the linguistic definition of
fitrah as innate natural disposition which cannot change, and which exists
at birth in all human beings. The synthesis of the meanings of both
statements is that although fitrah remains a universal unchanging given of
the human constitution, people may, because of the elements of intellect
and free-will, decide and choose to conduct themselves in a wrong or
unlawful manner. All the children of Adam, including those who deviated
from the path of tawhîd[15], possessed fitrah. Civilisations which have
been condemned and destroyed by Allâh because of their practice of
polytheism (shirk) and unbelief (kufr), possessed fitrah. Fitrah is a
universal and immutable given of the metaphysical human constitution, and
as a rule, cannot be corrupted or altered. No wrong action can pollute the
Divine spirit [maintainer’s note: i.e. spirit created by God] which Allâh
has blown into man (Qur’ân 15:29) despite the many generations of
polytheism and unbelief. For example, a generation whose forefathers were
mushrikűn (those who practice shirk) does not possess a fitrah of a
lesser quality than a generation of believers. However, both shirk and
kufr represent the antithesis of fitrah by undermining its very object and
raison d’etre; kufr is a rejection of the oneness of Allâh (tawhîd).
When a individual commits shirk or kufr he denies his own nature. Fitrah
which is integral to man’s spirit (rűh) was created by Allâh so that
he man acknowledge Him as the Lord Who has power over all things. Tawhîd
is intrinsic to man’s fitrah because Allâh in His infinite wisdom
intended for man to know Him as the One God. This is why man was able to
acknowledge his Lord before his existence on earth, that is, in
pre-existence state. The function of the
prophets and Divine revelation is not only to remind man about that which
he already knows (that is, tawhîd), but also to teach him that which he
does not yet know (that is, sharî‘ah). Man already knows tawhîd
because of the pre-existent fitrah as well as his earthly unchanging
fitrah. The prophets have come only to remind man of tawhîd; the choice
is left to the individual, as suggested in the following verse: ‘Surely, this is a
reminder; so whoever wills, let him take a way to his Lord.’ (Qur’ân
76:29). Knowledge of the Divinely
revealed laws, the methodology of worship and devotion, etc. are acquired
by man from sharî‘ah which is based on Divine revelation and the
teachings of the prophets. Since every individual is endowed with the
innate knowledge of tawhîd, he is held accountable for his belief in Allâh
precisely because of his fitrah. Not every soul, however, will be held
accountable for not practicing sharî‘ah because knowledge of sharî‘ah
is acquired only by those who received the message of the Divine
revelations and the teachings of he prophets. The distinction between
the inborn knowledge of tawhîd (which includes the knowledge of right and
wrong) and the acquired knowledge of sharî‘ah (which includes what is
lawful and unlawful) is significant because of the legal implications of
each. The mushrik, one who violates tawhîd, will not be pardoned for his
polytheism, irrespective of whether he received the message of Islâm or
not. On the other hand, the practice of sharî‘ah is only required from
the Muslim while the non-Muslim (who did not receive the message of Islâm)
is not expected to fulfill this obligation. An individual may be forgiven
for not practising the sharî‘ah if he had not received the message of
Islâm, but he will not be forgiven for rejecting tawhîd. The Muslim will
thus be held responsible for tawhîd and sharî‘ah. Dr. Faruqi Ahmad
Dasuqi,[16] who holds this view, adds that the hunafa’ [17] of past
centuries had acknowledged tawhîd and will not be held accountable for
sharî‘ah. Apart from the chosen
prophets, I venture to say that there is no difference between the fitrah
of individual men: all men are endowed with the same or an ‘equal’
fitrah. The believer is in harmony with his fitrah because his instincts
are directed in service of Allâh, but the unbeliever is alienated from
his fitrah because his instincts are in the service of everything else
besides Allâh. The reason for man’s destruction of himself and his
environment is that he has become alienated. Nevertheless, he can overcome
this estrangement his will and intellect with the Divine will and
knowledge. It is man’s recourse to Islâm which will enable him to
effect such a reconciliation. The Christian Doctrine
of Original Sin Religions may be
contrasted with secular philosophies in that the former recognise the
transcendent principle of human nature while the latter tend to view man
as a material being. Religions usually refer to this transcendent
principle as the spirit or the soul in man. Most religions recognise three
dimensions within man: body, mind and spirit. Secular theories of human
nature tend to recognise only the body and sometimes the mind. Western
psychologists such as Carl Jung recognise the spiritual dimension not as
an independent unchanging reality, but as a part of the human psyche.
Religions in general, with the exception of Hinayana Buddhism, recognise
the spiritual dimension of man as a distinct unchanging reality of human
nature. The first step towards self-knowledge is the recognition of our
inmost spiritual essence which is universal in man and which is immortal.
It is this innate spirituality which explains the urge at the heart of
every man for betterment and self-realisation; and it is this human spirit
which explains man’s capability to emerge out of darkness into light and
goodness. This emergence has been the unfailing history of man: nothing
can stop the human soul from projecting itself nearer to the source of all
good, Allâh. Islâm and Christianity both recognise this innate
spirituality but they differ in the methods by which to attain to this
self-realisation, and they also differ in the methods by which they attain
to this self-realisation, and they also differ with respect to their views
of innate human nature. For the Christian view I need to turn to the
doctrine of original goodness in Islâm. Such a comparison will bring into
focus the divergent perspectives of human nature of two major religions of
the world. Christianity, in all the
varied forms in which it exists today, is probably the largest religious
movement. It emerged out of Judaism as a religion of salvation by faith.
Christianity became a universal religion of redemption, and its
world-renouncing strain has been strong for a great part of its history.
Judaism and Islâm were never so dominated by monasticism and the ideal of
celibacy. This is not to say that Christianity did not have a world
affirming strain in it. The Kingdom of God was an imminently arriving
state of this earth. With emphasis on the person of Jesus, peace be upon
him, rather than his preaching, salvation was to be by rather than his
preaching, salvation was to be by faith-union with Jesus in his supposed
death and resurrection. Jesus, peace be upon him, was exalted to heaven
and acclaimed as Lord, Son of God, and the meaning of Messiah – an
anointed prophet-king – was altered radically. Paul was the main figure
to work out Christian theology almost entirely in terms of the doctrine
for man. Jesus’ two worlds are reinterpreted in terms of a great
contrast between man in bondage to the flesh and man redeemed in Christ.
This theology is set out in the first eight chapters of The Epistle to the
Romans.[18] The flesh (sarx) is man in his weakness and the spirit (pneuma)
is the Divine breath and power of life which makes man inwardly aware of
himself as a person. The whole person is either bound to sin or redeemed
in Christ. As a rabbinically trained Jew, Paul had to integrate his new
gospel of salvation with the old doctrine of creation and so he began the
development of the Christian epic story: ‘Creation had
originally been perfect, but Adam fell and mankind has since been in
bondage to sin; but through Christ, the second Adam or Last man, the world
or mankind are being restored to their original perfection. Thus in the
Christian doctrine of man the central theme is that Christ is the
Creator’s proper (=own) Man.’[19] To make this scheme more
intelligible, Paul had to emphasise both the parallels and the contrasts
between Adam and Christ, peace be upon both of them. Adam was first made
in the image of God, but Christ is the true and final image of God.
Adam’s disobedience plunged mankind into ruin, but Christ’s obedience
restored mankind. Adam brought wrath and guilt upon mankind, Christ has
brought grace and acquittal. This contrast profoundly
affected later Christian thought. The Christian doctrine of man has two
themes, the Divine image and the Fall. Since the latter theme is more
directly relevant to my discussion of original sin I shall focus on this
aspect, Adam’s disobedience plunged the human race into ruin, and fallen
man could not of himself do good, please God or gain salvation. A good example of the
classic Christian doctrine of man is Milton’s Christian epic Paradise
Lost (1667). The themes are the special creation of man by God, the Divine
image in man, original righteousness, the Fall through man’s
disobedience, the curse on man and woman, and the ensuing original sin.
This scheme was wrecked by Darwinism and today liberal and humanistic
theologians take over the evolutionary view of man’s gradual ascent,
seeing Christ as a pinnacle of human development. Others, such as Rudolph
Bultman and Paul Tillich, have built their theology on an existentialist
doctrine of man. The Christian is born in
sin and in an impure state, and cannot redeem himself by his own inner
resources, but only through Christ. Salvation for the Christian is centred
on an external entity – the mystical body of Christ in which the
Christian must participate in order to be saved. By contrast, in Islâm
the redemptive potential is centred in the individual himself, who engages
in meaningful intercourse with the guidance provided by the Qur’ân and
the Sunnah, Salvation in Islâm depends on faith (îmân) and good conduct
(ihsân), and not on faith alone. The Qur’ân emphasises the exertion of
will, for ‘there is nothing for man but that which he strove for’.
This notion of the will also has implications for responsibility. A person
is responsible only for the manner in which he exercised his own will and
not the will of other persons. Christians believe that
Christ has paid the wages of sin through his death, and having suffered
for all men’s sins. Salvation is based on this faith. Without the
doctrine of original sin there would be no need for a saviour and,
consequently, the trinity, the crucifixion and the resurrection would
become meaningless. Islâm rejects the
premises of these doctrines, especially the concept of original sin which
is alien to Islâm and inconceivable to the Muslim mind. Islâm has a
different version of the Fall. Adam acknowledged that he had gone astray
and sincerely sought Allâh’s forgiveness which was granted to him
unconditionally. Adam and his progeny descended from bliss to the earth
because of his error, and yet, none of his children inherited the blame
for his error. The volitional implication of fitrah is that man is
responsible for his own wrong actions. It is inconceivable to Muslim
thinking that mankind should be punished for wrong actions that others
did. The concept of Divine forgiveness features strongly in the Qur’ân,
for Allâh accepts the sincere repentance of His slaves. ‘But the devil made
them slip from it, and caused them to depart from the state in which they
were. And We said, "Down with you and be henceforth enemies unto one
another; and you shall have in the land a state of settledness and
necessities of life for a period." Then Adam received words
(of guidance) from his Lord and He accepted his repentance: truly, He is
the Acceptor of Repentance, the Compassionate.’ (Qur’ân 2:36-37) Tawbah (literally,
turning, i.e. away from wrong action, and to Allâh) or repentance plays a
very significant and decisive role in a Muslim’s life. Although man is
born in a state of original goodness or fitrah, he is also subject to
temptation and folly. Allâh has granted him the ability and opportunity
to repent which means that he should admit his errors and turn
remorsefully away from them to Allâh. Knowledge of Divine mercy
as well as knowledge of the innate goodness of the human fitrah, serves
three very important functions: firstly it gives the believer hope of
salvation and success; secondly, it gives him confidence in his own
potential to do right and resist wrong; thirdly, it exhorts and admonishes
him to actively pursue all that is right and resist all that is wrong.
These are the merits of sincere repentance. Just as the Prophet Adam,
peace be upon him, repented and was pardoned for his wrong action, so may
his descendents repent and be pardoned for their wrong actions. Confession and penance is
a fundamental pillar of the Roman Catholic Church, but for the rest of the
Christian world it holds virtually no fundamental value. Belief in Christ
as a Saviour is of primary importance, even for the Catholic who engages
in penance mainly as a means of self-discipline or self-retribution. No
amount of confession or repentance can save the Christian from the belief
in Christ as the Saviour. Adherence to this doctrine can be problematic
when viewed in the light of the doctrine of original sin. Neither Islâm, common
sense or modern Western law, hold a person responsible for the deeds of
someone else. Certain awkward questions may also be posed to the adherents
of this doctrine. For example, does inheritance of Adam’s sin mean that
man is born innately sinful or guilty of a sin he did not commit or both?
Did Christ’s suffering change human nature or did it only absolve man of
guilt for the sin he never committed, or both? If man is born innately
evil and sinful why is he still capable of choosing good over evil? What
happened to the souls before Christ who could have had the benefit of the
latter’s alleged suffering; were they saved by the Saviour they neither
knew nor acknowledged or were they just too unfortunate to be born at the
wrong time? These questions are asked in all sincerity of the believing
Christian whose faith every Muslim is required to respect. To conclude, fitrah may
be defined as a natural predisposition for good and for submission to the
One God… While the concept of fitrah offers a hopeful and positive
outlook for the Muslim, the doctrine of original sin is fraught with
negative connotations and complex dogma. To the average Christian, man is
impure and bound for eternal damnation, even if he leads a life of virtue,
if he does not accept Christ as his saviour. Apart from the
Christian theory, there are secular theories of human nature which are
also subject to determinism, fatalism and pessimism… If, in this chapter, the reader has not gained a clear conception of what fitrah is, it should at least be clear to him what it is not. Fitrah does not refer to man’s outward behaviour; not to his psyche, personality or character. A definition of fitrah does not involve the role of man as an individual or a collectivity as such. Rather, fitrah pertains to the deep, common spiritual essence of man. It is humankind’s natural and universal innate predisposition for goodness and submission to One God… Notes and References [1] I. M. Hanîf, Sahîh
Muslim bisharh al-Nawawî, Book of Qadr, Vol. 16 (al-Matba‘at al-Misriyyah
bi al-Azhari, 1930) p. 207. [2] Ibn Manzűr, Lisân
al-‘Arab al-Muhît. Vol. 4., ed. A. al-‘Alayali, (beirut: Dâru Lisân
al-‘Arab, 1988), pp. 1108-1109; cf. also, al-Isfahânî, al-Raghîb,
Mu‘jam Mufradat Alfaz al-Qur’ân ed. Nadîm Mar‘ashlî. (Dârul Karîb
al-‘Arabi, 1984) p. 2415; cf. also, Lane, E. W., Arabic-English Lexicon.
2 volumes, Cambridge: The Islamic Texts Society, 1972), p. 397. [3] This repetition also
applies to the 7th form verb infatara, 5th form tafattara and the 1st form
fatara, e.g. idha’s-samâ’unfatarat ‘When the heaven shall be
cleft’, (Qur’ân 82:1), and yakadu’s-samâwâtu yatafttarna minhu
‘The heavens almost become repeatedly rent in consequence thereof’,
(Qur’ân 19:92), and tafatarat qadamahu ‘his feet became cracked’. [4] Lane, Ibid., p. 1823;
al-Isfahânî, al-Raghîb, Kitâb al-Dharî‘ah ila Makarim al-Sharî‘ah.
Ed. Abű’l-Yazîd al-‘Ajamî, (Cairo, 1987), p. 113. [5] Lane, Ibid, p. 1823. [6] Yasien Mohamed, The
Islamic Conception of Human Nature with Special Reference to the
Development of an Islamic Psychology. unpublished thesis, (Cape Town:
Department of Religious Studies, University of Cape Town, 1986), p. 74;
cf. also, Lane, Ibid., p. 1823; al-Isfahânî, al-Dharî‘ah, op.cit., p.
113; al-Isfahânî, Alfaz, op.cit., p. 310. [7] Ibn Manzűr, Lisân
al-‘Arab, op.cit., p. 1109; cf. also Lane, Arabic-English Lexicon,
op.cit, pp. 2415-2416. [8] Ibn Mazűr, Ibid. p.
1109; Lane, Ibid., pp. 2415-16. [9] ‘Alî ibn Muhammad
al-Sayyad al-Sharîf Jurjânî, Kitâb al-Ta‘rifat ed. ‘Abdul Mun‘îm
al-Hafani. (Cairo: Dârul Rashad, 1991), p. 190; cf. also Ibn Manzűr and
Lane, Idid. [10] See Ibn Manzűr and
Lane, Ibid. [11] Muhammad al-Ansârî
A. A. Qurtubî, Al Jâmi‘u al Ahkâm al-Qur’ân Vol. 12 Part 14.
(Cairo: al-Maktabu al-‘Arabiyyah, 1967), p. 25. [12] Ibid, p. 30; cf. Ibn
Manzűr, Ibid. [13] Ibn Taymîyya
Dar‘u Ta‘arud al ‘Aql wa al Naql. Vol. 8, ed. Muhammad Rashad
Sa’im. (Riyadh: Jami‘at al-Imâm Muhammad ibn Sa‘ud al-Islamiyyah,
1981), p. 382-3. [14 ] S.M.N. Al-Attas,
Islam, Secularism and the Philosophy of the Future, London: Mansell
Publishing Limited, 1985, pp. 57-58. [15] cf. Lane, op.cit.,
for the meaning of the ad-dîn. [16] Tawhîd is the
corner-stone of the Islâmic belief which was taught by all the prophets.
The Arabs deviated form tawhîd but it was restored to its original purity
with the advent of Muhammad, may Allâh bless him and grant him peace,
Divine Unity is expressed as lâ ilâha ill’Allâh ‘There is no deity
but Allâh’ and together with his expression of Muhammadun Rasűlu’llah
‘Muhammad is the Messenger of Allâh’, a person is admitted into the
fold of Islâm. Tawhîd implies that Allâh is One, and that He is one and
unique in His essence (dhât), His attributes (sifât), and His works.
This monotheistic concept of Allâh liberates man from subservience to
everything and everyone, and is the basis for the unity of mankind. The
antithesis of tawhîd is shirk which is considered to be the only
unforgivable wrong action (Qur’ân 4:48), and it signifies the
association of partners with Allâh. Blind submission to one’s own
desires is also described as shirk (Qur’ân 25:43). [17] Dasuqî, F. A.
Muhadarat fî al-‘Aqîdah al-Islâmiyyah, (Alexandria: Darul Da‘wah,
1983), p. 28. [18] The hanîf (singular
of hunafa’) is one who naturally rejects polytheism and idolatry while
inclined towards acceptance of tawhîd. In the Qur’ânic context, the
hanîf refers particularly to those who followed the faith of Ibrâhîm as
well as those who accepted tawhîd during the Jâhiliyyah period. After
the advent of the Prophet Muhammad, may Allâh bless him and grant him
peace, the term acquired a more circumscribed meaning – one who follows
the dîn of Muhammad, may Allâh bless him and grant him peace. Dr. Dasuqî
cites Zaid ibn ‘Amr ibn Nufayl and Qais ibn Sa‘ada as examples of
hunafâ’ in pre-Islâmic times. A more well-known hanîf was Waraqa ibn
Nawfal, the cousin of the Prophet’s wife, Khadîjah. [19] Don Cupitt, The Nature of Man, (London: Sheldon Press, 1979), pp. 33-34.
Extracted with slight modifications from "Fitra: The Islamic Concept of Human Nature" © 1996 TA-HA Publishers Ltd. reprinted with permission from: Source:
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