Al-Din al-Fit’rat’ Versus ‘Religion of Nature or Naturalism’: The Misunderstood Terms Regarding True Spirit of Islam
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53762/alqamar.06.04.e06Keywords:
Al-Fitrat, Creationism, Free Will and Determinism, Muslim Theology, Nature, Naturalism, Revealed and Natural Religions, TotemismAbstract
The two terms ‘al-Fitrat’ and ‘Nature’ have always been used as synonyms. Books and internet sources including encyclopaedias, provide abundant information based on the concept as these two terms as synonyms. But this paper will reveal that it is a mistake to regard them synonyms. When we expend this concept to Islam as Al-Din Al Fitrat and Western theory of Naturalism and Natural Religions, these terms become ambiguous or having different meanings. Situation becomes more grave when we use the term Nature about something as having some latent and permanent rules, inaccordance with the such thing is bound to work blindly such as the nature of wild animals e.g.snakes, the scorpion, the lion or the fierce phenomenon e.g. the natural forces.
Application of the term ‘nature’ and use of the term ‘naturalism’ in comparison to Islamic concept of ‘Al-fitrat’is distorting image of Islam as Din al Fitrat. Western concept of ‘Nature’ and ‘Naturalism’ and ‘Natural explanation’, of the Universe are contrary to the concept of Al-Fitrat. The former is cruel, deterministic, and bound force to act according to its own deterministic rules and to act likewise towards other existents. But Islamic concept of ‘al Fitrat’, is neither deterministic nor static. It is creative and kind, that is why God calls himself Al Raheem, al Rehman, and claims that Islam as ‘Din Al- Fitrat’ as well as everyone is born on the basis of ‘al din al fitrat’. So the ‘Nature’ or ‘Naturalism’ does not qualify to be regarded as equal to ‘al-fitrat’.
Key Words:
Al-Fitrat, Creationism, Free Will and Determinism, Muslim Theology, Nature, Naturalism, Revealed and Natural Religions, Totemism
References
Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren, eds., Great Treasury of Western Thought (London: R. R. Bowker Company,1977 ), 1170.
The American Heritage Dictionary of English Language, 3rd ed. s.v. “nature.”
Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren, eds., Great Treasury of Western Thought (London: R. R. Bowker Company,1977 ), 1170.
Pan means All. Theos means gods. ‘Pantheism’ (Wahdat al-Wajud) stands for the concept that all is God. It has some difference in relation to ‘Pan-en-theism’.
Cf. M.M. Sharif, A History of Muslim Philosophy (Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, 1963), 411,623.
The American Heritage Dictionary of English Language, 3rd ed. s.v. “naturalism.”
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:Arabic_terms_belonging_to_the_root_%D9% 81_%D8%B7_%D8%B1
The Arabic root (( ف ط ر is the source of all these following words.
أفطر– إفطار -انفطر - تفطر - فاطر - فطر
Doctor Abdullah Abas Al-Nadwi, ed. Qamoos Alfaz al Quran al- Kareem (Makkah Mukarmah: Jamtal Qura, 1986), 486.
Cf.These all verses shows the meaning of (( ف ط ر as ‘Creation’.
Verses: Surah Al- An’am (6:79); Surah Hud (11:51); Surah Yusuf (12:101), Surah Al-Isra(17:51); Surah Ta-Ha (20:72); Surah Ar-Rum (30-30); Surah Fatir (35:1); Surah Ya-Sin (36:22); Surah Az-Zumar (39:46); Surah Ash-Shura (42:11); Surah Az-Zukhruf (43:27). But the definition of ‘Creation’ is still more complicated than generally understood. ‘Creation’ is the very problem that was the bone of contention between Al Gahzali and the philosophers.
Mustansir Mir, Dictionary of Quranic Terms and Concepts (New York: Garland Publishing INC., 1987 ), 76.
This problem is going to be taking the shape of the following problems e.g.‘The God and His Attributes’ and the ‘Eternity of God and Created-ness or un-created-ness of the Attributes’ as well as the problem of the ‘Created-ness or Un-created-ness of the Holy Quran’ and the problem of Creatio ex nihilo. These were the problems that caused the controversy among the Asha’rites and Mutazi’lites and subsequently among philosopher and between Al-Ghazali and Ibn Rushed.
Ghulam A. Pervaiz, Lughat al Quran (Lahore: Tulo e Islam Trust, 1998), 1290.
https://www.almaany.com/ur/dict/ar-ur/فطر/
Here this gives the sense of Creatio ex nihilo that means God created the world out of nothing and without having any primordial matter. This cause great enmity among philosophy since Mu’tazilites as well Ash’arites till Ghazali and philosopher even it persists till now.
Dgobert D. Runes, ed., Dictionary of Philosophy (New York: Philosophical Library, n.d.), 205.
Bertrand Russell has devoted separate chapter for each thinker for detail see the original book.
Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy (London: Routledge,2010 ), 44-84.
Bashir Ahmad Dar, Religious Thoughts of Sayyid Ahmad Khan (Lahore: Institute of Islamic Culture, 2006), 177.
Nicholas Bunnin andJiyuan Yu. The Blackwell Dictionary ofWestern Philosophy.(New York: The Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2004), 167.
Deism (form Greek: Deus: god). This concept accepts the existence of God as transcendent ad absolute but it denies any mystical relation to humans and the world.
Shah, Muhammad Iqbal and Ali RazaTahir. “Theosophical Cosmologies and Iqbal’s Contribution: Cosmos As Sentient Entity,” Al-Hikmat: A journal of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy, University of The Punjab, Lahore, 39 (2019) : 31-48.http://pu.edu.pk/home/journal/11/v_39_2019.html
Molana Muhammad IsmaeelPaaniPati, Maqalat Sir Syed -Urdu (Lahore: MajlisTarqee e Adab, 1984).
Muhammad Iqbal, The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam (Lahore: Institute Of Islamic Culture, 1985), 84.
Muhammad Iqbal, Kulyat-e-Iqbal –Urdu (Lahore: Iqbal Academy, 2001), 364.
‘Revealed’ means the Descended from God, The religion of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and the religion of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Freud said that a ‘Totem’ may be an animal or a plant it may be a guardian sprit and helper.
Sigmund Freud, Totem and Taboo (Routledge: New York, 2001), 3.
‘Incest Worship’ stands for the worship of the ancestor either male or female. The images or objects of nature have been regarded as having similarities with their forefathers.
Polytheism. ‘Poly’, means ‘Many’; ‘Theos’, means ‘gods’ and ‘Ism’, implied that the theory according to which many gods have been accepted and worshiped.
Cf. Holy Quran ‘Kun fayakoon’. Surah Al-Baqarah( 02: 117) ; Surah Ale-'Imran (3: 47); Surah Ale-'Imran (3: 59); Surah Al-An'-am (6:73); Surah An-Nahl, (16:40); Surah Maryam (19: 35); Surah Yasin, (36: 82); Surah Qafir (40:68).
Muhammad Iqbal, Kulyat-e-Iqbal –Urdu (Lahore: Iqbal Academy, 2001), 364.
For the Persians, the ‘Yazdan’ and the ‘Ahrman’are the two forces or two gods. Between them the former is positive or good force or god while the latter is evil and negative force or god. Both are functional in the universe. Polytheism is the type of religion which emphasis the worship of many gods or objects of nature for reverence. Monotheism is worship of One God.
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