The Wisdom of Sharia Rulings
The Importance of Islam (Part 1)
Mawlana Ibrar Akhtar al-Qadiri
As humans, at a basic level, are creatures. Like other creatures, they require essentials of life, such as food, air, water, and sleep to survive. Animals also have feelings found in humans, i.e. they also feel sadness and happiness, show fear before enemies, and express affection to friends. They take various steps to ensure their safety, and to understand social relationships whilst maintaining them. This means they live in families or groups, and aid one another as best they can.
What differentiates humans from other creatures and makes them the noblest of creation, is their intellect, speech, good character traits, and innate skills. If a person does not possess these qualities, there is no difference between him and other creatures. To remain worthy of being the most noble creation, humans need a way of life that maintains their human nature and prevents them from becoming animal-like.
From this perspective, there are two types of people in this world today: those who believe humans came into existence themselves through evolution, and those who believe humans were neither created through their own choice nor are they a result of evolution but were created by a Being who then granted them intellect, understanding, and other abilities. This Being also created everything else in the observable universe. Just as this Being arranged the universe in uniform fashion, He has not left humans to their own devices and allowed them to do whatever they pleased. Rather, He has given them a structured way of life, which is known as Islam.
The literal meaning of dīn is path, belief, practical way, obedience, and reward. As for madhab, this also means path, i.e. a path which is trodden. Although dīn and madhab are separate words, they have the same meaning. It can be said there are two basic types of madhabs in the world today.
One is samāwī, i.e. that which was revealed by Allah, such as Islam. The other type is that which is a result of human thinking. Most people in the world today are adherents of some type of madhab. If we contemplate, we come to realise that dīn and madhab are a fundamental human need due to many reasons, and their importance and benefit cannot be denied.
Reasons for Islam being an essential part of human life
A natural dispositional need
Religion (Islam) is something that humans naturally need, and the greatest proof for this is the fact humans always accepted there is a higher being of unimaginable power who provides them with their needs. Until today, for the people of the entire world to agree upon something false is a notion beyond comprehension. Yet, it is separate matter that some of them arrived at the truth and others were mistaken.
Another aspect of religion is an innate human need linked to one’s life after death, as unlike other essentials of life, this does not end with a person’s death. Its importance increases instead, as this is the time where a person faces certain consequences based on their attachment to religion, or lack thereof.
This is clear evidence that religion is not only a fundamental human need in this world, but something essential for the Hereafter too.
At this juncture, the question might arise that if religion is truly something essential for a person’s life in this world and the next, then is the significance of this important and basic need mentioned in the Quran and hadith? The answer to this is, absolutely! Just as our religion has taught us the ways and principles of living life, it has also mentioned its own significance.
Just as Allah declares in Sūrat al-Rūm:
فِطۡرَتَ اللّٰهِ الَّتِیۡ فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَیۡہَا ؕ لَا تَبۡدِیۡلَ لِخَلۡقِ اللّٰهِؕ ذٰلِکَ الدِّیۡنُ الۡقَیِّمُ ٭ۙ
So devote yourself to obedience (of Allah), distant from all falsehood; this is the natural disposition of Allah upon which He created mankind. Do not change the creation of Allah. This is the upright religion.[1]
Regarding this verse, it is mentioned in Ṣirāṭ al-Jinān:
The meaning of natural disposition (fiṭra) here is the religion of Islam, which means Allah fashioned the creation to be upon faith, just as is stated in a hadith of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥiḥ Muslim: “Every child is created upon natural disposition.”[2]
This means that they are created upon the promise that Allah took when He said اَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ. Every child born into the world is born on this assertion, even if they go on to worship something besides Allah later in life.
According to some Quranic commentators, fiṭra refers to nature, which means Allah created humans with the natural ability of accepting tawḥīd and Islam. At an instinctive level, a person can neither turn away from this religion nor reject it. This religion is in complete agreement with sound intellect and fully in accordance with correct understanding, and he who becomes misguided, is misled by the deception of the devils among humans and jinn.[3]
Abū Hurayra رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ narrates that the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Every child is born upon natural disposition; his parents then parents convert him into a Jew, Christian, or Magian.”[4]
Unfortunately, most of those who have no interest in religion are not aware of its significance, as is mentioned by Allah in the verse cited above:
وَ لٰکِنَّ اَکۡثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ) ۙ۳۰(
The central reason why such people are distant from religion is in their allurement to the world, they wish to fulfil the desires of their carnal self (nafs), and will not accept any restrictions to this end. But religion is another name for restrictions, in which the lawful and unlawful, and every other matter is clear.
Comments