Islam-Deen and Religion

A common question asked by many; what is the difference between Deen and Religion? is Islam-Deen and Religion?

Historically these words have been used as synonyms, but in Quran, Islam is specifically termed as Deen and not Religion or Mazhab. There true difference needs to be established, in order for us to understand.

Mazhab, derived from Arabic root word ذٙ ہٙ بٙ (read as – Za-ha-ba) which means ‘to go’.

Allah^SWT has sent a number of messengers for humanity, to help them visualize the right path and do not astray from ALLAH’s will. Yet repeatedly human beings resorted to change the system of Allah^SWT, and made the religion strictly confined to specific rituals. Overtime the definition of Religion or Mazhab changed

“The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods” Oxford

“A set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.” Dictionary

“The service and worship of God or the supernatural” Merrium-Webster

۞إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الْإِسْلَامُ وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ

The true deen with Allah is Islam. The People of the Book adopted many different ways rather than follow the true way of Islam even after the knowledge of truth had reached them, and this merely to commit excesses against one another. Let him who refuses to follow the ordinances and directives of Allah know that Allah is swift in His reckoning. (Al-Imran 3:19)

Allah^SWT has used the word Deen for Islam in Quran, to signify and illustrate the true sense of his will, and to differentiate the man made changes in previous Instructions, with the true ones.

۞اَلَا لِلّٰهِ الدِّيۡنُ الۡخَالِصُ​ ؕ وَالَّذِيۡنَ اتَّخَذُوۡا مِنۡ دُوۡنِهٖۤ اَوۡلِيَآءَ​ ۘ مَا نَعۡبُدُهُمۡ اِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُوۡنَاۤ اِلَى اللّٰهِ زُلۡفٰى ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَحۡكُمُ بَيۡنَهُمۡ فِىۡ مَا هُمۡ فِيۡهِ يَخۡتَلِفُوۡنَ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يَهۡدِىۡ مَنۡ هُوَ كٰذِبٌ كَفَّارٌ

‏(Say to the people:) ‘Listen! Sincere obedience and worship is only Allah’s due.’ And those (disbelievers) who have taken (idols as) helpers other than Allah (say in false justification of their idol-worship) ‘We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allah.’ Surely, Allah will judge between them concerning the matter in which they differ. Certainly, Allah does not give guidance to the one who is a liar and highly ungrateful. (Az-Zumar, 39:3)

Deen: دين the word refers to an ideal way of life, which must be followed in its entirety with the Allah^SWT Law, incorporating true beliefs, character and deeds specified in Quran and practiced by Prophet Mohammad ﷺduring his lifetime as an example.

۞هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَكَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا

He is the One Who sent His Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) with guidance and the Deen of truth, to make it prevail over all other religions. And Allah is Sufficient as a witness (to the truthfulness and veracity of the Messenger [blessings and peace be upon him]). (Al-Fath, 48:28).

Islam means an overall compliance to the Will of Allah^SWT, including;

• Belief in Allah^SWT as the sovereign Ruler of universe and beyond.
• Living our lives according to the rules and regulations set in Quran.
  • Haqooq Ul Allah: is the duty we owe to Allah^SWT.
  • Haqooq Ul Ibaad: is the duty we owe to mankind.
  • Amar Bil Maroof: which means enjoining the rights.
  • Nahi Anil Munkar: is forbidding the wrong.
• Develop an authentic social, economic and political system which brings equality and peace for all human beings.

۞وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَبِذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْجَارِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْجَارِ الْجُنُبِ وَالصَّاحِبِ بِالْجَنبِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخْتَالًا فَخُورًا

And worship Allah and (do) not associate with Him anything, and to the (do) good, and with the relatives, and the orphans, and the needy and the neighbor (who is) near, and the neighbor (who is) farther away, and the companion by your side and the traveler and what possess[ed] your right hands. Indeed, Allah (does) not love (the one) who is [a] proud (and) [a] boastful. (An-Nisa 4:36)

Poles apart to the definition of Religion, Islam brings a universal system, breaking the belief of rituals and personalized relationships, with one’s own god, by developing a comprehensive system of religious, social, moral and ethical values. Turning down all superstitions and fear, into kindness and human principles.

۞إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا لَّسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ

Indeed, those who divide their deen and become sects, you are not with them in anything. Only their affair (is) with Allah, then He will inform them of what they used to do. (Al-An`am 6:159)

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، – وَهُوَ ابْنُ جَعْفَرٍ – عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏”‏ أَتَدْرُونَ مَا الْمُفْلِسُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا الْمُفْلِسُ فِينَا مَنْ لاَ دِرْهَمَ لَهُ وَلاَ مَتَاعَ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏”‏ إِنَّ الْمُفْلِسَ مِنْ أُمَّتِي يَأْتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِصَلاَةٍ وَصِيَامٍ وَزَكَاةٍ وَيَأْتِي قَدْ شَتَمَ هَذَا وَقَذَفَ هَذَا وَأَكَلَ مَالَ هَذَا وَسَفَكَ دَمَ هَذَا وَضَرَبَ هَذَا فَيُعْطَى هَذَا مِنْ حَسَنَاتِهِ وَهَذَا مِنْ حَسَنَاتِهِ فَإِنْ فَنِيَتْ حَسَنَاتُهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُقْضَى مَا عَلَيْهِ أُخِذَ مِنْ خَطَايَاهُمْ فَطُرِحَتْ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ طُرِحَ فِي النَّارِ ‏“‏

Abu Huraira. reported Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying: Do you know who is poor? They (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) said: A poor man amongst us is one who has neither dirham with him nor wealth. He (the Holy Prophet) said: The poor of my Umma would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers and fasts and Zakat but (he would find himself bankrupt on that day as he would have exhausted his funds of virtues) since he hurled abuses upon others, brought calumny against others and unlawfully consumed the wealth of others and shed the blood of others and beat others, and his virtues would be credited to the account of one (who suffered at his hand). And if his good deeds fall short to clear the account, then his sins would be entered in (his account) and he would be thrown in the Hell-Fire. (Sahih Muslim: 2581)

Photo by Johannes Plenio from Pexels