This note forms the basis for the term religion (deen) in Islam. It also covers six usages of the deen and its definitions.
Quran: Meaning of Religion
The concept of religion or deen is illustrated in several Quranic verses. The verse that represent the purpose of religion can be found in Quran 1:4 and 51:6.
Al-Fatihah 1:4
Master of the Day of Judgement.
Meaning, the Day of Judgment; a day dedicated to religion where all debts are paid and penalties are incurred.
Adh-Dhariyat 51:6
The Judgement will come [to pass].
And this verse emphasizes the inevitability of that Day.
The most comprehensive usage of the term is seen in Quran 98:5 and 7:29.
Al-Bayyinah 98:5
Though all they are ordered to do is worship God alone, sincerely devoting their religion to Him as people of true faith, keep up the prayer, and pay the prescribed alms, for that is the true religion.
This highlights the directive to worship Allah with sincere devotion and uprightness. It underscores the importance of making religion purely for the sake of God.
Al-A'raf 7:29
Say, ‘My Lord commands righteousness. Direct your worship straight to Him wherever you pray; call on Him; devote your religion entirely to Him. Just as He first created you, so you will come back [to life] again.’
Again, the command to worship with sincerity and dedication is reiterated here and it reinforces the principle of sincere devotion to Allah as an essential aspect of religion.
6 Usages of the Term Deen
There are six usages of the term religion (deen):
- Root meaning: sense of debt.
- Essence: choices we make.
- Consequences: of choices.
- The Straight Path: the way we take to repay God.
- Manifestation of Prophet: embodiment of the Way in human form.
- End Goal: Allah.
The Root Meaning of Religion (Deen)
The root meaning of religion is:
To convey a sense of debt, something that is owed to another and due on a certain day.
This concept is understood as a life debt owed to the Divine; a debt that is repaid because we are the creation of God. Life itself is a gift, and thus, each action and experience within it is also given as a gift.
The repayment of this debt is manifested through gratitude for the general gift of life and the specific gifts of life.
Finally, the day designated for the repayment of this debt is the Day of Judgment.
The Essence of Deen
The essence of deen lies in the choices that fulfill the purpose of life, reflected in how each of us act in this life. Our choices either fulfill or neglect the repayment of the life debt owed to the Divine. The implications of our choices are astounding in determining what our religion ends up becoming.
For example, the Prophet (saw) emphasized the importance of one’s close friends stating:
Hadith
A person will be on the religion (deen) of their close friends, so each of you should consider whom he befriends. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Jami’ At-Tirmidhi)
What is understood is that one’s religion does not solely connotate a religious sense but also ‘the broader way’ that one cleaves towards. In this sense, those around you that you take pleasure and enjoyment from becomes the way that you follow when their priorities and influence becomes a continuous of your social benefit. If a person is devotee in religion in their private life, but find themselves less so in their public social life, it is because of the priorities and influences the person cleaves to in public. The choices you make manifest how you are in this life. This is a reality. Similarly, the (Biblical) statement ‘as you are, so shall you find’ relates the same universal understanding.
The Hadith of the Perfumer and the Blacksmith further reflects this concept. For the Sufi, this is a serious matter of spiritual import, and is covered in Suhba al-Saliheen.
The Consequences of These Choices
The consequences of our choices culminate in a sound reckoning. Life has an end, and at the final station, there is a Day of Reckoning.
One’s intellect serves as a function to navigate towards this end in the right state, ensuring that the choices made align with fulfilling the life debt owed to God.
How ‘A Way’ Relates with Deen
‘The Way’ in simple terms is a framework or mindset one personally adopts that determines how they live their lives. It refers to a set of beliefs, principles, or practices that guide an individuals actions and lifestyle.
In Islam, the Way is the Straight Path (Sirat al-Mustaqeem); a specific way with a specific goal one can choose in this world. The Straight Path is a firm and sound path enabling one to fulfill the life debt owed to God, make the right choices in this life, and secure the soundest consequences at the end of mankind’s collective destiny.
God Embodied Deen in the Prophet Muhammad
In and of itself, following the Straight Path is theoretical and cerebral, lacking real-world practicality.
The mercy of God simplified our choices by instilling the Way into a human that can be followed because humans make choices based on those of influence, closeness, and merit as discussed above.
Therefore, the Straight Path was embodied into the Prophet Muhammad who is the perfect human manifestation of the Straight Path. The representation of this Path is what the Prophet came with and what he embodied. The believers in God call this Islam. In turn, this is the religion of the Muslims, and that is their Path.
For Muslims, looking to the Prophet Muhammad in all matters aids the Muslims to: correctly pay off the life debt owed to God, understand how to make right choices, comprehend purposeful living, and live a life of conscious choice and awareness.
The End Goal of Deen
The end goal of religion is Allah.
Allah is ‘The Recompenser’ (ad-Dayyan). God is the One to whom everything is owed and everyone will receive their due recompense based on their deeds in the Hereafter. Why? He is the One who has granted every thing. This brings forth aspects of indebtedness and gratitude, if not, then an urge for self-assessment, or both.
The Prophet (saw) said:
Allāh will gather people on the Day of Standing naked, uncircumcised, and without anything. They will be called by a voice that is heard from afar just as clearly as from near, saying, ‘I am the King. I am Al-Dayyān…’ (Adab al-Mufrad, Bukhari)
Umar ibn Khattab said:
Hold yourselves accountable before you are held accountable, and weigh up your good deeds before they are weighed for you, for your reckoning will be easier tomorrow if you start with yourself today. Beautify your deeds in preparation for the grand presentation before Allāh, on a day where you shall be exposed. Not a secret of yours shall be hidden. (Hilyat Al-Awliyā, Abu Nu’aim)
Muslims believe in the culmination of religion, emphasizing that religion is useless without progress toward its end goal; as without an end goal, there is no need for progress.
A comprehensive article about the name of Allah ‘Ad-Dayyan’ can be read here.
Five Aspects of Deen
The five aspects of Deen encompass:
- divine guidance,
- a call to those with understanding,
- the nature of choice,
- what is ultimately good for us, and
- the impact of our choices in this life and the next.
Divine guidance originates from God and is conveyed to us through revelation.
The Quran calls upon individuals of understanding, emphasizing the mercy in religion by not providing a rigid instruction manual. Such a manual would reduce life to a mere checklist whereas the Quran aims to encourage, warn, inspire, and move us, offering a profound and reflective approach to life. It is a call to those who contemplate, think deeply, and reflect.
The nature of choice is a profound mystery. Scientifically, it appears that choices are made subconsciously before becoming conscious decisions. The conscious mind is just the tip of the iceberg, while the subconscious forms the bulk beneath the surface, and the unconscious is vast and uncontrollable like the oceans. Despite the complexities, we perceive ourselves and others as having the ability to choose.
Our limited knowledge about ourselves leads us to seek divine guidance to discern the best and good choices, which inherently involves avoiding bad ones.
Lastly, the mercy of God ensures that our choices have consequences both in this life and the hereafter, highlighting the enduring impact of our decisions.
The Making of Choices
Al-Hikam, Ibn Ata'illah as-Sakandari
The ignorant man wakes up and thinks of the choices they will do today. The intelligent man wakes up and thinks of what God is doing to them today.
This aphorism illustrates a profound approach to making choices. He states that while an ignorant person wakes up considering the actions they will take, an intelligent person contemplates what God has planned for them.
Consequently, making meaningfully real choices involves selecting what is most pleasing to God. There are different types of choices: acceptable choices, which are not prohibited and allow one to do as they wish, and choices that range from pleasing and beloved to displeasing and despised by God. Each type of choice has similar associated choices. Hence, true knowledge is not merely about information but about the guidance to choose rightly and achieve the best outcomes. The Prophets and awliya consistently aimed to make choices that were beloved to God, demonstrating the highest form of intelligent decision-making.
The Truth Claims Religion Must Prove
Religion must prove two major truth claims to establish its legitimacy.
- How did Islam come directly from God to its initial recipient?
- How did the religion that came to that initial recipient stay preserved until now?
Firstly, religion must demonstrate how Islam originated directly from God to its initial recipient, the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims assert that true guidance was sent from God to the Prophet and must provide evidence that the Revelation was directly transferred. Without this proof, the claim could be dismissed as merely a human invention.
Secondly, religion must show how this divinely received religion has been preserved until the present day. Muslims claim that the True Guidance given to the Prophet has been and will continue to be preserved until the Day of Judgment. If this guidance had been altered, the religion would lose its basis and integrity, rendering it pointless to follow. Some might argue that while the guidance was true initially, it is no longer so today. This claim must be refuted by proving the preservation of the original message.
Proving these claims establishes that what Muslims practice today is derived from Divine Guidance, faithfully maintained through the clear sayings of the Prophet. It confirms that both the Quran and hadith have been preserved in both text and understanding from their original Divine transmission.