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Dīn: What is it? Where do we get it from? What is its purpose? Dr. Khalid Zaheer Dīn is the message God sent to the mankind through His chosen people called messengers. The description of what this message constitutes has been made in the Qur'an four times. 1. The first description of Dīn in the Qur'an is in Surah al-Baqarah where God Almighty mentions the prayer of two of His devoted messengers, Ibrahim and Ismail, alaihimussalam, which they made while constructing the Ka'bah, the house of God. They said: بَ رَ ةَ مْ كِ ْ اَ وَ ابَ تِ كْ الُ مُ هُ م لَ عُ يَ وَ كِ اتَ آيْ مِ هْ يَ لَ وعُ لْ تَ يْ مُ هْ ن مً وُ سَ رْ مِ يهِ فْ ثَ عْ ابَ اوَ نُ يمِ كَ اُ يزِ زَ العَ نتَ أَ ك نِ إْ مِ يه كَ زُ يَ و"Our Lord! Send among them (the people of Makkah and its surroundings) a messenger from within them who would read before them your verses, teach them al-Kitab and al-Hikmah, and do their Tazkia; indeed You are Mighty, Wise." (2:129) 2. Another verse is mentioning the same message in the same surah suggesting that the prayer was later accepted by God: ُ مُ كُ م لَ عُ يَ وْ مُ يك كَ زُ يَ اوَ نِ اتَ آيْ مُ كْ يَ لَ وعُ لْ تَ يْ مُ نك مً وُ سَ رْ مُ يكِ افَ نْ لَ سْ رَ اأَ مَ كَ ونُ مَ لْ عَ تْ واُ ونُ كَ تْ مَ ال م مُ كُ م لَ عُ يَ وَ ةَ مْ كِ ْ اَ وَ ابَ تِ كْ ال"Thus He sent His messenger to you from within you who reads before you His verses, (and thus) does your Tazkia, by teaching you al-Kitab and al- Hikmah, and by teaching you what you did not know." (2:151) A one-time mention of a reality in the book of God is enough for creating confidence in the believer's mind about its significance. Imagine the significance of a concept that has been described in almost the same words in the Qur'an four times!

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Page 1: DR. Khalid Zaheer Notes. 1

Dīn: What is it? Where do we get it from? What is its purpose?

Dr. Khalid Zaheer

Dīn is the message God sent to the

mankind through His chosen people called

messengers. The description of what this

message constitutes has been made in the

Qur'an four times.

1. The first description of Dīn in the Qur'an is in Surah al-Baqarah where God Almighty

mentions the prayer of two of His devoted messengers, Ibrahim and Ismail,

alaihimussalam, which they made while constructing the Ka'bah, the house of God.

They said:

نهميتلوعليهمآياتكويعلمهمالكتابوالكمةرب ناوابعثفيهمرسوالمنتالعزيزالكيم

يهمإن كأ

ويزك

"Our Lord! Send among them (the people of Makkah and its surroundings)

a messenger from within them who would read before them your verses,

teach them al-Kitab and al-Hikmah, and do their Tazkia; indeed You are

Mighty, Wise." (2:129)

2. Another verse is mentioning the same message in the same surah suggesting that the

prayer was later accepted by God:

يكمويعلمكم نكميتلوعليكمآياتناويزك رسلنافيكمرسوالمكماأ

المتكونواتعلمون الكتابوالكمةويعلمكمم

"Thus He sent His messenger to you from within you who reads before you

His verses, (and thus) does your Tazkia, by teaching you al-Kitab and al-

Hikmah, and by teaching you what you did not know." (2:151)

A one-time mention of a reality in the book of

God is enough for creating confidence in the

believer's mind about its significance.

Imagine the significance of a concept that has

been described in almost the same words in

the Qur'an four times!

Page 2: DR. Khalid Zaheer Notes. 1

3. The third mention is in the next surah (Ali Imran) wherein God is informing believers of

His favour He bestowed upon them in the form of religion (Dīn) He gave them. He says:

نفسهميتلوعليهمآياتهالللقدمن نأ المؤمننيإذبعثفيهمرسوالم لع

بني يهمويعلمهمالكتابوالكمةوإنكنوامنقبللفضاللم ويزك

"God indeed showered His favour on believers when He sent His messenger

to them from within them who reads before them His verses, does their

Tazkia, and teaches them al-Kitab and al-Hikmah, while they were in clear

misguidance before that." (3:164)

4. The fourth one is in Surah al-Jumu'ah. It says:

ي يهمويعلمهمهوال نهميتلوعليهمآياتهويزك ينيرسوالم مبعثفال

بني الكتابوالكمةوإنكنوامنقبللفضاللم

"It is indeed He Who sent among the unlettered a messenger from within

them who reads before them His verses, does their Tazkia, and teaches them

al-Kitab and al-Hikmah, while they were in clear misguidance before that."

(62:2)

These four verses clarify the following three main things:

1. Source of Dīn

2. al-Kitab and al-Hikmah

3. Tazkia

1. Source of Dīn

Religion comes from only one source: The messenger of God, alaihissalam. Each verse is

clarifying that God has sent His messenger to send the message of His religion. The entire

religion comes from the messenger of God. The topic would be discussed in detail in the

coming chapter ‘Sources of Dīn’.

Page 3: DR. Khalid Zaheer Notes. 1

2. al-Kitab and al-Hikmah

The message of Dīn which is delivered through reading of God's verses is comprised

of al-Kitab and al-Hikmah.

Al-Kitab

The first part of Dīn mentioned in the four verses is al-Hikmah. The Qur'an uses this word to

mean the law which is called Shari'ah.

هايا يينأ يامعليكمكتبآمنواال كتبكماالص ينلع قبلكممنال

تت قونلعل كم

"Believers! The fast has been made obligatory upon you as it was

made upon those before you so that you become fearful of God" (2:183)

Thus Al-Kitab is the law which is called Shari'ah.

ئةووجدعندهاقوماقلناياذاالق ح مسوجدهاتغربفعني إذابلغمغربالش نتت خذفيهمحسناحت اأ بوإم نتعذ

اأ إم رنني

(18:86)

ذنوذنبال

نفوال

نفبال

وال بالعني انل فسبانل فسوالعني ن

بهفهووكتبناعليهمفيهاأ فمنتصد قصا رو

وا ن بالس ن السومنل ميكمبماأنزل ارة ل واللكف

المونفأ (5:45)لـئكهمالظ

جارية (88:12)فيهاعني

فالقتل ينآمنواكتبعليكمالقصا هاال ي … (2:178)ياأ

حدكمحضإذاعليكمكتباتركإنالموتأ ينالوصي ةخي ابالمعروفقربنيوالللوال حق (2:180)المت قنيلع

نوعسل كمكره وهوالقتالعليكمكتبنوعسل كمخي وهوشيئاتكرهواأ

بواأ نتميعلماللول كمشروهوشيئات

الوأ

(2:216)تعلمون

The commonly understood meaning of the word kitab is book. How can we say that al-Kitab

means the law and not the book?

Every language has words which carry more than one meaning. It is the context in which a

word is used that would decide which one of the possible meanings it has been used for in a

particular text.

In the Qur'an, for example, the word ain is used both for spring (see 18:86) and eye (see

5:45). However, when the word has been used in Surah al-Ghashiah, for example, wherein blessings

of the paradise are described, the word ain is followed by an adjective jariah (flowing). This ain can

only be conveying the meaning of spring (see 88:12)

Similarly, when the Qur'an mentions its rules, it at times mentions it by using a verb which

shares the same basic letters (ka ta ba) that are in al-Kitab. The Qur'an, for example, says: "Believers!

Fasting has been made obligatory (kutiba 'alaikum) on you ..." (2:183) Also see verses 2:178,180,216.

Although the word kitab also means book (see 2:2), but in the four verses mentioned above,

the word has been used to convey the sense of law, obligation, and expectation.

Page 4: DR. Khalid Zaheer Notes. 1

Al-Hikmah

The other part of Dīn mentioned in the four verses is al-Hikmah. Al-Hikmah is the

moral principles which are universally shared by the entire humanity and belief in the

unseen realities.

a) Al-Hikmah: Universally shared moral principles

The Qur'an uses al-Hikmah to mean the moral principles all humans have been sent

with. After describing a number of moral expectations from humans like worshiping one

God, being good to parents, helping out poor relatives etc, God mentions the following in

Surah Bani Israil (also called Surah Isra) at the end of the description of those principles:

وحإلكربكمنالكمةاأ …ذلكمم

"This a is part of al-Hikmah your Lord has inspired to you..." (17:22-39)

Thus al-Hikmah includes moral principles which

are universally shared by all humans.

b) Al-Hikmah: belief in the unseen realities

We have seen in the four verses mentioned at the beginning of this chapter that the

Qur'an uses al-Kitab and al-Hikmah together. What we see in one passage of the Qur'an is

that instead of al-Hikmah the word al-Iman (belief) has been used with al-Kitab.

يمان مرناماكنتتدريماالكتابوالالنأ وحيناإلكروحام

وكذلكأ

"And thus we revealed to you an inspiration of our command. You did not know what

was al-Kitab nor al-Iman ... (42:52)

The Qur'an is thus clarifying that quite the same way as moral principles, belief in

unseen realities (al-Iman) is also included in the meaning of al-Hikmah.

If al-Hikmah is universally shared moral

principles, why did God mention them in His

book? Don't we already know them?

The answer is that although we know them quite

clearly, we tend to forget them and therefore

need to be reminded regularly. The nature of our

worldly trial is such that this life has been made

attractive and we get absorbed in it at times so

much that we ignore our innate understanding of

right and wrong. That is why God's book is called

the reminder.

Did you know?

God’s book is called the reminder.

The famous verse in which God has

promised to preserve the Qur’an

says:

كروإن اللافظوننلاال إن انننز

"Indeed We have revealed this

Reminder (al-Zikr) and indeed We

shall remain its guardians." (15:9)

Page 5: DR. Khalid Zaheer Notes. 1

مونأ كلوافريقام

ملأ موالكمبينكمبالاطلوتدلوابهاإلالك

كلواأ

نتمتعلمونوالتأ

(2:188)الانل اسبالثموأ

ي كمايقومال بااليقومونإال كلونالرينيأ ال حل

باوأ مااليعمثلالر همقالواإن ن

ذلكبأ يطانمنالمس مالليتخب طهالش اليعوحر

مرهإلاللومنعدفأ

فلهماسلفوأ بهفانته نر م بافمنجاءهموعظة ونالر صحابانل ارهمفيهاخال

(2:275)ولـئكأ

موالكمالتظلوإنتبتمفلكمرؤوسأ ناللورسول ذنوابربم

(2:279)مونوالتظلمونفإنل متفعلوافأ

Is there any relationship between al-Kitab and al-Hikmah?

Al-Kitab, the Shari'ah, is based on al-Hikmah. While we have a clear understanding of what is

morally good and what is bad, there are some occasions when we are unclear. It is in some of these

areas in which God gives His clear verdict in the form of Shari'ah.

For instance, the Qur'an tells us that we all know that depriving others of their wealth

unjustifiably is morally wrong. We also know that one way of getting wealth immorally is through

bribing officials. (2:188)

However, humans have never agreed on whether giving loans with a predetermined interest

on loan over and above the principal amount even when the borrower makes losses is morally

acceptable or not.

God gave His Shari'ah verdict that it is prohibited. (2:275) This verdict is based on the

understanding that it is unfair for the lender to ask the borrower to give him an amount more than

the principal even when he doesn't have anything to pay. (2:279)

If moral principles are universal, why are there differences in different societies

about them?

There are essentially two reasons for that.

1. One reason why we find societies responding apparently differently to moral principles is that

humans are capable of getting morally degenerated because of being influenced by a number of

external factors. For instance, the western society opted for exaggerated human freedom and

ended up degenerating the natural despise for obscenity in human nature. The eastern society

went for exaggerated personal interrelationship that created tendency to ignore the societal

rules. When moral principles are ignored for other considerations, the innate feeling of protest

against such violations gradually weakens and at times disappears completely. Thus moral

degeneration is caused.

2. Another reason why we find societies responding apparently differently to moral principles is

the manner ethical principles are applied can be different even when they are agreed upon. For

instance, it is a moral principle that we need to be helpful to people in need. But societies

respond differently to the needs of the poor. In many western countries, state machinery and

NGOs cater more actively to take care of the plight of the poor. In the eastern societies, families

and friends play a more active role. The moral impulse of helping the needy is felt in both

societies but the manner it is responded to is different. This creates an impression that there

are differences in different societies about moral principles whereas the difference is only in

the manner they are applied or the tools that are used.

Page 6: DR. Khalid Zaheer Notes. 1

3. Tazkia

We read in the four verses about the reality of Dīn that the purpose why God gave it to

us is that He wanted our Tazkia to be done.

What is Tazkia? Tazkia has two components: purification and development. On the one

hand humans have come to this world with a tremendous potential to make moral and

spiritual progress but in the other hand the innate weaknesses in humans threaten to block

this progress. By going through the process of Tazkia, humans purify their souls by

overcoming their weaknesses. They are thus able to realize their moral and spiritual

potential.

Why Tazkia? God wants all humans to enter the beautiful world of paradise after

spending a morally and spiritually good life in this world. But He has decided to allow only

those people who will have done their Tazkia to enter the paradise. God has sent His

religion to enable humans to do Tazkia.

Verses of the Qur'an about Tazkia

There are several verses of the Qur'an that lead to the understanding that by going

through Tazkia one will be able to achieve ultimate success of entering the paradise. The

Qur'an says:

اها ۔ونفسوماسو لها۔همهافجورهاوتقواهافأ فلحمنزك

قدأ

"By the soul and the way He perfected it, then breathed in it (the

understanding of) its evil and its piety, indeed the one who purified it has

succeeded and the one who has spoiled it has doomed." (91:7-10)

In another verse it says:

فلحمنتزك قدأ

"He indeed shall be successful who purifies himself." (87:14)

In yet another passage the Almighty mentions the moral and spiritual condition of some

Muslims in this manner:

فوابذنوبهمخلطواعمالصالاوآخرسيئاعس نيتوباللوآخروناعتأ

ر حيم الل غفور عليهمإن

"There are others who have confessed their wrongdoing, who have done

some good deeds and some bad ones. It is likely that God will turn to them in

mercy. Surely, God is most forgiving, merciful." (9:102)

Page 7: DR. Khalid Zaheer Notes. 1

He asks the prophet, alaihissalam, to do the following about them:

ل هم صالتكسكن عليهمإن يهمبهاوصلرهموتزك موالهمصدقةتطه

خذمنأ

عليم اللو سميع

"Take alms (sadaqah) out of their wealth to cleanse them and purify them..." (9:103)

In other words, the purpose of spending in God's way is to purify and cleanse one's

inner soul. That is indeed the purpose of the entire religion of God.

There is another important passage in the Qur'an regarding Tazkia that clarifies its role

in the success of the life hereafter. Talking about the Jew scholars who were expected to

accept the last prophet, alaihissalam, because of the clear evidences about his arrival in

their books but whom they rejected because they didn't want to compromise on their

worldly status as religious leaders, the Qur'an comments:

لهمفاآلخرة ولـئكالخاليمانهمثمناقليالأ

ينيشتونبعهداللوأ ال إن

لم اللواليكلمهمأ يهمولهمعذاب والينظرإلهميومالقيامةواليزك

"Those who sell out God's covenant and their oaths for an ordinary price will have no

share in the life to come. God will neither speak to them nor cast a look at them on the

Judgment Day nor will He purify them. For them there shall be a grievous punishment."

(3:77)

The verse is indicating that there are some people who will be purified on the Judgment

Day, but those who will violate clear promises made to God will not even be purified on that

day. It shows two things:

1. It will not be possible for an individual to enter the paradise without being purified.

2. Some people will be purified on the Judgement Day if they will not have purified

themselves during the worldly life. This latter process of purification, according to some

ahadith, would involve spending a period of time in a hell-like place.

Discussion Summary

Let us summarize what we have seen above.

1. God sent His messenger, alaihissalam, with His Dīn. Thus the only reliable source of

God's Dīn is the messenger.

2. The messenger read out Qur'anic verses to give Dīn which is comprised of al-Kitab (the

law, Shari'ah) and al-Hikmah (the moral law and beliefs).

3. The purpose of sending Dīn was to ensure that humans get their Tazkia (purification and

development) done so that they could be eligible to enter the beautiful world of

paradise forever.