Sunday 30 January 2011

Every child is created in the state of fitrah

“I am convinced about the veracity of my opinions, but I do consider it likely that they may turn out to be incorrect. Likewise,
I am convinced about the incorrectness of the views different from mine,
but I do concede the possibility that they may turn out to be correct.” — Imam Shafi

What is fitrah?

“Every child is created in the state of fitrah, it is the parents, culture, and society that make him a Christian, a Jew, or a fire-worshipper.”
only a God-centred religion is real and in harmony with man's nature. But this truth does not occur to him until the hour of crisis and peril
is upon him. A man may have any religion, or any material props he chooses, but, in moments of real crisis, it is to God that he calls out for help.
Such an experience, which we all go through at one time or another in our lives, is a clear indication that the God-centred religion is the
only true one. As such, it should pervade man's entire existence. Any religion other than this will fail him in his hour of need,
in the Hereafter, just as ordinary, everyday means of support so often do in moments of crisis in this world.

Man makes his own destiny: awaiting him the final judgement to be rewarded or punished.

In Islam’s view, God created two distinct species: namely, humankind and the jinn. The former was created from clay and the latter from fire.
The descent of Adam and Eve due to their eating from the forbidden tree as a consequence of Satan’s deception- a story already occurring
in the Judeo-Christian tradition- is related in the Qur’an. However, the Christian doctrine of original sin is not affirmed, as God accepted the
 repentance of Adam and Eve and made mankind His vicegerents on earth. To quote from the Qur`an:

“When your Lord said to the angels, ‘I am setting on earth a vice-regent,’ they said, ‘Will you place therein one who will act corruptly in it and shed
blood, while we extol Your praise and sanctify You?” (2:30)

Thus, the angels protested to God against man’s creation, but lost in a competition of knowledge against Adam, who was taught the names of
all things. The Qur`an declares man to be the finest of all creatures and he willingly bore the trust which the heavens and the earth refused to bear.
All of creation was subjected to man, who by virtue of the rational faculty with which he was endowed, was enjoined to, and entrusted with,
the development of civilization. In such endeavor he may be, either righteous or corrupt, a monotheist or an unbeliever.
As the Qur`an affirms, there is no compulsion in faith and religion; in other words, faith belongs to the domain of individual freedom and choice.
 Moreover, life and existence were not created in vain, but were brought into being so that God is obeyed and worshipped.
Thus, Islam is profoundly teleological while affirming theodicy in creation.

It must be noted that Islam views human nature as fallible and faltering- that man is oppressive and prone to ignorance- despite his lofty station
in the universe. By contrast to angels who are instinctively obedient to God, man is inclined to error. Pride is the cardinal sin of man- a sin which
detracts man from submission to a unique God, and which makes him ascribe partners to Him. In Islam, the most heinous of transgressions is
shirk or polytheism.

Knowledge, it must be mentioned, is essential for man shouldering the responsibility of vice-regency on earth.
To reiterate a point earlier made, the Qur`an emphasizes knowledge of the physical universe as a means to fulfilling the purpose of God in
creation, namely, worshipping and obeying the Creator. The following two quotations from the Qur`an are illustrative:

“Have they not seen that We lead the water to the parched land, so that We bring forth crops from which their cattle and themselves can eat?
Do they not perceive?” (32:27)

“It is He who has spread out the earth, and He placed in it mountains and rivers, and of every fruit He has made parts therein.
He covers the night with the day. Surely in that are signs for a people who ponder. And in the earth are tracts neighboring one another,
and gardens of grapes, and plantations, and palm-trees of one root and of different roots, watered by the same water.
And We distinguish in produce some of them above others. Surely in that are signs for a people who comprehend”. (13:3,4)
man comes into the world with a pure and wholesome nature. Whereas sin and corruption in human being are merely accidental
and violation of his original nature. The role of prophets and the scriptures is just to help human nature to flow in its true channel and to
guide human nature to its ultimate goal of eternal felicity. This Qur’anic theory of human nature also implies the fact that if man consciously
decides to submit himself to the will of Allah, he experiences no conflict in his personality. (10:62) while, on the other hand, if he misuses
his freedom of choice by denying God and not submitting to His will, would be in a state of inner conflict and his personality gets disintegrated.

Man has been given the freedom of choice to do good or evil. This freewill gives him independence of intention, choice and action in various situations of moral conflict. Man is the only creature in this universe who has been given choice and discretion which accompany him through his life span. (The Qur’an, 15:36)

Man has also been granted potentialities to acquire knowledge of how everything else in the universe functions as well as the knowledge required for his felicity. (al-Qur’an, 2:33). This knowledge along with the faculty of reason and intellect, are man’s primary guide that distinguishes him from other animals and help him recognize the path of his ultimate felicity.

According to the Qur'an, Allah "created man from a clot of blood" at the same time he created the jinn from fire. {1} Humans are the greatest of all creatures, created with free will for the purpose of obeying and serving God.

The Qur'an includes a version of the biblical story of the fall of Adam (Qur'an 7), but it does not conclude from it the doctrine of original sin as some Christian theologians have. In the Quranic version of the story, Adam and Eve begged Allah(God's) forgiveness (7:23) and he punished them with a mortal life on earth but added, "from it [earth] you will be taken out at last" (7:25). Since Allah forgave the sins of the first pair, Muslims believe, all are born in Al-Fitra, a natural state of submission to Allah. {2} True repentance from sin returns a person to this original sinless state.

According to Muslim theology, mankind's chief failing is pride and rebellion. In their pride, humans attempt to partner themselves with God and thereby damage the unity of God. Thus pride is Islam's cardinal sin. The cardinal virtue, then, is submission, or islam.

Thus Man is naturally equiped with the impulse of the mind distinguishing between right and wrong and good and evil. It is for man to decide to choose between the two.


.................May Allah make our efforts sincere and keep us all on the straight path...........

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4 comments:

Ayuni said...

yes, its true....

Anonymous said...

MashALLAh very beautifully said! i love your writing style! may ALLAH reward you in abundance for this Blog

Yusuf Chowdury said...

Children are heavenly, faith is the only option for them.
XPLORE4LIFE

Jennifer said...

That was wonderfully put. Love your site (smile)