Tajdeed

What is the “Deen”?!

Our (the Muslim community’s) understanding of the Deen is that it means a complete methodology for life, i.e. a specific way of living, established upon the basis of a comprehensive Aqeedah (belief) concerning the universe, the human being and life; their relationship with what is prior to them (and that is Allah, Glorified be He, the Most High) and their relationship with what is after them (and that is the Last Day and what it comprises in terms of being held to account and recompense).

It does not only represent the organisation of the relationship of the human with his Creator (as is the understanding in the disbelieving paganistic western civilisational culture) but rather it represents a comprehensive organisation of the life of the human being and all his relationships:

1) The relationship of the human with his Lord: “In respect to Aqa’id (beliefs) and the rituals of worship.

2) The relationship of the human with himself: “In respect to knowledge, belief, Iman, intention and the rest of the actions of the heart. In respect to the Akhlaq (morals) and Adab (manners) and in respect to what is eaten in terms of foodstuffs and what is worn in terms of clothing. Indeed, this
also includes beautification and adornment.

3) The relationship of the human with other humans, which encompasses:

a) The family relationship in terms of marriage, relations and inheritance (i.e., related to the social
system).
b) The private relationships i.e., what they have named “civil” legislations. This refers to the relationships among the individuals in respect to contracts, transactions, industry and agriculture, in addition to the exchange of material benefits via trade, contractors, institutions and companies.
c) The public relationships i.e., the relationship between the ruler and the ruled. This refers to the constitutional relationships and the relationships with the public authority. This relates to the ruling system (i.e., the state constitution), the judicial and legal evidences, rules of reparation and punishments, the legislations related to public funds in terms of the Kharaj, the Fay’, taxes, customs and the funds of the public and state properties.
d) That is also in addition to international relations, i.e. the relationship that collectives, nations and states have between each other. This includes the rulings of treaties, Jihad, emissaries and embassies.

4) In addition, it also includes the relationship of the human with other creatures:

a) Animals
b) Vegetation
c) Inanimate objects
d) The knowledge encompassing the description of the environment i.e. in its description as a composite whole.

Although the specialized natural sciences like physics, chemistry and botany among other sciences, which are studies of the attributes of the sensed world, by way of experimentation, observation, sensation and the intellect, along with their application in the areas of engineering, agriculture and medicine, are all from the matters of the Dunya (temporal matters), just like the skills, professions and disciplines connected to them, like navigation, blacksmithing and architecture among others, in addition to the manner of bringing wealth into being and increasing it, by way of grazing, fishing, farming, manufacturing and trade, and the knowledge related to the circulation of wealth and currency and the nature of markets (i.e., what is known as economic science), are all from the affairs of the “Dunya” (temporal matters) and not from the matters of the “Deen”, the Shar’iyah causes for the acquisition of wealth, the Shar’iyah limits for its disposal and the manner by which it is distributed in the society (i.e. what is known as “The Economic System”), are nevertheless not considered to be from the matters of the Dunya. Rather, they are from the matters of the Deen as they are decisively connected to the viewpoint in life i.e. the comprehensive Aqeedah (belief) concerning the universe, the human being and life and their relationship with what is prior to them and what is after them. Allah (swt) has revealed Shar’iyah rulings in relation to them which are obligatory to be implemented and are compulsory to be followed. Man will be held to account in respect to them on the Day of Judgement and then the consequence will either be everlasting happiness through the pleasure of Allah and perpetual delights, or continuous misery through the
anger of Allah and painful torment.

• By Dr Muhammad al-Mass’ari – Hakimiyya