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Fitrah: Difference between revisions
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It's worth noticing that it literally says فطرة الله ("nature of god"). So god created people upon his nature. And also notice that the word "created" is فطر (''fatara'') which is from the same root as fitrah, which might indicate that the word fitrah means "creation". | It's worth noticing that it literally says فطرة الله ("nature of god"). So god created people upon his nature. And also notice that the word "created" is فطر (''fatara'') which is from the same root as fitrah, which might indicate that the word fitrah means "creation". | ||
=== | ===Quranic commandment against natual, fitrah disposition=== | ||
The verse 2:216 says that fighting is prescribed by Islam, although the believers hate it: | The verse 2:216 says that fighting is prescribed by Islam, although the believers disposition is such that they hate it: | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|2|216}}| | {{Quote|{{Quran|2|216}}| | ||
Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not. | Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not. | ||
}} | }} | ||
==In the hadith== | ==In the hadith== | ||
The most | The following is one of the most frequently cited hadith regarding the fitrah: | ||
{{Quote|{{Bukhari|6|60|298}}| | {{Quote|{{Bukhari|6|60|298}}| | ||
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا يُونُسُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَا مِنْ مَوْلُودٍ إِلاَّ يُولَدُ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ، فَأَبَوَاهُ يُهَوِّدَانِهِ أَوْ يُنَصِّرَانِهِ أَوْ يُمَجِّسَانِهِ، كَمَا تُنْتَجُ الْبَهِيمَةُ بَهِيمَةً جَمْعَاءَ، هَلْ تُحِسُّونَ فِيهَا مِنْ جَدْعَاءَ " ثُمَّ يَقُولُ {فِطْرَةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا لاَ تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ} | حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا يُونُسُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَا مِنْ مَوْلُودٍ إِلاَّ يُولَدُ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ، فَأَبَوَاهُ يُهَوِّدَانِهِ أَوْ يُنَصِّرَانِهِ أَوْ يُمَجِّسَانِهِ، كَمَا تُنْتَجُ الْبَهِيمَةُ بَهِيمَةً جَمْعَاءَ، هَلْ تُحِسُّونَ فِيهَا مِنْ جَدْعَاءَ " ثُمَّ يَقُولُ {فِطْرَةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا لاَ تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ} | ||
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}} | }} | ||
He says literally "Fitra is five" (الفطرة خمسة). And the five things are: | He says literally "Fitra is five" (الفطرة خمسة). And the five things are: | ||
===Hadith | *[[Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Female Genital Mutilation|circumcision]] | ||
A person has to act against his fitrah (nature) by doing what he | *shaving the pubes | ||
*clipping the nails | |||
*plucking the hair under the armpits | |||
*clipping the moustache | |||
===Hadith challenging the natural, fitrah disposition=== | |||
A person has to act against his fitrah (nature) by doing what he dislikes, in order to get to the Islamic paradise: | |||
{{Quote|{{Bukhari|8|76|494}}| | {{Quote|{{Bukhari|8|76|494}}| | ||
Narrated Abu Huraira: | Narrated Abu Huraira: | ||
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}} | }} | ||
== | ==The insufficiency of the fitrah in children== | ||
The fitrah appears in this hadith to be an insufficient source of religious guidance and control in children's lives, and must thus be supplemented with parental instruction and beating. | |||
{{Quote|{{Abudawud|2|495}}| | {{Quote|{{Abudawud|2|495}}| | ||
Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As: | Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As: | ||
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==Religions today== | ==Religions today== | ||
It would also appear that most people in the world are not upon their natural, fitrah disposition. This is from 2010: <ref>https://www.pewforum.org/2012/12/18/global-religious-landscape-exec/</ref> | |||
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5 | {| class="wikitable sortable" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" | ||
!Religion | !Religion | ||
!Percentage | !Percentage | ||
| Line 90: | Line 88: | ||
|Christians||31.5%||kuffaar||misleading from fitrah | |Christians||31.5%||kuffaar||misleading from fitrah | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Muslims||23.2%|| | |Muslims||23.2%||Believers||upon the fitrah | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Unaffiliated||16.3%||kuffaar||misleading from fitrah | |Unaffiliated||16.3%||kuffaar||misleading from fitrah | ||
| Line 102: | Line 100: | ||
|Other religions||0.8%||kuffaar||misleading from fitrah | |Other religions||0.8%||kuffaar||misleading from fitrah | ||
|} | |} | ||
Only 23.2% are Muslims and the remaining 76.8% are kuffar, | Only 23.2% are Muslims and the remaining 76.8% are kuffar. As a result, it would appear that what a person is naturally disposed to doing is ''not'' following the teachings and doctrines of Islam. One may further wonder whether so many people would today be Muslim if their environments were more permissive towards dissent, religious diversity, and apostasy. | ||
The two biggest religions in the world, Christianity and Islam, are also both missionary religions. This verse from the Bible encapsulates the impetus behind their position atop the leaderboard (something adherents of either faith take great pride in): | |||
{{Quote|The Bible, Mark 16:15-16| | {{Quote|The Bible, Mark 16:15-16| | ||
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. | He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. | ||
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I have been commanded to fight against people so long as they do not declare that there is no god but Allah, and he who professed it was guaranteed the protection of his property and life on my behalf except for the right affairs rest with Allah. | I have been commanded to fight against people so long as they do not declare that there is no god but Allah, and he who professed it was guaranteed the protection of his property and life on my behalf except for the right affairs rest with Allah. | ||
}} | }} | ||
==Ancient religiosity== | ==Ancient religiosity== | ||
The idea of the fitrah and of people's "natural disposition" is also imagined to extend to humanity at large. It is in this vein that Islam conceives of itself as returning mankind to its "original religion": This notion seems to contradict the reality, however, that most ancient peoples were polytheistic: | |||
{{Quote|Denova, R. (2019, October 17). Monotheism in the Ancient World. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/article/1454/| | {{Quote|Denova, R. (2019, October 17). Monotheism in the Ancient World. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/article/1454/| | ||
However, in the ancient world, the concept of monotheism as we understand it today did not exist; '''all ancient people were polytheists'''. They may have elevated one god as higher than the others (henotheism) but nevertheless recognized the existence of divine multiplicity. | However, in the ancient world, the concept of monotheism as we understand it today did not exist; '''all ancient people were polytheists'''. They may have elevated one god as higher than the others (henotheism) but nevertheless recognized the existence of divine multiplicity. | ||
}} | }} | ||
=="Scientific proof" of fitrah== | =="Scientific proof" of fitrah== | ||
Christian scientist Justin L. Barrett (who was accused of being biased <ref>https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/nov/28/religion-children-innateness-barrett</ref>) is frequently cited as having confirmed the Islamic idea of the fitrah. | |||
Justin L. Barrett wrote on his blog (notice that the word gods is plural): | Justin L. Barrett wrote on his blog (notice that the word gods is plural): | ||
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}} | }} | ||
He found that children tend to see agency behind events. For example, when children are asked "What caused the first flood?", many children guess "someone". | He found that children tend to see agency behind events. For example, when children are asked "What caused the first flood?", many children guess "someone". But such a finding is admittedly generic and is remote from demonstrating an innate preference for the specifics of the Islamic religion. Indeed, the cover of Barrett's book, "Born Believers", features the picture of a child raising its hand to symbols of different religions with the symbol of Christianity being the closest. | ||
==See also== | |||
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM1iut7wzl4 University of Nottingham: What is fitrah] - different interpretations of fitrah in the history of Islam (video) | |||
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM1iut7wzl4 University of Nottingham: What is fitrah] - different interpretations of fitrah in the history of Islam (video) | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references /> | |||