In attempting a definition of ‘fitrah’, I give an exposition of its linguistic and religious meaning. The religious understanding of fitrah is based on the positive interpretation of fitrah…
Suffice it to say that linguistic and positive religious explanations have one thing in common: both define fitrah as an inborn natural predisposition which cannot change, and which exists at birth in all human beings. What makes our religious understanding positive is that it not only acknowledges fitrah as a natural predisposition, but also one which is inclined towards right action and submission to Allah, the One God.
After discussing the implications for human responsibility, I compare, for the benefit of Western readers, the Islamic concept of original goodness with the Christian concept of original sin. I argue that the doctrine of original sin, from an Islamic point of view, cannot be reconciled with the notion of Divine mercy nor the human responsibility. Since the doctrine of original sin features significantly in the Christian concept of human nature, and as Islam and Christianity are the world’s largest revealed religions, this aspect of their creeds presents an interesting contrast, well worth investigating.
for more you can go to: http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/DefinitionFitrah.htm
also in this site you will know:
1. The Linguistic Meaning of Fitrah
2. The Religious Meaning of Fitrah
3. Fitrah and Human Responsibility
4. Alienation from Fitrah
5. The Christian Doctrine of Original Sin
Knowing it will make things more clear and I found a good web site and I would like to share the following with you:
By Yasien Mohamed
Extracted with slight modifications from "Fitrah: The Islamic Concept of Human Nature" © 1996 TA-HA Publishers Ltd.
In attempting a definition of ‘fitrah’, I give an exposition of its linguistic and religious meaning. The religious understanding of fitrah is based on the positive interpretation of fitrah…
Suffice it to say that linguistic and positive religious explanations have one thing in common: both define fitrah as an inborn natural predisposition which cannot change, and which exists at birth in all human beings. What makes our religious understanding positive is that it not only acknowledges fitrah as a natural predisposition, but also one which is inclined towards right action and submission to Allah, the One God.
After discussing the implications for human responsibility, I compare, for the benefit of Western readers, the Islamic concept of original goodness with the Christian concept of original sin. I argue that the doctrine of original sin, from an Islamic point of view, cannot be reconciled with the notion of Divine mercy nor the human responsibility. Since the doctrine of original sin features significantly in the Christian concept of human nature, and as Islam and Christianity are the world’s largest revealed religions, this aspect of their creeds presents an interesting contrast, well worth investigating.
for more you can go to:
http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/DefinitionFitrah.htm
also in this site you will know:
1. The Linguistic Meaning of Fitrah
2. The Religious Meaning of Fitrah
3. Fitrah and Human Responsibility
4. Alienation from Fitrah
5. The Christian Doctrine of Original Sin