The Derivation of al-Deen

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Idiomatic Derivation

The derivation by idiom, the word al-deen is derived from the third class verb 'daan' which sometimes contracted with itself and sometimes with the letter 'laam' and sometimes with the letter 'baa' and shifting the meaning with the contraction with it. Thus when being contracted with itself it will become 'daanuhu' synonymous to the meaning 'malakuhu' which means His possession, His account, His subjugation, His tribute and His system.

And when it is attached with the letter 'laam' as in 'daana lahu', the meaning something which is submitting to Someone and obeying Him. And when attached with the letter 'baa' and it becomes 'daana bihi' with the meaning adopting a religion or a doctrine and living through its application in ones life, and behaves with it, and believes in it, and this idiomatic meaning for 'the deen' that exists in 'the deen' for terminological derivation as will be seen in the following statement. 'The deen' is something which makes its follower invincible, with only His teachings, and His laws, as it includes the submission of the worshipers to the One which is worshiped and directing worship to His sole Essence. And the worshiper performing worship with psychological motives. He adheres to the 'deen' without any coercion or without any force.      

Terminological Meaning

The deen as per technical meaning refers to, "the changing in the definition of the deen in terminological term, where every person knows it by its drinker, and he does not see that indeed the importance of the specifications of the deen. And among them those who know it as it is the path of the God received through the way of revelation. And many Muslims only know about this definition shortly to refer to the "celestial" religion only. 

Together with this indeed, whatever which has been adopted by man-kind and whatever that they worship is known with the term "deen" whether it is valid or invalid. The God the Highest mentions as recorded in the Glorious Quran which means, "And whoever follows other than Islam as his religion, thus he is not accepted and in the hereafter he is among the losers" (Surat Aali-Imran vs. 85). And in the al-Kaafirun vs. 6, "And for you is your religion, and for me is my religion". 

And the God the Highest named those polytheists among the Arabs as among the followers of heathen religion and their way of life clinging to ethnocentrism. The Arabs during spiritual ignorance period were the nation with no revealed scripture. Some non-Muslims are specializing in the area of morality as what has been mentioned by Rudolph Eucken, "Indeed the religion contains recognition on our responsibilities and duties through divine commands". Some non-Muslims specializing in the area of reasoning, logic and meditation. Rudolph Eucken said, "The religion is mystical experience which outreaches the human-being and in it, there are contradictions of the life".

Other definitions that we could see from the angle where we leave behind the height of several angles and referring to the definition as it says, "The religion is the belief and trust in the Sacred Essence and the assembly of followers of the pathway who submit themselves to the Essence in awe with passionate love and full of humility". This definition includes the worshiper who enslave themselves to the God the Highest or to other entities. This definition refers to the belief be it of those who worship the God the Highest for example Islam, or the previous religions that had undergone long historical period such as Judaism, Christianity and refers also to major religions at the position of non-celestial belief for example Hinduism, Buddhism or all other pagan beliefs.

As for the definition to explain the case of worshiper or people who believe in a religion, then not a must for him to submit himself with humility or with intense love to the one who is worshiped in term of acts of worship. For the "worship", there are other definition which aims at the worshiper in term of his worship acts whether he is worshiping together in awe, with full of love and humility to the one who is worshiped since that is what had been seek by the sons of Adam in their worship. And the God the Highest knows well about the matters of the universe.        

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!

Mentions about Deen

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Introduction

I recalled some memory while I was in the musalla in USM just after some bayan sessions by Tabligh movement students on Thursday. One of an undergraduate student there, by the name H was quarreling with a guy who happened to be a neighbor at my living section up there at 10th floor. His name is Raof and a Phd student at our School of Social Science from Sri Lanka. Well, I like that Sri Lankan guy and I respect him. However, I did not mingle so much with him because I was in vow period. Actually I tend to have a gap with people around me. Does not matter from whatever movement they are or what kind of person they are. I do not like to be known to people, listening to people proclaiming that solely their movement is the righteous one and I am constantly in vow to be consecrated only for Him.  The vow is not easy ones. Some people taking oath before their teachers. I took vow before the God at the Grand Mosque in holy Mecca and testifying again the "portal of religion".

I heard that, H said something with a stressing tone and it ends with "it is deeeennnnn!" just after Raof teased him. From what I observed, Raof does not feeling well with the Tabligh members because one of his supervisor was a Tabligh and he left him alone with his thesis unfinished while the supervisor went away for his "Tablighi" mission. He mentioned something that he favors the Salaf movement more than Tabligh movement. I am not here to judge people or talking about movements. But one has to know his or her responsibility in the first place. I am performing the da'awa too. We do not have to be classified as a Tabligh member, a mawlana, a shaikh, a mureed of a tariqa movement, a salafi movement or etc as to take pride of. Just enough that we are Muslims and the nations sanctified under the mercy toward the universe, Muhammad s.a.w. As for da'awa, I am acting according to the situation and the da'awa toward our own self is more difficult than persuading others to something which we are not practicing. Now, I have a paralyzed father who needs full attention so I am here while others are laughing happily and enjoying their life. I am sacrificing myself for my father, my mother and to some extent for sisters. So, is this less noble than "performing da'awa" by movements' pride besides capturing pictures with friends wearing white robe or getting the "good feeling" when people look at us with respect and veneration? : ) 

Just after I heard that H stressing about the deen. I wonder on how does everyone understood the deen? What exactly is deen? I think I had put this forth before. Deen is a corresponding word that exist not only Quranic Arabic, but also in Aramaic and Hebrew. I simply wanted to consider myself as a civilian but I cannot because I was trained in Islamic stream as a Muslim missionary. I just ran away and learning (practicing) Indian gnosticism namely Buddhism because people could not accept different responsibility and tendency of human-being. Deen literally means the law in both Aramaic and Hebrew.

Definition

The deen is a singular for Adyaan.

By literal meaning in our Arabic language, "It means the obedience and following".

By general terminological meaning, "Whatsoever is embraced by the human-being and believed by him related to the invisible matters and whatever can be seen".

Islamic technical meaning for this word, "Submitting in peace to the God the Highest, and following Him. And the deen is the path of Islam and the monotheism creed where it is the religion of all messengers of the God since the first sage, Adam a.s. and Noah a.s. to the seal of prophethood in earthly realm, Muhammad s.a.w". 

The evidences that the revelation of the God to Muhammad s.a.w, has eliminated the previous paths are mentioned in the Glorious Quran.

Says the God the Highest which means, "Indeed, the closest religion to the God is Islam. And those who were given the revelation did not differ except the knowledge had come to them - out of jealousy and animosity between themselves. And whoever disbelieves in the verses of the God the Highest, the indeed, the God is swift in taking account!" - Surat Ali-Imran vs. 19

"And whoever desires other than Islam as religion - never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers". - Surat Ali-Imram vs. 85

"Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than the God, and those animals killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you are able to slaughter before its death, and those which are sacrificed on stone altars, and prohibited is that you seek decision through divining arrows. That is grave disobedience. This day those who disbelieve have despaired of defeating your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me. This day I have perfected for you, your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion. But whoever is forced by severe hunger with no inclination to sin - then indeed, the God is Most Forgiving and Most Merciful". - Surat al-Maidah vs. 3

I am fasting today in the month of Rajab. So, getting ready with some preparation and I have to go for the mosque. I am just taking simple vegetarian food and I have no chance to have a well-build body like other men anymore, haha. I think I am older than my age now because of the environment makes me to be so. Feel like 40 years old by now. I do not feel interested at all when listening to people talking about developed countries, setting up business and being rich or etc. If all of the people are busy with those matters, who'll be His full-time servant? Many people also talk about doomsday, but what are their preparations other than pasting hadiths about black flags or panji hitam just to claim that their race will be the champion to conquer the world? Is that black flag is important or the resurrection matters more?

By the way, we take hadith as the second source of the jurisprudence but not to supersede the Glorious Quran. So, the weak hadith about Rajab month or the worship in specific month could still be taken as the encouragement without being associated to the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w speeches because of the weak chain. I am still fasting but every Monday and Thursday. Sometimes, like David the prophet.

Try not be to extreme in opinion or even acts of worship. Just stay in the middle path. I am going to continue after the "Isha service, insha Allah.

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!