1

ROLE AND NEED

FOR DEEN
(MAZHAB KI
ZAROORAT)
By
Muhammad Ali Khan

Question about need for religion

Define Religion, also describing its necessity, importance and
kinds of distinguishing between Revealed and Non Revealed
religions. (2002)

Despite the scientific and technological advancement the present

society is facing moral decline and mental anarchy. In these
circumstances elucidate the importance and effectiveness of
Religion. (2007)
Differentiate between the Din and Religion. State the important
points of Co-Existence among Islam and world religions in the
present scenario. (2010)
Describe the necessity and importance of religion for man and its
effects on human life. (2012)

Important themes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

6.

Define Religion,its necessity, Importance effectiveness of

Religion
Its effects on human life
Its kinds of distinguishing between Revealed and Non
Revealed religions
Despite the scientific and technological advancement the
present society is facing moral decline and mental anarchy ,
Differentiate between the Din and Religion
State the important points of Co-Existence among Islam and
world religions

Concept-Dictionary Meaning
Zahab:
Go, pass by, walk
Mazhab:
Method, belief or faith , manner

Concept
Religion

as a binding together (Latin,

religio, from the verb religare = to bind
together
Religion is a relationship between the
religious devotee and the gods, God) a
relationship that binds the two together to : Who share the same or similar religious
attitudes
Bound with the object of its devotion

Religion is all about rituals and Faiths

Gods
Allah
Shiva
Budhh
Zeus
Aherman
Yazdan

Experiences
Love/Ecstasy
Nothingness
Hell/Heaven
Sacrifice

Beliefs
Death
Immortality
Atonement
Fate
Prayer

Practices
(rituals)
Prayers
Fasting
Alms
Youga

Spirits : Demons, Ancestors, Ghosts

Attempts at a Definition

Emile Durkheim

A religion is a unified system of beliefs

and practices relative to sacred things

Max Weber

Refused to attempt a definition of

religion. [Smart Man?]

Concept
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Spirituality

Emotion Ethics

EB Taylor ( Social)
Mathew Arnold
(Literature)

Emotional Appeal to
accept Almighty

Freud (Psychology)

Only Rituals ?
Humanity

Components of Deen
Deen Accepting the absolute

sovereignty (of Allah)

Deen means absolute submission (of
man to the absolute sovereign
Deen indicate reward and accountability
Deen expresses a way of life or a code
of conduct

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DEEN
Lots of Ins and Outs and What-Have-Yours
Deen is neither a single phenomenon, nor a thing
rather, it is a divine and dynamic collection of institutions,
practices, beliefs and social order
What's our Religion/Deen ?

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Difference b/w Deen and

Mazhab

Concept
Frame of Reference
Canvas (Broader or Narrow)
Nature (Individual and Collective)
In religious connotation

Al-Kafiroon, Ale-Imran 19/IndAllah Islam, Al-Maida

3/Akmaltukum-Razaiyst, Al-Fatiha)

Comparing and Contrasting the differences between Deen and Mazhab

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It is proved by the Holy Quran and

Ahadees.
The Deen in the sight of Allah (SWT) is only
Islaam."The Deen before Allah (accepted
by Allah) is Islam(Aal-Imran 3:19)

has been approved of and favoured by Alla

"Today, I have completed your Deen, and have
completed my bliss upon you and accepted for you
Islam as a Deen. (Al-Maida 5:3)

Not been used in the Holy Quran

or Ahadees in this context.

There is no such proof in Mazhab

rather Mazhab is Sectarianism.

There is no scope or rather an

instance of Sectarianism or
Mazaahib in Islaam. And is self
made

Mazaahib are incomplete.

Hence, the whole way of life in

Mazaahib is self-made law which is
against Islaam.

Mazaahib are not pure;

Deen

Deen

is complete, "Today, I have completed

your Deen.. (Al-Maida 5:3)
Deen

is Pure Unquestionably, for Allah is the

pure religion. (Az-Zumar 39:3)

indeed they are adulterated and have the

combination
of
Statements,
Proclamations, advices and suggestions
which are self-made and are contradictory
to Islamic concepts

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Deen has been chosen by Allah . Indeed

Allah has chosen for you this Deen
(l-Baqara 2:132

Mazaahib are Self-made and are

made with human-intervention.

Since Mazaahib are self-made and

against Islam undoubtedly it will not
be accepted.

The purpose of Jihad (which cannot

be called as Jihad, anyways) in
Mazaahib is to continue the sect
based on some Personality,
Individuality, Community or Region.

Only Deen will be accepted

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. (Aal-Imran 3:85)

The purpose of Jihad

in Deen is to

establish the Deen of Allah completely.

And fight them until there is no fitnah and [until] the

religion, all of it, is for Allah. And if they cease - then
indeed, Allah is Seeing of what they do. (Al-Anfal
8:39)

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Two Theories of Evolution of

Religion/Deen

Islamic Point of View

7 Stages _Evolution of Religion
Atheism
Worshiping
Fear

the Nature

and Greed

Totoism
Worshiping

the Elders (Past)

Idolatry
Monotheism
In

Future

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Need of Religion/Deen
Pascal Boyers Religion Explained (2001)

Religion Provides Explanations

People created religion to explain
puzzling natural phenomena
Religion explains puzzling experiences:
dreams, forethought, etc
Religion explains the origins of things

Surat Al-'Azb (The Combined Forces) -

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Need of Religion/Deen
Religion provides comfort

Religious explanations make mortality

less unbearable
Religion allays anxiety and makes for a
comfortable world
Religion explains why there is evil and
sufferings

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Need of Religion/Deen
Religion provides Social Order

Religion holds society together

Religion perpetuates a particular social
order
Religion supports morality

Cont

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Religion is a Cognitive Approach

People are superstitious; they will believe

anything
Religious concepts are irrefutable and
Refutation is more difficult than belief

Need for Religion in Scientific

Age/Modern Age

Religion and Law

Source of Law

No agreed upon source of law, (Fuller)

The law in quest for itself, No eternal law, (Kohler)
Human nature is the best source of law (Jhon Auston)

Islam being religion of nature is the best source of law

What are the Scale of Values or what are ideal values ?

If we secularize jurisprudence , where can we find an
agreed basis (George Paton)
The solution is divine law

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Encounter with Ideological Vacuum

Man cannot live in an ideological vacuum for long

Tendency towards a wrong ideology and false values

His intellectual life is not filled with sound beliefs
A superstitious and even destructive ideas may find
way into his spiritual firmament
Man's tendency towards idolatry, man worship
diverse superstitions
All this originates from spiritual vacuum
It is religion which can fill the ideological vacuum

Other Arguments
1.

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

For Social Order

As source of Law
To fill the ideological vacuum
To authenticate science
As change Agent
For Universal Peace

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Need of Religion
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All civilizations have

their Religions, Great
civilizations are not
died, they attempt
suicide
All social system
requires religion
Religion and Science
Guidance to Wisdom
Religion as Change
Agent for Natural,
Spiritual, social needs

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Cont
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Universal Peace v/s Materialistic Development

(survival of the fittest is questioned)

Life after death possibility only in religion

Accountability here and in life after death

Religion for Social Correction , Reformist movements

Religion as Panacea

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Quotes ; for need of Deen /Religion

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August Comte
Theological (Religion)
Metaphysical ( Philosophy and Psychology)
Positive Stage (Science)
Napoleon says It has kept the poor murdering
the rich
Supernatural hope in dooms hopes (Imam Jaffar
RA)
Heaven and utopia are buckets in a well if one
goes up other goes down (Will Durend)
Religion Rich in Miracle system and myths is
needed

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World is Religious today, even !

Worldwide,

more than eight-in-ten people

identify with a religious group, says a new
comprehensive demographic study of
more than 230 countries and territories
(Pew Research Centers Forum)

There

are 5.8 billion religiously affiliated

adults and children around the globe,
representing 84 percent of the 2010 world
population of 6.9 billion, the analysis
states.

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billion Christians (32 percent)

Cont

2.2

1.6

billion Muslims (23 percent)

1 billion Hindus (15 percent)
500 million Buddhists (7 percent)
There are 14 million Jews
58 million people-slightly less than 1 percent
of the global population belong to other
religions

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Cont

Christians

Vatican City 100% Christians, USA Majority of the

Christians 230 Mi, More Jews in USA (66 Lac than
Israel 59 Lac)

Muslims

Mauritania 99.9%, Maldives 99.4%,Yemen 99.1,So

malia & Afghanistan 99%
220 M in Indonesia, 177 Mi in India, KSA 26 M

Hinduism

81 % Population of Nipal is Hindu, 957 M in India

Majority of Jainism-5M, Bahai-2M,Sikhs-28M are
also in India

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Agnostics and Atheists

Japan (76%)
Sweden (65.5%)
Denmark (61.5%)
Hong Kong 57%
France (53.5%)
Norway (51.5%)

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Role of Religion

Points described in need for religion are

also the role of religion as:
Example
To

define good and bad we need religion and

it is role of a religion to define good and bad.

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Impact of Deen or Religion

Relationship between God and Man

Religion is ones personal matter
which has not influence on life in this
world
They consider that the laws of the
worldly life should be on logic and
reason
Other religions bifurcate life into spiritual and
material realms but Islam

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Religion leads man of an inner , most institute

experience to the acceptance of unitary
explanation of life

It is only religion that cultivates these virtues

within man and impels him to automatic
righteousness and adherence to duty to make
sacrifices for the sake of others

Without the backing of religion, morality is nothing

more than arithmomancy , as without it, the
sense of obligation disappears

Explanation of life

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Power to Endure Adversities of Life

Religion provides power for facing adversities and

serves as a fortification against undesirable
reactions of despair and hopelessness
A religious man, with firm belief in Allah, and of His
generosity, does not find himself in utter
desperation even in the worst moments , as he
knows,he is under the protection of a Being who is
Almighty.
Can overcome every disappointment and
hopelessness

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Holy

Quran for
says:life- No Fear
Strength
"Surely

those who are close to Allah, have

no fear nor shall they grieve." (Surah
Younus, 10:62)
According to Dr. Durant,
Behavior of a man who is not blessed with
reliance on religion suffers from special
confusion, and the life which has not the
comforting support of religion, is an
unbearable burden

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Roots of Religious Sense

It covers the entire recorded history of human life and in

pre-historic times Religious Institution are found

Islam is in harmony with nature which Allah has designed

for man. ( Surah al -Rum,30 : 30)

Research carried out by sociologists and historians

shows that places of worship have always had an
influence on human life, and religion in its various

shapes has been interwoven with its history

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A thought !
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Is religion possible without GOD ?

Is religion a cause to recognize the GOD ?
Will religion end when human beings will reach at
Heaven or Hell ?
Hazrat Ali (RA) said

Mein ny apny Khuda ko apny eradon k

totny sy pahchana
( I recognized my God , when my intentions were
doomed)

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Epilogue

As long as there is poverty, Desires and

planning these will be gods there will be
religion

God is a beautiful manifestation of human

wishes

Thank you,
the most !