THE QURANIC TEACHINGS

Teachings Of The Quran Explained In Simple And Concise Manner.

(https://quranicteachings.org/)

DEEN (‫) ِد ﯾن‬

 N o v e m b e r 2 3 , 2 0 1 3 ( H t t p s : // Q u r a n i c t e a c h i n g s . O r g / D e e n / )  D r. Ta n v e e r H u s s a i n
( H t t p s : // Q u r a n i c t e a c h i n g s . O r g /A u t h o r / H u s s a i n -Ta n v e e r g m a i l - C o m / )

Dictionary Meanings of the Term

The Arabic word ‘Deen’ has the following dictionary meanings:

Obedience; a state of abasement and submissiveness; ّ ِ ُ‫ اﻟ ِ ّدﯾن‬means ‘obedience to God’; a religion, implying obedience
and submission to law; a particular law, statute or an ordinance; a system of usages, rites, ceremonies; custom or habit;
a way, coarse, mode or manner of acting or conduct; management, conduct or regulation of affairs; state, condition or
case; repayment, requital, compensation or recompense; retaliation; reckoning[1]
(file:///D:/Islamic%20Articles/Deen.docx#_ftn1).

The Quranic Use of the Term

1. ‘Deen’ as a Law of an Authority
The term ‘Deen’ has been used in the Quran in the phrase ‘deen-il-malik’ (‫ﮏ‬
ِ ‫)دﯾن اﻟ َﻣ ِﻠ‬,
ِ which means ‘King’s Law’ [2]
(file:///D:/Islamic%20Articles/Deen.docx#_ftn2).

ِ ‫َﻣﺎ َﻛﺎنَ ِﻟﯾَﺄ ْ ُﺧ َذ أَﺧَﺎهُ ﻓِﻲ د‬

ِ‫ِﯾن ْاﻟ َﻣﻠِك‬

[Al-Quran Surah 12: Verse 76]

The term ‘Deen’ has also been used in the phrase (‫)دﯾن ﷲ‬,
ِ which means ‘Allah’s Law’.

ِ ‫اﻟزاﻧِﻲ ﻓَﺎﺟْ ِﻠدُوا ُﻛ ﱠل َواﺣِ ٍد ِ ّﻣ ْﻧ ُﮭ َﻣﺎ ﻣِ ﺎﺋَﺔَ َﺟ ْﻠ َدةٍ َو َﻻ ﺗ َﺄ ْ ُﺧ ْذ ُﻛم ِﺑ ِﮭ َﻣﺎ َرأْﻓَﺔٌ ﻓِﻲ د‬
ِ ‫ِﯾن ﱠ‬ ‫اﻟزاﻧِﯾَﺔُ َو ﱠ‬
‫ﱠ‬

[Al-Quran Surah 24: Verse 2]

2. ‘Deen’ as Obedience to (the Law of) an Authority

The Arabic phrase ُ‫ﻟَہ‬ َ‫دَان‬ means ‘He was, or became, obedient to him’[3]
(file:///D:/Islamic%20Articles/Deen.docx#_ftn3). When the preposition ‘la’ or laam’ ‫ ل‬is used with the word Deen, it
mostly refers to ‘obedience’ to (the law of) an authority. It has been described at various places in the Quran
that the ultimate obedience is only to Allah[4] (file:///D:/Islamic%20Articles/Deen.docx#_ftn4) ّ ِ ُ‫ اﻟ ِ ّدﯾن‬or ‫ ﻟَہُ اﻟ ّدِﯾن‬. The
Quran says that Allah alone deserves the sincere and pure (‫)ﺧﺎﻟص‬ obedience[5]
(file:///D:/Islamic%20Articles/Deen.docx#_ftn5).

ُ ‫أ َ َﻻ ِ ﱠ ِ اﻟ ِ ّدﯾنُ ْاﻟﺧَﺎﻟ‬
‫ِص‬

[Al-Quran Surah 39: Verse 3]

Allah has enjoined upon the believers to call upon Him, being sincere to Him in obedience.

َ‫ِﺻﯾنَ ﻟَﮫُ اﻟ ّدِﯾن‬

ِ ‫َوا ْدﻋُوهُ ُﻣ ْﺧﻠ‬

[Al-Quran Surah 7: Verse 29]

َ‫ِﺻﯾنَ ﻟَﮫُ اﻟ ّدِﯾن‬

ِ ‫ﻓَﺎ ْدﻋُوا ﱠ َ ُﻣ ْﺧﻠ‬

[Al-Quran Surah 40: Verse 14]

ِ ‫ﻲ َﻻ ِإ ٰﻟَﮫَ ِإ ﱠﻻ ھ َُو ﻓَﺎ ْدﻋُوهُ ُﻣ ْﺧﻠ‬

َ‫ِﺻﯾنَ ﻟَﮫُ اﻟ ّدِﯾن‬ ‫ھ َُو ْاﻟ َﺣ ﱡ‬

[Al-Quran Surah 40: Verse 65]

The Quran also enjoins to render ‘ibadah (‫ )ﻋﺑﺎدة‬to Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience.

َ‫ﺻﺎ ﻟﱠﮫُ اﻟ ّدِﯾن‬ ِ ّ ‫َﺎب ﺑِ ْﺎﻟ َﺣ‬

ً ‫ﻖ ﻓَﺎ ْﻋﺑُ ِد ﱠ َ ُﻣ ْﺧ ِﻠ‬ َ ‫إِﻧﱠﺎ أَﻧزَ ْﻟﻧَﺎ إِﻟَﯾْكَ ْاﻟ ِﻛﺗ‬

[Al-Quran Surah 39: Verse 2]

3. ‘Deen’ as Requital (according to a Law)

The Quran has used the nominative plural passive participle form ‘madeenun’ (‫ )ﻣدﯾﻧون‬of the root of the word ‘Deen’ to
refer to ‘requital’ or ‘reward & punishment’.

َ‫ظﺎ ًﻣﺎ أَإِﻧﱠﺎ ﻟَ َﻣدِﯾﻧُون‬

َ ‫أَإِ َذا ﻣِ ﺗْﻧَﺎ َو ُﻛﻧﱠﺎ ﺗ ُ َراﺑًﺎ َو ِﻋ‬

[Al-Quran Surah 37: Verse 53]

The day of requital, judgment or accountability ‘yaum-i-deen’ (6](‫( ]ﯾوم اﻟدّﯾن‬file:///D:/Islamic%20Articles/Deen.docx#_ftn6)

has also been referred to in the Quran.

ِ ‫َﻣﺎﻟِكِ ﯾَ ْو ِم اﻟ ّد‬
‫ِﯾن‬

[Al-Quran Surah 1: Verse 4]

ِ ‫ﯾَﺎ َو ْﯾﻠَﻧَﺎ ٰ َھ َذا ﯾَ ْو ُم اﻟ ّد‬

‫ِﯾن‬

[Al-Quran Surah 37: Verse 20]

4. ‘Deen’ as a Way of Life

The term ‘Deen’ has also been used in the Quran to refer to a way of life (according to some customs & traditions or
according to a law).

‫ِﯾن‬ َ ‫ﻟَ ُﻛ ْم دِﯾﻧُ ُﻛ ْم َوﻟ‬

ِ ‫ِﻲ د‬
 [Al-Quran Surah 109: Verse 6]

5. ‘Deen’ as reckoning, counting or calculation

The term ‘Deen’ may also refer to reckoning, counting or calculation (according to the Divine Law)‫۔‬

‫اﻟ ِ ّدﯾنُ ْاﻟﻘَﯾِّ ُم‬  َ‫ض ﻣِ ْﻧ َﮭﺎ أ َ ْرﺑَﻌَﺔٌ ُﺣ ُر ٌم ٰ َذﻟِك‬

َ ‫ت َو ْاﻷ َ ْر‬ ‫ب ﱠ ِ ﯾَ ْو َم َﺧﻠَﻖَ اﻟ ﱠ‬
ِ ‫ﺳ َﻣ َﺎوا‬ ِ ‫ﺷ ْﮭ ًرا ﻓِﻲ ِﻛﺗ َﺎ‬ َ ‫ور ﻋِﻧ َد ﱠ ِ اﺛْﻧَﺎ‬
َ ‫ﻋﺷ ََر‬ ‫إِ ﱠن ِﻋ ﱠدة َ اﻟ ﱡ‬
ِ ‫ﺷ ُﮭ‬

[Al-Quran Surah 9: Verse 36]

6. ‘Deen’ as a Complete Code of Life or System of Governance

In comprehensive terms, the term ‘Deen’ refers to ‘a way of life based upon
obedience to laws of some authority, and a system of rewards and
punishments according to those laws’.

The Quran says that the (true) way of life or system of governance (Ad-Deen) [7]
(file:///D:/Islamic%20Articles/Deen.docx#_ftn7) in the sight of Allah is Al-Islam (i.e. Submission to His Laws).

ِ ْ ِ ‫إِ ﱠن اﻟ ّدِﯾنَ ﻋِﻧ َد ﱠ‬

‫اﻹﺳ َْﻼ ُم‬

[Al-Quran Surah 3: Verse 19]

The Quran says that the upright way of life or system of governance is the one in which the Ultimate Authority (Al-
Hukm) belongs to Allah alone; He has ordained that one should render ‘ibadah to Him alone.

‫ِإ ِن ْاﻟ ُﺣ ْﻛ ُم ِإ ﱠﻻ ِ ﱠ ِ أ َ َﻣ َر أ َ ﱠﻻ ﺗ َ ْﻌﺑُدُوا ِإ ﱠﻻ ِإﯾﱠﺎهُ ٰ َذﻟِكَ اﻟ ِ ّدﯾنُ ْاﻟﻘَ ِﯾّ ُم‬

[Al-Quran Surah 12: Verse 40]

No Compulsion or Coercion in ‘Ad-Deen’

There is absolutely no compulsion or coercion (َ‫ )إِ ْﻛ َراه‬in ‘Ad-deen’. Human beings are absolutely free to choose their way
of life or system of governance. However, once they have opted for a particular way of life or system of governance,
they are obliged to abide by the norms of that way of life or laws of that system of governance.

ِ ‫َﻻ ِإ ْﻛ َراهَ ﻓِﻲ اﻟ ّد‬

‫ِﯾن‬

[Al-Quran Surah 2: Verse 256]

No Sectarianism in ‘Ad-Deen’
Allah has forbidden sectarianism in Ad-deen.

‫أَﻗِﯾ ُﻣوا اﻟ ّدِﯾنَ َو َﻻ ﺗَﺗَﻔ ﱠَرﻗُوا ﻓِﯾ ِﮫ‬

[Al-Quran Surah 42: Verse 13]

Allah’s Messenger has nothing to do with those who indulge in sectarianism.

َ ‫إِ ﱠن اﻟﱠذِﯾنَ ﻓَ ﱠرﻗُوا دِﯾﻧَ ُﮭ ْم َوﻛَﺎﻧُوا ِﺷﯾَﻌًﺎ ﻟﱠﺳْتَ ﻣِ ْﻧ ُﮭ ْم ﻓِﻲ‬

ٍ‫ﺷ ْﻲء‬

[Al-Quran Surah 6: Verse 159]

‘Ad-Deen’ Needs to be Established
‘Ad-deen’ is not merely a collection of some rituals. It is also not merely a theoretical ideology, which just needs to be
preached. It is a complete way of life and system of governance that needs to be established (‫ )اﻗﺎﻣت‬with power and
authority (8](‫( ]ﺗﻣ ّﮑن‬file:///D:/Islamic%20Articles/Deen.docx#_ftn8).

َ‫أَﻗِﯾ ُﻣوا اﻟ ّدِﯾن‬

[Al-Quran Surah 42: Verse 13]

‫ﺿ ٰﻰ ﻟَ ُﮭ ْم َوﻟَﯾُﺑَ ِ ّدﻟَﻧﱠ ُﮭم ِ ّﻣن ﺑَ ْﻌ ِد ﺧ َْوﻓِ ِﮭ ْم أ َ ْﻣﻧًﺎ ﯾَ ْﻌﺑُدُوﻧَﻧِﻲ‬ ْ ‫ف اﻟﱠذِﯾنَ ﻣِ ن ﻗَ ْﺑ ِﻠ ِﮭ ْم َوﻟَﯾُ َﻣ ِ ّﻛﻧ ﱠَن ﻟَ ُﮭ ْم دِﯾﻧَ ُﮭ ُم اﻟﱠذِي‬
َ َ ‫ارﺗ‬ ِ ‫ت ﻟَﯾَ ْﺳﺗ َْﺧ ِﻠﻔَﻧﱠ ُﮭ ْم ﻓِﻲ ْاﻷ َ ْر‬
َ َ‫ض َﻛ َﻣﺎ ا ْﺳﺗ َْﺧﻠ‬ َ ‫ﻋ َد ﱠ ُ اﻟﱠذِﯾنَ آ َﻣﻧُوا ﻣِ ﻧ ُﻛ ْم َو‬
‫ﻋﻣِ ﻠُوا اﻟ ﱠ‬
ِ ‫ﺻﺎ ِﻟ َﺣﺎ‬ َ ‫َو‬
ٰ ٰ
َ‫ﺷ ْﯾﺋًﺎ َو َﻣن َﻛﻔ ََر ﺑَ ْﻌ َد َذﻟِكَ ﻓَﺄُوﻟَﺋِكَ ُھ ُم ْاﻟﻔَﺎ ِﺳﻘُون‬ َ ‫َﻻ ﯾُ ْﺷ ِر ُﻛونَ ِﺑﻲ‬

[Al-Quran Surah 24: Verse 55]

‘Ad-Deen’ needs prevalence in every walk of life

There is no dualism of religious and secular affairs in ‘Ad-Deen’. The Divine Guidance ‫ )اﻟﮭدی‬and Deen-il-Haq (‫)دﯾن اﻟﺣﻖ‬
ِ
needs prevalence in complete way of life.

َ ِ ‫ِﯾن ُﻛ ِﻠّ ِﮫ َو َﻛﻔ َٰﻰ ﺑِﺎ ﱠ‬

‫ﺷ ِﮭﯾدًا‬ ِ ‫ﻋﻠَﻰ اﻟ ّد‬ ْ ‫ﻖ ِﻟﯾ‬
َ ُ‫ُظ ِﮭ َره‬ ِ ّ ‫ِﯾن ْاﻟ َﺣ‬
ِ ‫ﺳوﻟَﮫُ ﺑِ ْﺎﻟ ُﮭ َد ٰى َود‬ َ ‫ھ َُو اﻟﱠذِي أ َ ْر‬
ُ ‫ﺳ َل َر‬

[Al-Quran Surah 48: Verse 28]

Al-Islam is ‘Ad-Deen’, not a ‘Maz’hab’

The word Maz’hab (‫ )ﻣذھب‬does not appear in the Quran.

َ‫اﻹﺳ َْﻼ ِم دِﯾﻧًﺎ ﻓَﻠَن ﯾُ ْﻘﺑَ َل ﻣِ ْﻧﮫُ َوھ َُو ﻓِﻲ ْاﻵﺧِ َرةِ ﻣِ نَ ْاﻟﺧَﺎﺳ ِِرﯾن‬
ِ ْ ‫ﻏﯾ َْر‬
َ ِ‫َو َﻣن ﯾَ ْﺑﺗ َﻎ‬

[Al-Quran Surah 3: Verse 85]

[1] (file:///D:/Islamic%20Articles/Deen.docx#_ftnref1) E. W. Lane, Lane’s Arabic English Lexicon, New ed., Islamic Texts
Society, 1984.

[2] (file:///D:/Islamic%20Articles/Deen.docx#_ftnref2) Al-Quran Surah 12: Verse 76

[3] (file:///D:/Islamic%20Articles/Deen.docx#_ftnref3) E. W. Lane, Lane’s Arabic English Lexicon, New ed., Islamic Texts
Society, 1984.

[4] (file:///D:/Islamic%20Articles/Deen.docx#_ftnref4) Al-Quran Surah 7: Verse 29, Al-Quran Surah 10: Verse 22, Al-
Quran Surah 16: Verse 52, Al-Quran Surah 29: Verse 65, Al-Quran Surah 31: Verse 32, Al-Quran Surah 39: Verse 2, Al-
Quran Surah 39: Verse 11, Al-Quran Surah 40: Verse 14, Al-Quran Surah 40: Verse 65, Al-Quran Surah 98: Verse 5

[5] (file:///D:/Islamic%20Articles/Deen.docx#_ftnref5) Al-Quran Surah 39: Verse 3

[6] (file:///D:/Islamic%20Articles/Deen.docx#_ftnref6) The Arabic word ‘yaum’ means: day, age, era, time [E. M. Badawi
and M. A. Haleem, Arabic English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, Leiden, The Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill NV, 2008.]

[7] (file:///D:/Islamic%20Articles/Deen.docx#_ftnref7) The particle al (‫ )ال‬is the definite article and changes the common
noun ‘deen’ (‫ )دﯾن‬into proper noun ‘ad-deen’ (‫)اﻟدّﯾن‬, referring to the way of life or system of governance based on Allah’s
law.
 [8] (file:///D:/Islamic%20Articles/Deen.docx#_ftnref8) Tamakkun (‫ )ﺗﻣﮑن‬means: to have authority and influence; to have
power; to be firm and consolidated; to have an abode [F. Steingass, The Student’s Arabic English Dictionary, London:
Crosby Lockwood and Sons, 1884.]

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2. The Islamic Ideology (https://quranicteachings.org/the-islamic-ideology/)
3. Di erence between “bashar” and “insaan” (https://quranicteachings.org/di erence-bashar-insaan/)
4. Ibada (‫( )ﻋِﺑﺎدة‬https://quranicteachings.org/ibada/)

 Key Terms (Https://Quranicteachings.Org/Category/Key-Terms/)

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