Questions & Answers in Islamic Theology by Shaykh Ramzy Ajem

WHAT ARE THE DEFINITIONS OF RELIGION, BELIEF, SUBMISSION & SPIRITUAL EXCELLENCE?

Shaykh Ramzy Ajem answered:

Religion ‫ اﻟدﱢ ﯾن‬:

○ Lexical Meaning: obedience, worship, divine reward and reckoning

○ Technical Definition: It is that which is divinely posited for intelligent beings to adopt of their

own volition resulting in spiritual proximity to God and eternal salvation.

○ Synonymous Arabic terms: Shari`ah, Shar`, Millah, & Ahkam al-Fiqhiya

Belief ‫ إ ْﯾ َﻣﺎن‬:

○ Lexical Meaning: Credence (Tasdiq) i.e. the affirmation of something as true

○ Definition in Sacred Law: It is to accept and affirm the truth of everything the Prophet

Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬brought that is undoubtedly of the religion.

○ Note: The locus of Tasdiq is a person’s heart.

○ Related Science: Aqida, Ilm al-Tawhid, Usul al-Din & `Ilm al-Kalam

Submission ‫إﺳﻼَم‬
ْ :

○ Lexical Meaning: Compliance and conformity (Inqiyad & Imtithal)

○ Definition in Sacred Law: It is the compliance and conformity to what the Prophet Muhammad

‫ ﷺ‬brought that is undoubtedly of the religion.

○ Note: A person’s verbal compliance is a sign of Islam and Iman while the completion of the two

is a person’s works.

○ Related Science: Fiqh & Usul al-Fiqh

Spiritual Excellence ‫ﺳﺎن‬

َ ‫إﺣ‬
ْ :

○ Lexical Meaning: beauty, goodness & excellence

○ Definition in Sacred Law: It is the Muslim’s spiritual state of beholding God in worship, or of

being aware of His omniscience.

○ Related Science: Tasawwuf, Ilm al-Tazkiya & Suluk

Notes from the Sanusiya Course 2022 by Shaykh Ramzy Ajem