The Meaning of Religion
The word religion is widely used when referring to the faith or the belief of someone. The term religion expresses the eternal questions of life, death and next world. As to the factor that forms religion feeling, the natural anxiety in man, forces man to think deeply in the vast creation of the world and the universe and thus lead him to make an attempt to link himself with the external world.
As humanity grows to be in the world of social contacts and in the land of new culture, man find himself trying to create means and ways to establish the interaction on the basis of his belief and thus religion not only play the part of answering man's eternal question but it also plays the part of controlling the social aspect of laws and orders in the life of society.
All the statement above has sent us the message of religious thought and belief that we see in the past and in the present situation in the life of humanity and it will remain that way forever as man continues his exiting journey to explore the true meaning of religions.
Religion then develop not only in the mind of the individual but it has also turn itself to be the determining factor that shapes the rise of civilization, nations and countries. The significant role that religion had played resulted many wars and destruction in the name of religion to finally find itself to be the key factor in our daily life. Briefly, Religion is our basic necessity in life to fulfill the many question about life and it's link to the external world.
Religions can be classified in it's source where that is why the students of religious study would have to understand that religion is divided the revealed and non-revealed. Revealed religion requires the followers to believe in God, His Prophets and the book and the message that all these prophets brought. The non-revealed religion are those whose teachings do not regard man's submission to a well defined code of Divine guidance as essential. Revealed religion comprise Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the rest of religions are non-revealed.
Differences Between Revealed and Non-revealed Religion.
1) Revealed religion are based on the concept of the Unity of God while the non-
revealed religion are not necessarily so.
2) Revealed religions believes in the prophets, non-revealed do not.
3) According to revealed religions, the main source of guidance and the criteria of right and wrong are heavenly scriptures ; non-revealed do not regard heavenly scriptures as essential.
4) All revealed religion were born in the Middle East ; non-revealed religion were born outside this area.
5) Revealed religion have appeared in regions which have historically under the influence of the Semitic race, although later they succeeded in spreading even outside the area of Semitic influence. Non-revealed religions on the contrary were born outside the Semitic area and could not penetrate into that area.
6) Revealed religion are missionary religions according to their teaching or their historical traditions. Non-revealed religions are not missionary.
7) The teaching of revealed religions are clear and well defined. The teaching of non-revealed religion are vague and very elastic.
8) The teachings of revealed religion have an all embracing tenor. The embrace the worldly and as well as other worldly or the so called the spiritual aspect of life. The teaching of non-revealed religion are not so. They deal either merely the spiritual aspect of life or they concern themselves only with the worldly needs.
The Definition of al-Deen
Al-Deen is widely used to describe a way of life to which someone is submitted to. It is not correct the word al-Deen as religion or faith. This is because al-Deen is more than just a religion as it crosses the boundaries of religious rituals and rights to make itself a system that governs the whole aspect of mankind. The word al-Deen is derived from Arabic word ( daa na ) which its literal meaning is to make loan from someone.
It can also mean to make one feel degraded due to the superiority of someone else. Technically it means belief in the Omnipresence and Omnipotence of God and perform practices based on this belief. The whole understanding of these two meanings can be concluded as being in a state of submission as a result of the need to require something from someone who is far more superior.
The term al-Deen has a more wider meaning which is seen in various perspective :
1) al-Deen is a complete system that has everything in it to fulfill the need of mankind in running their life in a proper manner.
2) Al-Deen is a system that comprises the worldly need and the Hereafter. By following al-Deen, our life is secured and taken care of in the world and the Hereafter.
3) Al-Deen serve the three basic and important aspect of mankind, i.e. Spiritual aspect, Mental aspect and Physical aspect. Al the systems in al-Deen will take into consideration the three aspect.
The three description of al-Deen implies to us the need to submit ourselves to the whole system that will govern our life in this world and in the Hereafter.
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