dīn–doctrine,Quran, SAM GERRANS

dīn–doctrine,Quran, SAM GERRANS
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4:125
ArticleVII
dīn–doctrine
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Mytreatmentofthis wordis notradicallydifferenttohowtheTraditionalisttreatsitbeyond thefactthat IcanprovidearationalexplanationforwhatitmeanswhichisconsistentwiththeQur’anicusage,andthereafterrenderitthusthroughout.
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TheArabicrootofdīnis d-y-n.Thecommon meaningsarisingfromthisrootrelatetoduty,loans,debt,and
obligation.Traditionalisttranslationscommonlyduckandweavewithregardtodīndependingontheir
requirements.Attimestheyunderstandit tomeanreligion(underwhichrubrictheyassumetheIslamicreligionrepletewithitspreceptsanddogmas);atother timessomethingdifferent.
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Inaveryspecificsensethemeaningofdīnis thatofreligion–butonlyin thesenseofthatwhichaman
trulybelieves,thatfromwhichhisactions follow.
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Islam is a dīn asis fundamentalistChristianityadīn. Butequally,soisCommunism a dīn, Earth-
worshippingenvironmentalismadīn, andscientificmaterialismadīn.Beliefthatifyou buyenough,ownenough orgainenough fameyou will behappyis adīn. Adīnis the totalityofthepreceptsuponwhichyou
baseyourlife.Everysentientpersonhasadīn.Claimingonehas nodīnorthatnosuchthingexistsis itself
adīn. Aman’sdīnis thatnarrativewhichinformshisdecisions.
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ThepointthattheQur’anis makingwithregardtodīnis notthatthe dīnoftheIslamic religion issuperiortootherdīns,butthatthemorallaw foundin theQur’an(andpreviouslyin otherscriptures)is superiortootherdīns.
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Every sentientbeing adheres toonedīnoranotherandallelsefollowsfromthat.Foolish peoplehave
beentrained toparrottheviewthatitdoesnotmatterwhatyou believe.Itmattersverymuchwhatyou
believe and,asG.K.Chestertonobserved,it is perhapstheonlythingthatmatters.BeliefsaretheDNAofthesoul.
While theIslamic dīn claims anoriginin theQur’an,evenacursoryacquaintancewithitwilldisabusethe
enquirerofany genuinerelationshipbetweenitandtheQur’an,andthehonestinvestigatorwillbeunable
toignoretheconclusion thatanysmall areasofcorrespondencebetweenthe twoareeithervestigialorcoincidental.
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Inconclusion,thesensebehinddīnisnotthatthereexistsonedīnandGodchosethisuniquethingandgave itto‘Muslims’anditconstitutestheIslamic religion.Rather,therearemanydīnsandGodchosethat
dīn–thatcodeofethicsormorallawordoctrine–hewanted forIbrāhı̄m,Yaʿqū b andtheirline.Therighteousofalltimeshavehadit.ʿIvsā , son ofMaryamadheredtoit.Hisearlydisciplesadheredtoit.Histruedisciples today–thosewhofollowhimratherthanworshiphim–certainlyhaveit.AndbyfollowingtheQur’anonecanparticipate in  italso.It is a  lifetransaction,amorallaw basedontaqwā(prudentfearofGod)andgoodworks.Itis notanismanditcertainlydoesnotcorrespondwithsectarian  membershipofanykind.
Itranslatedīnasafree-standingconceptacrosstheentiretextasdoctrine.
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Inaddition,thereis theuse ofdīnaspartofthecollocationyawmaldīn.ThiscouldberenderedDayof
Doctrine(inthesensethatGod’spowerwill uncoverthetruedoctrinebywhicheachmanlivedonthe
FinalDay),butthatwouldsoundtoooddin English,andIhavekepttothecommonlyacceptedDayof
Judgmentwhichcarriesthesamesentimentbutbyadifferentroute.
Allinstancesinthetextarefootnoted.
References:-
1:4,2:132,2:193,2:217,2:217,2:256,3:19,3:24,3:73,3:83,3:85,4:46,4:125,4:146,4:171,5:3,5:3,5:3,
5:54,5:57,5:77,6:70,6:137,6:159,6:161,7:29,7:51,8:39,8:49,8:72,9:11,9:12,9:29,9:33,9:33,9:36,
9:122,10:22,10:104,10:105,12:40,12:76,15:35,16:52,22:78,24:2,24:25,24:55,26:82,29:65,30:30,
30:30,30:32,30:43,31:32,33:5,37:20,38:78,39:2,39:3,39:11,39:14,40:14,40:26,40:65,42:13,42:13, 42:21,48:28,48:28,49:16,51:6,51:12,56:56,60:8,60:9,61:9,61:9,70:26,74:46,82:9,82:15,82:17,82:18,83:11,95:7,98:5,98:5,107:1,109:6,109:6,110:2.