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From: jnawaz@skat.usc.edu (Jemshed Nawaz)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: Goats,Beards,and Action (Article from MuslimWise).
Message-ID: <1990Dec22.003255.6686@nntp-server.caltech.edu>
Date: 22 Dec 90 00:32:55 GMT
Sender: bes@nntp-server.caltech.edu (Behnam Sadeghi)
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
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Approved: bes@tybalt.caltech.edu

In article <1990Dec18.222122.13565@nntp-server.caltech.edu>,
bro@eunomia.rice.edu (Douglas Monk) writes:
|>
|>
|>([From footnote] (1) `Fitra' to the majority of Muslim scholars, means
|>the Islamic pattern and tradition of the Prophet (SAAWS). (Literally,
|>it means `human nature'.) Religion of pure Islamic nature (i.e.
|>worshipping none but Allah). Fitr as a verb also means ``to create''.
|>(See Qur'aan 30:30).)
|>
|>

What a coincidence....I just now happened to see this word among the
Dictionary of Qur'anic Terms in the "Al'Furqan International" Magazine
and the definition given:
	
FITRAH:	nature, true form of reality, a concept of great importance in
	the essentials of human nature which stimulate tenderness,
	qualities of love, compassion, benevolence and generosity
	without external interference. In a true sense, these
	qualities belong to Allah alone as being the Benevolent, the
	Merciful (Al-Rahman, Al-Rahim). Man, being a creation of
	Almighty Allah, is bestowed with such qualities which are
	essential for fulfilling the purpose of life in order to obey
	the commands of his Creator and Cherisher.
		FITRAH is deprived of freedom to make wrong and does
	not yield to the tendency of weakness in making sin at its
	accord. It connotes entirely positive and optimistic concept
	of life and completely submits to its actual and natural form.
	FITRAH is not destroyed but only with a deliberate act of
	forbearing transgression. It is perfect and absolute. The Holy
	Qur'an says:
		"This is He who knoweth what is out of our knowledge
		and what is within it, the Mighty, the Merciful, who
		hath made everything which He hath created most
		perfect."(Surah Sajda:6,7).
		The "perfect" here referred is FITRAH. Allah fashions
	every detail of His creation in accordance with the functions
	intended for it, irrespective of whether those functions can
	be conceived by man or they are beyond the reach of his
	perception. These creations are perfect and fair. There are
	many valid reasons that Al'Islam is the religion which coheres
	with the FITRAH of man.


|>
|>Thanks,
|>Doug Monk (bro@rice.edu)
|>
|>Disclaimer: These views are mine, not necessarily my organization's.
                                       

Jemshed Nawaz