THE CONCEPT OF RELIGION

The wide-ranging and all-encompassing meanings of these four terms have been justified by collecting various Quranic verses that utilize these terms in different senses (e.g., Ilah in five senses, Rabb in five, Ibadah in three, Deen in four). From this collection, it is inferred that each term encapsulates multiple meanings. Dividing a concept into multiple parts isn’t inherently wrong; however, it becomes problematic if the importance of these parts isn’t properly distinguished. For example, if someone states that “an egg consists of three components: yolk, white, and a shell,” this technical explanation is accurate. However, if the nutritional value of an egg was then defined based on this composition, in other words, if this description is used to define the relationship between an egg and a human being, it would be incorrect, as the yolk and white are nutritionally significant, while the shell merely serves as a container. According to the author under review, the combination of all these meanings forms what is called divinity (Ilahiyat), lordship (Rabbubiyat), worship (Ibadah), and religion (Deen). However, collecting various uses of a term from different contexts and creating a single, comprehensive meaning to portray the whole picture of Deen is like putting together scenes from a love story (e.g., Zaid’s love for Bakr, their embrace at the