Understanding ‘Deen’

In the words of the verse “ وَمَن يـَبـْتَغِ غَيـْرَ الِْسْلَ مِ دِينًا ” فـَلَن يـُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ God has clearly declared that after the coming of the final Messenger, whoever follows a religion other than the one he brought will not be accepted by God. (Ruh al-Ma’ani, Vol. 2, p. 207). The point made in these two verses is not that the only correct way of life for humanity in different areas is the one established under Allah’s authority. Instead, it challenges the claims of other religions that they serve as means of salvation in Allah’s eyes. It states that from now on, the only path to salvation is the religion sent through the final Messenger. Regarding the third verse, we have covered it in detail elsewhere. Here, we will briefly discuss one aspect that shows the specific concept of deen in question cannot be derived from it. The author under review’s detailed interpretation of this verse, as cited in another section, shows that he interprets ِ ( لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّه to make it prevail over all religion) to mean the dominance of all forms of obedience. According to him, this includes replacing personal desires, customs, laws, and government with divine obedience. However, if we reflect, it becomes clear that such comprehensive obedience cannot be