The Natural Disposition upon Which Allah Created Mankind
Last night (Saturday night, the 7th of Shawwal 1446 AH), my daughter Fatimah and her husband, Dr Imran, were blessed with the birth of a daughter at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. At the time, I was in the town of Reading with my daughter Aisha, teaching Qur’anic tafsir to a group of men and women. Upon returning from the lesson, the glad news awaited me, and I praised and thanked Allah for His countless and immeasurable blessings.
Various duties and engagements then occupied me, as I am due to depart for India on Sunday morning, the 8th of Shawwal, if Allah wills. I was only able to visit the hospital at 4:30 PM, where I found the newborn and her mother in good health. I spoke with my son-in-law, Dr Imran, about various matters. They had chosen the name “Aisha” for their daughter. I told them I feared this might cause confusion in our household, as her aunt (my other daughter) already bears this name. It is worth noting that the tradition in India advises against repeating the same name within three successive generations, to avoid confusion when addressing family members.
Fatimah informed me that Imran had recited the adhan in Aisha’s right ear and the iqamah in her left ear, following our customary practice. Although this act is not established from the Prophet (peace be upon him) through a chain strong enough to be used as proof, scholars have deemed it commendable. They liked that the newborn’s first exposure be to the words of tawheed—this complete call, as every child is born upon the natural disposition (fitrah), and the name of Allah and His Oneness are the foremost needs of that disposition.
Fatimah then asked me to perform tahneek for the newborn. Al-Bukhari narrates that Asma’ bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them) gave birth to ‘Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr and brought him to the Prophet (peace be upon him). He took the baby in his lap, chewed a date, and rubbed it on the newborn’s palate (tahneek), then supplicated for him. Al-Bukhari also narrates from Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: “A son was born to me, so I brought him to the Prophet (peace be upon him). He named him Ibrahim, performed tahneek with a date, and supplicated for blessing upon him.” Based on this noble Sunnah, I performed tahneek for the newborn. She seemed pleased while sucking on the chewed date, as though she wanted more.
Imam al-Farahi (may Allah have mercy on him) was correct in his assertion that fitrah is not only inclined towards truth and goodness, but also finds happiness and contentment in that which conforms to it—and suffers when deprived of what it needs. The recognition of good and evil is intrinsic, supported by reason and revelation, and both further elaborate and refine this instinctive awareness. Those who claimed that the understanding of good and evil is based solely on reason or solely on revelation missed the mark. The truth, as known to the knowledgeable, is that good and evil are essentially rooted in the fitrah, detailed through revelation, and supported by the intellect.
Turning to Allah, feeling need for Him, and finding joy in His remembrance—all of this springs from the essence of fitrah. From it emanates profound happiness and spiritual fulfilment, for it carries within it the eternal truth. Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), the father of prophets, sensed this fitrah and bolstered it with rational proof, stronger than all human arguments. Fitrah stirs the human soul with intense longing for the True God, overflowing from the heart and spirit.
How beautiful are the words of some commentators: “This is the voice of fitrah speaking through the tongue of Ibrahim.
Though he had not yet found his Lord through conscious reasoning, his pure fitrah rejected from the outset the idea that the idols his people worshipped could be gods.” Ibrahim’s people, the Chaldeans of Iraq, worshipped idols as well as celestial bodies like stars and planets. But the god who is worshipped, who is called upon in times of ease and hardship, who created humans and all living beings—such a god, in the fitrah of Ibrahim, could not possibly be a stone idol or wooden figure. If these idols neither create, nor provide sustenance, nor hear, nor respond—which is plainly evident—then they are utterly undeserving of worship, even as mere intermediaries between the true God and His worshippers.
We spent some time in the hospital, and the atmosphere was filled with joy and happiness at the arrival of this new baby. Everyone was overwhelmed with delight. The parents, Fatimah and Imran, surrounded the newborn with waves of love and prayers. Words of blessing and congratulations flowed, and we exchanged supplications for her to be blessed and successful in life.
We prayed for the newborn and earnestly asked Allah to bless her, to make her among the righteous and devout, and to fill her life with light and guidance. O Allah, make her the coolness of her parents’ eyes, and grant them her goodness and obedience. We hope that this blessed child will be a source of happiness and joy for her family, shining in their lives like rays of sunlight that illuminate the darkness.
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Translated by AI. Original Arabic article available here: https://t.me/DrAkramNadwi/5962
