Many of us feel like we've become Muslims simply by performing rituals like prayer and fasting, but why does life still feel empty? Perhaps it's because we know Islam only as a "religion" and not as a "lifeline." “"din".
We need to know the meaning of Islam as din is a comprehensive description that goes beyond the traditional understanding of religion. Islam defines itself as “"din", namely a concept, which includes not only faith, but also culture, civilization, and the whole outlook on life.
The meaning and significance of din itself, has been explained in depth by Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, who is one of the leading Muslim thinkers whose scientific originality is recognized worldwide. Al-Attas explains that the concept din comes from one of the verses in the Qur'an which is known as “"verse of the covenant"”. The verse of the agreement (QS. Al-A'raf: 172) explaining phenomena in nature "“alastu”, namely the realm of spirits where all descendants of the Prophet Adam had their testimonies taken before being born into the world.
In nature “alastu” In this context, a phenomenon has emerged that demonstrates the existence of an initial agreement between humans and God, which implies surrender to Him. However, more fundamentally—than mere surrender—is the sense of indebtedness within humans. Therefore, it is understandable that Islam cannot be understood simply as a religion. More than that, Islam must be understood deeply as a “sense of indebtedness” in humans.
The sense of human debt here is present because God has created humans from nothing. Therefore, the basic meaning of Islam as din is a state of debt—from a human perspective. However, from God's perspective as the Creator, He is not giving a debt. Instead, He has given the gift of "existence" (existence) to humans.
A human being who feels himself “"in debt"” Of course, you have an obligation to pay the debt. So, what if he owes it to Allah? What should he pay? Being indebted to God is of course different from being indebted to fellow human beings, so the way to pay this debt is also different. Man's debt to God can only be paid by returning himself to God.
Meaning “"return"” here requires us as humans to recognize and understand the signs (paragraph) God is spread out in this vast universe. This means that we must understand our purpose and destiny in this world, namely to acquire knowledge. So we should not only see nature as a form of beauty, but we should also understand nature as a “"learning space"” which can help us to know God as the Creator.
Explanation of Islam as din brings us to an awareness that humans have an individual contract with God that has existed since they were in nature. alastu. This contract is a sacred contract between humans as individuals and their God, which reflects a strong bond of the soul (Individual contract reflects the covenant his soul has sealed with God).
In this sacred contract, every human being stands as a servant (abid) who bears full responsibility for every inch of their actions in this world. Before God, no soul is responsible for the sins of others, because every deed will be fully borne by each soul itself. This is why in Islam, ethics cannot be separated from religion.
We won't find the slightest loophole that could deceive God's oversight. Because God's reach encompasses everything, both visible and invisible—"“Indeed, Allah knows what is unseen in the heavens and the earth. And Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.” (QS. Al-Hujurat: 18). Every human activity—from the way we think to the way we interact with others—is part of an effort to fulfill that sacred agreement.
However, to fulfill this promise, humans are first required to behave fairly towards themselves. Fairness here is defined as "knowing oneself" and "not forgetting oneself." The absolute requirement for being just is knowledge, because without knowledge, humans will find it difficult to act justly—to put things in their proper place (proper place).
But we must know the source of that knowledge and its purpose. True knowledge is knowledge that does not lead us astray, and that can guide us back to the essence of our original covenant with Allah. This is where the importance of Sahih Bukhari's explanation lies: "“al-Ilmu qabla al-Qaul wa al-Amal”" (knowledge before words and deeds). This is because every deed we perform has a strong foundation based on the belief that God's promise is absolute truth.
Ultimately, the meaning of Islam as Deen explains that human life on earth has the purpose of repaying debts and fulfilling promises to Allah. This demand is the reason why humans must be civilized, namely, able to subdue knowledge and place things in their proper place. Without knowledge and a just attitude, humans are like travelers who have forgotten their sacred contract.
Therefore, let us together interpret and understand Islam well and wholeheartedly, so that we do not only become 'ritual' Muslims but also become 'intellectual' Muslims.‘
Wallahua'lam bish shawaab.
