Is Islam Din(way) or Madhab (religion)?

In the Name of Allah,

All praise is due to Allah, the owner of the day of judgement.

If I make a mistake, it is from my ego, and if I say good, it is from Allah.

Recently, I realized that there is a disconnect between the two extreme spectrum of Muslims. One extreme has made Islam as a cult, where you follow rituals, but no one cares if you are following Islam beyond that, and they would invite people to their madhab (religion). Other extreme is repelled by the idea of madhab (religion) and rituals, and they would like to follow Islam without being labelled as madhabi (religuous) person.

Finally, I figured it out that there is a great misconception that has created this polarization. Both sides consider Islam as a madhab, and want to impose their methods on each other. In fact, Islam is neither a cult where focus is the membership, nor a club that you can participate on Friday afternoons or Sunday evenings.

Islam has two sources i.e. Quran and Sunnah, and neither sources use the word "Madhab" to describe Islam. Allah has used the word "Din" to describe Islam, and I have yet to see a hadith where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) use the word "Madhab". So, humans have created madhab, whereas Allah has provided din.

ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أَكۡمَلۡتُ لَكُمۡ دِينَكُمۡ وَأَتۡمَمۡتُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ نِعۡمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡإِسۡلَـٰمَ دِينً۬ا‌ۚ

"This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed my favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion." (Quran 5:3)

In the above translation, the word religion is used for the word "din", but a better word to describe din is "way" or "lifestyle". Person translating Quran is usually trying to present a meaning of the sentence, so it can reflect the meaning in English. Hence, the word religion suffice as a translation, to convey the meaning of the sentence. However, the root meaning of the word is lost in translation.

Lets look at these two words in the light of usage among the scholars of Islam. Scholars will refer the word "Din" or "Deen" to mean the way of life shown to us in Quran and sunnah, which is chosen by Allah. On the other hand, scholars will refer the word "Madhab" to mean the interpretation of a "Mujtahid" (e.g. opinion of Imam Abu Hanifa) in the matters where there is a conflict of interpretation. So, it is clear that Islam as a whole is not a madhab, but a din.

Let me give you an example of what I saw today. I met one of the Muslim brothers in the masjid at Fajr time, but on the way back home, I saw a young man from this brother's house taking the pet dog out to have him releive. I didn't see him at the masjid, so he may or may not be there. For the sake of explaination, I will assume that he wasn't there. So, this young man probably his son, obeying the will of a pet and walked outside, but couldn't obey the will of Allah to come to the masjid for fajr. It is not because he doesn't want to obey Allah, but it is beacause he sees the pet's need as his lifestyle and his duty, and sees going to masjid at Fajr as a religious matter.

Islam is NOT a religion. Islam is NOT a religion. Islam is NOT a religion.
Islam is a way of life, so consider it as such. We can't be a Muslim on Friday afternoon, and leave Islam to shake our bottoms at night club, or sip from wine, or backbite over dinner, or miss maghrib while visiting someone's home, or deal in interest, or walkout after Maghrib on Sundays when tafsir starts, or waste money on weddings, or be mean to the wife, or park the car on the street outside the masjid when the parking lot is empty, or shave our face, or socialize with non-mahram, or go out naked head for men to absorb our beauty, or urine while standing, or lsiten to music, or speak filth from the mouth, or break the promise, or lie for small things like jokes, or not speakup against sin, or stay quite in family when transgressions are taking place...

"O ye who believe! enter into Islam whole-heartedly; and follow not the footsteps of the Evil One; for he is to you an avowed enemy. If ye backslide after the clear (signs) have come to you, then know that Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise. Will they wait until Allah comes to them in canopies of clouds, with angels (in His train) and the question is (thus) settled? But to Allah do all questions go back (for decision)." (Quran 2:208-210)

A beleiver does not take off Islam as we take off loose clothes after coming home from masjid, but he wears Islam for the rest of his life until the Angel of death visits him. An unbeleiver does not wear Islam for the rest of his life. A hypocrite wears Islam for religous days and time, and takes it off for worldly matters.

These are the only 3 choices Allah has created, and this will be the 3 main groups on the day of judgement. There will be no group called "kalma go" (muslim by tongue), and there will be no group called Namazi (muslim by appearance).

Shake off the ego of being a religious person, and shake off the ego of being a moderate muslim. Be sincere to Allah, and he will be sincere to you. Islam is not a cult, so don't join for rituals, and Islam is not a club, so don't join for optional benefits.

Join Islam as your heart is joined to your body. Protect your faith 24 hours a day, and never let your heart or Islam stop beating, until you suppose to die.

JazakAllah Khairin
A struggling Muslim

AbuArman (Adnan Jumani)