In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Divine Instinct

Humans are born with an inner compass, an innate knowledge of God and the truth. This religious sense is not learned, not implanted by social environment or education, not a privilege of any race or culture and knows no boundaries. It is an inner insight for worshiping God alone, an instinct for monotheism and one of the greatest blessings of the Most Gracious. This inner light radiates a sense of belonging and loyalty in the human heart - a spiritual sense that could never be brought by money or fame.

[30:30] Therefore, you shall devote yourself to the religion of strict monotheism. Such is the natural instinct placed into the people by God. Such creation of God will never change. This is the perfect religion, but most people do not know.

“this innate axiom of mind is confirmed by man's observation that there is nothing made without a maker, nothing done without a doer”.

“Among other innate senses in the same category are: (1) TRUTH. The impulse to seek for hidden treasure, for accuracy and righteousness; the sense which has led the thoughts of man since the day of his first appearance on earth to study and research into the myriad problems of the unknown and the obscure. It is this which has brought science and industry into being. The difficulties and hardships which obstructed the path of scientific researchers, inventors, and discoverers in penetrating the veil of obscurity that cloaks the hidden secrets of the world, were only faced because this instinct urged them on to successful conquest of uncharted territories of knowledge”.

The same instinct that directs humans to the true Lord, seeking His help, when disaster hits. With heart and soul, they seek the source of all power, the origin of all grace and mercy.

"Man's most disagreeable habits and idiosyncrasies, his deceit, his cowardice, his lack of reverence, are engendered by his incomplete adjustment to a complicated civilization. It is the result of the conflict between our instincts and our culture." (Sigmund Freud)

“ Religion's task is to acknowledge the instincts; to improve, to steer, and to govern them; not to deny or obliterate them. Man's nature is such that the spiritual and the physical instincts must be kept in perfect balance. Both are essential to human nature. They must not fight each other for preeminence. By equable synthesis they must make life on earth a natural, logical, happy, and harmonious existence. There is no dichotomy between happiness in this world and happiness in the next. The Christian preachers who declared that man must choose between worldly joys and heavenly bliss erred gravely and promoted the revolt which followed their teachings.”

According to Freud, going against the instinct is the reason of human feelings of unhappiness, discontent and aggression.

When humans fail to trace the source of misery and discontentment and when they wonder about their feelings of emptiness and loneliness, they usually look everywhere except into their own heart, missing their inner instinct. They willingly go against their natural drive, and ignore their inner divine voice.

Considering all the tools God provided for humans (divine inner drive, loving faith, enlightening scriptures and messengers), we might realize why there is no room for any sympathy towards disbelievers, as it becomes obvious that they have no excuse. Realizing the immense mercy behind all those tools makes it clear that disbelievers and idol worshipers, maliciously and intentionally, go out of their way and go against their own natural instinct to disobey and reject the faith and the guidance. Distracted by visible materials and illusions and driven by ignorance and arrogance, they do their best to be out of God’s kingdom. No wonder they are described as wicked, unappreciative and transgressors. Even though, when faced with danger and when difficulties and disasters strike, they instinctively, turn to the Most Gracious.

[32:12] If only you could see the guilty when they bow down their heads before their Lord: "Our Lord, now we have seen and we have heard. Send us back and we will be righteous. Now we have attained certainty."

[30:33] When adversity afflicts the people, they turn to their Lord, totally devoting themselves to Him. But then, as soon as He showers them with mercy, some of them revert to idol worship.

[10:12] When adversity touches the human being, he implores us while lying down, or sitting, or standing up. But as soon as we relieve his adversity, he goes on as if he never implored us to relieve any hardship! The works of the transgressors are thus adorned in their eyes.

Monotheism is the perfect religion described by God as the straight path and as we now realize, it is the only religion that agrees and conforms with our instinct. Humans are blessed with pure untaught knowledge about their true Lord and a natural intuition to worship Him alone- the only Lord who placed in their hearts the love of faith and the rejection of disbelief. He prepared them by having them witness that He is their only Lord and Master and graciously showed them the right path.

[7:172] Recall that your Lord summoned all the descendants of Adam, and had them bear witness for themselves: "Am I not your Lord?" They all said, "Yes. We bear witness." Thus, you cannot say on the Day of Resurrection, "We were not aware of this."

[2:130] Who would forsake the religion of Abraham, except one who fools his own soul? We have chosen him in this world, and in the Hereafter he will be with the righteous.
[2:131] When his Lord said to him, "Submit," he said, "I submit to the Lord of the universe."
[2:132] Moreover, Abraham exhorted his children to do the same, and so did Jacob: "O my children, God has pointed out the religion for you; do not die except as submitters."

Realizing the value of this innate guide with inborn religious sense shows how following our inner light is truly the perfect religion and the hidden secret of all happiness; true happiness; happiness of the soul.

[30:30] Therefore, you shall devote yourself to the religion of strict monotheism. Such is the natural instinct placed into the people by God. Such creation of God will never change. This is the perfect religion, but most people do not know.

Peaceful Friday, salaam, and God bless.

Refrences:

  1. Quran, The Final Testament
  2. www.encyclopedia.com/topic/instinct.aspx
  3. home.swipnet.se/islam/books/knowing_god/knowing_god.htm