Name : Syed Ahsan Raza

ID No : 15517

Course : Pakistan & Islamic Studies

Subject :Difference b/w Religion, Mazhab and Deen

Submitted to : Mr Usman

Date of submission : 21 Sept 2011

In Urdu and Arabic the word Mazhab is used for religion. Mostly Deen and Mazhab is said to have the same meaning and muslims will also find many similarities in it because our concept is the true one. However lets us also look at it in a world wide scale that what will change in it. "Mazhab" and "Deen" are two different implementations of Religion and the differences between them are significantly great. * "Mazhab" is only limited to the individual * It is spiritual, NOT practical * "Mazhab" stands for 'Gesticulation' or 'Worshiping', it as an act of physical performance, either in the form of prostration or some other form of mysticism, which is solely regarded as a personal act. Thus, "Mazhab" has made the access to Hell or Heaven a very effortless phenomena, for istance some practices claim that standing on your feet for 2 days or recitation of certain scriptures for 5000 times will make you eligible for Heaven while others would guarantee you a similar achievement on some other ridiculous acts. However, one simple yet important fact about "Mazhab" should be very clear here that it CAN NOT cope with time, people who believe in such practices never evolve and their existence becomes un-survivable. These believes are illogical and mythical, these just involve physical involvement i.e worshipping it doesn't encourage any changes in our social, emotional or even economical states. A good example of Mazhab would be Budhism, Jainism, Hinduism etc which all have something in common and that is that they achieve nothing for their well-being out of their practices similarly we've converted our

religion into a analogous condition. Now on the other hand, "Deen" is something completely distinctive to Mazhab: Deen is logical and practical Deen has set of guide lines and laws based on which it evolves with time. These guidelines are well defined and must cater for the whole universe for all times. These guidelines are not for a specific society or a group, they are for the whole humanity. Islam is the only religion which fits perfectly and truly on this definition where Quran defines all the laws of humanity and is a guidance for the mankind, Islam is a social system and it clearly yet precisly teaches every human being on how this God-gifted life should be led. All Prophets sent by Allah, profoundly instructed their communities to follow Allah's Laws ("Mahkoomiyat") and not confuse it with human. However, Quranic verses describe that after every Prophet's departure their communities took the authority of the divine messages, made changes on their own will and formed man-made spiritual societies where they only restricted themselves to worshiping, forgot the message of establishing a divine system and indulged into activities which were purely shirk and revolved around their interests and needs. As Allah says that Islam is the only true Deen (which sadly is in its worst condition but InshahAllah will eventually prevail but not magically or over night, we'll have to work hard to make it happen. He it is Who has sent His Messenger with the Enlightenment and the Religion of Truth that He may cause it to prevail over all other systems of life. And Allah is Sufficient as Witness

You can not have sects or groups in Deen. Forming groups is "SHIRK" and HARAAM Turn unto Him alone then, and be mindful of Him, and establish the Divine System and be not of the MUSHRIKEEN who ascribe authorities along with Him Be not like those who separated and differed after the clear proofs of Truth had come to them. For such there is an awful doom since they cause divisions instead of unity. In Deen results are obvious and can be seen but in Muzhab they dont exist