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3. Fitrah (Human Nature) – 23 Questions Series
Following videos are from Ghamidi sahab’s Response to 23 Questions series. In these videos he explains every aspect of his understanding in regards to fitrah.
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3. Fitrah (Human Nature) – 23 Questions Series
updated 3 years, 7 months ago
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Response to 23 Questions – Part 13 – Fitrah (Human Nature) – Javed Ahmed Ghamidi
Fitrah Episode 1
Q. Ghamidi sahab begins his book ‘Meezan’ with the statement that religion is the guidance given by Allah which he first inhered within human nature. The objection people raise is that this is an addition to the sources of religion, and humans can define nature as per their desires. What is this concept of “fitrah” and how did Ghamidi sahab come up with it? From 0:12 to 10:26
Q. How do we know that humans have an innate mechanism or nature? Can’t we just say that when humans acquire information from the external world and environment, it creates a temperament within them? Why do we have to move towards determining a “fitrah”? From 10:26 to 21:37
Q. Our experiences and observations infiltrate within us from the outside. How can then they be considered part of an internal process of “fitrah”? From 21:38 to 33:00
Q. How do we know that man possesses some instinctive knowledge (iztarari ilm)? What is its relation to inductive reasoning and logical inference? From 33:01 to 42:53
Q. Can’t we say that whatever a child learns is from the information he receives from the external world and from how he is taught in his socialization to reach a particular conclusion instead of saying that once a child has been introduced to the tools to give rulings about certain things, an internal mechanism enables him to give independent rulings about other things as well? From 42:53 to 50:55
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Response to 23 Questions – Part 14 – Fitrah (Human Nature) – Javed Ahmed Ghamidi
Fitrah Episode 2
Q. Is the “fitrah” just the name of an ability which considers truth and falsehood and moral and immoral as different opportunities/possibilities or does this “fitrah” also help humans to choose the right one among these? From 0:12 to 6:20
Q. A problem may arise when the internal disposition of a person says contrary to what the people believe through their observation and inductive reasoning. What source of knowledge then will be decisive in determining which one is based on “fitrah”? From 6:20 to 9:52
Q. If a subject/science is constantly evolving and changes are taking place in it every day, then how can it become a point of reference for different people? From 9:53 to 13:46
Q. There have been many nations and civilizations in the past who considered obscenity, nudity and homosexuality as their natural inclinations. If someone goes back into that time and applies the method of induction to such a nation, then wouldn’t it seem that all these things are ingrained in human nature? How is knowledge produced and how can deviations be challenged? From 13:46 to 21:05
Q. As a result of all the advancement of knowledge throughout history, what has been determined as “fitrah”? From 21:05 to 24:05
Q. What is intuitive knowledge (iztarari ilm) which is ingrained in humans? From 24:05 to 26:13
Q. Ghamidi sahab says that the guidance of “fitrah” has been ordained in humans since their creation but we know that Allah Almighty directly talked and gave guidance to the first human, Adam sws. It seems then that the fundamentals of knowledge and religious guidance did not arise from “fitrah”, they were given through God’s direct revelation and scriptures. If “fitrah” was already there, as Ghamidi sahab claims, then what was the need of prophethood? From 26:14 to 38:38
Q. It can be argued that the consciousness of God in Adam did not arise from “fitrah”, it rose from direct contact with God i.e., it wasn’t his inference; rather it was a practical experience. What is Ghamidi sahab’s response to this? From 38:39 to 39:52
Q. When Allah Almighty sent Adam and Eve to live in a garden, they committed a mistake despite the fact that there was no external influence or knowledge. At that instance, Allah Almighty didn’t say that you violated your “fitrah”, instead, He says that I had forbidden you from doing that. So, isn’t it the word of Almighty which became a ruling for Adam and Eve instead of some guidance in “fitrah”? From 39:52 to 47:20
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Response to 23 Questions – Part 15 – Fitrah (Human Nature) – Javed Ahmed Ghamidi
Fitrah Episode 3
Q. Why was there a need to send revelation and prophets if guidance was already ingrained in “fitrah”? Why can’t we argue that the consciousness of “fitrah” is just an ability to understand two categories differently instead of a criterion for guidance? Case Study of Adam sws From 0:12 to 12:51
Q. Are there any clear statements in the Quran which tell us that guidance is ingrained within “fitrah”? Analysis of Surah Ar-Rum, Verse 30 From 12:52 to 24:59
Q. Imam Ibn Taymiyyah writes that people being born with “fitrah” doesn’t mean that man is actually born on the creed of Islam because the Quran also says that Allah brought you forth from the wombs of your mother while you knew nothing. What does he mean? How can we reconcile between the two verses wherein Allah, on the one hand, says that you knew nothing when you were born while, on the other hand, He says that I created you with “fitrah” which you must follow because it is the correct religion? From 25:00 to 35:15
Q. Is it really no difference between “Salaf” and Ghamidi sahab on the issue of “fitrah”? From 35:15 to 37:05
Q. Where does the Quran elaborate the details and principles of the guidance placed in “fitrah”? How does this answer to the question that on what basis God will judge those people who lived in places where the message of Prophets couldn’t reach? Analysis of Surah Al-Araaf, Verses 172-174 From 37:05 to 58:55
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Response to 23 Questions – Part 16 – Fitrah (Human Nature) – Javed Ahmed Ghamidi
Fitrah Episode 4
Q. Are there any other places in the Quran, besides the two mentioned in the previous episode, where the topic of “fitrah” has been discussed? Is “fitrah” just an ability or is it the whole religion? What is the relation between “fitrah” and divine revelation? From 0:12 to 18:28
Q. Is there any Hadith in which the Prophet (pbuh) describes “fitrah” in the same way? Musnad Ahmad, Number 17634 From 18:29 to 24:36
Q. Summary of Ghamidi sahab’s point of view regarding “fitrah” From 24:36 to 28:03
Q. Is there any criticism on Ghamidi sahab’s understanding of the Quranic verses regarding “fitrah”? From 28:04 to 33:22
Q. The first objection raised on Ghamidi sahab’s opinion is that the Quran does not declare accountability on the basis of “fitrah” alone. Instead, at many places, it clearly states that people will be held accountable on the basis of their response to the message of Prophets. Has Ghamidi sahab ignored those verses from the Quran? From 33:23 to 49:02
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Response to 23 Questions – Part 17 – Fitrah (Human Nature) – Javed Ahmed Ghamidi
Fitrah Episode 5
Q. Three stages of Allah’s scheme – Ilham-e-Fitrah – Arrival of Prophets – Itmam-e-Hujjat? From 0:12 to 4:10
Q. It is argued that the Quran say that Prophets have been sent everywhere to every nation. Then how does this opinion stand that “fitrah” will be the basis to judge those who didn’t receive the message of Prophets? From 4:11 to 9:00
Q. It is argued that this important information about “Ehd-e-Alast” (the covenant of Alast) and accountability on its basis has been given to us by divine revelation in the Quran otherwise we wouldn’t have known it. What is Ghamidi sahab’s take on this? From 9:01 to 14:56
Q. Analysis of “Wa Nafsiwn Wa Ma Sawwaha, Fa Al Hamaha Fujuraha Wa Taqwaha”. What does the word “Nafs” mean? Why does Ghamidi sahab assign some part of guidance to “fitrah” and the rest to divine revelation? If this verse is to be interpreted in the way Ghamidi sahab does, why is there no mention of “wahi” (divine revelation) in this verse? From 14:57 to 24:46
Q. It is argued that at most, “Fujuraha Wa Taqwaha” tells that the knowledge of good and evil has been imbibed in humans. But where has it been said in this verse that the knowledge in “fitrah” also guides humans in adopting good and to ascertain ‘hurmat’ in cases like alcohol? From 24:47 to 33:36
Q. There is a Hadith that Prophet (pbuh) prayed “O Allah! Give ‘taqwa’ to my ‘nafs’ and it is only You who purifies best”. If ‘nafs’ already had ‘taqwa’, then why did Prophet (pbuh) pray to Allah for it? From 33:37 to 39:20
Q. The great philosophers, who have discoursed on truth and justice or good and evil, predicate them all on the external practices and experiences of human beings instead of “fitrah” within human beings. What is Ghamidi sahab’s take on this? From 39:21 to 47:09
Q. Another objection raised is that it is meaningless when Ghamidi sahab says that universally, every person hides the acts of his sins. If an act is not considered evil in a culture e.g., marrying one’s own sister, then why would the person hide that? How to understand the differences in applications of principles of “fitrah” and Shariah? From 47:10 to 55:37
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Response to 23 Questions – Part 18 – Fitrah (Human Nature) – Javed Ahmed Ghamidi
Fitrah Episode 6
Q. Another objection which is raised is that Ghamidi sahab seems to consider things which he has learned in his religion and society as universal and that, in the present times, majority of the people belonging to Abrahamic religions consider consumption of alcohol, taking interest, and indulging in homosexuality as completely fine and part of human “fitrah”. What is Ghamidi sahab’s response to this? From 1:04 to 12:52
Q. Another objection is that the knowledge acquired from induction is an uncertain knowledge which makes good and evil relative concepts instead of absolute realities. So, without “Wahi” (divine revelation), what is the solution to this problem? From 12:53 to 23:42
Q. What is the meaning of the verse in Surah Al-Anaam wherein it is said that if you’ll follow the majority in the world, you’ll go astray? How are narratives and meta-narratives created? From 23:43 to 31:06
Q. It is said that if we rely on induction and “fitrah”, moral values become relative and evolve over time. What changes have taken place in “fitrah” in this way? From 31:07 to 34:26
Q. In the process of induction to determine good or evil, whose “fitrah” will be set as the standard, that of individual or the group? From 34:27 to 38:38
Q. Why is it that, on the one hand, people assert that the knowledge obtained through induction is defective and uncertain while, at the same time, they raise the objection that why do you consider the knowledge obtained from Quran as certain and absolute? From 38:39 to 42:26
Q. Why is it that people consider ‘Ijma’ as a source of religion whereas the Quran states in Surah Al-Anaam that if you follow the majority, you’ll be misled? From 42:26 to 45:20
Q. Aren’t we going to be influenced when we share the results of induction with other people? How does this process take us forward in determining good and evil? From 45:21 to 48:26
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Response to 23 Questions – Part 19 – Fitrah (Human Nature) – Javed Ahmed Ghamidi
Fitrah Episode 7
Q. Did Ghamidi sahab, sometime back in the past, state the principle that we can ascertain the right “fitrah” on the basis of the majority from the nation of Abraham (pbuh)? From 0:55 to 4:48
Q. Is the foundation of good and evil present in “fitrah”, according to Ghamidi sahab, based on the commands of Allah or some other concept? From 4:49 to 7:39
Q. If the source of good and evil exists within human nature, i.e., if the stimulus emanates from inside, then how can the result lie in the external world in terms of accountability? From 7:40 to 9:12
Q. Ghamidi sahab has said that the objective of all the moral efforts of human beings is the attainment of God’s eternal kingship. This phrase is criticized on the basis that it implies making human beings partners of the eternal kingship of God. Isn’t this notion similar to the concept of divinity invented by Christian theologians? From 9:13 to 11:36
Q. Does the verse 177 of Surah Al-Baqarah negate the argument that virtue is imbibed in “fitrah” as it does not refer to “fitrah” when it declares that virtue is what Allah commands? For example, on the basis of “fitrah”, sacrificing a kid can’t be virtue, but it becomes virtue when Abraham (pbuh) gets ready to sacrifice his son on the command of Allah. From 11:37 to 19:55
Q. Another objection which is raised is that since the reward for virtue will only be given when it is done in order to obey or please God, then how can the concept of good and evil within “fitrah” bear any fruit in terms of reward or punishment if it is used without ‘Iman Billah’ and faith in the guidance brought by the Prophets? From 19:56 to 24:47
Q. Why is our intellectual tradition of scholarship presenting a different interpretation of ‘Maaruf’ and ‘Munkir’? How does the Quran use these words? What are ‘Awamir’ and ‘Nawahi’? From 24:48 to 28:17
Q. It is argued that the Quran states in Surah Al-Anaam that man does not possess the ability to declare anything Halal or Haram. Then how can it be argued that there are only four things regarding food and drinks about which the Quran gives clear commands and the rest are known to “fitrah”? From 28:18 to 35:50
Q. Ghamidi sahab says that the awareness of ‘Tayyabat’ and ‘Khabayis’ is present within “fitrah” and it repels ‘Khabayis’. It is narrated that, on one occasion, when ‘dhab’ was brought before the Prophet (pbuh), he said that I do not eat, implying that his “fitrah” repels eating it, but the repulsion of “fitrah” did not make it ‘Khabees’ as the Sahaba (companions) ate it. Doesn’t this negate Ghamidi sahab’s point of view? From 35:51 to 39:04
Q. Ghamidi sahab has written that the beasts of burden are generally not eaten by human beings but camel too is a beast of burden and human beings eat it. It is argued that this guidance came from the Prophet (pbuh) who instructed not to eat donkeys and never forbade from eating camels, and hence the guidance is not there in “fitrah”. What is Ghamidi sahab’s take on this? From 39:05 to 43:47
Q. Isn’t it possible that as a result of induction, people might consider consumption of animals, which are forbidden in religion, as per “fitrah”? From 43:47 to 47:02
Q. We read that for the ‘Hanabila’, eating elephant is permissible, for the ‘Shawafe’, eating horses is permissible and for the ‘Malikia’, the reptiles of the Earth are permissible to eat. When we disagree with their opinions, on what basis will we tell them that eating these is not permissible? From 47:03 to 49:08
Q. If “fitrah” guides human beings in determining ‘Tayyab’ and ‘Khabees’, then why do millions of people eat dogs and cats, as in China? From 49:09 to 54:04
Q. It is said that Ghamidi sahab’s concept of “fitrah” paves the way for religious secularization. What is Ghamidi sahab’s response to this? From 54:04 to 57:39
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