Believing in the existence of Allah is instinctive in human beings
Believing in the existence of Allah is instinctive in human beings. This innate instinct in termed “Fitrah” and is generally defined as pristine instinct within humans that lead them to acknowledge the truth of Allah’s existence and to follow His guidance. Allah describes it as:
فَاَقِمۡ وَجۡهَكَ لِلدِّيۡنِ حَنِيۡفًا ؕ فِطۡرَتَ اللّٰهِ الَّتِىۡ فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيۡهَا ؕ لَا تَبۡدِيۡلَ لِخَـلۡقِ اللّٰهِ ؕ ذٰ لِكَ الدِّيۡنُ الۡقَيِّمُ ۙ وَلٰـكِنَّ اَكۡثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ
So direct your face toward the religion inclining to truth. (Adhere) to the fitrah of Allah upon which He has created all people. No change should be there in the creation of Allah. That is the correct religion but most of the people do not know. (30-30)
Evidence of Fitrah
The majority of the people around the world throughout human history believe in God in one form or another. For proof you can check:
Gallup International Association 2000, Religion in the world at the end of Mellinium, retrieved may 6,2009. Vilma Scarpino, interim President of WIN/Gallup International Association: “The survey confirmed that religion is a relevant aspect in the lives of individuals at a worldwide level, even though the history of each country and the levels of education have a considerable influence on the perception of these values. The figures related to spiritual beliefs – around three quarters of the world population interviewed believe in the soul and in God – show us how important it is for the majority of world population to have a faith and to rely on it. Women and young people show higher percentages for the spiritual aspects – God, life after death, soul, hell and heaven”.
Pew forum on religion and public life 2007, US religion landscape survey
Americans display a high degree of similarity on some basic religious beliefs. For instance, Americans are nearly unanimous in saying they believe in God (92%), and large majorities believe in life after death (74%) and believe that Scripture is the word of God (63%).
But a closer look reveals considerable diversity with respect to both the certainty and the nature of these beliefs.
Americans’ beliefs about God are a good example of this diversity. Nearly all adults (92%) say they believe in God or a universal spirit, including seven-in-ten of the unaffiliated. Indeed, one-in-five people who identify themselves as atheist (21%) and a majority of those who identify themselves as agnostic (55%) express a belief in God or a universal spirit.
The Landscape Survey reveals that people who are not affiliated with a particular religious tradition do not necessarily lack religious beliefs or practices. In fact, a large portion (41%) of the unaffiliated population says religion is at least somewhat important in their lives, seven-in-ten say they believe in God and more than a quarter (27%) say they attend religious services at least a few times a year.
Another evidence of Fitrah is that when in distress or suffering from tribulations humans are likely to call out to Allah. Allah says:
وَاِذَا مَسَّ الۡاِنۡسَانَ ضُرٌّ دَعَا رَبَّهٗ مُنِيۡبًا اِلَيۡهِ ثُمَّ اِذَا خَوَّلَهٗ نِعۡمَةً مِّنۡهُ نَسِىَ مَا كَانَ يَدۡعُوۡۤا اِلَيۡهِ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ وَجَعَلَ لِلّٰهِ اَنۡدَادًا لِّيُـضِلَّ عَنۡ سَبِيۡلِهٖ ؕ قُلۡ تَمَتَّعۡ بِكُفۡرِكَ قَلِيۡلًا ۖ اِنَّكَ مِنۡ اَصۡحٰبِ النَّارِ
When man is afflicted with adversity he turns to his Lord, and prays to Him. But when He bestows His favour on him, he forgets what he prayed for before, and sets up others as compeers of God to Mislead (people) from His way.(8-38)
The purpose of suffering afflictions is to assist the Fitrah in breaking through the layers and layers of disbelief and misconception that may have been built around it over a lifetime. In some cases fitrah is buried quite deep. During these times the distraught individuals call out to the being that they know in their hearts to be only one capable of providing assistance. In fact, calling out is so automatic that it’s instinctive nature is obvious.
Allah Almighty also mentions in Quran that the pagans of Arab also used to remember the only Allah Almighty when any calamity befalls them on the sea.
۞ وَاِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الضُّرُّ فِى الۡبَحۡرِ ضَلَّ مَنۡ تَدۡعُوۡنَ اِلَّاۤ اِيَّاهُ ۚ فَلَمَّا نَجّٰٮكُمۡ اِلَى الۡبَرِّ اَعۡرَضۡتُمۡ ؕ وَكَانَ الۡاِنۡسَانُ كَفُوۡرًا
When a calamity befalls you on the sea, all those you invoke fail you except Him. But when He brings you safely to the shore, you turn away, for man is most ungrateful. (17-67)
۞وَمَاۤ اَرۡسَلۡنَا فِىۡ قَرۡيَةٍ مِّنۡ نَّبِىٍّ اِلَّاۤ اَخَذۡنَاۤ اَهۡلَهَا بِالۡبَاۡسَآءِ وَالضَّرَّآءِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَضَّرَّعُوۡنَ
And We sent to no city a prophet [who was denied] except that We seized its people with poverty and hardship that they might humble themselves [to Allah ]. (7-94)
(Courtesy: Psychology from Islamic Perspective)
Written by: Habib ur Rehman
