An important concept relating to the concept of human nature from an Islamic perspective is fitra. Fitra refers to the primordial state of man- his natural condition and disposition. The optimistic view of human nature is rooted in this concept. Islam posits that the natural state of man is a positive and ‘good’ state – one in submission to God. This is related to the idea that all souls made a pledge with God before earthly existence, acknowledging Him as their Lord (Qur’an, Surah Al-A’raf, 7:172). Even before we were born, or were conceived, our souls met with Allah.
The spiritual aspect of every human has therefore already experienced the Divine. The defining experience of man in the Islamic perspective then, is not his physical aspect, but his spiritual aspect. This spiritual aspect of man is what the Qur’an, along with all spiritual traditions, appeals to. If early childhood experiences are considered to impact strongly on an individual’s life (even if only unconsciously) as suggested by Freud, the impact of such an experience going back to a time even earlier, of course would be fundamental. According to an Islamic point of view this explains the instinct in all individuals for right and wrong, (although in some it may be buried more deeply than others).
Spiritual or religious experience is therefore more a form of recognition than discovery.
This is exemplified in the Qur’an in Surah Al-A’raf, 7, verse157:
“He the Prophet enjoins on them that which they themselves sense as right, and forbids them that which they themselves sense as wrong.”
The religious emphasis is thus more on the inner experience than an externally imposed experience…a part of us already knows the truth. Due to the initial experience of union with God, a part of the individual seeks that union again. This quest is often begun with a search for the meaning of life. According to the Qur’an, the eternal aspect of each individual, the soul, is on a journey and passes through various stages in life. The end point of this journey though, as was the beginning, is God.
In Qur’an Surah Al-An’am, 6:94 we are told:
“And now you have returned to Us alone, as We created you at first, leaving behind all that we bestowed on you.”
