Fitrah
Definition
Fitrah is the innate, God-given disposition toward recognizing and worshipping Allah that was embedded in Adam at creation and passed through him to every human being. Ibn Kathir grounds this in the famous hadith: 'Every child is born upon the fitrah; then their parents make them a Jew, a Christian, or a Zoroastrian.' The fitrah is not merely a potential — it is an active orientation, a default setting of the human soul that inclines it toward divine truth before any external influence arrives. Understanding the fitrah helps explain both the universal human religious impulse and the particular Islamic claim that monotheism is not an achievement of civilization but a return to something primordially known.
As understood in the classical tradition of Ibn Kathir and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use Fitrah.
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"Early matters need to be carefully monitored because a child's innate nature is receptive to both good and evil, and it is the parents who incline them toward either side. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Every child is born upon the natural instinct (fitrah), but it is the parents who make them Jewish, Christian, or Magian." Sahl ibn Abdullah al-Tustari shared a personal story: "When I was three years old, I would rise at night and observe my uncle Muhammad ibn Sawar's prayer."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 22: The Book of Disciplining the Soul
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"For one who has a mere trinket and then sees a precious jewel will no longer desire the trinket, and their determination will be strengthened. The hadith "Every child is born upon the fitrah" is agreed upon and narrated by Abu Hurairah. In selling it for the jewel, those who do not seek the cultivation of the hereafter or the meeting with Allah Almighty lack true faith in Allah and the Last Day."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 22: The Book of Disciplining the Soul
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"It is suitable to determine the duration of the need; what is not needed within a year is not required. If one has something left over from their daily sustenance, they must pay al-fitrah. If we consider sustenance by the day, then the need for household furniture and clothing should be considered yearly; summer clothes should not be sold in winter."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 5: The Mysteries of Zakat
Appears in
1 book in the library
Hear the term in context.
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