بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Statements by the Scholars Regarding the Term Dîn (Religion)Ibn'ul Anbarî Rahimahullâh (338 H) said,
"Dîn means recompensating. As Allâh Azza wa Jalla said,
"So, if you are not going to be recompensed, then why do you not?" (al-Wâqi'ah, 56/86)
Dîn also means judgement. As Allâh Azza wa Jalla said,
"They ask: When is the Day of Judgement?" (adh-Dhâriyât, 51/12)
Dîn also means dominion.
Dîn also means obedience. As Allâh Azza wa Jalla said,
"He had no right to take his brother according to the Dîn of the king." (Yûsuf, 12/76)
Dîn also means Ubûdiyyah (servitude) and humility. It is said in the Hadîth,
"The clever person is the one who Dâna (past tense of the word Dîn) his soul, and works for what is after death." (at-Tirmidhî, Hadîth no. 2459)
This means: The one who enslaves his soul and humbles it.
Dîn also means nation, as in your statement: We are upon the Dîn of Islâm.
Dîn also means condition and customs."1
Ibnu Taymiyyah Rahimahullâh (726 H) said,
"The term Dîn (religion) includes the meanings of submission and humiliation. It is said "Dintuhu fa Dâna (I subjected him so he subjugated)," meaning, "I humiliated (enforced humility on) him, so he became humiliated." It is also said, "Yadînullâh and Yadînu Lillâh," meaning "He worships Allâh, obeys Him, and submits to Him."
Therefore, the Dîn of Allâh is worshipping Him, obeying Him, and submitting to Him."2
Ash-Sharîf al-Jurjânî Rahimahullâh (816 H) said,
"Dîn is divine rules which invite the possessors of intellect to accepting what is with the Messenger of Allâh Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam.
Dîn and Millah (nation): These are one in essence and different subjectively. In the sense of being obeyed, the Sharî'ah is called Dîn, in the sense of it uniting (people), it is called Millah (nation), and in the sense of being a reference, it is called Madhhab. It was said: The difference between Dîn, Millah, and Madhhab is that the Dîn is ascribed to Allâhu Taâlâ, the Millah is ascribed to the messenger, and the Madhhab is ascribed to the Mujtahid."3
1- Concisely: Ibn'ul Anbarî, az-Zâhir fî Ma'ânî Kalimât'in Nâs, 1/277-279.
2- Majmû'ul Fatâwâ, 10/152.
3- Ash-Sharîf al-Jurjânî, at-Ta'rîfât, p. 105-106.
