Factors Responsible for Estrangement from Fitrah

The idea that the human being partakes of a divine nature that has innate knowledge of God is sometimes criticized on the grounds that if in fact such a nature does exist, why then is human history full of atheists and unbelievers. Our reply to this criticism is that there are numerous factors that may work against and counteract the influence of the fitrah. Indulging the sensual desires and succumbing to evil social conditions are two main factors that can estrange one from one’s divine nature-fitrah -and diminish one’s response to its intuitive directions. Here we will consider four such factors.

The divine nature within the human being remains throughout one’s life as the incorruptible force of truth, never deviating from its sacred function, which is to compel one to strive after truth and perfection. Nevertheless, the human being may choose to neglect and defy the fitrah. Even such an infamous figure as Pharaoh was endowed with this divine nature, but he in virtue of his free will chose to go against the guidance of the fitrah. That Moses was commanded by God to approach Pharaoh to try to convince him to obey God shows that Pharaoh did partake of divine nature, for otherwise this command to Moses would have been pointless.

Flawed Presentation of Religious Concepts

An important factor contributing to the stifling of human fitrah is the unreasonable and insensible picture in which it is sometimes cast. The irrational and anti-science presentation that some religious authorities tend to give of God and His Attributes creates in many people a conflict between their inclination toward religion and the other fitriyyat, on the one hand, and their instincts, on the other. It is as though if they choose religion, they must do so at the expense of many of their natural needs. This inner conflict results from a misrepresentation of religion is the reason why many people chose to subdue their divine nature. When religion is defined as contradicting and conflicting with science, when superstitions are inserted into religion, when deplorable and unethical acts are justified in the name of religion, it is only natural that people would espouse a negative attitude toward it and would lose faith in it, and this in turn would entail their estrangement from their divine nature. Here are some instances of how religion and religious concepts are misrepresented:

1) Some theologians offer a corporeal depiction of God, going so far as to say that the distance between God’s eyes is approximately 21,000 miles.
2) Many religious scholars and thinkers from different religions tend to define the role of God in the world as a mysterious agent that is at work alongside the natural causes and effects, which is incorrect, as God’s agency and activity transcends the natural causes, and it is wrong to reserve it only for those instances where scientists have failed to offer a convincing theory concerning a phenomenon;
3) Some religions and religious tendencies characterize spiritual perfection as the niter renunciation of the pleasures of the flesh, thus denouncing the institution of marriage as an evil necessity and exalting the practice of celibacy and monasticism as most conducive to spiritual realization. 
4) It is very common that adults in their innocent attempt to educate their children concerning religious concepts and especially God feed them wrong and warped beliefs, and when children grow up they realize the futility of these concepts, drawing the conclusion that religion must be flawed, whereas what is flawed is the conception of religion they received from their parents, and not religion itself.

These are only a few examples of how people are discouraged from religion and thereby alienated from their divine nature.