Religion (الدين) and religiosity (التدين) are two different things. Religion is the divine revelation that is perfect and complete as Allah affirmed in Surat Al-Maeda:

ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أَكۡمَلۡتُ لَكُمۡ دِينَكُمۡ وَأَتۡمَمۡتُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ نِعۡمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡإِسۡلَـٰمَ دِينً۬ا‌ۚ

“Today, I have perfected your religion for you, and have completed My blessing upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” (Al-Maeda 5:3)

But religiosity (تدين) is the human practices of the religion and thus it can vary greatly among individuals because it is influenced by many factors such as culture, cognitive capacity, level of education, personal traits, emotions, psychology, and social and economic status. Therefore, there are proper religiosity and the deficient religiosity.

The religion of Islam provides clear guidance for beliefs (لاعتقاد), rituals (العبادات), ethics (الأخلاق) and transactions (المعاملات) through its authentic sources, the Quran and the authentic hadith (النصوص اليقينية الورود).   The teachings of Islam cannot be learnt by observing the religiosity of its followers but rather the religiosity of the followers can be assessed based the authentic sources of the religion of Islam.

The following presents the key differences between the proper and the deficient religiosities.

Proper religiosity results from the proper understanding of the morals and principles of the divine revelations.  Proper religiosity (التدين الأصيل) is founded on the right balance between the spiritual dimension and the materialistic dimension.   The spiritual dimension is necessary for the purification of the soul, while the materialistic dimension is necessary for the survival and advancement of life on eath.  In Islam, the spiritual dimension does not ignore the materialistic dimension but creates healthy boundaries around it.  Allah says:

وَكَذَٲلِكَ جَعَلۡنَـٰكُمۡ أُمَّةً۬ وَسَطً۬ا

“Thus, We have made you, a justly balanced (middle) nation”. (Al-Baqara 2:143)

Proper religiosity is manifested when the morals and principles of the religion guide human knowledge, emotions, and behavior.  For those people who have proper religiosity, religion directs all their activities. Their behavior is always congruent with their God-fearing conscious and their actions are consistent with their words.

Those people are always devoted to serving others and never seek personal gain from their religiosity.  Those people are in total peace, always calm, tolerant, humble, satisfied and at ease.

Deficient religiosity occurs when the individual’s actions are influenced by personal preferences rather than the revealed morals and rules.  Deficient religiosity occurs when an imbalance occurs between the spiritual and materialistic dimensions.  Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (ابن القيم) said:

(ما أمر الله بأمر إلا وللشيطان فيه نزعتان: إما إلى تفريط وإضاعة، وإما إلى إفراط وغلو، ودين الله وسط بين الجافي عنه والغالي فيه، كالوادي بين الجبلين، والهدى بين الضلالتين، والوسط بين طرفين ذميمين) (مدارج السالكين: 2/496(.

“Whatever there is a command from Allah but Satan influences people regarding it in two ways:  either by negligence and waste, or by excess and hyperbole. But the religion of Allah is balanced between neglect and excess, it is as the valley between two mountains, a guidance between two deviations and as the center between two despicable ends”.

The following are some of the symptoms of deficient religiosity:

1. Inflating the value of the outward manifestations of religion at the expense on the deep spiritual depth of the religion.
2. Accepting the contradictions between the outward appearance and the concealed actions.
3. Desire to control the thinking, feelings. and behavior of others.
4. Stubborn rejection to others’ opinions and inability to engage in substantive discussion.
5. Over emphasis on certain practices of the religion on the expense of others.
6. Tendency to be Content with oneself and negative towards others.

Deficient religiosity can be classified in the following forms:

1. Opportunistic Religiosity (Utilitarian -Benefit based) التدين النفعي (المصلحي)
2. Fanatical Religiosity (Extremism) (التطرف)
3. Intellectual (Knowledge based) Religiosity (التدين المعرفي :الفكري)
4. Emotional Religiosity (enthusiastic) (التدين العاطفي) ( (التدين الحماسي(التدين الوجداني)
5. Ritualistic (Behavioral) Religiosity التدين السلوكي (تدين العبادة)
6. Reactive Religiosity التدين التفاعلي (تدين رد الفعل)
7. Defensive Religiosity (neurotic) التدين الدفاعي
8. Psychotic Religiosity التدين المرضى
9. Mystical Religiosity (التصوف)

Forms of Deficient Religiosities

1. Opportunistic religiosity (Utilitarian -Benefit based) التدين النفعي (المصلحي) (التدين التظاهري)

This form of deceptive religiosity is close to hypocrisy.  A person pretends to be serious about his religion, but his sole purpose is to ensure materialistic gains. Such gains may include reach high political, social and/or financial status.  Those individuals exploit the people’s trust to advance their personal agendas.  Allah warns those people by saying:

ولا تشتروا بآياتي ثمنا قليلا. ( المائدة(

“And do not barter My revelations for a little gain”. (Al-Maeda 5:44).

2. Fanatical Religiosity (Extremism) (التطرف)

This religiosity is characterized by being excessive in certain aspects of the religion beyond the acceptable limits in violations to Allah’s warnings:

﴿ قُلۡ يَـٰٓأَهۡلَ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبِ لَا تَغۡلُواْ فِى دِينِڪُمۡ غَيۡرَ ٱلۡحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوٓاْ أَهۡوَآءَ قَوۡمٍ۬ قَدۡ ضَلُّواْ مِن قَبۡلُ وَأَضَلُّواْ ڪَثِيرً۬ا وَضَلُّواْ عَن سَوَآءِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ ﴾ (المائدة)

“Say: O People of the Book do not exceed the bounds of your religion and do not follow the vain desires of people who went astray before, and who misled many, and strayed from the Right Path.” (Al-Maeda 5:77)

The Prophet (PBUH) said:

(يا أيها الناس إياكم والغلو في الدين، فانه أهلك من قبلكم الغلو في الدين) (رواه أحمد والنسائي وابن ماجه).

“O people, beware of extremism in religion, it is extremism in religion that destroyed those who came before you.”

(إن هذا الدين يسر ولن يشاد الدين أحد إلا غلبه ، فسددوا وقاربوا وابشروا واستعينوا بالغدوة والروحة وشيء من الدلجة ) رواه البخاري

“This religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by worshipping in the mornings, the nights.”

Excessive behavior in religion can take several forms:

Intellectual extremism (التطرف الفكري):  This makes the person narrow minded that he/she cannot accept others’ views.

Emotional extremism (التطرف العاطفي): The person becomes very sensitive and emotional when discussing any religious issue.  Such a person is generally narrow minded, and this can be a result of mental, emotional, or physical stress.

Behavioral Extremism (التطرف السلوكي): This is manifested by the exaggeration in the performance of religious rituals.  This is especially dangerous when it extends beyond the person’s own actions to demanding others to follow.    Allah warns of the heavy-handed style, and rudeness in dealing with others and prohibits the use of force to achieve the ends.  Rather, Allah demands mercy and gentleness as He says:

فَبِمَا رَحۡمَةٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمۡ‌ۖ وَلَوۡ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ ٱلۡقَلۡبِ لَٱنفَضُّواْ مِنۡ حَوۡلِكَ‌ۖ فَٱعۡفُ عَنۡہُمۡ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لَهُمۡ وَشَاوِرۡهُمۡ فِى ٱلۡأَمۡرِ‌ۖ

“And it is by the Mercy of Allah that you dealt with them gently, and had you been rude and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from you; so overlook (their faults), and ask (Allah’s) Forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs.” (Al-Imran 3:159)

3. Intellectual (Knowledge based) religiosity (التدين المعرفي :الفكري)

This form of religiosity focuses on knowledge and ignores the applications.  Those who fall in this form of religiosity are very proficient in talking and writing about the religion, but their practices do not adhere to the teachings of the religion.  Allah condemns such type of religiosity by saying:

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفۡعَلُونَ (٢) ڪَبُرَ مَقۡتًا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَن تَقُولُواْ مَا لَا تَفۡعَلُونَ (٣)

“O you who believe! Why do you say what you do not do? (2) It is most hateful in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do.” (Al-Saff 61:3)

4. Emotional religiosity (enthusiastic) (التدين العاطفي) ( (التدين الحماسي(التدين الوجداني)

This type of religiosity is widespread among young people, especially the newcomers.  It is manifested by a sweeping passion and great enthusiasm that is not matched by knowledge. This phase of religiosity must be coupled with the acquisition of knowledge and the understanding of the proper Islamic behaviors; otherwise, the person will be at risk of becoming extremist.

 

5. Ritualistic (Behavioral) religiosity التدين السلوكي (تدين العبادة)

In this form of religiosity, the person is very committed to the ritualistic aspects of the religion, but lacks understanding the rules of the religion, and the wisdom and the spiritual meanings of these acts of worship.   The person performs these rituals as a social custom.  This form of religiosity can be corrected through gaining knowledge and awakening the spiritual side of the religion.

6. Reactive Religiosity التدين التفاعلي (تدين رد الفعل)

You find this type of religiosity in people who have spent their lives away from religion and indulging in the pleasures of this world without regard to the halal and haram, but suddenly they become religious as a result of a particular incident in their lives. They become so emotionally attached to the religion and they change from one extreme of non-religious to the other extreme of fanatically religious as means to ease the guilt that they feel.  This type of religiosity tends to focus on superficial aspects of the religion and lacks the cognitive (المعرفية) aspects and its deep spiritual influences and thus it is not sustainable.

7. Defensive Religiosity (neurotic) التدين الدفاعي (العصابي)

This type of religiosity is developed in response to oppression and frustration.  Under these circumstances, the individual resort to religion to ease these feelings and get rid of them. This kind of religiosity also occurs to people who feel powerless in the face of the challenges and difficulties and use religion as a crutch to ease their feeling of anxiety (القلق) or guilt of conscious (تأنيب الضمير).  Often those people start neglecting their studies or work or responsibilities and spent their time in the exercise of religious rituals for the purpose of covering their inability to confront their reality.

8. Psychotic Religiosity التدين المرضى(الذهاني)

This type of religiosity often occurs for people who suffer from psychosis (mental illness). They resort to the religion in an attempt to alleviate their intellectual deterioration, social isolation, and disorganized behavior.  But the symptoms of mental illness appear through their declaring themselves guardians of Allah (ولى من أولياء الله), or the awaiting Mahdi (المهدي المنتظر).

9. Mystical Religiosity (التصوف)

Mystical religiosity is developed based on personal experiences. In spite of the depth and charm of such experiences, they remain unique and cannot be generalized.  The danger, however, occurs when the person starts mixing the highly spiritual feelings with satanic whispers and falls in a zone of loss and vulnerability.