The Arabic word “dīn”
The Arabic word “dīn” has various meanings:
1. “Dīn” is the divine law and sharī‘ah, as the Holy Qur’an says: ﴾ إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الإِسْلامُ ﴿ “Indeed, with Allah religion is Islam.”[1]
2. “Dīn” is deed and obedience, as the Holy Qur’an states, thus: ﴾ للَّهِ الدِّينُ الخَْالِص ﴿ “[Only] exclusive faith is worthy of Allah.”[2]
3. “Dīn” as account and retribution, as this noble verse proclaims: ﴾ ٱلدِّينِ يَوْمِ مالِكِ ﴿ “Master of the Day of Retribution.”
One of the names of the Day of Resurrection is “yawm ad-dīn”. That is, the day of punishment and reward, just as the Holy Qur’an narrates about those who deny the Day of Resurrection: ﴾ يَسئَلُونَ أَيَّانَ يَوْمُ الدِّينِ ﴿ “They ask, ‘When will be the Day of Retribution?’”[3] Or, in describing that day the Qur’an says:
﴾ يَوْمَ لا تَمْلِك نَفْسٌ لِّنَفْسٍ شيْئاً وَ الأَمْرُ يَوْمَئذٍ لِّلَّهِ ٭ ثمَّ مَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا يَوْمُ الدِّينِ ﴿
“Again, what will show you what the Day of Retribution is? It is a day when no soul will be of any avail to another soul and all command that day will belong to Allah.”[4]
“Master of the Day of Retribution” is a warning and a caution—O praying one! Starting today, think of tomorrow; the day when ﴾ لا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَ لا بَنُونَ ﴿ “Neither wealth nor children will avail;”[5] the day when ﴾ لَن تَنفَعَكُمْ أَرْحَامُكمْ ﴿ “Your relatives and your children will not avail you;”[6] the day when neither the tongue has the permission to ask an apology nor the mind the opportunity to think; the day when nothing will avail and benefit except the grace [luṭf] of God.
The placement of “Master of the Day of Retribution” alongside “the All-beneficent, the All-merciful” shows that fear and hope must go hand in hand and encouragement and punishment are together. As the Holy Qur’an says in another verse,
﴾ وَ أَنَّ عَذَابي هُوَ الْعَذَاب الأَلِيمُ ٭ نَبئْ عِبَادِي أَني أَنَا الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴿
“Inform My servants that I am indeed the All-forgiving, the All-merciful, and that My punishment is a painful punishment.”[7]
And in yet another verse, God is described as: ﴾ قَابِلِ التَّوْبِ شدِيدِ الْعِقَابِ ﴿ “acceptor of repentance, severe in retribution.”[8]
At any rate, “the All-beneficent, the All-merciful” is a giver of hope while “the Master of the Day of Retribution” elicits fear. The Muslim must be between fear and hope, apprehension and aspiration so as neither to feel proud nor to be hopeless of divine mercy.
