Research Article

The Theological Dimensions of the Tension Between Fiṭrah and Tabīʿah

Volume: 3 Number: 2 September 30, 2026
TR EN

The Theological Dimensions of the Tension Between Fiṭrah and Tabīʿah

Abstract

This article aims to examine, from a theological perspective, the tension between Fiṭrah and Tabīʿah within the framework of Islamic thought. Fiṭrah is addressed as the primordial ground of creation that endows the human being with lofty qualities and directs him toward moral perfection, truth, and Allah. By contrast, tabīʿah is evaluated as a domain that represents the human being’s base inclinations, bodily desires, pleasure-centered preferences, and a hedonistic way of life based on indulgence and sensual gratification. In this context, the study seeks to answer the questions of through which values the human being ascends and through which tendencies he experiences spiritual decline. In the study, the concepts of fiṭrah and tabīʿah are analyzed through a conceptual, theological, and comparative method within the context of the Islamic conception of the human being. Within this framework, the relationship between the human potential for spiritual ascent and the tendency toward worldly desires is examined; furthermore, the way in which modernity deepens this tension through its individualistic, consumerist, and pleasure-oriented values is discussed. In addition, the ideal of al-insān al-kāmil is considered a fundamental point of reference for the preservation and development of fiṭrah. The study argues that the human being can attain moral maturity and be elevated to the rank of al-insān al-kāmil to the extent that he preserves his Fiṭrah-based orientation. Conversely, when tabīʿah is confined to base desires, it leads the human being toward hedonism, spiritual alienation, and existential crisis. Therefore, moral education, the disciplining of the will, and spiritual consciousness emerge as decisive elements in resolving this tension. In conclusion, overcoming the tension between fiṭrah and tabīʿah is possible not by completely rejecting tabīʿah, but by disciplining it under the guidance of Fiṭrah. In this way, a strong connection is established between individual perfection and social peace.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

The author has stated that the study is among those that do not require ethical committee approval.

References

  1. Anselm, Saint. Proslogion. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 2001.
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  4. Chittick, William C. The Sufi Path of Knowledge: Ibn al-Arabi’s Metaphysics of Imagination. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1989.
  5. Descartes, René. Meditations on First Philosophy. Ed. ve çev. John Cottingham. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013.
  6. Duralı, Ş. Teoman. Sorun Nedir? 4. bs. İstanbul: Dergâh Yayınları, 2021.
  7. Gazâlî, Ebû Hâmid Muhammed b. Muhammed. el-Munkız mine’d-Dalâl. Çev. Osman Arpaçukuru. İstanbul: Beyan Yayınları, 2017.
  8. Gazâlî, Ebû Hâmid Muhammed b. Muhammed. İhyâʾu Ulûmi’d-Dîn. Çev. Ali Arslan. 4 cilt. İstanbul: Hikmet Neşriyat, 2004.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Sufism, Islamic Studies (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

September 30, 2026

Submission Date

March 20, 2026

Acceptance Date

June 28, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 3 Number: 2

APA
Yıldız, İ. (2026). The Theological Dimensions of the Tension Between Fiṭrah and Tabīʿah. Amasya Sosyal Bilimler Araştırmaları Dergisi, 3(2), 168-190. https://doi.org/10.70869/asbad.1913273
AMA
1.Yıldız İ. The Theological Dimensions of the Tension Between Fiṭrah and Tabīʿah. Amasya Sosyal Bilimler Araştırmaları Dergisi. 2026;3(2):168-190. doi:10.70869/asbad.1913273
Chicago
Yıldız, İlhan. 2026. “The Theological Dimensions of the Tension Between Fiṭrah and Tabīʿah”. Amasya Sosyal Bilimler Araştırmaları Dergisi 3 (2): 168-90. https://doi.org/10.70869/asbad.1913273.
EndNote
Yıldız İ (September 1, 2026) The Theological Dimensions of the Tension Between Fiṭrah and Tabīʿah. Amasya Sosyal Bilimler Araştırmaları Dergisi 3 2 168–190.
IEEE
[1]İ. Yıldız, “The Theological Dimensions of the Tension Between Fiṭrah and Tabīʿah”, Amasya Sosyal Bilimler Araştırmaları Dergisi, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 168–190, Sept. 2026, doi: 10.70869/asbad.1913273.
ISNAD
Yıldız, İlhan. “The Theological Dimensions of the Tension Between Fiṭrah and Tabīʿah”. Amasya Sosyal Bilimler Araştırmaları Dergisi 3/2 (September 1, 2026): 168-190. https://doi.org/10.70869/asbad.1913273.
JAMA
1.Yıldız İ. The Theological Dimensions of the Tension Between Fiṭrah and Tabīʿah. Amasya Sosyal Bilimler Araştırmaları Dergisi. 2026;3:168–190.
MLA
Yıldız, İlhan. “The Theological Dimensions of the Tension Between Fiṭrah and Tabīʿah”. Amasya Sosyal Bilimler Araştırmaları Dergisi, vol. 3, no. 2, Sept. 2026, pp. 168-90, doi:10.70869/asbad.1913273.
Vancouver
1.İlhan Yıldız. The Theological Dimensions of the Tension Between Fiṭrah and Tabīʿah. Amasya Sosyal Bilimler Araştırmaları Dergisi. 2026 Sep. 1;3(2):168-90. doi:10.70869/asbad.1913273

Amasya Journal of Social Sciences Research is licensed under the “Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 (CC BY-NC)” international license.

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