Fitrah (natural disposition)

“Fitrah” is an Arabic word used in the Qur’an to refer to the primordial nature of all human beings. It is the pure and pristine original state upon which God instils in all humans, like the default “factory settings” with which all humans are delivered with. The “fitrah” is considered the pure, instinctive inclination toward faith, goodness, and the belief in God. It is the uncorrupted state of being, which is includes an inherent sense of morality.

The Qur’an presents the most fundamental aspect of the fitrah to be the spiritual inclination toward God, expressing one’s love of God in prayer and remembrance and striving to come closer to God. Ibn Taymiyyah explains that the truths necessitated by the fitrah (the natural disposition) require no proof, as they are the most deeply rooted foundations of knowledge and the basis for all other understanding. He asserts that when something is established within the fitrah, it becomes an integral part of one’s nature and is so deeply imprinted in the mind that it is impossibl to reject or remove. Such knowledge, according to Ibn Taymiyyah, is inherent and self-evident, forming the “foundation of all foundations” that remains steadfast within a person’s very being.[1] 

Here are 10 examples of morality inherently held for all humans irrespective of background and cultures.

 

Natural Empathy in Infants: Even very young children often display empathy, such as comforting someone who is upset, suggesting an innate understanding of compassion.

Universality of Altruism: Acts of altruism, such as helping a stranger in need, are observed across cultures, even in places without strong religious or moral teaching.

Shared Moral Condemnation of Murder: Murder is universally condemned across all societies and religions, pointing to a shared moral understanding of the sanctity of life.

Taboos Against Theft: Almost all societies consider theft morally wrong, even if specific laws vary, suggesting an innate respect for others’ property.

Love for Family and Kinship: The inherent care for family members and close kin is found across cultures, supporting the idea that certain relational ethics are built-in.

Aversion to Injustice: People worldwide react negatively to perceived injustice, whether it's witnessing someone being cheated, oppressed, or mistreated, indicating an instinctive sense of fairness.

Sacrifices for the Common Good: Many people are willing to sacrifice their own needs or desires to benefit the community, showing an innate understanding of selflessness.

Natural Inclination to Tell the Truth: Honesty is valued across cultures, and people often feel guilt or discomfort when lying, suggesting an inherent respect for truthfulness.

Sense of Guilt and Conscience: The feeling of guilt after doing something wrong is almost universal and is often seen as an internal moral guide.

Taboos Against Incest: Most cultures have taboos against incest, which many see as stemming from an inherent sense of moral and social boundaries.

Universal Condemnation of Betrayal: Betrayal is condemned in almost every culture, which suggests that loyalty and trust are universally valued.

Sacredness of Marriage or Partnership: Many cultures treat marriage or long-term partnership as sacred, emphasizing the moral importance of fidelity and commitment.

Respect for Elders: Honouring elders is a near-universal moral value, reflecting a sense of respect and gratitude toward previous generations.

Sense of Responsibility to Help the Helpless: Many cultures have a moral imperative to care for the vulnerable, such as children, the elderly, and the sick, showing an inherent drive toward compassion.

Recognition of Self-Sacrifice as Noble: Acts of self-sacrifice, even at the risk of personal harm, are universally admired, suggesting that people instinctively value courage and selflessness. 

 

If it is not corrupted, our moral conscience will be upset and cause anxiety when we know we are doing something wrong. Without guidance, the fitrah is corruptible. The system of guidance revealed by God (known simply as ‘surrendering to Him’ or ‘Islam’) is the fulfilment of the natural disposition of human beings. The fitrah finds comfort in Islam as naturally as a hand fits in a glove. The fitrah finds comfort in Islam as naturally as a hand fits in a glove. Umar al-Ashqar writes, “The Qur'an does not discuss at length the matter of proving the existence of God, because it states that sound human instinct, and minds that are not contaminated with the filth of shirk, affirm His existence (without any need for further evidence). Not only that, Tawheed or the affirmation of Divine Oneness, is something which is natural and instinctive.”[2] 

Ibn Taymiyyah writes, “The servants of God are inherently compelled by their fitrah to love God, though amongst them are those who corrupt this fitrah… and this love of God intensifies according to one’s knowledge of Him and the soundness of one’s fitrah. And it diminishes with diminished knowledge, and the pollution of one’s fitrah with corruptive vain desires.” 

According to Islamic scholars, the Fitrah includes many dimensions, from physical acts of cleanliness to encompass innate beliefs, knowledge, and inclinations placed by God in human beings. These include:

- The Prophet Muhammad (saw) taught several acts of Fitrah that promote cleanliness and hygiene, including circumcision, removing pubic and underarm hair, trimming the moustache, clipping the nails, using a miswak or brushing teeth, and washing hands after specific activities etc 

- Innate Knowledge of God. Every human has an inherent recognition of God's existence, greatness, and oneness. This makes a person naturally inclined towards monotheism and the desire to worship God alone. This was present in every person even before birth. This idea is rooted in the Qur’anic concept of the “Ahd al-Alast”, where God gathered all souls and asked, “Am I not your Lord?” (Qur'an 7:172), and they affirmed, “Yes”. This moment of affirmation is deeply embedded in the human being, and it creates an inner recognition of God. It also includes an openness to divine guidance through the prophets. 

- Inclination Toward Goodness and Morality. Humans are born with an intrinsic moral compass, an understanding of right and wrong. This includes qualities like mercy, compassion, and justice. 

- Love and Desire for the Truth. The human being is naturally inclined to seek what is true, including understanding the purpose of life and its Creator. This quest for truth is an essential part of Fitrah that propels individuals to seek knowledge and meaning. 

- Alignment with Divine Guidance. The Fitrah is naturally aligned with divine guidance and prophethood. While Fitrah guides a person in the right direction, revelation from God completes this guidance by clarifying what is good, lawful, and prohibited. Therefore, a person’s Fitrah prepares them to accept and follow divine teachings when presented to them. The Fitrah also includes an innate alignment with divine laws, closely tied to being in harmony with Allah’s commands, which serves as a pathway for spiritual and ethical development. 

- The Potential for Corruption or Deviation. While the Fitrah is inherently pure, it can be corrupted by external influences like culture, environment (like parental beliefs) and sins. This corruption does not destroy Fitrah but rather veils it and causes the person to stray. 

From birth, human beings are immersed in a deluge of visual and auditory data. The world is bright, loud, chaotic, seemingly indecipherable to the newborn. Yet, the human mind is not a passive vessel simply filled by sensory input. From the very beginning, it actively applies its “conceptual framework” to the world, filtering sights and sounds to transform chaos into meaningful elements: words, objects, people, values and beliefs. Guided by the innate Fitrah, humans seek purpose, cry out for guidance and yearn for an existence worthy of divine companionship. Worship and Dhikr awaken the soul’s innate awareness of God and bring a person closer to their Fitri (natural) purified state. 

The Qur’anic term for disbelief,’ ‘kufr’, is linguistically interesting, as it conveys the idea of covering up or burying something in the ground. In the context of instinct, ‘kufr’ can be understood as the act of concealing an inherent drive towards faith. A recent study on the psychology of disbelief captures this very process, explaining that “atheism is possible, but requires some hard cognitive work to reject or override the intuitions that nourish religious beliefs.”[3] 

A large volume of experimental research in childhood psychology has established that infants and toddlers demonstrate compassion, empathy, as well as a sense of fairness and justice. The psychologist Paul Bloom outlines copious evidence in his book, Just Babies – The Origins of Good and Evil. Bloom notes that, “Developmental psychologists have long observed that one-year olds will pat and soothe others in distress.” 

Belief in a Creator inherently suggests accountability. If there is a Creator who purposefully designed the universe and humans, it logically raises questions about a corresponding moral order and whether humans are answerable to that Creator. This notion carries profound implications for morals and ethics, personal responsibility, and our understanding of good and evil. Philosopher Alvin Plantinga argues that if God does not exist, then objective moral values do not exist. But objective moral values do exist; therefore, God exists.[4] 

At a very young age, children display an innate ability to distinguish moral good from evil. In experiments with five-month-old infants, children were shown puppets that either exhibited positive behaviours (like helping to open a box or returning a ball) or negative behaviours (such as slamming a box shut or taking a ball away). The infants consistently favoured the “good” puppets. By eight months, children even demonstrate a basic sense of justice, preferring a puppet that acts harshly toward the “bad” puppet over one that treats it kindly. At just 21 months, toddlers go further, rewarding the “good” puppet with a treat and removing treats from the “bad” puppet, showing an early inclination toward moral reasoning and fairness.[5] This fairness and justice arises from the Fitrah, Ibn Taymiyyah writes, “souls are naturally disposed to love justice and its supporters, and to hate injustice and its supporters; this love, which is in the fitrah, is what is meant for [justice] to be good.” 

[1] Ibn Taymiyyah, Dar’, vol. 6, p. 105. And Majmu’ al-Fatawa vol. 2, p.72

[2] Umar al-Ashqar, Belief in Allah.

[3]  Zohair Abdul-Rahman, In Pursuit of Conviction. Norenzayan, A., & Gervais, W. M. (2013). The origins of religious disbelief. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 17 (1), 20-25.

[4] Plantinga, A. God and other minds.

[5] Hamlin, J. K., Wynn, K., & Bloom, P. “Social evaluation by preverbal infants.” Nature