The Reality and Difference Between Ilḥād and Dahriyyah

❖ The Difference and Reality of Atheism (Ilḥād) and Materialism (Dahriyyah) ❖
✍ Fatwa by: Fadhilat al-‘Ālim Muhammad Zubair Ghāzī ḥafiẓahullāh

◈ Question​

Is there any difference between Dahriyyah (Materialism) and Ilḥād (Atheism), or do they both mean the same thing?

◈ Meaning of Ilḥād (Atheism)​

• Linguistic Definition:
  Ilḥād in Arabic linguistically means to deviate or to turn away.
• Shar‘i Definition:
  In Sharī‘ah, Ilḥād refers to deviation from the path of Allah, and includes all forms of ideological deviation.

◈ Meaning of Dahriyyah (Materialism)​

• The Qur'an refers to Dahriyyah as those who denied the Hereafter and also rejected the existence of God.
• Historically, this belief preceded Islam but was adhered to by very few people.
• Even the founders of Greek philosophy did not completely deny the existence of a Supreme Being.
• A structured and widespread form of Dahriyyah began in the 18th century, marking its rapid global expansion.

◈ Relationship Between Ilḥād and Dahriyyah​

• In the modern era, the term Ilḥād commonly refers to the same doctrine that the Dahriyyah once held—complete denial of God.
• Core Principle in Both:
  The belief that matter is the origin and essence of all existence.
• Dahriyyah and modern atheists both hold that matter is eternal, though modern atheists may accept that matter had a beginning—yet fail to explain how.

◈ Types of Modern Atheism​

➊ Absolute Atheists:​

• These people categorically deny God's existence.
• Their arguments are based on the absence of proof, which in itself is a weak and flawed premise.

➋ Agnostics (Lā Adrīyah):​

• They remain uncertain about God's existence.
• They claim no evidence either way, thus living in a state of constant doubt.
• In reality, most so-called atheists today are agnostics by knowledge.

➌ Imitative Atheists:​

• They blindly adopt atheism without intellectual proof.
• Their atheism is rooted in social pressure or trends, not in reasoning or reflection.
• This is the largest group among atheists today.

◈ Reasons for the Spread of Atheism​

✔ In Christian Societies:​

• Christianity, being a man-altered religion, lacked the intellectual and rational strength to withstand critique.
• Its logical inconsistencies led to the rapid spread of atheism in the West.

✔ In Islamic Societies:​

• Islam's strong intellectual foundations and rational alignment with revelation have prevented the widespread spread of atheism.
• However, the first tactic of modern atheism in the Muslim world is to undermine internal religious authority, such as:
  
  ✿ Altering the outward appearance of religion
  ✿ Removing scholars from the bond between Allah and His servants in the name of “renewal” or “modernization”

◈ Countering Atheism​

✔ Our religious scholars view such internal disruptions as a form of atheistic influence, and they actively combat it with knowledge, reasoning, and clarification of Islamic principles.

◈ Summary​

• Ilḥād (atheism) and Dahriyyah (materialism) are interconnected, but not exactly the same.
  
  • Ilḥād is a broader term covering all deviation from divine guidance.
  • Dahriyyah refers specifically to the denial of the Hereafter and the Creator, grounded in materialistic philosophy.
• In the modern context, Ilḥād has taken on the same characteristics as classical Dahriyyah—complete denial of God, belief in eternal matter, and rejection of revelation.
• Islam, with its rational and textual strength, continues to be a resilient barrier against these ideologies.