Ismaili Concept | Shariah, Tariqah & Deen: A Modern Ismaili Perspective

References

The Qur’an

Surah Al-Jāthiyah (45:18): “We have set you on a shari‘a (way) of command, so follow it.”

Surah Al-Mā’idah (5:48): “To each We have appointed a shir‘a (way) and a minhaj (path).”

Surah Ash-Shūrā (42:13): “He has laid down for you as religion that which He enjoined upon Noah.”

Surah Al-A‘rāf (7:163): “Or do they have associates who have laid down for them as religion that which God did not permit?”

Fyzee, A. A. A. (1963). A Modern Approach to Islam. Bombay: Asia Publishing House, pp. 87–94.

Fyzee emphasizes that Shariah combines both religion and law — the former eternal and the latter adaptable.
He writes: “Law must evolve with time and society… Nothing static can live; only the dead remain unchanged.”
And: “We cannot go back to the Qur’an — we must go forward with it… I must apply it to my own age.”

Asginans.com – Islamic Thought and Ismaili Interpretations
https://www.asginans.com

→ Discusses the balance between Shariah (outer form) and Tariqah (inner path), highlighting that one without the other is incomplete.

The Muslim Times – Ismaili Perspective on Shariah and Tariqah
https://themuslimtimes.info

→ Explains how Ismaili Imams interpret Shariah within changing historical contexts, guiding followers toward an evolving understanding of faith.

Crescent International – Modern Islamic Law and Human Dignity
https://crescent.icit-digital.org

→ Highlights that Islamic law is not rigid; it evolves to preserve justice, human dignity, and moral integrity in modern contexts.

CPS Global – The Concept of Deen
https://www.cpsglobal.org

→ Explains that Deen refers to the universal faith and submission to God’s will, shared by all prophets, while Shariah expresses it in distinct legal forms.

Conclusion

In the Ismaili understanding, Shariah, Tariqah, and Deen are not three separate roads but layers of a single spiritual journey.

Shariah provides the discipline and outer structure — the visible acts of faith.

Tariqah nurtures the inner vision — the spiritual journey toward divine understanding.

Deen unites both — the essence of submission to God’s will that transcends time and culture.

As Fyzee reminds, Islam must move forward with the Qur’an, not backward into literalism. The Ismaili Imamat continues this principle by interpreting Shariah dynamically — aligning timeless revelation with modern realities. This ongoing dialogue between faith and reason keeps religion alive, meaningful, and deeply human.

In short, Shariah regulates life, Tariqah refines the soul, and Deen binds both into harmony — a living path for modern Ismailis seeking balance between law, spirit, and understanding.

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