Comparison of the Views of Muṭahharī on Fitrah and Schleiermacher on Religious Experience

The aim of the present paper is to perform a descriptive-analytic study of the relationship between views of Muṭahharī on fitrah and Schleiermacher on religious experience . The meaning of fitrah is the insight and inclination towards God, which is established within human nature, and religious experience according to Schleiermacher, means feeling of absolute and all-inclusive dependence on a distinct source from Human. In this article, after defining and providing explanations about fitrah and religious experience, the similarities and differences between these two concepts are discussed. One of the similarities is that both innate theology and the feeling of absolute dependence are understood by presential knowledge and heart, not by mind, and both have an internal and intrinsic origin. One difference between the two concepts is that Schleiermacher’s theory was put forward after being disappointed with the effectiveness of rational explanations in proving the existence of God, and with the aim of saving and justifying religion and belief in God, whereas the theory of fitrah does not share this aim. It is concluded that the two theories are substantially similar and share the same purpose. It appears that many religious experiences occur during the manifestation of innate or fitrah-based knowledge.