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Department of Islamic Theology and Mysticism, Faculty of Humanities, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
With the advent of modernity, the rejection of traditional religiosity as a rational and liberating choice (the common perception of irreligion) has become widespread. The present study, entitled *“Re-recognizing Religion in the Modern Age and Critiquing the Common Perception of Irreligion”*, was conducted using an analytical-descriptive method with an approach rooted in philosophy of religion and contemporary theology.
This article argues that “pure irreligion” is an illusory concept, since human beings are inherently creatures in need of meaning, hope, values, and connection with a reality beyond themselves. Accordingly, based on the Qur’anic classification of religion into three categories (true religion, the religion of tyrants, and the religion of slaves), modern ideologies (such as humanism, secularism, and liberalism) were analyzed as “alternative religions.”
The findings revealed that these ideologies function either as the religion of tyrants (teleology centered on humanity) or the religion of slaves (teleology centered on pleasure), and are the source of ontological and epistemological crises in the contemporary era. Finally, a reformative revivalist model is proposed as a solution to distinguish the religion of human nature (fitrah) and to negate servitude to false religions.
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