A Comparative Analysis of the Definition and Components of Religion according to the West and Islam

There have been completely different views about religion. Some believe that religion is a spiritual and internal state, which is experienced only by the individual. Others consider religion not more than a set of beliefs. Such a view entails that rules, rituals and practical decrees are considered as separate from religion. Some others believe that religion is but a number of acts some individuals do in the name of religion, and which have nothing to do with beliefs. On the contrary, others consider religion as an abstract idea consisting of such things like the domain of religion and economic, legal and political behavior. Accordingly, religion cannot be a mere personal experience because treatment of these issues is beyond the capacity of personal experience.Anyway, the different views about religion and its components necessitates investigating whether or not there can be a strict definition of religion with specific components. The question that arises is whether the rich resources of Islam- Quran and Sunna can contribute to providing a definition of religion and its real components, not because of the authenticity and authority of these sources but because the deep meanings in these sources are provided by unique sages. Discussing and criticizing the prevalent western views on religion and taking an overall look at this issue, the present paper tries to provide a strict definition of religion and its main components.