Intervention in Fıtrah in the Context of Genetic Intervention and the Problem of Mutability of Fıtrah

Authors : Seyithan Can

Pages : 284-293

Doi:10.52637/kiid.1731716

View : 240 | Download : 578

Publication Date : 2025-12-15

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study examines the impact of genetic interventions on the Islamic concept of fiṭrah, a foundational notion that plays a determining role in shaping human nature, belief structures, moral orientation, and the overall framework through which individuals relate to their existence. This study first explores the linguistic, theological, and philosophical dimensions of fiṭrah, outlining its classical definitions in Islamic thought and emphasizing its dual function as both an innate disposition toward recognizing divine truth and a moral-spiritual orientation embedded within human creation. In this context, the study highlights the distinction between fiṭrah and ṭabīʿah, noting that while ṭabīʿah refers to biological or instinctual human characteristics open to alteration, fiṭrah is traditionally understood to reflect a deeper spiritual constitution. Building on this conceptual framework, this study investigates whether advancements in biotechnology—particularly genetic modification, epigenetic interventions, and neurobiological manipulation—pose a potential challenge to the integrity of fiṭrah. Through a comparative analysis, classical Kalām positions on human nature and divine endowment are examined alongside contemporary scientific findings on genetic variability, brain plasticity, and the dynamic interplay between heredity and the environment. This interdisciplinary approach allows the study to assess not only whether genetics can shape human behavior, cognitive tendencies, or predispositions, but also whether such alterations could extend to the metaphysical and moral aspects associated with fiṭrah. The findings suggest that while genetic interventions may significantly influence biological structures and even contribute to shaping certain behavioral or cognitive features, these changes do not penetrate the core of the fiṭrah. The moral and spiritual dimensions that constitute fiṭrah remain unaffected by material alterations because, according to Islamic thought, fiṭrah is grounded in divine orientation that cannot be biologically engineered or dismantled. However, this study acknowledges that human choices, upbringing, cultural conditions, and environmental factors may obscure, distort, or suppress the expression of fiṭrah without altering its essential nature. Ultimately, the study concludes that although biotechnology can transform aspects of human biology and potentially expand the limits of human capability, it does not possess the capacity to fundamentally modify the divinely endowed structure represented by the fiṭrah. This conclusion reaffirms fiṭrah as a stable ontological constant within Islamic anthropology, which remains intact regardless of scientific or technological intervention.
Keywords : Kelam, Biyoteknoloji, Genetik Müdahale, Fıtrat, Epigenetik

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