Al-Zuhri also narrated it from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, from Abu Hurayrah, without mentioning the one who dies while still young. He added: Abu Hurayrah would then say, “Recite, if you wish: ‘The fitrah of Allah upon which He has created mankind.’” (1)

His saying, “Every child is born upon the fitrah,” means: upon the covenant that Allah took from them when He said, “Am I not your Lord?” They said, “Yes indeed.” (al-A'raf 172) Every newborn in the world is upon that acknowledgment. This is the pure monotheism upon which mankind was created, even if he worships another besides Him. Allah, exalted is He, says:

“And if you asked them who created them, they would surely say, ‘Allah.’” (al-Zukhruf 87)

And they say:

“We worship them only so that they may bring us nearer to Allah.” (al-Zumar 3)

Yet innate faith is not taken into account in the legal rulings of this world. Rather, what is considered is the faith prescribed by the Sacred Law: faith which is commanded and acquired through one’s will and actions. Do you not see that he says, “Then his parents make him a Jew”? Thus, despite the innate faith present within him, the child is subject to the legal ruling of his two unbelieving parents. This is the meaning of his saying, peace and blessings be upon him: “Allah, exalted is He, says: ‘I created My servants as upright monotheists, but the devils turned them away from their religion.’” (2) A similar interpretation has been related from al-Awza'i and Hammad ibn Salamah. (3)

It has also been related from Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak that he said: The meaning of the hadith is that every newborn is born upon his fitrah—that is, upon the disposition for which he was formed, as known to Allah, exalted is He, whether of felicity or wretchedness. Each of them will ultimately arrive at that for which he was created, and will act in this world with deeds corresponding to it. Thus, among the signs of wretchedness for a child is that he is born to Jewish or Christian parents, who, because of his wretchedness, lead him to adopt their religion. (4)

It was also said that its meaning is that every newborn is born, at the outset of his creation, [upon the fitrah—that is, upon a sound innate disposition] (5) and a nature prepared to accept religion. Were he left to it, he would remain steadfast in adhering to it, for the goodness of this religion is evident to sound minds. Whoever turns away from it to another religion does so only because of one of the corrupting influences of upbringing and blind imitation. Had he been safe from those influences, he would not adopt another religion ... He then illustrates this with the children of Jews and Christians, who follow their fathers and incline toward their religions, thereby departing from the sound fitrah and the straight path. Abu Sulayman al-Khattabi mentioned these meanings in his book. (6)