In reality, idolatry comprises everything that people set up as a goal that does not involve seeking Allah’s approval, in who or which they place their hopes or desire for approval, or every entity regarded as possessing true power and control other than Allah. Given the subtlety of this definition, idolatry needs to be considered as something that may be very close at hand. Ascribing equals to Allah is a most dangerous sin, one that cannot be forgiven and therefore will lead people to Hell. Thus, those who fear and respect Allah and hope for His Paradise must be on their guard against this threat. But people cannot do this if they do not know what idolatry is and what things fall under its scope. This website has been written to illustrate how idolatry, as set out in the Qur’an, exists in contemporary society. We hope that it will achieve this aim, help people renounce all of their idols, and turn sincerely to and serve only Almighty Allah, the true Creator of all things. In addition, idolatry heads the list of sins to be avoided, for those who ascribe equals to Allah are guilty of committing a grave sin against Him. In the Qur’an, Allah reveals that He will not forgive such a serious slander, sin, and act of disrespect: Allah does not forgive anything being associated with Him, but He forgives whomever He wills for anything other than that. Anyone who associates something with Allah has gone very far astray. (Surat an-Nisa’: 116) This is where the importance of avoiding idolatry lies. As Allah will never forgive such a major sin, He calls upon Muslims to avoid it at all costs by refusing to ascribe equals to Him. For example, Prophet Luqman (as) advised his son: “O my son, do not associate anything with Allah. Associating others with Him is a terrible wrong” (Surah Luqman: 13). Another reason to avoid this mistake is that it causes all of a person’s efforts to become vain and inflicts a terrible disappointment upon those who have gone astray: It has been revealed to you and those before you: “If you associate others with Allah, your actions will come to nothing and you will be among the losers.” (Surat az-Zumar: 65) Clearly, ascribing equals to Allah is a grievous sin that can drag a person down to Hell. Therefore, anyone who fears and respects Allah and hopes for His Paradise must guard against it. This website has been written in the hope that having a clear understanding of the Qur’anic concept of idolatry will help the readers realize that much of what they consider to be perfectly normal and regular behavior is, in fact, nothing more than idolatry. May it achieve this aim and may it be a means whereby people will renounce their mistaken beliefs and worldview and serve only Almighty Allah, the Creator of all things.Readers must also be informed that this danger may not be something that existed only a long time ago or in primitive societies. It is probably far closer to them than they think it is, and thus should be of great concern to them. Those who feel no need to reflect on this matter will fail to benefit from what is said herein. In other words, if they are idolaters they will remain so and face Allah after death in a state of great sin. No Muslim wants to meet the Lord in such a state. Therefore, read this website in all sincerity, as if it had been written just for you. Reflect on it honestly and consider the examples and Qur’anic verses carefully, and then determine if your beliefs and actions are based on idolatry in any way. Since all people are helpless and prone to error, the important thing is to recognize one’s errors and abandon them immediately. |
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Introduction
WHAT IS IDOLATRY?
The Qur’an’s fundamental message is that there is no deity other than Allah. This truth is set out in the profession of faith, la ilaha illa Allah, and is reiterated throughout the Qur’an. However, Muslims need to understand this point fully and reflect upon it deeply. Given that all power and might belongs to Allah and that He is the Only God, this cannot be interpreted in a superficial manner. When we look at the Qur’an, we see that any other belief, attitude, or behavior that is not based upon this truth is actually idolatry. Thus, we may translate shirk in the general sense as the false conception and idea that any person, thing, or supposed deity has any actual power and might other than Allah.
According to the Qur’an, a deity is an entity that possesses the titles and attributes that Allah has revealed about Himself. The only true deity, therefore, is Allah. No other member of creation has His titles, and to claim otherwise means taking entities other than Allah as one’s deity or ascribing equals to Allah.
A fine distinction needs to be drawn here. For example, one of Allah’s titles, al-Ghani (the Wealthy), can also refer to one’s material situation. What leads to idolatry, however, is imagining that this wealth was acquired through personal effort. If this were the case, the fact that all wealth actually belongs to Allah would be forgotten. For whatever reason, Allah willed to give that person all that he or she owns, thereby manifesting this particular title. However, many people often forget or ignore the fact that Allah can remove whatever He wills from whoever He wills in a single moment. The failure to consider anyone apart from Allah as poor and helpless renders people unable to understand that He can manifest Himself by whatever titles and in whatever people He wills. As a result, one may think that the individual concerned is the true owner of such possessions as wealth, riches, property, and titles. But since such things were bestowed by Allah, instead of being acquired by individual effort, this misunderstanding may cause people to forget Allah and ascribe a divine title to another human being. If they do this, they are guilty of idolatry.
The correct thing to do is to realize that Allah is the sole possessor and lord of all riches and wealth, regardless of their location and amount, and that He can withdraw His wealth from anyone whenever He wills. When evaluating materially rich people, the important thing is not their economic status but that they are thought of as Allah’s servant. For example, if one’s family members regard the father as the true owner of his wealth and thus place their hopes solely in him, thereby forgetting the wealth’s true owner, they are committing a serious sin. Similarly, those who work alongside this person must realize that only Allah feeds, clothes, and shelters them. It would be highly irrational for them to regard their employer as the one who provides for them, because:
Instead of [worshipping] Allah, you worship only idols and invent falsehood. Those whom you worship besides Allah have no power to provide for you, so seek your provision from Allah, worship Him, and give thanks to Him. It is to Him that you will be returned. (Surat al-‘Ankabut: 17)
In addition, the Qur’an states that there is no force and power other than Allah (Surat al-Kahf: 39). Whatever resembles force and power in His created entities is actually a reflection of His infinite might. Allah can remove these apparent attributes at any moment. Overestimating anyone because of these attributes bestowed on them by Allah in this world, temporarily and as a test, and to admire them as if that power was actually inherent in them, is a form of ascribing divine status to them. They do not appreciate Allah with His true measure. Allah is All-Strong, Almighty. (Surat al-Hajj: 74)
This same logic applies to all of Allah’s other titles that He manifests or causes to be reflected by members of His creations. In considering these entities, one must be aware that these titles belong only to Allah and that what we see in other people are merely manifestations of them.The starting point of idolatry
The serious mistake of attributing an independent identity to Allah’s creations by regarding them as beings in their own right who are independent of Allah leads to idolatry. Allah’s wealth, beauty, might, and glory do exist, but those upon whom He bestows them do not actually possess them and are not the originators of them; nor do they or their possessions exist in any way that is independent of His existence. People who do not understand this often admire or fear those who apparently possess such attributes, believing that they are somehow independent of Him. This is the starting point of idolatry. As we will see in later chapters, such an attribution underlies all forms of shirk and idolatrous attitudes. True believers must build their faith on monotheism (viz., the oneness of Allah) and avoid ascribing any equals to Him. Therefore, all people must constantly remember that they are indebted to Allah for whatever they possess and have been brought into being only through Allah’s will. He can keep them alive or not, as He wills, and bestows whatever attributes He wills upon any member of His creation.
Power, opportunity, intelligence, beauty, fame, and rank are all attributes created by Him. Since He created them, He can easily remove them whenever He wills to do so. Allah manifests Himself in different ways in all places and all people. It is these manifestations that one sees wherever he or she looks. Those who believe in Allah must place the realization that nothing exists independent of Allah firmly in their heart. Only when they believe, think, and behave in accordance with this truth can they stop ascribing equals to Allah.
The Idolaters’ Invalid Justifications
We can learn the most accurate meanings of idolatry, monotheism, service, and worship from the Qur’an. Only by reading and understanding the Qur’an and seeking to implement it in our lives can we acquire an attitude, understanding, belief, and behavior that takes Allah as our Lord in all matters and thus avoid the error of idolatry. Therefore, someone who has faith and knows that the Qur’an is the truth must not adopt any other criteria when it comes to matters of faith, thought, moral understanding, lifestyle, and other value judgments. In addition, trying to justify one’s preference for alternatives to Allah’s commands and thus abandoning His stipulations leads to idolatry. No such justification is valid. For example, preferring someone’s approval and seeking to please him or her instead of Allah means adopting another deity. Fearing and respecting someone as much as or more than Allah, and thus abandoning His commands or behaving in a way does not please Him, mean exactly the same thing. Loving another person as much as Allah means that that person is in shirk. If someone who is aware of the requirement to live by faith points to his or her surroundings or environment as a justification for making concessions on religion so as not to attract criticism, this a clear sign of idolatry – whose approval should be more important? A person’s family or close circle may not understand Islam, in which case any departure from its requirements or making concessions is another sign of that same danger. No Muslim can make any concessions regarding Allah’s approval, for only His approval matters. Of course nobody wants to lessen his or her love and respect for the family. But if family members call upon him or her to ascribe equals to Allah, He reveals the correct reaction:
We have instructed man to honor his parents. But if they endeavor to make you associate with Me something about which you have no knowledge, do not obey them. It is to Me that you will return, and I will inform you about the things you did. (Surat al-‘Ankabut: 8)
The Prophet (saas) is the best example of how to deal with non-Muslims. While he was preaching, many people realized that the Qur’an was Allah’s word and had to be heeded. However, very few of them actually implemented the requirements of religious morality and followed him. For instance, the verses regarding Islamic clothing for women were revealed in the period after the Hijra:Safiyyah bint Shaybah said: "When we were with A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her), we mentioned the women of Quraysh and their virtues. A'isha said, 'The women of Quraysh are good, but by Allah (swt) I have never seen any better or more strict in their adherence to the Book of Allah (swt) than the women of the Ansar. When Surat al-Nur was revealed (...that they should draw their veils over their bosoms...) their menfolk went to them and recited to them the words that Allah (swt) had revealed. Each man recited it to his wife, his daughter, his sister and other family relatives. Every woman among them got up, took her decorated wrapper, and wrapped herself up in it out of faith and belief in what Allah (swt) had revealed. …" (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Surat an-Nur, “The Rulings of Hijab”)
The following is also reported regarding the excellent behavior of Muslim women when the relevant verses were revealed:A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “When Allah (swt) revealed the verse: ‘and to draw their veils all over their bosoms,’ they tore their aprons and covered themselves with them.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Surat an-Nur, “The Rulings of Hijab”)
In the time of the Prophet (saas), Muslim women immediately obeyed Almighty Allah’s commandment, and experienced a great enthusiasm and desire to do so. The Muslims who came after them also fulfilled this commandment with the same enthusiasm and determination.Some others, however, were fearful of the reaction of the community they lived in, were put off by their threats, were concerned about losing their position and prestige, and thought that they would suffer losses if they complied with the Prophet (saas), set time aside for Muslims and served the religion. Because of the difficult environment, some feared the likely troubles that would befall them, some regarded setting out alongside the Prophet (saas) in the heat of the desert as difficult and preferred their own worldly desires.
In conclusion, these people came up with various pretexts for making concessions on the faith. But in the light of the verses of the Qur’an it can immediately be seen that they were ascribing equals to Allah. Because even though these people saw the truth in their hearts, they nevertheless preferred either other people, or society as a whole, or money, or their status or desires over Allah’s approval. They sought to please others than Allah and hoped for salvation from entities other than Him. The great majority feared their society’s criticism, hesitated in the face of threats, worried about losing their rank and prestige, thought that following the Prophet (saas) could affect their business and financial interests, and that they would lose out by devoting time to Muslims and serving Islam. Some were afraid of what would happen if they converted, and others preferred their own ease and comfort to migrating to Madinah with the Prophet (saas) and starting all over again.
In other words, they tried to justify their concessions. Based on what the Qur’an says, however, they were actually ascribing partners to Allah, for they were aware of the truth and yet preferred the approval other people, society, money, rank, or earthly desires over that of Allah. Thus, they placed their hopes in entities other than Him.
Many of these same people also made concessions because of their earthly passions or to satisfy their desires or to avoid making sacrifices:
And a group of them said: “O People of Yathrib (Madinah), your position is untenable so turn back!” Some of them asked the Prophet to excuse them, saying: “Our houses are exposed,” when they were not exposed; it was merely that they wanted to run away. (Surat al-Ahzab: 13)
As we have seen, such people made excuses so they would not have to accompany the Prophet (saas) and the believers, and would not have to fully implement Islam in their lives. Maybe they told others how logical they were. However, these excuses were invalid in Allah’s sight and so they only deceived themselves. By preferring their worldly desires over Allah’s approval, they clearly ascribed equals to Allah.People living at our Prophet’s (saas) time were tested under the conditions of the time; people today are also being tested. Allah knows whether they are sincere when they have to choose between their own desires and His approval, or whether they make excuses like the idolaters in the past. Everyone will be appropriately rewarded or punished in the Hereafter for their actions in this world.
On that Day the excuses of those who did wrong will not help them, nor will they be able to appease Allah. (Surat ar-Rum: 57)
Given the above, people today should not distance themselves from the Qur’an and invent excuses for turning away from Islam. First and foremost, someone who ascribes equals to Allah has adopted as a law-giver some thing or person other than Allah. This supposed “equal” to Allah could be the person himself or herself, family members or ancestors, friends, employer, society, and even the founders and followers of various philosophies and ideologies. Looked at from this viewpoint, people who follow a path other than Islam have chosen, either consciously or not, idolatry. Regardless of what they call themselves (e.g., agnostic, atheist, Christian, Jew, or Muslim), they are idolaters. Even if they perform the five daily prayers, fast, and perform many Islamic observances, they are still idolaters if even one of their thoughts or value judgments conflicts with the Qur’an, if they abandon Allah’s commands, or if they try to please others instead of Him.
Someone who ascribes partners to Allah does not have to think this is also a deity or say “I have adopted this as a deity alongside Allah and worship this, too,” for idolatry is first of all in the heart and then reflected in deed. As the Qur’an makes clear, people’s preference for any other entity than Allah causes them to become idolaters. However, such people generally do not deny Allah’s existence; in fact, many of them refuse to admit that they are idolaters at all. Having smothered their consciences and deceived themselves, they even deny their idolatry in the Hereafter:
On the Day We gather them all together, We will ask those who associated others with Allah: “Where are the partner-deities for whom you made such claims?” Then they will have no recourse except to say: “By Allah, our Lord, We were not idolaters.” See how they lie against themselves and how what they invented has forsaken them! (Surat al-An‘am: 22-24)
CATEGORIES OF IDOLATERS IN THE QUR’AN
Idolaters Among the People of the Book
The Qur’an uses the term People of the Book to refer to Christians and Jews. Some Christians and Jews have moved away from the essence of the true religion and now adhere to a idolatrous worldview. However, we must not apply this generalization to all of them, for not all of them have fallen into this error. Christians in particular have gone astray by deifying Prophet Isa (as). Even today, idolaters who consider themselves to be Christian maintain that Prophet Isa (as) is the son of Allah (Allah is beyond that!) and thus a deity in his own right: Those who say that the Messiah, son of Mary, is Allah are unbelievers. The Messiah said: “O Tribe of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. If anyone associates anything with Allah, Allah has forbidden him the Garden and his refuge will be the Fire.” The wrongdoers will have no helpers. Those who say that Allah is the third of three are unbelievers. There is no deity but the One God. If they do not stop saying what they say, a painful punishment will afflict those of them who do not believe. (Surat al-Ma’ida: 72-73)
Some members of the clergy also ascribe equals to Allah. Some rabbis have adopted them and proclaimed rules in Allah’s name as if they were divine laws. Added to the Torah and other scriptures over the course of history, the great majority of Jews have lived by these rules for centuries in the name of religion. By bestowing on the rabbis the right to devise and then impose their provisions in His name, even to the extent of altering His commands, these people are equating their rabbis with Allah.The same thing applies to Christians, some of whom have blindly followed their monks, priests, and people of religion who have dominated them. They have adopted these people’s religious understandings and viewpoints rather than Allah’s religion.
Some people from both religions have corrupted the Torah and the Bible over the course of history by making additions, deductions, and alterations to them. By moving away from the true religion revealed by these scriptures, some idolatrous people of religion have turned them into idolatrous faiths.
They have taken their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah, and also the Messiah, son of Maryam. Yet they were commanded to worship Only One God. There is no deity but Him! Glory be to Him above anything they associate with Him! (Surat al-Tawba: 31)
In the Qur’an Allah summons the members of both faiths that have deviated into idolatry to the essence of the true religion, in other words that they should take Him as their Only deity and serve none other than Him. One verse reads: Say [O Muhammad]: “O People of the Book, come to a proposition that is the same for us and you–that we should worship none but Allah, associate no partners with Him, and not take one another as lords besides Allah.” If they turn away, say: “Bear witness that we are Muslims.” (Surah Al ‘Imran: 64)
Remember that we are talking about only those idolaters among the Christians and Jews. Of course there may be idolaters in all religions, and such people even emerge from the Muslim community. In other words, not all Christians and Jews can be tarred with the same brush. From this point of view, we ask the forgiveness of those sincere Christians and Jews who regard Allah as the One and Only God and who do not ascribe partners to Him. The Qur’an mentions such people: They are not all the same. There is a community among the People of the Book who are upright. They recite Allah’s Signs throughout the night, and they prostrate. They believe in Allah and the Last Day, enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, and compete in doing good. They are among the righteous. You will not be denied the reward for any good thing you do. Allah knows those who guard against evil. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 113-15)
Among the People of the Book are some who believe in Allah, in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down to them, and who are humble before Allah. They do not sell Allah’s Signs for a paltry price. Such people will have their reward with their Lord. And Allah is swift at reckoning. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 199)
The Qur’an states that all idolatrous members of the People of the Book should be called to the true faith with pleasant advice and told how ascribing equals to Allah is wrong: Say [O Muhammad]: “O People of the Book, come to a proposition that is the same for us and you–that we should worship none but Allah, associate no partners with Him, and not take one another as lords besides Allah.” If they turn away, say: “Bear witness that we are Muslims.” (Surah Al ‘Imran: 64)
Those who deify “powerful” people
The clearest example on this subject is the people of Pharaoh. Since they ascribed divine status to him, the idolatrous system established by Pharaoh’s court and people, as well as its features, is a universal model that can be seen in all ages and in all societies. Pharaoh declared himself to be a god, and his people submitted to that: But then he rallied and called out, saying: “I am your Lord Most High!” (Surat al-Nazi‘at: 23-24)
Pharaoh’s principal followers and supporters were the members of his court. As we can see from his words, “O Council, I do not know of any other deity for you apart from Me. Haman, kindle a fire for me over the clay and build me a lofty tower so that perhaps I may be able to climb up to Musa’s God! I consider him a blatant liar” (Surat al-Qasas: 38), Pharaoh established complete control over Egypt’s leading people and forced them to accept his so-called divinity. Since they enjoyed popular respect, they imagined that this system could benefit them and be made to work to their advantage. This is why they accepted his so-called divine status. However, this approach was doomed to eventual disappointment because they faced a terrible retribution in this world and eternal chastisement in the Hereafter. The position and fate of these leading figures is described in the Qur’an: (We sent Musa) to Pharaoh and his ruling circle. They followed Pharaoh’s command, but Pharaoh’s command was not rightly guided. He (Pharaoh) will go ahead of his people on the Day of Rising and lead them down into the Fire. What an evil place to be led to! They are pursued by a curse in this world and on the Day of Rising. What an evil gift to be given! That is some of the news of the cities that We relate to you. Some of them are still standing, while others are now just rubble. We did not wrong them; rather, they wronged themselves. The deities they called upon besides Allah did not help them at all when Allah’s command came upon them. They did nothing but increase their ruin. (Surah Hud: 97-101)
Egypt’s army and people also bowed to Pharaoh; those who were poor, weak, and needy submitted to his command: Pharaoh called to his people, saying: “O my people, does the kingdom of Egypt not belong to me? Do not all these rivers flow under my control? Do you not then see?” … In that way, he swayed his people and they succumbed to him. They were a people who had gone astray (Surat al-Zukhruf: 51 and 54)
A large part of the Israelite captives in Egypt at that time also existed in a state of fear and oppression stemming from idolatry. Like the Egyptians, they thought that Pharaoh possessed power independently of Allah (Surely Allah is beyond that ) and feared him in the same way that they feared Allah. Thus, they preferred to submit to Pharaoh rather then believe in the true faith: No one believed in Musa, except for a few of his people, out of fear that Pharaoh and the elders would persecute them. Pharaoh was high and mighty in the land. He was one of the profligate. (Surah Yunus: 83)
The Egyptians deified Pharaoh for a variety of reasons: oppression, cowardice, ignorance, and the desire to protect their own interests at whatever price. As a result, they descended into idolatry by either forgetting or conveniently ignoring that Allah is the Only God and that He alone is worthy of their fear and respect. Given this fact, they should have placed all of their faith and trust in Allah and followed the paths revealed to humanity through His prophets and messengers in order to gain His approval. If they had realized that only Allah has real power, they would not have feared Pharaoh and his wrath.Had they understood that Pharaoh was no more than a helpless entity completely under Allah’s control, they might not have submitted to him. Since they failed to understand that all of Pharaoh’s wealth and riches, glory, and military strength actually belonged to Allah, they could not evaluate his might properly and thus were deceived by his apparent power. Had they known that Allah could have taken away all that Pharaoh possessed whenever He willed, they would not have displayed such idolatrous moral values and suffered such humiliation. Indeed, Allah revealed His ability to do just that when He drowned Pharaoh at the very moment He willed to do so. This example, a source of deep disgrace for those who deified Pharaoh, remains an excellent example of the idolatrous model that has been – and continues to be – widespread among humanity.
Those who worship idols
Previous sections have defined idol as any animate or inanimate object set up as an equal to Allah. In this section, we shall use this word in its classic sense: statues made and worshipped by people. At first sight, a person might think that worshipping idols was a custom of very ancient societies or of certain primitive tribes who have not yet been reached by modern-day science and technology. But such an assumption would be incorrect, because at the heart of this kind of idolatry lie the people or concepts that these totems represent. Therefore, idol worshippers generally adopt the ideas and lifestyles represented by their idols, rather than the idols themselves. In other words, they try to immortalize the entities they regard as equal to Allah (e.g., guides, law-givers, protectors, or saviors) by making statues of them. At the end of the day, there is a symbolic logic behind this activity. Aware that such statues represent the entity, person, or concept regarded as Allah’s equal, they are shown the respect and adoration to which He alone is entitled. What is actually being put forward as an equal of Allah is the significance and mentality the idol in question represents. The Qur’an mentions Prophet Ibrahim’s (as) people in this context:
We gave Ibrahim his right guidance early on and had complete knowledge of him. When he asked his father and his people: “What are these statues to which you are clinging?” they replied: “We found our fathers worshipping them.” (Surat al-Anbiya’: 52-53)
As can be seen from these verses, such forms of worship are an ancestral legacy. No matter how illogical it may be, idol worship may become a form of “correct” and “rational” behavior in even the most modern societies due to the worldview with which people are raised from childhood. One characteristic of carved statues is that they gradually come to be equated with the individual or concept that they represented. For example, the Buddha was first deified as an individual in India. Statues representing him were then made to keep his memory and thoughts alive. Today, these statues have been deified and have become idols that people worship and respect, to which they pray, and from which they seek help. Other forms of idol worship are based on a similar logic.
Historical records and the Qur’an refer to the Arabs of the Prophet’s (saas) time as having a wide variety of idols. When we examine the relevant historical documents, we clearly see that these idols actually represented specific concepts and had a symbolic nature. In other words, these Arabs did not actually worship shapes or statues made from stone or wood; rather, they worshipped the significance embodied in them (e.g., power, money, women, or abundance). Given this reality, those idols are not so very different to the values worshipped in our own day and preferred over Allah’s religion by many people. Thus, it is mistaken to think of ancient tribes or people when referring to idolaters or idol worshippers, for their counterparts are alive and well today. Those people were aware of Allah’s existence, but had descended into idolatry because they had deified various concepts by attaching greater importance to them than they did to Allah.
Another example concerns the Israelites. Freed from Pharaoh’s control, they encountered an idol-worshipping people on their journey and asked Prophet Musa (as) to make one for them:
We conveyed the tribe of Israel across the sea, and they came upon some people who were devoting themselves to some idols that they had. They said: “O Musa, give us a deity just as these people have deities.” He said: “You are indeed an ignorant people. What these people are doing is destined for destruction. What they are doing is in vain.” (Surat al-A‘raf: 138-39)
Such spiritually ignorant behavior shows that these Israelites could not appreciate and comprehend Allah’s might. Instead, they wanted a deity that they could see with their own eyes, bow down to, and perhaps “persuade” to fulfill their desires with showy rituals. Although Prophet Musa (as) explained the truth to them, they immediately adopted their own deities once he had left for Mt. Sinai. The Qur’an states that they later regretted this heinous sin: After he left, Musa’s people adopted a calf made from their ornaments, a form that made a lowing sound. Did they not see that it could not speak to them or guide them to any way? They adopted it and so they were wrongdoers. When they took full stock of what they had done and saw they had been misled, they said: “If our Lord does not have mercy on us and forgive us, we will certainly be among the lost.” (Surat al-A‘raf: 148-149)
However, Allah has this to say: As for those who adopted the calf [as their Lord], anger from their Lord will overtake them, together with abasement, in the life of this world. That is how We repay the purveyors of falsehood. But as for those who do evil actions and then subsequently make tawba and have iman, in that case your Lord is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat al-A‘raf: 152-153)
Those who worship jinns
People sometimes consider jinns as equals to Allah. These beings were created out of fire, not out of earth like humanity (Surat al-Rahman: 15). Since they are invisible and possess different powers and attributes than humanity, some misguided people who have dealings with them begin to magnify them and place their hopes in them. They imagine that the jinns’ existence and powers are somehow independent of Allah. In short, they seek their help and power instead of Allah’s: Certain men from among mankind used to seek refuge with certain men from among the jinn but they (jinns) only increased them (people) in wickedness. (Surat al-Jinn: 6)
Yet they make the jinn co-partners with Allah when He created them! And they attribute sons and daughters to Him without any knowledge. Glory be to Him! He is far above what they describe! (Surat al-An‘am: 100)
In reality, however, jinns are the same as every other member of creation in the sense that they are Allah’s servants and have no power or knowledge apart from what He has bestowed upon them. As with human beings, they may be believers or unbelievers, are tested in this world, and sent to Paradise or Hell based on what they have earned for themselves. Several verses contain important information about them, such as: I only created jinn and humanity to worship Me. (Surat al-Dhariyat: 56)
Since jinns were created to serve and worship Allah, they owe their existence to Him and thus stand in need of Him at every moment. Given this, how can anyone deify and obey them by falling under the spell of one or more of their physical attributes? And yet many people do just that and end up considering them as Allah’s equals and thereby seek to satisfy their own arrogance. However, those who impute an independent power and identity to them, as well as those who regard them as equal to Allah, will suffer terrible disappointment when the jinns fail to answer their prayers. In the Hereafter, they will realize that they were, in reality, idolaters: They claim that there is a blood-tie between Him and the jinns, but the jinns know very well that they will be arraigned. Glory be to Allah, [Who is far] above what they describe. (Surat al-Saffat: 158-59)
On the Day We gather them all together [He will say]: “O Company of jinn, you gained many followers among humanity.” And their friends among humanity will say: “Our Lord, we benefited from one another, and now we have reached the term that You determined for us.” He will say: “The Fire is your home. You will be in it timelessly, forever, except as Allah wills. Your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing.” (Surat al-An‘am: 128)Those who deify their own fancies
People also deify their own fancies, defined as one’s passions, desires, whims, and caprices. Placing their own worldly wishes above Allah’s commands and wishes by worshipping statues, jinns, or other people or entities, their final goal is to satisfy their own caprices and desires. Such people are very numerous in society. As worldly desires are unlimited, these people seek to satisfy all of them. As a result, they find themselves compelled to exceed the bounds Allah has established for humanity and to violate His commands and prohibitions. Prophet Yusuf (as) spoke about this:
“I do not say that my self was free from blame, for indeed the self commands to evil acts–except for those on which my Lord has mercy. My Lord, He is Forgiving, Merciful.” (Surah Yusuf: 53)
Worldly desires may be a wish for wealth, boundless property, and fortune. To achieve their desires, many people resort to improper means (e.g., theft and fraud) if lawful and legitimate ones are not available. Even though Allah has forbidden such actions, worldly desires encourage people to ignore acts of observance such as taking care of others and giving alms in order to purify their wealth. Believers abide by Allah’s commands and avoid what He has forbidden. On the other hand, those who deify their own desires obey their worldly cravings and so violate His commands and prohibitions. Lust is a major worldly desire and passion. Those who follow their desires see no harm in adultery and even encourage people to indulge in it, although Allah has forbidden it. Some people who deliberately go ahead in the full knowledge that Allah has forbidden it, who see no harm and feel no regret in such activity, and who do not repent sincerely have clearly deified their desires and thus ascribe equals to Allah. By definition, they are idolaters:
A man who has fornicated may only marry a woman who has fornicated or a woman of the idolaters. A woman who has fornicated may only marry a man who has fornicated or a man of the idolaters. Doing such a thing is forbidden for the believers. (Surat an-Nur: 3)
There is no end to worldly desires. Thus, if people are driven by their desires and do nothing to free themselves from their control, these desires can lead them to exceed the bounds set by Allah for humanity. In other words, such people will deify their desires and become idolaters, for they will forget about pleasing Allah. Their reason and foresight will gradually disappear, their conscience will atrophy, and soon they will find themselves in a position lower than the animals: Have you seen the one who has taken his whims and desires to be his deities? Will you then be his guardian? Do you suppose that most of them hear or understand? They are just like cattle. Indeed, they are even more astray! (Surat al-Furqan: 43-44)
This is the most widespread form of idolatry in present-day societies. Many people today are largely unaware of Allah and religious moral values. As a result, and unaware of any bounds when it comes to satisfying their passions, desires, and wants, they spend a large part of their lives pursuing that which they think will make them happy: social rank and status and the wealth accruing from the acquisition of a great deal of money and property. While possessing material and wealth is not an evil in itself, we must be aware of the following fact: in order to fulfill their craving and passion, people often make concessions when confronted with what Allah requires of them. In other words, they become idolaters because they prefer to satisfy their earthly desires over adhering to Allah’s commands and prohibitions. It is as if there were a veil over their eyes that somehow prevents them from thinking about their Creator, why they have been created, or the Hereafter: Have you seen the one who takes his whims and desires to be his deity–whom Allah has misguided knowingly, sealing up his hearing and his heart and placing a blindfold over his eyes? Who then will guide him after Allah? So will you not pay heed? (Surat al-Jathiyya: 23)
Since idolaters do not use their reason and conscience, they cannot make sound judgments about certain fundamental truths. Their insensitivity to Allah’s existence and might resembles that of the orchard owner described in Surat al-Kahf. This account is a very significant example of the idolaters’ weakness of mind and logic: Make an example for them of two men. To one of them We gave two gardens of grape-vines and surrounded them with date-palms, putting between them some cultivated land. Both gardens yielded their crops and did not suffer any loss, and We made a river flow right through the middle of them. He was a man of wealth and property. He said to his companion, debating with him: “I have more wealth than you and more people under me.” He entered his garden and wronged himself by saying: “I do not think that this will ever end. I do not think the Hour will ever come. But if I should be sent back to my Lord, I will definitely get something better in return.” (Surat al-Kahf: 32-36)
This is a very accurate portrayal of people who have strayed far from religion, fail to appreciate Allah as they ought, and do not believe in the Hereafter. When faced with the terrible possibility of ceasing to exist for all eternity, such people console themselves by admitting the possibility of a Hereafter in which they hope to be happy and contented. Yet since they do not truly believe in life after death, they make no preparations for it.It is useful to mention one important point here: All people, whether believers or unbelievers, have unlimited worldly desires and passions, for Allah uses them to test people and reveal their true nature. Those who are faithful to Him control their passions and observe only His commands and prohibitions; those who are faithful only to their whims and desires ignore the bounds established by Him for humanity so that they can satisfy their desires. Since the members of the latter group prefer their desires over His approval, they will be condemned to eternal punishment:
On the Day when those who did not believe are exposed to the Fire [He will say]: “You dissipated the good things you had in your worldly life and enjoyed yourself in it. So today you are being repaid with the punishment of humiliation for being arrogant in the land without any right, and for being deviators.” (Surat al-Ahqaf: 20)
In the Hereafter, believers will attain both His mercy and His Paradise, where they will be able to satisfy all their desires in a legitimate manner: Platters and cups of gold will be passed around among them, and they will have there all that their hearts desire and in which their eyes find delight. You will remain in it timelessly, forever. (Surat al-Zukhruf: 71)
Those who deify themselves
Another common form of idolatry is self-deification. One might imagine at first glance that such a model would be quite rare. However, this is not the case. Many people do not, perhaps, name this dangerous state in which they live, but when evaluated in a sincere manner, such a diagnosis proves to be quite accurate.For example, most people believe that their successes, superior features, intelligence, attractiveness, lineage, wealth, property, rank, station, and many similar things are the result of their own work. As a result, they become proud. If they have more than one of these features, their pride increases even further. Convinced that all of these things originate in themselves and that they are the source of their own success, they may belittle or underestimate other people and regard themselves superior to them.
Such people draw attention to themselves by arrogance. This is, in essence, a sin against Allah, because only He can endow a person with anything. For example, beauty is a manifestation of Allah. Thus, since beauty belongs to Him, He is the One Who should be praised for having it. We all know that only the artist of a painting deserves to be praised for its beauty, since the painting did not come into being of its own accord.
Property and assets should be considered in exactly the same way, for all assets really belong to Allah and He can easily take them back whenever He wills. It is, therefore, a grave error for people to boast of, and thus take pride in, possessing something that does not actually belong to them. Rather, they should understand that all of their assets, whether physical or otherwise, belong to Allah and thank Him accordingly. For example, Prophet Sulayman (as) said the following about his love for his horses and possessions:
We gave Dawud [a son,] Sulayman. What an excellent servant! He truly turned to his Lord. When swift horses, champing at the bit, were displayed before him in the afternoon, he (Sulayman) said: “Truly do I love the love of good, with a view to the glory of my Lord” until (the Sun) disappeared behind its veil. (Surah Sad: 30-32)
Dhu’l Qarnayn (as), upon whom Allah bestowed power, means, and blessings, helped a people against the threat from Gog and Magog. Although he achieved something very difficult and prevented the spread of corruption, he asked nothing for himself. On the contrary, he turned to Allah: He (Dhu’l Qarnayn) said: “This is a mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord’s promise comes about, He will crush it (the barrier) flat. The promise of my Lord is surely true.” (Surat al-Kahf: 98)
Clearly, such submission to Allah is a living model of the believers’ attitude, for they are always turning to Him due to their knowledge that they are completely helpless before Him and that all things belong to Him.Based on what has been said above, thinking of idolatry solely in terms of prostrating before hand-made statues is a very narrow and superficial perspective. Only idolaters themselves employ such logic in order to rid themselves of any guilt. Such people imagine that the concept of idolatry disappeared forever after the Prophet (saas) destroyed the idols in the Ka`bah. The fact is, however, that many verses describe idolatry in great detail and strongly warn believers against it. And since the Qur’an’s provisions apply for all time, these verses have been revealed to impart wisdom. The Qur’an refers to idolaters who imposed provisions, rules, prohibitions, and injunctions upon their people on the grounds that they are part of Allah’s religion. But they are liars.
THOSE WHO ASCRIBE EQUALS TO ALLAH IN HIS NAME AND IN THE NAME OF RELIGION
In this way, they lead not only themselves but also large numbers of other people into idolatry. People who are unaware of the essence of true Islamic moral values and of the Qur’an’s true teachings adopt this new distorted religion; even worse, they regard these “leaders” as religious law-givers who are independent of Allah. As a result, they knowingly embrace idolatry by deviating into ascribing equals to Him and deifying their misguided leaders, as earlier communities have done:
They have taken their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah, and also the Messiah, the son of Maryam. Yet they were commanded to worship the Only One God. There is no deity but Him! Glory be to Him above anything they associate with Him! (Surat al-Tawba: 31)
The following verses describe this idolatrous community’s general logic and mindset: In the same way, their idols have made killing their children appear good to many of the idolaters in order to destroy them and confuse them in their religion. If Allah had willed, they would not have done it; so abandon them and what they fabricate. They say: “These animals and crops are sacrosanct. No one may eat them, except those we wish”–as they allege–and animals on whose backs it is forbidden to ride, and animals over which they do not mention Allah’s name, inventing a falsehood against Him. He will repay them for the things they have invented. They say: “What is in the wombs of these animals is exclusively for our men and forbidden for our wives. But if it is stillborn, they can share in it.” He will repay them for their false depiction. He is All-Wise, All-Knowing. [As for] those who kill their children foolishly [and] without any knowledge and make what Allah has provided for them forbidden, inventing lies against Allah, such people are lost. They are misguided. They are not guided. (Surat al-An‘am: 137-140)
As the above verses show, idolaters have a great tendency to forbid Allah’s blessings and what He has made lawful by proclaiming their own rules in His name. Their strikingly generally prohibitive mentality distorts religion. The Qur’an particularly emphasizes those of their slanders and lies that are directed toward Allah. As can be seen from this, these people appear in Allah’s name and are active in His religion. The first verse tells us that they engender confusion in religious matters; the following verse says that they establish a completely different religion, one that Allah has not permitted and of which He does not approve:Or do they have partners who have laid down a religion for them for which Allah has not given any authority? Were it not for the prior Word of Decision, the judgment between them would already have been made. The wrongdoers will have a painful punishment. (Surat ash-Shura: 21)
No matter how religious they may seem to be, no matter how many religious observances they perform, no matter how devout and conscious of Allah they may claim to be, they are no more than idolaters in His sight. The Qur’an reveals how idolaters have adhered to the same deviant conception and passed it on from one generation to another: Those who associate others with Allah will say: “If Allah had willed, we would not have associated anything with Him, nor would our fathers [have done so], and we would not have made anything forbidden.” The people before them also lied in the same way until they felt Our violent force. Say: “Do you have some knowledge you can produce for us? You are following nothing but conjecture. You are only guessing.” (Surat al-An‘am: 148)
This verse states that idolaters follow their own conjectures and speculations, thereby leaving to one side the definitive facts that come from Allah. Other verses describe how they prefer their distorted ancestral religion to true Islam: No, in fact they say: “We found our fathers following a religion, and we are simply guided [by following] in their footsteps.” Similarly, We never sent any warner before you [O Muhammad] to any city without the affluent among them saying: “We found our fathers following a religion, and we are simply following in their footsteps.” Ask: “What if I have come with better guidance than what you found your fathers following?” They reply: “We reject that with which you have been sent.” (Surat al-Zukhruf: 22-24)
Blindly determined to persist in their ancestral religion, idolaters refuse to listen to reason. This, as well as their conservative and biased mindset, is described in several verses, some of which read as follows:When they are told: “Follow what Allah has sent down to you,” they say: “We are following what we found our fathers doing.” What, even though their fathers did not understand a thing and were not guided! (Surat al-Baqarah: 170)
When they are told: “Come to what Allah has sent down and to the Messenger,” they say: “What we found our fathers doing is enough for us.” What! Even if their fathers did not know anything and were not guided! (Surat al-Ma’idah: 104)
Whenever they commit an indecent act, they say: “We found our fathers doing it, and Allah commanded us to do it too.” Say: “Allah does not command indecency. Do you say things about Allah that you do not know?” (Surat al-A‘raf: 28)
So far, we have seen that these idolaters deviate from the true path because they do not take the Qur’an as their foundation. Instead, they prefer to implement their ancestors’ legacy, works, and handed-down knowledge. If their ancestors banned things that Allah made lawful, then they regard them as forbidden. But following the way of one’s ancestors has nothing to do with true religion. Those who fear and respect Allah and seek His approval are responsible only for abiding by the commands issued by the Qur’an and our Prophet (saas), not for preserving their ancestral traditions. Idolaters who are members of a social class
A close examination of the verses dealing with idolaters reveals that some of these people constitute a social grouping with shared characteristics, beliefs, and structures and are distinct from the idolaters of other faiths: As for the believers and those who are Jews, Sabaeans, Christians, Magians, and idolaters, Allah will distinguish between them on the Day of Rising. Allah is witness of all things. (Surat al-Hajj: 17)
The common feature of some of the groups mentioned here is that they are members of their own particular belief system. Clearly, what is being referred to here is a superstitious group that has adopted its own system of beliefs. But who are they?We can find the answer to this question in pre-Islamic Arabia. This land’s Arab societies had adopted a system of belief and worship that deviated from the true faith brought by Prophet Ibrahim (as); they worshipped idols and yet did not deny Allah’s existence. Even though they knew of His existence, they regarded their various man-made idols as His equals and thus, over time, descended into idolatry. They even believed that these idols could intercede on their behalf in His sight:
Instead of Allah, they worship that which can neither harm them nor help them, saying: “These are our intercessors with Allah.” Ask: “Would you inform Allah of something about which He does not know either in the heavens or on Earth?” May He be glorified and exalted above what they associate with Him! (Surah Yunus: 18)
The Qur’an tells us that these idolaters went on pilgrimage, welcomed pilgrims, visited the Ka`bah, prayed, and spent money for His sake. In other words, they regarded themselves as devout, law-abiding individuals in His sight. However, since they did not worship Him alone and since they performed these actions within a idolatrous framework, they derived no benefit from them. No matter how devout, superior, or close to Allah they may have regarded themselves, Allah forbade them to enter the Masjid al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque): O you who believe, the idolaters are unclean, so after this year they should not come near the Sacred Mosque (Masjid al-Haram). If you fear impoverishment, Allah will enrich you from His bounty if He wills. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. (Surat at-Tawba: 28)
Since the Qur’an is addressed to people living at all times and all ages, we have to see how its wisdom can be applied in our own day. The verses concerned with the idolaters, the attitudes and mindsets of those who devised a new faith in the name of Islam, and of those who followed them and summoned others to do so, clearly describe such people. Therefore, those of our contemporaries who have a similar attitude and mindset, as well as those who practice an invented religion, match the verses’ general description. Indeed today, at a time when distorted beliefs proclaimed in religion’s name are widespread, those who impose rules and obligations, define what is lawful and prohibited, and those who follow such people constitute a idolatrous group that slanders Allah, abides by the ancestral religion instead of Allah’s religion, and say things about Him that they do not actually know.In addition, these people proclaim that their religion is the true one and that they are the true believers. For that reason, they have distorted the true faith and turned to idolatry. Regardless of time and place, such people have always rejected the emissaries sent to return them to the true path and the true faith, and have regarded themselves as being devout and steadfast in faith. Some of them have even accused Allah’s emissaries of inventing lies against Allah (Surah Al‘Imran: 78 and Surah Saba’: 8). The same accusation was also hurled at our Prophet (saas), as recorded in Surat ash-Shura: 24.
Other verses also refer to these idolaters:
They are surprised that a warner should come to them from among themselves. The unbelievers exclaim: “This is a lying magician. Has he turned all the deities into One God? That is truly astonishing!” Their leaders went off, saying: “Carry on as you are! Hold fast to your deities. This is clearly something planned. We have not heard of this in the old religion. This is merely something contrived. Has the Reminder been sent down to him out of all of us?” They are in doubt about My Reminder. They have yet to taste My punishment. (Surah Sad: 4-8)
Having convinced themselves that they are on the true path, even on the Day of Judgment they will be unwilling to accept the fact that they were actually idolaters: On the Day We gather them all together, We will ask those who associated others with Allah: “Where are the partner-deities for whom you made such claims?” Then they will have no recourse except to say: “By Allah, our Lord, We were not idolaters.” (Surat al-An‘am: 22-23)
As these verses show, what lies at the heart of “religious” people ascribing equals to Allah is their adherence to the rules that they themselves have invented in the name of religion, as opposed to those revealed by Allah. This is not the only reason why those who follow something other than the Qur’an as their guide fall into idolatry. Above all else, they go astray because they fail to recognize and appreciate Allah properly and thus make their own “deity” equal to Allah. In addition, their love and conception of Allah has nothing to do with what is described in the Qur’an. Therefore, the only way to appreciate Allah and understand His religion properly and correctly is to take the Qur’an as one’s guide: On that Day, We will raise up among every community a witness against them from among themselves and bring you [O Muhammad] as a witness against them. We have sent down the Book to you, making all things clear and as guidance, mercy, and good news for the Muslims. (Surat an-Nahl: 89)
THE IDOLATERS’ CHARACTERISTICS
Idolaters might find it far more attractive to live by and defend such bigotry than to adopt the true path. They derive a mystical pleasure from this. In fact, this is one of the main reasons why many Jews have gone astray since the days of Prophet Musa (as). Some conservative Jews today appear to be very devout – and we apologize to those who genuinely are – and scrupulously adhere to the religious laws they have established for themselves. However, this faith is not the true religion sent by Allah, and it is practiced not for His approval but for the earthly pleasure derived from living according to one’s devotion to conservatism and one’s ancestors.
Idolaters fill their bigotry-based religions with odd symbols, customs, and rituals so that they can put on a great show. As a result, they become known as very devout individuals who possess considerable degree of fear and respect for Allah and eventually come to enjoy great prestige in their community. But this bigotry is actually no more than a structure designed by them to satisfy themselves, because, for whatever reason, the essence and truth of Allah’s religion, or, to put it more clearly, its true contents and framework, are not enough for them. They cannot accept the fact that Islam is easy to live by and is based on reason and clarity; they can feel at ease only if Islam is “difficult,” for this will allow them to display their “piety” to other people. Uncomfortable with the idea that it is enough for Allah alone to know what they do, they prefer to follow a man-made religion that will enable other people to observe and comment upon their “piety.”
However, unlike the pre-Islamic idolaters who belonged to the religions revealed before Islam, these later idolaters have been unable to change even a single word of the Qur’an, Allah’s final scripture. Our Prophet (saas) revealed that no other scripture will be sent down, that no other religion will come, and that the Qur’an is valid until the Day of Judgment. Allah has protected – and will continue to protect – the Qur’an. Thus, those who sincerely wish to learn what Islam requires in a clear and detailed manner can do so by taking the Qur’an and our Prophet’s (saas) Sunnah, which is entirely compatible with the Qur’an, as their guide.
The idolaters, on the other hand, defend superstitious beliefs that keep people away from the Qur’an. As one verse tells us, they speak falsehoods based upon their own (non-Qur’anic) speculations and conjectures. Harboring various suppositions regarding Allah, they live in a state of insecurity and oppression. Sometimes, they attempt to regain their self-confidence and determination by means of aggression, hypocrisy, mockery, and disregard of others’ opinions.
At the same time, they are spiritually ignorant. Even if they read and memorize countless books, they cannot be enlightened by the Qur’an’s radiance or know Allah as they should, because He has revealed Himself only in the Qur’an. Such people worship a very different deity, one that is man-made and based upon their superstitious faith. Their subsequent ignorance and irrationality are reflected in all that they do. Unable to understand the Qur’an, their spiritual ignorance, lack of reason, and defective logic constantly cause them to be humiliated before other people. Since they are devoted to a superstitious religion, they cannot defend their belief system in a rational manner.
They do not turn directly to Allah or establish a sincere closeness to Him because they are hard-hearted and feel no closeness or devotion to Him. Islam is on their tongue, but not in their heart. They appoint intermediaries to gain access to Allah, regard obtaining their approval as sufficient, and imagine that they will be able to help them. However, all such intermediaries actually move them even further away from Allah and increase their idolatry:
They worship, instead of Allah, that which can neither harm nor help them, saying: “These are our intercessors with Allah.” Ask: “Would you inform Allah of something about which He does not know either in the heavens or on Earth?” May He be glorified and exalted above what they associate with Him! (Surah Yunus: 18)
Being far removed from the Qur’an means that they are also far removed from its moral values. Since they do not read the Qur’an, or read it only with a idolatrous mentality that prevents them from understanding it correctly, they remain deprived of the blessings, knowledge, fine moral values, and spiritual virtues that it offers to the believers. The idolaters cannot see its superior virtues, for they find all kinds of immorality and fraud far more attractive. In addition, they are quite capable of suppressing their conscience and violating the bounds established by Allah for humanity in order to justify their decisions when placed in a difficult position or when their earthly desires and wishes conflict with Islam’s regulations. Another one of their characteristics is parsimony. One verse reveals that the believers use whatever money is left after meeting their needs to care for other people. Idolaters, on the other hand, spend only a very small amount – and even that is usually dispensed for show. Accumulating possessions and wealth is one of their greatest passions. Indeed, this is far more pleasing to them than spending what they have in Allah’s way. Since they lack true faith and thus have no trust in or submission to Allah, they are always afraid of what the future will bring.
Idolaters constantly invest for their future. Of course such an activity is allowed; however, it must not become an all-consuming passion, for such an attitude indicates a lack of true submission to Allah as well as a deficiency in one’s faith and understanding of Him as the sole provider.
In addition, idolaters are characterized by envy, greed, selfishness, and other moral vices. Having no sense of true aesthetics, art, and beauty, they behave in a very coarse manner toward others and try to portray this as a sign of their superiority and awareness of Allah. They are also consumed by fear, the cause of which they cannot identify:
We will cast terror into the hearts of those who do not believe, because they have associated others with Allah for which He has not sent down any authority. Their shelter will be the Fire. How evil is the abode of the wrongdoers! (Surah Al ‘Imran: 151)
Furthermore, they are also unhappy and pessimistic because troubles, difficulties, woes, and sorrows never leave them alone. This is the beginning (in this world) of the punishment and humiliation they will face in the Hereafter. Besides this, they subconsciously rebel against Allah, for they refuse to give up their man-made religion, which they claim to be practicing in His name, upon which they have based all of their various lifestyles, family structures, surroundings, and social and business relationships. Therefore, it does not suit them at all to abandon this way of life.One of the idolaters’ most important features is “the idolaters are unclean” (Surat at-Tawba: 28). This may well be an indication that they are both physically and spiritually unclean. Their bodies, clothes, and surroundings are so dirty as to endanger their health. They literally have no conception of proper cleanliness. Since their dietary habits are based on superstitions and man-made beliefs, they sometimes manifest physical or mental impairments stemming an unbalanced diet.
Their mental health is also unsound, for their resulting negative and unhealthy lifestyle can affect their mental development and cerebral functions. This applies to their powers of judgment as well, which makes their speech and behavior unbalanced and inconsistent, far removed from rationality. Prone to ups and downs, they may suddenly become highly excited, experience rapid mood swings from depression to aggression, or speak in an uncomfortable, high, and impaired tone of voice.
All of these negative characteristics cause people to turn away from religion. Imagining that they are serving religious moral values and fighting atheism, they actually inflict more damage on the faith than the atheists do. In fact, they remain blissfully unaware that their large-scale and intense activities are working against the true religion:
If someone closes his eyes to the remembrance of the All-Merciful, We assign him a satan who becomes his bosom friend-they debar them from the path, yet they still think they are guided. (Surat atl-Zukhruf: 36-37)
When idolaters are told of this, they either cannot or refuse to comprehend it because they are not sincere in matters of religion. Even if they read books and articles on the subject, they will be unaware of the fact that they are not approaching the subject directly; if they do realize this, they will pretend not to. Even if all of these descriptions fit them to the letter, they will still refuse to accept it and will look for idolatry elsewhere. However, those people who are sincere in their faith but fell into such misunderstanding initially, through spiritual ignorance, can still apply to their consciences when they learn the true facts. If they return to the true path they can be saved, if Allah wills, through sincere repentance. It may be hoped that people who join the idolaters out of spiritual ignorance and who do not have a truly idolater character themselves may attain Allah’s true path as a result of their sincerity and good intentions. One goal of this website is to reach such people and enable them to see their errors and deficiencies, to make them aware of the darkness that surrounds them, and to encourage them to repent and enter Allah’s pure religion.
Unless Allah lifts the veil over a person’s eyes, ears, and heart, one cannot expect the conscience of a true idolater to begin working and the person concerned to achieve salvation. The reason why any person fails to realize the truth and believes that it does not apply to him or her, despite reading this website, is one of Allah’s miracles. Naturally, the best and hoped for outcome is for such people to attain salvation. It must not be forgotten that all hearts are in His hands and that He may will to guide those who sincerely draw close to Him, repent, realize the reality of their situation, and seek salvation only from Him. Therefore, one has to guard against succumbing to idolatry. One way to do this is to consider the possibility right from the start that He exists, what this fact means, and, with this in mind, review the beliefs and worldview of one’s society, as well as one’s personal beliefs, worldview, and opinion of Islam. There is no shame in recognizing and correcting one’s faults; on the contrary, this is a sign of sincerity and a proof of one’s fear for and respect of Allah.
As we have seen thus far, rejecting the Qur’an and the Sunnah and adhering to superstitious and misguided rites, practices, and beliefs in the name of the faith, in the name of Islam, lead one to strife and idolatry rather than to the true path. For that reason, the only solution is to tightly embrace the Sunni way, the way of the Qur’an.
TWO BASIC CAUSES OF IDOLATRY
Spiritual Ignorance
One of the most important factors revealed by Allah as regards to religious moral values is spiritual ignorance: If any of the idolaters ask you for protection, give it until they have heard the words of Allah. Then convey them to a place where they are safe, because they are a people who do not know. (Surat atl-Tawba: 6)
Only the Qur’an contains the knowledge essential for pure faith, for no other scripture clearly describes what true belief in the One God is, defines deities and idols, explains the form that pure faith should assume, details the behavior and mentality that pleases Allah, shows how people are misguided to idolatry, reveals Satan’s snares of earthly desires and deceits, and discusses the attitudes and behavior to be avoided. The reader must understand that the learning we are discussing here is not a dry accumulation of facts, for knowledge, as defined in the Qur’an, is that which impacts one’s heart and spurs one’s mind and conscience. If people only learn the information imparted in the Qur’an but do not reflect on them as they should be, they cannot expect to gain any benefit from it.
Several verses tell us of Allah’s oneness and the non-existence of whatever else people may consider a deity, as well as about idolatry and its adherents. These matters are frequently emphasized and described in great detail to impress upon people how vital it is that such terms be understood. Those who have not read and reflected on the Qur’an are, according to it, spiritually ignorant.
The position of such people is identical to that of the idolatrous communities of the pre-Islamic era. Among the Muslim Arabs, this period is known as the “Days of [Spiritual] Ignorance.” Those who reject Islam, regardless of when or where they live, are therefore considered spiritually ignorant. Given that the Qur’an was revealed 1,400 years ago and is now available in all major languages, there is no excuse or justification for such ignorance and idolatry. People may claim to be devout, but if their faith is based on hearsay knowledge and handed-down superstitions, they are still spiritually ignorant because they are not living by the Qur’an’s moral values and have not yet correctly understood the faith revealed by Allah:
When they are told: “Come to what Allah has sent down and to the Messenger,” they say: “What we found our fathers doing is enough for us.” What! Even if their fathers did not know anything and were not guided! (Surat al-Ma’idah: 104)
Many prophets have described the idolaters as spiritually ignorant people. For example: We conveyed the tribe of Israel across the sea, and they came upon some people who were devoting themselves to some idols that they had. They said: “O Musa, give us an idol, just as these people have idols.” He said: “You are indeed an ignorant people.” (Surat al-A‘raf: 138)
Remember the brother of ‘Ad [Hud], when he warned his people by the sand dunes–and warners passed away before and after him–“Worship no one but Allah. I fear for you the punishment of a terrible Day.” They said: “Have you come to us to divert us from our deities? Bring us what you have promised us, if you are telling the truth.” He said: “All knowledge is with Allah. I only transmit to you that with which I have been sent. But I see that you are an ignorant people.” (Surat al-Ahqaf: 21-23)
The concept of ignorance expressed in these verses is highly significant, for it includes not only not knowing, but also failing to understand the facts even though one sees and recognizes them. The Israelites, who knew Prophet Musa (as) and the Torah sent down to him, and who witnessed his struggle against Pharaoh, are an example of this, for they adopted other deities even after obtaining this knowledge. It was as if they actually knew nothing at all. What is even more astonishing is that they actually asked Prophet Musa (as) to set up an idol for them. This shows that salvation from spiritual ignorance lies in acquiring information and in understanding that knowledge which enters one’s heart and then both affects that person’s heart and is reflected by his or her thoughts and behavior.This is the error made by some of the earlier peoples who deviated into idolatry, especially some of the Israelites (we apologize to those who are truly sincere). Although they possessed considerable information and had learned it well, they still went astray. The Qur’an describes such people as donkeys loaded with books:
The metaphor of those who were charged with the Torah but then did not uphold it is that of a donkey loaded with weighty tomes. How evil is the metaphor of those who deny Allah’s Signs! Allah does not guide those who do wrong. (Surat al-Jumu‘a: 5)
The Qur’an also tells us that …when a group of them (Jews) heard Allah’s Word and then, after grasping it, knowingly distorted it? (Surat al-Baqara: 75). In other words, having divine knowledge is not enough; one needs a sincere heart, one that is rooted in a genuine fear of and respect for Allah, in order to evaluate that information properly. Insincerity
The Qur’an defines insincerity as refusing to abide by the facts discussed above, even after one learns and understands them, in order to preserve their worldly interests. Those who read the Qur’an properly and have reason and a conscience can easily understand what type of behavior and morality pleases Allah. After acquiring this knowledge, they are expected to abide by it and shape their life around it according to their level of sincerity. Those who are insincere can abandon these truths in an instant for the sake of small benefits and advantages. Chasing after their worldly desires, greed, and passions, they exceed the bounds that Allah has established for humanity. Ignoring His commands and prohibitions, they live for this world and exchange the Hereafter for next to nothing.
As we saw above, those who ascribe equals to Allah cannot overcome this great sin until they abandon their incorrect worldview and repent. It makes no difference if they exhibit the greatest scrupulousness with regard to those matters that do not conflict with their worldly interests. For example, observing many religious observances may be of no benefit if they deliberately ignore even one of His commands—if they neglect to perform the five regular prayers, for instance. If they continue to follow this path wholeheartedly, they may become idolaters. Since they pick and choose which of His commands they will follow, they have turned their desires into deities:
It has been revealed to you and those before you: “If you associate others with Allah, your actions will come to nothing and you will be among the losers.” No! Worship Allah and be among the thankful. (Surat az-Zumar: 65-66)
As can be seen, insincerity in this sense is not unique to those remote from religious morality. Some people who become idolaters due to their insincerity apply double standards while maintaining a devout external appearance. In other words, they seek to satisfy their own desires by adding religious motifs to their lives. But attempting to ease their conscience through self-deception cannot succeed. They observe the faith according to their own wishes, instead of according to Allah’s commands and prohibitions, and thus establish and live by their own man-made religion. Those who have sincere faith, who adhere to what Allah has revealed instead of their desires, urgings, and suggestions, however, seek only His mercy and approval, for as sincere servants to Him they can do nothing else. Thus, they never have to choose between their desires and faith. But idolaters, whose mentality is the exact opposite of the believers’ mentality, are insincere toward Allah right from the very outset. Although He knows their hearts, intentions, lies, and every deed, they continue to follow their own hypocritical path in the misguided belief that He will accept their insincere excuses. They often convince themselves of this “truth,” for almost all of them state, when asked, that they deserve of Paradise.
The Qur’an, however, tells us something different: those who knowingly turn toward idolatry, despite knowing the truth, have lost the ability to reason. Thus, there is no point to looking for reason or logic in their incomprehensible and insincere double standards. Bearing this in mind, we can see that both unawareness and a failure to appreciate Allah properly underlies their insincerity and the ascription of equals to Allah that originates from it:
They do not measure Allah with His true measure. The whole Earth will be a mere handful for Him on the Day of Rising, and the heavens will be folded up in His right hand. Glory be to Him! He is exalted above the partners they ascribe! (Surat az-Zumar: 67)
Hypocritical and insincere idolaters are a danger to themselves and all others, for they encourage others to follow them. The only escape from this lies in sincerity and the knowledge that Allah may bestow salvation upon them if they repent sincerely. This process involves turning to Allah with a sincere heart by beginning to base their life on His approval, learning the Qur’anic truths, and applying what they learn to their life. However, they will be successful only if they submit fully and unconditionally to Him as soon as possible and hope for His mercy: Say (from Me): “O My servants, you who have transgressed against yourselves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Truly Allah forgives all wrong actions. He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.” Turn to your Lord and submit to Him before punishment comes upon you, for then you cannot be helped. Follow the best that has been sent down to you from your Lord before the punishment comes upon you suddenly, when you are not expecting it. (Surat az-Zumar: 53-55)
EMOTIONALITY: A DANGER THAT CAN LEAD TO IDOLATRY
Failing to abide by this truth, even though one has accepted it rationally and logically, stems from various emotional factors that impact on and smother one’s reason and logic. For the sake of brevity, we refer to this as emotionalism or romanticism. People can only think and act correctly if they use their reason. Many Qur’anic verses describe how believers comprehended very important truths by using their reason and that the idolaters and hypocrites always found themselves in trouble because they never used their reason. One of the most important reasons for this is that they act only according to their emotions. Emotionality, which smothers reason, leaves people exposed to all of Satan’s suggestions and makes them his playthings. Through this “weapon,” he directs the idolaters as he chooses and leads them into misguidance. Allah bestows such feelings as love, fear, trust, need, and protection upon people from the moment of their creation. People are to use them to gain Allah’s approval, follow His path, and defend and engage in goodness and truth. However, if these emotions are diverted away from their true purpose, they come to represent a force that propels a person toward Satan and idolatry. If these feelings are directed toward good, which is their true purpose, they lead one toward faith, purity, and Allah; if directed toward evil, they lead one toward idolatry. In the first case, the believers can expect their reward from Allah; in the second case, that of attributing a divine nature to man-made entities or personal desires, the unbelievers can expect only Allah’s disapproval and punishment. The second group of people does not realize (or does not care) that all love, praise, exaltation, fear, respect, trust, and requests for help should be directed to Allah, for there is no other source and provider of all things, and no other possessor of actual superiority and beauty, knowledge and power. By ascribing even one of these divine attributes to that which is not Him, one reveals himself or herself to be a idolater. We will now examine the emotions of love, fear, and seeking aid to see how failing to control them through one’s reason and basing one’s life and actions upon them can lead to idolatry. Love Believers know that since Allah created them, only He is worthy of their love, closeness, and devotion. After creating them out of nothing, Allah has continued to meet all of their physical and spiritual needs by creating countless blessings for everyone. Furthermore, as long as people have faith in and obey Him, Allah will reward them with a great and eternal blessing in both worlds, along with love and approval in His sight. He bestows all of these things for no return, as a mercy and blessing from His presence. Given this, how can any other member of creation be worthy of a person’s love and devotion?One cause of love is the interest and awe felt when confronted with the beloved’s superior and beautiful features. When this interest and awe is returned, the relationship turns into a powerful bond of affection. The important point here, however, is to determine to whom this superiority and beauty actually belong and then to turn these feelings of interest and awe in the proper direction: Allah is the source and true Lord of all beauty, superiority, and exalted titles. The titles that may appear to be inherent in His creations are actually nothing more than very minor manifestations of His infinite titles and, in fact, belong to Him alone. Thus, given that Allah manifests Himself in His servants, any love that one feels should be felt for Allah alone. If this is not the case, the person has ascribed equals to Allah. Of course it is not wrong to feel love. What is wrong, however, is to forget Allah and bind oneself, with passion and fanaticism, to that which is not Him or to abandon those things of which He approves and finds pleasing. When looked at through the eyes of faith, all beauty possessed by human beings is understood to belong to Allah. Those who realize this naturally turn to Him and are aware that by loving the other person, they actually love Allah. Idolatrous love, however, is quite different: He (Ibrahim) said: “You have adopted idols apart from Allah as tokens of mutual affection in this world. But then on the Day of Rising, you will reject and curse each other. The Fire will be your shelter. You will have no helpers.” (Surat al-‘Ankabut: 25) This bond of love will turn into hatred and mutual rejection, because these man-made idols to which people became attached through emotional bonds will bring them chastisement in the Hereafter. No one who takes Allah as his or her Only God can love any other thing or person as much as or more than he or she loves Allah. As for the idolaters, the Qur’an says: Some people set up equals to Allah, loving them as they should love Allah. But those who believe have greater love for Allah. If only you could see those who do wrong at the time when they see the punishment, and that truly all strength belongs to Allah, and that Allah is severe in punishment. (Surat al-Baqarah: 165) The believers give Allah all of their love, for not doing so would mean that they are not sincere in their faith or lack a proper knowledge of Allah and Islam. Indeed, those who ascribe equals to Allah have a flawed and deficient knowledge and understanding of Him. Unable to establish a sincere closeness to Allah and appreciate Him as they should, they direct their love toward that which is not Him.Here it will be useful to concentrate upon the male-female relationship, the tightest and most frequently observed form of idolatrous love. In these relationships, any devotion and togetherness constructed independently of Allah’s approval is a major cause of deviation into idolatry. Thus, they are usually based on romanticism, emotionality, and mutual benefit, for one person is seeking the other person’s approval. Not hesitating even for a moment about transgressing the bounds Allah set for humanity in order to please each other, they direct the love bestowed upon them by Allah toward each other and soon forget Him. The result is people who fulfill all duties to each other, instead of to Allah, and who regard each other as independent entities. The Qur’an describes such relationships as mutual worship and deifying the other person. The Qur’an notes the passion-filled love felt toward women in such relationships. If this love causes the man to forget Allah or to not remember Him as is His due, if he prefers his love of the woman over and above his love for Allah, and if it replaces his love for Allah in his heart, he is heading toward idolatry. The same is true for the female member of this relationship. The Qur’an tells us that such a love, which society considers “innocent,” is not pleasing to Allah: What they call on apart from Him are female idols. What they call on is an arrogant Satan. (Surat an-Nisa’: 117) Society calls this idolatrous love true love, romantic, and pure emotion; it even praises and encourages it. Since this romantic propaganda hinders the development of young people’s minds and consciousness, generations emerge that are unaware of religion, faith, or the reason for their creation. Never having known Allah, they feel no love, fear, or respect for Him. In their eyes, idolatry is a natural form of behavior, an acceptable lifestyle. Of course people may love and be affectionate toward each other, but they must not do so independently of Allah. Apart from this, and as long as their love is based on their love of Allah, they are among those people whom the Qur’an says are “devoted, passionate, of like age” (Surat al-Waqi‘a: 37) in Paradise. Thus, this model is legitimate.The love felt by believers is a transparent, radiant one that gives ease to the heart, for it is addressed to Allah. They love other people because they are no more than manifestations of Allah. This is why believers grieve as little as possible when someone they love dies or when something they love becomes lost. Given that all spiritual and physical beauty in the loved one actually belongs to Allah, Who is eternal, without end, and nearer to a person than his or her jugular vein, such a loss is no more than His temporarily taking back one or more of His manifestations in order to test that person. So long as the person persists in faith and this understanding, He will continue to manifest Himself with His most beauteous attributes in an even more intense form. Since believers who possess true faith understand this truth, they are immune to all forms of grief, sorrow, and emotionality: Those who say, “Our Lord is Allah,” and then go straight will feel no fear and will know no sorrow. (Surat al-Ahqaf: 13) But the idolaters suffer the pangs of infinite separation in their hearts when the people whom they love and to whom they are devoted die. Every person and thing they preferred over Allah and ascribed as equal to Him will be a source of suffering in this world and in the Hereafter. This provides endless subject-matter for songs, poems, novels, and movies, the great majority of which are dedicated to themes of unrequited love, separation, betrayal, abandonment, death, and the ensuing pain and suffering. Thus the pains that begin in this world will continue eternally in the next, and with a far fiercer spiritual and physical pain. The Qur’an speaks of a fire in Hell that reaches right into the heart (Surat al-Humaza’: 5-7) Every form of heartache in this world constitutes a part of the far worse suffering experienced by the idolaters in Hell. Allah visits His vengeance upon those who betray Him and groundlessly attribute equals to Him, both here and in the Hereafter. Fear Another factor that leads people to idolatry is fear. When this emotion, which should be directed solely toward Allah, is felt toward His creation and influences one’s attitudes and behavior, it becomes idolatry. Believers know that the only entity worthy of their fear is Allah, Who has absolute power, controls all that exists, and has subjected everything to His will. For example, nothing can harm a person without His permission, and only He can remove that harm. Fearing any other entity reveals that one believes that entity to be independent of Allah and thus outside of the destiny He has created for it: Allah says: “Do not take two deities. He is the only One God, so fear Me alone.” Everything in the heavens and Earth belongs to Him, and the religion belongs to Him, firmly and forever. So why do you fear anyone other than Allah? (Surat an-Nahl: 51-52) Is Allah not enough for His servant? Yet they try to scare you with others apart from Him. If Allah misguides someone, he has no guide. (Surat az-Zumar: 36) As indicated in these verses, the idolaters fear people and even believers instead of Allah, a misguided emotion that is the result of irrationality: You are a greater cause of terror in their breasts than Allah! That is because they are people who do not understand. (Surat al-Hashr: 13) Expecting help and trust Everything other than Allah is merely one of His creations that exist because He wills it to exist; it survives only because he provides it with the necessary health and sustenance, and makes it laugh and cry. In short, everything, except Allah, is infinitely helpless, impoverished, needy, and has no real power or abilities of its own. Therefore, apart from Allah, there is nobody to trust or ask for help. Rejecting this truth and trusting in causes, intermediaries, and people means that one thinks they have independent power and will; in short, this is idolatry: They have taken deities besides Allah so that, perhaps, they may be helped. They cannot help them, even though they are an army mobilized in their support. (Surah Ya Sin: 74-75) Prophet Muhammad (saas) warned his companions against seeking help from others than Allah. At-Tabarani reports: In the time of the Prophet (saas) there was a hypocrite who used to harm the believers, and some of them said: "Come, let us seek aid from the Messenger of Allah (saas) against this hypocrite." But the Prophet (saas) said: "Aid must not be sought from me; aid must only be sought from Allah (swt)." (Kitaab At-Tawheed (The Book of Tawheed), Shaikh Imam Muhammad Abdul-Wahhaab, Translated by Sameh Strauch, International Islamic Publishing House, Chapter: 12) The Qur’an reveals that the idolaters are soon enslaved by their own creations. Forgetting Allah and seeking to please His creations in order to safeguard their own futures, they spend their lives in abasement and humiliation at the orders of these idols. However, the hopes they place in them go unanswered. And this is just one of their “rewards.” Allah describes the meaninglessness of people serving man-made entities: O humanity, an example has been made, so listen to it carefully. Those upon whom you call besides Allah cannot even create a single fly, even if they were to join together to do it. And if a fly steals something from them, they cannot get it back. How feeble are both the seeker and the sought! (Surat al-Hajj: 73) These deities’ helplessness is also mentioned: Do they make things into partner-deities that cannot create anything and are themselves created; which are not capable of helping them and cannot even help themselves? (Surat al-A‘raf: 191-92) Those you call on besides Him cannot help you. They cannot even help themselves. (Surat al-A‘raf: 197) And yet heedless people have always beseeched and begged them for help. Their end, as stated in the Qur’an, will be as follows:So do not call on any other deity along with Allah, or you will be among those who will be punished. (Surat ash-Shu‘ara’: 213) One person who was punished in this world for this attitude is the owner of the garden mentioned in Surat al-Kahf. An exceedingly proud man because of his garden and possessions, claimed that they would never disappear and that the Day of Judgment would never come. And yet when the retribution came upon him, he realized what a grave error he had made by attributing equals to Allah:The fruits of his labor were completely destroyed, and he woke up wringing his hands in grief, regretting everything that he had spent on it. It was a ruin with all of its trellises fallen in. He said: “Oh, if only I had not associated anyone with my Lord!” There was no group to come to his aid, besides Allah, and he was not given any help. (Surat al-Kahf: 42-43) Those who place their hope and esteem in that which is not Allah, who hope for compassion from them and trust them, will never attain their desires. Thus, they feel empty, lonely, and abandoned, especially in difficult times: “Do not set up any other deity together with Allah and so sit there reviled and forsaken” (Surat al-Isra’: 22). The Qur’an uses a very wise simile to describe this emptiness…Have done with the defilement of idols and telling lies. Be people of pure natural belief in Allah, not associating anything else with Him. As for anyone who associates others with Allah, it is as though he had fallen from the sky and the birds had seized him and carried him away, or if the wind had dropped him in a distant place. (Surat al-Hajj: 30-31) On the other hand, believers who trust in and rely on Allah alone, who serve only Him and seek His assistance, spend their lives enjoying blessings, respect, and honor: “… those who believe and whose hearts find peace in the remembrance of Allah…” (Surat ar-Ra‘d: 28). One whose heart is at peace and content through remembering Allah needs nothing else, even when faced with great difficulties. They are as dignified as Prophet Ya‘qub (as), who said: “I complain about my grief and sorrow to Allah alone, because I know things from Allah you do not know” (Surah Yusuf : 86). This attitude is due to the believers’ correct understanding of destiny: Say: “Nothing can happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is Our Master. The believers should put their trust in Allah.” (Surat al-Tawba: 51) When love, trust, and expecting help are combined, what emerges is the closeness described in the Qur’an as friendship and guardianship. Allah is a sufficient Protector and Helper (Surat an-Nisa’: 45) and states that He is a person’s only true friend and guardian: Allah is He to Whom the kingdom of the heavens and Earth belongs. He gives life and causes to die. You have no protector or helper besides Him. (Surat at-Tawba: 116) As Allah is the only being with true power, everything therefore depends upon Him: Say: “Am I to take anyone other than Allah as my protector, the Bringer into Being of the heavens and Earth, He Who feeds and is not fed?” Say: “I am commanded to be the first of the Muslims” and “Do not be among the idolaters.” (Surat al-An‘am: 14) And yet one of the idolaters’ major characteristics is their persistence in adopting friends other than Allah, although abandoning Him and taking His servants as friends is a serious sin that entails terrible consequences: Do the unbelievers imagine that they can take My servants as protectors instead of Me? We have prepared Hell as a welcome for them! (Surat al-Kahf: 102) While believers take only Allah as their protector, unbelievers and idolaters look to Satan to play this role. Going along with his commands, they flout the Qur’an and the bounds set by Allah for humanity, deliberately ascribe equals to Him, fail to remember Him, and show their loyalty and adherence to Satan’s commands. This exceedingly irrational action lead to a very unpleasant end:If anyone takes him (satan) as a friend, he will mislead him and guide him to the punishment of the Searing Blaze. (Surat al-Hajj: 4) The feeling of indebtedness All people encounter various blessings at every moment of their lives. Since most of these blessings can be attributed to various causes, it is human nature to direct one’s gratitude toward those causes instead of toward Allah. The Qur’an uses the term giving thanks to describe this feeling of gratitude. However, everyone should understand that whoever or whatever those intermediaries may be, they need to be aware that only Allah can bestow a blessing and that they can depend only upon Him. Thus, this phrase signifies an expression, made by one’s heart and tongue, of each person’s indebtedness and gratitude to Him.Giving thanks and being grateful to Allah are signs of genuine servitude: O you who believe, eat of the good things We have provided for you and give thanks to Allah, if you worship Him alone. (Surat al-Baqara: 172) So eat from what Allah has provided for you, lawful and good, and be thankful for the blessing of Allah, if it is Him you worship. (Surat an-Nahl: 114) As these verses make clear, giving thanks only to Allah is a precondition for and a sign of being a true servant, for this attitude shows that one understands that only He can bestow blessings and control everything. Knowing this means that a person really understands that Allah is the only power, force, and authority that exists. Thus, the person has undiluted faith, embodies the human model described and praised in the Qur’an, and has fulfilled one of the preconditions of true faith and purity. The idolaters, however, attribute whatever blessings they enjoy to the man-made entities and beings they have created, placed their hopes in, and directed their gratitude toward. Adopting such false deities who have no independent power and influence, they blind themselves to the fact that Allah created these false deities and allows them to appear as independent entities by willing that their actions occur. It is both idolatry and also the height of ingratitude to forget Allah, look for power and influence in His servants, and turn to and thank them. However, this does not mean that it is wrong for people to thank each other. As long as they remember that Allah performs the good deed in question and act out of that awareness, they are still behaving correctly. Idolaters, on the other hand, make concessions with regard to faith and to Allah’s approval for the sake of these false deities: (Ibrahim said to his people:) “Instead of Allah you worship only idols. You are inventing a lie. Those you worship besides Allah have no power to provide for you. So seek your provision from Allah, worship Him, and give thanks to Him. It is to Him you will be returned.” (Surat al-‘Ankabut: 17) Unlike idolaters, believers thank Allah alone and feel gratitude only to Him. They turn to Him when they receive a blessing, thank Him, and realize that what they receive is due to His favor. One example of this is how Allah made Prophet Zakariyya (as) responsible for the blessed Maryam: Her Lord accepted her with approval and made her grow in health and beauty. And Zakariyya became her guardian. Every time Zakariyya visited her in the Upper Room, he found food with her. He asked: “Maryam, how did you come by this?” She said: “It is from Allah. Allah provides for whoever He wills without any reckoning.” (Surah Al ‘Imran: 37) Clearly, she was aware that all of the blessings bestowed upon her were from Allah. Another example is how Prophet Sulayman (as) turned to Allah: He said: “O council members, who among you will bring me her (the Queen of Saba’s) throne before they come to me in submission?” A demon of the jinn said: “I will bring it to you before you get up from your seat. I am strong and trustworthy enough to do it.” He who possessed knowledge of the Book said: “I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you.” And when he saw it standing firmly in his presence, he said: “This is part of my Lord's favor to test me to see if I will give thanks or show ingratitude. Whoever gives thanks only does so to his own gain. Whoever is ungrateful, my Lord is Rich Beyond Need, Generous.” (Surat an-Naml: 38-40) Even though he expressed a wish that was fulfilled immediately, he instantly turned to and gave thanks to Allah rather than to the one who had performed the deed. That is the attitude of all believers, for those who forget Allah in a comparable situation actually place their hopes in an intermediary and imagine that the blessing came from it. Any person who thinks this way has ascribed an equal to Allah.Ascribing equals to Allah and giving thanks to Him are mutually opposed actions. For example, Allah reveals that Prophet Ibrahim (as) was not a idolater but one who gave thanks for Allah’s blessings: Ibrahim was a community in himself, exemplary, obedient to Allah, a man of pure natural belief. He was not one of the idolaters. He was thankful for His blessings. Allah chose him and guided him to a straight path. (Surat an-Nahl: 120-21) As we have seen above with other emotions, gratitude brings with it faith and purity when directed toward Allah and gives rise to idolatry when directed to anything other than Him. Giving thanks is exceedingly important, and thus Satan regards making human beings ungrateful as one measure of his success. The Qur’an reveals this warning from Satan’s own mouth: He (Satan) said: “By Your misguidance of me, I will lie in ambush for them on your straight path. Then I will come at them, from in front of them and behind them, from their right and from their left. You will not find most of them thankful.” (Surat al-A‘raf: 16-17) So far, we have looked at only a few of the emotions that can lead people into idolatry. While these are among the most important and common ones, there are many others, such as compassion, goodness, and hatred.Imagine someone who is grieving over his young child’s death or a beloved animal. This supposed compassion may lead him to rebel against Allah and ascribe equals to Him. However, if that person uses his reason to clear his mind of grief, he will see the truth in a very distinct and transparent form. For one thing, since there is no question of their suffering retribution or oppression, death is a salvation for small children, believers, and innocent animals as well as a step toward an eternal, beautiful life. Death is a door through which Allah takes these entities into His presence. From the point of view of Satan and his followers, however, death is a moment when excesses and the endless demands of one’s passions come to an end, a moment when the door to the eternal suffering promised them opens. Thus Satan regards death as something terrible and seeks to have others look at it in the same way. This analysis is quite correct from his own perspective; however, it does not apply to innocent people and sincere believers. For them, death brings happiness and Paradise. Someone who uses his reason and thus rises above his emotions sees the facts clearly and behaves accordingly. Matters that appear very complicated, complex, irresoluble, and inexplicable to those who are emotional and whose reason is therefore clouded are very simple, clear, and uncomplicated to believers. People dragged along by their emotions have left their reason behind in order to continue on their way toward eternal suffering in a morass of idolatry, having submitted their wills to Satan’s enchantments. |
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