All Prophets:Just One Message. July 14, 2010

Please view this video if you think you cant read the whole of the article. http://www.youtube.com/user/khalifahklothing?blend=1&ob=4#p/c/A6F1B1A59147F69D/66/CKwWl7xGCb0

Pre Ordering Questions:

What is Just One Message?

What does Bible say about it?

What does Quran say about it?

What is your opinion about it?

After the creation of Adam, just one original message has been  delivered to mankind throughout history of humanity.

Thus, to remind people about it and bring them back on track many prophets and messengers including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad SAW were sent bu the only true God to convey this message loud and clear:

“The true God is only ONE. Worship Him Alone and keep His commandments”.

God sent these major prophets as well as many other prophets and messengers to accomplish several tasks and missions, some of which are:

1. To receive guidance from God and Deliver it to their people.
2. To convey the message that “God is One” to their people.
3. To instruct their people to fear God and keep His commandments.
4. To be good examples to the people
5. To teach their followers important things like religious and moral matters.
6. To guide those who deviated, disobeyed God, or worshiped other gods or idols.
7. To tell people about their final destination (the Last Day) and what leads to paradise or Hellfire.

It is the same God who created those prophets, all humans, all animals, and all objects.

In other words, it is this One True God who created the whole universe (including nature) and all it contains. He is the Creator of life death and life after death.

The Oneness of this true God, the Creator, is clearly evident and easily traceable in the holy scriptures of the Jews, Christians, Muslims and others.

Studying the concept of God in the Bible and the Quran sincerely and objectively, a researcher or a seeker of the truth would be able to define some unique qualities belonging to the true God only.

Some of the qualities that distinguish this only one true  from other claimed gods are:

• This one true God is Creator, not created.
• The one true God is One, not three or more! He has no partners.
• This one true God is invisible; no one can see Him in this life. He is not manifested or incarnated in other forms.
• This one true God is eternal; He does not die or change.
• This one true God is not in need of anyone (like mother, a wife or a son or daughter) or anything for sustenance (like food, help and drink). But others are in need f Him.
• This one true God is unique in His attributes; no one is like Him. No human or animal descriptions can be attributed o Him.

We can use these criteria and qualities (as well as other ones belonging to Him alone) in examining and rejoicing any claimed gods.

Now lets turn to discuss the one message mentioned above and cite of the Biblical and Quranic verses confirming the oneness  God.

But before that, I would like to share with you this thought: “Some Christians might wonder, “It is obvious that God is one. We believe in one God. So whats the point?”

However based on great deal of reading and studying materials on  Christianity and dialogues with many Christians, I came to understand that they perceive this one God to include:

1. God the father.
2. God the Son.
3. God the Holy Spirit.

So based on common sense and simple logic, a sincere and honest seeker of the truth could reason:

• What do you mean by saying God is One while you refer to THREE gods?
• Is God ONE in THREE or THREE in ONE?

In addition to that, and according to Christian dogmas, these three Gods have different identities, images, roles and functions:

1. God the Father = the Creator.
2. God the Son= the Savior.
3. God the Holy Spirit= the Counselor.

By the way, if Jesus, God the Son is really God or part of one God, doesn’t that Bible itself reports that no one can see God, nor Hear His voice? The Bible states:

• You have never Heard His voice Nor Seen His Face. (John 5:37)
• No One has ever Seen Him, and no one can See HIM. (1 Timothy 6:16)
• No one can see Me and stay Alive. (Exodus 33:20)

Based on these and other Biblical texts, I sincerely and honestly wonder- how can we reconcile the dogma that Jesus is God and the Biblical testimony that no one has ever seen God, nor Heard His voice?

Didn’t the Jews at his time, his family his followers See Jesus (God the Son as some believe!) and Hear his voice?

Is there any secret or hidden purpose

Concerning the truth about God?

In the Bible, the truth God emphatically testifies, “I am the Lord, and there is no other god. I have not spoken in secret or kept my purpose hidden … I am the Lord, and I speak the truth; I make known what is right” (Isaiah 45:19)

So what is the truth? Please re-read the verse and think about it!

Now let us take off on a journey or seeking the truth about the the one true God in the Bible and the Quran.

At the end of this journey and after your critical, sincere, honest and thoughtful reading of this article and particularly the verses cited below, I would like to know your sincere reaction or views.

To be as objective as possible, I cite the verse without any comments. Please read the following verses Carefully, Critically and without any preconceptions.

The One True God in the Bible

(The Old testament):

• Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord (Deuteronomy 6:4)
• Has not the One God made and sustained for us the spirit of life? (Malachi 2:15)
• You may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed, nor shall thee be any after Me. I, I am the Lord, and beside Me there is no Savior (Isaiah 43: 10-11)
• I am the first and I am the last; beside Me there is no god. Who is like Me? (Isaiah 44:6)
• And there is no other god besides Me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides Me. Turn to Me and be saved …. To me every knee shall bow (Isaiah 45: 21-23))

These are just some verses from the Old Testament.

Can you think of other similar ones?

The One True God in the Bible

(The New testament):

• One came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he (Jesus) said unto him, Who callest thou me good? There is none good but  one, that is, God. (Mathew 19:16-17, in the king James Version)
• Now this life eternal, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John 17:3))
  

• Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only. (Mathew 4:10)
• Hear I Israel: the Lord our God is One Lord. (Mark 12:29)
• For there is one God and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

Can you recall other verses confirming God is onl (Not three)y One and has no attribute of any human form?

The One True God In the Quran

• Say: He is Allah, the One; Allah the eternal, Absolute; He begets not, nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto Him. (112:1-4)
• There is no god but I; so Worship Me (21:25)
• They disbelieve who says: Allah (God) is one in there, for there is no god except One God. If they desist not from their w9rd (of blasphemy), verily, a grievous chastisement will befall the disbelievers among them. (5:73)
• Can there be another god besides Allah (God)? most of them know not (27:61)
• Can there be another god besides Allah (God)? High is Allah above what they associate with Him.
• Can there be another god beside Allah (Goo) Say, Bring forth your proof, if ye are telling the truth! (27:64)

Verily this message concerning the Oneness of God is the essential theme of the Quran.

Conclusion:

These verses as well as hundreds of similar pieces of evidence in the Bible and the Quran confirm this one eternal message that The true God is only One. “Turn to me now and be saved , people all over the world! I am the only God there is.” (Isaiah 45:22)

Not only does the bible affirms that God is only One (Not Three in an way) but it aslo reveals that the true God, the creator is only Savor. “Before Me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after Me. I, I am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior” (Isaiah 43:10-11)

So, according to this affirmation, all other supposed gods or deities like Jesus, the Holy spirit, Brahma, Vishua, Shiva, Krishnah or Buddha are neither gods nor manifestation of the One True God.

It was because of such false beliefs that after Jews worshiped other gods, “The Lord’s anger burned against them’ (Number 25:3) Likewise, Moses destroyed the golden calf.

On the other hand, the Essenes, an early Christian Unitarian community, edured torture and persecution because they refused to exchange Jesus monotheistic teachings for the Pauline innovation of the Trinity.

To sum up all Gods prophets including Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad SAW were sent by the same God, the creator to convey the message:

The true God is only One., Worship Him Alone and Keep His commandments.

And since those prophets and messengers preached the same one message, Their religion must be the same one! So, what is the religion of the prophets and messengers?

Submission to the will of God is the essence of the message of those prophets. This word ‘SUBMISSION’ means ‘ISLAM’ in Arabic.

The Quran does confirm that Islam is the Religion of All God’s prophets and messengers. This Quranic fact is also traceable in the Bible itself!

Ultimately, to attain salvation we must receive and believe in the above mentioned message willing and whole heatedly. nevertheless, doing this is not enough! We must also believe in all God’s true prophets (including Prophet Muhammad SAW) and follow their true guidance and teachings. This is the gateway to a happy eternal life!

So if you are a sincere seeker of truth and a lover of salvation you might like to consider this NOW, before it is too late! Before Death! It can be soon! Who knows?

One more though, those who are sincere, honest, serious, objective, and open-minded in seeking the truth, and after thinking critically about this one message, you may ask questions you may contact me at hazn139@gmail.com for all questions, suggestions and reactions. May you all succeed in finding the Truth!

file:///C:/Users/Hassan%20Adnan/Desktop/Islamic%20Library/Islamic_E-books/Animals%20in%20the%20Glorious%20Qur%27an/Animals%20in%20the%20Glorious%20Qur%27an/Animals%20in%20the%20Glorious%20Qur%27an/Animals%20in%20the%20Glorious%20Qur%27an.pdf

ISLAMIC CONCEPT OF LIFE

The chief characteristic of the Islamic Concept of Life is that it does not admit a conflict, nay, not even a significant
separation between life-spiritual and life-mundane. It does not confine itself merely in purifying the spiritual and
the moral life of man in the limited sense of the word. Its domain extends to the entire gamut of life. It wants to
mould individual life as well as the social order in healthy patterns, so that the Kingdom of God may really be established on the earth and so that peace, contentment and well-being may fill the world as waters fill the oceans. The
Islamic Way of Life is based on this unique approach to life and a peculiar concept of man’s place in the Universe.
That is why it is necessary that before we proceed to discuss the moral, social, political and economic systems of
Islam, we should have a clear idea of the Islamic Concept of Life. There are certain basic postulates which should be understood and appreciated at the very outset. These postulates are as follows:

1.1. Basic Postulate

Allah Who is the Creator, the Ruler and the Lord of the entire Universe has created man and provided him withtemporary station in that part of His vast kingdom (cosmos) which is known as the earth. He has endowed manwith the faculties of thinking and understanding, and has given him the power to distinguish right from wrong. Manhas also been invested with freedom of will and choice and the power to use the resources of the world in any mannerhe likes. In short, man has been given a sort of autonomy while being appointed by God on earth as a successor tothe beings that had previously populated it. Before assigning to man the inheritance of the earth, God made it explicitly clear to him that He alone is the Lord, the Ruler and the Deity. As such, the entire Universe and all the creatures in it (including man) must submit to Him alone. Man must not think himself totally free and should know that this earth is not his permanent abode. He has been made to live upon it only during the period of his probation, and in due course, he will return to his Lord, to be judged according to the way he has utilized the period of probation. The only right course for man is to acknowledge Allah as the only Lord, the Sustainer and the Deity and to follow His Guidance and His commands in all walks of life. Man must live this life with the realization that he is to be judged and his sole objective should be to merit the pleasure of Allah so as to emerge successful in the final test. Conduct which is contrary to this would lead man astray. If man follows the course of piety and Godliness (which he is free to choose and follow) he will
succeed in this world and in the next, in this world he will live a life of peace and contentment, and in the Hereafter
he will qualify himself for the heaven of eternal bliss, al-Jannah. And if he chooses to follow the other course,
i.e., that of Godlessness and evil (which he is equally free to choose and follow) his life will be one of corruption,
disruption and frustration in this world and he will meet colossal misfortune in the life to come – that abode of pain
and misery which is called Jahannam (Hell). After administering the warning, God set man upon the earth and provided the very first human beings (Adam and Eve) with Ms Guidance in accordance with which men were to live on the earth. Thus, man’s life on this earth did not begin in utter darkness. The very first man was provided with a burning torch of light and guidance so that humanity might attain its glorious destiny. The very first man received revealed knowledge from God Himself. He had knowledge of the reality and was given the code of life by following which he could live a life of bliss and success. This code of life was Islam, the attitude of complete submission to Allah, the Creator of man and of the whole universe. It was this religion which Adam, the first man, passed down to posterity. But later generations gradually drifted away from the right path and adopted different erroneous paths. Because of negligence, they lost the original teachings, or due to folly or mischief they adulterated and perverted them. They associated with God innumerable human beings, non-human objects and imaginary entities as deities and indulged in Shirk (polytheism) of the worst type. They mixed up the pure teachings of God with strange myths, ideas and philosophies and thus produced a jungle of religions and cults. They discarded the God-given principles of social ethics and collective morality, the Shari’ah, and deprived the human life of peace and tranquility. Although men departed from the path of truth, disregarded and distorted the Shari’ah and some of them even revolted against the code of Divine Guidance, yet God did not destroy them or force them to the right course. Forced conversion to the right path was not in keeping with the autonomy He had given to man. Instead, God appointed certain virtuous persons from amongst the people themselves, to discharge the responsibility of recalling and guiding men to the right path during their sojourn on the earth. These men believed in God, and lived a life of obedience to Him. He honored them by His revelations and gave them the knowledge of reality. These men, known as prophets (peace be upon all of them), were assigned the task of presenting the message of truth to humanity and of asking the people to come to the path of the Lord. These prophets were raised in all epochs, in all lands and in all nations. Out of numerous prophets sent by God,
the Qur’an explicitly mentions twenty-five. All of them brought the same message, all of them advocated the same
way of life (Deen) i.e., the way which was revealed to man on the first day of his existence. All of them followed the
same guidance: the guidance which was prescribed by the Lord for man at the outset of his career on the earth. All
of them stood for the same mission: they called men to the religion if Islam, asked those who accepted the Divine
Guidance to live in accordance with it: and organized them into a movement for the establishment of the Divine Law,
and for putting an end to all deviations from the Right Path. Every prophet tried to fulfill this mission in the best
possible way. But quite a number of people never accepted this guidance and many of those who accepted it gradually
drifted astray and, al lapse of time, lost the guidance or distorted it through innovations and perversions. At last, God raised Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) in the land of Arabia and assigned to him the completion of the mission for which earlier prophets were ordained. The message of Mohammed (peace be upon him) was for the whole of mankind. He presented anew the teachings of Islam in their pristine form and provided mankind once again, with the Divine Guidance which they had lost in its original form. He organized all those who accepted his message into one Ummah (Nation) which was charged with reconstructing its own life in accordance with the teachings of Islam, by calling mankind to the path of righteousness and with establishing the supremacy of the word of God on the earth. This guidance is enshrined in the Holy Qur’an which constitutes the only right code of conduct for mankind.

1.2. Iman (Faith):

Its Nature And Character We have discussed above those basic postulates of Islam which, on the one hand, revealed God’s plan for providing guidance to man in this world and, on the other, defined the nature, position and status of man in it. Now, let us study the foundations on which the Qur’an wants to develop man’s relationship with Allah and the concept of life which naturally follows from that relationship. The Qur’an deals with this problem on many occasion
but the entire concept of life envisaged as epitomized in the following verse:

” God hath purchased of the Believers. Their persons and their goods; For their (in return) Is the Garden (of
Paradise) They fight in His Cause, And slay and are slain: A promise binding on Him In Truth, through the Law, The
Gospel, and the Qur’an: And who is more faithful To his Covenant than God? Then rejoice in bargain Which ye
have concluded: That is the achievement supreme. ”(Al- Qur’an, IX:II1)

In the above verse the nature of the relationship which comes into existence between man and God because of
Imam (the act of reposing faith in Allah) has been called a ”bargain”. This means that Iman in Allah is not a mere metaphysical concept; it is in the nature of a contract by which man barters his life and his belongings with Allah in
exchange for Paradise in the life Hereafter. God so to say, purchases a believer’s life and property and promises, by
way of price, the award of Paradise in the life after death. The concept of bargain has important implications and we
should, therefore, first of all clearly understand its nature and meanings. The fact of the matter is that each and every thing in this world belongs to Allah. He is the real owner of them all. As such, man’s life and riches, which are part of this world, also belong to Him, because it is He Who created them and it is He Who has assigned them to each man
for his use. Looking at the problem from this angle; the question of His purchasing what is already His: Man is not
their real owner; he has no title to sell them. But there is one thing which has been conferred on man, and which
now belongs fully to him, and that is his free will, the freedom of choice of following or not following the path of
Allah. As man has been endowed with free will in this respect, he is free to acknowledge or not to acknowledge the
reality of things. Although this freedom of will and choice that man possesses does not automatically make him the
real owner of all the energies and resources on which he has command. Nor does he acquire the title to utilize them in any way he likes. Nor does his acknowledgment of reality or refusal to do so in any way affects reality as such. Yet it does mean that he is free to acknowledge the sovereignty of God and His over lordship on his own life and belongings or refuse to acknowledge it and to arrogate to himself the position of total independence. He may, if he so likes, regard himself free from all obligations to the Lord and may think that he enjoys full rights and powers over all that he has, and thus, may use them according to his own wishes unfettered by any higher command. It is here that the question of bargain comes in. This bargain does not mean that God is purchasing something which belongs to man. Its real nature is this: All creation belongs to God but He has bestowed certain things on man to be used by him as a trust from God. And man has been given freedom to honestly fulfill the trust or if he so likes, to betray it or misuse it. Now, God demands that man should willingly and voluntarily (and not under duress or compulsion) acknowledge those things as His which really belongs to Him and man should use them as a trust from God and not as something his own to be used as he pleases. Thus, a man who voluntarily renounces the freedom even to refuse God’s supremacy and instead acknowledges His sovereignty. So to say, ”sells” his ”autonomy” (which too is a gift from God and not something which man has acquired of his own) to God, and gets in return God’s promise of eternal bliss that is Paradise. A man who makes such a bargain is a ”Mu’min” (Believer). And Iman (Belief) is the Islamic name for this contract; while the one who chooses not to enter into this contract, or after making such a contract amounting to its gross breach, is one who
has followed the course of the devil. Thus Allah says:

”Say if it be that your fathers, Your sons, your brothers, Your mates, or your kindred; The wealth that you have
gained; The commerce in which you fear a decline: or the dwellings in which you delight Are dearer to you than God,
Or His apostle, of the striving In His cause; then wait until Allah brings about His Decision. And God Guides not the
rebellious.” (Al-Qur’an, IX:24)
The attempt to avoid or abrogate this contract can lead to Kufr (total disbelief). Such is the nature and the contract.
Now let us briefly study its various aspects and stipulations. God has put us to serious trail on two counts: He has left man free. But even after giving him that freedom He wishes to see whether or not man realizes his true position. Whether he remains honest and steadfast and maintains loyalty and allegiance to the Lord, or loses his head and revolts against his own Creator; whether he behaves like a noble soul, or tramples under foot all values of decency and starts playing fantastic tricks. He wants to see whether man is prepared to have such confidence in God as to offer his life and wealth in return for what is a promise. That is to materialize in the next world and whether he is prepared to surrender his autonomy and all the charms that go with it, in exchange for a promise about the future. It is an accepted principle of Islamic law that Iman consists of adherence to a certain set of doctrines and whosoever reposes faith in those doctrines becomes a Mu’min. No one has a right to denounce such a man as non-believer or drive him out of the fold of the Ummah (Islamic Community), save when there is explicit proof of falsity or of renunciation of the belief. This is the legal aspect of the problem. But in the eyes of the Lord, only that Iman is valuable which consists in complete surrender of one’s will and choice to the Will of Allah. It is a state of thought and action wherein man submits himself fully to Allah, renouncing all claim to his own supremacy. It is something that comes from the heart. It is an attitude of the mind and prepares man for a certain course of action. If a man recites the Kalima, enters into the contract, and even offers his prayers and performs other acts of worship, but in his heart he regards himself as the owner and the sovereign dispenser of his physical and mental powers and of his moral and material resources, uses them to his own liking and upholds his freedom of will, then, however much of the people may look upon him as Mu’min (believer), in the eyes of God he will be a non-believer, for he has, in fact, not really entered into the bargain which according to the Qur’an is the essence of Iman (belief). If a man does not use his powers and resources in the way God has prescribed for him, and instead uses them in pursuits which God has prohibited, it clearly shows that either he has not pledged his life and property to Allah, or even after pledging them to Him, he falsifies the pledge by his conduct. This nature of Iman makes the Islamic way of life distinct from, nay, the very opposite of, the non-Islamic way of life. A Muslim, who has real faith in Allah, makes every aspect of his subservience to the Will of Allah. His entire
life is one of obedience and surrender and he never behaves in an arrogant or an autonomous way, except in a moment
of forgetfulness. And after such a lapse as soon as he becomes conscious of it, he again re-addresses himself to his
Lord and repents his error. Similarly, a group of people or a society which consist of true Muslims can never break
away from the Law of their Lord. Its political o, its social organization, its culture, its economic policy, its legal system
and its international strategy must all be in tuned with the Code of Guidance revealed by Allah and must, in no way, contravene it. And if ever, through error or omission, any contravention it committed, they must, on realizing this, correct this immediately and return forthwith to the state of subservience to the Law of God. It is the way of the non-believers to feel free from God’s Guidance and to behave as one’s own master. Whoever adopts such a policy, even though he may bear a name similar to that of a Muslim, is treading the satanic path and is following the way of the non-believers. The Will of God, which is obligatory upon man to follow, is the one which God Himself has revealed for man’s guidance. The Will of God is not to be determined by man himself. God has Himself enunciated it clearly and there is no ambiguity about it. There, if a person or society is honest and steadfast in its contract with Allah, it must
scrupulously fashion its entire life in accordance with the Book of God and the Sunnah (practical example) of the
Prophet (peace be upon him). A little reflection will show that these aspects and stipulations are logically implicit in the bargain and it is also clear from the above discussion why the payment of the ”price” has been postponed tot he life after death. Paradise is not the reward for the mere profession of the bar- gain, it is the reward for the faithful execution of the contract. Unless the contract is fully executed and the actual life-behavior of the ”vendor” complies with the terms of the contract he does not become entitled to the reward. Thus, the final act of the ”sale” is concluded only at the last moment of the vendor’s life, and as such, it is natural that the reward should be given to him in the Life
Hereafter. There is another significant point which emerges from the study of the verse quoted above (Al-Qur’an, IX:24) when it is read with reference to its context. In the verses preceding it, reference has been made to the people who professed Iman and promised a life of obedience, but when the hour of trail came they proved unequal to the task.
Some neglected the call of the hour and betrayed the cause. Others, played tricks of hypocrisy and, refused to sacrifice
their lives and riches in the cause of Allah. The Qur’an, after exposing these people and criticizing their insincerity
makes it clear that Iman is a contract, a form of pledge between man and God. It does not consist of a mere profession
of belief in Allah. It is an acknowledgment of the fact that Allah alone is our Sovereign Lord and Ruler and that everything that man has, including his life, belongs to Him and must be used in accordance with His directives. If a Muslim adopts a contrary course he is insincere in his profession of faith. True believers are only those who have
really sold their lives and all that they possessed to God and who followed His dictates in all fields of activity. They
stake their all in obedience to the Commands of the Lord, and do not deviate even an inch from the path of loyalty
to God. Such only are the true believers.

1.3. The Plan Of Life

This discussion makes it clear that Islam begins with laying down the proper lines on which man’s relationship
with the Lord is to be reared; his entire individual and social life is an exercise in developing and strengthening
this relationship. Iman, the starting point of our religion, consists in the acceptance of this relationship by man’s intellect and will. Thus, Islam is actual submission, the way of surrender to the Will of God in all aspects of life and
behavior. Now, we are in a position to cast a glance over the plan of life which Islam envisages. This plan – the code
of conduct – is known as the Shari’ah. Its sources are the Qur’an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him). The Final Book of God and the Final Messenger stands today as a repository of this truth, and they invite the
whole of humanity to accept the truth. God Almighty has endowed men with free will in the moral domain, and it is
to this free will that this acceptance bears reference. Consequently, it is always a voluntary act and not of compulsion.
Whosoever agrees that the concept of Reality stated by the Holy Prophet and the Holy Book is true, it is for him to step forward and surrender his will to the Will of God. It is this submission which is called ”Islam”, the fructification of faith (Iman) in actual life. And those who do so, i.e., those who of their own free will, accept God as their Sovereign, and surrender to His Divine Will and undertake to regulate their lives in accordance with His Commandments, are called ”Muslims”. All those persons who thus surrender themselves to the persons who thus surrender themselves to the Will of God are welded into a community and that is how the ”Muslim society” comes into being. Thus, ” is a principled society – a society radically different from those which are founded on the basis of race, color or territory. This society is the result of a deliberate choice and effort; it is the outcome of a ”contract” which takes place between human beings and the Creator. Those who enter into this contract, undertake to recognize God as their sovereign, His Guidance as
Supreme, and His injunctions as absolute Law. They also undertake to accept, without question or doubt His classifications of Good and Evil, Right and Wrong, Permissible and Prohibited. In short, the Islamic society agrees to limit its volition to the extent prescribed by the All-Knowing God. In other words, it is God and not man whose will is
the primary Source of Law in a Muslim society. When such a society comes into existence, the Book and the Messenger prescribe for it a code of life called the Shari’ah, and this Society is bound to conform to it by virtue of the contract it has entered into. It is, therefore, inconceivable that any Muslim society worth the name can deliberately adopt a system of life other than the Shari’ah. If it does so, its contract is ipso facto broken and the whole society becomes ”un-Islamic”. But we must clearly distinguish between the everyday sins or violations of the individuals and a deliberate revolt against the Shari’ah. The former may not imply breaking up of the contract, while the latter would mean nothing short of that. The point that should be clearly understood here is that, if an Islamic society consciously resolves not to accept the Shari’ah, and decides to enact its own constitution and laws or borrows them from any other source, (in utter disregard of the Shari’ah) such a society breaks its contract with God and forfeits its right to be called
”Islamic”.

1.4. The Objectives and Characteristics of the

Plan Let us now proceed to understand the plan of life envisaged by the Shari’ah. To understand that, it is essential
that we start with a clear conception of the objectives and the fundamentals of Shari’ah. The main objective of the Shari’ah is to construct human life on the basis of Ma’rufat (virtues) and to cleans it of the Munkarat (vices). The term Ma’rufat proclaims as good and right everything declared by Allah and by His messenger to be so. Taking this  definition as the norm, the term Ma’rufat should denote all the virtues and good qualities that have always been accepted as ”good” by the pure and unadulterated human conscience. Conversely, the word Munkarat refers to  everything that Allah and His Apostle (peace be upon him) have denounced as evil. In the light of this understanding, it denotes all the sins and evils that have always been condemned by pure human nature as ”evil”. In short, the Ma’rufat are in harmony with human nature and its requirements in general, whilst the Munkarat are just the opposite. The Shari’ah gives a clear view of these Ma’rufat and Munkarat and states them as the norms to which the individual and social behavior should conform. The Shari’ah does not, however, limit its function to providing us with an inventory of virtues and vices only; it lays down the entire plan of life in such a manner that virtues may flourish and vices may not pollute and destroy human life. To achieve this end, the Shari’ah has embraced in its plan all the factors that encourage the growth of good and has recommended steps for the removal of impediments that might prevent its growth and development. The process gives rise to subsidiary series of Ma’rufat consisting of the causes and means initiating and nurturing the good, and yet another set of Ma’rufat consisting of prohibitory commands in relation to those things which act as preventives or impediments to good. Similarly, there is a subsidiary list of Munkarat which might initiate or allow growth of evil. The Shari’ah shapes the Islamic society in a way conducive to the unfettered growth of good, virtue and truth in every sphere of human activity, and gives full play to the forces of going all directions. And at the same time it removes all impediments in the path of virtue. Along this, it attempts to eradicate evils from its social plan by prohibiting vice, by obviating the causes of its appearance and growth, by closing the inlets through which it creeps
into a society and by adopting deterrent measures to check its occurrence. 1.5. Ma’rufat (ma’roof)
The Shari’ah classifies Ma’rufat into three categories: the Mandatory (Fardh and Wajib), the Recommendatory
(Matlub) and the Permissible (Mubah). The observance of the mandatory (Ma’rufat) is obligatory on a Muslim society and the Shari’ah has given clear and binding directions about them. The recommendatory Ma’rufat are those which the Shari’ah wants a Muslim society to observe and practice. Some of them have been very clearly demanded of us, while others have been recommended by implication and inference from the sayings of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). Besides this, special arrangements have been made for the growth and encouragement of some of them in the plan of life enunciated by the Shari’ah. Others still have simply been recommended by the Shari’ah leaving it to the society or to its more virtuous elements to look to their promotion. This leaves us with the permissible Ma’rufat. Strictly speaking, according to the Shari’ah everything which has not been expressly prohibited by it is a Permissible Ma’ruf (i.e., Mubah). It is not at all necessary that an express permission should exist about it or that it should have been expressly left to our choice. Consequently, the sphere of permissible Ma’rufat is very wide so much so that except
for the things specifically prohibited by the Shari’ah, everything is permissible for a Muslim. And this is exactly
the sphere where we have been given freedom and where we can legislate according to our own discretion to suit
the requirements of our age and conditions, of course in keeping with the general spirit of the Shari’ah.

1.6. Munkarat (Munkar)

The Munkarat (or the things prohibited in Islam) have been grouped into two categories: Haram, i.e., those things
which have been prohibited absolutely and Makruh, i.e., those things which have been disliked and discouraged. It
has been enjoined on Muslims by clear mandatory injunctions to refrain totally from everything that has been declared Haram. As for the Makruhat the Shari’ah signifies its dislike in some way or another, i.e., either expressly or
by implication, giving an indication also as to the degree of such dislike. For example, there are some Makruhat bordering on Haram, while others bear affinity with the acts which are permissible. Of course, their number is very
large ranging between the two extremes of prohibitory and permissible actions. Moreover, in some cases, explicit measures have been prescribed by the Shari’ah for the prevention of Makruhat, while in others such arrangements have been left to the discretion of the society or of the individual.

1.7. Some other Characteristics

The Shari’ah, thus, prescribes directives for the regulation of our individual as well as collective life. These directives touch such varied subjects as religious rituals, personal character, morals, habits, family relationships, social and economic affairs, administration, rights and duties of citizens, judicial system, laws of war and peace and international
relations. In short, it embraces all the various departments of human life. These directives reveal what is good and bad, what is beneficial and useful and what is injurious and harmful. What are the virtues which are the evils for which we have to suppress and guard against. What is the sphere of our voluntary, untrammeled, personal and social action and what are its limits. And finally, what ways and means we can adopt in establishing such a dynamic order of society and what methods we should avoid. The Shari’ah is a complete plan of life and an all embracing social order – nothing superfluous, nothing lacking. Another remarkable feature of the Shari’ah is that it is an organic whole. The entire plan of life propounded by Islam is animated by the same spirit. Hence, any arbitrary division of its plan is bound to harm the spirit as well as the structure of the Islamic order. In this respect, it might be compared to the human body which is an organic whole. A leg pulled out of the body cannot be called one-eight or one-sixth man, because after its separation from the living body, the leg can no longer perform its human function. Nor can it be placed in the body of some other animal with any hope of making it human to the extent of that limb. Likewise, we cannot form a correct opinion about
the utility, efficiency and beauty of the hand, the eyes or the nose of a human being separately, without judging its
place and function within the living body. The same can be said in regard to the scheme of life envisaged by the Shari’ah. Islam signifies the entire scheme of life and not any isolated part or parts thereof. Consequently neither can it be appropriate to view the different part of the Shari’ah in isolation from one another and without regard to the whole, nor will it be of any use to take any part and bracket it with any other ”ism”. The Shari’ah can function smoothly and can demonstrate its efficacy only if the entire system of life is practiced in accordance with it and not otherwise.

Concept Of God March 20, 2010

• The Most Concise Definition of God

“Say: He is Allah,The One and Only.

“Allah, the Eternal, Absolute.

“He begets not, nor is He begotten.
And there is none like unto Him.”
[Al-Qur’an 112:1-4]

The word ‘Assamad’ is difficult to translate. It means ‘absolute existence’, which can be attributed only to Allah (swt), all other existence being temporal or conditional. It also means that Allah (swt) is not dependent on any person or thing, but all persons and things are dependent on Him.

• Surah Ikhlas – the touchstone of theology:

Surah Ikhlas (Chapter 112) of the Glorious Qur’an, is the touchstone of theology. ‘Theo’ in Greek means God and ‘logy’ means study. Thus Theology means study of God and to Muslims this four line definition of Almighty God serves as the touchstone of the study of God. Any candidate to divinity must be subjected to this ‘acid test’. Since the attributes of Allah given in this chapter are unique, false gods and pretenders to divinity can be easily dismissed using these verses.

• What does Islam say about ‘god-men’?

India is often called the land of ‘god-men’. This is due to the abundance of so-called spiritual masters in India. Many of these ‘babas’ and ‘saints’ have a large following in many countries. Islam abhors deification of any human being. To understand the Islamic stand towards such pretenders to divinity, let us analyze one such ‘god-man’, Osho Rajneesh.

Let us put this candidate, ‘Bhagwan’ Rajneesh, to the test of Surah Ikhlas, the touchstone of theology:

1. The first criterion is “Say, He is Allah, one and only”. Is Rajneesh one and only? No! Rajneesh was one among the multitude of ‘spiritual teachers’ produced by India. Some disciples of Rajneesh might still hold that Rajneesh is one and only.
2. The second criterion is, ‘Allah is absolute and eternal’. We know from Rajneesh’s biography that he was suffering from diabetes, asthma, and chronic backache. He alleged that the U.S. Government gave him slow poison in prison. Imagine Almighty God being poisoned! Rajneesh was thus, neither absolute nor eternal.
3. The third criterion is ‘He begets not, nor is He begotten’. We know that Rajneesh was born in Jabalpur in India and had a mother as well as a father who later became his disciples.

In May 1981 he went to U.S.A. and established a town called ‘Rajneeshpuram’. He later fell foul of the West and was finally arrested and asked to leave the country. He came back to India and started a commune in Pune which is now known as the ‘Osho’ commune. He died in 1990. The followers of Osho Rajneesh believe that he is Almighty God. At the ‘Osho commune’ in Pune one can find the following epitaph on his tombstone:
“Osho – never born, never died; only visited the planet Earth between 11th December 1931 to 19th January 1990.”
They forget to mention that he was not granted visa for 21 countries of the world. Can a person ever imagine ‘God’ visiting the earth, and requiring a visa to enter a country! The Archbishop of Greece said that if Rajneesh had not been deported, they would have burnt his house and those of his disciples.

4. The fourth test, which is the most stringent is, “There is none like unto Him”. The moment you can imagine or compare ‘God’ to anything, then he (the candidate to divinity) is not God. It is not possible to conjure up a mental picture of the One True God. We know that Rajneesh was a human being, having two eyes, two ears, a nose, a mouth and a white flowing beard. Photographs and posters of Rajneesh are available in plenty. The moment you can imagine or draw a mental picture of an entity, then that entity is not God.
Many are tempted to make anthropomorphic comparisons of God. Take for instance, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the famous body builder and Hollywood actor, who won the title of ‘Mr. Universe’, the strongest man in the world. Let us suppose that someone says that Almighty God is a thousand times stronger than Arnold Schwarzenegger. The moment you can compare any entity to God, whether the comparison is to Schwarzenegger or to King Kong, whether it is a thousand times or a million times stronger, it fails the Qur’anic criterion, “There is none like unto Him”.
Thus, the ‘acid test’ cannot be passed by anyone except the One True God.
The following verse of the Glorious Qur’an conveys a similar message:

“No vision can grasp Him
But His grasp is over
All vision: He is
Above all comprehension,
Yet is acquainted with all things.”
[Al-Qur’an 6:103]

• By what name do we call God?

The Muslims prefer calling the Supreme Creator, Allah, instead of by the English word ‘God’. The Arabic word, ‘Allah’, is pure and unique, unlike the English word ‘God’, which can be played around with.

If you add ‘s’ to the word God, it becomes ‘Gods’, that is the plural of God. Allah is one and singular, there is no plural of Allah. If you add ‘dess’ to the word God, it becomes ‘Goddess’ that is a female God. There is nothing like male Allah or female Allah. Allah has no gender. If you add the word ‘father’ to ‘God’ it becomes ‘God-father’. God-father means someone who is a guardian. There is no word like ‘Allah-Abba’ or ‘Allah-father’. If you add the word ‘mother’ to ‘God’, it becomes ‘God-mother’. There is nothing like ‘Allah-Ammi’, or ‘Allah-mother’ in Islam. Allah is a unique word. If you prefix tin before the word God, it becomes tin-God i.e., fake God. Allah is a unique word, which does not conjure up any mental picture nor can it be played around with. Therefore the Muslims prefer using the Arabic word ‘Allah’ for the Almighty. Sometimes, however, while speaking to the non-Muslims we may have to use the inappropriate word God, for Allah. Since the intended audience of this article is general in nature, consisting of both Muslims as well as non-Muslims, I have used the word God instead of Allah in several places in this article.

God does not become a human being:
God does not take human form:
Some may argue that God does not become a human being but only takes a human form. If God only takes a human form but does not become a human being, He should not possess any human qualities. We know that all the ‘God-men’, have human qualities and failings. They have all the human needs such as the need to eat, sleep, etc.

The worship of God in human form is therefore a logical fallacy and should be abhorred in all its forms and manifestations.

That is the reason why the Qur’an speaks against all forms of anthropomorphism. The Glorious Qur’an says in the following verse:

“There is nothing whatever like unto Him.”  [Al-Qur’an 42:11]

• God does not perform ungodly acts:

The attributes of Almighty God preclude any evil since God is the source of justice, mercy and truth. God can never be thought of as doing an ungodly act. Hence we cannot imagine God telling a lie, being unjust, making a mistake, forgetting things, or having any such human failings. Similarly God can do injustice if He chooses to, but He will never do it because being unjust is an ungodly act.

The Qur’an says:

“Allah is never unjust In the least degree.”  [Al-Qur’an 4:40]

God can be unjust if He chooses to be so, but the moment God does injustice, He ceases to be God.

God does not make mistakes

God can make mistakes if He wants to, but He does not make mistakes because making a mistake is an ungodly act. The Qur’an says:

“…my Lord never errs.”  [Holy Qur’an 20:52]

The moment God makes a mistake, he ceases to be God.

God does not forget

God can forget if He wants to. But God does not forget anything because forgetting is an ungodly act, which reeks of human limitations and failings. The Qur’an says:

“…my Lord never errs, nor forgets.”  [Al-Qur’an 20:52]

God only performs Godly acts:

The Islamic concept of God is that God has power over all things. The Qur’an says in several places (Al -Qur’an 2:106; 2:109; 2:284; 3:29; 16:77; and 35:1):

“For verily Allah has power over all things”

Further, the Glorious Qur’an says:

“Allah is the doer of all that He intends.” [Al-Qura’n 85:16]

We must keep in mind that Allah intends only Godly acts and not ungodly acts.

• PHILOSOPHY OF ANTHROPOMORPHISM

Many religions at some point believe, directly or indirectly, in the philosophy of anthropomorphism i.e. God becoming a human. Their contention is that Almighty God is so pure and holy that He is unaware of the hardships, shortcomings and feelings of human beings. In order to set the rules for human beings, He came down to earth as a human. This deceptive logic has fooled countless millions through the ages. Let us now analyze this argument and see if it stands to reason.

• The Creator prepares the instruction manual

Suppose I manufacture a video cassette recorder (VCR). Do I have to become a VCR to know what is good or what is bad for the VCR? What do I do? I write an instruction manual: “In order to watch a video cassette, insert the cassette and press the play button. In order to stop, press the stop button. If you want to fast forward press the FF button. Do not drop it from a height or it will get damaged. Do not immerse it in water or it will get spoilt”. I write an instruction manual that lists the various do’s and don’ts for the machine.

Holy Qur’an is the instruction manual for the human being:

Similarly, our Lord and Creator Allah (swt) need not take human form to know what is good or bad for the human being. He chooses to reveal the instruction manual. The last and final instruction manual of the human beings is the Glorious Qur’an. The ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ for the human beings are mentioned in the Qur’an.
If you allow me to compare human beings with machines, I would say humans are more complicated than the most complex machines in the world. Even the most advanced computers, which are extremely complex, are pale in comparison to the myriad physical, psychological, genetic and social factors that affect individual and collective human life.
The more advanced the machine, greater is the need for its instruction manual. By the same logic, don’t human beings require an instruction manual by which to govern their own lives?

Allah chooses Messengers:

Allah (swt) need not come down personally for giving the instruction manual. He chooses a man amongst men to deliver the message and communicates with him at a higher level through the medium of revelations. Such chosen men are called messengers and prophets of God.
Some people are ‘blind’ and ‘deaf’:
Despite the absurdity of the philosophy of anthropomorphism, followers of many religions believe in and preach it to others. Is it not an insult to human intelligence and to the Creator who gave us this intelligence? Such people are truly ‘deaf’ and ‘blind’ despite the faculty of hearing and sight given to them by Allah. The Qur’an says:

“Deaf, dumb, and blind,
They will not return (to the path).”     [Al-Qur’an 2:18]

The Bible gives a similar message in the Gospel of Matthew:

“Seeing they see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.”    [The Bible, Matthew 13:13]

A similar message is also given in the Hindu Scriptures in the Rigveda.

“There maybe someone who sees the words and yet indeed does not see them; may be another one who hears these words but indeed does not hear them.” 1
[Rigveda 10:71:4]

All these scriptures are telling their readers that though the things are made so clear yet many people divert away from the truth.

Attributes of God:

To Allah belong the most beautiful names:
The Qur’an says:

“Say: Call upon Allah, or
Call upon Rahman:
By whatever name you call
Upon Him, (it is well):
For to Him belong
The Most Beautiful Names.”
[Al-Qur’an 17:110]

A similar message regarding the beautiful names of Allah (swt) is repeated in the Qur’an in Surah Al-A’raf (7:180), in Surah Taha (20:8) and in Surah Al-Hashr (59:24).

The Qur’an gives no less than ninety-nine different attributes to Almighty Allah. The Qur’an refers to Allah as Ar-Rahman (Most Gracious), Ar-Raheem (Most Merciful) and Al-Hakeem (All Wise) among many other names. You can call Allah by any name but that name should be beautiful and should not conjure up a mental picture.

Each attribute of God is unique and possessed by Him alone:

Not only does God possess unique attributes, but also each attribute of Almighty God is sufficient to identify Him. I shall clarify this point in detail. Let us take an example of a famous personality, say Neil Armstrong. Neil Armstrong is an astronaut. The attribute of being an astronaut possessed by Neil Armstrong is correct but not unique to Neil Armstrong alone. So when one asks, who is an astronaut? The answer is, there are hundreds of people in the world who are astronauts. Neil Armstrong is an American. The attribute of being American possessed by Neil Armstrong is correct but not sufficient to identify him. So when one asks, who is an American? The answer is, there are millions of people who are American. To identify the person uniquely we must look for a unique attribute possessed by none except that person. For example, Neil Armstrong was the first human to set foot on the moon. So when one asks, who was the first man to set foot on the moon, the answer is only one, i.e. Neil Armstrong. Similarly the attribute of Almighty God should be unique. If I say God is the constructor of buildings, it is possible and true, but it is not unique. Thousands of people can construct a building. But each attribute of Allah is unique and points to none but Allah. For example, God is the creator of the universe. If someone asks who is the creator of the universe, the answer is only one, i.e. Almighty God is the Ultimate Creator. Similarly, following are some of the many unique attributes possessed by none other than the Creator of the universe, Almighty Allah:

“Ar-Raheem”, the Most Merciful
“Ar-Rahman”, the Most Gracious
“Al-Hakeem”, the Most Wise

So when one asks, “Who is ‘Ar-Raheem’, (the Most Merciful)?”, there can only be one answer: “Almighty Allah”.

One attribute of God should not contradict with other attributes:

Besides the attribute being unique, it should not contradict other attributes. To continue with the earlier example, suppose somebody says that Neil Armstrong is an American astronaut who was the first human to set foot on the moon and was an Indian. The attribute possessed by Neil Armstrong of being the first man to set foot on the moon, is correct. But its associated quality of being an Indian, is false. Similarly if someone says that God is the Creator of the Universe and has one head, two hands, two feet, etc., the attribute (Creator of the Universe) is correct but the associated quality (in the form of human being) is wrong and false.

All attributes should point to the one and same God:

Since there is only one God, all the attributes should point to one and the same God. To say that Neil Armstrong was an American astronaut who first set foot on the moon, but he was born in 1971 is wrong. Both these unique qualities belong to one and the same person, i.e. Neil Armstrong. Similarly to say that the Creator of the universe is one God and the Cherisher is another God is absurd because God possesses all these attributes combined together.

• Unity of God

Some polytheists argue by saying that the existence of more than one God is not illogical. Let us point out to them that if there were more than one God, they would dispute with one another, each god trying to fulfill his will against the will of the other gods. This can be seen in the mythology of the polytheistic and pantheistic religions. If a ‘God’ is defeated or unable to defeat the others, he is surely not the one true God. Also popular among polytheistic religions is the idea of many Gods, each having different responsibilities. Each one would be responsible for a part of man’s existence e.g. a Sun-God, a Rain-God, etc. This indicates that one ‘God’ is incompetent of certain acts and moreover he is also ignorant of the other Gods’ powers, duties, functions and responsibilities. There cannot be an ignorant and incapable God. If there were more than one God it would surely lead to confusion, disorder, chaos and destruction in the universe. But the universe is in complete harmony. The Glorious Qur’an says:
“If there were, in the heavens
And the earth, other gods
Besides Allah, there would
Have been confusion in both!
But glory to Allah,
The Lord of the Throne:
(High is He) above
What they attribute to Him!”
[Al-Qur’an 21:22]

If there were more than one God, they would have taken away what they created. The Qur’an says:

“No son did Allah beget,
Nor is there any god
Along with Him: (if there were
Many gods), behold, each god
Would have taken away
What he had created,
And some would have
Lorded it over others!
Glory to Allah! (He is free)
From the (sort of) things
They attribute to Him!”
[Al-Qur’an 23:91]

Thus the existence of one True, Unique, Supreme, Almighty God, is the only logical concept of God.

• TAWHEED

Definition and Categories:

Islam believes in ‘Tawheed’ which is not merely monotheism i.e. belief in one God, but much more. Tawheed literally means ‘unification’ i.e. ‘asserting oneness’ and is derived from the Arabic verb ‘Wahhada’ which means to unite, unify or consolidate.

Tawheed can be divided into three categories.

1. Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah
2. Tawheed al-Asmaa-was-Sifaat
3. Tawheed al-Ibaadah.

A. Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah (maintaining the unity of Lordship)
The first category is ‘Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah’. ‘Ruboobeeyah’ is derived from the root verb “Rabb” meaning Lord, Sustainer and Cherisher.
Therefore ‘Tawheed-ar-Ruboobeeyah’ means maintaining the unity of Lordship. This category is based on the fundamental concept that Allah (swt) alone caused all things to exist when there was nothing. He created or originated all that exists out of nothing. He alone is the sole Creator, Cherisher, and Sustainer of the complete universe and all between it, without any need from it or for it.

B.  Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat (maintaining the unity of Allah’s name and attributes):

The second category is ‘Tawheed al Asmaa was Sifaat’ which means maintaining the unity of Allah’s name and attributes. This category is divided into five aspects:

(i) Allah should be referred to as described by Him and His Prophet
Allah must be referred to according to the manner in which He and His prophet have described Him without explaining His names and attributes by giving them meanings other than their obvious meanings.

(ii) Allah must be referred to as He has referred to Himself
Allah must be referred to without giving Him any new names or attributes. For example Allah may not be given the name Al-Ghaadib (the Angry One), despite the fact that He has said that He gets angry, because neither Allah nor His messenger have used this name.

(iii) Allah is referred to without giving Him the attributes of His creation

In a reference to God, we should strictly abstain from giving Him the attributes of those whom He has created. For instance in the Bible, God is portrayed as repenting for His bad thoughts in the same way as humans do when they realise their errors. This is completely against the principle of Tawheed. God does not commit any mistakes or errors and therefore never needs to repent.

The key principle when dealing with Allah’s attributes is given in the Qur’an in Surah Ash-Shura:

“There is nothing
Whatever like unto Him,
And He is the One
That hears and sees (all things).”
[Al-Qur’an 42:11]

Hearing and seeing are human faculties. However, when attributed to the Divine Being they are without comparison, in their perfection, unlike when associated with humans who require ears, eyes, etc. and who are limited in their sight and hearing in terms of space, time, capacity, etc.

(iv) God’s creation should not be given any of His attributes
To refer to a human with the attribute of God is also against the principle of Tawheed. For example, referring to a person as one who has no beginning or end (eternal).

(v) Allah’s name cannot be given to His creatures
Some Divine names in the indefinite form, like ‘Raoof’ or ‘Raheem’ are permissible names for men as Allah has used them for Prophets; but ‘Ar-Raoof’ (the Most Pious) and Ar-Raheem (the most Merciful) can only be used if prefixed by ‘Abd’ meaning ‘slave of’ or ‘servant of’ i.e. ’Abdur-Raoof’ or ‘Abdur-Raheem’. Similarly ‘Abdur-Rasool’ (slave of the Messenger) or ‘Abdun-Nabee’ (slave of the Prophet) are forbidden.

C. Tawheed al-Ibaadah (maintaining the unity of worship):

(i) Definition and meaning of ‘Ibadaah’:
‘Tawheed al-Ibaadah’ means maintaining the unity of worship or ‘Ibaadah’. Ibaadah is derived from Arabic word ‘Abd’ meaning slave or servant. Thus Ibaadah means servitude and worship.

(ii) All three categories to be followed simultaneously.
Only believing in the first two categories of Tawheed without implementing Tawheed-al-Ibaadah is useless. The Qur’an gives the examples of ‘Mushrikeens’ (idolaters) of the Prophet’s time who confirmed the first two aspects of Tawheed. It is mentioned in the Qur’an:

“Say: ‘Who is it that
Sustains you (in life)
From the sky and from the earth?
Or who is it that
Has power over hearing
And sight? And who
Is it that brings out
The living from the dead
And the dead from the living?
And who is it that
Rules and regulates all affairs?’
They will soon say, ‘Allah’.
Say, ‘Will you not then
Show piety (to Him)?’ ”
[Al-Qur’an 10:31]

A similar example is repeated in Surah Zukhruf of the Glorious Qur’an:

“If thou ask them, Who
Created them, they will
Certainly say, ‘Allah’: how
Then are they deluded
Away (from the Truth)?”
[Al-Qur’an 43:87]

The pagan Meccans knew that Allah (swt) was their Creator, Sustainer, Lord and Master. Yet they were not Muslims because they also worshipped other gods besides Allah. Allah (swt) categorised them as ‘Kuffaar’ (disbelievers) and ‘Mushrikeen’ (idol worshippers and those who associate partners with God).

“And most of them
Believe not in Allah
Without associating (others
As partners) with Him!”
[Al-Qur’an 12:106]

Thus ‘Tawheed al-Ibaadah’ i.e. maintaining the unity of worship is the most important aspect of Tawheed. Allah (swt) alone deserves worship and He alone can grant benefit to man for his worship.

SHIRK
A. Definition:The omission of any of the above mentioned categories of  tawheed or deficiency in the fulfillment of any criteria of  Tawheed is referred to as ‘shirk’.(Please note that the Arabic word ‘Shirk’ has the same sound as in the English word ‘ship’ and not as in the English word ‘shirk’,which means ‘to evade’

‘Shirk’ literally means sharing or associating partners. In Islamic terms it means associating partners with Allah and is equivalent to idolatry.

B. Shirk is the greatest sin that Allah will never forgive:

The Qur’an describes the greatest sin in Surah Al-Nisa’:

“Allah forgives not
That partners should be set up
With Him; but He forgives
Anything else, to whom
He pleases; to set up
Partners with Allah
Is to devise a sin
Most heinous indeed.”
[Al-Qur’an 4:48]

The same message is repeated in Surah Al-Nisa’:

“Allah forgives not
(The sin of) joining other gods
With Him; but He forgives
Whom He pleases other sins
Than this: one who joins
Other gods with Allah,
Has strayed far, far away
(From the Right).”
[Al-Qur’an 4:116]

C. Shirk leads to hell fire:

The Qur’an says in Surah Ma’idah:

“They do blaspheme who say:
‘Allah is Christ the son
Of Mary.’ But said Christ:
‘O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord
And your Lord’. Whoever joins other gods with Allah –
Allah will forbid him the Garden, and the Fire
Will be his abode. There will for the wrongdoers
Be no one to help.”
[Al-Qur’an 5:72]

D. Worship and Obedience to none but Allah:

The Qur’an mentions in Surah Ali-’Imran:

Say: “O people of the Book!
Come To common terms
As between us and you:
That we worship none but Allah;
That we associate no partners with Him;
That we erect not, from among ourselves,
Lords and patrons other than Allah.”
If then they turn back,
Say ye: “Bear witness that we (at least)
Are Muslims (bowing to Allah’s Will).”
[Al-Qur’an 3:64]

The Glorious Qur’an says:

“And if all the trees on earth were pens
And the Ocean (were ink), with seven Oceans behind it
To add to its (supply), yet would not the Words
Of Allah be exhausted (In the writing): for Allah
Is Exalted in power, Full of Wisdom.”
[Al-Qur’an 31:27]

Our analysis of Concept of God in various Religion shows that monotheism is an integral part of every major religion of the world. However, it is unfortunate that some adherents of these religions violate the teachings of their own scriptures and have set up partners to Almighty God.

An analysis of the scriptures of various religions, reveals that all scriptures exhort mankind to believe in, and submit to One God. All these scriptures condemn the association of partners to God, or the worship of God in the form of images. The Glorious Qur’an says:

“O men! Here is
A parable set forth!
Listen to it! Those
On whom, besides Allah,
You call, cannot create
(Even) a fly, if they all
Met together for the purpose!
And if the fly should snatch
Away anything from them,
They would have no power
To release it from the fly.
Feeble are those who petition
And those whom they petition!”
[Al-Qur’an 22:73]

The basis of religion is the acceptance of Divine guidance. A rejection of this guidance has serious implications for society. While we have made great strides in science and technology, true peace still eludes us. All ‘isms’ have failed to provide the much vaunted deliverance.

The scriptures of all major religions exhort mankind to follow that which is good and eschew that which is evil. All scriptures remind mankind that good will not go unrewarded and evil will not go unpunished!

The question we need to address is, which of these scriptures provides us with the correct ‘instruction manual’ that we need to regulate our individual and collective lives?

I hope and pray that Allah guides all of us towards the Truth (Aameen).

Courtesy Dr. Zakir Naik

Bilbography:

Irf.net

Introduction

Islam is a Semitic religion, which has over one billion adherents all over the world. . Muslims accept the Qur’an, as the word of God revealed to His last and final prophet, Mohammed (peace be upon him). Islam states that Allah sent messengers and prophets throughout the ages with the message of Unity of God, and accountability in the Hereafter. Islam thus makes it an article of faith to believe in all the earlier prophets, starting with Adam, and continuing with Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, John and Jesus amongst many others (may peace be on them all).