Introduction
The sin of polytheism (shirk) is so severe
that, in comparison to other sins, no Muslim tolerates its
most minor association with him. The most ordinary Muslim
would bear any accusation, accept connection with all other
sins, admit to any crimes and bad deeds, but if you were to
identify the smallest doubt in any of his beliefs or deeds, he
would become incensed.
In the current times, the intelligent ones
among people who are influenced by modern thought and fields
of knowledge are disgusted by polytheism. Regardless of
whether they have any consideration for monotheism (tawhid),
they believe that there exists either atheism or monotheism.
The rational person of today cannot be involved with something
as superstitious as polytheism. And none among this group will
accept being associated with polytheism.
A person having some knowledge of the
Qur’an and Hadith is overcome by amazement when he observes
the beliefs and acts of Muslims and reflects upon the
condition and matters of the world. He finds extreme
contradiction between the knowledge he possesses on the one
hand and the evidence provided by people on the other. He
observes with his eyes that the polluting influence of
polytheism is dominant everywhere, but finds complete
agreement among people that the world has been rid of
polytheism, and that even if some remnant is left, it is not
worth mention and has no impact: hence there is no need to
worry or do something about it. Progress of time and increased
knowledge will erase it altogether. In opposition to his
opinion, this consensus between others makes a well-meaning
person doubtful and he begins to question his knowledge,
thinking that he may have misunderstood the meaning of
polytheism; perhaps he has gone too far in his definition of
monotheism. He thinks that there is a stench in the room, but
if everyone is saying that a beautiful smell pervades the
atmosphere, perhaps something is wrong with his mind
currently. This fact makes him worried and doubtful for some
time; but when after repeated experiences, he finds his own
views to be true and it becomes impossible for him to refute
the existence of the stench, there remain only two options for
him. If he does not possess the courage to oppose the common
view, he is forced to state that the stench is really a
perfume; however, if he believes that he cannot falsify the
truth in favour of common opinion, he gives evidence of his
sense of smell and either warns others that they are declaring
a dirty smell to be perfume due to expedience, or thinks that
they are incapable of distinguishing between good and bad
smells.
I hold this second opinion about the
Muslims of today and other groups who claim to be believers of
monotheism. I think that the disgust that Muslims possess
about polytheism is not backed with true understanding and
knowledge. It is merely ego, based on the heritage of their
religious and historical traditions. They believe that they
possess such a grand history of denial of polytheism; how
could they be involved in this falsehood themselves? Groups
other than Muslims who approve of monotheism and deny
polytheism consider it to be merely a matter of scholarly
pride. Just as Copernicus observed against the prevalent
ancient view that the sun revolves around the earth and later,
Galileo proved this through experiment, modern experiments and
observations have erased belief in all superstitions related
with polytheism according to these people and there are no
chances of being caught in it in this age of knowledge and
research. Such people are not aware of the reality of
polytheism; its types and form and the impacts it has upon our
scholarly, moral and political lives. They are ignorant of all
these points. The only significance this issue has for them is
that it was a scholarly mistake which has been corrected by
the progress of human knowledge. Polytheism, in their minds,
possesses a very narrow meaning of “idol worship” or “nature
worship”. According to them, so many secrets of nature have
been unearthed that the time is near when human beings can
claim to be the gods of the earth and skies, time and place,
so what can be the significance of worshipping rivers,
mountains, planets and stars?
This situation reminds me of a wise saying
of ‘Umar (rta). Once a man was praised for his goodness by
saying that he was so good that he was completely ignorant of
anything that could be bad. At this, ‘Umar (rta) said that in
that case, there was great danger of his becoming bad because
if a person could not distinguish between good and bad, he
could easily drift into doing bad deeds. In our view, this is
true of current times. These people are so ignorant of
religion that they are unaware of the greatest evil, ie. of
polytheism. And there is no surprise if a person does not
consider a disease to be one, or cannot assess the disease or
even thinks that the illness is health. Hence, it is an
essential requirement of the times that this ignorance, which
the Qur’an has called the greatest evil, be clarified so that
the essence and reality of polytheism can be highlighted and
these two points of truth and falsehood are so clear that
there remains no possibility of confusion:
But that Allah might accomplish a matter already enacted; that
those who died might die after a clear sign, and those who
lived might live after a clear sign.
(8:42)
Polytheism and its Forms
A true concept of anything cannot be
determined without its true definition. Hence it is essential
that we first define polytheism and then discuss its types and
forms.
If the things that have been declared
polytheism in the Qur’an and Hadith of the Prophet (sws) are
taken into consideration, the definition of polytheism would
be as follows: “association of someone or something with God’s
being or His attributes or His rights in the sense that they
are used for Him.”
To understand this definition, some
explanation is required.
Association with God’s being means
considering God to be coming from someone or someone to come
from Him; considering someone to be from His type or
community; stating someone as His son or father: for example,
the belief of Christians that Jesus (sws) is from God, or He
has given birth to him or that Mary is God’s mother, or the
belief of pagan Arabs that angels were daughters of God. All
of these beliefs are contradictory to God’s presence from the
very beginning to eternity and all of His attributes, belief
in which is essential from the perspectives of nature and
religion. This form of polytheism is the polytheism in the
Being of God.
The meaning of associating someone in His
attributes is to do so in the qualities which are ascribed to
Him: such as creation, planning, knowledge, wisdom. The
condition with this type of polytheism is that the qualities
are used in the sense of being connected with God. The benefit
of this restriction is that the same attributes are often also
used for humans but obviously when we apply them to God, their
meaning is specific and is according to His status and His all
encompassing being. When they are used for humans, they are
taken to be distinct from those for God. For example, we use
the attribute of wisdom both for God and a person. When we use
it for God, it means something different and when we use it
for a person, it means something different. If we use it for a
person in the same sense as for God, this would be polytheism
in the attributes of God.
Including others in the rights of God means
association in the things that emerge from His attributes or
in the responsibilities and rights that we have towards Him.
For example, if God is the Creator, it follows that all order
and planning of the universe belong to Him. Assume that even
if we accept that God is the Creator of the earth and sky but
that their management is in someone else’s hands, then this
will be polytheism in the rights, because we are associating
someone else with that which becomes essential as a
consequence of God being the Creator, even though He who has
created also has the right of order. Hence the Qur’an says: “Is
it not His to create and to govern?” (7:54)
If the plan of action of the entire universe is in His hands,
it follows naturally that only He should be worshipped; only
He should be obeyed; only He should be the focus of all love.
Now assume that we adopt the worship of someone else apart
from God, or consider obedience to someone else to be valid in
addition to Him, or believe that someone else is also worthy
of our real love: all of these situations will be counted as
polytheism in the rights. On this basis, the Qur’an has
demanded: “And they have been commanded no more than
this: To worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being
true [in faith].” (98:5). At another place,
the Qur’an says: “Those who believe love God the best.”
(2:165). In other words, their love for others is subject to
their love for God.
The above are the pure forms of polytheism.
Other than these, there are things that are not polytheism in
their spirit and do not fall under any of the above types, yet
they are either a form of polytheism or a path to it. If they
are retained, there is a danger that they might open the door
to real polytheism. The principle of the Islamic shari‘ah is
that it corrects the drivers of sins as well as the real sins.
This is why the shari‘ah has made them illegitimate; such as
prostrating to anyone other than God; swearing by someone by
way of paying respects to someone other than God. This is
because prostration has always been considered to be the
greatest form of demeaning one self and idolatrous nations
used to swear by their idols. Islam, which is the last and
complete shari‘ah, also ended these forms of polytheism that
could have become real polytheism. This form is called
polytheism on account of similarity.
For clarification of all these types of
polytheism, it would be appropriate if we present examples of
these from the Qur’an.
During the period of its revelation, the
groups addressed by the Qur’an, in whose actions and beliefs
it has pointed to the existence of polytheism, are three: the
Arabs (Ishmaelites); People of the Book (Jews and Christians)
and the hypocrites. Among these groups, the Arabs have the
special characteristic of being addressed as idolaters both as
information and attribute. Acts of polytheism have been
identified for the others, but the word “polytheist” or
“idolater” as a piece of knowledge or attribute has not been
used. The reason for this is that these groups accepted
monotheism as a foundation or basic principle. Monotheism was
a belief and value that was shared between them and the
Muslims. No one from the Jews or Christians denied monotheism.
Hypocrites were Muslims in all of their declarations and
obvious acts. The polytheism within these groups was in
contradiction to their claims and stated beliefs of
monotheism. In contrast, the idolaters believed in polytheism
per se. In this system, their deities were not only His
associates but also indispensable. Without belief in
polytheism, they could not understand the universe. Due to
this significant factor, the Qur’an has given them importance
in this discussion of polytheism and monotheism and so shall
we. Hence we present a summary of the forms of polytheism
among them that the Qur’an has also discussed.
Polytheism of Idolaters
The first point to understand about the
people of Arabia is that no group among them was a denier of
God. Some people have inferred from their saying as quoted in
the Qur’an: “We shall die and we live, and nothing but
time can destroy us.” (45:24) that they
were either deniers of God or that they were naturalists in
current terminology. But this view is incorrect. There were no
atheists among the Arabs during the revelation of the Qur’an.
When they said: “We shall die and we live, and nothing
but time can destroy us,” (45:24) did not
mean that they were denying God. They said this in refutation
of the Qur’an’s claim that the rise and fall of nations
depended upon the reform or anarchy caused by the latter’s
beliefs and deeds.
The explanation of this summary is that the
Qur’an considered the rise and fall of nations to be dependent
upon their morality. It stated that the devastation wrought
upon the ‘Ād, the Thamud, nation of Lot, people of Madyan and
the nation of the Pharaoh was brought about as a consequence
of their denial of truth and practice of polytheism,
sinfulness, mutual rivalries and other transgressions in their
beliefs and practices. It would warn the Arabs that if they
did not correct the errors in their beliefs and morals, they,
too, would be destroyed similarly, despite their strength and
large numbers. The Arabs could not understand this point. They
refused to accept that any moral principle could have a role
to play in the rise and fall of nations. They thought of their
nation as a tree that sprouted, obtained nourishment and grew,
flowered and gave fruit until it met its end due to passage of
time. Or else, they thought of their nation as an individual
who was born, grew to full youth and then died either due to
some illness or old age. They considered the system of life
and death that is operative in every part of the universe in
its physical sense, to be active in the life and death of
nations too. They would relate stories of previous nations in
their poetry in a similar vein.
The Qur’an presented history from a new
perspective, which was very different from their materialistic
approach. It demanded a new way of living from them, which
opposed their desires. Hence they were not ready to accept it
and would say: “there is no relationship between principles
and life and death of nations; a nation comes to an end only
with the tides of time. Its impiety has nothing to do with its
destruction.” The Italian political philosopher, Machiavelli
holds the same belief. When he says that government is a
single, political entity: it is neither moral nor legal; the
focus of all political acts of officials and thinkers should
be for its benefit only; the work that benefits the government
or that demands the government’s skills and capabilities
should be carried out and no legal or moral principle should
be of any consideration, then he does not say anything new. He
is merely representing the point of view of Arabs in their
pre- Islamic period.
The people of Arabia, therefore, neither
denied God, nor any of His basic attributes. They believed
that God was the Creator of the earth and sky, sun and the
moon, cloud and wind. They called to Him as the giver of life,
the One who sustained life and the One who took away life.
They believed that He gifted them with all their strengths and
abilities. They considered the arrangement and management of
this universe to be within His control. At the same time, they
also believed in and did things that either implied disbelief
in God’s attributes or requirements of the same, which is
denial, or it necessitated associating someone else with His
attributes or His rights, which is polytheism. The Qur’an has
reprimanded them on these contradictions in many places:
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?” Such is Allah, your real
Cherisher and Sustainer: apart from truth, what else remains
but error? How then are ye turned away?
(10:31-32)
This paradox involved the people of Arabia
in the worship of many deities other then God, resulting in
overwhelming them slowly with polytheism of many types of
God’s identity, attributes and rights. If their idolatrous
worship is analyzed in the light of the Qur’an, five different
types emerge: angel worship; jinn worship; star worship;
ancestor worship and self worship. We now discuss each of
these briefly.
(i) Angel Worship
The people of Arabia considered angels to
be daughters and progeny of God. This was pure polytheism in
the being of God, as it negated God’s supreme dissociation
from anything and His being free of any want. This is blatant
disbelief. The Qur’an refutes this in the following manner.
They say: “God has hath begotten a son!” - Glory be to Him! He
is self- sufficient! His are all things in the heavens and on
earth! No warrant have you for this! Say you about Allah what
ye know not? (10:68)
They gave these
angels the status of nearness to God that was above that of
worship and service and close to that of divinity. This was
clear polytheism of attributes. The
Qur’an refuted this:
And to Allah doth obeisance all that is in the heavens and on
earth, whether moving [living] creatures or the angels: for
none are arrogant [before their Lord]. They all revere their
Lord, high above them, and they do all that they are
commanded. (16:49-50)
“For none are
arrogant”, ie. they do not view themselves as being above
worship; they fear God from above. In other words, despite
being close to Him, they do not have access to His sphere of
eminence. They merely implement orders that come from above.
The word “what they are commanded” denotes an ignorant
identity, indicating that the status of the One giving orders
is beyond the comprehension of angels. This is why, instead of
becoming proud of their nearness and presuming that they can
get God to do anything they wish for, as was presumed by the
idolaters, they are always busy in worshipping God and making
efforts to gain His favour and closeness:
Those whom they call upon do desire [for themselves] means of
access to their Lord, - even those who are nearest: they hope
for His Mercy and fear His Wrath: for the Wrath of thy Lord is
something to take heed of.” (17:57)
Idolaters
believed that they could not get close to God without
intervention from other beings. Hence they made these angels
the means to gain nearness to God and worshipped them. In this
way, the innovation of polytheism of attributes began. The
Qur’an has itself given this explanation of this form of
polytheism:
Is it not to Allah that sincere devotion is due? But those who
take for protectors other than Allah [say]: “We only serve
them in order that they may bring us nearer to Allah.” Truly
Allah will judge between them in that wherein they differ. But
Allah guides not such as are false and ungrateful. (39:3)
Idolaters would
consider prosperity and happiness in this world a sign of
blessings due to worship of the angels. They believed that
they had children because of the favours from angels. The
Qur’an refuted these beliefs in the following words.
But when He gave them a goodly child, they ascribe to others a
share in the gift they have received: but Allah is exalted
high above the partners they ascribe to Him. Do they indeed
ascribe to Him as partners things that can create nothing, but
are themselves created? (7:190-191)
Similarly, they
thought that they obtained sustenance due to benefit from
angels. The Qur’an has refuted this.
For ye do worship idols besides Allah, and ye invent
falsehood. The things that ye worship besides Allah have no
power to give you sustenance: then seek ye sustenance from
Allah, serve Him, and be grateful to Him: to Him will be your
return. (29:17)
Although the
Arabs believed the idea of life after death and judgement to
be too farfetched an idea, they said that even if they did
have to regain life and be answerable for their deeds, the
angels whom they worshipped would intercede for them and would
protect them from any harm. This belief meant denial of God’s
attribute of knowledge, justice and wisdom, which was
disbelief,
on the one hand, and on the other, this was akin to including
someone in the attributes of God. This is clear polytheism.
The Qur’an has refuted this in various ways. We quote a few
verses below. This will clarify the nature of their polytheism
as well as explain the refutation by the Qur’an.
Shall We then treat the People of Faith like the People of
Sin? What is the matter with you? How judge ye? Or have ye a
book through which ye learn- That ye shall have, through it
whatever ye choose? Or have ye Covenants with Us to oath,
reaching to the Day of Judgment, [providing] that ye shall
have whatever ye shall demand? Ask thou of them, which of them
will stand surety for that! Or have they some partners in
Allah? Then let them produce their partners, if they are
truthful! (68:35-41)
In Surah Najm,
the Qur’an has named the angels who were trusted as
intercessors by the idolaters and has also refuted their
status of being associates of God or intercessors:
Have ye seen Lat. and ‘Uzza, And another, the third Manat?
What! for you the male sex, and for Him, the female? Behold,
such would be indeed a division most unfair! These are nothing
but names which ye have devised,- ye and your fathers,- for
which Allah has sent down no authority. They follow nothing
but conjecture and what their own souls desire!- Even though
there has already come to them Guidance from their Lord!
“(53:19-23)
Lat, Manat and
‘Uzza were statues of angels, all with female names. The
idolaters had great confidence in the intercession of these
angels. The people of Arabia circumambulated around these
idols and while doing so, chanted: “they are of exalted status
and we hope for their intercession.” The verses that follow
refute these beliefs.
Nay, shall man have anything he hankers after? But it is to
Allah that the End and the Beginning belong. How many-so-ever
be the angels in the heavens, their intercession will avail
nothing except after Allah has given leave for whom He pleases
and that he is acceptable to Him. Those who believe not in the
Hereafter, name the angels with female names. (53:24-27)
After this, the
Qur’an argues that intercession is baseless. It is not
possible that it can transform good into bad and vice versa.
This goes against God’s wisdom and justice. Every person shall
obtain a return for his deeds. The mercy of God will be
granted only to those who do good and stay away from sin and
immoral deeds. However, it will be another matter if they were
to become polluted due to some incidental mistake or human
whim. The scope of God’s mercy and forgiveness is vast: he
disregards the smaller misdeeds of those who protect
themselves from bigger sins. The Qur’an says:
Yes, to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth:
so that He rewards those who do evil, according to their
deeds, and He rewards those who do good, with what is best.
Those who avoid great sins and shameful deeds, only [falling
into] small faults,- verily thy Lord is ample in forgiveness.
He knows you well when He brings you out of the earth, And
when ye are hidden in your mothers’ wombs. Therefore justify
not yourselves: He knows best who it is that guards against
evil. (53:31-32)
The angels who
were entrusted with such hopes and aspirations were also
considered worthy of the love which is the requirement and
demand of God’s attributes and one of the special rights
belonging to God and should be entirely reserved for Him. The
Qur’an refers to this as polytheism in the rights of God in
the following words:
Yet there are men who take [for worship] others besides Allah,
as equal with Allah: They love them as they should love Allah.
But those of Faith are overflowing in their love for Allah. If
only the unrighteous could see, behold, they would see the
penalty: that to Allah belongs all power, and Allah will
strongly enforce the penalty.” (2:165)
“They love them
as they should love Allah,” means that their love for these
angels is a permanent one: it is not subject to the love for
God and the love that is not subservient to the love of God is
polytheism. The love of the people of faith for God is such
that their love for everything and everyone else becomes
subservient to it. Whenever any other love confronts their
love for God, they give up the former. They do not ignore God
and His shari‘ah for love of anything else. This is what is
meant by “But those of Faith are overflowing in their love for
Allah.”
Concomitant to
all these supplications and submissions, it became necessary
to believe that the angels were aware of the worship, the
subservience and the living conditions of their worshippers.
Otherwise what would be the use of this worship and love
bestowed upon them? Hence, they became associated with God in
the attribute of knowledge, which is specific to God. The
Qur’an refutes this:
One day shall We gather them all together. Then shall We say
to those who joined gods [with Us]: “To your place! you and
those you joined as partners We shall separate them.” And
their partners shall say: “It was not us that ye worshipped!”
Enough is Allah for a witness between us and you: we certainly
knew nothing of your worship of us! (10:28-29)
(Translated
by Nikhat Sattar)
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