Foundation of Islamic Studies - ‘Aqeedah [Islaamic Creed]

Foundation of Islamic Studies - ‘Aqeedah [Islaamic Creed]

By Bilaal Philips

The categories of Tawheed

Literally tawheed means “unification” (making something one) or “asserting

oneness,” and it comes from the Arabic verb (wahhada) which itself 

means to unite, unify, or consolidate(J.M. Cowan, The Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, (Spoken Language Services Inc., New York, 3rd. ed., 1976), p.1055). 

However, when the term tawheed is used in reference to Allaah (i.e. tawheedullaah), it means realizing and affirming Allaah’s unity in all of man’s actions which directly or indirectly relate to Him. It is the belief that Allaah is One, without partner in His dominion (ruboobeeyah), One without similitude in His essence and attributes (asmaa was sifaat), and One without rival in His divinity and in worship (ulooheeyah ‘ibaadah). These three aspects form the basis for the categories into which the science of tawheed has been traditionally divided. The three overlap and are inseparable to such a degree that whoever omits any one aspect has failed to complete the requirements of tawheed. The omission of any of the above mentioned aspects of tawheed is referred to as shirk (which literally means “sharing” but here signifies) the association of partners with Allaah. In Islamic terms this association is in fact idolatry.

[The word tawheed does not actually occur in either the Qur’aan or in the statements (Hadeeths) of the Prophet (ρ). However, when the Prophet (SAWS) sent Mu‘aadh ibn Jabal as governor of Yemen in 9AH, he told him, “You will be going to Christians and Jews (ahl al-Kitaab), so the first thing you should invite them to is the assertation of the oneness of Allaah (Yuwahhidoo Allaah).” (Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbaas and collected by al-Bukhaaree (Muhammad Muhsin Khan, Sahih Al- Bukhari, (Arabic-English), (Riyadh: Maktabah ar-Riyaad al-Hadeetha, 1981), vol.9, pp.348-9, no.469) and Muslim (Abdul Hamid Siddiq, Sahih Muslim (English Trans.), (Lahore: Sh. Muhammad Ashraf Publishers, 1987), vol.1, pp.14-5, no.27). In this Hadeeth the present tense of the verb from which the verbal noun Tawheed is derived was used by the Prophet (SAWS).]

Because of this principle of tawheed, the Islamic belief in God is uniquely unitarian and Islaam is counted among the world’s monotheistic religions along with Judaism and Christianity. However, according to the Islamic unitarian concept (tawheed), Christianity is classified as polytheism and Judaism is considered to be a subtle form of idolatry.

Thus, the principle of tawheed is very profound and needs further clarification even among Muslims. This point is vividly illustrated by the fact that some Muslims like Ibn ‘Arabee3 understood tawheed to mean monism; that everything which exists is Allaah and Allaah is everything. He asserted that there is only one real existence, which is Allaah everything else is unreal.4 Yet, such beliefs are classified by mainstream Islaam as pantheism and, as such, kufr. Other Muslims such as the Mu‘tazilah5 held that tawheed consisted of stripping Allaah of all His attributes and asserting that He is present everywhere and in everything; yet these ideas were also rejected by orthodox Islaam and considered heretical. In fact, almost all of the various heretical sects which broke off from the main body of Islaam, from the Prophet’s time till today, began their divergence from the point of tawheed. All of those who worked for the destruction of Islaam and the misguidance of its followers have attempted to neutralize the principle of tawheed, because it represents the very essence of the divine message of Islaam brought by all the prophets. They have introduced concepts about Allaah totally alien to Islaam; concepts designed to take man away from the worship of Allaah alone. Once people accept these pagan philosophies about God, they become easily susceptible to a multitude of other deviant ideas, all of which eventually lead those who accept them to the worship of created things under the guise of the true worship of God.

[3- Muhammad ibn ‘Alee ibn ‘Arabee was born in Spain in the year 1165 CE and died in Damascus in the year 1240 CE. He claimed to possess inner light and knowledge of Allaah’s greatest name and referred to himself as the seal of the sainthood which he implied was a status higher than prophethood. In the centuries following his death, his followers elevated him to the status of saint, and gave him the title of ash-Shaykh al-Akbar (The Greatest Master), but the majority of Muslim legal scholars considered him a heretic. His principle works are al-Futoohaat al-Makkeeyah and Fusoos al-Hikim, (H.A.R. Gibb and J.H. Kramers, Shorter Encyclopedia of Islam, (Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1953), pp.146-7.]

[4- A modern proponent of this belief called wahdatul-wujood is Haroon Yahya. He has included a chapter in most of his works written in refutation of Darwinism promoting this belief.]

The Prophet (SAWS) himself vividly warned Muslims to beware of such deviations as had befallen the nations before them. He encouraged them to stick closely to the path which he had tread. One day as he sat with his companions, he drew a straight line in the dirt. He then drew a series of lines branching off from either side of it. When the companions asked him what it meant, he pointed to the branches and told them that they represented the various paths of misguidance in this life. He went on to say that at the head of each path sat a devil inviting people to it. After that, he pointed to the straight line in the middle and told them that it represented the path of Allaah. When the companions asked for further clarification, he told them that it was his path and he recited the following verse:

“This is my path leading straight, so follow it. And do not follow the other paths, or else you will be separated from His (Allaah’s) path.” - [Surah al-An’aam, 153 — and collected by An-Nasa’i, Ahmad and Ad-Daarimi]

It is therefore of the utmost importance that tawheed be clearly understood in the way it was taught by the Prophet (SAWS) and understood by his companions, or else one could easily end up on one of the many deviant paths while claiming tawheed, praying, paying zakaah(annual compulsory charity), fasting and making Hajj. Allaah, Most Wise, has pointed to this phenomenon when He said in the Qur’aan,

“Most of them claim to believe in Allaah, but they really commit shirk.” - [Surah Yoosuf, 106]

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The three categories of tawheed are commonly referred to by the following titles:

1. Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah: lit. “Maintaining the oneness of Lordship,” that is, affirming that Allaah is one, without partners in his sovereignty.

2. Tawheed al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat: lit. “Maintaining the unity of Allaah’s Names and Attributes,” that is, affirming that they are incomparable and unique.

3. Tawheed al-‘Ibaadah: Affirming that Allaah is alone in his right to be worshipped. - [Ibn Abil-‘Ezz al-Hanafee, Sharh al-‘Aqeedah at-Tahaaweeyah, p78]

The division of tawheed into its components was not done by the Prophet (SAW) nor by his companions, as there was no necessity to analyze such a basic principle of faith in this fashion. However, the foundations of the components are all implied in the verses of the Qur’aan and in the explanatory statements of the Prophet (SAW) and his companions, as will become evident when each category is dealt with in more detail later.

The necessity for this analytical approach to the principle of tawheed arose after Islaam spread into Egypt, Byzantium, Persia and India and absorbed the cultures of these regions. It is only natural to expect that when the peoples of these lands entered the fold of Islaam, they would carry with them some of the remnants of their former beliefs. When some of these new converts began to express, in writings and discussion, their various philosophical concepts of God, confusion arose in which the pure and simple unitarian belief of Islaam became threatened. There were also others who had outwardly accepted Islaam but secretly worked to destroy the religion from within, due to their inability to oppose it militarily. This group began to actively propagate distorted ideas about Allaah among the masses in order to tear down the first pillar of eemaan (faith) and with it Islaam istself.

The early caliphs and their governors were closer to Islamic principles, and the consciousness of the masses was high due to the presence of the Prophet’s companions and their students. Hence, the demand for the elimination of open heretics received immediate response from the rulers. In contrast, the later Umayyad caliphs were more corrupt and as such cared little about such religious issues. The masses were also less Islamically conscious and thus were more susceptible to deviant ideas. As greater numbers of people entered Islaam under the Umayyads, and the learning of an increasing number of conquered nations was absorbed, the execution of apostates was no longer used to stem the rising tide of heresy. The task of opposing it fell on the shoulders of the Muslim scholars of the period who rose to meet the challenge intellectually. They systematically opposed the various alien philosophies and creeds by categorizing them and countering them with principles deduced from the Qur’aan and the Sunnah. It was out of this defense that the science of tawheed emerged, with its precisely defined categories and components. Therefore, as the categories of tawheed are studied separately and in more depth, it must not be forgotten that they are each a part of an organic whole which is itself the foundation of a greater whole, Islaam itself.

Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah (Maintaining the Unity of Lordship)

This category is based on the fundamental concept that Allaah alone caused all things to exist when there was nothing; He sustains and maintains creation without any need from it or for it; and He is the sole Lord of the universe and its inhabitants without any real challenge to His sovereignty. In Arabic the word used to describe this creator-sustainer quality is ruboobeeyah which is derived from the root Rabb (Lord). According to this category, since God is the only real power in existence, it is He who gave all things the power to move and to change. Nothing happens in creation except what He allows to happen. In recognition of this reality, Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) used to often repeat the exclamatory phrase “La hawla wa laa quwwata illaa billaah.” (There is no movement nor power except by Allaah’s will).

The basis for the ruboobeeyah concept can be found in many Qur’anic verses. For example, Allaah says:

“Allaah created all things and He is the agent on which all things depend.” - [Surah Az-Zumar, 62]

“And no calamity strikes except by Allaah’s permission.” - [Surah at Tabaghun, 11]

The Prophet (SAWS) further elaborated on this concept saying, “Be aware that if the whole of mankind gathered together in order to do something to help, they would only be able to do something for you which Allaah had already written for you. Likewise, if the whole of mankind gathered together to harm you, they would only be able to do something to harm you which Allaah had already written would happen to you.” - [Reported by Ibn ‘Abbaas and collected by at-Tirmidhee]

Thus, what man conceives as good fortune and misfortune are merely events predestined by Allaah as part of the tests of this life. The incidents follow patterns set by Allaah alone. Allaah has said in the Qur’aan:

“O Believers! Surely there is in your wives and children an enemy for you, so beware of them.” - [Surah at Taghaabun, 14]

That is, within the good things of this life there are severe tests of one’s faith in God. Likewise, in the terrible events of life there lies test as is mentioned in the verse,

“Surely We will test you with fear, hunger, loss of wealth and life and the fruits of your work, so give glad tidings to those who are patient.” - [Surah al-Baqarah, 155]

Sometimes the patterns are recognizable, as in the case of cause and effect relationship, and sometimes they are not, as in the case when apparently good results come from evil means, or bad results from good means. God has explained that the wisdom behind these apparent irregularities is often beyond man’s immediate comprehension due to his limited scope of knowledge:

“It is possible that you dislike something that is really good for you, or like something bad for you, but Allaah knows (what is best for you), and you do not.” - [Surah al-Baqarah, 216]

Apparently evil events in human lives sometimes turn out to be for the best, and apparently good things which people desire turn out to be harmful. Consequently, man’s realm of influence in the course of events which make up his life is limited to mental choices between options presented to him. The ultimate results of these choices, however are not under his control. In other words, “Man proposes and God disposes.” Apparent “good fortune” and “misfortune” are both from Allaah and cannot be caused by good-luck charms such as rabbits’ feet, four-leaf clovers, wishbones, lucky numbers, zodiacal signs, etc., or by omens of bad luck like Friday the thirteenth, breaking mirrors, black cats, etc. In fact, the belief in charms and omens is a manifestation of the grave sin of shirk (association) in this form of tawheed. ‘Uqbah, one of the companions of the Prophet (ρ), reported that once a group of men approached Allaah’s Messenger to give their allegiance to him, and he accepted the oath from nine of them but refused to accept it from one. When they asked him why he refused their companion’s oath, he replied, “Verily, he is wearing an amulet[A charm worn to bring good fortune or avert evil].”  The man who was wearing the amulet put his hand in his cloak, pulled the amulet off, broke it, and then made the oath. The Prophet (SAWS) then said, “Whoever wears an amulet has committed shirk.” - [Collected by Ahmad]

As for using the Qur’aan like a charm or amulet by wearing or carrying Qur’anic verses on chains or in pouches to ward off evil or to bring good fortune, there is little difference between such practices and those of the pagans. Neither the Prophet (ρ) nor his companions used the Qur’aan in this fashion, and the Prophet (ρ) said, “Whoever innovates in Islaam something which does not belong to it will have it rejected.”(Sahih Bukhaari, Muslim, Sunnan Abu Dawood)  It is true that the Qur’anic chapters an-Naas and al- Falaq, were revealed specifically for exorcism (that is, for removing evil spells), but the Prophet (ρ) demonstrated the proper method by which they should be used. On an occasion when a spell had been cast on him, he told ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib to recite the two chapters verse by verse, and when he became ill he used to recite them on himself.(Reported by Sahih al-Bukhari & Muslim).  He did not write them down and hang them around his neck, tie them on his arm or around his waist, nor did he tell others to do so.

Tawheed al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat (Maintaining the Unity of Allaah’s Names and Attributes)

This category of tawheed has five main aspects:

1. For the unity of Allaah’s names and attributes to be maintained in the first aspect, Allaah must be referred to according to how He and His Prophet (SAWS) have described Him, without explaining away His names and attributes by giving them meanings other than their obvious meaning. For example, in the Qur’aan Allaah says that He gets angry with the disbelievers and the hypocrites. He says:

“...that He may punish the hypocrites, men and women, and the pagans, men and women, who have an evil opinion of Allaah. A circle of evil is around them; Allaah is angry with them, curses them and has prepared for them an evil end.” - [Surah al-Fath, 6]

Thus, anger is one of God’s attributes. It is incorrect to say as some have, that His “anger” must really mean His “punishment”, since anger is a sign of weakness in man that does not befit Allaah. What Allaah has stated should be accepted, with the qualification that His anger is not like human anger-based on Allaah’s statement.

“There is nothing like him.” - [Surah ash-Shooraa, 11]

This verse clearly underscores the fact that Allaah’s attributes are different from those of men. When this fact is overlooked, however, a strictly literal interpretation of the verse results in the denial of God’s very existence. For Allaah describes Himself as living and man lives; therefore, according to this “rationalist” argument, God neither lives nor exists.

In fact, the similarity between God’s attributes and those of mankind is in name only and not in degree. When attributes are used in reference to God, they are to be taken in the absolute sense, free from human deficiencies.

2. The second aspect of Tawheed al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat involves referring to Allaah as He has referred to Himself without giving Him any new names or attributes. For example, Allaah may not be given the name al-Ghaadib (the angry one), in spite of the fact that He has said that He gets angry, because neither Allaah nor His messenger has used this name. This may seem to be a very fine point, but it must be maintained in order to prevent the false description of God. That is, finite man is in no position to define the infinite Lord of creation.

The names an-Naasir and ar-Rasheed are among the common names which cannot be authentically attributed to Allaah. Although their meanings are true and are mentioned as attributes of Allaah, they cannot be found in any Qur’aanic text or authentic hadeeth. They do, however, exist in a few hadeeths containing a list of the 99 names of Allaah, some of which can be found printed in copies of the Qur’aan. Unfortunately, all of these hadeeths are inauthentic.

3. In the third aspect of Tawheed al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat Allaah is referred to without giving Him the attributes of His creation. For example, it is claimed in the Bible and Torah that Allaah spent the first six days creating the universe then slept on the seventh(Refer to Genesis 2:2).  For this reason, Jews and Christians take either Saturday or Sunday as a day of rest during which work is looked at as a sin. Such a claim assigns to God the attributes of His creation. It is man who tires after heavy work and needs sleep to recuperate.[In contrast Allaah says explicity in the Qur’aan, “No tiredness overcomes Him nor sleep...” (Soorah al-Baqarah, (2):255).]

 Elsewhere in the Bible and Torah, God is portrayed as repenting for His bad thoughts in the same way that humans do when they realize their errors(Refer to Exodus, 32:14) Similarly the claim that God is a spirit or has a spirit completely corrupts this aspect of tawheed. Allaah does not refer to Himself as a spirit anywhere in the Qur’aan nor does His Prophet (SAWS) express anything of the nature in hadeeth. In fact, Allaah refers to the spirit as part of His creation. [Allaah clearly states that in the following verse: “They ask you (Muhammad) about the spirit. Tell (them) that the spirit (exists) by my Lord’s command” (Soorah al-Israa, (17):85.)]

The key principle which should be followed when dealing with Allaah’s attributes is the Qur’anic formula,

“There is nothing at all like Him, and He is hearer and seer of all.” - [Surah ash-Shooraa, 11]

The attributes of hearing and seeing are among human attributes, but when they are attributed to The Divine Being they are without comparison in their perfection. However, when these attributes are associated with men they necessitate ear and eye apparatuses which cannot be attributed to God. What man knows about the Creator is only what little He has revealed to him through His prophets. Therefore, man is obliged to stay within these narrow limits. When man gives free reign to his intellect in describing God, he is liable to fall into errors by assigning to Allaah the attributes of His creation.

In their love of pictorial representations, Christians have painted, carved and molded innumerable human likenesses and called them images of God. These have served to pave the way for the acceptance of Jesus’ divinity among the masses. Once they accepted the conception of the Creator as being like a human being, accepting Jesus as God presented no real problem.

4. The fourth aspect of tawheed as-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat requires that man not be given the attributes of Allaah. For example, in the New Testament Paul takes the figure of Melchizedek, king of Salem, from the Torah (Genesis 14:18- 20) and gives both him and Jesus the divine attribute of having no beginning or end:

       - For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. He is without father or mother or genealogy, and has neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the son of God he continues a priest forever. [Hebrews, 7:1-3]

       - So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “Thou art my son, today I have begotten thee”; as he says also in another place, “Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek.” - [Hebrews, 5:5-6]

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Most Shi‘ite sects (with the exception of the Zaidites of Yemen) have given their “imams” divine attributes of absolute infallibility,  knowledge of the past, the future and the unseen, the ability to change destiny and control over the atoms of creation. In so doing they set up rivals who share God’s unique attributes and who, in fact, become gods besides Allaah.

[Muhammad Rida al-Muzaffar states in his book Faith of Shi‘a Islam, (U.S.A.: Muhammadi Trust of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2nd ed. 1983): “We believe that, like the prophet, an Imam must be infallible, that is to say incapable of making errors or doing wrong, either inwardly or outwardly, from his birth to his death, either intentionally or unintentionally, because the Imams are the preservers of Islam and it is under their protection.” (p.32). See also Islam, (Teheran: A Group of Muslim Brothers, 1973), p.35, by Sayed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi]

[Al-Muzaffar further states: “We maintain that the powers of the Imams to receive inspiration has reached the highest degree of excellence, and we say that it is a Divinely-given power. By this means the Imam is able to understand information about anything, anywhere, and at any time, and he understands by means of this Divinely - given power at once, without recourse to methodological reasoning or guidance from a teacher.]

[Al-Khomeini states: “Certainly the Imam has a dignified station, a lofty rank, a creational caliphate, and sovereignty and mastery over all atoms of creation.” (Aayatullaah Musavi al- Khomeini, al-Hukoomah al-Islaameeyah, (Beirut: at-Talee‘ah Press, Arabic ed., 1979), p.52).]

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5. Maintaining the unity of Allaah’s names also means that Allaah’s names in the definite form cannot be given to His creation unless preceded by the prefix ‘Abd meaning “slave of” or “servant of.” Many of the Divine names in their indefinite form like Ra’oof and Raheem are allowable names for men because Allaah has used some of them in their indefinite forms to refer to the Prophet (SAWS):

“A messenger has come to you from among yourselves who is grieved by whatever afflicts you. He is full of concern for you, full of pity (Ra’oof) and full of mercy (Raheem) for the believers.” - [Surah At-Tawbah, 128]

But ar-Ra’oof (the One Most Full of Pity) and ar-Raheem (the Most Merciful) can only be used to refer to men if they are preceded by ‘Abd as in ‘Abdur-Ra’oof or ‘Abdur-Raheem, since in the definite form they represent a level of perfection which only belongs to God. The ‘Abbaside Caliph, Haroon ar-Rasheed, used the title “ar-Rasheed” which would have been rejected by the scholars of his time, had it been actually one of Allaah’s names. On the other hand, names like ‘Abdur- Rasool (slave of the messenger), ‘Abdun-Nabee (slave of the Prophet), ‘Abdul- Husayn (slave of Husayn), etc., where people name themselves slave to other than Allaah are also forbidden. Based on this principle, the Prophet (ρ) forbade Muslims from referring to those put under their charge as ‘abdee (my slave) or amatee (my slave girl). [Sunnan Abu Dawood]

Tawheed al-‘Ebaadah (Maintaining The Unity of Worship)

In spite of the wide implications of the first two categories of tawheed, firm belief in them alone is not sufficient to fulfill the Islamic requirements of tawheed. Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah and Tawheed al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat must be accompanied by their complement, Tawheed al-’Ibaadah, in order for tawheed to be considered complete according to Islaam. This point is substantiated by the fact that Allaah Himself has related in clear terms that the mushrikoon (idolators) of the Prophet’s time confirmed many aspects of the first two forms of tawheed. In the Qur’aan Allaah tells the Prophet (SAWS) to say to the pagans:

“Say: ‘Who is it that gives you sustenance from the sky earth, governs sight and hearing, brings forth life form dead (matter) and death from the living; and plans the affairs of man?’ They will all say: ‘Allaah’.” - [Surah Yunoos, 31]

“If you asked them who created them, they would surely say, ‘Allaah’.” - [Surah az-Zukhruf, 87]

The pagan Makkans all knew that Allaah was their creator, sustainer, their Lord and Master; yet that knowledge did not make them Muslims according to God. In fact, Allaah said:

“Most of them do not believe in Allaah except while joining partners to Him.” - [Surah Yoosuf, 106]

Mujaahid’s commentary on this verse was as follows: “Their belief in Allaah, represented by their statement, ‘Allaah created us, provides for us and takes our lives, did not stop them from worshipping other gods along with Allaah.”(Collected by Ibn Jareer at-Tabaree) 

From the previously mentioned verses, it is clear that the kuffaar (disbelievers) knew of Allaah’s sovereignty, dominion and power. In fact, they used to faithfully devote various types of worship to Him like Hajj, charity, animal sacrifices, vows and even prayers in times of dire necessity and calamity. They even used to claim that they were following the religion of Abraham. Because of that claim, Allaah revealed the verse:

“Abraham was not a Jew, nor was he a Christian, but (he) was a true Muslim and not among those who joined partners with Allaah.” - [Surah Aal Imraan, 67]

Some pagan Makkans even believed in the Resurrection and the Judgement and others in predestination (qadar). Ample evidence of their belief can be found in pre-Islamic poetry. for example, the poet Zuhayr was reported to have said: about punishment:

“It is either delayed, placed in a book and saved for the Day of Judgement, or hastened and (injustice) avenged.”

‘Antarah was quoted as saying:

“O ‘Ebil, to where will you run from death, if my Lord in the sky has destined it?” - [Quoted in Sulaymaan ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab’s Tayseer al-‘Azeez al-Hameed, (Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islaamee, 2nd., 1970), p.34]

In spite of the Makkan’s confession of tawheed and their knowledge of Allaah, Allaah classified them as disbelievers (kuffaar) and pagans (mushrikoon) simply because they worshipped other gods along with their worship of Allaah.

Consequently, the most important aspect of tawheed is that of tawheed al- ’Ibaadah, maintaining the unity of Allaah’s worship. All forms of worship must be directed only to Allaah because He alone deserves worship, and it is He alone who can grant benefit to man as a result of His worship. Furthermore, there is no need for any form of intercessor or intermediary between man and God. Allaah emphasized the importance of directing worship to Him alone by pointing out that this was the main purpose of man’s creation and the essence of the message brought by all the prophet. He said:

“I did not create the jinn and mankind except for My worship.” - [Surah adh-Dhaariyaat, 56]

“Verily, We have sent to every nation a messenger (saying), ‘Worship Allaah and avoid false gods.” - [Surah an-Nahl, 36]

Understanding the purpose of creation in a complete sense is beyond man’s innate abilities. Man is a finite created being and cannot reasonably hope to fully comprehend the actions of the infinite Creator. Hence, God made it a part of man’s nature to worship Him, and He sent prophets and books of divine revelation to clarify the aspect of the purpose of creation which was within man’s mental ability to grasp. That purpose is, as previously mentioned: the worship of God (‘ebaadah) and the main message of the prophets was to worship God alone, (Tawheed al-’Ibaadah). Consequently, the gravest sin is shirk, the worship of others instead of Allaah or along with Allaah.

In Soorah al-Faatihah, which every Muslim is required to recite in his or her daily prayers, verse four reads, “You alone do we worship, and from You alone do we seek help.” This is a clear statement that all forms of worship should be directed exclusively to the One who can respond: Allaah. The Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) confirmed the concept of unity of worship saying, “If you ask in prayer ask only Allaah, and if you seek help, seek it only from Allaah.” -(Reported by Ibn ‘Abbaas, collected by At-Tirmidhee)

 The absence of any need for intercession is further emphasized by the many verses indicating His closeness to man. For example:

“When My servants ask you (O Muhammad) about Me (tell them), ‘Verily I am close (to them); I listen to the prayer of every one who calls on Me. So let them respond to Me and believe in Me in order that they may be guided aright.” - [Surah al-Baqarah, 186]

“It is We who created man and We know what his soul whispers to him, for We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.” - [Surah Qaaf, 16]

The confirmation of Tawheed al-’Ibaadah conversely necessitates the denial of all forms of intercession or association of partners with Allaah. If someone prays to the dead seeking their influence on the lives of the living or the souls of those who have passed away, they have associated a partner with Allaah, because worship is being shared between Allaah and His creation. The Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) said, in no uncertain terms, “Prayer (du‘aa) is worship.”(Sunnan Abu Dawood, vol.1, p387)

 And, Allaah, Most Great and Glorious, said:

“Do you worship besides Allaah that which cannot help or harm you?” - [Surah al-Anbiyaa, 66]

“Those on whom you call besides Allaah are only slaves like yourselves.” - [Surah al-A’raaf, 194]

If someone prays to the Prophet (SAWS), or to jinn, angels or so called saints asking for help or asking them to request help from Allaah on his behalf, he has also committed shirk. The concept of “Ghaus-i-Azam” (al-Ghawth al-A‘dHam), a title given by the ignorant to ‘Abdul-Qaadir al-Jeelaanee, is also an expression of shirk in this form of tawheed. The title literally means “the greatest source of rescue; the one most able to save someone from danger,” and such a description only belongs to Allaah. When misfortune occurs, some people call on ‘Abdul- Qaadir by this title seeking his aid and protection, even though Allaah has already said:

“If Allaah allows harm to befall you none can remove it except Him.” - [Surah al-An’aam, 17]

According to the Qur’aan, when the Makkans were questioned about directing their prayers to their idols, they answered,

“We only worship them so that they may bring us closer to Allaah.” - [Surah Az-Zumar, 3]

The idols were only used as intermediaries yet Allaah called them pagans for their practice. Those among Muslims who insist on praying to other than Allaah would do well to reflect on this fact.

Christians, influenced by the teachings of Saul from Tarsus (later called Paul), deified Prophet Jesus and directed their prayer to him and his mother. The Catholics among Christians have saints for every occasion to whom they direct their prayers in the belief that these saints can directly influence the affairs of this world. The Catholics also use their priests as intercessors between themselves and Allaah in the mistaken belief that the priests are closer to Allaah due to their celibacy and piety, and thus more likely to be listened to by Allaah. Most Shi‘ite sects have devoted certain days of the week and hours of the day for prayer to ‘Alee, Faatimah, Hasan and Husayn due to their distorted belief in intercession.

Worship (‘ebaadah) in the Islamic view, includes more than just fasting, paying zakaah, Hajj and animal sacrifices. It includes emotions like love, trust, and fear, all of which have degrees which should only be directed to God. Allaah has addressed these emotions and warned against excesses in them as follows:

“There are among men those who take (for worship) others besides Allaah as equals to Him. They love them as they should only love Allaah. But those who believe have a much greater love of Allaah...” - [Surah al-Baqarah, 165]

“Will you not fight people who broke their oaths, plotted to expel the messenger and were the first to (attack) you? Do you fear them? Allaah has more right to be feared if you are truly believers.” - [Surah at-Tawbah, 13]

“Put your trust in Allaah if you are truly believers.” - [Surah al-Maa’idah, 23]

Since the term ‘Ibaadah means total obedience, and Allaah is considered the ultimate lawgiver, the implementation of secular legal systems not based on divine law (Sharee‘ah) is an act of disbelief in the divine law and belief in the correctness of such systems. Such a belief constitutes a form of worshipping other than Allaah (shirk). Allaah said in the Qur’aan:

“Those who do not rule by what Allaah has revealed are disbelievers (kafiroon).” - [Surah al-Maa’idah, 44]

On one occasion, the Prophet’s companion, ‘Adee ibn Haatim, who was a convert from Christianity, heard the Prophet (SAWS) recite the Qur’anic verse,

“They have taken their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allaah,” - [Surah at-Tawbah, 31]

so he said: ‘Surely we did not worship them.” The Prophet (SAWS) turned to him and said ‘Did they not make forbidden (haraam) what Allaah had made allowable (halaal) and you made it haraam, and did they not make halaal what Allaah made haraam and you made it halaal?’ He replied, ‘We certainly did.’ The Prophet (SAWS) then said, ‘That was how you worshipped them.”- (At-Tirmidhi)

Hence, a significant part of Tawheed al-‘Ibaadah involves the implementation of Sharee‘ah, especially in lands where Muslims form the majority of the population. Divine law should be re-introduced in the many Muslims countries where governments now rule according to imported capitalist or communist constitutions, and Islamic law is either totally extinct or relegated to a few areas of minor importance. Likewise, Muslim countries where Islamic law is on the books but secular laws are in force, should implement the Sharee‘ah as it pertains to all aspects of life. The implementation of non-Islamic rule in place of Sharee‘ah in Muslim lands is an act of shirk and kufr as indicated by the previously quoted verse. However, as Ibn ‘Abbaas explained, it is not the major act of disbelief which takes one out of the fold of Islaam but a lesser form. Consequently, ruling by non-Islamic law does not automatically make the doer a disbeliever unless he or she actually believes that non-Islamic laws are superior or equal to divine law. Therefore, the currently common practice of some extreme groups of declaring all Muslim rulers and those who work under them to be disbelievers (takfeer) simply because they uphold un-Islamic systems is incorrect. However, it is the duty of those in positions of authority to change such systems, while those in positions of influence should advise the rulers in a way which would not incite rebellion and bloodshed among the masses. As for those not in such positions, they should despise un-Islamic government for the pleasure of God and for the upholding of tawheed.

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The Categories of Shirk

The study of tawheed cannot be considered complete without a careful analysis of its opposite, shirk. Some mention of shirk has already been made in the previous chapter and examples of it have been given to illustrate how tawheed may be obliterated. However, in this chapter shirk will be looked at as a separate topic whose grave importance Allaah has attested to in the Qur’aan:

“Surely Allaah will not forgive the association of partners (shirk) with Him, but He forgives (sins) lesser then that of whomever He wishes.” - [Surah An-Nisa, 48]

Because the sin of shirk denies the very purpose of man’s creation, it is to God the gravest of sins, the unforgiveable sin.

Shirk literally means partnership, sharing or associating(Hens Wehr dictionary of modern arabic), but Islamically it refers to the act of assigning partners to Allaah in whatever form it may take. The following analysis of shirk will correspond to the three broad categories developed in the study of tawheed. Hence, we will first look at the main ways in which shirk can occur in the area of ruboobeeyah (lordship), then asmaa’ was- sifaat (divine names and attributes), and finally in ‘Ibaadah (worship).

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Shirk in Ruboobeeyah

This category of shirk refers to either the belief that others share Allaah’s lordship over creation as His equal or near equal, or to the belief that there exists no lord over creation at all. Most religious systems fall into the first sub-category of shirk in Ruboobeeyah while it is the philosophers and their man-made philosophies that tend to fill the second one.

(a) Shirk by Association: Beliefs that exemplify shirk by association are ones in which a main God or Supreme Being over creation is recognized, though His dominion is shared by other lesser gods, spirits, mortals, heavenly bodies or earthly objects. Such belief systems are commonly referred to by theologians and philosophers as either monotheistic (having one god) or polytheistic (having more then one god). According to Islaam, all of these systems are polytheistic, and many represent various stages in the degeneration of divinely revealed religious systems, which were all originally based on tawheed.

Within Hinduism the Supreme Being, Brahman is conceived as indwelling, all-pervading, unchangeable and eternal, the abstract, impersonal Absolute, in which all things have their origin and end. On the other hand the god Brahma is the personified creator of the universe who forms a trinity with the preserver god, Vishnu and the destroyer god, Shiva. Thus, Shirk in Ruboobeeyah is-expressed in Hiduism by the delegation of God’s creative, destructive and preservative powers to other gods.

Christian belief states that the one God reveals himself in the three persons of Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Sprit. These three persons are nevertheless regarded as a unity, sharing one ‘substance.’ Prophet Jesus is elevated to divinity, sits on the right hand of God and judges the world. The Holy Spirit, which in the Hebrew Bible is the means by which God exercises His creative power, in Christian thought becomes a part of the God-head. Paul made the Holy Spirit the alter ego of Christ, the guide and help of Christians, first manifesting itself on the day of Penetecost. Consequently, Shirk in Ruboobeeyah occurs in the Christian belief that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are God’s partners in all of His dominion, in their belief that Jesus alone pronounces judgement on the world, and in their belief that Christians are helped and guided by the Holy Spirit.

Zoroastrians (Parsis) conceive of God, Ahura Mazda, as being the creator of all that is good, and is alone worthy of absolute worship. Fire is one of the seven creations of Ahura Mazda and is considered his son or representative. But they also commit Shirk in Ruboobeeyah by conceiving of evil, violence and death as being the creation of another god called Angra Mainyu whom they represent by the symbol darkness. Hence, God’s sovereignty over all creation (i.e. His ruboobeeyah) is shared with an evil spirit elevated to the level of an opposing god due to man’s desire not to attribute evil to God.

In the Yoruba religion, followed by over 10 million people in West Africa (mainly Nigeria), there is one supreme God, Olorius (Lord of Heaven) or Olodumare. Nevertheless, modern Yoruba religion is characterized by a great many forms of Orisha worship, so that it appears as strict polytheism. Consequently, Yorubas commit Shirk in Ruboobeeyah by turning over all of God’s functions to minor gods and spirits.

The Zulus of South Africa believe in one God, Unkulunkulu, meaning the ancient, the first, the most revered one. The principal specific titles for God are Nkosi yaphezulu (Lord of the Sky) and Muvelingqanqi (the first to appear). Their supreme Being is represented as a male, who along with the earth female, brings forth the human world. Thunder and lightening are in the Zulu religion acts of God, whereas sickness and other troubles in life may be caused by ancestors, the idlozi or abaphansi (those under the earth). The ancestors also protect, punish, or neglect the living, ask for food, are pleased with ritual and sacrifice, and take possession of fortune tellers (inyanga). Thus, Shirk in Ruboobeeyah occurs in the Zulu religion not only in their concept of the creation of the human world, but also in their attribution of good and evil in human life to the work of ancestral spirits.

Among some Muslims people, Shirk in Ruboobeeyah is manifested in their belief that the souls of saints and other righteous humans can affect the affairs of this world, even after their deaths. Their souls, it is believed, can fulfil one’s needs, remove calamities, and aid whoever calls on them. Thus grave worshippers assign to human souls the divine ability to cause events in this life which in fact only Allaah can cause.

Common among many Sufis (Muslim mystics) is the belief in “Rijaal al- Ghayb” (men of the unseen) the chief of whom occupies the station called “Qutub” from which the affairs of this world are governed.

(b) Shirk by Negation This sub-category represents the various philosophies and ideologies which deny the existence of God either explicitly or implicitly. That is, in some cases God’s non-existence is stated (atheism), while in other cases His existence is claimed, but the way in which He is conceived actually denies His existence (pantheism).

There are a few ancient religious systems in which God does not exist, foremost among them being the system attributed to Gautama Buddha. Buddhism, a reformist movement in Hinduism opposed to the caste system, was founded in the 6th century B.C. during the same period as Jainism. During the 3rd century B.C. it became the state religion. Eventually it was assimilated by Hinduism, Buddha himself becoming one of the avatars (incarnations of God). It disappeared from India but became dominant in China and other Eastern nations. Hinayana Buddhism (400-250 B.C.), the earlier and more strict of the two interpretations of Buddhism which arose after Gautama Buddha’s death, makes it clear that there is no God; hence the burden of salvation belongs to the individual alone. Thus, this ancient strain of Buddhism may be cited as an example of Shirk in Ruboobeeyah wherein God’s existence is explicity denied.

Similarly, in the teachings of Jainism as systematized by Vardhamana, there is no God, but liberated souls achieve something of this status, having immortality and omniscience; and the religious community treats the liberated ones as though they were divine, building temples to them and venerating their images.

Another ancient example is that of the Pharaoh of Prophet Moses’ time. Allaah mentioned in the Qur’aan that he negated the existence of God and claimed to Moses and the people of Egypt that he, Pharaoh, was the only true lord of all creation. Allaah quoted him as saying to Moses,

“If you choose a god besides me, I will surely imprison you.” - [Surah ash-Shooraa, 29]

and to the people

“he proclaimed, ‘I am your Lord, the Most High.” - [Surah an-Naazi’aat, 24]

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries a number of European philosophers asserted the non-existence of God in what became know as the “death of God philosophy.” The German philosopher Philipp Mainlander (1841-1876) in his principal writing, The Philosophy of Redemption, 1876), states that the world begins with the death of God, since God is a principle of unity shattered in the plurality of the world and a principle of joy denied in the law of suffering which dominates the world. In Prussia, Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) supported the idea of the “death of God” proposing that God was nothing more than a projection of man’s uneasy conscience and that man was the bridge to the superman. Jean Paul Sartre, a French philosopher of the twentieth century, also echoed the “death of God” thought. He claimed that God could not exist because He was a contradiction in terms. The idea of God, according to him, is a projection which man must make, being what he is.

Darwin’s (d. 1882) proposal that man was merely a glorified ape was widely adopted in the theories of social scientists and philosophers of the nineteenth century as it provided a “scientific” basis for the non-existence of God. According to them religion evolved from animism to monotheism along with man’s supposed social evolution from an independant individual to a national state and his physical evolution from ape to man.

Evolutionists attempt to escape the questions surrounding creation by claiming that there was none, and by assigning Allaah’s attribute of being without beginning and end to matter itself which He has created. Present day holders of this belief are the followers of Karl Marx, Communists and scientific socialists, who claim that the origin of everything in existence is matter in motion. They further claim that God is a figment of man’s imagination, created by the ruling classes to justify their hereditary rule and divert the attention of the oppressed masses from the realities in which they live.

An example of this form of shirk among Muslims is that of many Sufis such as Ibn ‘Arabee, who claim that only Allaah exists. (All is Allaah, and Allaah is all). They deny the separate identity of Allaah and thereby in fact deny His existence. This idea was also expressed in the 17th century by the Dutch Jewish philosopher, Baruch Spinoza, who claimed that God is the total of all parts of the universe including man.

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Shirk in al-Asmaa was-Sifaat

Shirk in this category includes both the common pagan practice of giving Allaah the attributes of His creation as well as the act of giving created beings Allaah’s names and attributes.

(a) Shirk by Humanization

In this aspect of Shirk in al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat, Allaah is given the form and qualities of human beings and animals. Due to man’s superiority over animals, the human form is more commonly used by idolaters to represent God in creation. Consequently, the image of the Creator is often painted, moulded or carved in the shape of human beings possessing the physical features of those who worship them. For example, Hindus and Buddhists worship countless idols in the likeness of Asian men and consider them manifestations of God in creation. Modern day Christian belief that the Prophet Jesus was God incarnate — that the Creator became His creation — is another good example of this type of Shirk. There have been many reckoned Christian painters like Michaelangelo (d. 1565), who painted pictures of God as a naked old European man with long flowing white hair and beard on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. These pictures have, in turn, been held by the Christian world in the highest esteem.

(b). Shirk by Deification This form of Shirk in al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat relates to cases where created beings or things are given, or claim, Allaah’s names or His attributes. For example, it was the practice of the ancient Arabs to worship idols whose names were derived from the names of Allaah. Their three main idols were: al-Laat, taken from Allaah’s name al-Elaah; al-‘Uzza, taken from al- ‘Azeez; and al-Manaat, taken from al-Mannaan. During the Prophet Muhammad’s era there was also a false prophet in a region of Arabic called Yamaamah, who took the name Rahmaan which only belongs to Allaah.

Among the Shi‘ite sects is the Nusayreeyah of Syria, who believe that the Prophet Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib, was a manifestation of Allaah and give him many of Allaah’s qualities. Among them too are the Ismaai‘ils, also known as Agha Khanis, who consider their leader, the Agha Khan, to be God incarnate. Also include in this category are the Druze of Lebanon who believe that the Faatimid Caliph al-Haakim bi Amrillaah, was the last manifestation of Allaah among mankind.

Claims of Sufis (Muslim mystics) like al-Hallaaj that they have become one with God and as such exist as manifestations of the Creator within His creation may also be included in this aspect of Shirk in al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat. Modern-day spiritualists and mediums, such as Shirley Maclaine and J.Z. Knight, often claim divinity for themselves as well as mankind in general. Einstein’s theory of relativity (E=mc2, energy is equal to mass times the square of the speed of light) taught in all schools, is in fact an expression of Shirk in al-Asmaa’ waas- Sifaat. The theory states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it merely transforms into matter and vice versa. However, both matter and energy are created entities and they both will be destroyed, as Allaah clearly states:

“Allaah is the creator of all things...” - [Surah az-Zumar, 62]

“Everything in (the world) will perish...” - [Surah ar-Rahmaan, 26]

The theory also implies that mass and energy are eternal having no beginning or end since they are supposed to be uncreated and transform into each other. However, this attribute belongs only to Allaah who alone is without beginning or end.

Darwin’s theory of evolution is also an attempt to explain the evolution of life and its forms from lifeless matter without the intervention of God. One of the leading Darwinists of this century, Sir Aldous Huxley expressed this thought as follows:

“Darwinism removed the whole idea of God as the creator of organisms from the sphere of rational discussion.”[Quoted in Francis Hitching’s, The Neck of the Giraffe, (New York: Ticknor and Fields, 1982), p.254 from Tax and Callender, 1960, vol.III, p.45.]

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Shirk in al-‘Ebaadah

In this category of shirk, acts of worship are directed to other than God and the reward for worship is sought from the creation instead of the Creator. As in the case of the previous categories, Shirk in al-’Ibaadah has two main aspects.

(a) Ash-Shirk al-Akbar (Major Shirk)
This form of shirk occurs when any act or worship is directed to other than Allaah. It represents the most obvious form of idolatry, which the prophets were specifically sent by Allaah to call the masses of mankind away from. This concept is supported by Allaah’s statement in the Qur’aan:

“Surely we have sent to every nation a messenger saying, worship Allaah and avoid taaghoot (false gods).” - [Surah an-Nahl, 36]

Taaghoot actually means anything which is worshipped along with Allaah or instead of Allaah. For example, love is a form of worship which, in its perfection, should only be directed to Allaah. In Islaam, the love of God is expressed by total obedience to Him. It is not the type of love which man naturally feels toward creation; towards parents, children, food, etc. To direct that type of love towards God is to lower Him to the level of His creation which is Shirk in al-Asmaa’ was- Sifaat. Love that is worship is the total surrender of one’s will to God. Consequently, Allaah told the Prophet (SAWS) to tell the believers:

‘Say: If you love Allaah, follow me and Allaah will love you.” - [Surah Aal Imraan, 31]

The Prophet (SAWS) also told his companions, “None of you is a true believer until I become more beloved to him than his child, his father and the whole of mankind.”(Sahih al Bukhaari & Muslim) 

 Love of the Prophet (SAWS) is not based on his humanity but on the divine origin of his message. Thus, like the love of Allaah, it is also expressed by total obedience to his commands. Allaah said in the final revelation:

“Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allaah.” - [Surah an-Nisaa, 80]

“Say: Obey Allaah and obey the Prophet...” - [Surah Aal Imraan, 32]

If man allows the love of anything or anyone to come between himself and Allaah, then he has worshipped that thing, In this way, money can become one’s god or even one’s desires could become a god. The Prophet (SAWS) said, “The worshipper of the dirham will always be miserable,”(Sahih al-Bukhaari)

 and Allaah said in the Qur’aan,

“Have you not seen the one who takes his desires as his god?” - [Surah al-Firqaan, 43]

Much emphasis has been placed on the evils of Shirk in ‘Ibaadah (worship) because it contradicts the very purpose of creation as expressed in Allaah’s statement:

“I have not created Jinn or mankind except for My worship.” - [Surah adh-Dhaariyaat, 56]

Major shirk represents the greatest act of rebellion against the Lord of the Universe, and is thus the ultimate sin. It is a sin so great that it virtually cancels out all good a person may do and guarantees its perpetrator eternal damnation in Hell. Consequently, false religion is based primarily on this form of shirk. All man-made systems in one way or another invite their followers to the worship of creation. Christians are called upon to pray to a man, a Prophet of God named Jesus, whom they claim to have been God incarnate. Catholics among Christians pray to Mary as the “mother of God”, to angels like Michael who is honored on September 29 (Michaelmas Day) as well as to human saints, whether real or fictitious.

Muslims whose acts of worship fall into this category of shirk are those who pray to Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) or to mystics in the Sufi hierarchy of saints, believing that they can answer their prayers, though Allaah has clearly said in the Qur’aan:

“Say: Think to yourselves; if there came upon you Allaah’s punishment or the Final Hour, would you then call on other than Allaah? (Reply) if you are truthful.” - [Surah al-An’aam, 40]

(b) Ash-Shirk al-Asghar (Minor Shirk) Mahmood ibn Lubayd reported, “Allaah’s Messenger (ρ) said: The thing I fear for you the most is ash-shirk al- asghar (minor shirk). The companions asked O Messenger of Allaah, what is minor shirk? He replied, ‘Ar-Riyaa’ (showing off), for verily Allaah will say on the Day of Resurrection when people are receiving their rewards, “Go to those for whom you were showing off in the material world and see if you can find any reward from them.’” -[Reported by Ahmad, Tabaraanee and al Bayhaqi]

Mahmood ibn Lubayd also said, “The Prophet (SAWS) came out and announced, ‘O people, beware of secret shirk!’ The people asked, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what is secret shirk?’ He replied, ‘When a man gets up to pray and strives to beautify his prayer because people are looking at him, that is secret shirk.’” -(Ibn khuzaymah)

Ar-Riyaa’

Riyaa’ is the practice of performing any of the various forms of worship in order to be seen and praised by people. This sin destroys all the benefits that lie in righteous deeds and brings on the one who commits it a serious punishment. It is particularly dangerous, because it is natural for man to desire and enjoy the praise of his fellow men. Doing religious acts to impress people or in order to be praised by them is, therefore, an evil which deserves man’s utmost caution. This danger is really significant to the believers, whose goal is to make all of the acts of their lives religious acts dedicated to God. In fact, the likelihood that knowledgeable true believers would commit ash-shirk al-akbar is small, since its pitfalls are so obvious. However, for the true believer like everyone else, the chance of committing riyaa’s is great because it is so hidden. It only involves the simple act of changing one’s intention. The motivating forces behind it are also very strong, since it comes from man’s inner nature. Ibn ‘Abbaas alluded to this reality when he said, “Shirk is more hidden than a black ant creeping on a black stone in the middle of a moonless night.” - [Reported in Abee haatim and bayhaqi]

Thus, great care has to be taken to ensure that one’s intentions begin pure and remain pure whenever righteous deeds are being done. In order to ensure this, the saying of Allaah’s name is enjoined in Islaam before all acts of importance. A series of du’aas (informal prayers) have also been prescribed by the Prophet (SAWS) before and after all natural habits like eating, drinking, sleeping, sex, and even going to the toilet, in order to turn these everyday habits into acts of worship and develop in Muslims a keen awareness of Allaah. It is this awareness, called taqwaa, which ultimately insures that intentions remain pure.

The Prophet (SAWS) also provided protection against the inevitable acts of shirk by teaching certain specific prayers which may be said anytime. Abu Moosaa said, “One day Allaah’s Messenger delivered a sermon, saying, ‘O people, fear shirk for it is more hidden than the creeping of an ant.’ Those whom Allaah wished asked, ‘And how do we avoid it when it is more hidden than the creeping of an ant, O Messenger of Allaah?’ He replied, ‘Say:

Allaahumma innaa na‘oodhu bika an nushrika bika shay’an na‘lamuh, wa nastaghfiruka limaa laa na‘lamuh. (O Allaah, we seek refuge in You from knowingly committing shirk with You, and we ask Your forgiveness for what we do it unknowingly).” - [Collected by Ahmad and at-Tabaraanee]

In the following chapters a more detailed look will be taken at the most prominent areas in which shirk in its three aspects most commonly occurs.

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Saint & Grave worship

Among the community of believers, some are superior to others; and this superiority is a direct result of their own strivings. It is a superiority linked to Eemaan, the strength and depth of faith. A living faith drives the one who possesses it to shield himself from whatever displeases Allaah. This shield in Arabic is called. “Taqwaa.” It has been variously translated as “fear of God”, “piety”, as well as “God-consciousness”; and it carries all these meanings and more. Allaah clearly expressed the superiority of Taqwaa as follows:

“Verily the most noble among you is the one with the most Taqwaa.” - [Surah al-Hujuraat, 13]

Allaah is here saying that the only factor which makes a believing man or woman truly superior to another is the level of Taqwaa. It is this piety or fear of God which elevates man from the level of “thinking animal” to that of governor (Khaleefah) of the planets. The importance of the fear of Allaah in a Muslim’s life cannot be overstressed. Allaah mentioned Taqwaa and its derivatives 26 times in the Qur’aan, everywhere emphasizing that Taqwaa is the driving force behind living faith. Without it, faith is only a meaningless jumble of memorized words and phrases, and ‘righteous’ deeds only shells of pretence and hypocrisy. Consequently, piety is preferred over all other consideration in all of life’s transactions. The Messenger of Allaah (SAWS) said: “A woman is married for four (reasons): her wealth, her nobility, her beauty, and her piety. Choose the pious one and be successful.” -(Sahih Bukhaari & Muslim) 

 No matter how beautiful, rich or well bred a woman might be, if she is not pious, she is inferior to a pious, ugly, poor woman from a dishonorable family. The converse is also true, as the Prophet (SAWS) said, “If a man whose practise of the religion satisfies you, asks you for your daughter in marriage, you should marry them; otherwise there will be corruption in the land.” -(Collected by at-Tirmidhi)

The Prophet (SAWS) once reprimanded Abu Dharr for derisively calling Bilal, ‘son of a black woman’, then he went on to say, “Look! Surely you are not better than a brown man nor a black man except by fearing Allaah more then them.” (Collected  by Ahmad) 

This understanding was hammered home time and time again by Allaah’s Messenger (SAWS). Even in the Farewell Pilgrimage, done shortly before he died, he lectured the people on the insignificance of racial differences and the all importance of Taqwaa.

The most pious individuals are only known to Allaah, because the seat of Taqwaa is the heart. Man can only judge people by each other’s outward deeds which may or may not be misleading. Allaah made that abundantly clear in the following verse:

“There is among people in this life, he whose speech will dazzle you. And he will call on Allaah as a witness to what is in his heart; yet, he will be among the most vicious of enemies.” - [Surah al-baqarah, 204]

Therefore, it is not permissible for humans to designate certain people as being particularly saintly and pious to a degree beyond the reach of ordinary humans. The Prophet Muhammad (r) specified among his companions (Sahaabah) some whom he gave glad tidings of paradise in this life. However, such pronouncements were based on revelation and not his own ability to judge the hearts. For example, when the (r) said concerning those who make a pledge of allegiance known as Bay‘ah ar-Ridwaan, “No one who made the pledge beneath the tree will enter the hellfire,”(collected by Sahih Muslim) he was confirming the Qur’anic verse revealed to that effect:

“Allaah is pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you beneath the tree.” - [Surah al-Fath, 18]

Similarly, he judged some whom everyone thought were destined to paradise to be among those destined for the hellfire. All such judgements were based on revelation. Ibn ‘Abbaas said that he was told by ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab that on the day of (the battle) of Khaybar, some of the Prophet’s companions came and said, “So and so is a martyr and so and so is a martyr,” but when they came to a man about whom they said, “So and so is a martyr,” Allaah’s messenger declared, “By no means! I have seen him in hell in a cloak which he took (from the spoils) dishonestly.” Allaah’s messenger then said, “Go, Ibn al-Khattaab, and announce among the people three times that only the believers will enter paradise.” -(collected by Sahih Muslim)

In Christian tradition down through the ages, some individuals were highly praised for their supposed spiritual achievements. Miracles were attributed to them and the rank of “saint” was bestowed on them. In pre-Christian Hindu and Buddhist tradition, teachers who were supposed to have climbed the ladder of spiritual excellence and who had performed supernatural feats were also given titles like Guru, Avatar, etc., indicating spiritual superiority. These designations have led the masses to either seek intercession through them or to worship them as goes. Consequently, these religious traditions have lists of saints to whom the masses fervently pray. Islaam, on the other hand, opposes even the excessive praise of Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) who said, “Do not praise me excessively as the Christians did to ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam, verily I am only a slave, so call me instead the slave of Allaah and His messenger.” -(Collected Sahih by al-bukuaari and Muslim)

Walee : The “Saint”

The term saint has been used to translate the Arabic word Walee (pl. Awliyaa) which Allaah used to designate those who are close to Him. But, a more appropriate translation is “close friend” because Walee literally means an “ally.” Allaah even uses it to refer to Himself in the verse:

“Allaah is the Walee of those who believe and takes them from the darkness into light.” - [Surah al-Baqarah, 257]

He also uses it to refer to Satan as in the verse:

“Whoever takes Satan as a Walee instead of Allaah, has clearly lost all.” - [Surah an-Nisaa, 119]

This term also means “close relative” as in the following verse:

“We have given power to the Walee of whoever is wrongly killed, but do not be excessive in the execution (of the murderer).” - [Surah al-Israa, 33]

It is also used in Qur’aan to indicate closeness between men, for example,

“The believers should not take the disbelievers as Awliyaa instead of other believers.” - [Surah Aal Imraan, 28]

But the usage which concerns us most is “Awliyaa-ullaah” close friends of Allaah. In the Qur’aan Allaah has designated among mankind certain types of individuals whom He considers especially close to Himself. Allaah’s description of His Walees can be found in Soorah al-Anfaal where Allaah states:

“Verily His (Allaah’s) Awliyaa are only those with Taqwaa, but most people do not realize that.” - [Surah al-Anfaal, 34]

And Soorah Younus:

“Behold! Certainly no fear nor grief shall overcome that Awliyaa of Allaah, those who believe and have Taqwaa.” - [Surah Yoonus, 62-3]

Allaah explains for us that the criterion for “Walaayah” (divine friendship) is Eemaan (faith) and Taqwaa (piety) and these qualities are shared by all true believers.(Al-‘Aqeedah at-Tahaaweeyah, p.358) Among the ignorant masses, the main criterion for Walaayah

(“Sainthood”) is the performance of miracles which are commonly called Karaamaat to distinguish them from the miracles Mu‘jizaat of the prophets. To most who hold this belief, the faith and practise of the “miracle” worker are of no consequence. Hence, some who have been designated “saints” held heretical beliefs and practises, while others were known to have abandoned the religious rituals, and, yet others were even involved in licentious and vulgar behaviour. However, nowhere has Allaah made the working of miracles a stipulation for being His Walee. Therefore, as earlier states, all believers who have Eemaan and Taqwaa are Walees of Allaah and He is their Walee, as Allaah Himself said,

“Allaah is the Walee of those who believe.” - [Surah al-Baqarah, 257]

Consequently, Muslims are not allowed to designate certain believers as belonging to the Awliyaa of Allaah and not others. In spite of this clear Islamic position, a hierarchy of so-called Muslims saints has become a prominent feature in Sufi circles and among the masses who blindly follow them. In ascending order of merit they are: the Akhyaar (chosen) who number 300; the Abdaal (substitutes) numbering 40; the 7 Abraar (pious); the 4 Awtaad (pegs); the 3 Nuqabaa (watchmen), the Qutb (pole) who is considered the greatest saint of his time, and at the top of the list is the Ghawth (Succor), the greatest of Saints, who is believed, in some circles, to be capable of taking on his shoulders a portion of the sins of the believers. According to the belief of “mystics”, the saints of the top three classes are present invisibly in Makkah at the hours of prayer. When the Ghawth dies, the Qutb replaces him and there is a moving up all through the series, the purest soul of each class rising to the next degree. This body of mythology has been borrowed from Christianity, just as Dhikr beads were adopted from the Christian rosary, and Mawlid from the Christian celebration of Christmas.

Fanaa: The Union of Man With God

A close look at various lists of the most prominent so-called saints, reveals names like that of al-Hallaaj who was publicly executed as an apostate for daring to openly claim divinity in his infamous pronouncement “Anal-Haqq” ‘I am the Reality’ when Allaah already said:

“That is so, because Allaah is the Reality and it is He who gives life to the dead.” - [Surah al Hajj, 6]

What led this deranged individual to make such a pronouncement was his belief in a principle very similar to the ultimate state of being in Buddhism known as “Nirvana.” In this state, according to a branch of Buddhist thought, the ego disappears and the human soul and consciousness are extinguished.

This concept also forms the core of a philosophy known as “mysticism.” Mysticism is defined as an experience of union with God and the belief that man’s main goal lies in the seeking that union The origins of mysticism can be found in the writings of ancient Greek philosophers like Plato’s Symposium in which mention is made of various ladders of ascent, composed of step and hard steps, whereby a union of the soul with God is finally attained. A parallel concept can also be found in Hinduism’s identification of Atman (human soul) with Brahman (the impersonal Absolute), the realization of which is the ultimate goal or release from existence and rebirth. Greek mystic thought blossomed in the Gnostic Christian movements which, like that of Valentinus (c. 140 CE), reached their peak in the second century CE. These trends were combined in the third century with Platonism by the Egypto-Roman philosopher, Plotinus (205- 270 CE), to form a religious philosophy known as neoplatonism. Christian anchorites or hermits of the 3rd century CE, who began the monastic tradition in Christendom by withdrawing into the Egyptian desert, adopted the mystic goal of union with God as it was propounded in neoplatonic thought at that time, within a framework of meditative and ascetic practises of self denial. Although it was “St.” Pachomius (290-346 CE) who established the first set of rules for Christian monasticism and founded nine monasteries in the Egyptian desert; “St.” Benedict of Nursia (480-547 CE), in developing the Benedictine Rule for the monastery at

Monte Cassino in Italy, came to be regarded as the real founder of Western monastic order. The mystic tradition kept alive in monastic Christianity began to find expression among Muslims from about 8th century CE, a century after the borders of the Islamic state had expanded to include Egypt and Syria and its major centers of monasticism. A group of Muslims who were not satisfied with what the Sharee‘ah (Islamic Law) had to offer, developed a parallel system which they named the Tareeqah (the way). Just as the ultimate goal of the Hindu was unity with the world soul and of the Christian mystic union with God; the ultimate goal of this movement became Fanaa, the dissolution of the ego, and Wusool, the meeting and unification of the human soul with Allaah in this life. A series of preliminary stages and state which had to be attained were defined. They were called Maqaamaat (stations) and Haalaat (states). A system of spiritual exercises was also designed for the initiate in order to bring about this “meeting.” These exercises of Dhikr28 often involved head and body movements and sometimes even dance, as in the case of whirling dervishes. All of these practises were attributed to the Prophet (ρ) through chains of narration in order to validate them, but there does not exist any authentic support for them in any of the classical books of Hadeeth. A multiplicity of systems evolved, and orders, similar to those among Christian monks, appeared named after their founders, like the Qaadiri, Chishti, Nakhshabandi, and Teejaani orders. Along with that, volumes of legends and fairy tales were spun around the founders and the outstanding personalities of these orders. And, just as Christian and Hind monks chose special isolated structures (i.e. monasteries) in which to house their communities, the Sufi orders developed similar housing schemes called Zaawiyahs (lit. corners). [Dhikr, which normally means the rememberance of God, in mystic circles, is used to refer to the continuous repetition of God’s names and attributes.]

In time , a body of heretic creeds developed out of the mystic “union-with-God” belief. For example, most orders claimed that Allaah could be seen when the state of Wusool (arrival) was achieved. Yet when ‘Aa’eshah asked the Prophet (SAWS) if he saw Allaah during Mi‘raaj (ascension) he replied that he had not.(Sahih Muslim) Prophet Moosaa (r) was also shown that neither he nor any man could withstand seeing Allaah in this life by Allaah revealing some of His being to a mountain which crumbled to dust during the revelation.(Surah al-A’raaf, 143)

Some Sufi adepts claimed that when the state of Wusool was attained, the mundane obligations of Sharee‘ah like five times daily Salaah, were no longer obligatory. Most of them prescribed that prayers to Allaah could be sent through the Prophet (SAWS) or through the so-called saints; many also began the practice of making Tawaaf(Walking around an object of religious devotion),animal sacrifices and other acts of worship around the shrines and tombs of the saints. Tawaaf can be observed today around the grave of Zaynab and Sayyid al-Badawi in Egypt, around the tomb of Muhammad Ahmad (The Mahdi) in Sudan, and around the Darghas of countless saints and holy men in India and Pakistan.

The Sharee‘ah came to be looked at as the outer path designed for the ignorant masses, while the Tareeqah was the inner path of an elite enlightened few. Opinionated Tafseer (Qur’anic commentary) appeared in which the meanings of the Qur’anic verses were bent and twisted to support the heretical ideas of the mystic movement. Greek philosophical thought was also blended with fabricated Hadeeths to produce a body of inauthentic literature which challenged the early Islamic classics and eventually displaced them among the masses. Music was introduced in most circles and drugs like marijuana could be found in others as a means of heightening the pseudo-spiritual experience which they all sought. Such was the legacy of the latter generation of Sufis which had been built on the false premise that union of the human soul with Allaah was attainable.. The early generation of pious individuals, like ‘Abdul-Qaadir al-Jeelaani, and others to whom some orders were attributed, clearly understood the importance of distinguishing between the Creator and the created. The two could never become one, as One was Divine and Eternal, while the other was human and finite.

The Union of God With Man

Nothing escapes Allaah’s knowledge, therefore, the wise are those who act accordingly. They feel His presence at all times. They carefully perform all their obligatory (Fard) duties, then they piously try to make up for any of the inevitable deficiencies by doing a host of voluntary acts. These voluntary acts help to protect the obligatory duties. For example, during times of weakness or spiritual lows, one may become lax in fulfilling one’s religious duties. However, those who had voluntary practises would likely neglect some of their voluntary practises, while keeping their obligatory duties intact. If they did not have a protective shield of voluntary acts and they fell into a period of spiritual laziness, some of their obligatory duties are likely to be discarded or neglected. The more someone strengthens his obligatory practices by performing voluntary acts, the more his life conforms to the Sharee’ah, the will of Almighty Allaah. Allaah conveyed this principle through the Prophet (ρ) in a Hadeeth saying: “The most beloved thing with which My slave may come close to me is that which I have made obligatory (Fard) on him. My servant will continue to come closer to me by voluntary acts (of worship) until I love him. If I love him, I will be his hearing by which he hears, his sight by which he sees, his hand by which he grasps, and his foot by which he walks. If he asks Me anything I would give it and if he seeks refuge in Me I would protect him.” - (Sahih al- Bukhaari)

This Walee of Allaah would only hear, see, grasp and walk to what is Halaal (lawful), while conspicuously avoiding all the Haraam (prohibited) as well as that which leads towards it. This is the only true goal worthy of dedicating one’s life. its attainment is the perfection of man’s dual role as servant of God and governor of the world. But, it cannot be reached except by the route prescribed in the Hadeeths. First the compulsory duties have to be completely established, then the prescribed voluntary acts of worship have to be performed consistently and according to the Sunnah. Allaah emphasized this fact by telling His Prophet to inform the believers:

“Say, if you love Allaah, follow Me (Muhammad) and Allaah will love you.” - [Surah aal Imraan, 31]

Therefore Allaah’s love can only be attained by strictly following the directives (Sunnah) of His Apostle (r) and by carefully avoiding all innovations in religious matters. This formula is contained in the following Hadeeth in which the Prophet (ρ) was reported by Abu Najeeh to have said, “Keep to my Sunnah and that of the rightly guided caliphs. Bite on to it with your molars. And beware of innovations, for verily they are all heresy (Bid‘ah) and heresy is misguidance which leads to the hell fire.” -(Sunnan Abu Dawood and at-Tirmidhi)

One who strictly follows this principle will only listen to what Allaah wishes for him to listen to. For Allaah said describing the righteous:

“And when the ignorant (mockingly) address them, they merely say: ‘Peace.” - [Surah al-Furqaan, 63]

Elsewhere in the Qur’aan He also said,

“He has already revealed to you in the Book, that when you hear the signs of Allaah denied and ridiculed, you should not sit with them unless they change the subject. If you did you would be like them.” - [Surah An-Nisaa, 140]

By him listening only to what Allaah wishes for him to hear, Allaah has metaphorically become his hearing. In a similar way, Allaah becomes his sight, hands and feet.

This is the correct interpretation of the previously mentioned Hadeeth in which Allaah states that He will become man’s hearing, sight, hands and feet. Unfortunately, this Hadeeth has been misinterpreted by mystics as support for the concept of union with Allaah - May Allaah forbid.

Roohullaah: The “Spirit” of Allaah

Support for the mystic belief in the re-unification of the human soul with Allaah has also been falsely deduced from some of the verses of the Qur’aan itself. The following verses in which Allaah said:

“Then He (Allaah) fashioned him (Aadam) and blew in him from His spirit.” - [Surah as-Sajdah, 9]

“When I fashioned him and blew into him of My Spirit.” - [Surah al-Hijr, 29]

have been used as evidence for the belief that every human being contains within his body a part of God. The portion of Allaah’s “spirit” which Allaah breathed into Aadam has supposedly been inherited by all of his descendents. Reference has also been made to Prophet ‘Eesaa about whose mother Allaah said,

“She was chaste, so We blew into her from Our Spirit...” - [Surah al-Anbiya, 91]

Thus, it is believed among mystics that this divine eternal spirit within man yearns to reunite with its origin from whence it came. However, this is not the case. Possessive pronouns (my, your, his, her, our) in Arabic, as in English, have two general meanings depending on the context in which they are used. They may describe an attribute or a possession which is or is not a part of its owner. For example, in Allaah’s command to Prophet Moosaa (Moses)

“Put your hand inside your shirt and it will come out shining unharmed...” - [Surah, Ta ha, 22]

both the “hand” and “shirt” belonged to Prophet Moosaa but his hand was an attribute which was a part of him, while his shirt was a possession which was not a part of him. The same is the case relative to God with regards to His attributes and His creation.(Tayseer al-Azeez al Hameed p.84-5)For example, in the case of divine mercy wherein He says:

“Allaah give His mercy specifically to whomsoever He wishes...” - [Surah alBaqarah, 105]

Allaah’s mercy is one of his attributes and not a part of His creation. On the other hand, Allaah sometimes refers to created things as “His” to emphasize the fact that He created them. Yet others are referred to as His to indicate the special position of honor with which He views them. For example, with respect to the She-Camel sent as a test to Prophet Saalih’s people, the Thamood, Allaah quoted Prophet Saalih as saying,

“This is Allaah’s camel sent to you as a sign. So allow it to graze in Allaah’s earth.” - [Surah al-A’raaf, 73]

The camel was miraculously sent as a sign to the Thamood who did not have any right to deny it from grazing, because the whole earth belongs to Allaah. Similarly is the case of the Ka’bah about which Allaah made a covenant with Prophets Ibraaheem (Abraham) and Ismaa‘eel (Ishmael):

“That they may purify My house for those who circle it, cling to it, bow down prostrate (near it).” - [Surah al-Baqarah, 125]

and paradise in the case of the righteous who on the Day of Judgement will be told by Allaah “Enter My Paradise.” - [Surah al-fair, 30]

As for the spirit (Rooh), it is one of Allaah’s creations. Allaah states in the Qur’aan

“They ask you concerning the spirit, tell them the Spirit is from my Lord’s command; and you have not been given except a very small amount of knowledge.” - [Surah al-Israa, 85]

Elsewhere in the Qur’aan He said:

“If Allaah has decided a thing, He only has to command: Be, and it is” - [Surah al-Israa, 85]

“He (Allaah) created him (Aadam) from clay then said: Be, and he was.” - [Surah Aal Imraan, 59]

The command is “be” for all of creation. Therefore, the spirit is created by Allaah’s command. Islaam does not consider God to be an incorporeal Spirit, as do some religions like Christianity. He has neither corporeal body nor is He a formless spirit. He has a form befitting His majesty, the like of which no man has ever seen or conceived, and which will only be seen (to the degree of man’s finite limitations) by the people of paradise. Consequently, when Allaah refers to the blowing of a spirit from Himself into prophets Aadam and ‘Eesaa, special honor is given to their created spirits due to the prominence of Prophet Aadam’s position in relation to the rest of mankind and to clarify the confusion concerning Maryam’s virgin birth of Prophet ‘Eesaa. Even Allaah’s attribution of the act of blowing to Himself is, in fact, a clarification of His will and supreme power, for it is the angels who actually insert and extract the souls into man. This fact is evident from the following Hadeeth of Ibn Mas‘oud who reported that Allaah’s Messenger said, “Verily you creation is combined in you mother’s womb for forty days in the form of an oily fluid, then as a leach-like clot for a similar period and as a clump of flesh for another similar period. Then an angel is sent to him to blow the spirit into him...” -(Collected by Sahih Bukhaari & muslim)

Thus, Allaah has the spirit blown into every human by one of His angels. By saying that ‘He blew’, Allaah in fact reminds us that He is the primary cause of all that takes place in creation, as He said:

“Allaah created you and whatever you do.” - [Surah as-Saaffaat, 96]

Just prior to the battle of Badr the Prophet (SAWS) threw a handful of dust at the enemy ranks assembled hundreds of yards away, but Allaah caused some of the dust particles to miraculously reach all of the eyes of the enemy. Allaah referred to the Prophet’s action as follows:

“It was not you that threw when you threw but it was Allaah who threw.” - [Surah al-Anfaal, 17]

Thus, by attributing the Spirit to Himself. Allaah simply gave it a special place of honour among the spirits which He has created. No that He, Allaah, has a spirit and blew off a piece of it into both Prophet Aadam and Prophet ‘Eesaa. To further emphasize that point Allaah also refers to the Angel sent to inform Maryam as “His spirit”:

“So we sent to her Our Spirit who took the appearance of a well formed man.” - [Surah Maryam, 17]

The Qur’aan is a totality. Its verses explain themselves and the sayings and practices of the Prophet (ρ) further clarify its meanings. When verses are taken out of context, the meanings, of the Qur’aan can easily be distorted. For example, verse four of Soorah al-Maa‘oon reads:

“Woe be on those who make prayer (Salaah).”

This verse by itself is in total contradiction to the rest of Qur’aan and Islaam. Salaah has been made obligatory throughout the Qur’aan, For example, Allaah said:

“Verily I am Allaah, there is no god besides me, so worship me and establish prayer (Salaah) in order to remember Me.” - [Surah Taa Haa, 14]

Yet this verse curses those who make Salaah! However, the verses which follow it clarify the intended meanings as:

“Those who are negligent in their Salaah, who do it to be seen. Yet they refuse even the simplest of kindness.” - [Surah al-Maa’oon, 5-7]

Thus, Allaah’s curse is on the Salaah of the hypocrites who pretend belief and not on all who make Salaah.

A more meaningful translation of the verse “Then He fashioned him (Aadam) and blew into him from His spirit,” would be “Then He fashioned him and caused one of His (noble) spirits to enter him.” Consequently, there is no basis is the divine scriptures for the mystic belief in the uncreated soul of man, yearning to re-unite with its origin, God. In Islaam, there is no distinction between the Arabic terms Rooh (spirit - pl. Arwaah) and Nafs (soul-pl. Anfus) with respect to man except that when it is connected to the body it is usually referred to as a Nafs.(Al-Aqeedah at-Tahaaweeyah p394) 

In the Qur’aan God states:

“It is Allaah who takes the souls (Anfus) at death and those which do not die (He takes) during their sleep...” - [Surah az-Zumar, 42]

The Prophet (ρ) was reported by Umm Salamah to have said, “Verily, when the spirit (Rooh) is taken the eyes follow it.” -(Sahih Muslim)

The successful souls will be made to enter paradise as Allaah said to the righteous souls

“O soul (Nafs) at peace, come back to your Lord pleased with yourself and pleasing to Him. Enter among My devotees. Enter My paradise.” - [Surah al-fair, 27-30]

Thus, in the end, the righteous human soul will not become extinguished in God nor unite with His supreme being, but will remain a finite spirit reunited with a finite body enjoying the pleasures of paradise for as long as Allaah wishes.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF GRAVE WORSHIP

Throughout much of human history, honoring the dead through elaborate burial rites, ornate tombs and decorated graves, along with festivals of commemoration and adoration has led to great confusion and misguidance in religion. As a result, much of mankind has become involved in some form of grave worship. In fact, the religion of most Chinese, who represent between a quarter and a third of mankind, is ancestor worship. Most of their religious rites are connected with graves and the worship of representations of their ancestors. The graves of holy or saintly men among Hindus, Buddhists and Christians, have become shrines where rites of worship like prayer, sacrifice and pilgrimage are performed on a large scale. With the passage of time, Muslim rulers and the masses strayed away from the fundamental principles of the Islamic creed and began to imitate the pagan practices of the non-Islamic nations around them. Huge edifices were built over the grave of companions of the Prophet (ρ) like ‘Alee, major jurists like Imaam Abu Haneefah and Imaam ash-Shaafi‘ee, and those designated as Sufi “saints” like Junayd and ‘Abdul-Qaadir Al-Jeelaanee. In more recent times this practice of building shrines included even the graves of leaders of social movements like Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, and Muhammad Ahmed, the so-called Mahdi of the Sudan. Today many ignorant Muslims travel vast distances in order to perform religious rites of tawaaf around these tombs. Some even make prayer inside and outside of them, and other ‘piously’ bring sacrificial animals to these cursed sites in order to perform the rites of dhabh (ritual sacrifice) there. Most of those who perform rites of worship at graves hold the false belief that the righteous among these dead people are so close to Allaah that all acts of worship done in their vicinity will more likely be accepted by Allaah than if they were done elsewhere. That is, since these dead individuals were blessed, all that is near them must also be blessed. Their tombs and even the land on which they are built must be permeated with the overflow of their surplus blessing. Because of this belief, grave-worshippers often wipe the walls of graves, then wipe it on themselves in order to collect extra blessings. Often they collect the earth in the vicinity of the graves, in the vain belief that the earth has special healing powers due to the effect of the blessings manifest in those buried there. Many among certain branches of the Shi‘ites collect clay from Karbala, where Imaam Hussain was martyred, and bake them to make small tablets on which they prostrate during their salaah (prayer).

Prayers to the Dead

Those who practice grave worship direct prayers to the dead in two ways:

1. Some use the dead as intercessors. They pray to them in the way that Catholics use their priests in the confession of their sins. Catholics confess their sins to their priests and the priests ask God’s forgiveness for them. Thus, the priests act as middle-men between the people and God.

The pre-Islamic Arabs viewed their idols in a similar way. Allaah quoted the pagan Arabs as saying,

“We only worship them so that they may bring us closer to Allaah.” - [Surah Az-Zumar, 3]

Some grave worshippers among Muslims pray to the dead asking them to convey their requests to Allaah for the fulfillment of their needs. This practice is based on their belief that righteous dead people are not only closer to Allaah than they are, but also that they are capable of hearing any man’s request and fulfilling it, even after their death ! Thus, the dead become idol intermediaries capable of doing favors for the living.

2. Others pray directly to the dead, begging them forgiveness for their sins. In so doing, they give dead humans Allaah’s attribute of being at-Tawwaab, the one to whom repentance is due, as well as that of being al-Ghafoor, the only one capable of forgiving sins. There is a strong similarity between their practice and that of the Catholics among Christians who call on special saints for the fulfillment of their daily needs. For example, if something is lost, Saint Anthony of Thebes is prayed to in order to help find it. St. Jude Thaddaeus is the patron saint of the impossible and is prayed to for intercession in incurable illnesses, unlikely marriages, and the like. If someone is setting out on a journey, Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travelers, used to be prayed to for protection up until 1969 when he was officially struck off the list of saints by papal decree, after it was confirmed that he was fictitious. Included in this category are Christians in general with regard to Prophet Jesus whom they consider to be God incarnate. Most Christians pray to Jesus instead of God. There are also many ignorant Muslims throughout the world who direct their prayers to the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) in this fashion.

Both of methods of grave worship are totally rejected by the teachings of Islaam, which hold that one who dies enters the dimension called the Barzakh, where his deeds come to an end. He is unable to do anything for the living, though the results of his deeds may affect the living and continue to earn reward or punishment for himself. Abu Hurayrah reported Allaah’s Messenger as saying, “When a man dies, his (good) deeds come to an end, except in three ways: charity of continuing benefit, knowledge beneficial to people, and a righteous child who prays for him.”65 The Prophet (SAWS) also took great pains to explain that he could not benefit anyone in this life, regardless of their closeness to him. Allaah commanded him in the Qur’aan to say to his followers:

“I have no power to bring good or avert harm, even regarding myself, except as Allaah wills. If I had knowledge of the unseen, I would surely have accumulated only good and no evil would have befallen me. But I am only a warner and a bringer of glad tidings for those who believe.” - [Surah al-A’raaf, 188]

One of his companions, Abu Hurayrah, reported that when the verse

“Warn your nearest kin” - [Surah ash-Shura, 214]

was revealed to the Prophet, he said, “O people of Quraysh, secure deliverance from Allaah (by doing good deeds). I cannot avail you at all against Allaah, O sons of ‘Abdul-Muttalib, I cannot avail you at all against Allaah, O (my uncle) ‘Abbaas ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib, O (my aunt) Safeeyah, I cannot avail you at all against Allaah, O Faatimah, daughter of Muhammad, ask me whatever you like, but I have nothing which can avail you against Allaah!” - [Sahih Muslim & Bukhaari]

On another occasion, one of the Prophet’s companions concluded his statement to the Prophet (ρ) with the phrase, “It is what Allaah wills, and what you will.” The Prophet (ρ) immediately corrected him, saying, “Are you making me an equal to Allaah? Say: ‘It is what Allaah alone wills.’” - [Collected by Ahmad]

In spite of this clear indication that the Prophet (ρ), has no power to change what Allaah has destined many Muslims not only pray to him for help, but also pray to a hierarchy of saints. This heretical practice is based on the claim or mystics (Sufis) that the cosmic order is preserved by a fixed number of saints called Rijaal al-Ghayb (the men of the unseen world). When a holy man among them dies, his place is immediately filled by a substitute. At the peak of the hierarchy is the Qutb (people or mystic axis of the world), or the Ghawth (succour). ‘Abdul-Qaadir al-Jeelaanee (d. 1166 C.E.) is popularly referred to as al-Ghawth al-A‘dham (Ghaus-e-Azam) “the greatest source of help,” and in times of calamity many turn to him for help, crying out, Yaa ‘Abdal-Qaadir, aghithnee! (O ‘Abdul Qaadir, save me!) Such unmistakable pronouncements of shirk are common even though practicing Muslims repeat in each of their daily prayers the phrase, Eeyaaka na ‘budu wa eeyaaka nasta ‘een (You alone do we worship and from You alone do we seek help).

Both using the dead as intercessors and praying to them directly contain the grave sin of shirk, which Islaam vigilantly opposes, yet both methods have managed to creep into the religious practices of the masses of Muslims today in one form or another. In so doing they inadvertently confirm the veracity of Allaah’s ominous statement in the Qur’aan,

“Most of them (claim) belief in Allaah, while committing shirk.” - [Surah Yppsuf, 106]

They also confirm the Prophet’s warning, reported by Abu Sa’eed al-Khudree:

“You will follow the practices of your predecessors, inch by inch and yard by yard; so much so that if they were to enter a lizard’s hole, you would also follow them.” When he was asked if he meant the Jews the Christians, he replied “If not them, who else?” - [Sahih Bukhaari and Muslim]

This prophecy not only refers to the present varieties of grave worship among Muslims, but also forebodes the imitation of christian idolatory, as in the catholic veneration of icons. Thawbaan reported that the Prophet (ρ) said, “The Last Hour will not come until some groups of my nation worship idols,”(Sunnan Ibn Maajah, Abu Dawood & At-Tirmidhi) and Abu Hurayrah reported that he said, “The Last Hour will not come until women from the Daws tribe wiggle their buttocks (as they circumambulate) around the temple of the idol al-Khalasah.”

In light of the above warnings it is, essential that Muslims have a clear understanding of religion, its origin and its historical development once this is achieved practices such as those we have discussed may be comprehended in their proper context, and the Islamic ruling on them will become obvious. In the following pages then, we shall analyze the development of religion with a view to understanding the origins of grave and idol-worship.

Restrictions on Visiting Graves

The fact that grave-worship was among the last things which the Prophet (SAWS) warned against before leaving the world indicates that this practice would become a serious test for his ummah. In the formative years of Islaam, the Prophet (SAWS) had forbidden his followers from even visiting graves, and it was not until tawheed (belief in God’s unity) was firmly established among them that the ban was lifted. The Prophet (SAWS) was reported to have said, “I used to forbid you from visiting graves, but now you should visit them, for surely they are reminders of the next life.” - [Collected by Sahih Muslim, Sunnan Abu Dawood, An-Nasa’i, Ahmad, and Bayhaqi]

However, in spite of this allowance, the Prophet (SAWS) placed certain restrictions on the visiting of graves in order to avoid its deterioration into grave worship in later generations:

1. As a means of setting up a barrier against grave worship, prayer was totally forbidden in graveyards regardless of the intention. Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudree reported from the Prophet (SAWS) that he said: “All the earth is a masjid (place of worship) except graveyards and toilets.”(Collected by At-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood & Ibn maajah) Ibn ‘Umar also reported that the Prophet (SAWS) said, “Pray in your houses; do not make them graveyards.” - [Sahih Bukhaari & Muslim]  Voluntary prayer is recommended in the home as an example for the family. If no prayer takes place there, it then resembles a graveyard in which no prayer is allowed. Although praying to Allaah in a graveyard is not in itself shirk, the ignorant, under Satan’s influence, may assume that prayers in graveyards are to the dead and not for them. Consequently, this avenue to idolatry was decisively blocked On one occasions the second Caliph, ‘Umar ibn al- Khattaab, noticed another of the Prophet’s companions, Anas ibn Maalik, praying near a grave and called out to him, “The grave! The grave!” - [Sahih Bukhaari]
2. A second barrier was placed by the Prophet’s (r) prohibition of purposely praying in the direction of graves because such an act may be later understood by the ignorant as prayer directed to the dead themselves. Abu Marthad al- Ghanawee reported that the Prophet said, “Do not pray towards graves nor sit on them.” -(Collected by Sahih  Muslim, Abu Dawood, An-Nasa’i, Ibn Maajah)

Note:
It should also be noted that in Islam the funeral service is not held in the graveyard, but in a prayer area set aside for large congregational prayers or in a masjid. Furthermore, because the body is placed at the front of the congregation, directly in front of the Imaam (prayer leader), the funeral prayer (Salaatul-Janaazah) does not have any bowing (Rukoo‘) or prostration (Sujood), so as not to give anyone the impression that the prayer is to the dead and not merely for the dead as the wordings of the prayer clearly indicate.

1. The recitation of Qur’aan in graveyards is not allowed, as neither the Prophet (SAWS) nor his companions were known to do so. When the Prophet’s wife, ‘Aa’eshah, asked him what to say when visiting graveyards, he told her to give salaams (greetings of peace) and a supplication for those buried but did not tell her to recite al-Faatihah or any other chapter from the Qur’aan. Abu Hurayrah further reported that the Prophet (SAWS) had said, “Do not make your houses graveyards, for verily Satan flees from the house in which Soorah al- Baqarah is read.” -(Collected by Sahih Muslim at at-Tirmidhi)This narration and others like it imply that the Qur’aan is not to be read in graveyards. Qur’anic recitation is encouraged in one’s house, and making it like a graveyard, in which no recitation should take place, is forbidden.(The Narration of the recitation of Surah Yaseen concerning the graveyard is inauthentic(Da’eef). 
2. The Prophet (SAWS) forbade the white-washing of graves, the building of structures over them,(Sahih Muslim) writing on them, (Abu Dawood, An-Nasa’i) or raising them above ground level.(Sahih Muslim) He also taught that any such structures should be torn down and the graves made level with the ground. ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib reported that the Prophet (SAWS) ordered him to demolish all idols he came across, and to level all graves more than a palm’s width high to the height of the surrounding earth 

1. The building of masjids over graves was expressly forbidden by the Prophet (SAWS). The Prophet’s wife ‘Aa’eshah, reported that when death was descending upon Allaah’s Messenger, he drew his striped cloak over his face saying, “May Allaah’s curse be on the Jews and Christians for taking the graves of their prophets as places of worship.” -(Sahih Bukhaari and Muslim and Sunnan Abu Dawood)
2. In order to prevent grave worship, the Prophet (ρ) also forbade annual or seasonal gatherings even around his own grave. Abu Hurayrah reported that he said, “Do not make my grave an ‘eed (place of celebration), nor make your houses graveyards, and ask (Allaah’s) blessings for me wherever you may be, for they will reach me.” -(Sunnan Abu Dawood & Ahmad)
3. Setting out on journeys to visit graves was also forbidden by the Prophet (ρ). This practice forms the basis of idolatrous pilgrimages in other religions. Abu Hurayrah and Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudree both reported that Allaah’s Messenger said, “Do not travel except to three masjids, Masjid Haraam (the Ka‘bah in Makkah), the masjid of the Messenger, and all Aqsaa Masjid.” -(Sahih Bukhaari and Muslim, Abu Dawood, An-Nasa’i, At Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)  While returning from a trip Abu Bashrah al-Ghifaaree met Abu Hurayrah and the latter asked him where he was coming from. Abu Bashra replied that he was coming back from at-Toor where he had made prayer. Abu Hurayrah said, “If only I had caught you before you left, for I heard Allaah’s messenger say, ‘Do not travel to other than three masjids..’.” - (Collected by Ahmad and at-Tayaalasee)

“Taking Graves as Places of Worship”:

Ibn Mas‘oud reported that the Prophet (ρ) said, “The most evil of mankind are those who will be alive when the Last Day arrives and those who take graves as places of worship.” -(Collected by Ahmad) 

Jundub ibn ‘Abdillaah reported that five days before the Prophet’s death he heard him say, “Those before you took the graves of their prophets as places of worship. Do not take graves as places of worship for verily I forbid you to do so.” -(Collected by Muslim)

After understanding clearly from the previous Hadeeths that taking graves as places of worship is forbidden by the Prophet (SAWS), it is necessary to define exactly what is meant by the phrase “Taking graves as places of worship.” There are three possible meanings which can be deduced from the phrase in Arabic:

1. Making Prayer or Sujood (prostration) on or Towards a Grave. Praying on the grave is forbidden explicitly in Ibn ‘Abbaas’ Hadeeth in which the Prophet (ρ) said, “Do not pray towards graves nor on them” -(collected by at-Tabaraanee) as well as the Hadeeth narrated by Abu Marthad mentioned earlier.

2. Building a Masjid over a Grave or Putting a Grave in a Masjid. Building masjids over graves is forbidden by Umm Salamah’s hadeeth in which the Prophet (saws) explained that those who build places of worship over graves are the most evil of creation in Allaah’s sight. Placing a grave in a masjid was also forbidden according to ‘Aa’eshah interpretation of the Prophet’s final statement, “May Allaah curse a people who take their Prophets’ (r) graves as masjids.” -(Sahih al Bukhari & muslim, abu dawood, Ahmad) When the suggestion was made to bury the Prophet (saws) in his masjid, she opposed it based on the Prophet’s (r) last words.

3. Praying in a masjid containing a grave, Praying in a masjid built over a grave is forbidden, because it is a natural consequence of the prohibition placed on building masjids over graves. The prohibition of a path necessarily prohibits what is at the end of the path. For example, the Prophet (ρ) forbade wind and stringed musical instruments (ma‘aazif). Abu Maalik al-Ash‘aree reported that he heard the Prophet (ρ) say, “There will be among my followers those who make allowable (halaal) fornication and adultery, the wearing of silk (for men), taking intoxicants, and musical instruments (ma‘aazif).”-(Collected by Sahih al Bukhaari) Both the playing of these instruments and listening to music are automatically prohibited as they are the purposes for which musical instruments are made. Similarly, neither the prohibition on building masjids over graves not the order to build them elsewhere is aimed at the act of construction, for building is in itself permissible. It is, in fact, aimed at the performance of salaah in them, which is the purpose for which they are built. Thus, the prohibition of building masjids on graves automatically implies the prohibition on salaah in such masjids.

Masjids with Graves

Such masjids are of two types with regard to their origin-

1. masjid built over a grave, and 
2. masjid in which a grave has been put, some time after its construction. 

Naturally, there is no difference between the two as far as salaah is concerned. In both cases, salaah in them is despised if no regard is paid to the grave, and haraam if salaah to the grave is intended. However, the method of correcting such masjids varies according to their origin:

1. A masjid built over a grave should be demolished and the grave levelled if it has a structure over it. Because such a masjid was originally a grave, it should be returned to its original state. 
2. A masjid in which a grave has been placed should be left intact, but the grave should be removed. In this case the masjid was originally a masjid and not a grave; thus, it should be returned to its original states. 

The Prophet’s Grave

The presence of the Prophet’s grave in his masjid in Madeenah can neither be used to justify the placing of bodies in other masjids nor the building of masjids over graves. The Prophet (SAWS) did not order that he be buried in his masjid, nor did his companions put his grave into the masjid. The companions of the Prophet (SAWS) wisely avoided burying the Prophet (SAWS) in the local graveyard for fear that later generations would become overly attached to his grave. ‘Umar, the freed slave of Ghafrah, related that when the sahaabah (companions of the Prophet (SAWS) gathered to decide on the Prophet’s (r) burial, one said: “Let us bury him in the place where he used to pray.” Abu Bakr replied, “May Allaah protect us from making him an idol to be worshipped.” Others said, “Let us bury him in al-Baqee’ (a graveyard in Madeenah) where his brothers among the Muhaajireen (migrants from Makkah) are buried.” Abu Bakr replied: “Verily burying the Prophet in al-Baqee‘ is detestable because some people may try to seek refuge in him which is a right belonging only to Allaah. So, if we take him out (to the graveyard), we will ruin Allaah’s right, even if we carefully guard the Messenger’s grave.” They then asked, “What is your opinion, O Abu Bakr?” He replied, “I heard Allaah’s Messenger say: ‘Allaah has not taken the life of any of his prophets except that were buried where they died.” Some of them said, “By Allaah, what you have said is pleasing and convincing.” Then they made a line around the Prophet’s bed (in ‘Aa’eshah’s house) and dug the grave where his bed was. ‘Alee, al-‘Abbaas, al-Fadl, and the Prophet’s family took his body and prepared it for burial. -(collected by Ibn Zanjooyah)

‘Aa’eshah’s house was separated from the masjid by a wall and it had a door through which the Prophet (SAWS) used to enter the masjid to lead salaah. The companions sealed off this doorway in order to complete the separation of the Prophet’s grave from his masjid. Consequently, the only way that his grave could be visited at that time was from outside the masjid.

Expansions of the masjid took place in the time of the second Caliph ‘Umar and the third Caliph ‘Uthmaan. But both of them cautiously avoided the inclusion of either ‘Aa’eshah’s house or that of any of the other wives of the Prophet (SAWS). Expansion in the direction of the houses of the wives of the Prophet (SAWS) would have automatically included the Prophet’s grave in the masjid. However, after the death of all the sahaabah who were in Medinah. Caliph al-Waleed ibn ‘Abdil- Malik (reign 705-715 C.E.) was the first to extend the masjid in an easterly direction. He included ‘Aa’eshah’s house inside the masjid, but demolished the houses of the other wives of the Prophet (ρ). The expansion was reported to have been carried out by al-Waleed’s governor ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul-‘Azeez.

When ‘Aa’eshah’s house was included inside the masjid, a high circular wall was built around it so that it would not be visible at all from inside the masjid. Two additional walls were later built at an angle from the two northern corners of the house in such a way that they met each other forming a triangle. This was down to prevent anyone from facing the grave directly. -(Narrated by al-Qurtubee & quoted in Tayseer al Azeez al Hameed)

Many years later, the familiar dome was added to the roof of the masjid and was placed directly above the Prophet’s (r) grave. The grave was later surrounded by a brass cage with doors and windows, and the walls of the grave itself were draped in green cloth. In spite of the barriers which have been placed around the Prophet’s grave, the error still remains to be corrected. Walls should once again be placed to separate it from the masjid so that no one could pray in its direction nor visit it inside the masjid.

Salaah in the Prophet’s Masjid

The prohibition of salaah in masjids with graves in them is applicable to all masjids except that of the Prophet (SAWS). This is due to the many special virtues attributed to prayer in it, not found in any other masjid containing a grave.

There is no truth to the story that Prophet Ismaa‘eel and his mother or any of the other prophets are buried in the open portion of the Ka‘bah Commonly called “Hujr Ismaa‘eel.”

The Prophet (ρ) himself pointed out this special feature saying, “Do not journey except to three masjids: al-Masjid al-Haraam, al-masjid al-Aqsaa, and this Masjid of mine.”-(Sahih Bukhaari & muslim, Abu dawood) 

He also said: “A single salaah in this masjid of mine, is better than 1,000 salaahs elsewhere, except al-Masjid al-Haraam.” -(Sahih Bukhari & Muslim) He even assigned special significance to a part of his masjid saying: “The area between my house and my pulpit is a garden from the gardens of paradise.”-(Collected by Sahih Bukhari & muslim) If salaah in the Prophet’s masjid was considered makrooh (disliked), the virtues of his masjid would be negated and it would be made equal with all other masjids. Just as salaah in general has been forbidden at certain times, yet allowed if it has a defined purpose (e.g., janaazah) other than optional prayer, salaah in the Prophet’s masjid is likewise desirable due to its exceptional nature.(Tahdheer as-Saajid) 

And, Allaah forbid, if a grave were to be put in either al-Masjid al-Haraam or al-Masjid al-Aqsaa, salaah would still be desirable in them due to their special virtues and place of honor in the sight of God.

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TRANSCENDENCE

Allaah, Most Great and Glorious, has described Himself in His revealed books and through His prophets in order that man may have a better understanding of just who He is. Since the human mind is limited in its knowledge and scope, it is impossible for it to understand something which has no limits. Therefore, Allaah mercifully took it upon Himself to reveal to man some of His attributes, in order that mankind may not confuse the attributes of created things with those of Allaah. When Allaah’s attributes are confused with those of creation, man ends up deifying creation. It is this deification of creation which is the essence and basis of idolatry in all of its forms. In all pagan religions and cults created beings or objects are falsely endowed by man with divine attributes and consequently they become objects of worship instead of Allaah or along with Allaah.

Among Allaah’s countless attributes is one which is of paramount importance with regard to the worship of God as opposed to the worship of His creation. It is an attribute which became confused with the appearance among Muslims of the Greek-influenced Mu‘tazilite school of philosophical thought and remains misunderstood among many Muslims until today. This critical attributes is that of “al-‘Uloo”, which in English means highness or transcendence. When it is used to describe Allaah, this attribute refers to the fact that Allaah is above and beyond His creation. He is neither enclosed by the creation nor is any part of the creation above Him in any way. He is not a part of the created world nor is it a part of Him. In fact, His Being is totally distinct and separate from His creation. He is the Creator and the universe and its contents are all a part of His creation. However, His attributes function without restriction in His creation. He sees, hears and knows all, and He is the prime cause of all the happens within the worlds of creation. Nothing happens without His will. Consequently, it may be said that the Islamic concept of Allaah in relationship to His creation is essentially dualistic, but in relationship to Allaah alone or creation alone it is strictly unitarian. It is dualistic in the sense that Allaah is Allaah, and creation is creation. Two separate entities, the Creator and the created, the Infinite and the finite. Neither is one the other nor are they both one. At the same time the Islamic concept is uncompromisingly unitarian in the sense that Allaah is absolutely one, without parents, offspring or partner. He is unique in His divinity and nothing is similar to Him. He is the sole source of power in the universe and everything depends on Him. Likewise, it is firmly unitarian vis-a-vis creation, because all of the universe and its contents were created by Allaah alone. All created beings and entities are the product of the same Creator, and, as such, are constructed from the same elemental substances, the building blocks of “nature”

Significance:

The attribute of transcendence has special significance to man with regard to his worship of God. Prior to the arrival of Islaam in its final form, man had strayed far away from the implications of this noble attribute. Christians claimed that Allaah had come to the earth and became flesh and blood in the form of man, Prophet ‘Eesaa (Jesus), whom they claim was crucified and died. The Jews before them also claimed that Allaah came down to earth in the form of a man and lost in a wrestling match with Prophet Yaqoob (Jacob)-(Genesis 32:24-30). The Persians regarded their kings as gods endowed with all of Allaah’s attributes, and, consequently, they worshipped them directly. The Hindus believed that Brahman, the supreme Being, was in every place and in everything so they worshipped countless idols, human beings and even animals as personifications of Brahman. In fact, this belief has taken Hindus to an incredible state wherein they actually make pilgrimage to their Holy city of Banaras to worship the god Shiva personified as an erect male penis end earingly called “lingam.”

The Hindu idea that Brahman is everywhere later became a part of the Christian belief system and eventually found its way among the Muslims many generations after the Prophet (ρ). When the philosophical books of India, Persia and Greece were translated during the Golden Age of the ‘Abbaasid Empire, the concept of Allaah being everywhere and in every thing was introduced into philosophical circles and became a foundational principle in the creed of Sufi (mystical) orders. Eventually it gained sway with a philosophical school known as the Mu‘tazilah (the Rationalists) followers of which occupied key posts in the administration of the ‘Abbaasid Caliph, Ma’moon (rule: 813 to 832 CE). With the blessing of the Caliph, they vigorously propagated this belief along with the other distortions contained in their school of philosophy. Inquisition courts were set up throughout the empire and many scholars were killed, jailed and tortured for their opposition to the philosophy of the Mu‘tazilites.

It was not until Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (778-855 CE) stood his ground and defended the beliefs of early Muslim scholars and the Sahaabah, (companions of the Prophet), that the tide was eventually turned. During the reign of Caliph al-Mutawakkil (rule 847-861), the Mu‘tazilite philosophers were removed from sensitive administrative posts in the government and their philosophy was officially condemned. Although most of their ideas died out in time, that of Allaah being everywhere (i.e. immanent) has remained to this day among followers of the Ash‘arite school.  This school was founded by scholars who left the Mu‘tazilite philosophy and attempted to to refute the excesses of Mu‘tazilite thought from a philosophical basis.

Danger of the Immanence Concept

On the basis of the false attribute of divine immanence (i.e. the “God is everywhere” belief) some claimed that God was more in humans than in animals, vegetation, minerals, etc. From that theory it was only a matter of time before some claimed that God was more in them than in the rest of humans, either by Hulool (indwelling of Allaah in man) or by Ittihaad (complete unification of the human soul with Allaah’s “soul”). Among Muslim people of the ninth century, a deranged mystic and so-called saint, al-Hallaaj (858-992 CE), openly declared that he and Allaah were one. The Nusayrites, a breakaway Shi‘ite sect of the tenth century, claimed that the Prophet’s son-in-law, ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib, was manifestation of Allaah and another breakaway Shi‘ite sect of the eleventh century called the Druze ̧ claimed that the Fatimid Shi‘ite caliph, al-Haakim bi Amrillaah (996-1021 CE) was the last incarnation of God among men. Ibn ‘Arabee (1165-1240 CE), another so-called Sufi saint of the twelfth century, exhorted his followers in his poetry to pray to themselves and not to anything outside of themselves because he believed the God was inside man. This same theory was the essence of Elijah Muhammad’s (d. 1975) claim in America that black people were “Allaah” and that his mentor, Fard Muhammad, was the supreme Allaah himself. Reverend Jim Jones, who killed himself and 900 of his followers in Guyana in 1979, is one of the most recent example of man claiming to be God and people accepting it. In fact, Jim Jones learned his philosophy and psychological techniques for manipulating the innocent from another American who called himself Father Divine. Father Divine, whose real name was George Baker, appeared during the early depression years of the 1920’s and opened restaurants for the poor. After capturing their stomachs, he projected on them the claim that he was god incarnate. In time he married and named his Canadian wife, Mother Divine. By the mid-thirties his followers numbered in the millions and were to be found all across the U.S.A. and even in Europe.

Thus, these claims of divinity were not limited to any particular place or religious group. They simply took root wherever the soil was fertile. If minds were already prepared by the belief in God’s immanence in His creation to accept the man-god concept, then those who claimed divinity could easily find followers.

It may be concluded that the belief that “Allaah is everywhere” is extremely dangerous primarily because it encourages, defends and rationalizes the greatest sin in Allaah’s sight, the worship of His creation. It is also an aspect of Shirk in Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat as it claims for God an attribute which does not belong to Him. Neither in the Qur’aan nor on the tongue of the Prophet (SAWS) can such a description of Allaah be found. In fact, both the Qur’aan and the Sunnah confirm the opposite.

Clear Proofs:

Since the greatest sin in God’s sight is the worship of others besides Him or along with Him, and everything besides Him is His creation, the principles of Islaam are all either directly or indirectly opposed to the worship of creation. The fundamental tenets of the Faith make a very clear distinction between the Creator and what He has created.

There are a number of proofs based on the essential elements of the Islamic creed which have been used by orthodox Muslim scholars to establish the fact that Allaah is totally separate from, and above His creation. The following are seven such proofs:

1. A Natural Proof:

Man, from the Islamic viewpoint, is born with certain natural tendencies and is not merely a product of his environment. This fact is based on the Qur’anic passage in which Allaah explained that when He created Aadam, He extracted from him all of his descendents and made them bear withess to His unity -(Surah al-A’raaf, 172) This concept is further emphasised by the Prophet’s (r) statement that every new born child is born with an inclination to worship Allaah, but its parents make it a Jew, a Magian or a Christian -(Collected by Sahih Bukhaari & Muslim) 

Therefore, man’s natural reaction to the implications of the “god is everywhere belief” may be used, to some degree, as a measure of its accuracy. If Allaah exists everywhere and is present in everything, it would imply that His essence could be found in filth and filthy places.. When confronted with this implication, most people are naturally unable to accept any statement which points to the fact that Allaah, the Creator of the Universe, is present in man’s excrements or in any other items or places not befitting His majesty. Therefore, it may be concluded that since man’s natural instincts, placed in him by Allaah, reject the claim that Allaah is everywhere, it is highly unlikely that such a claim would be correct. Those unwilling to give up the “God is everywhere belief”, however, might argue that man’s repulsion towards this concept is a result of upbringing and conditioning, and not really a result of natural instincts. But, the vast majority of young children automatically reject this concept without any hesitation or contemplation, even though most of them were previously indoctrinated with the idea that Allaah is everywhere.

2. The Prayer Proof:

According to the rules and regulations governing prayer in Islaam, places of worship must be completely free from statues or pictorial representation of God or His creation and the various positions of worship used in formal prayer (bowing, prostrating, etc.) are prohibited from being directed to anyone or anything besides God. If God were present everywhere; in every thing and in every individual, it would be perfectly acceptable for people to direct worship towards each other or even to direct worship towards themselves as the infamous Sufi “saint”, Ibn ‘Arabee, suggested in some of his writings. It would also not be possible to logically convince an idol worshipper or one who worships trees or animals that his method of worship is wrong and that he should only worship the unseen God, Allaah, who is alone without partners. The idolater would merely answer that he is not worshipping the object would merely answer that he is not worshipping the object itself but the part of God which is inside of these objects or God who incarnated Himself in human or animal forms. Yet Islaam classifies anyone who does such an act as a Kaafir (disbeliever) regardless of the rationale. The fact is that such an individual is prostrating before God’s creation. Islaam came to take man away from the worship of man and other created beings, and lead them to the worship of the Creator alone. Therefore, the commandments in Islaam concerning worship clearly indicate that Allaah is not be found in created things; He is totally separate from them. This position is further strengthened by a total ban in Islaam on any pictorial representation of God or any other living being from the animal world.

3. The Mi‘raaj Proof:

Two years prior to his migration to Madeenah, the Prophet (SAWS) made a miraculous night journey (Israa) from Makkah to Jerusalem where he (r) took the Mi‘raaj up through the seven skies to the pinnacle of creation. This miraculous journey was bestowed on him in order that he be in the direct presence of Allaah. It was there, above the seventh heaven, that Salaah (formal prayer) was made compulsory five times per day, Allaah spoke directly to the Prophet (SAWS), and Allaah revealed to him the last verses of Soorah al-Baqarah (Second Chapter of the Qur’aan).(See Sahih Bukhari & Muslim) If Allaah were everywhere there would have been no need for the Prophet (SAWS) to go anywhere. He could have been in the direct presence to Allaah on the earth in his own house. Therefore, the incident of the miraculous ascension of the Prophet (SAWS) up through the heavens contains within it a subtle implication that Allaah is above His Creation and not a part of it.

4. Qur’anic Proof:

The number of verses in the Qur’aan which state that Allaah is above His creation are too numerous to count. They are found in almost every chapter of the Qur’aan, either directly or indirectly. Among the indirect references are those which refer to things rising up to God or descending from Him. For example, in Soorah al- Ikhlaas, Allaah calls Himself “As Samad” (Surah al Ikhlaas, 2) which means: that to which things rise. Such references are sometimes literal, as in the case of the angels about whom Allaah said,

“The angels and the Spirit (Gabriel) ascend up to Him in a day whose length is like fifty thousand years.” - [Surah al-Ma’arij, 4]

and sometimes spiritual, as in the case of prayer and Dhikr about which Allaah said,

“Every good saying goes up to Him.” - [Surah al-Faatir, 10]

Even in the following verse

“Pharaoh said, ‘Oh Haamaan, build a lofty place for me that I may attain the ways. The ways of (reaching) the heavens for me to behold the God of Moses, for I certainly believe he is a liar.” - [Surah al-Ghaafir, 36-7]

An example of descent from God can be found in the following verse:

“Say, the Holy Spirit has brought it (the revelation) down from your Lord in truth, in order to strengthen those who believe, and as a guide and glad tidings to Muslims.” - [Surah an-Nahl, 102]

Direct references can be found in both the divine names of God as well as in His explicit statements. For example, Allaah calls Himself by the names “Al-‘Alee” and “Al-A‘laa” both of which mean the highest, above which there is nothing. For example, “Al-‘Alee Al-‘AdHeem.”(Surah al Baqarah, 225) “Rabbikal-A‘laa”(Surah al-A’laa, 1) 

He also explicitly, referred to Himself as being above His servants saying,

“He is al-Qaahir (the irresistable) above His worshippers.” - [Surah al An’aam, 18]

and He also described His worshippers as,

“Those, who fear their Lord who is above them.” - [Surah an-Nahl, 50]

 Therefore, the Qur’aan itself clearly points out for those who contemplate its meanings, that Allaah is high above His creation and not within it or surrounded by it in any way. - (al-‘Aqeedah at-Tahaaweeyah, p.285-6)

5. Hadeethic Proof:

There is also ample evidence in the statements of the Prophet (ρ) which clearly establish that Allaah is not on the earth or within His Creation. Like the Qur’anic verses, some Hadeeths contain indirect references while others are direct. Among the indirect or implied references are those which refer to the angels ascending up to Allaah as in the Hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah in which he narrated that Allaah’s messenger said, “(A group of) angels stay with you at night and (another group of) angels by daytime, and both groups gather at the time of ‘Asr (evening) and Fajr (dawn) prayers. Then those angels who have stayed with you overnight, ascend (to Heaven) and Allaah asks them (about you) - though He knows all about you…”- [Sahih Bukhaari, Muslim, An-Nasa’i]

Included among the indirect references are those which refer to Allaah being above his throne which is itself above all creation. An example of this type can be found in Abu Hurayrah’s report that the Prophet (SAWS) said, “When Allaah completed creation, He wrote in a Book (which He kept) with Him above His throne, ‘Verily My mercy will precede my anger.” - [Sahih Bukhaari & Muslim]

An example of a direct reference is the narration about the Prophet’s wife Zaynab bint Jahsh who used to boast to the other wives of the Prophet (SAWS) that their families gave them away in marriage to the Prophet (SAWS) while Allaah from above the seven heavens gave her away in marriage.- [Sahih Bukhaari]

Another may be found in the Du‘aa (prayer) by which the Prophet (SAWS) taught the sick to pray for themselves,

“Rabbanaa Allaah alladhee fis-Samaa’e Taqaddasasmuka. (Our Lord Allaah who is above the heavens, may Your name be Holy...) - [Collected by Abu Dawood]

The following Hadeeth is perhaps the most explict of the direct references:

Mu’aawiyah ibn al-Hakam said, “I had a servant girl who used to tend to my sheep in the area of Mount Uhud, near a place called al-Jawwaareeyah. One day I came to see them only to find that a wolf had made off with a sheep from her flock. Since I, like the rest of Aadam’s descandants, am prone to do regretable acts, I gave her a terrible slap in her face. When I cam to Allaah’s Messenger (ρ) with the story, he considered it a grave thing for me to have done. I said, ‘Oh Messenger of Allaah (ρ) couldn’t I free her?’ (Sahih Bukhari & Muslim, Abu Dawood) He replied, ‘Bring her to me’, so I brought her. He (r) then asked her, ‘Where is Allaah?’ and she replied, ‘Above the sky.’ Then He asked her, ‘Who am I?’ and she replied, ‘You are Allaah’s Messenger.’ So he said, ‘Free her, for verily she is a true believer.’” -(Sahih Muslim)

When testing the faith of others, the logical question to ask would be “Do you believe in Allaah?” The Prophet (ρ) did not ask that question, because most people at that time believed in Allaah, as the Qur’aan frequently mentions,

“And if you ask them who created the heavens and the earth and controls the sun and the moon, they will certainly say, ‘Allaah.’” - [Surah al-Ankaboot, 61]

Because the pagan Makkans of that time believed that Allaah was somehow present in their idols and thereby a part of creation, the Prophet (SAWS) wanted to determine if her belief was confused and paganistic like other Makkans or clearly unitarian and according to the divine teachings. Hence, he asked a question which would determine whether she knew that Allaah was not a part of His creation or whether she believed that God could be worshipped in creation. Her answer that Allaah is above the heavens has to be considered by true Muslims as the only valid answer to the question “Where is Allaah?” because the Prophet (SAWS) ruled that she was a true believer on the basis of it. If Allaah is everywhere as some Muslims today still contend, the Prophet (SAWS) would have had to correct her answer, “Above the sky”, since whatever was said in his presence which he did not reject is considered correct. According to Islamic Law, Prophet (SAWS) not only accepted her statement, but he also used it as a basis to judge her to be a true believer.

6. The Logical Proof:

Logically speaking, it is obvious that in a case where two things exist, one of those things must either be a part of the other and dependent on it (like its attributes), or it must exist by itself, distinct from the other. Thus, when God created the world, He either created it inside Himself or outside of Himself. The first possibility is unacceptable because it would mean that Allaah, the infinite Supreme Being, has within Himself finite attributes of deficiency and weakness. Therefore, He must have created the world outside of Himself as an entity distinct from Himself yet depending on Him. Having created the world outside of Himself, He either created it above Himself or below Himself. Since human experience nowhere confirms prayer downwards, and being below creation contradicts God’s majesty and supremacy, God must therefore be above His creation and distinct from it.

As to the contradictory descriptive statements that God is neither connected to the world nor separate from it, or that He is neither in the world nor outside of it(see Haashiyah al Beejooree ‘alas al-Jawharah p.58) such words are not only illogical but they, in fact, deny God’s actual existence.(al-‘Aqeedah at-Tahaweeyah p. 290-1) Such claims relegate God to the surrealistic realm of human thought where opposite can co-exist and the impossible exist (like three gods in one).

7. The Consensus of Early Scholars:

The statements of the early scholars of Islaam confirming God’s transcendence are too numerous to mention in this concise work. The 15th century Hadeeth scholar, adh-Dhababee, wrote a book entitled al-‘Uloo lil-‘Alee al-‘AdHeem in which he gathered the statements of over 200 major scholars of the past confirming Allaah’s transcendency.(Mukhtasaar al-‘Uloo, p.5)

A good example of such statements can be found in Mutee‘ al- Bukhaaree’s report that he asked Abu Haneefah his opinion of a person who says he does not know whether his Lord is in the heavens or on earth. Abu Haneefah replied, ‘He has disbelieved, because Allaah has said, “The Most Merciful is above the throne (Soorah Taahaa 20:5)’, and His throne is above His seven heavens.” He (al-Balakhee) then said, “What if he said that He is above the throne but he does not know whether the throne is in the heavens or on earth?” He (Abu Haneefah) replied, “He has disbelieved because he has denied that He (Allaah) is above the heavens and whoever denies that He is above the heavens has disbelieved.”(al-‘Aqeedah at Tahaaweeyah, p.228) Though many who follow the Hanafee school of law today claim that Allaah is everywhere, the early followers did not hold that position. The incident in which Abu Haneefah’s main student, Abu Yousuf, told Bishr al-mareesee (Bishr (d. 833 CE) from Baghdad was a Mu‘tazilite scholar of Jurisprudence and philosophy) to repent when he denied that Allaah is above the throne, was recorded in a number of books written during and about that era. (See al ‘Aqeedah at-Tahaaweeyah p.288)

Summary:

Therefore, it can be safely said that according to Islaam and its key principle of Tawheed,

1. Allaah is completely separate from His creation. 
2. Creation neither surrounds Him nor is above Him in any way. 
3. He, Allaah, is above all things. 

This is the classical conception of Allaah according to the sources of Islaam. It is very simple and firm, and leaves no room for the type of misconceptions which often lead to the worship of creation.

This view, however, does not deny that Allaah’s attributes operate throughout His creation. Nothing escapes His sight, His knowledge and His power. But just as it is considered a major advance to technology to be able to sit in the comfort of our homes and watch events taking place half-way around the world, Allaah sees, hears and knows all that happens in the universe without having to be inside of it. Ibn ‘Abbaas was reported to have said, “In Allaah’s hand, the seven heavens, seven earths. their contents as well as what is between them, is like a mustard seed in one of your hands”39 And, just as remote-control T.V. is considered a great technological improvement over manual control, Allaah’s power operates unhindered within the smallest elements of creation without Him having to be there. In fact, the concept that Allaah is within His creation is really a form of Shirk in Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat where in Allaah is given some of man’s weaknesses. It is man who has to be present in the world for him to see, hear, know and affect what takes place in it.

Allaah’s knowledge and power, on the other hand, has no bounds. Man’s very thoughts are totally exposed to Allaah, and even the emotional workings of his heart are subject to Allaah’s control. This is the light in which the few verses which allude to Allaah’s closeness should be understood. For example, Allaah said,

“Verily, We created man and know what his soul whispers, for We are closer to him than his jugular vein.” - [Surah Qaaf, 16]

“O believers, respond to Allaah and His messenger when they call you that which will give you life. And know well that Allaah comes between a man and his heart. And to Him you will be gathered.” - [Surah al-Anfaal, 24]

These verse should not be taken to mean that Allaah is inside man at a point closer then his jugular vein or that He is inside man’s heart changing its states. They simply mean that nothing escapes Allaah’s knowledge, even the innermost thoughts of man, and nothing is beyond His power to control and change, even the emotions of the heart. As Allaah said,

“Don’t they realize that Allaah knows what they hide and what they expose.” - [Surah al-Baqarah, 77]

“(Remembers) when you were enemies and He put love between your hearts and by His blessings you became brothers.” - [Surah aal Imraan, 103]

and the Prophet (SAWS) often used to pray saying,

“Yaa muqallib al-Quloob (O, Changer of hearts) Thabbit Qalbee ‘alaa Deenik (steady my heart in Your Religion).” - [Collected by At-Tirmidhi]

Similarly, verse like

“There is not a secret consultation between three, but He is their fourth, nor between five but He is the sixth, nor between fewer nor more but He is in their midst wheresoever they may be...” - [Surah a;-Mujaadalah, 7]

should be understood according to their context. By reading the preceding segment of the same verse,

“Can you not see that Allaah knows all that is in the heavens and on earth?”

and the concluding segment of the verse,

“In the end He will tell them the truth of their conduct, on the Day of Judgement for Allaah has full knowledge of all things.”

It becomes clear that Allaah is here referring to His knowledge and not the fact that His Supreme Being is present among men, for He is above and beyond His creation.

As for the following statement which has been attributed to the Prophet (ρ), “The heavens and earth cannot contain Allaah, but the heart of the true believer contains Him,” it is inauthentic. But, even if it were taken at face value, there is no way that a logical person could deduce from it that Allaah is in mind. If a believer’s heart literally contains Allaah, and the believer is contained with in the heavens and earth, then Allaah is contained by the heavens and earth. Because, if A is inside of B, and B is inside of C, then A must also be inside of C.

Therefore, according to the classical Islamic outlook based on the Qur’aan and the Prophet’s Sunnah, Allaah is above the universe and its contents in a way which befits His majesty and He is not in anyway contained within His creation nor is it within Him, but His finite knowledge, mercy and power operate on every particle within it without any hindrance whatsoever.(Umar al Ashqar, al-‘Aqeedah fee Allah)

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The Purpose of Creation

THE PURPOSE OF CREATION IS A TOPIC THAT puzzles every human being at some point in his or her lifetime. Everybody at some time or another asks themselves the question “Why do I exist?” or “For what purpose am I here on earth?”

The variety and complexity of the intricate systems which constitute the fabric of both human beings and the world in which they exist indicate that there must have been a Supreme Being who created them. Design indicates a designer.

The Answer

To answer the question “Why did God create man?” it must first be determined from which perspective the question is being asked. From the point of view of God it would mean, “What caused God to create human beings?” while from the human point of view it would mean “For what purpose did God create humans?” Both points of view represent aspects of the intriguing question “Why do I exist?”

This is not a topic for human speculation, because human guesswork cannot possibly produce the whole truth in this matter. How can human beings intellectually deduce the reality of their existence when they can hardly understand how their own brain or its higher entity, the mind, functions? Consequently, the many philosophers who have speculated on this question down through the ages have come up with innumerable answers, all of which are based on assumptions which cannot be proven. Questions on this topic have even led a number of philosophers to claim that we do not really exist and that the whole world is imaginary. For example, the Greek philosopher Plato (428-348 BC) argued that the everyday world of changeable things, which man comes to know by the use of his senses, is not the primary reality, but is a shadow world of appearances. Many others, as was previously mentioned, claimed and continue to claim that there is no purpose for the creation of humans at all. According to them, Human existence is merely a product of chance. There can be no purpose if life evolved from inanimate matter which only became animate by pure luck. Humankind’s supposed ‘cousins,’ the monkey and apes are not bothered with questions of existence, so why should human beings be bothered with them?

Although most people put the question of why we are created aside after occasional brief reflection, it is extremely critical for human beings to know the answer. Without knowledge of the correct answer, human beings become indistinguishable from the other animals around them. The animal necessities and desires of eating, drinking and pro-creating become the purpose of human existence by default, and human effort is then focused in this limited sphere. When material satisfaction develops into the most important goal in life, human existence becomes even more degraded than that of the lowest of animals. Human beings will consistently misuse their God-given intelligence when they lack knowledge of their purpose of existence. The degraded human mind uses its abilities to create drugs and bombs and becomes engrossed in fornication, pornography, homosexuality, fortunetelling, suicide, etc. Without knowledge of the purpose of life, human existence loses all meaning and is consequently wasted, and the reward of an eternal life of happiness in the hereafter is completely destroyed. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that human beings correctly answer the question “Why are we here?”

Humans most often turn to other human beings like themselves for the answers. However, the only place that clear and precise answers to these questions can be found is in the books of divine revelation. It was necessary that God reveal the purpose to man through His prophets, because human beings are incapable of arriving at the correct answers by themselves. All of the prophets of God taught their followers the answers to the question “Why did God create man?”

Judeo-Christian Scriptures

A survey of the Bible leaves the honest seeker of truth lost. The Old Testament seems more concerned with laws and the history of early man and the Jewish people than with answering the vital question concerning humanity’s creation.

The Incarnation of God

Perhaps the only common concept to most Christian sects regarding the purpose of mankind’s creation is that God became man so that He could die at the hands of men to cleanse them of sin inherited from Adam and his descendants. According to them, this sin had become so great that no human act of atonement or repentance could erase it. God is so good that sinful man cannot stand before Him. Consequently, only God’s sacrifice of Himself could save humankind from sin.

Belief in this man-made myth became the only source for salvation, according to the Church. Consequently, the Christian purpose of creation became the recognition of the ‘divine sacrifice’ and the acceptance of Jesus Christ as the Lord God. This may be deduced from the following words attributed to Jesus in the Gospel according to John, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.(John, 3:16)”

Everything is God

The Hindu scriptures teach that there are many gods, incarnations of gods, persons of God and that everything is God, Brahman. In spite of the belief that the self (atman) of all living beings is actually Brahman, an oppressive caste system evolved in which the Brahmins, the priestly caste, possess spiritual supremacy by birth. They are the teachers of the Vedas and represent the ideal of ritual purity and social prestige. On the other hand, the Sudra caste are excluded from religious status and their sole duty in life is “to serve meekly” the other three castes and their thousands of subcastes.

According to Hindu monist philosophers, humankind’s purpose is the realization of their divinity and—following a path (marga) to emancipation (moksha) from the wheel of rebirth — the reabsorbtion of the human soul (atman) into the ultimate reality, Brahman. For those following the bhakti path, the purpose is to love God because God created humankind to “enjoy a relationship — as a father enjoys his children” (Srimad Bhagwatam). For the ordinary Hindu, the main aim of worldly life lies in conforming to social and ritual duties, to the traditional rules of conduct for one’s caste — the karma path.

In that final scripture, the Qur’aan (Koran), God revealed His purpose for creating mankind and, through His last prophet, He clarified all of the details which man could comprehend.

Why Did God Create?

FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF GOD, AN EVEN more fundamental question needs to be asked, “Why did God create?” This question should be asked because humankind is not, in fact, the greatest creation. God says in Chapter Ghaafir of the final revelation:

“Indeed, the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of mankind, but most of mankind do not realize it.” Qur’aan, 40:57

The composition of human beings is far less complex than the composition of the universe in which they exist. However, very few people reflect on this reality.

The Creator

Creation is fundamentally the consequence of the divine attribute of being the Creator. A creator who does not create is something of a contradiction in terms. This is not to say that God needs His creation. God is free from all needs. It is creation which needs Him. But, as the greatness of a writer becomes apparent in his writings, the perfection of the divine creative attribute is manifest in creation. Creation in the true sense is unique to God alone.

Some ancient as well as modern philosophers, who could not comprehend how God could create from nothing, claimed that the created world and its contents are all originally a part of God. That is, according to them, God took a part of Himself and made the universe. This conclusion is based on comparing God to man, who can only ‘create’ by modifying what already exists. However, God denies any such comparisons which would give Him human limitations. In Chapter ash-Shooraa of the final revelation, He states:

“There is nothing like Him and He is hearer and seer of all.”- Qur’aan, 42:11

Thus, the act of creation is a consequence of the divine attribute of being the Creator. God describes Himself as the Creator in a variety of verses throughout the final revelation to emphasize to humankind that everything belongs to Him alone.

“Allaah created all things and He is the agent on which all things depend.” - Qur’aan, 39:62

“And Allaah created you all and whatever you do.” - Qur’aan, 37:96

Man needs to realize that nothing takes place in this universe without the permission of God. To seek protection from evil or to seek to acquire good from any source other than God is a major mistake. Due to ignorance, many people attempt to avoid misfortune and to gain good fortune through a variety of charms and amulets, astrology, palmistry, etc. Consequently, in the final revelation, Chapter al-Falaq, God informs human beings to seek refuge in God from evil:

“Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn, from the evil of what He has created.” -Qur’aan, 113:1-2

Allaah, God Almighty, is not evil; He is good. He created a world in which evil or good can be done by beings to whom He gave this ability. However, no evil or good can take place in this world without the permission of God. This is why it is futile to turn to others besides God for help and protection.

“No calamity strikes except by Allaah’s permission” -  Qur’aan, 64:11

The final prophet of God, Muhammad (SAWS), further elaborated on this concept, saying, “Be aware that if the whole of mankind gathered together to do something to help you, they would only be able to do something for you which Allaah had already written for you. Likewise, if the whole of mankind gathered together to harm you, they would only be able to do something to harm you which Allaah had already written to happen to you.” -(Collected by At-Tirmidhee)

The Merciful, The Forgiving

In the creation of humankind, the divine attributes of forgiveness, mercy and kindness are also manifested. Human beings were created good and pure with a natural awareness of good and evil. The Almighty also created in humans desires, and gave them an ability to control those desires according to divine law or to turn them loose and follow them blindly. God created mankind knowing that they would disobey Him. Consequently, He taught human beings, beginning with Adam, how to repent and thereby purify themselves of their sins. Adam and Eve represent a pattern for all mankind to follow. They forgot the commandment of God, and Satan played on their desires. After they had disobeyed God, they turned back to Him in repentance, and He forgave them. In humankind’s disobedience and turning back to God in repentance, the divine attributes of total forgiveness and infinite mercy become manifest. The final Prophet (SAWS) informed his followers of this reality, saying, “If you did not commit sins and turn to Allaah, seeking His forgiveness, He would have replaced you with another people who would sin, ask Allaah’s forgiveness and He would forgive them.”(Sahih muslim) Every one of the 114 Chapters of the final revelation, except one, begins with the prayer, “In the name of Allaah, the Beneficent the Most Merciful.” Allaah’s attributes of mercy and forgiveness are stressed to encourage humans not to fall into despair. No matter how great the sins of human beings may be, God can forgive them if man turns back to Him in sincere repentance. The Messenger (SAWS) was quoted as saying, “When Allaah created the universe, He made an obligation on Himself [recorded] in a document kept by Him: My mercy supersedes my wrath.”(Sahih Muslim) He was also reported to have said, “[Allaah created] mercy with one hundred parts, one of which was sent down upon the jinn, human beings and other living beings. It is out of this one part that they love each other, show kindness to each other and even the animals treat their offspring with affection. Allaah has reserved the remaining ninety-nine parts for His true worshippers on the Day of Resurrection.

Had Allaah wished, He could have created mankind like angels, incapable of committing sin. However, that was not His wish, as He had already created angels. Human beings were created capable of making mistakes and when they realize their errors and seek God’s forgiveness, the divine attributes of mercy and forgiveness become manifest.

Supreme Justice

In the judgment of mankind at the end of this world, God’s attributes of supreme justice and fairness also become manifest. Based on His infinite knowledge, God could have created all members of the human race who were to live on earth and immediately placed some of them in paradise and the remainder in hell. Before creating man, Allaah already knew what choices they would make in this life, what provision and opportunities they would have.

If God had immediately placed those headed for paradise in paradise, they would not question God’s decision. Those in paradise would happily accept an everlasting life of bliss and be thankful that they were not placed in hell. However, those immediately placed in hell would ask why. They would feel a sense of unfairness due to their ignorance of what they would have done had they lived on earth. Those in hell would relentlessly argue that had they been given a chance to live out their lives on earth, they would have believed and done righteous deeds. Consequently, Allaah allows human beings to live out their lives on earth and make all the choices they would have made, so that everyone who enters hell will know that they chose hell by themselves. They will recognize God’s mercy in their lives and acknowledge their sin in rejecting His signs and guidance. And they will accept His judgment as being just and beyond reproach. However, they will still beg for another chance to do good in this world, as God says in Chapter as-Sajdah of the Qur’aan:

“If only you could see [the time] when the sinners will bow their heads before their Lord, [saying], ‘Our Lord! We have now seen and heard, so send us back and we will do righteous deeds. Verily, we now believe with certainty.’ ” - Qur’aan, 32:12

However, if Allaah were to send them back to this world having forgotten what they had seen of hell, they would again choose evil and end up in hell as before. God spoke about this in Chapter al-An‘aam,

“But if they were returned [to this world], they would certainly go back to what was forbidden to them. Indeed they are liars.” - Qur’aan, 6:28

Divine Love

God’s love is manifest in beings brought into existence, whether believer or disbeliever, to enjoy life, if only for a brief moment. It is also realized in the creation of paradise for those who choose righteousness over evil. Allaah states in the final revelation that He loves those who do good (5:13), those who are just (5:42), those who are pious (9:4), those who are patient (3:146), those who put their trust in Him (3:159), those who frequently turn to Him in repentance and those who purify themselves (2:222). However, it is He who has defined for human beings through the scriptures and the prophets what is good, just and pious. Consequently, those who follow the prophets are most beloved to God. In Chapter Aal ‘Imraan, Allaah instructed Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) to say the following to the believers:

“If you really love Allaah, follow me and Allaah will love you and forgive your sins.” - Qur’aan, 3:31

The prophets should be followed not only in the compulsory acts ordained by God, but also in their eagerness to do acts of voluntary worship.

The love of God is also manifest in His mercy and blessings which He grants to those who deserve them as well as those who do not. But, it is particularly manifest in His willingness to forgive the sins of whomsoever turns to Him in sincere repentance. From the creation of Adam and Eve, repentance was granted to them to erase their sins as an example to all human beings who would follow them into this world. No matter how great human sins may become, the door for sincere repentance remains open until the last day of this world. Anas quoted Allaah’s Messenger (ρ) as saying, “Allaah, the Almighty, has said: O son of Adam, as long as you call on Me and ask of Me, I will forgive what you have done, and I do not mind. O son of Adam, even if your sins reached the clouds and you asked My forgiveness, I will forgive you. O son of Adam, if you came to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and you met Me without giving Me partners, I will give you a similar amount of forgiveness.” - (Collected by at-Tirmidhi)

Divine Grace

As for those in paradise, they will not enter it solely based on their good deeds. It is the grace of God which will ultimately carry them there. The final Prophet of Allaah (SAWS) said in this regard, “Try your best to do right, and be happy. For none will enter paradise only because of his deeds.” His companions said, “O Messenger of Allaah! Not even you?” He replied, “Not even I, unless Allaah envelops me in His mercy and grace.(Sahih Muslim) And bear in mind that the deed most loved by Allaah is one done constantly, even though it is small.”(Sahih Muslim) However, God’s grace is not arbitrary. It is based on both correct faith and righteous deeds. In Chapter Aal ‘Imraan, Allaah says:

“Whoever brings a good deed, will have [the value of] ten like it, and whoever brings an evil deed will only be punished with one like it, and they will not be wronged.” - Qur’aan, 6:160

Were God to hold humankind to account strictly, no one’s good deeds would outweigh their evil deeds. However, God has manifested His grace by multiplying the value of good deeds, while keeping evil deeds at their face value. It is by the grace of God that the true believers enter Paradise. This does not mean that deeds have no role. Deeds have a major role, but they are not the deciding factor. God’s grace outweighs them.

Consequently, the creation of human beings, the errors that they make and the good that they do are all circumstances for the manifestation of God’s attributes of mercy and forgive-ness, His attribute of justice and His attribute of grace.

Humankind should not question why God chose to manifest His attributes in this way. It can only be assumed that this was the best way, because Allaah describes Himself as being the Most Wise and the Most Knowledgeable. Humans can only understand what Allaah chooses to reveal to them.

“They will only encompass of His knowledge what He wishes.” - Qur’aan, 2:255

Thus, they should not try to equate themselves with God. If He has told humankind why He decided to do something, it is not for them to question why He decided to decide. Such questions are without end and thus beyond human scope. It is they who will be questioned on the Day of Judgment about their actions and intentions and not He. In Chapter al-Ambiyaa, Allaah addresses this point:

“He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned.” - Qur’aan, 21:23

In this regard Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) was reported by Ibn ‘Abbaas to have said, “Reflect on the creation of Allaah but do not reflect on Allaah.”(Collected by Abu Nu’aym in al-Hilyah) To reflect on the reality of Allaah is to reflect on the infinite. And, as the mind boggles when it reflects on the limits of the finite universe and the galaxies and stars within it, it will be more confounded when it attempts to understand the uncreated. The Prophet (ρ) warned that the satanic forces would seek to introduce doubts in the hearts of the believers by raising unanswerable questions about God. Aboo Hurayrah related that Allaah’s Messenger (SAWS) said, “Satan will come to everyone of you and ask: Who created this and that?— until he questions: Who created your Lord? When he comes to that, one should seek refuge in Allaah [say: I affirm my faith in Allaah and His prophets]-(Sahih Muslim) and avoid [such thoughts].” - (Sahih Bukhari)

Why Did God Create Mankind?

FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF HUMANKIND, THE QUESTION “Why did God create man?” implies “For what purpose was man created?” In the final revelation, this question is answered without any ambiguity. Humans are first informed by God that every human being is born with an innate consciousness of God. In Chapter al-A‘raaf, Allaah said:

“[Remember] when your Lord extracted from the loins of Adam’s children their descendants and made them testify [saying]: ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said: ‘Yes, we testify to it.’ [This was] in case you say on the Day of Judgment: ‘We were unaware of this.’ Or you say: ‘It was our ancestors who worshipped others besides God and we are only their descendants. Will you then destroy us for what those liars did?’ ” - Qur’aan, 7:172-3

Consequently, every human being is responsible for belief in God, which is imprinted on each and every soul. It is based on this inborn belief that Allaah defined the purpose of humankind’s creation in Chapter ath-Thaariyaat :

“I have created the jinn and humankind only for My worship.” - Qur’aan, 51:56

The jinn are a class of invisible rational beings created by God from the elements of fire. They were endowed by God with free will, like mankind. Consequently, some of them are righteous believers and others are evil disbelievers. The evil among them are commonly called demons, evil spirits, devils, etc.

Thus, the essential purpose for which humankind was created is the worship of God. However, the Almighty is not in need of human worship. He did not create human beings out of a need on His part. If not a single human worshipped God, it would not diminish His glory in any way, and if all of mankind worshipped Him, it would not increase His glory in any way. God is perfect. He alone exists without any needs. All created beings have needs. Consequently, it is humankind that needs to worship God.

The Meaning of Worship

To understand why human beings need to worship God, one must first understand what is meant by the term ‘worship.’ The English term ‘worship’ comes from the Old English weorthscipe meaning ‘honor.’ Consequently, worship in the English language is defined as ‘the performance of devotional acts in honor of a deity.’ According to this meaning, man is instructed to show gratitude to God by glorifying Him. In Chapter an- Nasr of the final revelation, Allaah says:

“Glorify the praises of your Lord.” -  Qur’aan, 110:3

In glorifying God, man chooses to be in harmony with the rest of creation which naturally glorifies its Creator. Allaah addresses this phenomenon in many chapters of the Qur’aan. For example, in Chapter al-Israa, Allaah states:

“The seven heavens and the earth and whatever is in them glorify Him and there is nothing which does not glorify His praise. However, you do not understand their glorification.” - Qur’aan, 17:44

However, in Arabic, the language of the final revelation, worship is called ‘ibaadah, which is closely related to the noun ‘abd, meaning ‘a slave.’ A slave is one who is expected to do whatever his master wills. Consequently, worship, according to the final revelation, means ‘obedient submission to the will of God.’ This was the essence of the message of all the prophets sent by God to humankind. For example, this understanding of worship was emphatically expressed by Prophet Jesus in the Gospel according to Matthew, 7:21, “None of those who call me ‘Lord’ will enter the kingdom of God, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” It should be noted that ‘will’ in this quote means ‘what God wants human beings to do’ and not ‘what God permits humans to do,’ because nothing happens in creation without the will (permission) of God. The ‘Will of God’ is contained in the divinely revealed laws which the prophets taught their followers. Consequently, obedience to divine law is the foundation of worship. In this sense, glorification also becomes worship when humans choose to obey God’s instructions regarding His glorification.

The Need for Worship

Why do human beings need to worship and glorify God by obeying the divinely revealed laws? Because obedience to divine law is the key to success in this life and the next. The first human beings, Adam and Eve, were created in paradise and later expelled from paradise for disobeying the divine law. The only way for human beings to return to paradise is by obedience to the law. Jesus, the Messiah, was reported in the Gospel according to Matthew to have made obedience to the divine laws the key to paradise: Now behold, one came and said to him, “Good teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” So he said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”(matther 19:16-17) Also in Matthew 5:19, Jesus Christ was reported to have insisted on strict obedience to the commandments, saying, “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Remembrance of God

All of the various acts of worship contained in the divine laws are designed to help humans remember God.

“Verily, I am Allaah, there is no god beside Me, so worship Me and establish regular prayer for My remembrance.” - Qur’aan, 20:14

Regarding fasting, Allaah stated in Chapter al-Baqarah:

“O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you that you may become God-conscious.” - Qur’aan, 2:183

The believers are encouraged to remember God as much as possible.

“O believers! Remember Allaah often.” - Qur’aan, 33:41

Remembrance of God is stressed because sin is generally committed when God is forgotten. The final revelation, the Qur’aan, addresses this phenomenon in Chapter al- Mujaadalah as follows:

“Satan got the better of them and caused them to forget Allaah. Those are the party of Satan. Truly the party of Satan are the real losers” - Qur’aan, 58:19

God, through Divine law, has prohibited intoxicants and gambling primarily because they cause human beings to forget God.

“Satan’s plan is to incite enmity and hatred among you with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allaah and regular prayer. Will you not then abstain?” - Qur’aan, 5:91

Consequently, humankind need to remember God for their own salvation and growth.

“Those who, having done something shameful or having wronged their own souls, remember Allaah and immediately ask forgiveness for their sins...” - Qur’aan, 3:135

The Religion of Islaam

The most complete system of worship available to human beings today is the system found in the religion of Islaam. The very name ‘Islaam’ means ‘submission to the will of God.’ Although it is commonly referred to as ‘the third of the three monotheistic faiths,’ it is not a new religion at all. It is the religion brought by all of the prophets of God for humankind. Islaam was the religion of Adam, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. God addresses this issue in the final revelation with regard to Prophet Abraham, saying:

“Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was an upright Muslim who did not worship others besides God.” - Qur’aan, 3:67

Since there is only One God, and humankind are one species, the religion which God has ordained for human beings is one. He did not prescribe one religion for the Jews, another for Indians, yet another for Europeans, etc. Human spiritual and social needs are uniform, and human nature has not changed since the first man and woman were created. Consequently, no other religion is acceptable to God besides Islaam, as He clearly states in Chapter Aal ‘Imraan of the final revelation:

“Surely Allaah’s religion is Islaam.” - Qur’aan, 3:19

“And whoever desires a religion besides Islaam will not have it accepted, and he will be among the losers in the hereafter.” - Qur’aan, 3:85

Every Act Is Worship

In the Islamic system, each and every human act can be transformed into an act of worship. In fact, God commands the believers to dedicate their whole lives to Him. In Chapter al-An‘aam, Allaah says:

“Say: ‘Surely my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of all the worlds.’ ” - Qur’aan, 6:162

However, for that dedication to be acceptable to Allaah, each act must fulfill two basic conditions:

FIRST, THE ACT MUST BE DONE SINCERELY FOR the pleasure of God and not for the recognition and praise of human beings. The believer also has to be conscious of God while doing the deed to insure that it is not something forbidden by Allaah or the last Messenger (SAWS).

THE SECOND CONDITION IS THAT THE ACT BE done in accordance with the prophetic way, called in Arabic the Sunnah. All of the prophets instructed their followers to follow their way because they were guided by God. What they taught were divinely revealed truths, and only those who followed their way and accepted the truths would inherit eternal life in paradise. It is in this context that Prophet Jesus, may the peace and blessings of God be upon him, was reported in the Gospel according to John 14:6, as saying, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Similarly, ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood related that one day Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) drew a line in the dust for them and said, “This is Allaah’s path.” He then drew several lines [branching off] to the right and to the left and said, “These are the paths [of misguidance] on each of which is a devil inviting people to follow it.” He then recited the verse: “Verily, this is my path, leading straight, so follow it. And do not follow the [other] paths for they will scatter you about from Allaah’s path. That is His command to you in order that you may be conscious of Allaah.(Surah al-An’aam)” (Collected by Ahmad)  

Thus, the only acceptable way to worship God is according to the way of the prophets. That being the case, innovation in religious affairs would be considered by God among the worst of all evils. Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) was reported to have said, “The worst of all affairs is innovation in religion, for every religious innovation is a cursed, misleading innovation leading to the hellfire.”(Sahih Muslim) Innovation in the religion is forbidden and unacceptable to God. The Prophet (SAWS) was also reported by his wife, ‘Aa’ishah, to have said, “He who innovates something in this matter of ours, that is not of it, will have it rejected.” (Sahih Bukhari)

The Best of Creation

Those who believe in One Unique God, without partners or offspring, and do righteous deeds [according to the above-mentioned principles] become the crown of creation. That is, although humankind is not the greatest creation of Allaah, they have the potential to become the best of His creation. In Chapter al-Bayyinah, Allaah states this fact as follows:

“Surely, those who believe and do righteous deeds are the best of creation.” - Qur’aan, 98:6

The Gravest Sin

To contradict the purpose of one’s creation is then the greatest evil that a human being can commit. ‘Abdullaah reported that he asked Allaah’s Messenger (SAWS) which sin is the gravest in Allaah’s sight and he replied, “To give Allaah a partner, even though He created you.”(Sahih Muslim) Worshipping others besides God, called shirk in Arabic, is the only unforgivable sin. If a human being dies without repenting from his or her sins, Allaah may forgive all their sins except shirk. In this regard, God stated the following in Chapter an-Nisaa’:

“Surely Allaah will not forgive the worship of others besides Him, but He forgives sins less than that to whomever He wishes.” - Qur’aan, 4:48

“And they denied [the signs] wrongfully and arrogantly, though within themselves they were convinced of them.” - Qur’aan, 27:14

To atheists and materialists, life has no purpose beyond the fulfillment of their desires. Consequently, their desires also become the god which they obey and submit to instead of the One True God. In Chapter al-Furqaan of the final revelation, Allaah said:

“Have you seen the one who takes his desires as his god?” - Qur’aan, 25:43

Love of God

Shirk also occurs when human beings love, trust or fear the creation more than Allaah. In Chapter al-Baqarah of the last revelation, God said:

“There are among men those who worship others besides Allaah as equals to Him. They love them as only Allaah should be loved. But those who believe have a stronger love for Allaah.” - Qur’aan, 2:165

Anas ibn Maalik narrated that the Prophet (SAWS) said, “Whoever possesses [the following] three characteristics has tasted the sweetness of faith: he who loves Allaah and His Messenger above all else; he who loves another human being for Allaah’s sake alone; and he who hates to return to disbelief after Allaah has rescued him as he hates to be thrown into a fire.” - (Sahih Muslim)

“If you try to count Allaah’s blessings, you will not be able to add them up.” - Qur’aan, 14:34

However, the supreme love which humans should feel for God must not be reduced to the common denominator of their emotional love for creation. Just as the love humans feel for animals should not be the same as what they feel for other humans, the love of Allaah should transcend the love humans feel towards each other. Human love of God should be, fundamentally, a love manifest in complete obedience to the laws of God, as stated in Chapter Aal ‘Imraan, “If you love Allaah, then follow me [the Prophet] and Allaah will love you.”(Qur’an, 3:31) This is not an abstract concept, because human love of other humans also implies obedience. That is, if a loved one requests that something be done, humans will strive to do it according to the level of their love for that person.

The love of God should also be expressed in the love of those whom God loves. It is inconceivable that one who loves Allaah could hate those whom Allaah loves and love those whom He hates. The Prophet (ρ) was quoted by Aboo Umaamah as saying, “He who loves for Allaah and hates for Allaah, gives for Allaah and withholds for Allaah, has perfected his faith.”(Collected by Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, And Abu Dawood) Consequently, those whose faith is proper will love all those who love God. In Chapter Maryam, Allaah indicates that He puts love in the hearts of the believers for those who are righteous.

“Surely, Allaah will bestow love [in the hearts of the believers for] those who believe and do righteous deeds.” - Qur’aan, 19:96

Prayers

Prayers should only be directed to God alone, for only He can answer prayers. He is accessible as long as He is called upon sincerely.

“When My servants ask you [O Muhammad] about Me, [tell them] that I am near, I answer the prayer of everyone who calls on Me.” - Qur’aan, 2:186

The Prophet (SAWS) emphasized this point, saying, “If you ask in prayer, ask only Allaah, and if you seek help, seek it only from Allaah.”(At-Tirmidhi) Thus, prayer to human beings or through human beings, dead or living, is a form of shirk. The one to whom prayers are directed becomes an object of worship. An-Nu‘maan ibn Basheer reported that the Prophet (SAWS) said, “Supplication is worship.” -(Sunnan Abu Dawood)

“Surely, those whom you call on in prayer besides Allaah are servants like yourself.” - Qur’aan, 7:194

Thus, the Catholic Christian practice of praying to saints is shirk. If something is lost, Saint Anthony of Thebes is prayed to in order to help find it. St. Jude Thaddaeus is the patron saint of the impossible and is prayed to for intercession in incurable illnesses, unlikely marriages or the like. And it used to be that when someone set out on a journey, Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travelers, was the object of prayers for protection. However, in 1969 St. Christopher was unceremoniously struck off the list of saints by papal decree, after it was confirmed that he was fictitious. Prayers to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and to the angels, as on Michaelmas are also shirk. Even Christians who shun saint worship commit shirk whenever they direct prayers to Prophet Jesus, through him or in his name. Likewise, any Muslim who prays to Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) commits shirk. Consequently, God commanded the Prophet (SAWS)) to inform his followers as follows in Chapter al-A‘raaf:

“Say [O Muhammad]: ‘I have no power to bring good or avert harm even from myself, except if Allaah wills. If I had knowledge of the unseen, I would surely have accumulated only good and no evil would have befallen me.” - Qur’aan, 7:188

Aboo Hurayrah reported that when the verse “Warn your nearest relatives,”(Surah ash-Shura, 214) was revealed to the Prophet, he said the following to his relatives: “O people of Quraysh, secure deliverance from Allaah [by doing good deeds], for I cannot avail you at all against Allaah...O Faatimah, daughter of Muhammad, ask me whatever you wish [in this life], but I have nothing which can avail you against Allaah.” (Sahih al Bukhaari)

Why Did God Create Mankind on Earth?

The question concerning the purpose of mankind’s creation may be expanded to include the world in which they live. The question would then be, “Why did God create human beings in this world?”

“[It is He] who created death and life to test which of you is best in conduct; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving.” - Qur’aan, 67:2

“Surely I have created all that is on earth as its ornaments that I may test which of them is best in conduct.” - Qur’aan, 18:7

It should be noted, however, that the tests of conduct are not to inform God about humankind, for He knew everything there was to know about them before He created them. The tests serve to confirm on the Day of Judgment that those going to hell deserve it and those going to paradise only got there by God’s grace. With regard to human beings in this life, the test of conduct serves two basic purposes: one, human spiritual growth, and the other, punishment or reward.

Spiritual Growth

Generosity and Contentment

For example, in all human societies the qualities of generosity and contentment are considered among the most noble characteristics. However, neither of these traits can develop if everyone has the same amount of wealth. Generosity can only be acquired when the human soul—aware that sharing with the needy is good—struggles against its desire to hoard its possessions. On the other hand, contentment is produced when the soul defeats the evils of envy and greed. The Creator wisely sets the stage for these spiritual struggles by unequally distributing wealth in this world. In Chapter an-Nahl of the final revelation, Allaah says:

“Allaah has favored some of you over others in sustenance.” - Qur’aan, 16:71

“Know that your wealth and children are a test.” - Qur’aan, 8:28

“O believers! Do not allow your wealth and children to divert you from the remembrance of Allaah.” - Qur’aan, 63:9

“He raised some of you over others in rank to test you with what He granted you.” - Qur’aan, 6:165

The desire to accumulate wealth cannot be satisfied in this life. The more human beings have, the more they want. The Prophet (SAWS) stated, “If a man had a valley of gold, he would desire another, for nothing will fill his mouth but the dirt [of his grave]. And Allaah forgives whoever sincerely repents.” -(Sahih al Bukhaari)

“Take charity from their wealth to purify them and make them grow.” - Qur’aan, 9:103

“And in their wealth the beggars and needy have a right.” - Qur’aan, 51:19

However, giving in charity should be done sincerely for the pleasure of God

“O believers, do not destroy your acts of charity by reminders of your generosity and by injury.” - Qur’aan, 2:264

Craving for wealth is further enhanced by envy. Consequently, God also instructed us not to desire what He has given others.

“Do not wish for that by which Allaah has favored some of you over others.” - Qur’aan, 4:32

The Prophet (SAWS) reiterated this divine piece of advice, saying, “Look to those less fortunate than you, and do not look to those above you; it is better for you, in order that you do not deny what Allaah has blessed you with.”(Sahih Bukhari) Aboo Hurayrah quoted the last Messenger (SAWS) as saying, “Wealth is not [measured] in property, but in contentment.” -(Sahih Bukhari)

“Indeed, it is in the remembrance of Allaah that hearts find rest.” - Qur’aan, 13:28

Calamities

Tests of this life also come in the form of ‘misfortune’ and calamities which contribute to the spiritual growth of the true believers and purify them of sin. Conversely, life’s tests of misfortune remind errant believers to return to the correct path, and they punish disbelievers in this life before the next.

Patience

Calamities are the foundation on which the higher spiritual quality of patience is developed. Consequently, it is not surprising to find that the righteous are subject to many tragedies and difficulties in their lives. Sa‘d reported that he asked the Prophet (SAWS) who among mankind had the most trials, and he replied, “The prophets, then those most like them and then those most like them. Man is tested according to the level of his faith. If his faith is firm, his trials increase in severity, and if there is weakness in his faith, he will be tried accordingly.” -(At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah)

True patience is the product of complete trust in God at the time of calamity.

“The decision rests only with Allaah. I put my trust in Him alone, and all who trust should trust only in Him.” - Qur’aan, 12:67

Allaah further assures humankind that if they put their complete trust in Him, He will be sufficient for them in their most trying times.

“Whoever trusts in Allaah will find Him sufficient.” - Qur’aan, 65:3

“Perhaps you may dislike something and it is good for you, and you may like something and it is bad for you. Allaah knows and you do not.” Qur’aan, 2:216

The trials by which Allaah tests human beings are specifically tailored to their own individual needs and circumstances.

“And your Lord does not oppress anyone.” - Qur’aan, 18:49

“Allaah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.” - Qur’aan, 2:286

“For surely with difficulty comes [a period of] ease. Surely with the difficulty comes [another period of] ease.” Qur’aan, 94:5-6

Despair

“Do not kill yourselves, for surely Allaah is merciful with you.” - Qur’aan, 4:29

“Surely only a disbelieving people despair of Allaah’s mercy.” - Qur’aan, 12:87

Consequently, God has informed humankind that the punish-ment for those who harbor evil thoughts about Him is the eternal torment of hell. In Chapter al-Fat-h Allaah says:

“That He may punish the hypocrites, men and women, and the idolaters, men and women, who harbor evil thoughts about Allaah. An evil torment will encompass them, for Allaah is angry with them and curses them. And He has prepared hell for them; an evil end.” - Qur’aan, 48:6

Hope

On the other hand, the divine promises of justice and mercy fill the believers with the confidence necessary to patiently face the difficulties of this life. Consequently, hope in the mercy of God is an essential part of faith.

“O believers, seek help in patience and prayer. Truly, Allaah is with those who are patient.” - Qur’aan, 2:153

“Surely those who believed, emigrated and strove for the sake of Allaah, hope for Allaah’s mercy, for Allaah is Oft-Forgiving Most-Merciful.” - Qur’aan, 2:218

Of course, paradise is the reward for patience based on sincere belief in God. God informs the believers of their reward as follows:

“...so announce glad tidings [of paradise] to those who are patient; those who, when afflicted with calamity, say: Truly we belong to Allaah and to Him we will return.” - Qur’aan, 2:155-6

Patience is also based on the belief that whatever befalls mankind is fundamentally a consequence of their own evil deeds.

“Whatever befalls you is a result of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much.” - Qur’aan, 42:30

The fact is, God has excused humans for much of their evil. Were He to punish them strictly according to their deeds, they and all on earth would be destroyed. God addresses this issue in Chapter Faatir as follows:

“And if Allaah were to punish people for what they earned, He would not leave a living creature on the face of the earth.” - Qur’aan, 35:45

Suhayb ibn Sinaan related that the Messenger of Allaah (ρ) said, “The affair of the believer is amazing! The whole of his life is beneficial, and that is only in the case of the believer. When good times come to him, he is thankful and it is good for him, and when bad times befall him, he is patient and it is also good for him.”(Sahih Muslim) This is the state of one who has accepted God’s destiny. Consequently, belief in both the good and the apparent evil of what has been destined is the sixth pillar of faith in Islaam.

On the other hand, if the believers experience a life devoid of any problems, it should be taken as a sign that something is wrong. Under such circumstances, the true believer must take time out and reflect on the realities of his or her life. Either the tests are not obvious and they are unaware of them or they have deviated from the right path.

“Do not be awed by their wealth or their children. Allaah only wishes to punish them with these things in this life and allow their souls to die while they are in a state of disbelief.” - Qur’aan, 9:85

This is not to say that the believers should yearn for problems and calamities in their lives, for Allaah has taught them to pray: “Our Lord, do not put on us a burden like what you placed on those before us.”(Surah al Baqarah,286) Instead, they should thank Allaah for whatever trials He has spared them. However, in times of ease they must remain vigilant and not become oblivious to tests, for success and happiness often blind people to the trials of life.

Reminder

Tests sometimes serve as a punishing reminder to those who have gone astray and an encouragement for them to return to the correct path. When people deviate, they seldom listen to the advice of those around them. However, when a calamity strikes them or those near and dear to them, it jolts those who still have some faith into recognizing their error.

“I will make them taste a lesser punishment before the greater punishment that perhaps they may return [to the right path].” Qur’aan, 32:21

The test of calamities which remind humankind of their deviation may come in the form of man’s inhumanity to his fellow man, as in the case of the unspeakable atrocities unleashed by the Serbs against the Bosnian Muslims who had strayed far away from Islaam, or Saddam’s brutal invasion of Kuwait and America’s subsequent indiscriminate bombing of civilian targets in Iraq.

“Corruption has appeared on the land and in the sea because of what man’s hands have earned, in order that [Allaah] may make them taste a part of what they have done, and in order that they may return [to the right path].” Qur’aan, 30:41

Hypocrisy

Calamities also expose those who falsely claim faith, as well as show those who disbelieve that they choose hell by their own free will.

“Do people imagine that they will be left alone and not tested with affliction because they say, ‘We believe’? Indeed, I have tested those before you. Allaah will know those who are truthful and those who lie.” Qur’aan, 29:2-3

Punishment

Those who transgress the limits set by God expose themselves to punishment in this life and the next. Throughout the Qur’aan, Allaah describes numerous past nations who rejected divine guidance and were subsequently destroyed. These stories serve as warnings to humanity of the consequences of rebellion against the commandments of God. In Chapter an-Noor, Allaah gives a general warning as follows:

“Let those who contradict his command beware a trial or a severe punishment.” Qur’aan, 24:63

The punishment may come in a variety of different ways. Perhaps the most obvious punishment afflicting humankind in all countries today is the disease AIDS, which appeared for the first time in medical history in the beginning of the ’80’s. However, medical statistics show that such cases are relatively few in comparison to the other categories. In any case, Allaah has warned in Chapter al-Anfaal of the final revelation that when His punishment comes it is not limited to the evil, but affects the society as a whole.

“Beware of a trial which will not afflict only the sinful among you, and know that Allaah is severe in punishment.” Qur’aan, 8:25

One thousand four hundred years ago Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) prophesied the coming of such a trial. Ibn ‘Umar quoted him as saying, “Whenever promiscuity is openly practiced among a people, a plague and anguish will spread among them which was unknown to their predecessors.”(Ibn Maajah) 

However, AIDS is only one in a series of diseases. Before AIDS, a warning came in the form of another disease called herpes, which became widespread among the sexually promiscuous beginning in the 1960s and ’70s