Worshipping God, or Idols ?

‘Your God is the one God: there is no god except Him, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy. In the creation of the heavens and earth; in the alternation of night and day; in the ships that sail the seas with goods for people; in the water which God sends down from the sky to give life to the earth when it has been barren, scattering all kinds of creatures over it; in the changing of the winds and clouds that run their appointed courses between the sky and earth: there are signs in all these for those who use their minds.’ (2: 164 -165)

 

Islam privileges an uncompromising belief in the unicity of God as the true religion of people. In the Islamic tradition, the personal name of God is ‘Allah’, and in the Arabic language, ‘Allah’ has no plural, masculine or feminine form; the expression is never used for any other object or being. ‘He is Lord of the heavens and earth and everything in between so worship Him: be steadfast in worshipping Him. Do you know of anyone equal to Him?’ (19:66)

 

‘Say, ‘He is God the One, God the eternal. He begot no one nor was He begotten. No one is comparable to Him.’ (112: 2-5)

Many other Qur’anic verses also testify to the Lord’s awe-inspiring presence: ‘Allah is He besides Whom there is no god, the Ever-living, the Self-subsisting by Whom all subsist; slumber does not overtake Him nor sleep; whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His; who is he that can intercede with Him but by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they cannot comprehend anything out of His knowledge except what He pleases, His knowledge extends over the heavens and the earth, and the preservation of them both tires Him not, and He is the Most High, the Great.’ (2:256)

'Surah Al-Kafirun': A Commentary

Chapter 109 of the Holy Quran

‘In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Say, “O disbelievers, I do not worship what you worship. Nor are you worshippers of what I worship. Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship. Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship. For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.’

 

Despite the fact that before Islam the Arabs did not deny God, but they did not know Him by His true identity of One and Eternal. They did not devalue Him either, but associated Him with other partners, idols who were supposed to represent godly ancestors or angels who they believed were the daughters of God. In addition, they implied that there was a relationship between Him and the jinns. They forgot His attributes and worshiped other idols. But in any case, as the Quran says, they said:

 

“We only worship them that they may bring us nearer to Allah in position.” (Az-Zumar, 39: 4).

 

Moreover, the Quran says: “If you were to ask them: “Who has created the heavens and the earth and subjected the sun and the moon?” They will surely reply: ‘Allah.’” (Al-Ankabut, 29 : 62).

 

“If you were to ask them: ‘Who sends down water (rain) from the sky, and gives life therewith to the earth after its death?’ They will surely reply: ‘Allah.’” » (Al-Ankabut 29: 64).

 

Despite their belief in God, polytheism distorted their concept as well as their traditions and rites to such an extent that they allotted part of their property to these gods, and even their children.

God: Atheistic Fallacies

“Eyes cannot reach Him but He reaches the eyes. And He is the Incomprehensible, the All-Aware.” (Al-Anam, 6: 104).

In this verse, God draws the attention of man to the fact that his eyes are not capable of seeing Him, for He is Subtle and subtle things cannot be perceived by the eyes. What then is the way of knowing God? He answers this question by saying; “but He reaches the eyes”, i.e., though the eye of man is not capable of seeing Him, yet He reveals Himself to man by a display of His powers and by a manifestation of His attributes. Manifold are the ways in which He reveals Himself to man. He displays His unlimited power, sometimes by terror-striking signs, sometimes through prophets, sometimes by signs of mercy, and sometimes by accepting prayer.

Of all the doctrines and beliefs that have been subjected to in this age of materialism, the greatest is the belief in the existence of God. The idolater sets up other gods with God, but he believes at least in the existence of God. The atheist, however, denies the very existence of the Supreme Being. As in the present day science everything is based on observation, hence the demand of the Atheist is: If there is a God, show Him to us. How can we believe in Him without seeing Him?

As Western influences have gone a long way towards effacing from the hearts of many young people the imprint of the Divine Being and hundreds of college students, barristers, etc., have begun to deny the existence of God, and there are thousands of persons, who, through refraining from an open declaration of their views through fear of the community, have really no faith in Him, therefore Allah inspired me to write this sermon so that some fortunate soul may derive benefit from it.