The basic beliefs & practices of Muslims starts with the Five Pillars of Islam, which are the following:1. Testimony -
This is a verbal declaration that anyone who wants to become a Muslim must say publicly. This statement is the following:“I testify that there is no god (no true object of worship) except Allah (the Lord of the Universe; free from any type of imperfections. He who has no parents and no children; who cannot be compared to anything that is created.), and I testify that Muhammad (Muhammad the Son of `Abd-il-lah [Not to be confused with Elijah Muhammad of the Nation of Islam!!!], who lived over 1400 years ago, he whom the Qur’an was revealed to) is the Messenger of Allah.1
2. Prayer-
Once someone officially becomes a Muslim, by pronouncing the Testimony, he/she must then begin to pray five times per day, at specific times of the day.2
3. Alms-
This is a specific type of charity, that is mandated to be given by anyone who is a Muslim. The general percentage of what is to be given is 2.5%, deducted from an annual, unspent portion of a Muslim’s wealth. This is the most basic form of paying Alms.3
4. Fasting-
Fasting is mandated for anyone who is a Muslim, during the month of Ramadhan. The duration of time that Muslims fasts is from Dawn (which is approximately an hour & a half before Sunrise) until Sunset. During fasting hours, Muslims are prohibited from having any foods, drinks, sexual intercourse with spouses and of course anything else that is normally prohibited for Muslims when not fasting.4
5. Pilgrimage-
This is a religious journey to the Sacred Mosque in Makkah, present-day Saudi Arabia. There, Muslims perform various rituals which has been passed down to us dating back to Abraham (Peace be upon him), who was commanded by Allah to establish the Pilgrimage, and also built the Ka`bah (literally meaning “Cube” in the Arabic langauge)5 It is a large structure, which Muslims circulate around seven times, as one of the rituals of the Pilgrimage.) along with his son, Ishmael (Peace be upon him). Every Muslim is mandated to make Pilgrimage once in one’s lifetime, providing one has the ability to do so.5
1. Al-`Aqidat-ul-Islamiyyah (Islamic Creed), Muhammad Jamil Zino
2. Ibid; Fataw-al-Islamiyyah (Islamic Vwrdicts), the Permanent Committee of
Islamic Jurists, Saudi Arabia
3. Ibid
4. Ibid
5. Lisan-ul-`Arab (The Arabic Language [Lexicon of the Arabic Language]), Muhammad
ibn-Manzhur
6. Ibid; Qasas-ul-Anbiya’ (Stories of the Prophets), Isma`il Ibn-Kathir ad-Dimashqy
Courtesy of G.M. Bryant
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Continuing from where we left of with the five Pillars of Islam, we will now discuss the Six Pillars of Faith:
1. Allah-As Muslims we believe that Allah is the only true god in existence. He is not the father nor the son of anyone or anything. There is nothing comparable to Him. He possesses complete control over life & death, and maintains the entire Universe by Himself. He has unlimited Knowledge, Vision, Hearing, Awareness, Greatness, Power, and Ability. Only Him do we worship.12. The Angels-Unlike the Humans, who possess the gift of Free-Will, the Angles only do and say what Allah tells them. They do not disobey Allah in any way. They were created to act as assistants to Allah, even though He does not need their assistance for anything. They are assigned to assist the Humans in our daily affairs, as well as record our good and evil deeds. The four main Angles the are described in detail in the Qur’an, as well as in the Tradition of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) are: Jibril (Gabriel), Mikal (Michael), Israfil (the Trumpet-Blower), and Malak-ul-Mawt (the Angle of Death). Jibril is the chief Angle. He instructs all of the Angles of what their assignments are. He was also the Transmitter of Revelation to the Prophets & Messengers (Peace be upon them all-together). Mika’il is responsible for regulating the weather patterns, and movement of the clouds in the sky. Israfil is responsible for blowing the Trumpet, which will signify the Day of Standing, when every Human will stand before Allah, and be held accountable for whatever he held in his heart, said with his tongue, and did with his hands. Malak-ul-Mawt is responsible for taking the souls of the Humans, at the time of death (Peace be upon them all-together).23. The Books-The books that Allah revealed to Humanity, as a form of guidance are many. However all of them have been changed by evil individuals; those who kept certain parts of their books and discarded other parts. The only book that has remained unchanged is the Qur’an. The names of the previous books revealed to Humanity number only three, and they are: the Torah, the Psalms, and the Gospel.3
4. The Messengers-
The Messengers are those from Humanity, whom were chosen by Allah, to be given His Books of Revelation. They were also chosen to establish the Oneness of Allah (Islamic-Monotheism: The complete worship of Allah alone, as one god), and to rid Humanity of the evil of Association (Polytheism: The exact opposite of Islamic-Monotheism). They were given commandments as well as prohibitions, within the books that were given to them. There are six Messengers that are known to us by name, and they are: Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus and Muhammad (Peace be upon them all-together).4
5. The Last Day-
On this there will never be another day like it ever again. Also known as the Day of Standing, the Day of Gathering, and the Day of Accountability. On this day, every Human will stand before Allah and give account for his beliefs, statements, and actions. Based upon the merit of our record, we will then be sent to either the Paradise for infinite pleasure, or to the Fire for infinite punishment.5
6. The Decree (Destiny)-
We believe that every single thing that has ever occurred, does occur, or will occur has been determined by Allah before it took place. The Decree must be accepted, no matter how good or how bad a situation may be.6
1. Al-..Aqidat-ul-Islamiyyah (Islamic Creed), Muhammad Jamil Zino; Fataw-al-
Islamiyyah (Islamic Verdicts), Perminent Commitee of Islamic Jurists, Saudi
Arabia; Arkan-ul-Iman (Tenets of Faith), Muhammad Ibn-Salih al-..Uthaymin
2. Kitab-ul-Iman (The Book of Faith), Ahmad Ibn-Taymiyyah
3. Qasas-ul-Anbiya’ (Stories of the Prophets), Isma..il Ibn-Kathir ad-Dimashqy
4. Ibid.
5. Arkan-ul-Iman6. Al-..Aqidat-ul-Islamiyyah
Courtesy of G.M. Bryant
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Manhood:
Everyone has a definitive description of what a man is, no matter what respective religion, culture, society or environment influences them. Well, for the Muslim, Allah has given us His own descriptions of what Manhood is, according to His Book and the Tradition of His Messenger (Peace be upon him).
Some of these descriptions are the following:
1. Sense of Purpose-
According to the Legislation of Allah, Men know who they are, and why they exist. Then, one may ask…”what does all of that mean”…well, I will tell you. Knowing who you are means that you know Allah has created you, just like he created everything else in this vast Universe that we live in.1 Knowing that it was as easy for Allah to create the Human race as it was creating the Galaxies & Solar Systems.2
It is also knowing that out of all the other types of created things in the Universe, that Allah has favored the Humans over everything else.3 Knowing why you exist is of special importance. It is not to just “party & bullshit”, or just “kick back & relax”, or to “get rich”. We have responsibilities; first to Allah who created us, that we worship nothing except Him. Then, to take care of the Earth, everything that lives on it and in it.4 The whole issue of “Global-Warming” is proof that we as Humans have failed in our responsibilities, referring to caring for the Earth.5
2. Sense of Accountability-
Any Man who is a real Man knows that since he did not create himself, nor is responsible for his own existence, depends solely upon Allah who created him. He also knows that since he did not bring himself into existence, than he cannot waste his existence. The Human is on borrowed time. Therefore, he must be steadfast concerning his purpose, which was mentioned previously. He also accepts the fact that Allah expects certain things from him; that he does what Allah has told him to do, and to refrain from what Allah has told him not to do. He realizes that Allah has set guidelines and rules for Mankind to obey, which must be respected. He knows that Humans are not privileged to live their lives how they want to. Rather, all of Humanity must humble themselves to the Legislation of their Lord, who is Allah. Otherwise, in the Hereafter; he will have much to answer for. There will be a Day, when all of Mankind will stand before Allah. They will be questioned about what they held in their Hearts, said on their Tongues, and did with their Hands. This Day is known as the Day of Standing.6
3. Sense of Ethics-
Real Men know that they have to be good examples. Firstly to please Allah, then to show others how to fulfill one’s purpose for existence properly.
I will now specify some aspects of Ethics:
1. Integrity-
Men are upright, never compromising their principles. They say and do the right things, even if or when those things are not popular. Even when they face strict opposition. They have their own minds and think for themselves. They are leaders, not followers. Most of all, they stand firm upon the Legislation of Allah with no apologies.7
2. Discipline-
Men are able to control themselves in any situation. Whether it is in a physical conflict,or relations with the opposite gender. They are not easily broken. They are able to resist temptations and desires, because they know that Allah is the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing, the All-Hearing, and the All-Aware.8
3. Respect-
Men have regard and concern for all of the Creation Allah, whether it is an ant, or their own parents. They are not belligerent, or over bearing upon the rest of creation. They are not abusive to anyone or anything. Above all, they hold the Legislation of Allah in the highest regard.9
4. Philanthropy-
Men are selfless. They sacrifice all of what Allah gives them for His pleasure, and the betterment of His creation. They are not just concerned for themselves. They are deeply connected to the creation of Allah, and have no problem giving their all to improve the condition of anyone or anything.10
1. The Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 96, V. 1-4;
Tafsir-ul-Jalalayn (Interpretation of the Qur’an), Safiyy-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakfury
2. The Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 87, V. 1-4;
Tafsir Ibn-Kathir (Interpretation of the Qur’an), Isma`il Ibn-Kathir ad-Dimashqy
3. Qasas-ul-Anbiya’ (Stories of the Prophets), Isma`il Ibn-Kathir ad-Dimashqy
4. The Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 2, V. 30, Qasas-ul-Anbiya’
5. “An Inconvenient Truth”, Albert Gore, Ex Vice-President, U.S.A.
6. The Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 75
7. The Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 18, V. 14
8. The Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 23, V. 1-11
9. The Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 4, V. 1
10. The Noble Quran: Chpt. 2, V. 3
Clarification concerning Misconceptions about
Islam & Muslims:
I would like to clarify some common misconceptions about Islam & Muslims, which have been taken to be factual by both Non-Muslims. I purposely chose to mention theological issues, being that these issues are of the utmost importance.
1. Allah (means “God”) is the Arabic word for “God”:
The word for god in the Arabic language is “Ilah”, hence the famous Islamic slogan: (“La ilaha illal-lah”) “There is no god except Allah”.1 This slogan is one half of the Islamic Testimony of Faith, which is required to be said by someone who wants to become a Muslim. The word “Ilah” (much like the word “God” in English2) means an object of worship.3 Based upon that, anything or anyone can be a god. In fact, the Islamic definition of this first half of the Testimony means that there is no object of worship in truth except Allah. People worship many different things like fame, fortune, power, etc. There are all types of gods, but there is only one Allah. The word “Allah” is a very unique word in the Arabic language, because it cannot be made dual, plural, feminine, indefinite or an object of possession (i.e. in the Arabic language a person cannot say: “two Allah’s”, “three Allah’s”, “feminine Allah”, “an Allah”, or “my Allah”). Many people may very well ask: Well, what does Allah mean if not “God”? My answer to that would simply be this: the name “Allah” is a specific word in the Arabic language, chosen by the Lord of the Universe as His principal name, even though He informs us in His Book (the Qur’an) of His other names.4 The closest possible translation of the word “Allah” in English would be “The One-True God”.
2. Muslims worship Muhammad:
Muslims are not allowed to worship anyone except Allah Himself. We do not give created things any level of Divinity. Divinity is only for Allah, and He does not share His Divinity with anyone.5 Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is only the Messenger of Allah6; the one whom was given the Book of Allah (the Qur’an). Allah taught him His speech (the Qur’an) though he could not read or write it.7
3. Muslims worship Stones & Statues:
Not only are Muslims prohibited from worshipping other Humans, we are also banned from worshipping Animals, forces of Nature, Planets & Stars,engraved images,sculptures, etc. There has been some people and groups who have suggested that Muslims worship the Black-Stone, which is embedded in one of the corners of the Ka`bah in the Sacred Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, as well as an ancient Pagan-Arab goddess named Al-Lat, whom many have stated that the Muslims got the name “Allah” from the name “Al-Lat”. Many people lie upon the Muslims, accusing us of not being truly monotheistic. Theologically, as well as linguistically this is all wrong. Firstly, Allah tells us in His Book how the Pagan-Arabs worshipped many other gods & goddesses, including Al-Lat.8 Secondly, the names “Allah” & “Al-Lat” are two completely different words in the Arabic language with separate meanings.9
4. Islam means “Peace”:
The word Islam does not mean “Peace”, rather it means submission. In fact, the Islamic definition of this word means: “Submission to Allah with Oneness (meaning to worship Allah alone, as one god), to humble one’s self with it, and to free one’s self from Association (Polytheism) and its (branches) people.10
5. Muslims believe in the Bible:
We do not accept the Bible as the word of Allah, because of what the word Bible means. The word itself simply means a collection of books.11We do believe in the Torah, Psalms, and Gospel as they were first revealed. Allah informs us of how the people whom these previous books were initially revealed to eventually changed what was in those books.12
6. Muslims do not believe in Jesus:
We do believe that Jesus (Peace be upon him) is in fact the Christ (for the record, Allah mentions him as the Christ more than five times in the Qur’an)13,but that is as far as it goes. We do not regard him as the “Son of Allah” because he is not. We also do not regard him as the one who died for the sins of Humanity.14 Allah has no parents, no children, and no equal.15
7. Islam is an “Abrahamic-Faith”:
The whole concept that Islam, Judaism, and Christianity have the same origin is ridiculous. Islam predates Abraham (Peace be upon him), because according to Islamic text, the first Muslim was the first Human, Adam (Peace be upon him).16 As for Judaism & Christianity, these two religions did not exist during the lifetime of Abraham (Peace be upon him), on the contrary, they appeared at least 3,000 years after the death of Abraham (Peace be upon him).17
8. Muhammad was the founder of Islam:
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) did not founded Islam. Islam predates him as well as Abraham (Peace be upon him), which was previously mentioned. He was however the Seal of the Prophets & Messengers who called Humanity to Islam.18
9. Members of the “Nation of Islam” or the “Five-Percent Nation” are Muslims:
The “Nation of Islam” is a total facade. Formerly led by Elijah Poole (better known as “Elijah Muhammad”) taught his followers that the founder of the “Nation of Islam”, a man named Wali Farad (better known as “Master Fard Muhammad”) was Allah (as well as the fallacy that African-Americans were a “Nation of Gods”), and that he was the “Messenger of Allah”; who was sent to the “Black-Man” in the Western Hemisphere, often referring to them as the “Lost Tribe of Shabazz”.19 This man was a complete theological fraud; who preyed upon the ignorance of his own people (to acquire dominance in the African-American community) for his own selfish interests. He never taught his followers the correct theological fundamentals of Islam, and is personally responsible for misguiding countless African-Americans, as well as painting an overall false image of Islam & Muslims to other people across the globe. As for the “Five-Percent Nation”, their founder was a rogue member of the “Nation of Islam” named “Clarence 13X”. The core beliefs of both the “Nation of Islam” & the “Five-Percent Nation” are almost identical, with the exception that the divinity of the “Black-Man” is emphasized more among “Five-Percenters”. They also have a belief that they are the selected few who are righteous, thus making them only 5% of the Human population. Everyone else falls into the category of either the “Eighty-Fivers”; the 85% who are the “Ignorant-Masses” or the 10% who “Build & Destroy”. They also practice Numerology, something that is regarded as a Major-Sin according to Islamic-Law.20
10. Muslims, Jews and Christians believe in the same god:
If Muslims, Jews and Christians all believed in the same god then there would be no such thing as a Muslim, Jew or Christians would there? The Jews believe that they are the chosen “People of God”. Does this mean that every single Human that ever lived who is not Jewish is damned? The Christians believe that Jesus (Peace be upon him) died for their sins. What about all of the other Humans that ever lived before the time of Jesus (Peace be upon him) are they also damned? Where is the justice? As Muslims we believe that Allah has sent guidance to every nation, and to every people, regardless of ethnicity, regional, or continental origin.21
1. Lisan-ul-`Arab (The Arabic Language [Lexicon of the Arabic Language]), Muhammad ibn-Manzhur
2. Webster’s Dictionary
3. Al-`Aqidat-ul-Islamiyyah (Islamic Creed), Muhammad Jamil Zino
4. Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 59, V. 22-24
5. Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 18, V. 26
6. Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 48, V. 29
7. Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 7, V. 157
8. Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 53, V. 19
9. Lisan-ul-`Arab, Chick Publications
10. Al-Qawl-ul-Mufid (Beneficial Speech), Muhammad ibn-`Abd-il-Wahhab ibn-`Aly al-Wasaby
11. Webster’s Dictionary
12. Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 2, V. 65 & 79; Chpt. 5, V. 60
13. Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 3, V. 40; Chpt. 4, V. 156, 157 & 171;
Chpt. 5, V. 17, 72 & 75; Chpt. 9, V. 30 & 31
14. Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 4, V. 157
15. Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 112, V. 3 & 4
16. Qasas-ul-Anbiya’ (Stories of Prophets), Isma`il Ibn-Kathir ad-Dimashqy
17. Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 3, 67
18. Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 33, 40
19. Message to the Black Man in America, Elijah Muhammad;
World Religions, MacMillan Compendium, MacMillan
Library Reference, U.S.A.; Encyclopedia of African-American Religions
20. Al-Kaba’ir (The Major-Sins), Muhammad ibn-`Uthman adh-Dhahaby
21. Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 16, V. 36
Courtesy of G.M. Bryant
Distributed by D.a`wah U.nlimited A.lliance
The Reasons Muslims do not celebrate Non-Islamic Holidays:
We must first examine the meaning of the word “holiday”. Holiday (from the Old English; Haligdaeg, which means holy-day):
The day or days of a religious festival.1
It is obvious that even from the definition of the word means that inherently this term has deep religious significance. As Muslims, we are only allowed to partake in celebrations & festivals that have been specifically dictated to us by our Lord, who is Allah; the Lord of the Heavens & the Earth, He who has neither parent nor child, and His Messenger who is Muhammad, the Son of `Abd-il-lah (Peace be upon him); the Seal of the Prophets & Messengers. The one whom the Qur’an was revealed to.2 As Muslims, we only have two holidays; the first being the 1st day of (the 10th month of the Islamic Calendar) Shawwal, which indicates the end of (fasting) Ramadhan. The name of this holiday is called the Celebration of the Feast.3 The second being the 10th day of (the 12th month of the Islamic Calendar) Dhul-Hijjah, which commemorates the sacrifices that Allah commanded Abraham (Peace be upon him) to make, like sacrificing his first born son, Ishmael (Peace be upon him). The name of this holiday is called the Celebration of the Sacrifice.4 Muslims are not allowed to participate in any celebration or festivity, which has any Non-Islamic origins, like the glorification of false gods.5 We also do not celebrate our holidays whenever we want to. Our days of festivities & merriment are standardized, and are only to be observed on the days which Allah and His Messenger (Peace be upon him) legislated.
Examples of some Non-Islamic holidays & their origins:
Valentine’s Day:
Initially, an annual Roman holiday of fertility, the Lupercalia (also called the Lupercalis)6 in honor of Lupercus, the “god of Livestock”. Each year eligible men & women (in every city, town, or village) would be paired together in a lottery. One of the rituals of this holiday was to slaughter innumerable amounts of goats, take the goat blood and smear it upon the eligible women, in the hope that it would give them the potential to conceive. As Christianity spread across continental Europe, the Catholic Church wanted to legitimize the Lupercalia. So onFebruary 14th, 496 C.E., the Lupercalia was renamed SaintValentine’s Day in commemoration of two Catholic Saints, both named Valentine.
Easter:
From the name Eastre, the ancient Germanic “goddess of Spring & Fertility”,7 the celebration of Easter was originally a festival commemorating the (Spring-Solstice) first day of Spring. Many traditions of early Germanic Easter-type folklore have been preserved to the present-day, like the legend of the “Easter Bunny”. According to Germanic traditions, the Rabbit represented fertility. Another people that contributed to Easter were the ancientGreeks. According to Greek mythology, Persephone,8 (daughter of Demeter the “goddess of the Earth”) was brought back to life, and returned to the Earth from the Underworld. This legend inspired the Greeks to formulate the belief that Spring represented life, while Winter represented death. Even the Hebrew word Pesach,9 which means “Passover” is linguistically synonymous with the Greek word Pasha, which means “Easter”. Many early Christians (who were of Jewish origin) added the celebration of Easter to Passover, in commemoration of the “Resurrection” of Jesus Christ (Peace be upon him).
Halloween:
Originally a Celtic holiday (from the ancient religion of Druidism10). This celebration commemorated the arrival of Autumn & Winter. The name of this holiday was originally called Samhain, which used to begin on the night of October 31st. According to the Druids, the spirits of those who had died the previous year were roaming the Earth on this day. In order to appease these “lost souls” the Druids would make sacrificial offerings; things like food, and other types of gifts were thought to have pleased the dead. Even humans & animals were sacrificed on this day. Large bonfires were also part of the general festivities. By the end of the 1st century, the Roman Empire swept across Europe, even to the British Isles, the home of the Druid-Celts. As a result, the Romans began to emulate religious rituals, and festivals of its conquered peoples. When Christianity became the dominant religion in Europe, the Catholic Church would often Christianize pagan holidays, in order to satisfy their newly converted (formerly pagan) populous. The holiday Samhain was no different. In 835 C.E., Pope Gregory IV11 changed the name of Samhain to “All-Saint’s Day”. It was later changed to “All Souls Day”, in 998 C.E., and would later be change to Allhallows Day or Hallowmas, and finally to Halloween. The night before Halloween was named Hallows Eve.
Thanksgiving:
Thanksgiving draws its roots from traditional European harvesting festivals. These festivals commemorated successful harvesting seasons. In the British Isles, a very similar festival was observed on August 1st. According to the traditional method of celebration, this festival was only commenced when a harvesting season was successful; if not then the festival was usually cancelled. The official holiday (modern version) of “Thanksgiving” began in North America, with the Puritans. At first, Thanksgiving was observed on a non-annual basis, depending on circumstances. Usually, Thanksgiving was specifically observed because of times of crisis, or after some type of misfortune had passed.
Christmas:
Originally, a seven-day Roman festival known as theSaturnalia.12 This celebration began on December 17th, which commemorated Saturn the “god of Agriculture”, as well as the (Winter-Solstice) first day of Winter. During the Saturnalia, the Romans halted trade, warfare, exchanged gifts, and even gave their slaves temporary freedom. There were many additions to this holiday, like the festival of Mithra13, the Persian “god of Light”. They would glorify Saturn & Mithra by making sacrificial offerings, along with other regular acts of worship. With the combination of the Saturnalia and the festival of Mithra, these festivities extended all the way to January 1st. This marked the first day of the month of the new year (According to the Julian-Calendar). As Christianity swept across Europe, the Catholic Church began to adopt and Christianize traditional pagan holidays once practiced by their new converts, as an incentive to keep them as Christians. The Saturnalia was eventually renamed “Christmas”, in honor of the “birth” of Jesus Christ (Peace be upon him), even though there is no known religious, or historical proof that Jesus (Peace be upon him) was even born in the Winter, much less on December 25th. Actually, December 25th was the birth of Mithra, according to ancient Persian mythology.
It has become very clear that the holidays so many people from around the world know & love havepagan origins. For those who claim to be monotheistic (particularly Jews & Christians), you must now evaluate what you allow yourselves, and your families to celebrate as holidays. If you claim to be an upright Jew or Christian, yet still partake in these types of holidays, then you have a serious theological dilemma.
According to the teachings of the Old Testament (the Torah), idolatry is the worst thing that a human being could commit. However, the holidays that represent this same type of abomination have been preserved by the same people who claim to shun polytheism, and are still celebrated as though nothing is wrong, why?
Allah tells us: “They took their Rabbis, and Priests, and the Christ, the Son of Mary as lords besides Allah, and they were not commanded except to worship one god. There is no god except Him. Glorified is He above whatever they associate”.14
When Muhammad (Peace be upon him) related this verse for the first time to his Companions (May Allah be pleased with them all-together), one of them, a former Jew, by the name of `Ady bin-Hatim proclaimed that the Rabbis were not worshiped. Then (Muhammad) he asked him: “Did they not make unlawful what Allah made lawful, and lawful what Allah made unlawful, so you also made it lawful? He (`Ady bin-Hatim) replied: Of course!!! He (Muhammad) said: That is their worship”.15
Based on that Prophetic statement, the Jews & Christians definitely worshiped their scholars, because they made unlawful what Allah made lawful for them, and lawful what Allah made unlawful for them, and they listened to their scholars. They worshiped them because they listened to them when they were wrong. The fact that so many pagan holidays (like Halloween & Valentine’s Day) are celebrated by the Christians validates that statement.
Allah also tells us: “So do not make with Allah rivals, and you know better”.16 The meaning of this verse is not to worship anything other than Allah, or give anything the same status that Allah possesses, like Divinity. Only Allah possesses Divinity, and does not share His Divinity with anything. Both the Jews & Christians are guilty of making rivals with Allah.
As He says in His Book: “And the Jews say Ezra is the Son of Allah, and the Christians say the Christ is the Son of Allah. That is their statement from their own mouths. They (imitate) repeat the statement of those who disbelieved from before. Allah has cursed them; they are rejectors”.17
1 Webster’s Dictionary
2 Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 4, V. 39
3 Fataw-al-Islamiyyah (Islamic Verdicts), the Permanent Committee of
Islamic Jurists, Saudi Arabia
4 Fataw-al-Islamiyyah; Qasas-ul-Anbiya’ (Stories of the Prophets), Isma`il
ibn-Kathir ad-Dimashqy
5 Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 7, V. 138; Kitab-ut-Tawhid the Book of Islamic-
Monotheism), Muhammad ibn-`Abd-il-Wahhab; The Right Way, Ahmad ibn-
Taymiyyah
7 Encarta Encyclopedia
8 Encyclopedia Britannica
9 Encarta Encyclopedia
10 Encylopedia Britannica
11 Encyclopedia Britannica
12 Encarta Encyclopedia
13 Ibid.
14 Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 9, V. 31; Kitab-ut-Tawhid
15 Musnad-Ahmad, Ahmad ibn-Hanbal; Sunan-ut-Tirmidhy, Muhammad ibn-`Isa ibn-Surat ibn-Musa ibn-ud-Dhahhak as-Sulaymy at-Tirmidhy; Kitab-ut-Tawhid
16 Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 2, V. 22; Kitab-ut-Tawhid
17 Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 9, V. 30; Qasas-ul-Anbiya’
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