The New Nation - Internet Edition

Tamizul Haque

Barrister-at-Law

In Bangladesh there arose controversies about erection of idols including those of Bauls (sculptures), which were supposed to have been erected at the golchokkar of Zia International Airport. Rightly this has offended the believers of the faith of Islam. The removal of those statues which were proposed to be erected in the name of Bengali Culture did not happen thus peace prevailed ultimately.

On a study of Holy Quran I found several Ayat Numbers i.e. 6:74; 19:41-50; 21: 51-71, 26: 70-82, 29: 16-18, 24-25; 37: 83-98 which argue against idolatry. In particular Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) who argued with his father against idolatry and also with his people. I am particularly mentioning part of Ayat 74 of Sura Al-Anam which runs thus:-

X X X X X X X X X X X

"Takest thou idols for gods?

For I see thee

And! Thy people

In manifest error"

Whereas in Sura 19 i.e. Sura Marium Ayat 41 to 50 describes Light of Unity which Azar i.e. father of Ibrahim (A.S.) had not received. Chronologically I am mentioning below the explanation of Abdullah Yousuf Ali on Ayat 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50 of the said sura.

(1) Material property passes from one to another: when one dies, another inherits it. Allah gives life and death, and all that survives after physical death goes back to Allah, the original source of all things.

(2) The reference to Abraham Ali His Salam here is in relation to his tender solicitude for his father, who had not received the light of Unity, and to whom Abraham (A.S.) wanted to be a guide and friend.

(3) Some are more receptive of Light than others. It is their duty and privilege to guide and point to the right way.

(4) Sawiyan-right, smooth, even; complete, perfect; hence the derived meaning: in xix. 10, in full possession of all the physical senses; in that context, not dumb: in xix. 17, when the angel appears in the form of a man, completely like a man, a man in all respect.

(5) The revelation is all the more heinous and inexcusable, considering that Allah is Most Just, Most Merciful, Most Gracious.

(6) To entertain a feeling of friendliness, instead of aversion, to Evil, is in itself a degradation of our nature, a Penalty which Allah imposes on our deliberate rejection of the Truth. And the friendliness to Evil also implies the sharing of the outlawry of Evil.

(7) Note the gentle persuasive tone of Abraham (A.S) in his speeches in xix. 42-45 (for we may suppose those sentences to sum up a long curse of arguments) and in xix. 47-48, contrasted with the brusque and repellent tone of the father's reply in this verse. The one was the outcome of the true light which had come to Abraham (A.S) from Allah, as the other was the outcome of Pagan arrogance and the worship of brute force. The spiritual lesson from this episode of Abraham's (A.S) life may be stated in four propositions: (1) the pious son is dutiful to his father and wishes him well in all things, material and spiritual, (2) if the father refuses Allah's Light the son will do his utmost to bring such Light to the father (3) having received the Light, the son will never renounce that Light, even if he has to forfeit his father's love and renounce his home; (4) even if the father repels him and turns him out, his answer will be a soft answer, full of love and forgiveness on the one hand, but firmness on behalf of Truth on the order.

(8) Where this promise of Abraham (A.S.) to pray for his father is referred to, and its limitations pointed out.

(9) Abraham (A.S.) left his father and the home of his fathers (Ur of the Chaldees) and never returned. He left because he was turned out, and because it was not possible for him to make any compromise with what was false in religion. In return for abuse, he spoke gentle words. And he expressed his fervent hope that at least Abraham (A.S.) would have Allah's blessing in reply to his prayers. Here was a prefigurement of another Hijrat many centuries later! In both cases the prayer was abundantly fulfilled.

(10) Isaac (Ishaque) and Issac's son Jacob (Yakub A.S) are mentioned here as carrying on one line of Abraham (A.S.) traditions. The other line was carried on by Ismail (A.S) who is mentioned independently five verses lower down, as his line got special honour in the Holy Prophet of Islam that is why he is mentioned after that of Moses.

On reading Sura 35 Fatir (The Originator of creation or the Angles) we find that the idolaters used their idolatry to retain their religious position in Makkah, one which gave them leadership of the Arabian tribes, and facilitated various privileges. Needless to say, the most important of these were power and glory. In Ayat 57 of Sura 28 Al-Qasas some Quraysh leaders used to say to the Holy Prophet (S.M) that "if we were to follow the guidance along with you, we would be snatched away from our land." Therefore Allah told them "Have we not established for them a secure sanctuary?

When this fact is well established in people's hearts and minds, it ensures that values, standards, as well as means and methods undergo a complete change. The truth is that might and glory belong totally to Allah. No one else possesses a fragment of either. Therefore, if anyone wants them, and they are incidentally expressed in one Arabic word, 'izzah, which combines both and adds connotations of dignity, then they should seek them from their only source: Allah Almighty. They cannot be found with anyone else.

The Quraysh sought to enjoy might and glory among the Arabs through idolatrous beliefs that lacked real substance. They feared to follow Divine Guidance, even though they acknowledged that it was guidance, because they feared for their own status. Yet those people, the Arabian tribes and clans, were not a source of might and glory. They could not give or deny these to anyone: "all might and glory belong to Allah alone, (Verse 10) If they enjoyed any measure of power and might, it was only because Allah gave them this. Therefore, anyone who wishes to have these should go to the original source, nor to a recipient of that source. Recipients can only give what they have in excess. Besides, recipients are also weak and in need.

This is an essential truth of Islamic faith which establishes values, standards, judgement, behaviour, ways and means, when this truth is firmly rooted in one's heart, one does not hesitate to stand up in dignity and glory to the rest of the world, knowing from whom one derives might and glory. Such a person does not bow before any despot, storm, calamity, state, or worldly force whatsoever. Why would they when all might and glory belong to Allah alone, and when no one receives any portion of it without His leave?

Nothing is needed more than the mention of Allah's blessings for people to see, feel and recognize them. Nevertheless, they do forget them. The earth around them and the skies above them give them abundant blessings and unlimited sustenance, in every step and at every moment. It is Allah the Creator who gives all this. They are asked whether there is a different Creator who provides them with all the good things in their hands. Obviously, they cannot say this. Indeed, they did not even claim this during their worst period of idolatry, associating all sorts of partners with Allah. Since there is none other than Allah to create and provide, why do they not remember and express gratitude? Why do they not address their gratitude to Him alone and express their thanks by praises and prayers? There is no deity other than Him.

Now I am going to discuss ayat 22 of Sura Bakhra which runs thus :-

Who has made the earth your couch,

And the heavens your canopy;

And sent down rain from the heavens;

And brought forth therewith

Fruits for your sustenance;

Then set not up rivals unto Allah

When ye know (the truth).

Abdullah Yousuf Ali explains the above Ayat thus :-

Further proofs of Allah's goodness to you are given in this verse. Your whole life, physical and spiritual, depends upon Him. The spiritual is figured by the Canopy of Heaven. The truth has been brought plainly before you. Will you still resist it and go after false gods, the creation of your own fancy? The false gods may be idols, superstitions, self, or even great or glorious things like Poetry. Art, or Science, when set up as rivals to Allah. They may be pride of race, pride of birth, pride of wealth or position, pride of power, pride of learning, or even spiritual pride.

Knowing that Allah has created us and those who came before us, and knowing that He prepared the earth for us to live on and built the skies above us, single-handedly and without a partner or helper, and provided us with water, the essence of life, how can we ever deny Him, set up equals to Him, or worship others as Gods beside Him?

The concept of setting up equals to Allah which the Holy Quran frequently and strongly condemns need not necessarily refer to the worship of idols or figurines or statues, normally associated with pagan religious practice and observed by the Arab idolaters. It could very well take other forms, some of which are very subtle indeed. To pin one's hopes on anyone other than Allah, to fear someone other than Him, to believe that others can bring fortune or cause harm, are all infringements of monotheistic belief and, therefore, forms of idolatry or, to use Islamic terminology, SHIRK.

The Prophet's learned companion, Abdullah ibn Abbas, said: setting up equals to Allah is a subtle form of idolatry, or shirk. It is more subtle than an ant stealthily walking on a smooth black surface in the thick of darkness. It is when someone swears by something other than the name of Allah or believes that dogs or ducks keep the thief away. It is when someone says, "By the will of God and the will of man or, where it not for Allah (god) and you". It is also reported that a man once came up to the Holy Prophet (S.M) and said: "Whatever you and Allah will. The Holy Prophet (S.M) replied: Do you take me as an equal to Allah?"

The early Muslims were extremely sensitive and alert to these subtle forms of idolatry. We today have to reflect on our own attitude towards this matter and determine how true and faithful we are to the pure and fundamental principle of Allah's Oneness.

A Divine Challenge

If we study the history of the Jews of Madinah who used to raise doubts about the truth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad's (S.M) Message, while the hypocrites, like the pagan Arabs of Makkah, were skeptical and called it into question. Therefore Allah Subhanahu Tahla in His Wisdom reveled Ayat 23 of Sura Al-Bakhara which runs thus :

And if ye are in doubt

As to what We have revealed

From time to time to Our servant

Then produce a Sura

Like thereunto;

And call your witnesses or helpers

(if there are any) besides Allah,

if ye are truthful.

Abdullah Yousuf Ali explains the above ayat thus :

How do we know that there is revelations, and that it is from Allah? Here is a concrete test. The Teacher of Allah's Truth has placed before you many Suras. Can you produce one like it? If there is any one besides Allah, who can inspire spiritual truth in such noble language, produce your evidence. Or is it that your doubts are merely argumentative, refractory, against your own inner light, or conscience? All true revelation is itself a miracle, and stands on its own merits.

The challenge starts off with emphasizing an important fact by describing the Prophet Muhammad (S.M) as Allah's servant. This description is significant in a number of ways: it is, first, an honour to the Holy Prophet (S.M) himself and an indication that to be a 'servant' of Allah is the highest honour a human being can attain. Second, it affirms the essence of servitude to Allah in the universal human context, calling on all men to submit only to Allah and renounce all partners that may be associated with Him. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.M), who attained the highest position of honour as a recipient of Divine revelations, is also honoured by being described as a servant of Allah.

Ingratitude at Its Worst

The Jews have left Egypt and, through Allah's grace and mercy, crossed the Red Sea safely and when Musa Ali His Salam went to Mount Sinai for forty nights to have an audience with Allah Subhanahu Tahla in his absence, they took the calf for warship and therefore they did grievous wrong. Even then Allah Subhanahu Tahla forgave them. This was the incident, which took place after the Ten Commandments and the Laws and Ordinance had been given on Mount Sinai to Musa Ali His Salam. Before going to Mount Sinai Musa (A.S.) had instructed his brother Harun (A.S.) to keep watch on his Ummah that is the Jews, but they got impatient of the delay and had made a calf of malted gold, and offered warship and sacrifice to it. Even then Musa (A.S.) prayed for his people and Allah Subhanahu Tahla forgave them.

The idolaters used their idolatry to retain their religious position in Makkah, one which gave them leadership of the Arabian tribes, and which facilitated various privilege. Needles to say, the most important of these were power and glory. Hence they used to say to the Holy Prophet (S.M): if we were to follow the guidance along with you, we would be torn away from our land (28:57). Therefore, Allah tells them: "whoever desires might and glory should know that all might and glory belong to Allah alone (Verse 10).

When this fact is well established in people's hearts and minds, it ensures that values, standards, as well as means and methods undergo a complete change. The truth is that might and glory belong totally to Allah Subhabanhu Tahla. No one else possesses a fragment of either. Therefore, if anyone wants them, and they are incidentally expressed in one Arabic word, 'izzah', which combines both and adds connotations of dignity, then they should seek them from their only source: Allah Almighty. They cannot be found with anyone else.

Surah Fatir (the Originator of Creation) Sura 35 ayat 10 is the authority for the proposition that Good and Evil are to be distinguished sharply. No good is ever lost; it goes up to Allah Subhanahu Tahla. The humblest Good, in word or deed is exalted to high rank. If man seeks for mere glory and power, there is no such thing apart from Allah. But seeking Allah, we attain to the highest glory and power.

It is the nature of Evil to work underground, to hide from the Light, to plot against Righteousness; but Evil inevitably carries its own punishment. Its plots must fail miserably. And eventually Evil itself is to be blotted out.

In ayat 30 of sura Nahal i.e. 16 was revealed of directives, commandments and laws, which are good and perfect for the those who fear Allah Sobhanahu Tahla. They go on to outline this good that Allah has revealed, according to what they have learnt from Allah's revelations: "For those who do good in this world, good reward is assured" (Verse 30) They enjoy a good life and have a good position. However, for better is their abode in the hereafter. It is certainly better than all there is in this present life.

Again the surah takes a step backwards to show the Allah fearing believers as they are about to die. It is an easy scene, as they are comforted by the angles. Those whom the angles gather in death while they are in a state of purity. They are in a comfortable, pure condition looking forward to meeting Allah, having nothing to fear. The angles greet them. This is a greeting of welcome and reassurance. They follow this by delivering the happiest news of all. Enter paradise by virtue of what you were doing.

The angles greet them "peace be upon him". At the end of this sense with its two aspect of death and resurrection, the surah queries what the idolaters of the Quraysh are waiting for? Are they waiting for the angles to gather their souls, or for Allah's command to resurrect them? For this is what happens to them on death and then on the day when resurrection takes place by Allah's command. Yet they have a clear lesson in what happened to earlier communities. They have been shown two images delineating what happens to both parties:

Whereas ayat 36 of sura Nahal that is 16 is the authority for the proposition that Allah the Creator, the Wise has willed that human beings should have an equal propensity either to follow His guidance or to go astray, and that their choice of which way to follow should be completely free. He has also given them reason and intellect in order to be able to determine which way to choose. He has placed in the universe numerous pointers to guidance, and these signs are there for them to see, heart, sense and feel wherever they turn at any moment of the night or day, leading their minds to the right conclusion.

Monstrous Claims by the Unbelievers

The surah then refers to another monstrous claim often made by different unbelievers. The Arab idolaters of the past used to claim that the angles were God's daughters, while the unbelievers among the Jews claimed that Ezra was the son of God, and the unbelievers among the Christians made the same claim for Jesus. The whole universe shudders as such false claims are alleged, because monotheism is inherent in the nature of the whole universe. Besides ayat on idolatry which I have discussed above I find other ayats in different suras which I am reproducing as hereunder for the benefit of my readers. Those who are interested to know more about them, they may study them from the Holy Quran.

Sura 12 i.e. Sura Yousuf ayat 106

Sura 7 i.e. Sura Al-Araf ayat 59

Sura 36 i.e. Sura Ya-Sin ayat 60

Sura 5 i.e. Sura Maida ayat 60

Sura 10 i.e. Sura Younus ayat 106

Sura 7 i.e. Sura Al-Araf ayat 26

Sura 17 i.e.Sura Bani Israil ayat 81

Sura 71 i.e. Sura Nuh ayat 23

Sura 14 i.e. Ibrahim ayat 35

While describing the hostility of the Quraish and the Jews The Right Honourable Sayed Amir Ali in his book entitled as "The Spirit of Islam" went on to suggest

The brotherhood of Faith, so wisely established by the Prophet, whilst it prevented the growth of jealousy, gave rise to a generous emulation, both among the Ansar and the Muhajirin, as to who would bring the greatest sacrifice in the service of Allah and His Prophet. The enthusiasm and earnestness with which these men and woman devoted themselves to the new awakening, the zeal with which they laid down their lives, was manifestation such as had not been seen since the best days of the Christian phase of religious development. The second, and at first by no means an unimportant party, was composed principally of lukewarm converts to the Faith, who retained an ill-concealed predilection for idolatry ; and was headed by Abdullah ibn Ubayy, a chief of some position in the city, who aspired to the kinghood of Medina. With this object he had gathered round him, like Abu Sufian at Mecca, a strong body of partisans. Everything was ripe for him to seize the reins of power, when the arrival of the Prophet upset his designs. The popular enthusiasm compelled him and his followers to make a nominal profession of Islam; but, ever ready as they were to turn against the Moslems at the least opportunity, they were a source of considerable danger to the new-born commonwealth, and required unceasing watchfulness on the part of the Prophet. Towards them he always showed the greatest patience and forbearance, hoping in the end to win them over to the Faith. And this expectation was fully justified by the result. With the death of Abdullah ibn-Ubayy his party, which has been stigmatized as the party of the Munafikin (the Disaffected), disappeared for a time from view. But the Jews who may be said to have formed the third party, constituted the most serious element of danger. They had close business relations with the Quoraish, and their ramifications extended into various parts hostile to the Faith. At first they were inclined to look with some favour on the preaching of Mohammed. He could not, of course, be their promised Messiah, but perhaps a weak dreamer, a humble preacher, dependent upon the hospitality of their old enemies, now their patrons, the Aus and the Khazraj, might become their avenger, help them in conquering the Arabs, and found for them a new kingdom of Judah. With this aim in view, they had joined with the Medinites in a half-hearted welcome to the Prophet. And for a time they maintained a pacific attitude. But it was only for a time; for barely a month had gone by before the old spirit of rebellion, which had let them to crucify their prophets, found vent in open seditions and secret treachery. One of the first acts of Mohammed after his arrival in Medina was to weld together the heterogeneous and conflicting elements of which the city and its suburbs were composed, into an orderly confederation.

With this object he had granted a charter to the people, by which the rights and obligation of the Muslims inter se, and of the Muslims and Jews, were clearly defined. And the Jews, borne down for the moment by the irresistible character of the moment, had gladly accepted the Pact. This document which has been carefully preserved in the pages of Ibn-Hisham, reveals the Man in his real greatness - a master mind, not only of his own age, as Muir calls him, but of all ages. No wild dreamer he, bent upon pulling down the existing fabrics of society but a statesman of unrivalled powers, who in an age of utter and hopeless disintegration, with such materials and such polity as God put ready to his hands, set himself to the task of reconstructing a State, a commonwealth, a society, upon the basis of universal humanity.

"In the name of the most merciful and compassionate God" says this first charter of freedom of conscience. Given by Mohammed, the Prophet to the Believers, whether of the Quarish or of Yathrib, and all individuals of whatever origin who have made common cause with them, all these shall constitute one nation. Then after regulating the payment of the Diyat by the various clans, and fixing some wise rules regarding the private duties of Muslims as between themselves, the document proceeds thus : the state of peace and war shall be common to all Muslims ' no one among them shall have the right of concluding peace with, or declaring war against the enemies of his co-religionist.

(The writer is an industrialist and contributor of articles)