بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

The basic tenet of ‘tawheed’ that every believer says is ‘There is no god/idol but He (Allah), 2:163, and yet Al-Quran declares that the majority of people who believe in Allah associate partners with Him (12:106). There are no false gods or idols but Allah, therefore as soon as we start idolizing any personality (or any fascination/temptation/philosophy) besides Him, the problem starts.

The believers may be well able to avoid physical idols, however are they able to avoid psychological idols as well. Lets have a reality check with ayahs of the Book;

12: 106   وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُم بِاللَّهِ إِلَّا وَهُم مُّشْرِكُونَ

“And most of them do not believe with Allah without associating (others as partners) with Him!”

Are we holding on to some personalities believing that serving these personalities will bring us nearer to Allah because they are Allah’s beloved. Then please take heed of below ayat:

39:3   أَلَا لِلَّهِ الدِّينُ الْخَالِصُ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَىٰ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ فِي مَا هُمْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَنْ هُوَ كَاذِبٌ كَفَّارٌ

“Isn’t the Deen (Judgment) purely for Allah ? But those who take protectors (Walis) besides Him (say). “We do-not serve them except that they are nearer to bring us closer to Allah.” Truly Allah will judge between them in what they differ. Verily Allah does not guide him who is a liar, kafir/rejecter/coverer.”

And no one could rightfully be called for help in divine matters except for Allah.

31:30    ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنَّ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ الْبَاطِلُ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْكَبِيرُ

“That is because Allah is the Haq/Truth, and  whoever else they call other than Him is Falsehood; and indeed Allah,- He is the most High, the Greatest”

In addition to the command that do not call any one other than Allah, the below ayat commands not to call anyone with Allah as well, considering them Allah’s favorite so to get intercession from Allah’s favorite people.

72:18  وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا

And the mosques are for Allah. So do not call any one along with Allah

If someone praises and glorifies only Allah in a gathering, do we feel that some others/our favorites should  be glorified and remembered with Allah too, as praising Allah alone is not sufficient. If we feel that, then we should heed the below ayat seriously:

39:45    وَإِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ اشْمَأَزَّتْ قُلُوبُ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ ۖ وَإِذَا ذُكِرَ الَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِ إِذَا هُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ

“When Allah alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the hereafter, are filled with resentment. But when others are mentioned apart from Him, they begin to rejoice. “

Are we following/serving certain list of names for whom Allah has not revealed any authority in His Book, only because our surroundings and our forefathers have been doing the same. This is addressed in below ayat;

53:23   إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُم مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الْأَنفُسُ ۖ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ الْهُدَىٰ

“They are but names you have named them, you and your fathers, Allah has sent down with it no authority. These people follow nothing but conjecture and what their nafs desire; and surely the guidance has come to them from their Lord.”

The people who are called for help in divine matters, are just people like yourself. Allah has not allowed calling anyone as per below ayat. It is only other people who have made you believe that it is rightful to call them.

7:194     إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ عِبَادٌ أَمْثَالُكُمْ ۖ فَادْعُوهُمْ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

“Verily those whom you call upon besides Allah are servants like you. Call upon them, and let them respond to you, if you are (indeed) truthful!”

Allah asks a question in below ayat, is Allah not sufficient for his servant?

39:36    أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِكَافٍ عَبْدَهُ ۖ وَيُخَوِّفُونَكَ بِالَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِ ۚ وَمَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ هَادٍ

“Is not Allah enough for his servant? But they try to frighten you with others besides Him! for such as Allah leaves to stray, there can be no guide.”

Many people have great fascination with golden words/Zukhrif al Qaul/Aqwale Zareen. They spend much effort in collection, remembrance, authentication of the same. The below ayat states that doing it is like being an enemy to the prophet:

6:112   وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ عَدُوًّا شَيَاطِينَ الْإِنسِ وَالْجِنِّ يُوحِي بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ الْقَوْلِ غُرُورًا ۚ وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ مَا فَعَلُوهُ ۖ فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ

“And likewise ,We have made for every prophet the satans of mankind and the satans of jin an enemy, they inspire golden words on one another, for the purpose of delusion, and if your Lord had willed they would have not done it, so leave them and what they have invented.”

The prophet (pbuh) is ordered to serve Allah in making his Deen i.e all his judgements purely for Allah. 

39:11 قُلْ إِنِّي أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ الدِّينَ

Say, “Indeed, I am commanded to serve Allah with judgment exclusive/pure for Him”.

The prophet (pbuh) declared that he serves Allah with purity in Deen/judgment. In his ‘sunna’ and practice of all prophets, if we don’t follow Allah with purity and exclusivity in our Judgment, then it will be terrible loss we may bring to ourselves and our families. 

39:14-15  قُلِ اللَّهَ أَعْبُدُ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ دِينِي  فَاعْبُدُوا مَا شِئْتُم مِّن دُونِهِ ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ الْخَاسِرِينَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۗ أَلَا ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِينُ

Say. “It is Allah I serve, purely in my deen/judgment”. “You people serve whatever you (like) besides Him, Say, (but beware) indeed, losers are those who put themselves and their people (close to them) in loss on the day of Judgment. Ah! that is indeed the (real and) evident Loss!

98:5   وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ

“And they have not been commanded except to serve Allah purely in the Din/Judgment, being true/focused; and to establish Prayers; and to give Zakat; and that is the (rightly) established Deen/ Judgment.”

One of the idols mentioned in Al-Kitab is Sowaa i.e time period/Era.  We shouldn’t be stuck and fascinated with a particular period of time or people of some bygone era in order to avoid pitfall of personality worship, as per below Ayat:

2:141   تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ ۖ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ ۖ وَلَا تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

“Those were the people that has passed away. They shall reap the fruit of what they did, and you of what you do! and you will not be questioned of what they did.”