Part 41

They will say: 'Allaah created us.' Then have they turned away from the worship of the One Who created them?!" [surah az-Zukhruf (43):87] The command of the Lord, the One free of all imperfections, covers the creational command and the legislative command. So just as He arranges and controls the creation, and He decrees for it whatever He wishes according to His wisdom, then likewise He is the sovereign Judge therein who lays down and prescribes the acts of worship, and the judgements for social affairs and dealings also according to His wisdom. So whoever takes someone else along with Allaah, the Most High, to prescribe and legislate with regard to acts of worship, or as a sovereign or judge in transactions and social affairs, then he has committed shirk in that and has not realized eemaan. (3) Eemaan in Allaah's sole right to worship (al-Uloohiyyah): That is that He alone is the one who has the right to be worshipped, and no share of any worship is to be directed to anyone else besides Him, al-llaah means that which is worshipped with love and veneration. Allaah, the Most High, says, "And the God alone who has the right to be worshipped is a single God (Allaah), so do not worship anything besides Him, nor associate anything in worship with Him, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy." [surah al-Baqarah (2): 163] "Allaah bears witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Him; and likewise the angels and the people of knowledge bear witness: He who maintains justice, none has the right to be worshipped but Him, the AllMighty, the All-Wise." [surah Aal-'Imraan (3):18] Everything which is taken as a god to be worshipped besides Him is a false and futile object of worship. Allaah, the Most High, says, "That is because Atlaah is the true God, deserving all worship, There is none like Him, no sharer and no rival - and those gods which the mushriks invoke besides Him are futile and false and not able to create anything, rather they are themselves created things. And Allaah it is who is the Most High, above everything the Most Great." [surah al-Hajj (22):62] Furthermore, the fact that they are called gods {aalihah) in no way gives them the right to be worshipped. Concerning al-Laat, al- 'Uzzah and Manaat, Allaah, the Most High, says, "Rather these idols are mere names which you mushriks and your forefathers have invented. Allaah has sent down no proof of that." [surah an-Najm (53):23] He says that Hood said to his people, "Do you dispute with me about mere idols which you and your fathers have given names to, things which can neither bring harm nor benefit, and Allaah has given no proof or excuse for them to be worshipped." [surah al-A'raaf(7):71] He says that Yoosuf said to his two companions in the prison, "Is it better that you worship many different lords, or that you worship only Allaah, the one who subdues and has full power over everything?! You do not worship besides Allaah except idols which you call gods, which you and your forefathers gave names to, for which Allaah has sent down no authority." [surah Yoosuf (12):39-40] Therefore the messengers used to say to their people, "Worship Allaah alone, there is none besides Him deserving and having the right to your worship." [surah al-A'raaf (7):59J But the mushriks refused this and worshipped other gods along with Allaah, the One free of all imperfections and the Most High, seeking aid from them and calling upon them to deliver and rescue them. Allaah, the Most High, has exposed the futility of the mushriks worshipping these gods with two clear intellectual proofs: (i) These gods which they worship do not possess any attributes of Divinity. Rather they are created beings which cannot create; nor can they bring any benefit to those who worship them; nor can they keep any harm away from them; nor do they have any power over their life or death; nor do they own and control anything in the heavens, nor have any share in that. Allaah, the Most High, says, "And they have taken idols as gods which they worship, things which do not create anything and are themselves created; and which do not possess the power to bring about benefit for themselves, nor to keep away harm. Nor do they have the power to cause death, nor to give life, nor to resurrect the dead." [surah alFurqaan (25):3] "Say, O Muhammad, to the mushriks: Call upon those whom you claim as associates with Allaah and request them to bring blessings to you and remove harm, and when they are unable to do that then know that you have been confounded. They do not possess an atoms weight of good or evil, harm or benefit in the heavens or the earth, nor do they have any share in that. Nor is there any helper for Him from those whom they call upon besides Him. Nor can the intercession of anyone benefit except that he intercedes for one whom Allaah permits it for." [surah Saba (34):22-3] "Do they associate in worship along with Allaah those who create nothing and are themselves created by Allaah?!