Morals and Morality (Part 1/4)
Philosophy of Religion
(Tr. by Shehzad Saleem)
After faith, the second important requirement of religion is purification of morals. This means that a person should cleanse his attitude both towards his creator and towards his fellow human beings. This is what is termed as a righteous deed. All the shari‘ah is its corollary. With the change and evolution in societies and civilizations, the shari‘ah has indeed changed; however faith and righteous deeds, which are the foundations of religion, have not undergone any change. The Qur’an is absolutely clear that any person who brings forth these two things before the Almighty on the Day of Judgement will be blessed with Paradise which shall be his eternal abode:
وَمَنْ يَأْتِهِ مُؤْمِنًا قَدْ عَمِلَ الصَّالِحَاتِ فَأُوْلَئِكَ لَهُمُ الدَّرَجَاتُ الْعُلَى جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَذَلِكَ جَزَاء مَن تَزَكَّى (20: 75-76)
And he who comes before Him as a believer having done righteous deeds, exalted ranks are for such people, evergreen gardens beneath which streams flow. They shall abide therein forever and this shall be the reward of those that keep themselves pure. (20:75-76)
It is doing these righteous deeds which is termed as sound moral behaviour and while the emanation of unrighteous ones is termed as immoral behaviour. The Prophet (sws) is reported to have said: بعثت لأتمم مكارم الأخلاق إنما (I have been sent to achieve the culmination of high moral standards).[1] He is also reported to have said:
“The best among you are those who are morally sound from others.”[2]
“These are the people who are very dear to me.”[3]
“On the Day of Judgement, it will be high moral behaviour which will carry most weight in the scales of a person.”[4]
“A believer achieves the same rank through high moral behaviour as can be achieved through fasts and the night prayers.”[5]
Basic Issues
وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ دَسَّاهَا (91: 7-10)
And the soul bears witness and the perfection given to it. Then [God] inspired it with its evil and its good that he succeeded who purified it and he failed who corrupted it. (91:7-10)
What is the means through which a person can know what good and evil is? This is the most fundamental question of moral philosophy. In the above quoted verses, the Qur’an has made it clear that just as the Almighty has blessed a person with eyes to see and ears to hear, similarly, he has blessed him with a faculty which distinguishes good and evil for him. A person is not mere body and intellect. He is also a moral being. This means that the ability to distinguish good from evil and the appreciation that good is good and evil is evil are innately ordained in him. In some other verses of the Qur’an, this aspect is referred to by the words: إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ (76: 3)(We inspired in him the way of good and evil, (76:3)) and (90: 10) وَهَدَيْنَاهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ(Have We not shown him both paths? (90:10)). This appreciation of good from evil is a universal reality. Thus when the most evil of persons does something wrong, he tries to hide it in the first phase. When Adam’s son, Cain, tried to hide the body of his brother, Abel, after killing him, it was because he knew that he had committed a sin. Same is the case with good. A person loves what is good and respects and reveres it. When he establishes a society, he always sets up a system of justice in it. This is ample testimony of his innate ability to distinguish between good and evil. No doubt, at times, a person may justify a sin he commits, however, at the very time he invents excuses for this justification, he very well knows that he is inventing these excuses against his nature. The reason for this is that if someone else commits the same sin against him, he regards it to be an evil without any hesitation, and vehemently protests against that person. The Prophet (sws) is reported to have said: “Virtue is professing high morals and sin is that which pricks your heart and you would not like others to come to know of it.”[6]It is this part of a person that the Qur’an has termed as nafs-i lawwamah (the reproaching soul)[7]and has unequivocally stated:
بَلْ الْإِنسَانُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ بَصِيرَةٌ وَلَوْ أَلْقَى مَعَاذِيرَهُ (75: 14-15)
In fact, man himself is a witness upon his own self however much he may put up excuses. (75:14-15)
However, in the interpretation of this innate ability to distinguish between good and evil, there could have been differences because of different circumstances and periods of time and because of a variation in perception between people themselves. It is a great blessing of the Almighty that He has not even left any possibility for such differences and wherever there could have been a likelihood of any major difference, He delineated good and evil through His messengers. The guidance provided by these messengers is now eternally enshrined in the Qur’an. This guidance testifies to whatever a person finds within himself. Furthermore, man’s intuitive knowledge, in fact even his empirical knowledge, knowledge derived from natural and physical laws as well knowledge derived from intellect all bear witness to it. Consequently, good and bad morals, as a result of this, can be fully ascertained.
In some narratives this aspect has been explained through a parable: A straight path leads to the destination a person wants to reach. At both its sides are high walls. Both have doors in them on which curtains are hung. At the end of the path, there is a caller calling out to enter and to walk straight. In spite of this if a person wants to lift the curtains of the doors in the right and left walls, a caller from the top says: “Beware! Do not lift the curtains. If you lift them you will go inside.” It was explained: This path is Islam, the walls are the limits prescribed by God, and doors are His prohibitions. The caller from the top is the counselor of God which is found in the heart of every human being, and the caller at the end of the path is the Qur’an:[8]
إِنَّ هَـذَا الْقُرْآنَ يِهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرًا (9:17)
Indeed this Qur’an gives guidance to the path which is the most upright and gives glad tidings of a great reward to those among its believers who do good deeds. (17:9)
The second question is: What is the real motive which impels a person to purify his morals? The answer which the Qur’an has given to this question in the verses (91:7-10) quoted earlier is that this motive is a person’s perception which, on the basis of this very innate cognizance of good and evil, says that the results of good and evil cannot be the same. He feels that the very existence of the perception of good being good and evil being evil entails that the result of good should be good and that of evil should be evil. It becomes evident from this that a person will not be left unaccountable for his deeds; he will definitely be rewarded or punished as a result of his deeds. The Qur’an has referred to this fate as success and failure respectively. As a result of this the feelings of fear and hope arise in a person and become a source and motivation for him to cleanse his morals even though his natural instincts oppose this. Then when a person professes faith, this feeling relates to the Almighty. It is now that the Qur’an requires of him that the real motive of adhering to good morals and refraining from evil morals should only be the love of God, His pleasure and the fear of His displeasure – the God who knows the unseen, Who knows the secrets and is fully aware of every movement that goes on in this world as well as the slightest of change that takes place in the minds and hearts. The Qur’an has stated this aspect at many places. At one instance after emphasizing the fulfillment of obligations, it says:
فَآتِ ذَا الْقُرْبَى حَقَّهُ وَالْمِسْكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ وَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ (38:30)
So give their due to the next of kin, to the destitute, and to the traveler. That is best for those who want to please God; and it is these who shall surely prosper. (30:38)
The best examples of these morals are the prophets of God. About the Prophet Muhammad (sws), the Qur’an says:
الَّذِي يُؤْتِي مَالَهُ يَتَزَكَّى وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِنْدَهُ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ تُجْزَى إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ الْأَعْلَى(92: 18 -20)
Who spends his wealth to purify his soul, and does not confer favours on anyone for recompense but only to seek the countenance of his Lord, Most High. (92:18-20)
It is generally accepted that the foundation of good deeds is good intention. The Prophet (sws) has also referred to this fact in these subtle words: إنَّما الأَعْمَال باالنِّياَت (The deeds of a person are based on his intentions)[9]. This motive cleanses a person’s intentions completely. Thus none of his deeds after this is for show and pretence, and if it is then he soon or late tries to cleanse it of such filth.
The most effective explanation of this directive of the Qur’an is reported by Abu Hurayrah. He narrates from the Prophet (sws) that on the Day of Reckoning the foremost among people whose fate shall be decided would be scholars of the Qur’an or those who had been killed in jihad or those who have been blessed with wealth by the Almighty. They shall be brought over and the Almighty will remind them of His favours. They will acknowledge these favours. The Almighty will then inquire from them: “What did you do in benefiting from them?” The scholar will reply: “I was educated and then I educated others and recited the Qur’an before other people to call them towards You.” The soldier will say: “I fought in Your way and was killed.” The rich person will say: “I spent on every occasion on which you are pleased on spending.” The Almighty will say: “All of this was done by you so that people should call you a scholar, a brave person and a generous person [respectively]; so you have been called so in the world.” It shall thus be ordered and they shall be dragged facewards into Hell.[10]
The third question which relates to moral philosophy is: What is the objective of this effort? People have given different answers to this question. One group of people thinks that it is happiness. Another group is of the opinion that it is perfection. A third regards it to be an obligation for the sake of it. The above quoted verses (91:7-10) clearly say that this objective is purification as a result of which man shall be bestowed with God’s eternal kingdom. A little deliberation shows that this answer of the Qur’an automatically encompasses all the viewpoints of moral scholars just referred to. This is because it is through purification of faith and deeds that a person achieves perfection; true happiness is also achieved through this and if ever an obligation is discharged without any greed, then it is through this. It is this state of the soul which the Qur’an calls the “satisfied soul” and gives it glad tidings of being the recipient of the pleasure of God and vice versa:
يَاأَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ارْجِعِي إِلَى رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَرْضِيَّةً فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي وادْخُلِي جَنَّتِي(89 :27-30)
O you whose heart remained content [with his Lord in times of comfort and distress] return unto your Lord, such that He is pleased with you and you are pleased with Him. [Return] and enter among My servants and enter My Paradise. (89:27-30)
Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi writes:
These words are a tribute from God. It shall be addressed to people who shall be congratulated for achieving great success in the sphere they had been tested by their Lord. They should return to their Lord with the achievement that they have proven in good and bad circumstances that they were content with the will of their Lord and at the same time they have been granted the coveted status of being the favoured ones of the Lord. Just as they have never complained to Him at any stage, in the same manner their Lord has not found them below His standards at any stage. They are pleased with Him and He is pleased with them.[11]
Fundamental Principle
إِنَّ اللّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاء ذِي الْقُرْبَى وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاء وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ (90:16)
God enjoins you to do justice, goodness and spending on the kindred, and forbids lewdness, evil and arrogance. He admonishes you so that you may take heed. (16:90)
Outlined in these verses is the fundamental principle of the guidance provided by the Qur’an in this regard. The bases on which man’s nature requires of him to adopt good morals and leave bad ones are explained in these verses. These principles of good and evil are in conformity with human nature and hence they have been acknowledged in divine religions. The ten commandments of the Torah are based on these and the Qur’an too has actually explained them as part of its moral directives.
We shall elucidate them here.
The first thing which the verse directs is justice. This means that whatever obligation is imposed on a person viz a viz a fellow human, he discharges it the way it exactly is and in an impartial manner, whether his fellow human being is weak or powerful and whether he is liked or disliked by us. The Qur’an says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاء لِلّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَى أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالأَقْرَبِينَ إِن يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقَيرًا فَاللّهُ أَوْلَى بِهِمَا فَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ الْهَوَى أَن تَعْدِلُواْ وَإِن تَلْوُواْ أَوْ تُعْرِضُواْ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا (135:4)
Believers, adhere to justice by bearing true witness before God, even though it be against yourselves, your parents, or your kinsfolk. If someone is rich or poor, God is worthy that His law be followed for both. So do not be led by base-desires, lest you swerve from the truth. If you distort your testimony or decline to give it, you should remember that God is well aware of all your deeds. (4:135)
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّامِينَ لِلّهِ شُهَدَاء بِالْقِسْطِ وَلاَ يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَى أَلاَّ تَعْدِلُواْ اعْدِلُواْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَى وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ إِنَّ اللّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ (8:5)
Believers, adhere to justice by bearing witness for God. Your animosity for some people should not induce you to turn away from justice. Be just; this is nearer to piety. Have fear of God; indeed, God is well aware of all your deeds. (5:8)
The second thing mentioned in the verse is goodness (ihsan). It is over and above justice and is the pinnacle of ethics and morality. It means that not only should a right be fulfilled, it should also be fulfilled in a manner that a person is generous and considerate in this regard. A person should give more than what is due on him and should be happy to take what is less than his due. It is this attitude which develops in a society the values of sympathy, compassion, sacrifice, sincerity, gratitude and magnanimity. It is a result of these values that life becomes sweet and blessed.
The third thing mentioned is spending on the near ones. It is one of the most important corollaries of goodness and determines one of its specific forms. It means that the near ones are not merely worthy of justice and goodness from a person, they also deserve to be thought of as having a share in one’s wealth. They should never be abandoned in case of need and deprivation and like a person’s own family, their needs should also, as far as possible, be generously fulfilled.
In contrast, the verse has prohibited three things also.
The first of these is lewdness. It connotes fornication, homosexuality and similar acts of lewdness.
The second thing is evil. It refers to sins which mankind has generally recognized as sins, has always called them sins and so obvious is the evil in them that no argument is needed to prove it. In every good tradition of religion and culture, they are regarded as bad. At another instance, the Qur’an, by using the word ithm for them, has clarified that they connote acts which are instrumental in usurping the rights of others.
The third thing is arrogance and rebelliousness. This of course means that a person takes undue advantage of his power and influence, exceeds his limits and tries to usurp the rights of others whether they are of his Creator or of his fellow human beings. The Qu’an says:
قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّيَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَالإِثْمَ وَالْبَغْيَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ (33:7)
Tell them: “My Lord has forbidden all lewd acts – whether hidden or open – and evil and wrongful rebelliousness.” (7:33)
Moral Standards
لاَّ تَجْعَل مَعَ اللّهِ إِلَـهًا آخَرَ فَتَقْعُدَ مَذْمُومًا مَّخْذُولاً وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلاَهُمَا فَلاَ تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفٍّ وَلاَ تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلاً كَرِيمًا وَاخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ الذُّلِّ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا رَّبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِي نُفُوسِكُمْ إِن تَكُونُواْ صَالِحِينَ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ لِلأَوَّابِينَ غَفُورًا وَآتِ ذَا الْقُرْبَى حَقَّهُ وَالْمِسْكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَلاَ تُبَذِّرْ تَبْذِيرًا إِنَّ الْمُبَذِّرِينَ كَانُواْ إِخْوَانَ الشَّيَاطِينِ وَكَانَ الشَّيْطَانُ لِرَبِّهِ كَفُورًا وَإِمَّا تُعْرِضَنَّ عَنْهُمُ ابْتِغَاء رَحْمَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكَ تَرْجُوهَا فَقُل لَّهُمْ قَوْلاً مَّيْسُورًا وَلاَ تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً إِلَى عُنُقِكَ وَلاَ تَبْسُطْهَا كُلَّ الْبَسْطِ فَتَقْعُدَ مَلُومًا مَّحْسُورًا إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَاء وَيَقْدِرُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِ خَبِيرًا بَصِيرًا وَلاَ تَقْتُلُواْ أَوْلادَكُمْ خَشْيَةَ إِمْلاقٍ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَإِيَّاكُم إنَّ قَتْلَهُمْ كَانَ خِطْءًا كَبِيرًا وَلاَ تَقْرَبُواْ الزِّنَى إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَاء سَبِيلاً وَلاَ تَقْتُلُواْ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللّهُ إِلاَّ بِالحَقِّ وَمَن قُتِلَ مَظْلُومًا فَقَدْ جَعَلْنَا لِوَلِيِّهِ سُلْطَانًا فَلاَ يُسْرِف فِّي الْقَتْلِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ مَنْصُورًا وَلاَ تَقْرَبُواْ مَالَ الْيَتِيمِ إِلاَّ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَأَوْفُواْ بِالْعَهْدِ إِنَّ الْعَهْدَ كَانَ مَسْؤُولاً وَأَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ إِذا كِلْتُمْ وَزِنُواْ بِالقِسْطَاسِ الْمُسْتَقِيمِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلاً وَلاَ تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِعِلْمٌ إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُولـئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْؤُولاً وَلاَ تَمْشِ فِي الأَرْضِ مَرَحًا إِنَّكَ لَن تَخْرِقَ الأَرْضَ وَلَن تَبْلُغَ الْجِبَالَ طُولاً كُلُّ ذَلِكَ كَانَ سَيٍّئُهُ عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ مَكْرُوهًا ذَلِكَ مِمَّا أَوْحَى إِلَيْكَ رَبُّكَ مِنَ الْحِكْمَةِ وَلاَ تَجْعَلْ مَعَ اللّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ فَتُلْقَى فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَلُومًا مَّدْحُورًا (17: 22-39)
Serve no other god except God, lest [on the Day of Judgement] you are left blameworthy and disgraceful. And [remember that] your Lord has enjoined you to worship none but Him, and to treat well your parents. If either or both of them attain old age in your life, show them no sign of impatience, nor scold them while answering; but speak to them with good etiquette and treat them with humility and tenderness and say: “Lord, be merciful to them the way they nursed me in childhood.” Your Lord fully knows what is in your hearts; if you remain obedient [to them, then you should know that] He forgives those who turn to Him. And give to the near of kin their due, and also the destitute and to the traveller. Do not squander your wealth wastefully, for the wasteful are Satan’s brothers; and Satan is ever-ungrateful to his Lord. And if you have to disregard [those in need] because you are seeking your Lord’s bounty of which you are waiting, then at least speak to them affectionately. And do not be miserly or prodigal [that as a result of it] you should either earn reproach or be reduced to indigence. Indeed your Lord gives abundantly to whom He pleases and sparingly to whom He pleases. He is aware of His servants and is observing them. And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them also and for you because killing them is a heinous crime.
And do not even go near adultery because it is blatant lewdness and a very evil path. And do not kill any man whose life has been held sacred by God, except for a just cause and [remember that] if a man is slain unjustly, We have given his heir the authority. Then he should also not exceed limits in his revenge because he has been helped. And do not approach the wealth of orphans except in a just manner, until they reach maturity. And keep your promises because you shall be held accountable for promises. Give full measure, when you measure, and weigh with correct scales. This is better and fairer as far as the consequences are concerned. And do not go after what you know not because eyes, ears, and heart – all of them shall be questioned. And do not walk conceitedly on the earth because neither can you split the earth, nor can you rival the mountains in stature. The evil of each of these to your Lord is very displeasing.
This is the wisdom which your Lord has revealed to you. [Hold on steadfastly to it] and [in the end, listen once again:] serve no other deity besides God, lest [as a result] you should be cast into Hell condemned and rejected. (17:22-39)
These verses explain the basic principle which has been concisely put earlier. They clearly state what is morally sound and what is morally unsound. A little deliberation shows that this section of verses begins with the prohibition of polytheism and also ends on its emphatic forbiddance. Such a style is adopted in the Qur’an to highlight the importance of something. Here, the objective is to delineate the fact that it is the belief in monotheism which is like a boundary wall which encircles the directives of religion mentioned in these verses. If this boundary wall is damaged everything that lies within it is exposed to danger. No doubt, this is the supreme status of monotheism which these verses mention. It is the greatest and the most fundamental requisite of justice which the Qur’an directs its followers to dispense. For this very reason, polytheism is called a great wrong (zulmun ‘azimun) by the Qur’an (31:13). The Qur’an has also clearly stated the result of this great wrong: it is an unforgivable sin in the eyes of God in retribution of which people shall be humiliated and thrown into Hell:
إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاء وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللّهِ فَقَدِ افْتَرَى إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا (48:4)
God will not forgive those who [deliberately] associate partners with Him; however, He will forgive lesser sins [according to His law] for whom He wills. And [without debt] he who associates partners with God is guilty of fabricating a great sin. (4:48)
What is polytheism? Associating other gods with God Almighty is termed as polytheism (shirk) in the terminology of the Qur’an. It means:
a) to regard someone to have the same genre as that of God or to regard God to have the same genre as someone; or
b) to regard someone to have a role in creation or in running the affairs of the creatures and in this manner make someone God’s peer to some extent or another.
Examples of the first type of polytheism are the beliefs of Christians and the Polytheists of Arabia about Jesus (sws) and Mary (sws) and about the angels respectively. The belief of wahdat al-wujud is another example of this.
Examples of the second type are the beliefs regarding Brahmans, Vishnu and Shiva in Hinduism and the beliefs regarding Ghaws, Qutb, Abdal, Data and Gharib Nawaz among Muslims. Belief in evil spirits and stars and in the powers of Satan also belong to this category of polytheism.
The Qur’an says:
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ (112: 1-4)
Proclaim [O Prophet:] That God is alone. He is rock of shelter for every one. He is neither anyone’s father nor anyone’s son; and there is none like Him. (1-4)
إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ يُغْشِي اللَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَاتٍ بِأَمْرِهِ أَلاَ لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالأَمْرُ تَبَارَكَ اللّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ (54:7)
Your Lord is the God, who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then ascended His throne. He covers the day with the night which swiftly follows it. And He created the sun and the moon and the stars which are subservient to His command. Make it clear: He is the Creator and He runs the affairs as well. Blessed is God, Lord of the Universe. (7:54)
The adherents of these views also believe that the Almighty has granted these partners of God the ability to have access to a ghayb (the unseen) and the authority to change some decision of the Almighty in this world and in the Hereafter on their recommendation. The Qur’an has negated both these:
About the first, it says:
قُل لَّا يَعْلَمُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ (65:27)
Say: “No one in the heavens or on earth has knowledge of the unseen except God [and those who are given this status of having access to the unseen] do not even know when they will be raised to life.” (27:65)
About the second, it says:
قُل لِّلَّهِ الشَّفَاعَةُ جَمِيعًا لَّهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ (44:39)
Say: “Intercession is wholly in the hands of God. To Him belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. Then to Him shall you be recalled.” (39:44)
Such people would signify their superstitions in pictures and statues. The Qur’an has called it a filth and directed us to abstain from it: (30:22) فَاجْتَنِبُوا الرِّجْسَ مِنَ الْأَوْثَانِ وَاجْتَنِبُوا قَوْلَ الزُّورِ (Guard yourselves against the filth of these idols and abstain from falsehoods which you fabricate about them regarding God, (22:30)). On this very basis, the Prophet (sws) said that on the Day of Judgement those who make these portraits and statues shall be severely punished and they shall be asked to put life into the beings they considered to be living and having the authority of causing harm and benefit to human beings:
إن الذين يصنعون هذه الصور يعذبون يوم القيامة يقال لهم أحيوا ما خلقتم)بخاري رقم 5607)
Those who make such pictures shall be punished on the Day of Judgement. It shall be said to them: “Put life in whatever you have made.”[12] (Bukhari, No: 5607)
Charms and amulets which depict requests of help from such beings also have this filth. The Prophet (sws) is reported to have said that such incantations and blowing, charms and amulets which are used to create separation between a husband and wife are shirk (polytheism).[13]
Swearing an oath on someone other than Allah has also been regarded as shirk by the Prophet (sws) because when a person swears any oath on someone, he actually makes him a witness over some incident and in this manner it is as if the person regards him as someone who has knowledge of ghayb [the unseen] like the Almighty. It is reported:
مَنْ حَلَفَ بِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ فَقَدْ أَشْرَكَ(ابو داؤد ، رقم: 3251)
He who swore by any one other than Allah has committed an act of polytheism. (Abu Da’ud, No: 3251)
In this regard, certain polytheistic attitudes are also worth consideration:
In the Qur’an, God Almighty has mentioned a parable of a person whose wealth, riches, number of friends and associates and splendour and grandeur induced in him so much pride and vanity that he thought that whatever he has as a result of his abilities and of the knowledge and intellect he possesses; it shall always remain with him; the Day of Judgement would never come and if ever it would, he would find all this in store for him there – in fact much more than this. The Qur’an says that one day his flourishing orchard was destroyed, the baselessness of stone idols became evident and he cursed his fortune and expressed his grief on associating partners with God:
وَأُحِيطَ بِثَمَرِهِ فَأَصْبَحَ يُقَلِّبُ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى مَا أَنفَقَ فِيهَا وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَى عُرُوشِهَا وَيَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أُشْرِكْ بِرَبِّي أَحَدًا (42:18)
And it happened that all his fruits were destroyed, and seeing his vines had tumbled down upon their trellises wrung his hands with grief at all that he had spent on the garden and cried: “Would that I had served no other gods besides my Lord!” (18:42)
Same is the case with showing-off. If endeavours which should be done merely for God are done for others, then this would mean that they have taken the place of God. For this very reason the Prophet (sws) has called this as hidden shirk.[14] He is reported to have said: “The Almighty says: ‘Of all those that are associated [with Me] I am the most indifferent towards association; so anyone who has associated someone with me in any of his works, I am not with him and he is [actually] with whom he has associated with me.’”[15]
Superstitions that human beings become target of are of this genre too. Thus the Prophet (sws) has warned people about them. He has also stopped people from certain things which though do not fall in the ambit of polytheism are liable to lead to it.
Ibn ‘Abbas (rta) narrates that when one night a star fell, the Prophet (sws) asked: “What would you say about these in the age of ignorance?” People replied: “We thought that this would happen at the birth or death of a great personality.” The Prophet remarked: “No, stars do not fall at the birth or death of someone.”[16]
Zayd Ibn Khalid mentions that during the truce of Hudaybiyyah rain fell at night. In the morning, the Prophet addressed the people after the prayer and said: “Do you know what your Lord has said?” The people said: “God and His messenger know better.” The Prophet said: “The Almighty has said: ‘Today some people have woken up as believers and others as disbelievers; those who have said that this rain is a blessing from God are my believers and those who said that water rains down on us from such and such a point in the constellation, they are my disbelievers and the believers in stars.’”[17]
Abu Mas‘ud (rta) says that the Prophet said: “The eclipses of the sun and the moon do not take place because of someone’s death, they are two signs from among the signs of God; hence, if you see them offer the prayer.”[18]
One of the wives of the Prophet has said: “A person who goes to an ‘arraf[19] to find out about his possession, the prayers he offers in forty days shall not be accepted.”[20]
‘A%’ishah (rta) narrates that when people asked about soothsayers, the Prophet replied: “They are nothing.” People said: “Some of their prophesies turn out to be true.” The Prophet said: “Satan is able to catch a few things and like a hen cries out in the ears of his friends. Then these people add a hundred other things to it and communicate it to people.”[21]
Abu Hurayrah (rta) says that the Prophet is reported to have said: “There is no transfer through physical contact nor misfortune nor is there any snake of hunger in the stomach and neither does a bird come out from the skull of a dead person.”[22]
Jabir (rta) narrates that besides this, he also said there is no basis of supernatural phenomenon encountered in the wilderness.[23]
‘Umar (rta) says that he heard the Prophet saying: “Do not exaggerate about me the way the Nazarenes did about Christ. I am only a servant of God. So call me God’s servant and messenger only.”[24]
Ibn ‘Abbas (rta) narrates that a person came to the Prophet and during the course of his conversation said: “Whatever God wills and you will.” The Prophet immediately corrected him and said: “You have equated me with God? Just say: “Whatever God alone wills.”[25]
The details of other directives which are mentioned in these verses are as follows:
Worshipping God
The first directive is that since there is no god except God, only He should be worshipped. The essence of this worship (‘ibadah) is humility and modesty. The first manifestation of this essence is serving the Almighty. Since a person also hasa practical life in this world, this servitude relates to this practical life as well and in this manner becomes inclusive of obedience. The manifestations in the first case are glorifying Him and singing His praises, praying to him and supplicating before Him, kneeling and prostrating before Him, making vows (to please Him), offering animal sacrifice and doing i‘tikaf.
In the second case, a person, after regarding someone as an independent law giver and ruler, considers that he has the authority to give directives of what is forbidden and what is not and what is allowed and what is not and submits before all his directives. It is the verdict of God Almighty that none of the above mentioned things can be reserved for someone other than Him. The wordsَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ declare this verdict. Thus if a person glorifies someone and sings his praises or prays and supplicates before someone, kneels and prostrates before him or presents vows before him or offers animal sacrifice to him or does i‘tikaf for him or regards him to have the authority of prohibiting or allowing things, then this would mean that he has refused to accept this verdict of God. Among the addressees of the Qur’an those who were guilty of this sin were clearly told of their folly.
Those who prostrated themselves before the sun and the moon were told:
لَا تَسْجُدُوا لِلشَّمْسِ وَلَا لِلْقَمَرِ وَاسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُنَّ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ (37:41)
Do not prostrate yourselves before the sun or the moon; rather prostrate yourselves before God, who created them both, if you would truly serve Him. (41:37)
Those who prayed and supplicated before some of their ancestors were told:
وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللّهِ لاَ يَخْلُقُونَ شَيْئًا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ أَمْواتٌ غَيْرُ أَحْيَاء وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ (16: 20-21)
And those whom these call besides God are themselves created, they create nothing: They are dead, not living and don’t even know when they will be raised to life. (16:20-21)
Those who presented as sacrifice and vows, the produce and cattle created by God before other deities were warned thus by the Qur’an:
وَجَعَلُواْ لِلّهِ مِمِّا ذَرَأَ مِنَ الْحَرْثِ وَالأَنْعَامِ نَصِيبًا فَقَالُواْ هَـذَا لِلّهِ بِزَعْمِهِمْ وَهَـذَا لِشُرَكَآئِنَا فَمَا كَانَ لِشُرَكَآئِهِمْ فَلاَ يَصِلُ إِلَى اللّهِ وَمَا كَانَ لِلّهِ فَهُوَ يَصِلُ إِلَى شُرَكَآئِهِمْ سَاء مَا يَحْكُمُونَ (136:6)
And they set aside a share of their produce and cattle for God. They then say that in their opinion: “This is for God and this is for those whom we associate with God.” Furthermore, the share of these associates does not reach God but the share of God can reach these associates.[26] What an evil judgement they pass! (6:136)
Those who regarded their jurists and scholars to have the authority to declare something as lawful and something as forbidden were warned thus:
اتَّخَذُواْ أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ وَالْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا أُمِرُواْ إِلاَّ لِيَعْبُدُواْ إِلَـهًا وَاحِدًا لاَّ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ سُبْحَانَهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ (31:9)
They have made their scholars and their monks their Lord besides God and also Jesus, the son of Mary, even though they had been directed to worship one God only. There is no god but Him. Exalted is He above those they deify besides Him! (9:31)
The Qur’an has thus regarded this authority to declare something as lawful or unlawful as baseless besides regarding as baseless the prohibitions stipulated by the Arabs for certain animals called bahirah, sa’ibah, wasilah and ham.
Bahirah is the name given to a she camel which has five offspring, the last of which is a male. The ears of such a camel are slit and it is left free.
Sa’ibah is the name given to a camel which is left free once the vow regarding it has been fulfilled.
As for wasilah, some people would vow that if a goat would give birth to male offspring, they would present it before their idols, and if gives birth to female offspring, they would keep it to themselves; now if she would give birth to male and female offspring simultaneously, they would call it wasilah and would not present such male offspring to their idols.
Ham is the name of a bull which has given birth to many offspring. It would be left free.
The Qur’an says:
مَا جَعَلَ اللّهُ مِن بَحِيرَةٍ وَلاَ سَآئِبَةٍ وَلاَ وَصِيلَةٍ وَلاَ حَامٍ وَلَـكِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ (103:5)
God has sanctioned neither a bahirah, nor a sa’ibah, nor a wasilah, nor a ham but these disbelievers fabricate falsehoods about God and most of them have no sense. (5:103)
It is this very verdict of the Qur’an regarding the worship of God on account of which the Prophet (sws) forbade people from making graves places of prostration and said that may God curse the Jews and Christians for they have made the graves of their prophets as mosques.[27]
The fact that this was his last counsel for the Muslims before his death shows its importance.