Day of Distinguishing!
08-06-2008
With the name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Most
Beneficent!
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds! Peace and blessings be upon
Messenger of Allah Muhammad, his family and his disciples. Whomever Allah has
directed, no one will wean him away from the path, and whomever Allah weans away
from the path, no one will direct him.
Faith is the immanent property of the very human nature. It is ingrained in a
human from the very beginning and forever, so however much a human denies his
belonging to religion, the choice is limited: either he worships the One God, or
make-believe deities. In other words, if a man does not stick to Monotheism, he
undoubtedly falls into heathenism. Then the faith changes its orientation
towards idolatry and is implemented in worshipping the created.
The Faith in One and Only God, the Most High and Almighty Allah, is the
conviction that He is the only Lord (tawheed ar-rubiyya), the Only One worthy of
being worshipped (tawheed al-uluhiyya), and the Only One who has the divine
names and qualities (tawheem al-asma wa as-sifat).
Besides the real kuffar (infidels), whose infidelity is obvious, there is a
category of persons, who formally recognize that the Almighty Allah is the Lord,
the Master, the Creator and the Sustainer of all of the existence, Who does
divine acts that no one else does but Allah, such as giving life and taking
life, doing good or harm, answering prayers, holding absolute power,
predetermining the destiny, etc.
They recognize the Oneness of Allah in his lordship, which is fulfilling one of
the components of Monotheism, but when worshipping Him, they ascribe companions
to Him from among both living and inanimate things, and they resort to the
things that can bring them neither good nor evil; they make supplications to
those who are not responsible; they choose all sorts of ‘mediators' and
‘intercessors', both dead and still living.
This is why Almighty Allah said:
"And most of them believe not in Allah without associating (other as
partners) with Him!" (Surat 12. Joseph, 106)
Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, commented on this
verse:
"Their faith is that when they are asked: Who created the heaven? Who created
the earth? Who created the mountains? They answer: Allah, yet at the same time
they ascribe partners to Him."
Ikrima said:
"You ask them: who created yourselves, and who created heaven and earth, they
say: Allah. They believe in Allah, but they worship others."
They are deluded by ascribing equals to Allah, making supplications to them, and
having hopes in them the way one can only hope in the Most High; loving them the
way one can only love Allah alone. Almighty Allah said in the Koran about the
martyrs of Hell:
"They will say there in their mutual bickerings: 'By Allah, we were truly in
an error manifest, when we held you as equals with the Lord of the Worlds';"
(Surat 26. The Poets, 96-98)
Mujahid said:
"Their faith is in their words: Allah is our Creator, Who assigns the lot for us
and who makes us die. But this faith is connected to polytheism, since they
worship Taghut along with Allah."
Abd ar-Rahman bin Zeid bin Aslam bin Zeid said:
"Each one of those who worships the creatures besides the Creator, certainly
believes in Allah and knows that Allah is his Creator, Lord and Sustainer. And,
regardless, he ascribes companions to Him."
At the same time not only stone and wooden graven images may serve as idols,
which we got used to associate with heathenism. When the entire lifestyle, the
whole life, the entire hope and love are directed at something which is nothing,
that nothing is the object of worship! All what is of more importance to man
than faith may sooner or later be transformed into Taghut (idolatry) and move a
man away from Monotheism.
So, recognition of Allah as the Lord without dedicating all of the forms of
worship to Him will not save a man from punishment, because in its essence it is
one of the manifestations of idolatry.
In the Koran Monotheism is characterized as the gravest sin that obliterates all
good deeds. Almighty Allah said:
"But it has already been revealed to thee,- as it was to those before thee,-
'If thou wert to join (gods with Allah., truly fruitless will be thy work (in
life), and thou wilt surely be in the ranks of those who lose (all spiritual
good)'." (Surat 39. The Troops, 65)
In other words, Monotheism is that core of personal worldview, around which good
deeds, good intentions and other positive results of human life are being
consolidated. The absence of such core is the cause for vanity of any positive
acts and it automatically annuls all good intentions, deeds and aspirations
without exception. Almighty Allah said:
"Whoever joins other gods with Allah,- Allah will forbid him the garden, and
the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help."
(Surat 5. The Table, 72)
Oftentimes it is easy to discern polytheism in a man who recognizes the
existence of Allah. Especially when he has quite positive traits of character
and is related to us by blood.
But when a man commits a serious crime against the one of his kind, those around
him tend not only to censure that act, but to also take certain measures of
punishment for such deeds. In this case, how would one explain the fact that
while being concerned about justice in the relations between people, we treat
the crimes against Almighty Allah, The Creator and Maker of the entire
existence, so negligently? Koran says about it:
"Lo! To ascribe partners (unto Him) is a tremendous wrong." (Surat 31.
Luqman, 13)
The most tremendous wrong towards the Almighty Allah!
The mission of all messengers of Allah was the call for Monotheism. Atheists and
heathens would often offer the prophets and messengers the wealth of this world
in exchange for concessions in the religion. They were saying: "We agree to
adopt monotheism partially". But the prophets were always showing steadfastness
in their faith and saying: "No! There is no deity but Allah!" For these words
they were being killed and persecuted, for these words the believers were
fighting and sacrificing their own lives. The call to Tawhid (Monotheism) was
certainly leading to confrontation with the infidels. Thus is the Sunna of Allah
in His creatures.
Messenger of Allah Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was calling upon
people to worship Allah alone. Those who followed the call of Monotheism would
become his brothers, and those who refused, would become his enemies.
So, similar precedents of the modern-day situation have already taken place
throughout the history. Starting from Ibrahim (Abraham) and his followers, who
said to their people:
"We are clear of you and of whatever ye worship besides Allah. we have
rejected you, and there has arisen, between us and you, enmity and hatred for
ever,- unless ye believe in Allah and Him alone": (Surat 60. She That Is To
Be Examined, 4),
and all the way to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his disciples,
who with the name of Allah came out to Jihad against the polytheists - their
relatives, neighbors and yesterday's friends.
This is the greatest design by Allah, Who said:
"Thou wilt not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, loving
those who resist Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their fathers or
their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred. For such He has written Faith
in their hearts, and strengthened them with a spirit from Himself." (Surat
58. She That Disputeth, 22)
The Religion of Allah has always been opposing infidelity since time immemorial,
and Muslims to kuffar (infidels), who are one family, one nation and one army.
The believers in Allah and the Day of Judgment must have no doubts in this
regard.
So what kind of polytheists were those, on whom Prophet (peace be upon him)
declared just and fundamental war regardless of family, friendship or neighborly
ties?
The heathens of the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) did recognize Allah
as the Creator and the Sustainer, and their polytheism was exactly in their
worship, which the Holy Koran points out on many occasions.
Almighty Allah said:
Say: "To whom belong the earth and all beings therein? (say) if ye know!"
They will say, "To Allah." say: "Yet will ye not receive admonition?" Say: "Who
is the Lord of the seven heavens, and the Lord of the Throne (of Glory)
Supreme?" They will say, "(They belong) to Allah." Say: "Will ye not then be
filled with awe?" Say: "Who is it in whose hands is the governance of all
things,- who protects (all), but is not protected (of any)? (say) if ye know."
They will say, "(It belongs) to Allah." Say: "Then how are ye deluded?" (Surat
23. The Believers, 84-89)
They did not believe that their idols (Tawaghit) were running this world and
governing its affairs. On the contrary, they believed that only the Lord
Sovereign is capable of that, they were recognizing that those to whom they were
praying besides Allah were only a creation and could not independently bring
good or harm to either themselves or their worshippers. They were recognizing
that Allah is the Only One capable of doing that, and that no one shares this
power with Him.
They believed that Allah is the Creator, and all beings are the creation; that
He is the Lord, and everybody else is a servant under His power. Yet at the same
time they were ascribing companions to Him from among the creation, supplicating
to them for intercession before Allah and trying to get closer to Allah with
their mediation.
This is what Almighty Allah said about them:
"But those who take for protectors other than Allah (say): 'We only serve
them in order that they may bring us nearer to Allah'." (Surat 39. The
Troops, 3)
Thus, the heathens were recognizing the lordship of Allah, yet He did not
include them among the Muslims. On the contrary, Allah declared them as
polytheists and unbelievers and boded them eternal tortures in Hell and allowed
His Messenger (peace be upon him) to infringe upon their lives and their
property.
Indeed, under no other circumstances but the Jihad the line between Faith and
unbelief is so distinct. And not only in the sense of materialization of
antagonism between Muslims and Kuffar in battle, but also in subjective
processes, in the heart of each Muslim.
In Jihad, when love for Allah is the only one priority, Paradise is the only
goal, a fellow believer is a brother and an infidel an enemy, whoever he may be,
Monotheism is shining in its zenith.
Present day is no different from the days of the past. And there is a reason why
the day of the Battle of Badr, the first battle between Islam and Kufr
(infidelity) was called the Day of Distinction. On that day Muslims were
fighting against their fathers, their sons and their close relatives. Thus, for
example, in that battle Umar ibn al-Hattab, may Allah be pleased with him,
killed his uncle al-Asa ibn Hisham; Abu-Bakr was fighting against his son Abd
ar-Rahman, and Abbas was captured during the battle, who was the uncle of the
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
Neither blood, nor family or nation as values overpowered the Faith. Neither
strength nor might or number or the support of Iblis could help the enemies of
Allah, about whom the Most High said:
"Not the least good will your forces be to you even if they were multiplied:
for verily Allah is with those who believe!"
(Surat 8. Spoils Of War, 19)
Almighty Allah strengthened the believers, made that test easier for them,
exalted their faith over the words of the unbelief and separated the truth from
the lies.
Indeed, only in Jihad a Muslims can know himself, disclose the true potential of
his faith and to make it clear what the degree of his own sincerity and love for
Allah really is. Indeed, only Jihad is an effective instrument opposing the
prospects of merger of faith and unbelief and distinguishing a truthful person
from a hypocrite. Indeed, renunciation of Jihad is renunciation of an integral
part of our religion.
Open confrontation is the only thing that can keep us from temptation. The more
lenient the infidels (the Kufr) are towards Muslims, the stricter the position
of Muslims against that Kufr has to be.
"So that the borderline between Islam and the Kufr is more apparent and
distinct, and so that we could instill and maintain hatred towards unbelief
among the Muslims."
(Amir Sayfullah).
Allah Akbar! (God is Great!)
Hava Beshtoyeva,
for Kavkaz Center