The religion of Islam today still continues to be one of the misunderstood religions in the world. One reason of this is the fact that for centuries this beautiful religion has been unduly presented to the world through the so-called Muslim people, scholars, organizations and countries that do not act or function in an Islamic manner according to teachings of the Quran. The result of centuries-long ignorance is obvious. Not only has the religion of Islam been given a bad name, but also Muslims all around the world today are suffering the consequences of abandoning the teachings of the Quran, in favor of innovations that have nothing to do with religion. One of these innovations is the volumes and volumes of hadith books written some 200 years after the death of Prophet Muhammad in one side while on the other side is consistently elevating and focusing on him in their praise and prayers nullifies their all works due to idol worshiping and contributes nothing to the growth of their souls. As a result, what we see in the majority that claims to be Muslims is violence, arrogance, evil behavior or stupidity when they encounter any criticism, even if it is the truth from God.
Root of praising Prophet Muhammad
Not long after Prophet Muhammad’s death, it gradually became a man-made tradition among Muslims to praise him despite God’s clear commandments in the Quran. In fact, the root is the word “prophet” (Nabi) that consistently refers to Muhammad in many verses only when he was alive but Satan used some of these verses to entice Muslims into commemorating Muhammad constantly, instead of commemorating God including the verses referring to him when he had a direct contact with the people. However, the tradition mainly stems from the misuse and misinterpretation of the following verses of the Quran:
[3:31] Say: “If you have pledged to love God, you shall follow me (prophet). Then God will love you and will forgive your sins for you, and God is Forgiving, Merciful.”
Note: This verse indicates prophet’s closeness with God because of the message NOT because of anything PERSONAL as his supposed sayings did not exist during the revelation of the Quran but until after 200 years of his death. This order is from God for the contemporary believers to follow the prophet for the message what has been sent down to Muhammad i.e., the Quran when he had a direct contact with the people. Hence, the order for us now is to follow the message (Quran) what he left for us but none can find any logic to interpret it to be an order from God for the believers of the subsequent generations to praise him or follow his sayings or the way he had led his family life.
[7:157] Those who follow the messenger, the gentile prophet whom they find written in the Torah and the Gospel with them. He enjoins them with the right, and forbids them from the evil, and makes lawful for them the good things, and makes unlawful for them the bad things, and relieves from them their burdens and the shackles which has been upon them. So, those who have believed in him, and have honored him, and have supported him, and have followed the light which has been sent down with him, those – they are the successful ones.
[7:158] Say, “O people; indeed, I am a messenger of God to you all, the One to Whom is sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. There is no god except He. He gives life and causes death.” So, you shall believe in God and His messenger, the gentile prophet who believes in God and His words. And you shall follow him that you may be guided.
Note: Through the above verses, the contemporary Jews and Christians were commanded to follow the message that came down to gentile prophet Muhammad who had no knowledge of the Torah and the Gospel when he had direct contact with the people. The phrases that end these two verses are very crucial for us to reflect on the message for which Muhammad was a prophet. However, none can find any logic to interpret it to be an order from God for the believers of the subsequent generations to praise him or follow his sayings or how he had led his family life as well.
[33:56] Indeed, God and His angels support the prophet. O you who have believed, you shall support him, and shall greet him with due greeting.
Note: This verse has been made the central focus for praising prophet Muhammad through the misinterpretation of the Arabic word, “Salloo” to ‘send blessings’ for the prophet instead of ‘help and support’ the prophet. As we all know that the sole mission of the prophet was to deliver the message and he had to face strong opposition to deliver the God’s message. Even he had to emigrate from Mecca to Medina, and had fought many battles in his lifetime. As such, both physical and financial support was required in spreading of God’s message. Hence, it was the order from God for the contemporary believers to help and support the prophet at his lifetime. It has also been confirmed from the word “prophet” (Nabi) consistently referring to Muhammad in the Quran only when he was alive NOT after his death and the order for us from God how we should respect the prophet at his lifetime. However, the order for us now is to follow the message (Quran) what he left for us.
Worship God alone
We have already learned that God has chosen many messengers (prophets and messengers) but to deliver only one message to worship Him alone. The Quran is God’s final message to humanity, confirming previous scriptures, and its message for our salvation is to “Worship God alone.” He has commanded us directly and indirectly, positively and negatively citing many examples to worship Him alone in many verses of the Quran but here are a few as examples:
[3:51] “God is my Lord and your Lord; you shall worship Him alone. This is the right path.”
[4:36] You shall worship God alone – do not associate anything with Him. You shall regard the parents, the relatives, the orphans, the poor, the related neighbor, the unrelated neighbor, the close associate, the traveling alien, and your servants. God does not like the arrogant show-offs.
[7:3] You shall all follow what is revealed to you from your Lord; do not follow any allies besides Him. Rarely do you take heed.
[19:36] He (Jesus) also proclaimed, “God is my Lord and your Lord; you shall worship Him alone. This is the right path.”
[20:14] “Indeed Me, I am God; there is no other god beside I. So you (Moses) shall worship Me, and shall observe the Contact Prayer (al-salata) for My remembrance.
[21:25] And we have not sent any messenger of your (Muhammad) before except we inspire to him that “There is no god except I, so you (all) shall worship Me.”
[29:17] “You worship but idols other than God, and you create falsehood. Indeed, those whom you worship other than God do not possess any provision for you, so seek the provision with God and worship Him and be thankful to Him. To Him you will be returned.”
[39:66] Therefore, you shall worship God alone, and be appreciative.
Commemorate and glorify God day and night
God has commanded us in the Quran to commemorate and glorify Him day and night which means that He should be with us at all our circumstances. Therefore, our focus should be God, the Almighty to remember and please Him, which is spelled out in the following verses:
[3:192] They remember God while standing, sitting, and on their sides, and they reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth: “Our Lord, You did not create all this in vain. Be You glorified. Save us from the retribution of Hell.
[4:103] Once you complete your Contact Prayer (Salat), you shall remember God while standing, sitting, or lying down. Once the war is over, you shall observe the Contact Prayers (Salat); the Contact Prayers (Salat) are decreed for the believers at specific times.
[7:205] You shall remember your Lord within yourself, publicly, privately, and quietly, day and night; do not be unaware.
[13:28] They are the ones whose hearts rejoice in remembering God. Absolutely, by remembering God, the hearts rejoice.
[15:98] You shall sing the praises of your Lord, and be with the prostrators.
[33:41] O you who believe, you shall remember GOD frequently.
[33:42] You shall glorify Him day and night.
[40:65] He is the Living; there is no god except He. You shall worship Him alone, devoting your religion absolutely to Him alone. Praise be to GOD, Lord of the universe.
[62:10] Once the prayer is completed, you may spread through the land to seek God’s bounties, and continue to remember God frequently, that you may succeed.
[110:3] You shall glorify and praise your Lord, and implore Him for forgiveness. He is the Redeemer.
All praise belongs to God to Whom belongs the greatness
Our god is whatever occupies our thoughts most of the time. Hence, all our praise should be to God alone, and if all praise belongs to God, then why should we ever need to praise anybody else for that matter? To Him belongs the greatness in the heavens and the earth, while He is the Almighty, the Wise.
[28:70] He is God: there is no god except He. To Him belongs all praise in the first life, and in the Hereafter. And to Him belongs the judgment, and to Him you will be returned.
[30:18] And to Him belongs all praise in the heavens and the earth, and at evening and when you reach noon.
[34:1] All praise belongs to God, the One to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth; and to Him belongs all praise in the Hereafter. And He is the Wise, the Cognizant.
[45:36] So to God belongs all praise, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth, Lord of the worlds.
[45:37] And to Him belongs the greatness in the heavens and the earth, and He is the Almighty, the Wise.
[64:1] Glorifies for God whatever is in the heavens and whatever in the earth. To Him belongs the dominion and to Him belongs all praise, and He has power over everything.
Respect prophet/messenger
God chooses messengers from us from time to time to deliver His message to guide the people. Thus, He teaches us how we should respect them when they live with us or when they are not among us. The order for the contemporary believers to respect the messengers when they are alive is for the successful delivery of His message but such teaching is not applicable for the subsequent generation of believers when they are not among them:
[49:1] O you who believe, do not place your opinion above that of God and His messenger. You shall reverence God. God is Hearer, Omniscient.
Note: The messenger delivers the God’s message and strictly follows His commands, the believers should not have any opinion other than God and His messenger, and it does not matter whether he lives with us or not.
[49:2] O you who believe, do not raise your voices above the voice of the prophet, nor shall you shout at him as you shout at each other, lest your works become nullified while you do not perceive.
[49:3] Surely, those who lower their voices at the messenger of God are the ones whose hearts are prepared by God to become righteous. They have deserved forgiveness and a great recompense.
Note: Obviously, the contemporary believers could not possibly raise their voices above the prophet’s voice. In addition, respecting the prophet helps outsiders and visitors in coming to God’s message.
[49:4] As for those who call on you from outside the walls, most of them do not understand.
Note: As the prophet was a fatherly figure among the believers, it was not befitting for them to call him from the other side of the wall that also conforms to the order of enjoining them from marrying the wives of prophet after him 33:53. Also note that 49:2-4 are only applicable to the contemporary believers.
In addition, there are several other reasons why undue praising of Muhammad makes the believers idolizers of him that we need to take the entire Quran to determine these reasons:
First: The prophet never ask the people to idolize him, but those who do it nullify their all works.
[3:79] It has not been for a human that God gives him the scripture, and the wisdom, and the prophethood, then he says to the people, “You shall be worshipers of me other than God, except you shall be worshipers of Lord, because of that you have been to teach the scripture and because of that you have been to study (it).”
Note: Are we absolutely devoted to God alone?
Second: Undue praising of Muhammad is a Satan’s trap to make the believers idol worshipers, while idol worship is an unforgiveable sin but God being Forgiving and Merciful can forgive all our sins if we repent and reform before our death but NOT at the time of death or after death.
[4:48] Indeed, God does not forgive if partner is associated with Him, while He forgives what is other than that for whomever He wills. And whoever associates partner with God, then certainly, he has fabricated a horrendous sin.
[4:116] Indeed, God does not forgive if partner is associated with Him, while He forgives what is other than that for whomever He wills. And whoever associates partner with God, then certainly, he has strayed off far astray.
[25:70] Except whoever has repented, and has believed, and has done deeds as righteous, then for those God will replace evil deeds with good ones, and God has been Forgiving, Merciful.
[25:71] And whoever has repented and has done deeds as righteous, then indeed, he repents to God a complete repentance.
[39:53] Say: “O My servants, those who have transgressed against themselves do not despair of God’s mercy. Indeed, God forgives all the sins. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”
[4:18] And there has not been the acceptance of repentance for those who commit the evil deeds until when has come the death to one of them who said, “Indeed, I have repented now,” nor for those who die, while they are disbelievers. Those – for them we have prepared a painful retribution.
Note: Idol worship is opposite to worship God alone.
Third: Undue praising of prophet Muhammad makes a distinction between the messengers and prophets. In more than half a dozen verses of the Quran God tells us not to make any distinction between them. All prophets and messengers are His obedient servants who brought the same message to worship God alone. Here is just one to cite as an example:
[2:136] Say, “We have believed in God, and what has been sent down to us, and what has been sent down to Abraham and Ismail and Isaac and Jacob and the Patriarchs; and what has been given to Moses and Jesus, and what has given to the prophets from their Lord. We do not make distinction between any of them. And to Him we are submitters.”
Note: Are we making any distinction disobeying God?
Fourth: elevating Muhammad or excessive focusing on him is a tantamount to idol worship and disobedience of God. The majority of Muslims violate God’s order by insisting on putting Muhammad’s name with God in the prayer and declaration of faith. Thus, they are worshiping nothing and God is aware of what they are doing.
[29:42] Indeed, God knows what they call any thing other than Him. And He is the Almighty, the Wise.
Note: Are we worshiping God or worshiping nothing?
Fifth: praising Muhammad expecting favor from him is wrong because intersession is a myth and relying on him to help us put into Paradise is wishful thinking and an eventual ticket to Hell, if we do not realize it before it is too late.
[10:18] They worship beside GOD idols that possess no power to harm them or benefit them, and they say, “These are our intercessors at GOD!” Say, “Are you informing GOD of something He does not know in the heavens or the earth?” Be He glorified. He is the Most High; far above needing partners.
[2:48] Beware of the day when no soul can avail another soul, no intercession will be accepted, no ransom can be paid, nor can anyone be helped.
Note: Do we rely on a myth or the truth?
Sixth: praising Muhammad is wrong because we need God to give us what we need but Muhammad cannot give us what we need. In addition, Prophet Muhammad, or any other prophet, messenger or saint, no matter how close they are to God, cannot be mediators at God. This is only a common myth being a satanic trick.
[35:15] O people, you are the ones who need GOD, while GOD is in no need for anyone, the Most Praiseworthy.
[39:3] Absolutely, the religion shall be devoted to GOD alone. Those who set up idols beside Him say, “We idolize them only to bring us closer to GOD; for they are in a better position!” GOD will judge them regarding their disputes. GOD does not guide such liars, disbelievers.
Note: Do we believe in myth or truth?
Seventh: praising Muhammad is wrong because he cannot provide us guidance that we need as our roadmap or cannot forgive us. God knows what we need as He created us, and it is His mercy and system to send scriptures, messengers, and prophets to humanity to tell us to worship Him alone providing a roadmap for our salvation.
[2:38] We said, “Go down from here all of you. So when guidance comes to you from Me, then whoever has followed My guidance, then there is no fear on them, nor will they grieve.
[2:185] Ramadan is a month in which the Quran has been revealed as guidance for the people, clear proofs of the guidance and the statute book. So whoever among you has witnessed the month, then he should fast in it, and whoever has been ill or on a journey then the prescribed number from other days. God wishes ease for you and He does wish not hardship for you, and that you may complete the prescribed number; and that you may glorify God through which He has guided you and that you may appreciate.
Note: Are we following the roadmap?
Eighth: praising Muhammad is wrong because it makes no sense if we reflect on some of God’s qualities. God is in full control and aware of everything. He created the heavens and the earth and provided for its inhabitants. He controls life and death. Hence, there is no reason to praise something else that has no power or to praise another human being like Muhammad, Ali or Hussain.
[2:255] God: there is no god except He – the Living, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. Is there anyone who can intercede with Him except of His permission? He knows what is before (past) of them and what is behind (future) of them. And they cannot encompass with anything of His knowledge except of what He has willed. He has extended His Throne to the heavens and the earth, and it does not tire Him in taking care of both of them, and He is the High, the Great.
[24:55] God has promised those among you who have believed and have done the righteous deeds that He will surely make them sovereign in the earth like that He has made sovereign those who were before themselves, and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them, and that He will surely change for them their fear to security to worship Me not to associate anything with Me. But whoever has disbelieved after that, then those – they are the disobedient.
[24:64] No doubt; indeed, to God belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. Certainly, He knows what you are on it, and a day they will be returned to Him, then He will inform them of what they had done. And God is a knower of everything.
Note: Do we worship something that is all powerful or needs help himself?
Finally: praising Muhammad is wrong because only God can hear our prayers and only God can answer our prayers. No one in Heaven has any greater access to God’s throne than we do as individuals through our submission and prayer.
[2:186] When has asked you (Muhammad) My servants about Me, indeed, I am always near. I answer call of the callers when you call Me. So they should respond to Me and should believe in Me that they may guide them.
Note: Do we need answers for our prayers?
In a nutshell, prophet Muhammad can neither bring us closer to God, nor can he benefit or harm us, then why should we praise him who has no access to God’s throne now to make us idol worshipers. Since it is centuries-long ignorance, and obviously, it is not easy to accept the truth readily for all but the true believers, then what we need to do is gain confidence in God and His system that there is no other god except God, and only He can protect and guide us to the right understanding should we want to be guided. However, God is the Most Merciful and He has issued a dreadful warning against idol worship to prevent us from falling in any forms of idol worshiping including setting up His allies as idols. Idol worship is opposite to worship God alone and nullifies our all works. As such, the perfect religion is to worship God alone, being totally devoted to Him alone understanding that God has distinct set of laws, standards and systems to control His vast dominion being the Lord of both worlds, here and the Hereafter; and we should not mess up the earthly set with the set of the Hereafter to make us losers in the Hereafter for failing to use our God given wisdom to distinguish the earthly set from that of the Hereafter behaving like the deaf, dumb and blind, or the donkey.
[28:56] Indeed, you cannot guide whoever you loved but God guides whoever He wills, and He is best knowing of the guided ones.
[6:82] Those who have believed, while they do not concoct their faith with wrong, those for them have the security, and they are guided ones.
[98:5] They have not been commanded except that they should worship God, being sincere to Him in the religion of monotheism, and they shall observe the contact prayer (al-salata) and shall give the obligatory charity (al-zakata), and that is the perfect religion.
[2:18] Deaf, dumb and blind will not return.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (9/18/2015)