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What is called Idolatry?
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[quote]I recently red the followings, which I think, are correct and want that everyone may read and re-consider;- [u]WHO ARE WE WARNED NOT TO WORSHIP[/u]? The Quran states that the human being is prone to worship any one of the following: 1- Material possessions: If the only thing you think of is money and how to make money, if your mind is primarily occupied with issues like: 'how much will I make out of this deal?' and 'what will I gain out of this person?'....etc, if everything in your life is assessed in a material sense then it is said that you worship money. If your business or your property distracts you from worshipping God, then you worship your possessions. The following verses all warn against such dangers: a- The following parable in Sura 18, portrays the tale of the man who was so occupied with his garden to the extent of setting it up as an idol and arrogantly boasting about it to his friend saying that it will never cease to yield its crop. Consequently, God wiped it out as a punishment and a lesson for his idolatry: “Indeed his crop was wiped out, and he ended up sorrowful, lamenting what he had spent on it in vain, as his property lay barren. He said, ‘I wish I never set up my property as an idol beside my Lord.” 18:42 b- The story of Solomon and the horses that distracted him from worshipping God goes as follows: “One day he became preoccupied with some beautiful horses, until the night fell. He then said ‘I enjoyed the material things more than I enjoyed worshipping my Lord, until the sun was gone” 38:31-32 Solomon did not commit idol worship, but he allowed material possessions to distract him from worshipping God. As a result of that he repented. Realizing that nothing should have distracted him from worshipping God he got rid of the horses. c- Indeed the righteous in the sight of God are described in Sura 24: “People who are not distracted by business or trade from commemorating God” 24:37 2- Children and spouse: The Quran warns strongly that our offspring and spouses are a ‘Fetnah’ (test) of our true Worship. Are we going to become so rapped up in them and be distracted from worshipping God? Consider the following verses: a- “....as the load gets heavier (with pregnancy) they implore God their Lord, ‘If you grant us a good child, we will be truly grateful.’ But when He gives them a good child, they turn His gift into an idol that rivals Him. God be exalted, far above any partners” 7:189-190 b- “O you who believe, your spouses and your children can be your enemies, beware of them” 64:14 c- “Your possessions and your children are indeed a test for you and God possesses a great recompense” 64:15 3- One's own ego: The Quran also warns against worshipping our own self. People with inflated egos are the ones mostly prone to such behavior. They will idolize themselves and live in a permanent illusion of vanity. The Quran warns against that: a- “Have you seen the one whose God is his ego ? Will you be his advocate?” 25:43 b- The Quran states that to protect one’s self against this danger we should always behave with modesty and humility. God does not like the conceited and egotistic: “God does not love the arrogant showoffs” 31:18 The close connection between worshipping God alone and being humble is also made evident in verse 36 of Sura 4. The verse starts with: “Worship God and do not associate any one to Him” and ends with the Words: “God does not love arrogant showoffs” 4:36 c- A case of a whole people ending up worshipping themselves, is narrated in the Quran in relationship with the Jews. Their vanity and egotism eluded them into thinking that they are God’s chosen race: “Say, ‘O you who are Jewish, if you have claimed that you are God’s chosen ones, to the exclusion of all other people, then long for death if you are sincere” 62:6 Equally, their vanity and egotism eluded them into proclaiming that heaven was exclusively reserved for them! “Say, ‘If the abode of the Hereafter of God is exclusively reserved for you of all people, then you should long for death if you are sincere” 2:94 4- Objects: Perhaps the more familiar example in this category is the worship of stone and statue idols. Sadly, no particular religious group is innocent of such transgression. The Quran warns very strongly against any association with stone, altars or monuments (5:90). In the world today there are those who still worship such objects as statues, the sun, fire, or even certain animals. All these groups are promised great punishment in the Hereafter. 5- The angels, messengers and saints: There is a very thin line between idolization and worshipping. What would you call those who kiss the ground which the Pope walks on? Are they idolizing the Pope or are they in fact worshipping him? What do you call those who visit the shrines of ‘Al-Hussein’ or ‘El-Sayeda Zeinab’ (Muslim saints) and call on them to answer their prayers or to intercede on their behalf! The Quran states categorically that to call on anyone other than God is to commit idol worship. The Quran warns very specifically against idolizing or worshipping God’s messengers, the saints or the angels: First The Quran establishes the fact that no genuine messenger will ever command his people to glorify him or idolize him: “Never would a human being whom God had blessed with the Scripture and Prophethood say to the people ‘Idolize me besides God’ but instead ‘devote yourself absolutely to your Lord alone’ according to the Scripture you preach and the teachings you learn. Nor would he command you to idolize the angels and the prophets as Lords. Would he exhort you to disbelieve after becoming submitters?” 3:79-80 Nor will any genuine messenger ask for any kind of return for his services: “I do not ask of you any return, my reward comes from the Lord of the universe” 26:109 Second The Quran asserts that all those who died, whether they are saints, messengers or any idols cannot hear us when we call on them. “Any idols you set up beside Him do not possess not even a seed’s thin coating. If you call on them, they cannot hear you. Even if they could hear you, they would not respond to you. On the day of Resurrection, they will disown you. None can inform you like the Most Cognizant” 35:13-14 On the day of Judgment those who have been idolized will disown the ones who idolized them: “There are some people who have set up idols whom they love as the love of God. Those who truly believe love God the most. If only the transgressors would see themselves when they see the retribution ! They will realize then that all power belongs to God alone and that God’s retribution is awesome. Those who were idolized will disown those who idolized them. They will see the retribution and all ties among them will be severed. Those who committed idolatry will say, ‘If we only had another chance, we would disown them as they have disowned us now. God thus shows them the consequences of their works as nothing but remorse; they will never exit Hell” 2:165-167 Third The Quran warns very strongly against setting up God's messengers as idols: “Do those who disbelieve think that they could get away with setting up My servants as idols besides Me ? We have prepared Hell as an abode for the disbelievers” 18:102 “Say, ‘Implore whatever idols you have set up beside Him.’ They have no power to relieve your afflictions, nor can they prevent them. Even the idols that they implore are themselves seeking the means towards proximity to their Lord. They pray for His mercy, and fear His retribution. Surely , the retribution of your Lord is dreadful” 17:56-57 Fourth Finally, the people who commit such transgressions will come up with the most outrageous excuses: “Absolutely, ‘Al Deen Al Khales’ (pure religion) is due to God alone. Those who set up idols besides Him say, ‘We only worship them so that they would bring us closer to God” 39:3 6- The devil There are various sects all over the world today who worship Satan/Lucifer (the devil). They engage in all sorts of vile activities such as blood drinking, human sacrifices and carnal depravity. Indeed this is expected of the servants of the devil. The Quran states that the devil will order his followers to commit evil: “The devil promises you poverty and commands you to commit evil” 2:268 We are given a reminder in the Quran that God took a very early Covenant from all of us, not to worship the devil : “Did I not take a Covenant from you children of Adam, that you shall not worship the devil, that he is your most potent enemy ? And that you shall worship Me (alone) ? This is a straight path” 36:60-61 “Anyone who adopts the devil as a Lord, instead of God has incurred a profound loss” 4:119 The words of Abraham to his father carried the same warning: “O my father, do not worship the devil. The devil has rebelled against the Most Gracious” 19:44 Specially, remember the followings;- [42:21] They follow idols who decree for them religious laws never authorized by GOD. If it were not for the predetermined decision, they would have been judged immediately. Indeed, the transgressors have incurred a painful retribution. [30:31-32] You shall submit to Him, reverence Him, observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and - whatever you do - DO NOT EVER FALL INTO IDOL WORSHIP LIKE THOSE WHO DIVIDE THEIR RELIGION INTO SECTS; EACH PARTY REJOICING WITH WHAT THEY HAVE. samsherali[/quote]
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