Freeing oneself from polytheism and its people

All praise be to Allah, we praise, seek His Help, and we ask His Forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah against the evils of ourselves and the evils of our actions, whom Allah guides no one can mislead him and whoever has been misled no one can guide.

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah who says: "And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said to his father and his people: Verily, I am innocent of what you worship." [Surat Az-Zukhruf: 26].

I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger who said: "Whoever unifies Allah and disbelieves in objects or humans that are worshipped besides Him Allah would make his money and blood inviolable and his account will be at Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He)."

It is not hidden from people the conditions which our nation pass through such as alienation to Islamic values besides forgery of facts and constants to please disbelievers and polytheists, and in pursuit of desires and devils.

Some people say: It is enough for a person to be a Muslim is to believe in Allah.

Others say: Shari`ah is not fit for every time and place and whoever believes otherwise is mistaken.

Another circulates secular thoughts as being part of Fiqh and so on.

To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return. Who would refute such claims? And who can guide those poor people who believe such claims?

It is really a catastrophe and a war to demolish the fundamentals of religion without finding anyone to pay attention to these claims.

O people of knowledge, O seekers of knowledge, be alert and defend your constants. I do not call you to spread knowledge but to maintain the fundamentals of religion.

Of the constants, which the enemies of Islam endeavor to demolish, is freeing oneself from polytheism and its people, so it is not sound to be a Muslim or a believer without freeing oneself from polytheists and their worshipped objects without disbelieving in all of them. The Arabic word "Taghut" means anything that is worshipped other than Allah while a person is pleased with it. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Tâghût and believes in Allâh, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break." [Surat Al Baqarah: 256].

Allah (may He be Exalted) said: "And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said to his father and his people: Verily, I am innocent of what you worship. * Except Him (i.e. I worship none but Allâh Alone) Who did create me; and verily, He will guide me. * And he made it [i.e. La ilaha ill-Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah Alone)] a Word lasting among his offspring (True Monotheism), that they may turn back (i.e. to repent to Allah or receive admonition)." [Surat Az-Zukhruf: 26 - 28].

Imam Ibn Kathir (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said in his Tafsir: Allah (may He be Exalted) told about His Servant and Messenger and the father of all Messengers to whom Quraysh was ascribed in lineage and doctrine that he freed himself from his father and people who worshipped idols. He said: "And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said to his father and his people: Verily, I am innocent of what you worship. * Except Him (i.e. I worship none but Allâh Alone) Who did create me; and verily, He will guide me. * And he made it [i.e. La ilaha ill-Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah Alone)] a Word lasting among his offspring (True Monotheism), that they may turn back (i.e. to repent to Allah or receive admonition)." [Surat Az-Zukhruf: 26 - 28]. The meaning of "a word" is worshipping Allah (Glory be to Him) alone without associating partners with Him in worship and freeing oneself from the worship of idols which is the meaning of "There is no god but Allah" and Allah made it continuous in Abraham's offspring.

Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "Indeed, there has been an excellent example for you in Ibrâhîm (Abraham) and those with him, when they said to their people: "Verily, we are free from you and whatever you worship besides Allâh: we have rejected you, and there has appeared between us and you hostility and hatred forever until you believe in Allâh Alone"" [Surat Al Mumtahinah: 4].

Scholar Muhammad Al Amin Ash-Shanqity (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said in his Tafsir: Allah (Glory be to Him) explained the required following of Prophets by His Saying: "When they said to their people: Verily, we are free from you and whatever you worship."

Following the example of Prophets includes three matters:

1- Freeing oneself from them and from their gods which they worship besides Allah.

2- Disbelieving in them.

3- Showing enmity and hatred to disbelievers and declaring it until they believe in Allah alone and when they believe in Allah alone enmity and hatred cease.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever worships Allah alone and disbelieves in objects or humans that are worshipped besides Him Allah would make his money and blood inviolable and his account will be at Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted)."[1]

Sheikh Ibn Baz (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: Evidence from the Shari`ah, whether in the Qur'an or the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him), indicate the obligation of freeing oneself from polytheists and their false creed whenever a believer realizes their disbelief and error.[2]

Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted) said in the Glorious Qur'an: "And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said to his father and his people: Verily, I am innocent of what you worship. * Except Him (i.e. I worship none but Allâh Alone) Who did create me; and verily, He will guide me. * And he made it [i.e. La ilaha ill-Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah Alone)] a Word lasting among his offspring (True Monotheism), that they may turn back (i.e. to repent to Allah or receive admonition)." [Surat Az-Zukhruf: 26 - 28] which means that perhaps they would resort to it in calling polytheists disbelievers and freeing oneself from them, and believing that Allah is their worshipped true God (Glory be to Him).

Allah (Glorified and Exalted be to Him) says: "Indeed, there has been an excellent example for you in Ibrâhîm (Abraham) and those with him, when they said to their people: Verily, we are free from you and whatever you worship besides Allâh: we have rejected you, and there has appeared between us and you hostility and hatred forever until you believe in Allâh Alone." [Surat Al Mumtahanah: 4]. This is the religion of Abraham and the creed of all Prophets which was to free oneself of disbelief and falsehood until those disbelievers believe in Allah alone.

So, it is obligatory upon Muslims to free himself from the worshippers of idols and to deem them disbelievers and erroneous until they believe in Allah alone as Allah informed about Abraham and all Prophets. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Tâghût and believes in Allâh, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break." [Surat Al Baqarah: 256].

Disbelief in Taghut means: Freeing oneself from worshipping other than Allah and deeming that worship false. It is obligatory upon every person to worship Allah alone and believe that Allah is the Only One worthy of worship, and to deem that objects that has been worshipped besides Allah such as idols, trees, stones, jinn, angels, or others are false gods.

So, it is obligatory upon a person to be a real believer is to free himself from polytheists whenever he knows about their disbelief. Al Qady `Iyad said in Ash-Shifa' (2/1071): Therefore, whoever believes in any religion other than Islam, those who do not call them as disbelievers, or doubt that or even call their creed as sound, we call all of them as disbelievers.

Shaykh-ul-Islam said about the things that nullify Islam: Whoever does not call polytheists as disbelievers or doubt their disbelief or deem their creed as sound has committed disbelief.

"(They say): Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the Bestower." [Surat Al `Imran: 8].

I ask Allah to grant us pure monotheism and to make us hold firm with His Religion until we meet him.