The Truth Or The Religious Element (3)

THE TRUTH OR THE RELIGIOUS ELEMENT (3)

This primitive monotheism, this natural religion as called by the Qur’an,

“So set you (O Muhammad) your face towards the religion (of pure Islâmic Monotheism) Hanîf (worship none but Allâh Alone). Allâh's Fitrah (i.e. Allâh's Islâmic Monotheism) with which He has created mankind. No change let there be in Khalqillah (i.e. the religion of Allâh -Islâmic Monotheism); that is the straight religion, but most of men know not.” (XXX, 30), was to the Arabs a sort of a theoretical idea, enveloped and practically submerged by the cults which they were attributing to inferior divinities,

“And most of them believe not in Allâh except that they attribute partners unto Him [i.e. they are polytheists].” (XII, 106).

They were not calling God except in cases of great danger, “He it is Who enables you to travel through land and sea, till when you are in the ships, and they sail with them with a favourable wind, and they are glad therein, then comes a stormy wind and the waves come to them, from all sides, and they think that they are encircled therein. Then they invoke Allâh, making their Faith pure for Him Alone, (saying :) “If you (Allâh) deliver us from this, we shall truly be of the grateful.” (X, 22).

They were not giving to Him from their offerings but a tiny part, “And they assign to Allâh a share of tilth and cattle which He has created and they say: “This is for Allâh ac- cording to their claim, and this is for our (Allâh's so-called) “partners.” But the share of their (Allâh's so-called) “partners” reaches not Allâh, while the share of Allâh reaches their (Allâh’s so-called) “partners.” Evil is the way they judge!” (VI, 136).

Because of their contact with nature elements, they were not able to keep from attributing some influences to stars,

“And that He (Allâh) is the Lord of Sirius (the star which the pagan Arabs used to worship),” (LIII, 49),

“And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Prostrate yourselves not to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate yourselves to Allâh Who created them, if you (really) worship Him.” (XLI, 37) to which they were prostrating. Between God and man, they established intermediary powers, able to bring a man to his Creator,

“Surely the religion (i.e. the worship and the obedience) is for Allâh only. And those who take Auliya’ (protectors, helpers, lords, gods) besides Him (say): “We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allâh”. Verily Allâh will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. Truly, Allâh guides not him who is a liar, and a disbeliever.” (XXXIX, 3), or to intercede in his favour,

“And they worship besides Allâh things that hurt them not, nor profit them, and they say: “These are our intercessors with Allâh”. Say: Do you inform Allâh of that which He knows not in the heavens and on the earth? “Glorified and exalted is He above all that which they associate as partners (with Him)!” (X, 18).