Confessors of “God” Are Confounded By “gods”
By Rashid Samnakay, New Age Islam
06 April, 2014
To the casual observer the above may sound bit like the Rumsfeldian gobble de guk: “because we know, there are known knowns, there are things we know that we don’t know……”
It is only on close examination that one notices the lowercase “g” for god and the uppercase “G” for God for the difference to be noticeable.
Over the ages Reformers and Divine Messenger have tried to explain this difference. Some people in their time understood the difference. The human weakness of ‘some are more equal than others’ prevailed.
The Arabs were able to distinguish between a very special entity Allah, the central and pivotal Authority compared to run-of-the-mill Ilaha, the demigods of which we are told there were hundreds prior to and during the Messenger Muhammad’s time.
Today Muslims wish to monopolies this Allah, in the process of dethroning Him from His Universal throne the Kursi, of Quran 2-255!
The Quran very specifically stresses the importance of maintaining this uniqueness of Central Authority and advises mankind to rejects any association with lesser gods and warns of the consequences if not heeded 2-165.
This message that was once again propagated as it had been by other Messengers before Muhammad 2-4 and now codified in the Book 5-51 and 10-37.
A complete shift of paradigms of the then existing systems took place under Islam, the ‘Illuminated 5-17,18 System of global Laws for Advancement of Mankind’, 45-20,
This is the nature of the Code to set humanity free from all vestiges of slavery and subjugation. The master servant, mighty meek, pious impious and superior inferior status of humans was balanced with dignity for all 17-70.
Therefore the fraudulently derived legitimacy from the same Code, the positions of Mufti and that of Maulana are singled out in the Book, because they masquerade like associates to God.
The argument here is not whether or not Fatwas and pronouncements of these positions are judiciously “legal” or intellectually “contemplative” but that such posts and positions in the name of Islam are fraudulent, as they are rejected in Quran.
They are discussed here briefly, solely in the context of Quran. Some verses are therefore given from it to establish the basis of their fraudulent application.
Mufti-The root is F T Y and one meaning of fatwa is to give a firm ruling and one who does so is, in common usage a mufti as one is given to understand. The word Mufti is not in Quran.
4-176: ‘Oh Messenger, people ask you for a Fatwa. “Say, only-(lillah) God gives you a fatwa….” Similarly 4-127.
On two occasions people asked the Messenger for a ruling on two different issues and he was ordered to pronounce that only God gives a ruling. Thus establish the principle that even a Messenger of God was not allowed to give a ruling in the context of Quran.
Secondly, the meaning in Quran of fatwa is not an “opinion” of God to be flouted at will, as is given by those who would like to shelter behind the contrived colloquial meaning of ‘non-legislative pronouncement’.
This is a rouge to justify and perpetuate the position of mufti and others such religious positions which is a lucrative employment in the name of Islam!
The post of mufti (it could mean a ‘free loader’ in Urdu) was created by later-day Khalifs and Sultans to bypass the Qadha, the obstruent Judiciary and as a buffer for their own protection.
When the rulers issued a ruling that the masses protested against, the mufti was ordered to issue a fatwa in its favour. If the masses accepted it the mufti was rewarded, or else… he often lost his head above the shoulders!
This title is common throughout the Muslim-world.
Again in the context of Quran, particularly when the title Maulana is used to indicate that he/she is an authority or master of the “knowledge”-Aalim ud-Deen of Quran, it should be sufficient to dispel the false claim with reference to the Book itself by quoting a few verses. The word Aalim ud-Deen is not in the Book.
Maulana-its root is W L Y. and many words are derived from that root, with different connotations.
7-3: Follow (O mankind!) the revelation passed on to you from your Lord, and follow NOT as friends or protectors other than Him. Little it is you remember of admonitions.
13-37: Thus We revealed it (Quran) to be a judgment of “authority” in Arabic. Were you to follow their (demigods) vain desires…. You will find neither “protector” nor defender against God.
3-150, 5-55, 7-155, 8-40, 22-78, 34-41, 66-2 and significantly 2-286 should also be referred.
2-286 is a supplication that Muslims make five times a day to the Lord their Master Protector: …..Anta Maulanaa Fansurnaa A”Lal Qumil Kaafireen. Here anta Maulana ‘YOU (O Lord)’ are our protector, is significant. The supplication is to the one and only Lord God and to invoke anyone else is attaching associates to the Lord, an unforgiveable sin- shirk.
Have Muslims been praying and invoking other Maulana over the centuries for protection?
The state of affairs of Muslim-nation globally seems to indicate it to be so! Have they forgotten the command Balillahu Maulakum Wahuwa Khairur-Naasireen– Only God is your best protector 22-78? Aalim ud-Deen, the ‘master’ scholars of Quranic knowledge never refuse this title for themselves let alone warn their followers of committing shirk!
And then by adding ‘naa’ at the end of their title maula, they entice the masses to shirk!
This title is mainly used in South Asian countries.
One may ask why are these two positions so importantly discussed in Quran?
It seems that in terms of laying a universal regime of Code for mankind, any dilution of the “Authority” of the one and only God-Creator of the universe is disastrous.
These two positions peculate that Authority.
Demigod(s) are NOT permitted to stand alongside the Supreme Authority. ….the commands rest with none but God…6-57.
In some Muslim countries, city streets lined with larger than life portraits of political gods stand in stark contrast to the above and to some extent the civilized countries. Although they too are infested with billboards for commercialism and consumerism’s gods and goddesses.
Is the modern creed now become “there is no ‘God’ but ‘gods’?” Be warned of the consequences, the Book says.
Demigods were and are the tools of trade, to exploit the gullible and ignorant. Examples of religious demigods’ pronouncements from past and present revered Muslim institutions and Aalim ud-Deen abound. So insulting, that they defy description.
But despair not folks, it is a common malaise. A pastor Reverend Njohi of Kenya recently did even better. For the sake of decency only the following synthesized quote is given:
“According to The Kenyan Daily Post the pastor’s reasoning was that the undergarments (of ladies) are “ungodly” (hindrance?) and people need to be free in ‘body’ and spirit to receive Christ.”
Mankind should avoid these humiliations.
Poet Iqbal tried to put one more nail in the coffin of these non-legislative positions:-
Sarwari Zeba Faqat Uss Zaat Bay Hamtaa Ko Hai—
Sovereignty suits only to the Incomparable one,
Hukmaran’ Hai Ik Wahi Baqi Buttan-e-Azuri!—
He is the only Sovereign; others are idols of Azur’s makings.
Azur was a high priest of the temple, a carver of idols and in the good books of the king.
He was the father of Abraham. Abraham denounced his father and his profession, at great cost to himself. He is credited with the concept of the One and Only Sovereign God. Demigods are therefore an “ism” of Azur’s figment, and persisting in the world even today.
Idols of all kinds abound in the world. Most prominent are the Religious kind. The good Book though forbids the Faithful from accepting them, 17-22,
Has Bangladesh taken the right step?
Bangladesh High Court ruled in Jan. 2001 that Fatwas pronounced by Ulema are “illegal”. Why did not the government then ban the position altogether?
This point brings into sharp focus the most important issue of the “Authority” for any society. For example:
For a civilized nation to be identified among ‘Nations’ of the world, what or who fills the vacuum created by eliminating secondary, fragmental, and non-legislative authorities?
Is two-tier authority workable system in a cohesive nation?
Where and in what institution should the monopoly of “Legislative Authority” reside?
What if any, is the Source of the “Guidance” for this Authority for universal values?
The poet-philosopher-lawyer Iqbal, who was not even a Maulana-master of religion or a mufti-a freeloader; was dubbed a Kafir by them, along with many others like him for pointing the following,:
Agar Chey Kayee Butt Hain’ Jam’at Kay Aasteenon’ Main’,
Mujhhey Hai Hukm-e-Azaan Laa-Ilaha-Illallah!
Although there are many idols under the sleeves of the community;
I am but commanded to proclaim- ‘there is no god but God’.
It is not simple to implement the command when the very ‘learned people’ defraud the gullible and ignorant in the name of the very Code that they profess to adhere to!
A regular contributor to New Age Islam, Rashid Samnakay is a (Retd.) Engineer
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-ideology/confessors-“god”-confounded-“gods”/d/66427