This Concerns God the Almighty, O People!

Was published in Arabic in June, 23, 2009

Translated by Ahmed Fathy

Introduction:

Some Quranists have debated the idea of the testimony of Islam (La Ilah Illa Allah) (there is no god but Allah). We insist that there are no other words to be added to it, especially mentioning Prophet Muhammad. Adding the prophet's name in a double testimony is differentiating among prophets of God, forbidden by the Quran, as well as preferring Muhammad as the best of prophets and all human beings, and this is wrong according to the Quranic text as explained below in this article. Mentioning Muhammad in the testimony of Islam is a kind of polytheism and a deification of the prophet. This double testimony has led later on to turn Muslims into Muhammadans who worship the prophet as a deity with God: making Prophet Muhammad a partner with the Almighty in the testimony, in the call for prayers, in prayers, in acts of worship, and in pilgrimage (by visiting the city of Yathreb), as well as considering Muhammad as a deity in calling and invoking him for help and embracing the false notion of his presumed intercession in Doomsday, as if this Day of Resurrection is owned by Muhammad alongside with God. Some Quranists have protested by telling us that adding the name of Muhammad in the testimony of Islam is not polytheism. We have decided to write an article on that subject of Islam's testimony, differentiation among prophets, and deification of mortals.

Firstly: People never appreciate God in His due worth.

1- We have chosen the title of this article to remind people of the greatness and majesty of God, oft forgotten by people.

2- The problem here is that we never see God in our lifetime. We only see His creations around us and inside us (see 51:20-21).  People's indifference to God's creation is mentioned in (12:105-106).  Does God who created the universe need any mortal partner from his creatures to be mentioned beside His holy name in the testimony of Islam?!

3- Objective, rational thinking and contemplation about the creation of the universe is a Quranic order to those who have reason in their minds. This contemplation leads eventually to the testimony of Islam (see 3:190-191).  We now in modern times witness scientific advances that enable us to watch and contemplate God's creations in oceans, outer space, cells, nuclei, etc., and when we die, we will see what is unseen in our lifetime on earth. We will see the Eternal Truth. If we are impressed by the universe, what about the following verse "God is He who created the heavens and the earth and everything between them in six days"(32:4)? We know but little of the seen and known outer space (see 37:5-6); we are impressed with billions of light years and black holes, galaxies…etc. But we are to be impressed more by the following verse: "We swear by the locations of the stars. It is an oath, if you only knew, that is tremendous. It is a noble Quran." (56:75-77). We know now that we see not stars but their light which is millions years old. The location of stars change; this is a scientific fact. This proves the veracity of the Quran as a divine revelation. Our impressed state by God's majesty in His creations in the universe and inside our bodies should be translated in more appreciation and glorification of God. One should not glorify Muhammad in the testimony of Islam that ought to represent the Oneness of God. Muhammad died like all mortal human being; i.e., his body decomposed and turned into dust eventually. If you think otherwise, then you are deifying Muhammad like what happened to Jesus Christ after his death. Glorification is for God alone, not for prophets. We are to glorify and appreciate God in His due worth as much as we can.

Secondly: Being faithful to God alone in matters of religion prevents us from adding a name of a mortal beside God in the testimony of Islam.

1- We have written many times to assert that performing good deeds is not enough; one's faith should not include deification, invocation, worship, and glorification of mortal creatures. Otherwise, good deeds will be useless and one will enter into Hell eternally, see (4:48), (4:116), and (5:72).

2- Being faithful to God alone is the main pillar of Islam as we read in the Quran: (39:3) and (98:5). Islam, as a religion, comprises two parts: acts of worship dedicated to God alone (see 39:2, 39:11, and 39:14) and faith: i.e. seeking God's aid, invoking Him, offering prayers to Him…etc. see (7:29) and (40:14 and 40:65). In reciting the opening chapter of the Quran, the Fatiha, a believer asserts that worship is solely dedicated to God as well as asking for aid. This is real faithfulness to God. See (1:5).

3- By being faithful to God alone, a believer can find a refuge and a shelter away from the cunning evil ways of the Devil or Satan; see (15:39-40) and (38:82), and one eschews disobedience and sin; see (12:24). In stories of prophets in the Quran, those who were faithful to God survived all hardships and became the devout ones who will enter into Paradise; see (37:71-74, 37:127-128, and 37:38-43).

4- Being faithful to God alone in matters of faith and worship is a continual state of being to all real believers as they cleanse their souls continuously by reading and contemplating the Quran and glorifying God daily. Polytheists do not become faithful to God alone except in times of disasters. See (10:22), (29:65), and (31:32). Even the Pharaoh of Moses passed this experience in the moment of his death; see (10:90). Every one of us should remember the times of hardship we have passed through and have invoked God in tears to help us out of this hardship. In such times, one knows the meaning of being faithful totally to God. Yet, most people forget this type of worshipping God alone faithfully without reverence to mortal gods of dead human beings. Faith to God only should be in all our lifetime until one's death. We are to meet God in the Afterlife with a sound heart; i.e., worship of God alone without mortal partners.

5- The Quranic expressions pertaining to dedicating one's faith to God alone without any partners/gods, and total submission to Him not to any mortal/clergy so as not to revere / worship / deify any person dead or alive, can be found in the following verses: (6:79), (7:29), (3:20), and meeting God with a sound heart/soul: (26:88-89).

6- Being faithful only to God means worship and glorification of God 100%; i.e., not even 1% or an iota of reverence, worship, deification to any mortals like prophets and the so-called saints...etc. Otherwise, this 1% is polytheism that wipes out good deeds and acts of worship; one in that case does not meet God with a faithful intact heart/soul. The vast majority of believers falsely think that it is enough to believe in the existence of God and they worship Him in acts of worship like prayers…etc. Those believers forget the fact that Arabs before the advent of Islam and the revelation of Quran used to worship God and knew He exists. But they had other gods/idols/mortals/tombs. The same applies to today's Muhammadans in their earthly human-made Sufi, Sunnite and Shiite creeds. Most believers forget that what is needed, as per the Quran, is to revere, worship, and glorify God alone. This is the meaning of being faithful to God. There can be no tolerance whatsoever of even an iota of doubt in this Quranic fact; it is unjust to revere, worship, and deify mortal creatures among human being beside God (Allah) the Creator of the Universe. If your reverence to God is 99% and 1% is given to any prophets, the so-called saints, or any mortal, then your acts of worship and good deeds as well as your belief in the existence of God will never be accepted and you will reside in Hell for eternity.

7- God asserts the above-mentioned facts in the Quran in the following verse: "Worship God, and ascribe no partners to Him…"(4:36). The order here (of worship) is affirmed by the following order of (not ascribing). Creatures are not to be revered alongside with God. This goes for all angels, prophets, the so-called saints, any tombs (shrines), any clergy, and lastly all human beings dead or alive. There is no room for tolerance or a ''moderate'' way between total and whole submission to God 100% and reverence of partners along with God even by 1%. One is either a true believer or a polytheist. One has to choose the right or the wrong, not both of them as a sort of precautionary measure! See (10:32), (16: 51-52), and eventually the Quranic warning in (4:136). Hence, faith in God means all faith and religion are monopolized for the sake of Allah as the sole God. God never accepts 99% faith and the rest, 1%, for other mortals. God curses such polytheism; see (4:46), (4:52), (4:155), (2:88), (69:41), and (32:29).

8- Being faithful to God alone without ascribing mortal partners to Him among His creatures is not that difficult a decision. This is a choice of a believer's soul and heart. This is a possible choice; as for those adamant in their adherence to old notions of Sunnite, Shiite, or Sufi creeds and try to find pretexts for them by saying inside one's mind: "I believe in God, why I should not revere holy men and women at the same time". This devilish notion is contrary to the faith in the testimony of Islam (La Ilah Illa Allah) i.e. (There is no God but Allah). Yet, Muhammadans and polytheists of every sort tolerate worshipping the so-called saints. God tolerates excuses in acts of worship: one can alleviate the rules and timing of prayers, fasting, pilgrimage, etc. Yet, it is inexcusable to fall into the pit of polytheism then die without repentance. We are talking about the volition or will of one's heart and soul; if in danger, one might say things against one's heart, see (16:106).

9- There is not room for excuses and good intentions in the matter of being faithful solely to God. Good intentions have plenty of room only in acts of worship and good deeds done by believers whose faith is acceptable to God. For instance, God overlooks wrong acts done due to forgetfulness and not done intentionally; see (5:89), (33:5), (2:93), and (5:95). This applies only to those whose faith is deemed acceptable to God; polytheists' good deeds and acts of worship are not accepted at all anyway and in any case.

10- Finally, faith or lack of it is a matter of heart/soul as a personal choice possible and easy for those who want it. People find it easy to follow the notions of their ancestors and forefathers; i.e., by making Muhammad a deity worshiped alongside with God in the testimony of Islam, in the call for prayers, in pilgrimage, in prayers, etc. Among the worst notions forced on Islam in later ages is the belief in the intercession of Prophet Muhammad in the afterlife. They claim he will make all Muslims condemned to Hell enter Paradise eventually. This falsehood is contrary to the Quran. Notions of faith are a matter pertaining to one's mind, heart, and soul. One is free to choose and one's choice will lead one to live eternally either in Hell or Paradise.   

Thirdly: A warning against the seed of polytheism that begins with preferring a prophet (i.e., Muhammad) to be greater in stature or importance in comparison to other prophets.

1- Some Quranists claim that mentioned the name of Prophet Muhammad in the testimony of Islam does not make us polytheists; we reject notions of intercession, never visit his tomb, never praise him as the Sunnites do, etc.

 We reply to this statement as follows. This is the germ and start of polytheism that will sprout or germinate later on into false notions. This 1% lack of total faith to God is tantamount to pure polytheism. Why is that? Because polytheism starts with fabricating notions not found in the divine book of God, i.e. the Quran, as God never tells us in the the Quran that the testimony of Islam is (there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger). Moreover, the word ''Muhammad'' in the Quranic text is mentioned four times to assert his being a mortal human being; he is a mere prophet like all other prophets who were sent before him (see 3:144). He will not have any grown-up sons (33:40). We are to believe in what is revealed to Muhammad, not in Muhammad himself (47:2). Let us be reminded by the verse that mentions some apparent traits of the so-called companions of the prophet and that some of them might enter into Paradise, not all of them; see (48:29). Accordingly, differentiating the seal of prophets among other prophets to allow him to be greater than the rest of them by mentioning his name in the testimony of Islam is fabricating a new notion contrary to the Quranic order in "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." (2:285). Hence, this distinction is considered unbelief and disobedience of divine orders in the Quran.  The only guarantee to ensure making no distinction among God's prophets is to believe ONLY in what is revealed to them by God, not to believe in them as human beings. Again, there is no room for a happy medium of any sort in that issue. Tempering with meanings of Quranic verses is another step toward misguiding others as well as oneself. As distinction among God's messengers/prophets is a matter of faith primary notion, order here is associated with the phrase "we hear and we obey". Otherwise, one might fall into disobedience of God. There is no room to personalize or personify Islam by sanctifying, deifying, revering, and worshipping the seal of prophets, Muhammad, as this Sunnite notion is the cornerstone of polytheism among Sunnite, Shiites, and Sufis, who worship so many gods of dead men and women. This reminds us how Christians have deified Jesus in the same mechanism of thought. In the same way, Sunnites, Shiites, and Sufis have deified Muhammad. Refusing the dual testimony means that Quranists should reject earlier false notions fashioned by their ancestors. Rejection of the distinction among messengers/prophets of God is related to the belief in what is revealed by God to them. Messengers, prophets, and angels are tools of God to reveal His message, not independent agents/entities that are to be worshipped and revered. This opens the door of deifying mortals as gods beside Allah. This is pure polytheism. Muhammad is the first one to be ordered to believe in that way of faith: "The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, as did the believers. They all have believed in God, and His angels, and His scriptures, and His messengers: "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. We ask Your forgiveness, O Lord. To you is the destiny.""(2:285). Hence, there is no tolerance whatsoever for those who revere mortals of any sort. We are to obey if we are true faithful believers: in contrast to those who stick to death with their notion of distinction of Prophet Muhammad among other prophets. Those who are true believers differ from those who adhere to the notion of considering Muhammad the best human being ever to exist and that he is above all ordinary human beings including all prophets. True believers adhere to the Quranic notion "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." (2:285) asserted many times in the Quranic text: see (2:136), (3:84), and (4:152). In contrast, unbelievers mentioned in (4:150-151) assert the notion of distinction among prophets is considered as polytheism because this makes that prophet above ordinary human beings (including other prophets) and thus making him a god or a deity. Why this is considered in the Quran as a sort of unbelief? Because when adhering to the notion of making Muhammad greater than humans and larger than life, one implicitly rejects the basic notion of all divine messages: (There is no god but Allah). This distinction between God and his prophets shake one's faith; we are not to take other deities beside God. Belief in what is divinely revealed to all prophets is linked to the testimony of Islam. If a character of any prophet, i.e., Muhammad, enters into the notions of faith, this lessens the 100% faith dedicated to God alone and cause shaking/distortion of notions of faith in the Quran. This leads to polytheism and rejection of true faith: see (4:150-151). These verses show that such false notions lead eventually to widened circle of unbelief and polytheism by deifying Muhammad. We, Quranists, observe that 99% of Sunnite creed goes to the Sunnite deities called Muhammad and his progeny/family members, his companions, and saints, sheikhs, imams ...etc. and less than 1% to God! All these falsehoods began with making the testimony of Islam a dual one that mentions Muhammad. Sunnites later on added divine traits to Muhammad and other deities that include countless holy men and women. All falsehoods begin by misuse and misinterpretation of Quranic verses and notions, then by fabricating the so-called hadiths and ascribing them to Muhammad. Eventually, the dual testimony of Islam emerged to crown the huge amounts of falsehoods. There are no testimonies in the Quran except related to God and the Quran itself. Sunnites threaten people by telling them that rejecting dual testimony means hatred of Prophet Muhammad. Yet, we, Quranists, love Prophet Muhammad better than they do; we clear his name from falsehoods attributed to him after his death. We adhere to the prophet's belief in Islam: There is no deity but Allah/God without any partners at all.

Fourthly: Sunnites/ Shiites/ Sufis think falsely that they are the only guided ones 

1- When devils control one's heart/soul, this leads one to see the wrong as right and the right as wrong; one believes falsely that one is guided and right in matters of faith/creed. See (7:30), (16:63), (6:122), and (35:8). The devil's job is to show to polytheists/unbelievers that their deeds are good.

2- Every human being has a devil, from Satan progeny, to follow him/her to try to misguide him/her. This misguidance increase with polytheists whose deeds are adorned and ornamented to them, by the devils, as good deeds of guidance: see (43:37) and (41:25). Devils make them refuse to mention and glorify God in their hearts. Devils persuade them that there is nothing wrong in glorifying and revering dead men and women, the so called saints, as well as prophets alongside with Almighty God. Devils control their minds and tell them to refuse to mention and glorify God's name alone. See (39:45) and (17:46). In Doomsday, every devil related to every human being will disown him/her and vice versa (see 50:23-27). The way to vanquish and defeat this devil is to read, hear, and contemplate and reflect on the holy Quran reverently and deeply.             

3- Examples of this diabolical and devilish deceit are so many in our life today. Polytheists worship tombs/shrines of the so-called saints in the false belief that these dead persons are mediators between them and God. This action cause the loss of total faithfulness to God alone, see (39:1-4). Worshippers of tombs made holy by ancestors' false notions think they do the right or best thing (see 19:102-104), and they falsely believe that mediators, i.e. dead men and women made holy by the passage of time, will absolve all countless sins, grave or small. Yet, it will be a shocking surprise to discover the truth in the Day of Judgment; see (39:47-48).

4- Devilish deceit is so deep that we find in the Quran that some polytheists die thinking that they were the truly faithful persons until the discovery of truth in Doomsday. They will try to tell God that they were not polytheists; see (6:21-24). They will discover that they have been deceived and are about to be thrown into Hell; at that fearful moment, they will ask in vain for another chance (see 6:27-30). No one of us would like to meet such a fate! We must quickly readjust and reform our notions of faith and not to adhere adamantly to ancestral falsehoods/notions of the Sunnite/Wahabi creed.

Lastly:

1- We, the Quranists, respect the right of all human beings to choose for themselves the notions of faith. Our article here is directed to those who seek to know the true Islam. We, Quranists, have the mission to purify our creed from falsehoods as we care for our real future in the Afterlife. Polytheistic notions and devils deceive the vast majority of people by asserting to them that they are in the right. This self-deception continues a long time; we hope it will end before one's death. When one is dying, there is no room for repentance.

2- We, Quranists, invoke God not to be among those mentioned in the following verses: "Among the people are those who say, "We believe in God and in the Last Day," but they are not believers. They seek to deceive God and those who believe, but they deceive none but themselves, though they are not aware."(2:8-9). We, Quranists, invoke God not to be among those who when told "It is He, Allah", they would say in reply: "It is Muhammad".