Between Bringing Glad Tidings, Preaching, and Islamic Enlightenment
Published in January 25, 2017
Translated by Ahmed Fathy
Firstly: types of disbelief and polytheism: a reminder of what we have written before:
1- Disbelief and polytheism are synonymous in the Quran; they are in two levels: 1) in terms of behavior, they mean aggression, injustices, violence, terrorism, and transgression, especially under the banner of religion, and using falsely the name of God, and 2) in terms of faith and tenets in one's heart, they mean to deify mortals (saints, deities, gods, prophets, etc.) along with God and to sanctify 'holy' books/tomes, names, and tangible things, relics, and items (e.g., tombs and mausoleums) for which God sent down no authority at all, but polytheists deem such things as part of religion.
2- This disbelief or polytheism in terms of tenets and notions inside one's mind and heart is divided into two types as follows.
2/1: Disbelief/polytheism in terms of practice: it is exemplified in deifying and sanctifying mausoleums ('holy' tombs) by worshipping at them in a form of pilgrimage during specific times or feasts/festivals.
2/2: Disbelief/polytheism in terms of knowledge: it is exemplified in believing in notions/ideas written in 'holy' ancient tomes/volumes, which are sanctified books written during the Middle Ages, but adherents to them claim that their narratives/hadiths as a whole is part of divine discourse or God's sharia legislations and therefore part of their 'Islam'.
3- The vast majority of the Muhammadans fall into the trap of polytheism in terms of practice by worshipping at devilish, Satanist mausoleums made 'holy', like the one ascribed to Muhammad (as his assumed tomb) in Yathreb, Arabia, and tombs/mausoleums in the Arab world and in Egypt ascribed to Al-Hussein (Muhammad's murdered grandson), tomb of Ali (Muhammad's in-law and supreme Shiite deity) in Iraq, and other tombs ascribed to Muhammad's female progeny (Zeinab and Nafisa), as well as tombs of imams and sheikhs of Sunnite and Sufi religions: Al-Shafei, Al-Badawi, Al-Shazily, Abou Hanifa, etc. The vast majority of the Muhammadans fall into the trap of polytheism in terms of knowledge; they deify and sanctify ancient books of traditions that contain hadiths/narratives as well as 'religious' legislations of fiqh, which are never mentioned by God and are therefore never part of real Islam (the Quran). The Muhammadans forcibly ascribe such notions and ideas to Islam and to God, despite the fact that most of these notions are discrepant, disputable, questionable, inconsistent, unbelievable, and illogical as per various views sheikhs and imams and all of them contradict the Quran and disagree with it all the time within all topics and issues. Besides, the Muhammadans fall into the trap of polytheism by deifying and invoking the authors of such books as saints/'holy' men who are irrefutable and infallible, such as the volumes of the book of hadiths "Sahih Al-Bokhary" (i.e., literally, 'the true book of Al-Bokhary') by Al-Bokhary to the Sunnites, the volumes of ''Al-Kafi'' (i.e., literally, 'the sufficient book') by Al-Kulayni to the Shiites, and the volumes of ''Ehiaa Olom Eddine'' (i.e., literally: 'revival of religious sciences') by Al-Ghazaly to the Sufis.
4- Very few Muhammadans fall into the trap of polytheism in terms of aggressive behavior; those are terrorists, especially the Sunnite Wahabi ones (e.g., the terrorist MB and Salafists as well as Al-Qaeda and ISIS). Their heinous crimes and terrorist operations include massacring the innocent peaceful people and sabotage, and they base their crimes on false sharia laws/legislations and fabricated hadiths/narratives of their earthly, man-made religions that contradict Islam (i.e., the Quran: Quranism), and this makes them combine both types of disbelief/polytheism in terms of corrupt faith and aggressive behavior, and yet, those terrorists/murderers assume they are the 'guided' ones and nearer to God! shame on them! Hence, the Islamic/Quranic enlightenment is a must now; it is the basis of preaching and bringing glad tidings.
Secondly: the Islamic/Quranic enlightenment: to reason, to reflect, to gain insights:
1- God has created human beings with the ability to reason, realize, understand, discern, reflect, ponder, and contemplate to gain insights. Notably, the Arabic word for ''reason'' or ''mind'' is not mentioned alone by itself in the Arabic text of the Quran; rather, the ''use of reason'' is mentioned many times: this indicates that God tells us that without using one's reason/mind, it is as if the reason/mind does not exist at all; it exists only when used. This urging to use reasoning minds is repeated in the Quranic text: "…Do you not understand?" (2:44); "…that you may discern." (2:73); "…Do you not recognize?" (6:32); "…God thus explains His revelations to you, so that you may perceive." (2:242); "…Note how We explain the revelations, so that they may apprehend." (6:65); "…We have detailed the revelations for people who figure out." (6:98); "…because they are a people who do not perceive." (9:127); "…so that they may ponder." (7:176); "…We thus clarify the revelations for people who reflect." (10:24); "…Surely in that is a sign for people who think." (16:11); "…that they may grasp." (16:44); "…These parables We cite for the people, so that they may reflect." (59:21); "…Do they not see?" (32:27); "…They have failed to hear, and they have failed to see." (11:20). Those with reasoning minds understand, reflect on, and think of God's creatures and creation in the universe, realizing that all this has not been created idly or for no reason; God says the following about such believers: "In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, are signs for people of understanding. Those who remember God while standing, and sitting, and on their sides; and they reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth: "Our Lord, You did not create this in vain, glory to You, so protect us from the punishment of the Fire."" (3:190-191).
2- God has sent Muhammad with the Quran, which contains insights for people, and He has commanded Muhammad to declare that he followed these insights granted by God: "…Say, "I only follow what is inspired to me from my Lord." These are insights from your Lord, and guidance, and mercy, for a people who believe." (7:203). These insights refer to discernment and reasoning reflection regarding all that is surrounding human beings on earth and in the universe, and also to ponder deeply on the Quranic verses that are insights made available by God to people of understanding. God has ordered Muhammad to announce that the Quran is insights from God to humankind and that he as a prophet is not responsible for guiding anyone: ""Insights have come to you from your Lord. Whoever sees, it is to the benefit of his soul; and whoever remains blind, it is to its detriment. I am not a guardian over you."" (6:104). Those who choose guidance or misguidance do this on their own free choice and will, with consequences to follow in the Afterlife: "Say, "O people, the truth has come to you from your Lord. Whoever accepts guidance is guided for his own soul; and whoever strays only strays to its detriment. I am not a guardian over you."" (10:108). Muhammad never had the power to guide anyone he liked: "You cannot guide whom you love, but God guides whom He wills, and He knows best those who are guided." (28:56). Moreover, God describes the Quran as follows: "These are insights for the humankind, and guidance, and mercy for people who believe with certainty." (45:20). After the death of Muhammad, the Quran remains as the source of insights to which preachers of Truth adhere, as we discern from this verse with God's command to Muhammad: "Say, "This is my way; I invite to God, based on clear knowledge-I and whoever follows me. Glory be to God; and I am not of the polytheists."" (12:108). Hence, real Quran-believing preachers use only the Quranic insights to preach and proselytize.
Thirdly: polytheism and disbelief are the antonyms of the intellectual enlightenment, freedom, and human dignity:
1- It is never part of intellectual enlightenment of the human mind that anyone would sculpt a statue to be worshipped as a 'holy' item by kneeling, invoking, supplicating, aiming to gain benediction, etc. It is never part of intellectual enlightenment of the human mind that anyone would build a mausoleum over a corpse and to assume that this tomb is 'holy' and ask for the aid of the dead person, thinking the dead 'saint' who turned into dust would hear and send the needed help. Likewise, it is never part of intellectual enlightenment of the human mind that anyone would believe in hadiths/narratives ascribed forcibly to Muhammad and written down more than 200 years after his death, based on series of dead narrators authored by fabricators in the Abbasid Era. This nonsense should never be accepted by people who have understanding and reasoning minds; it is accepted by those who have no minds like cattle or beasts. This is why god says in the Quran that polytheists who lack reason are more misguided than animals/cattle: "Or do you assume that most of them hear or understand? They are just like cattle, but even more errant in their way." (25:44).
2- Hence, the Quranist/Islamic call to deify, glorify, and sanctify only our Creator God alone includes the liberation of the human mind from the obscurantist myths of ignorance that are very silly, such as urging the living to worship the dead and their tombs. This liberation includes to preserve human dignity by worshipping only God, not a mortal creature like us human beings or any animal, or even an item made of any material. Eventually, this entails the liberation of people from any religious tyranny and the political one: those who prostrate before clergymen/idols readily do the same before the tyrannical rulers who control and maintain clergymen, idols, and the rest of mythical notions.
Fourthly: Islamic preaching addressed to disbelievers in the Quran is a sign of bearing glad tidings of mercy to them and fear for their possible fate:
1- According to the above, Islamic preaching is a call for both enlightenment and human dignity, and to preach disbelievers is to bring glad tidings of mercy to them and fear for their possible fate; the Quran is a warning for them in an attempt to save them from disbelief that leads to Hell in the next world and to miserable life in this world. Disbelief is a state or status that might be temporary and thus be gone, making the persons save themselves by avoiding entering Hell in the Hereafter. Hence, Quranic warning is mixed here with bringing glad tidings.
2- Anyway, the Quranic warning against Hell and the glad tidings of Paradise are not addressed to persons' names; rather, addressed to certain descriptions that are changeable within a given person. We mean to say that a person oscillate and vacillate sometimes between disbelief and belief, repentance and sinning, and obedience and disobedience, and thus, preaching by using the Quran alone is required to remind and warn that person to urge repentance. This preaching and warning is done because preachers care for people and fear for them; they want people to avoid eternity inside Hell. In contrast, within the earthly, man-made religions of the Muhammadans, those who recant or reject their religions are put to death or persecuted severely as a punishment. One of such earthly religions, Wahabism, murder those who reject it and recant, without trial, and once discovered, even if those persons assert their being 'repentant' who re-embraced Wahabism!
3- We repeat here that disbelief is a temporary state within the lifetime of a given human being; a born child is innocent and with basic innate instinct about God's existence, as per the Quran. later on, such a child grows up and imbibes the dominant culture of the society, accepting or rejecting it partially or wholly, until the child/grown-up dies. Such culture include the stance regarding religion and underlying notions. Thus, one might worship idols, cows, tombs, 'saints', etc. while leaving the reasoning mind aside as if it does not exist inside the brain! Islamic/Quranic preaching calls for repentance and using one's reasoning mind; one is to ask this pivotal question: would such living or dead creatures/persons and items made of different materials suitable to be gods/deities to be worshipped?! The same question is repeated in the Quran about deities and gods fashioned, forged, and created by their worshippers: " Do polytheists worship those who create nothing, and are themselves created?" (7:191). "Those they invoke besides God create nothing, but are themselves created. They are dead, not alive; and they do not know when they will be resurrected." (16:20-21); "And yet, instead of Him, they produce for themselves gods that create nothing, but are themselves created; that have no power to harm or benefit themselves; and no power over life, death, or resurrection." (25:3). God addresses such polytheists directly about their fabricated gods and about Himself as the Creator: "Is He who creates like those who do not create anything? Will you not take a lesson?" (16:17); "…Those you invoke besides God will never create a fly, even if they banded together for that purpose…" (22:73). This Quranic preaching addresses the reasoning mind to make us reflect and ponder.
4- Some people who temporarily oscillate and vacillate between belief and disbelief might station themselves at disbelief eventually and die as disbelievers; God says the following about that type of people: "Those who believe, then disbelieve, then believe, then disbelieve, then increase in disbelief, God will not forgive them, nor will He guide them to a way." (4:137). Repentance call goes on for all people during their lifetime however enormous and grave their sins: "Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves: do not despair of God's mercy, for God forgives all sins. He is indeed the Forgiver, the Clement."" (39:53). Even aggressive disbelievers are called upon to repent and stop aggression to attain God's pardon on the Day of Resurrection: "Say to those who disbelieve: if they desist, their past will be forgiven. But if they persist-the practice of the ancients has passed away." (8:38).
5- If sinners, disbelievers, and disobedient ones who refused to repent persist on their evil ways until the moment of dying, they will beg, in vain, for a chance when angels of death take their souls: "Until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back. That I may do right in what I have neglected." By no means! It is just a word that he utters. And behind them is a barrier, until the Day they are resurrected." (23:99-100).
6- Those unrepentant ones are condemned to Hell for eternity, as their inevitable fate: "…Whoever associates others with God, God has forbidden him Paradise, and his dwelling is the Fire. The wrongdoers have no saviors." (5:72). If such sinners and polytheists have performed good deeds during their lifetime, they will be futile and rendered null, as we understand from this Quranic warning: "…Whoever among you turns back from his religion, and dies a disbeliever-those are they whose works will come to nothing, in this life, and in the Hereafter. Those are the inmates of the Fire, abiding in it forever." (2:217). God has warned prophets and messengers against polytheism that removes good deeds: "It was revealed to you, and to those before you, that if you become polytheists, your works will be in vain, and you will be of the losers." (39:65). This verse address now, and in all eras, those who build mosques to worship mortals and tombs: "It is not for the polytheists to attend God's places of worship while professing their disbelief. These-their works are in vain, and in the Fire they will abide." (9:17). This means that polytheists when they die as such, building mosques will be of no avail to them at all. Sadly, this applies to millions of Muhammadans who needlessly build millions of mosques that remain empty, whereas the impoverished have no houses or medical treatment. "We will proceed to the works they did, and will turn them into scattered dust." (25:23). "As for those who disbelieve, their works are like a mirage in a desert. The thirsty assumes it is to be water. Until, when he has reached it, he finds it to be nothing, but there he finds God, Who settles his account in full. God is swift in reckoning. Or like utter darkness in a vast ocean, covered by waves, above which are waves, above which is fog. Darkness upon darkness. If he brings out his hand, he will hardly see it. He to whom God has not granted a light has no light." (24:39-40). "The likeness of those who disbelieve in their Lord: their works are like ashes, in a fierce wind, on a stormy day. They have no control over anything they have earned. That is the utmost misguidance." (14:18). "…Thus God will show them their deeds, as regrets to them, and they will not come out of the Fire." (2:167).
7- The enormity loss of polytheists on the Last Day in Hell is described here: "…Say, "The losers are those who lose their souls and their people on the Day of Resurrection." That is indeed the obvious loss. They will have layers of Fire above them, and layers beneath them. That is how God strikes fear into His servants-"O My servants! Beware of Me!"" (39:15-16); "…"The losers are those who lost themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection." Indeed, the evildoers are in a lasting torment." (42:45). To die while one has been deifying and sanctifying mortals means polytheism leading to Hell for eternity, without ever getting out of it or hope for alleviation of torment inside it. Would sanctification and deification of mortals like Muhammad, Jesus, Ali, Hussein, Omar, Abou Bakr, Othman, Al-Bokhary, Al-Shafei, … etc. go on as people without reasoning minds are paving themselves a direct route to Hell?!
8- Hence, Quranic preaching and warning addressed to disbelievers and polytheists include also bringing glad tidings for them so as to allow them to repent and save themselves before it is too late. "Respond to your Lord before there comes from God a Day that cannot be turned back. You will have no refuge on that Day, and no possibility of denial. But if they turn away-We did not send you as a guardian over them. Your only duty is communication…" (42:47-48). As always, God says nothing but the Truth.