is again a form of polytheism (Shirk)?
This next Verse from the Noble Quran illustrates that:(Hast thou seen him who chooseth for his god his own lust?...)25;43.
It shows us that some people worship their desires; they are actually excluding the Almighty Allah by obeying and following the Devil and their lustful desires.
This is enough for today. We’ll continue next time, Inshallah.
Symposium 10
Seeking for Assistance from Other than Allah
is not Polytheistic
Anwar:We were talking about types of monotheism last time and you explained the ‘obedience monotheism’; I would like to hear about ‘resorting monotheism’, please.
Hasan:It means to seek help only from the Almighty Allah and no one else. This is perfectly embodied in the words of God: (Thee do we serve and Thee do we beseech for help.)1;5. So, we ask Him and only Him for help.
Anwar:But I sometimes hear Shi’a people say ‘Ya Ali’
when they need to do something that takes physical effort. Is it against what you just said?
Hasan:Unfortunately, many of those with some ideological knowledge mock people who say this, not knowing that these people do not mean to manage without Allah, Praised Be His Name, nor do they mean that Imam Ali (PBUH) is able to manage their needs. Not at all! Imam Ali (PBUH) is one of the creatures of the Glorious Allah; Imam Ali (PBUH) and his sons spent all their lives following and worshipping the Almighty Allah asking only Him for assistance.
So, we believe that Imam Ali (PBUH) is a creature of the Almighty Allah as he is totally in need for Him and he cannot manage without Him. At the same time, we believe that Imam Ali (PBUH) is the successor and the guardian of the Prophet of the Allah; he is also of a very high status to the Glorious Allah as he is a person of distinction. That is why we beseech to him for the status and the distinction he has to the Almighty Allah so our God help us with our needs.
That is what Prophet Suleiman (PBUH) did when he asked for help from Asif Bin Barkhiya to move – God
willing – the throne of Balqis with twinkle of an eye. This help is not Shirk or polytheism; it would be polytheism if we would have looked at Imam Ali (PBUH) as the person who answers our calls and helps us with our needs away from the will and permission of the Almighty Allah. This needs a lot of elaboration that we have to leave for later.
Anwar:Yes, very good! Now, what is ‘love monotheism’?
Hasan:It is to focus our love for the Glorious Allah because He is the absolute gracefulness and perfection and everything else gets its beauty and quality from Him. So, how can we possibly leave the original for the copy? That is why we cannot combine our love for Allah, Praised Be his Name, together with another love in one heart; it is even against honesty.
Anwar:Again I feel I have a problem here.
Hasan:Oh, my Lord! What is the problem?!
Anwar:How can we focus our love only for the Glorious Allah and ignore our love for the Prophet and his family, our parents, relatives and friends? How is it possible?!
Hasan:The answer would be the same answer I had for your previous question. We love only the Glorious Allah and whoever loves Him. We also love those Almighty Allah ordered us to love, as He Put in this Verse:(Say: I ask of you no fee therefore, save loving kindness among kinsfolk…)26;23.
Thus, it is a direct order from the Lord that we love the Prophets, the Messenger, the Imams, our parents, children, relatives, friends and believers. I would prefer to save more talks on this issue for later.
Anwar:Please, tell me just a bit about it!
Hasan:When you love someone, you have got to love his work results, otherwise our love and honesty is lacking.
Anwar:Thank you very much. You make me feel I have to learn the Islamic ideology in depth so that I become an expert myself.
Hasan:I hope so. This way we gain one more man of religion who is fortifying himself from all kind of suspicions. See you!
Symposium 11
There is Neither Strength Nor Power
But Through Allah
Anwar:We were talking about what remained from the types of monotheism last time, and now I am thinking of some questions I eagerly need answers for.
Hasan:Of course, Anwar. With all pleasure! But please, I need you to put your questions clearly.
Anwar:Yes, definitely. My first question is about the existence of the Glorious Allah. I’m thinking, what would my answer be if someone asked me who created God? My other question is about the explanation of this common expression in prayers, ‘with the power of Allah and His
strength, I stand up and sit down (بحول الله وقوته أقوم وأقعد)’. What does it really mean? I also need to know more about the qualities of Allah, Praised Be His Name, especially the Omniscient, the Omnipotent and the Alive.
Hasan:Excellent! These are very good and important questions. Let us start with your first question. To say ‘who created God’ is against our faith regarding the divine nature in the first place; The Almighty Allah is not in need to anyone or anything, and this is an absolute fact of our faith; if we say ‘He is a creature, then He is in need to others in order to exist, and consequently He would deserve to be God. So, to say ‘who created God’ is a big fallacy and we have to warn the questioner that the Glorious Allah is neither in need nor a creature.
Now, the answer to your second question would be:
No creature has power to exist or survive, that is, we all need the Almighty Allah to exist and to survive, and this is the meaning of what the Lord says in the following verse:(Allah! There is no God save Him, the Alive, the Eternal…)3;2.
Thus, we cannot survive on our own; it is the Almighty
Allah that gives us power to move and work. We are impotent without His strength. That is why we seek power and strength from Allah, Praised Be His Name, as well as beauty and perfection. This is what ‘with the power of Allah and His strength, I stand up and sit down’ means. Actually, philosophers and religious experts believe that the power of creatures is in linear relation with the power of Allah, Praised Be His Name, and not in cross relation.
Anwar:What do you mean by ‘in linear relation with the power of Allah, Praised Be His Name, and not in cross relation’?
Hasan:It means that creatures do not independently possess the power to do anything; it is the Almighty Allah that empowers the creatures to take any actions. So, there is no comparison between the power of creatures and the power of the Glorious Allah, otherwise what is possible to exist would be what is essentially in existence, and that is what impossible turnabout means.
Anwar:Excuse me, Sir! You are using philosophical terms now and I need some explanation for them.