The Fraud Mushriks

By : Parvez Shakir

ALLAH THE MOST HIGH Says:

“And when they embark on a ship, they invoke Allah, making their Faith pure for Him only, but when He brings them safely to land, behold, they give a share of their worship to others.” [Surah Al ‘Ankabut, 29:65]

This verse along with many such verses just shows how fraudulent the mushriks (polytheist) were in their belief. When they were in real dangers they used to invoke or call upon directly to ALLAH without any of their intermediates or intercessors in between. In such situation, they used to make their faith pure for HIM Alone. Thus, ALLAH’s help used to come to them but soon as they were out of danger they were back to their polytheistic ways.

This verse also proves that ALLAH listen’s even to mushriks and kaafirs when they call onto HIM Alone, directly.

It really hurts to see this ummah falling in the pits of Polytheism by calling or invoking others besides ALLAH, when in need of divine help. Some call upon the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), some call upon Ali (ra), some call upon walis (saints), some call upon their peers (spiritual teacher), some call upon their deads, some call upon angels, while some call upon jinns to help them out and some hold onto things that they consider lucky enough to save them. Brothers and sisters all these are acts of shirk (polytheism).

People of this ummah say that these are their intercessors with ALLAH and they are theirs intermediate with ALLAH. While they forget this was exactly the same belief of those mushriks at the time of Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Those mushriks used to worship statues and idols of their pious dead with belief that the pious dead soul will intercede for them in front of ALLAH.

ALLAH (SWT) Says:

And they worship besides Allah things that harm them not, nor profit them, and they say: “These are our intercessors with Allah.” [Surah Yunus, 10: 18]

Those mushriks used to believe that their intercessors can help them, but when they were surrounded with situation of no escape and death lurked on their heads they used to forget all of their intercessors and used to sincerely invoke on to ALLAH – The Ever Living.

ALLAH says to them:

“And when harm touches you upon the sea, those that you call upon vanish from you except Him (Allah Alone). But when He brings you safe to land, you turn away (from Him). And man is ever ungrateful.” [Surah Al Isra’, 17:67]

Ibn Kathir in his Book of Tafsir as regards this Verse (17:67) said:

‘Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl fled from Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) (at the time) when Makkah was conquered. He rode over the (Red) Sea to cross over to Ethiopia, but (as they proceeded) a heavy stormy wind overtook their boat, and huge waves came to them from all sides, and they thought that they are encircled therein. The people of the boat said to one another: “None can save you except Allah (the Only True God of the heavens and earth). So invoke (call upon) Him (Allah) (by making your Faith pure for Him Alone and none else) to deliver you safe (from drowning).” ‘Ikrimah said to himself. ‘By Allah if none can benefit in the sea except Allah (Alone) then no doubt none can benefit over the land except Allah (Alone). O Allah! I promise You that if You deliver me safe from this, I will go and put my hands in the hands of (Prophet) Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and surely, I will find him full of pity, kindness and mercy.’ So they were delivered safe (by Allah), and returned to their seashore and came out of the sea. ‘Ikrimah then proceeded to Allah’s Messenger, Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), (narrated his story) embraced Islam (just as he promised Allah) and became a perfect Muslim.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Ikrimah (ra) accepted Islam and left the fraudulent beliefs of polytheists, but many even after this, were still in their deceptive beliefs.

ALLAH Say’s regarding them:

“And when waves cover them like shades (i.e. like clouds or the mountains of sea water), they invoke Allah, making their invocations for Him only. But when He brings them safe to land, there are among them those that stop in between (Belief and disbelief). But none denies Our Signs except every perfidious ingrate.” [Surah Luqman, 31:32]

ALLAH Says:

Say (O Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)): “Who rescues you from the darkness of the land and the sea (dangers like storms), (when) you call upon Him in humility and in secret (saying): If He (Allah) only saves us from this (danger), we shall truly, be grateful.” Say (O Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)): “Allah rescues you from this and from all (other) distresses, and yet you worship others besides Allah.” [Surah Al An’am, 6:63 & 64]

ALLAH – The ever living is the One who listens and can help and HE and Only HE should be worshipped and called upon for help. All the prophets and messengers came mainly for this purpose of making humankind to leave the path of worshipping others besides HIM. Yet, conversely many took Prophets and Messengers of ALLAH as their objects of worship. This has happened with Musa (Moses), Uzair (Ezra), Isaa (Jesus) and now with Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) (Peace be upon them all).

ALLAH Says:

Do then those who disbelieved think that they can take My slaves [i.e., the angels, Allah’s Messengers, ‘s (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)] as Auliy’ (lords, gods, protectors) besides Me? Verily, We have prepared Hell as an entertainment for the disbelievers (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism).

Say (O Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)): “Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds?

“Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds. [Surah Al Kahf, 18:103-104]

ALLAH also Says:

If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call; and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant it (your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them. And none can inform you like Him Who is Well-Aquainted (with everything). [Surah Fatir 35:14]

And ALLAH Says:

O mankind! A similitude has been coined, so listen to it (carefully): Verily, those on whom you call besides Allah, cannot create (even) a fly, even though they combine together for the purpose. And if the fly snatches away a thing from them, they will have no power to release it from the fly. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought.

They have not estimated Allah His Rightful Estimate. Verily, Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty. [Surah Al Hajj, 22:73-74]

May ALLAH save this ummah of Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) from all kinds of shirks and may they believe in all inclusive and infinite powers of ALLAH that exclusively belongs to HIM Alone and none has any share in it.