The Shiite Apologetics
Question Thirty-six
What criterion distinguishes monotheism from polytheism ?
Answer:
What is of great importance in discussing monotheism and polytheism concerns the criterion to distinguish the two. So long as the issue is not basically solved, no answer can be found to the debate. The following is, therefore, a condense discussion studying the issue multi-dimensionally.
- Unity of the Divine Essence
The argument concerning the Unity of the Divine Essence proceeds in two manners:
a) God (the Necessary Being, as theologians refer to Him) is unique, and there is nothing like Him, this being the Unity referred to in the Quran: Like Him there is naught. 42:11. Also and equal to Him is not any one. 112:4. A layman sometimes interprets this Unity in terms of numbers: God is one and not two. It goes without saying that such an interpretation does not befit Gods divine stance.
b) Divine Essence is simple; it is not composite; for compositeness whether of subjective or non-subjective elements, signifies the need for the constituents; need itself is a sign of possibility; possibility is in need of cause; these are incompatible with the Necessary Beings rank.
- Divine Oneness in Creation
Divine Oneness in Creation, a plane within the order of the Divine Unity, is acknowledged by both reason as well as the Quran and traditions.
Reason: Anything other than Allah is a system of possibility lacking any perfection and beauty whatsoever. All created objects have received whatever they have from the fountainhead of blessing, Who is essentially Rich. So all manifestations of perfection and beauty observed in the world come from Him.
The Quran contains many verses specifying the Divine Oneness in Creation. For example, Say: Allah is the Creator of everything and He is the One, the Omnipotent. 14:16. the issue of Oneness in Creation is a point not generally disputed over by the theologians. There are, however, two different interpretations referred to below:
Any system of cause and effect existing among creatures ultimately ends in the Cause of all causes. In fact, it is God who is the Independent and Original Creator. If anything other than God can exert an influence on others, it is because of His permission and Will. This, a notion also evidenced by science, admits the existence of a system of cause and effect that belongs to God, but at the same time all the system belongs to Allah. It is He who has brought this system into existence and has given instrumentality to the instrument, causality to the cause and effectiveness to what which affects.
There is only one creator for the world, i.e. God. Within the chain of cause and effect, things can of themselves exert no influence on other things. God is the immediate creator of
all natural phenomena. Even mans power has no effect on His action. Thus, there is only one Cause in the world. He has occupied the seat of what science names as natural causes.
Such an interpretation is favored by some Ash`arite scholars whereas a number of other Ash`arite scholars such as Imam al-Haramayn (1), and Shaykh Muhammad `Abduh (in his treatise: Tawhid) have denounced it, adopting the first interpretation.
- Oneness in Regulating the Affairs
Since creation is particularly Gods, His is the regulation of the affairs of the universe. There is only one who does it. This is proved by the same argument that establishes the Divine oneness in creation. In many verses the Holy Qur'an introduces Allah as the sole Regulator: Say: What! Shall I seek a Lord other than Allaha He is the Lord of all things. 6:164. The two interpretations, (a) and (b) cover this issue, too. The Divine Unity raised here means that it is God who is totally free in His decision. The ability of the beings within the system of the creation, to regulate the affairs, as stated in the Quran: Then those who regulate some affairs, 79:5 is subordinate to His Will.
- Oneness in Sovereignty
This unity means that sovereignty is solely Allahs incessant right. It is He who rules over all individuals, as the Quran states: The decision rests with Allah only. 12:40. So anyone elses rule must be as He wills: pious people must rule society to lead people to prosperity and perfection, as exemplified by the Quran: O Dawud! Surely We have made you a ruler in the land; so judge between men with justice. 38:26
- Monotheism in Obedience
This means that it is God Who essentially deserves to be obeyed. Obeying others such as the Prophet, the Imam, the jurisprudent, the father and the mother, is made possible because He has ordered it.
- Oneness in Legislation
Oneness in legislation means that it is only God who can make laws. This is why our holy book, the Quran considers it a source of unbelief, transgression and injustice for a law to be made outside the divine framework. The Quran states: and whoever does not judge by what Allah revealed, those are they that are the unbelievers. 5:44. Also, And whoever does not judge by what Allah revealed, those are they that are the transgressors. Elsewhere: And whoever does not judge by what Allah revealed, those are they that are the unjust. 5:45
- Unity in Worship
The most significant issue in regard to the unity in worship deals with what worship signifies, for all Muslims unanimously agree that worship is solely due to Allah, and no one else should be invoked. The Glorious Quran states: Thee do we serve and Thee do we beseech for help. 1:4. The Holy Quran declares that worshipping Allah has been a general principle that all prophets and Divine Emissaries have been missioned to invited people to: And certainly We raised in every nation an apostle saying: Serve Allah and shun the Shaitan. 16:40. It is thus an undoubted principle that all worship is due to Allah and no one else should be worshipped. No one is considered a monotheist unless he accepts this principle.
The basic question concerns the criteria to distinguish worship from non-worship. Does the kissing of the hand of, say, the teacher, the parents, the learned or bowing in respect before those to who we are indebted mean worshipping thema There is in fact a certain element which, if not actualized, renders no respect whatsoever into worship, even though it is to the extent of prostration. We will now examine the element that changes respect into worship; this is a very important discussion.
Worship, Misinterpreted
A number of authors have taken worship as equal to humbleness, whether usual or excessive in form. These people have failed to grasp the meaning in a chain of the Quranic verses such as: And We said to the angels, Bow y ourselves to Adam, 2:24. This was an action similar in manner to the way the angels had bowed themselves before God; the former a representation of humbleness, and the latter a sign of worshipping, a prostration similar in form but different in essence. Elsewhere, the Quran states: And he lifted his father and mother upon the throne; and the others fell down, prostrating before him. See, father, he said, this is the interpretation of my vision of long ago, my Lord has made it true. 12:100. This refers back to Prophet Josephs past vision: eleven stars, the sun and the moon bowing before him, as mentioned in the Quran: I saw eleven stars and the sun and the moon bowing down before me. 12:4. Prophet Joseph interprets the stars, the sun and the moon as referring to his brothers and his parents, who evidently prostrated before him. Again, why is this kind of prostration not referred to as worship ?
A Strange Alibi
The answer given by the aforementioned authors to the above question (simply) is that because such a prostration had been ordered by God, it is snot polytheism; a nave answer, for God will never enjoin any thing that connotes polytheism: Say: surely Allah does not enjoin indecency; do you say against Allah what you do not knowa 7:28. Gods command does not change the nature of things. If being humble before someone is an action ordered by God, it does in consequence denote worshipping Him.
Solution: What Worship Means
So far, it has been ascertained that monotheists unanimously hold that it is forbidden to worship any being other than God. It is also certain that the angles prostration before Adam and that of Jacobs sons before Joseph do not mean that Adam and Joseph were worshipped. Now, we will have to re-examine the element that determines which action is worship and which is not, though both may look alike.
The Glorious Quran makes it clear that worship `Ibadah means being humble before a being that we consider God, or one to whom we ascribe the ability to do godly deeds. It follows that considering a being as god and the belief in his ability to do godly deeds are the elements which can render humbleness into worship. The disbelievers, the once residents of the Arabian Peninsula and elsewhere, used to bow in prostration before the beings that they considered Gods creatures partially entrusted with the ability to take over some of Gods acts: forgiving sins and intercession being two low rights from among them.
The Babylonian pagans worshipped celestial bodies as their Lords not as their creators, and maintained that these had been entrusted with the responsibility of managing the affairs
of the world and of man. This is exemplified in the story of Prophet Ibrahim and his confrontation with the pagans. In presenting the dispute between Ibrahim and the polytheists, the Quran, too, stresses the word Lord. This word is used in Arabic in various collocations such as the lord of the house, and the lord of the farmyard, for they manage the affairs of the house and of the fields.
The Glorious Quran introduces Allah as the only being who runs the affairs of the world and men. It thus challenges the pagans and calls them to the One God: Surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord, therefore serve Him; this is the right path. 3:51. Also That is Allah, your Lord, there is no god but He; the Creator of all things, therefore serve Him, and He has charge of all things. 5:10 There is no god But He; He gives life and causes death, your Lord and the Lord of your fathers of yore. 44:8 and the Messiah said: O Children of Israel! Serve Allah, my Lord and your Lord. 5:72
It is thus clearly known that the due respect offered to one without considering him a god, and without ascribing godly affairs to him cannot be counted as worship even if this humbleness mounts to the highest degree. So the respect that the children show to their parents, or that the Muslims offer to the Holy Prophet (a.s) is not equal to worshipping them, for it lacks the element we have been discussing. On the basis of this discussion, seeking blessing from the relics of the Imams, kissing their shrines, asking them to intercede before God, invoking the saints, and holding ceremonies on the occasions of their birthday or their death, which some ignorant people call polytheism, are not so.
