Surah Yunus, one of the Meccan chapters of the Holy Quran, calls humanity towards monotheism and abstention from polytheism with profound and cautionary language. Verse eighteen of this surah challenges the foundations of polytheism by critiquing the worship of beings other than God and the belief in the intercession of idols, emphasising the greatness of the One God.
This treatise, inspired by the discourses of religious scholars, aims to elucidate this verse and expand upon its concepts in a scientific and elevated manner. Its objective is to open a path towards knowledge and divine proximity through a deep examination of monotheism and the critique of covert polytheism.
Composed with an organised structure and eloquent language, this work endeavours to convey the sublime Quranic concepts through spiritual allegories and allusions, as if placing a mirror before the soul to reflect the truth of monotheism.
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ شُفَعَٰٓؤُنَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ قُلْ أَتُنَبِّئُونَ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَلَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
And they worship besides Allah that which neither harms them nor benefits them, and they say, These are our intercessors with Allah. Say: Do you inform Allah of something He does not know in the heavens or on the earth? Glory be to Him, and exalted is He above what they associate with Him.
Verse eighteen of Surah Yunus, following preceding verses which refute the divine signs and accusations against God, addresses the critique of polytheism and the worship of entities other than God. This verse articulates three principal themes with clear expression:
This structure is like a light that pierces the darkness of polytheism and guides humanity towards the light of monotheism.
The worship of other than God, expressed in the verse by the phrase min dni Allh, refers not only to overt idolatry but also to any inclination towards beings lacking influential power. These beings, whether material objects such as stone and wood or superstitious beliefs and fabricated identities, are incapable of affecting human destiny.
It is as if a person, lost in a desert, has sought refuge not at a clear spring but at a mirage.
The polytheists claim that idols serve as their intercessors before God is a sign of ignorance and hypocrisy. This belief resembles an attempt to reconcile polytheism with monotheism, while God, who is all-knowing, requires no false intercessors. Such a claim is like trying to illuminate the sun with a burnt-out candle.
The phrase Subnahu wa tal amm yushrikn exalts God beyond any partner or deficiency. This glorification resonates as a cry echoing in the soul to awaken one from heedlessness and direct them towards the One God.
Many who consider themselves worshippers of God are in fact entangled in hidden polytheism. This form of polytheism manifests through outward acts of worship without knowledge, superstitions, or the reduction of religion to social identity constructions.
For instance, circumambulation of the Kabah, if performed without nearness to God and merely as a display of religious identity, becomes a fruitless act, as if one is trapped in a whirlpool of superficiality.
Worship acts such as prayer and pilgrimage, if not accompanied by knowledge and nearness to God, resemble a medicine devoid of efficacyneither healing nor harming. Such acts should lead to inner transformation and closeness to God; otherwise, they are like aimless circling within an empty circle.
Many religious acts, including pilgrimage and congregational prayer, have been reduced to identity markers in Islamic communities. This reduction acts like a mask concealing the essence of religion, stripping it of its monotheistic core.
For example, pilgrimage, when transformed from an act of divine nearness into a tool for identity display or material exploitation, deviates from its fundamental meaning.
Pure monotheism entails worshipping the One God, without partner, accompanied by knowledge, inner transformation, and divine nearness. This monotheism is like a clear spring that quenches the soul and rescues it from the mirage of polytheism and hypocrisy.
Colonialism, by promoting hidden polytheism and reducing religion to outward acts, has deprived God from the lives of people. This distortion has cast a heavy shadow over Islamic societies, depriving them of monotheistic knowledge.
For instance, the transformation of the Kabah into a material symbol exploited for worldly interests exemplifies this distortion.
Examples such as gambling establishments built with money derived from religious acts, or circumambulation of the Kabah without comprehension of monotheism, demonstrate deviation from genuine God-worship. These examples act as mirrors reflecting the ugliness of hidden polytheism.
To be liberated from these deviations, one must repent and develop intimacy with God, returning to pure monotheism. This return is like a journey from the darkness of polytheism towards divine light.
Repentance is the gateway to divine proximity. One must sincerely and purely distance oneself from polytheism and hypocrisy, cleansing the soul from impurities. This repentance is like rain nourishing the parched earth of the heart.
Prayer and supplication, if performed with knowledge and nearness to God, draw the human closer to the Divine. These acts of worship are like wings that allow the spirit to soar towards the heavenly realm.
One must avoid self-deception and outward worship without knowledge. Such avoidance is like liberation from a shackle that imprisons the soul in the cage of polytheism.
Verse eighteen of Surah Yunus, with profound and cautionary language, warns humanity against polytheism and the worship of entities other than God, calling towards pure monotheism and worship of the One God.
The religious scholars discourses, by critiquing hidden polytheism, futile worship, and the effects of colonialism on the distortion of religion, stress the necessity of knowledge, divine nearness, and avoidance of self-deception.
This treatise, through precise explication of these concepts and employment of spiritual allegories, endeavours to encourage the reader to reflect upon the truth of monotheism and return to genuine God-worship.
The sole path to salvation is the recognition of the One God without partner and worship of Him with sincerity and inner transformation, as if the human is guided from the darkness of polytheism to divine light.
