[farooq hasan]

BISMI ALLAHI ALRRAHMANI ALRRAHEEMI

Lughwi toor per Tauheed ka matlab hai “aik banaana” ya “ikaee per israr kerna” aur ye arabi lafz وحد say lia gaya hai jis ka mafhoom hai aik kerna, muttahid ya mazboot kerna [1]. Bahar-haal jab lafz Tauheed Allaah k hawaalay say istimaal kia jaata hai [2] to iss ka matlab hota hai insaan ka tamaam a’maal mein, jo bil-waasta ya bila-waasta Allaah say mutalliq hoon, Allaah ki wahdaaniat ki samajh rakhna aur ussay qaim rakhna. Ye iss per eemaan hai k Allaah aik hai , Uss ki baadshahi mein aur Uss k kaamon mein Uss ka koi saathi nahein (Rabuubeyyat), Uss ki zaat jaisi aur sifaat jaisi koi aur hasti nahein (Asma-wa-Ssifaat), aur Uss ki khudaee aur Ibadat mein koi Uss ka madd-e-muqaabil nahein (Ulooheyyat/Ibadat). Ye 3 pehlu un iqsaam ki bunyaad hein jin mein ilm-e-Tauheed ki aam toor per darja-bandi ki jaati hai. ye teenon pehlu aik doosray say munsalik hein aur iss had tak laazim-o-malzoom hein k agar koi in mein say kisi aik pehlu ko bhi nazar-andaaz kerta hai to wo Tauheed k taqaazay poora kernay mein na-kaam rehta hai. in pehluoon mein say kisi aik ko choor daina shirk kehlaata hai yani Allah k saath doosron ko shareek kerna, jo k Islam k nuqta-e-nazar say asal mein but-parasti hai.
Tauheed k in teenon pehluoon ko aam toor per mandarja-zail unwaanaat k zareyay bayan kiya jaata hai:

• Tauheed-e-Rabuubeyyat (Allaah k Haakim-e-A’laa aur Rab honay ki yaktaee ko qaim rakhna)
• Tauheed-ul-Asma-wa-Ssifaat (Allaah k naamon aur sifaat ki yaktaee ko qaim rakhna)
• Tauheed-ul-Ibadat (Allah ki Ibadat ki yaktaee ko qaim rakhna)

Tauheed ki uss k juzyaat mein darja-bandi Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) nay nahein farmaee aur na un k Sahaba Ikram (may Allaah be pleased with them all) nay ki, kiunki eemaan k iss bunyadi asool ka iss tareekay say tajziya kernay ki zaroorat nahein thi. Taham iss darja-bandi k bunyaadi satoonon ki taraf ishaaray Quran ki aayaat mein mojood hein aur Hazoor Akram (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) ki ahaadith-e-Mubarakah aur Sahaba Ikram (may Allah be pleased with them all) ki bataee hue tafaaseel say ayaan hein, jaisa k perhanay waalay per wazeh ho ga jab mein har aik darja-bandi ko agli kuch posts mein tafseel say bayaan karoon ga, InshaAllah.

Note: Aik aur Tauheed ki qisam bataee jati hai jo k Tauheed-al-Hukm (Haakmiat mein Tauheed) hai. aam toor per ulima nay haakmiat mein Tauheed k maslay ko Tauheed-e-Ulooheyyat yani Tauheed-e-Ibadat ka hissa qaraar diya hai aur issay alag toor per bayaan nahein kiya. Laikin bohat say ulima wo bhi hein, jo Hukm (Haakmiat) k maslay ki ahmiat k paish-e-nazar issay alag toor per bayaan kertay hein. Haqeeqat ye hai k hukam ka masla ibadat ka aham-tareen juz hai. insaan ki fitrat hai k jis ko hukam ka haq day ga, uss k saamnay hi jhukay ga aur ata’at karay ga. Islam mein hukam ka haq sirf Allah ka hai. Allah k siwa kisi fard, jamat, tabqa ya majmoo’e toor per poori ummat ko bhi hukam ka haq hasil nahein hai. asooli toor per Allah k siwa jis ko bhi hukam ka haq diya jayay ga, usay Allaah ka shareek banaaya jayay ga. Tamam insaan Allaah k banday hein. sab Usi ka hukam maananay k paaband hein. Allah ka haq hai k wo bandon ko hukam day aur bandon ka farz hai k sab Uss ki ata’at karein. Isi say har qisam ka adal qaim hota hai aur zulm k darwaazay band hotay hein.

____________________
[1]. J.M. Cowan, ‘The Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic’ (Spoken Language Services Inc., New York, 3rd ed., 1976), Page#1005
[2]. Lafz Tauheed haqeeqat mein na to Quran mein aaya hai aur na Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) ki hadith mein aaya hai. taham jab Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) nay Hazrat Maaz ibn-e-Jabl ko 9 hijri mein Yemen ka Governor bana ker bhaija to Aap (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) nay un say farmaaya: “tum eesaaion aur yahoodion (ahle-kitaab) k paas jaa rahay ho. Iss liay sab say pehli baat jis ki dawat tum un ko do gay wo Allaah ki wahdaaniat hai” (يوحد والله). Sahih Bukhari, Hadith#1458.iss hadith mein Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) nay iss lafz ka fail haal istimal kiya jis say ism Tauheed bana.

[farooq hasan]

BISMI ALLAHI ALRRAHMANI ALRRAHEEMI

Tauheed k iss darjay mein ye bunyaadi tasawwur hai k Allaah hi sab cheezon ko ‘adum say wajood mein laaya, uss say pehlay kuch nahein tha. Wo hi apni takhleeq ko qaim rakhay huay hai, aur Wo hi uss ko chala raha hai, baghair un ki ya un say apni kisi zaroorat k, aur wo bila-shirkat-e-ghairay iss kainaat ka aur iss mein rehnay waalon ka Maalik-o-Haakim aur Rab hai, aur Uss ki baadshahi ko haqeeqatan koi challenge kernay waala nahein. Arabi zubaan mein paida kernay waalay aur qaim rakhnay waalay k liay jo lafz istimal kiya jaata hai wo “ربوبية” hai (urdu mein Rabuubeyyat) jo bunyadi lafz Rab say akhaz kiya gaya hai. iss darjay k mutabiq chuunkay Allaah hi ki zaat haqeeqi taaqat hai, iss liay mukhtalif cheezon mein harkat aur taghayyir-o-tabaddul ki quwwat bhi Usi ki di hue hai. iss kainaat mein kuch nahein hota siwayay uss k jis ki Wo ijaazat day.
Rabuubeyyat k tasawwur ki bunyad mukhtalif Qurani aayaat mein milti hai. maslan Allah nay farmaaya hai:

“Allah hi Khaaliq hai har cheez ka aur Wohi hai har cheez per Nigraan”
[1]
“Allah nay paida kiya hai tum sab ko aur jo kuch bhi tum kertay ho”
[2]
“aur nahein phainki thi tum nay (wo raait un per) jab phainki thi tum nay, balkay Allah nay phainki thi.”
[3]
“nahein pohanchti koi museebat magar Allah ki ijaazat say.”
[4]

Rasool Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) nay iss tasawwur ko mazeed wazaahat kertay huay farmaaya:

khabardaar raho iss baat say k agar tamaam dunya k loog jama ho ker bhi tumhaari kisi qisam ki koi madad kerna chahein to wo sirf itna hi ker sakein gay jitna k Allaah nay tumhaaray liay pehlay say likh rakha hai. isi tarha agar tamaam dunya k loog jama ho ker tumhein nuqsaan pohanchana chahein to wo utna hi nuqsaan pohancha sakein gay jitna k Allaah nay pehlay say tumharay liay likh rakha hai.
[5]

chunaachay insaan jin waqi’aat ko apni khush-qismati ya bad-qismati tasawwur kerta hai wo mahaz Allaah k muqarrar kerda waqi’aat hein jo iss zindagi k imtihaanaat ka hissa hein. jis soorat mein waqi’aat paish aatay hein wo Allah nay hi muqarrar ki hoti hai. Allaah nay Quran mein farmaaya hai:

“aay logo jo eemaan laayay ho, yaqeenan tumhari beewion aur oolaad mein say kuch aisay hein jo dushman hein tumhaaray, so hooshiyaar raho tum un say”
[6]

matlab ye hai k zindagi ki khush-gawaar cheezon mein, insaan k Allah per eemaan k karday imtihaan hein aur isi tarha zindagi mein paish aanay walay khoof-naak waqi’aat mein bhi imtihaan hota hai jaisa k mandaja-zail ayat mein hai:

“aur Hum tumhein kisi qadar khoof aur bhook say aur maalon, jaanon aur phalon mein kami ker k zaroor aazmayein gay aur sabar kernay waloon ko khush-khabri day dijeyay.”
[7]

kabhi kabhi waqi’aat ki sooratein pehchaani ja sakti hein jaisay k sabab aur nateejay k talluk mein, aur kabhi nahein pehchaani jaatein jaisa k bazaahir buray zaraayay say achay nataaij milna ya achay zaraayay say buray nataaij nikalna. Allah farmaata hai k aisay bazaahir bay-qaida nataaij k peechay jo hikmaat kaar-farma hoti hai wo insaan ki faham say aksar baala-tar hoti hai kiunki insaan k ilm ki rasaaee mehdood hai.

“aur ho sakta hai k na-pasand karo tum kisi cheez ko jab-kay ho wo behtar tumhaaray haq mein aur ho sakta hai k pasand karo tum kisi cheez ko jab-kay ho wo buri tumhaaray haq mein, Allah jaanta hai aur tum nahein jaantay.”
[8]

bazaahir insaani zindagi mein hoonay waalay buray waqi’aat kabhi to insaan k haq mein achay sabit hotay hein aur kabhi zaahirah achi cheezein jin ki loog khuahish kertay hein nuqsaan-deh sabit hoti hai. lihaaza apni zindagi k awaamil per insaani asro-rasuukh ka daaira sirf dar-paish imkanaat mein say intikhaab ki had tak hai na-kay intikhaab say nikalnay waalay nataaij per. Doosray alfaaz mein hum keh saktay hein k insaan mansooba banaata hai magar uss per amal aur uss k najaaij Allah k ikhtiyaar mein hein. zaahirah “khush-qismati” aur “bad-qismati” donon Allah ki taraf say hoti hein, aur khush-qismati kisi tarha bhi achay talismaati shagoonon ka nateeja nahein hoti jaisay khargoosh k paoon, chaar pattay waali loong, khuwahish waali hadyaan, khush-qismat number ya sitaaron ko burj waghairah. Ya phir bad-qismati buray shagoon ki waja say nahein hoti jaisay jumay k din 13 taareekh, sheeshay ka tootna, kaali billi ka raasta kaatna waghairah. Haqeeqat mein shagoonon aur jaadooe karishmon per yaqeen kerna Tauheed-e-Rabuubeyyat mein shirkat (hissa daari) k gunah-e-kabeera ki alaamat hai. Hazoor (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) k aik Sahabi Hazrat ‘Uqba (may Allah be pleased with him) rawayat kertay hein k aik dafa kuch loog Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) k hazoor paish huay aur bai’t kerna chaahi, Aap (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) nay 9 aadmion say bai’t li aur daswain ki bai’t nahein li. Jab unhoon nay poocha k un k saathi ki bai’t kiun nahein li gae to Aap (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) nay farmaaya k wo ta’weez [9] pehnay huay hai. uss aadmi nay foran apnay kapron k andar haath daala aur ta’weez toor ker phaink diya, phir Aap (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) nay uss say bai’t li. Uss k baad Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) nay farmaaya: “jo koi bhi ta’weez gnday pehanta hai wo shirk kerta hai.” [10]
jahan tak nuqsaan say bachnay k liay ya khush-qismati hasil kernay k liay Quran k ta’weez pehannay aur galay k haaron per ya thaili mein aayaat-e-Qurani likh ker rakhnay ki baat hai to na to Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) nay aur na Aap (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) k Sahaba Ikram (may Allah be pleased with them all) nay kabhi Quran ko iss tareekay say istimaal kiya, Nabi Akram (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) nay farmaaya: jo koi bhi Islam mein nae cheez laata hai jo Islam say mutallik nahein hoti, rad ker di jaayay gi. [11] yeh sach hai k Surah An-Naas aur Surah Falaq aasaib aur jaadu k asar ko khatam kernay k liay hi utaari gae thein, laikin Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) nay in k istimaal ka sahih tareeka bhi dikha diya. Aik dafa jab Aap (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) per jaadu kiya gaya to Aap (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) nay Ali ibn-e-abi Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) say farmaaya k wo in doonon Suraton ko aik aik aayat ker k perhein, aur jab Aap (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) bemaar hotay to khud apnay ooper perh laitay thay. [12] Aap (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) nay un ko likh ker gardan mein nahein latkaaya aur na baazu ya kamar per baandha aur na doosron ko iss tarha kernay ko kaha.

____________________
[1]. Surah Zumar, 39:62
[2]. Surah Saaffaat, 37:96
[3]. Surah Anfal, 8:17. iss mein uss mu’jzaana waqa’ay ki taraf ishaara hai jab Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) nay mutthi-bhar matti utha ker dushman ki taraf phainki thi (jang-e-Badr k shuru mein). Allah nay uss matti ko dushmanon k chehron tak pohancha diya halaankay wo bohat faslay per thay.
[4]. Surah Taghabun, 64:11
[5]. Tirimidhi, Hadith#2516 (Mubashar Ahmed Rabbani)
[6]. Surah Taghabun, 64:14
[7]. Surah Baqarah, 2:155
[8]. Surah Baqarah, 2:216
[9]. Ta’weez (tlism) jo khush-qismati laanay ya bad-qismati say bachaanay k liay pehna jaata hai.
[10]. Masnad Ahmed, 4\156 (Syed Tanveer-ul-Haq Shah)
[11]. Sahih Bukhari, Hadith#2697 aur Sahih Muslim, English Translation, Vol#3, Page#931, Hadith#4266-4267
[12]. Sahih Bukhari, Hadith#5016 aur Sahih Muslim, English Translation, Vol#3, Page#1195, Hadith#5439-5440

[farooq hasan]

BISMI ALLAHI ALRRAHMANI ALRRAHEEMI

Tauheed k iss darjay k paanch baray pehlu hein:
1. pehlay pehlu mein Allah k Asma-wa-Ssifaat ki ikaaee ko qaim rakhnay k liay Allah ka hawala sirf isi tareekay say diya jaayay jis tarha khud Allah nay aur Allah k Rasool (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) nay wazeh kiya hai, baghair Allah k Asma-was-Ssifaat ki koi aur taaweel kiay, yani wazeh ma’ni k bijaayay usay koi aur ma’ni diyay. Misaal k toor per Allah nay Quran mein farmaya hai k wo kaafiron aur munafiqon say naraaz ho jata hai. Allah nay farmaya:

“aur takay un munafiq mardon aur munafiq auraton aur mushrik mardon aur mushrikah auraton ko azab dai jo Allah k baaray mein bad-gumanian rakhnay waalay hein, (darasal) unhein per buraae ka phaira hai, Allah un per naraz hua aur unhein la’nat ki aur un k liay jahannum tayyar ki aur wo (bohat) buri lotnay ki jaga hai.”
[1]

lihaza naraz hona Allah ki sifaat mein say aik hai. ye kehna durust nahein hai k Allah k naraz honay ka matlab zaroor saza daina hai kiunki naraz hona insaan mein kamzori ki nishani hai aur iss tarha ka matlab Allah k liay shaayaan-e-shaan nahein hai. Allah nay jo farmaya hai hum ko wohi mananay chaheyay, iss wazahat k saath k Allah ki narazgi insaani ki si narazgi nahein hai, jaisa k Allah ka farman hai: “koi cheez Uss jaisi nahein hai.” [2] naam-nihaad “aqli” bunyad per ki gae tashreeh k tareeq-e-amal ko jab mantaqi anjaam tak lay jaaya jaayay to wo Allah k inkaar per mntaj hota hai, jaisa k Allah apnay aap ko zinda kehta hai aur insaan bhi zinda hai, iss liay aqli daleel k mutabiq Allah na to zinda hai aur na Uss ka koi wajood hai. haqeeqat ye hai k Allah ka oosaaf aur insaanon k oosaaf mein sirf naam ki mumasilat hai, darjay ki nahein, jab Allah k oosaaf ka tazkira ho to un ko bay-‘aib aur kamil ma’ni mein laina chaheyay jis mein insaani kamzorion ka koi amal-dakhal na ho.

2. Tauheed-ul-Asma-wa-Ssifaat ka doosra pehlu ye hai k Allah ki zaat ka hawala sirf usi tarha diya jayay jis tarha Uss nay apnay mutallik khud farmaya hai, baghair koi nayay naam ya sifaat Uss say mansoob kiay. Misaal k toor per Allah ko الغاضب (naaraaz honay waala) nahein kaha jayay ga, bawajood iss k keh Uss nay khud ye farmaya hai k wo naraz hota hai, kiunki na to Allah nay aur na Uss k Rasool (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) nay ye naam kabhi istimaal kia hai. ho sakta hai k ye bohat bareek nukta lagay, magar Allah ki sifaat ki ghalat tashreeh ko rooknay k liay iss ka qaim rakhna zaroori hai. yani aik faani insaan ki qudrat say bahir hai k wo apnay toor per ghair-faani Rab ki wazaahat ker sakay.

3. Tauheed-ul-Asma-wa-Ssifaat ka teesra pehlu ye hai k Allah ka hawaala Uss ki makhlooq ki sifaat say mansoob kiyay baghair diya jaana chaheyay, maslan Injeel aur Toraat k mutabiq Allah nay kainaat ko 6 dinon mein banaaya aur saatwein din soo ker aaraam kiya. [3] isi waja say yahoodi aur eesaaee haftay ya itwaar ko aaraam ka din manaatay hein aur iss din kaam kernay ko gunah samjha jaata hai. iss tarha ka bayan Allah ko Uss ki makhlooq ki sifaat mansoob kerta hai. ye to insaan hi hai jo sakht kaam kernay k baad thak jaata hai aur phir soonay say uss ki khoee hue quwwat bahaal hoti hai. [4] Toraat air Bible mein kisi jaga Allah ko iss tarha bayaan kiya gaya hai k (na’uzubillaah) Uss ko buray khayaalaat aatay hein aur Wo un per usi tarha pashaimaan hota hai jis tarha insaan apni ghaltion per pashaimaan hota hai. [5] isi tarha ye dawa kerna k Allah aik ruuh hai ya Allah ki bhi ruuh hoti hai Tauheed k iss pehlu ko muqammal toor per barbaad ker daita hai. Allah nay Quran mein kahein bhi apnay aap ko ruuh say ta’beer nahein kia aur na Allah k Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) na hadith mein iss qisam ki koi baat kahi hai. haqeeqat mein Allah nay to ruuh ko apni takhleeq ka hissa farmaya hai: [6]
Allah k oosaaf k zikar mein ye Qurani kulya madd-e-nazar rehna zaroori hai:

“nahein hai Uss say mushabeh koi cheez aur Wo hai sab kuch sunanay waala aur sab kuch daikhnay waala.”
[7]

sunana aur daikhna insaani oosaaf mein say hein laikin jab un ko Allah k liay istimal kiya jaayay to Allah k kamil oosaaf ka koi muwaazna nahein hai. ilaawa-azeen insaanon k liay in oosaaf k liay kaan aur aankh k aalaat ka hona zaroori hai jin ko Allah say mansoob nahein kiya jaa sakta. Insaan Khaaliq k baaray mein jo ilm rakhta hai wo wohi thoora sa ilm hai jo Allah nay apnay paighambaroon k zareyay usay diya hai. iss liay insaan ilm ki in tang hudood k andar rehnay per majboor hai. insaan jab Allah ko bayaan kernay mein apni aqal ko bay-lagaam choor daita hai to wo makhlooq k oosaaf ko Allah say mansoob kernay ki ghaltion mein phans sakta hai.
eesaaeeion nay tasweeron k zareyay cheezon ko bayan kernay ki chahat mein musawwari aur but-taraashi wagairah k zareyay bohat si insaani shaklon say miltay jultay aks tayyaar kiay aur un ko Allah ki ashkaal kaha. Un ashkaal nay aam logon k liay Hazrat Eesa (peace be upon him) ko Allah maananay ka raasta saaf ker diya. Jab unhon nay ye tasawwur tasleem ker lia k Khaaliq-e-kainaat insaan jaisa hai to phir Hazrat Eesa (peace be upon him) ko Allah maananay mein koi haqeeqi masla baqi nahein raha.

4. Tauheed-ul-Asma-wa-Ssifaat k chothay pehlu ka taqaaza hai k insaan ko Allaah ki sifaat mansoob na ki jayein. Misaal k toor per ‘Ehad Naama-e-Jadeed (Injeel) mein hai keh Paul nay Salem k baadshah Melchizedek ki shakhsiyyat ko Toraat say lia (Genesis, 14:18-20) aur uss ko aur Hazrat Eesaa (peace be upon him) donoon ko Khudaaee (yeh lafz sahih nahein magar logon ko samjhanay k liay istimal ker raha hoon) oosaaf, na aaghaaz waala na intihaa waala, ka haamil qaraar diya,

“iss k liay Melchizedek jo Salem ka baadshah hai aur rab-e-azeem ka paadri tha , Ebrahim say mila jo baadshahoon ko zabah ker k aa raha tha, aur uss ko dua di, aur Ebrahim nay iss ko har cheez ka daswaan hissa diya. Apnay naam k ma’ni k lihaaz say pehlay wo sachae ka baadshah hai aur phir wo Salem yani aman ka bhi baadshah hai. uss ka koi maan-baap nahein hai, wo baghair silsila-e-nasb k hai, na to uss k dinon ka aaghaaz hai aur na zindagi ka ikhtitaam, laikin Allah k baitay ki mushabihat ki waja say wo humaisha paishwa hi rahay ga.”
[8]
“isi tarha Eesa (peace be upon him) nay apnay aap ko aisa darja nahein diya tha k unhein imam-e-a’la bana diya jaayay, laikin un ko ta’enaat kernay walay nay un say kaha: ‘tum mairay baitay ho. Aaj maine tum ko apna baita bana liya hai.’ kisi aur jaga uss nay ye bhi kaha hai: ‘Melchizedek k nizam k tahat tum bhi humaisha paishwa raho gay.”
[9]

baishtar shia firqon nay (siwaayay Yemen k zaidi firqay k) apnay imaamon ko Allaah k oosaaf day rakhay hein, jaiay sahaw aur khata say mubarraa, [10] maazi k haalaat ka ilm, mustaqbil k haalaat ka ilm, ghaib ka ilm, taqdeer ko badalnay ki quwwat, [11] takhleeq k zarron ka control. [12] iss tarha say unhon nay Allah k hareef bana liay hein jin ko Allah k makhsoos oosaaf mein hissay-daar bana ker Allah k ilawa rab bana lia hai.

5. Allah k naamon ki yaktaee ko qaim rakhnay ka matlab ye bhi hai k Allah k naam asal shakal mein makhlooq ko nahein diyay jaa saktay jab tak un say pehlay saabqa,’abd, jis ka matlab ghulam ya nookar hota hai, na lagaaya jaayay. Allah k bohat say naam aisay bhi hein jin ki ‘amuumi shakal (ism-e-nakrah jaisay ‘Ra`uuf’ aur ‘Raheem’ insaanon k liay istimal ki jaa sakti hai, kiunki Allah nay ghair-makhsoos ma’noo_n mein unhein apnay Rasool (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) k liay istimal kiya hai. jaisay Allah nay farmaya:

“bila-shuba aaya hai tumhaaray paas (aay logo) aik Rasool (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) tum hi mein say, na-gawaar hai uss k liay har wo baat jo tumhein takleef pohanchayay aur hareess hai tumhari bhalae ka. Aur mominon per bara shafeeq (ra`uuf), bay-had meharbaan (raheem) hai.”
[13]

laikin Al-Ra`uuf jis ka matlab sab say ziada shafeeq aur Al-Raheem jis ka matlab sab say ziada meharbaan hai, insaanon k naam k toor per sirf usi waqt istimal ho saktay hein jab un say pehlay lafz “’abd” istimal kiya jayay, Abd-u-RRa`uuf ya Abd-u-RRaheem, kiunki makhsoos shakal mein ye uss a’la-o-kamil darjay ki numaindagi kertay hein jo faqat Allah ka haq hai. isi tarha aisay naam rakhnay say mana kiya gaya hai jaisay Abd-u-RRusool (Rusool ka ghulaam), Abd-u-NNabi (Nabi ka ghulam), Abd-ul-Hussain (Hussain ka ghulam) waghairah. Isi asool ki bina per Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) nay musalmanon ko mana kia k jo loog un k ikhtiyaar mein hein unhein Abdi (maira banda) ya Amati (mairi bandi) na kaha karein. [14]

____________________
[1]. Surah Al-Fath, 48:6
[2]. Surah Shura, 42:11
[3]. Genesis, 2:2 “aur saathwain din khuda nay apna kaam khatam kiya jo wo ker chuka tha, aur saatwain din uss nay aaraam kiya apnay tamaam kaam say jo wo ker chuka tha.” Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version (RSV), Nelson, 1951, Page#2
[4]. Iss k bar-aks Allah nay saaf toor per Quran mein farmaya hai: “Uss ko koi thakan nahein hoti aur na Uss ko neend aati hai ………”Surah Baqarah, 2:255
[5]. Exodus, 32:14 “aur khuda ko uss khayaal say bohat pashaimaani hue k uss nay apnay bandon k saath burae kernay ka soocha.” Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version (RSV)
[6].Allah nay iss ko saaf toor per iss ayat mein farmaya hai: “(aay Mohammed (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)) wo aap say ruuh k mutallik sawal kertay hein. un ko bata do k ruuh (ka wajood) mairay Allah k hukam say hai.” Surah Bani-Israel, 17:75
[7]. Surah Shura, 42:11
[8]. Hebrews, 7:1-3 Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version (RSV)
[9]. Hebrews, 5:5-6 Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version (RSV)
[10]. Mohammed Raza Al-Muzaffar apni kitaab ‘Faith of Shia Islam’ (USA: Mohammedi Trust of Great Britain or Northern Ireland, Second Edition, 1983) mein bayan kertay hein: “ye humara aqeeda hai k paighambar ki tarha imam bhi masoom hona chaheyay jis ka matlab hai k paidaish say lai ker apni moot tak wo danista ya na-danista toor per zaahiri ya baatni toor per, ghalti kernay ya ghalat kaam kernay k qabil nahein hona chaheyay, kiunki imam Islam k muhafiz hein, or ye un ki hifazat mein hai.” (page#32). Syed Saeed Akhtar Rizwi ki kitaab ‘Islam’ Page#35 bhi daikheyay (Tehran: Group of Muslim Brothers 1973)
[11]. Al-Muzaffar ye bhi bayan kertay hein: “humaara aqeeda hai k imamon mein ilhaam hasil kernay ki quwwat nihayat a’la darjay ki hoti hai aur hum usay Allah ki di hue quwwat tasawwur kertay hein. iss ki waja say imam ko har cheez ka ilm har jaga aur har waqt hota hai aur wo cheezon ko Allah ki ata ki hue quwwat say foran samajh laita hai aur us ko kisi istadlaal k tareeq-e-kaar ya ustaad ki hidayat ki zaroorat nahein hoti.”
[12]. Al-Khameeni kehtay hein: “yaqeenan imam ka aik pr-shikwa maqam hai, aik bohat ooncha uhda hai, wo takhleeqi khilaafat rakhta hai. takhleeq k tamam zarron per us ki baadshahat aur ghalba hai.” (ayat-Ullah Moswi Al-Khameeni, Al-Hakumat Al-Islamiah, Beirut: Al-Tale’a Press, Arabic Edition 1979, Page#52)
[13]. Surah Taubah, 9:128
[14]. Sahih Muslim, Hadith#2249 aur Sunan AbuDawood, English Translation, Vol#3, Page#1385-1386, Hadith#4957

[farooq hasan]

BISMI ALLAHI ALRRAHMANI ALRRAHEEMI

Tauheed k pehlay do darjon k wasee’ mafhoom k ba-wajood sirf un per mazboot eemaan hi Tauheed ki Islami zarooriyaat poora kernay k liay kaafi nahein hai. Tauheed-e-Rabuubeyyat aur Tauheed-ul-Asma-wa-Ssifaat k saath saath Tauheed k teesray takmeeli juz yani Tauheed-ul-Ibadat ko laazman shamil kiya jaana chaheyay takay Islam k mutabiq Tauheed ko mukammal kiya ja sakay. Iss nuktay ko iss baat say bhi taqweyyat milti hai k Allaah nay khud saaf toor per bayan farmaya hai k Allah k Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) k zamaanay mein mushrikeen bhi Tauheed k pehlay do darjon k bohat say pehluon ki tauseeq kertay thay. Quran mein Allah nay Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) say farmaya k buton ko poojnay waalon say keh dein:

“(un say) pooch koon rizq daita hai tum ko aasmaan say aur zameen say. Ya koon maalik hai daikhnay aur sunanay (ki quwwaton) ka aur koon nikaalta hai jaandar ko bay-jaan say aur (koon) nikaalta hai bay-jaan ko jaandar say aur kon intazam kerta hai tamam amoor ka? To wo zaroor kahein gay Allaah.”
[1]
“aur agar tum un say poocho k kis nay paida kia hai unhein to zaroor kahein gay yeh keh Allaah nay.”
[2]
“aur agar poocho tum un say koon barsaata hai aasmaan say paani, phir zinda kerta hai uss k zareyay say zameen ko uss k murda ho jaanay k baad, zaroor kahein gay Allaah.”
[3]

makkah k but-parast ye jaantay thay k un ko paida kernay waala, un ko paalnay waala, un ka Haakim aur un ka Maalik-o-Aaqa Allah hi hai magar iss ilm nay Allah k farman k mutabiq un ko musalmaan nahein banaaya. Balkay haqeeqat mein Allaah nay farmaaya:

“aur nahein eemaan laatay un mein say aksar Allaah per magar iss tarha k wo (Uss k saath doosron ko) shareek thehraatay hein.”
[4]

Mujahid (rahimahullaah) [5] iss aayat ki tafseer yu_n bayan kertay hein: “un logon ka Allah per itna e’tiqaad, jo un k bayan say wazeh hota hai k Allah nay unhein paida kia, Wohi un ko rizq daita hai aur Wohi un ki zindagi khatam kerta hai, un ko Allah k ilawa doosray deewtaaon ki parastish say nahein rookta tha.” [6] iss say pehlay bayan ki gae aayaat ki roshni mein ye saaf zahir hai k kuffaar ko Allah ki haakmiat-e-a’la aur taaqat ka ilm tha. Dar-haqeeqat wo Allah ki mukhtalif iqsaam ki ibadat maslan Hajj, Sakhaawat, Jaanwaron ki qurbani kertay thay, zaroorat-o-aafaat k ayyaam mein mannatein maanatay thay aur aajizaana andaaz mein Allah say duaein maangtay thay. Hatta k ye bhi un ka dawa tha k wo Ebrahim (peace be upon him) k mazhab per amal kertay hein. un k iss daway ki waja say Allah nay ye ayat nazil farmae:

“na tha Ebrahim yahoodi aur na nasraani, balkay tha wo sacha musalmaan aur na tha wo mushrikon mein say.”
[7]

perhnay mein aaya hai k shayad kuch mushrikeen-e-makkah dobara zinda kiay jaanay per aur yaum-e-hisaab per bhi eemaan rakhtay thay, aur un mein say kuch taqdeer ko bhi maantay thay. Qabl az-Islam sha’iri (poetry) mein un k iss aqeeday ki kaafi shahaadat milti hai. misaal k toor per Zuheir naami sha’ir k kalaam mein hai:

“ya to uss mein taakheer ho jati hai ya phir kitaab mein likh ker yaum-e-hisaab tak mehfooz ker diya jaata hai.”

‘ntra k mutallik kaha gaya hai k us nay iss tarha kaha hai:

“oo ’abl, tum moot say bhaag ker kahaan jao gay agar mairay aasmaani Rab nay issay tumhaari taqdeer bana rakha hai?”
[8]

ba-wajood iss k keh makkah k loog Tauheed ko maantay thay aur Allah ka ilm rakhtay thay ya Allah k baray mein ilm rakhtay thay, phir bhi Allah nay un ko kaafir aur mushrik qaraar diya, sirf iss liay keh wo Allah ki ibadat k saath doosray khudaoon ki bhi ibadat kertay thay.
Lihaaza Tauheed ka sab say aham pehlu Tauheed-ul-Ibadat hai, yani Allah ki ibadat mein yaktaee ko qaim rakhna. Har qisam ki ibadat sirf Allah hi k liay honi chaheyay kiunki Wohi akaila ibadat ka haq-daar hai, aur Wohi akaila insaan ko uss ki ibadat ka sila daita hai. ilaawa-azee_n ibadat mein Allaah aur insaan k darmian sifaarish ya saalis (teesray) ki zaroorat nahein hai. ibadat ko sirf Allah k liay makhsoos kernay ki ahmiat ko Allah nay iss jaga ujaagar kia hai keh takhleeq-e-insaan ka asal maqsad hi sirf aik Allah ki ibadat kernay hai aur tamaam Anbiya-e-Ikraam k paighaam ki ruuh bhi yahi thi. Allah farmaata hai:

“aur nahein paida kia hai Mein nay jin-o-ins ko magar mahaz iss gharz say keh Maire ibadat karein.”
[9]
“aur yaqeenun bhaija Hum nay har ummat mein aik Rasool (ye hukam day ker) keh ibadat karo Allah ki aur ijtanab karo jhootay khudaoon (ki bandagi) say.”
[10]

insaan ki takhleeq k maqsad ko mukammal toor per samajhna insaan ki juballi salaahiyaton k daairay say bahir hai. insaan aik faani makhlooq hai aur uss k liay ye mumkin nahein k wo ghair-faani Khaaliq k kaamon ka mukammal toor per idraak ker sakay.chunachay Allah nay insaani fitrat ka ye hissa bana diya k wo Allah ki ibadat karay aur Uss nay paighambar aur wahi ki gae kitaabein bhaij ker maqsad-e-takhleeq k pehlu ko itna hi wazeh kia hai jitna insaani zehan uss ko samajhnay k qabil tha, aur ye maqsad hai, jaisa k pehlay bayan kiya gaya, Allah ki ibadat, aur paighambaron ka markazi paigham bhi sirf aik Allah ki ibadat hi tha, yani Tauheed-ul-Ibadat. Lihaza sangeen-tareen gunah shirk hai, yani Allah k siwa dooson ki ibadat kerna, ya Allah k saath doosron ki bhi ibadat kerna. Surah Fatihah jo har musalmaan mard-o-zan ko din mein kam-az-kam 17 dafa apni namazon mein perhna hoti hai ki Ayat#5 hai: “hum sirf Taire hi ibadat kertay hein aur sirf Tujh say hi madad maangtay hein.” ye aik wazeh elan hai k har qisam ki ibadat sirf Usi k liay hi honi chaheyay jo ibadat ka jawab bhi dai, yani Allaah. Dua mein kisi qisam ki sifaarish ya saalis ki zaroorat na honay ki ahmiat Quran ki bohat si aayaat mein numaayaa_n hai, jo Allah ki insaan say qurbat ka izhar kerti hai. misaal k toor per Allah nay farmaaya:

“aur jab poochein tum say (aay Mohammed (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)) mairay banday Mairay baaray mein, to bay-shak Mein to qareeb hi hoon. Jawab daita hoon pukaarnay walay ki pukar ka jab pukarta hai wo Mujhay. To chaheyay k wo hukam manein Maira aur yaqeen rakhein Mujh per takay wo rah-e-raast pa lein.”
[11]
“aur ye haqeeqat hai k Hum hi nay paida kia hai insaan ko aur Hum hi jaantay hein k kiya kiya waswasay paida hotay hein uss k dil mein, aur Hum uss k ziada qareeb hein uss ki rag-e-jaan say bhi.”
[12]

Tauheed-ul-Ibadat per yaqeen rakhnay aur tasdeeq kernay ki waja say ye zaroori hota hai k apnay aur Allaah k darmian har qisam k saalis say aur Allaah k saath doosron ko shareek thehraanay say inkaar kia jaayay. Agar koi murdon say dua kerta hai aur un say zinda logon ki zindagion per asar-andaaz honay ki, ya jo fout ho gayay hein un ki ruuhon per asar-andaz honay ki, tawaqqu rakhta hai to wo murdon ko Allah k saath shareek kerta hai, kiunki iss tarha ibadat Allah aur Uss ki makhlooq k darmiaan bat jati hai. Allah k Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) nay bila-shak-o-shuba saaf saaf alfaaz mein farma diya hai: “dua ibadat hai” [13] aur Allah nay farmaya hai:

“so kiya tum ibadat kertay ho Allah k siwa un ki jo na nafa pohancha saktay hein tumhein zara bhi aur na nuqsaan pohancha saktay hein tumhein.”
[14]
dar-haqeeqat jinhein pukaartay ho tum Allah k siwa wo bhi banday hein tumhaari tarha k.”
[15]

agar koi Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) say dua mangta hai, ya kisi naam-nihaad wali, jin ya farishtay say madad maangta hai ya un say darkhuast kerta hai k wo Allah say uss k liay madad maang dein to aisa kernay wala bhi shirk ka irtakaab kerta hai. “Ghoos Al-A’zam” ka tasawwur aur laqab jo k na-daano_n nay Shaikh Abd-ul-Qadir Jeelani ko day rakha hai, bhi Tauheed-ul-Ibadat mein shirk kernay ka izhaar hai, iss laqab k asal ma’ni hein “sab say bara bachaanay wala, sab say berh ker khatray say bachaanay wala” aur iss qisam k bayan to sirf Allah k liay hi makhsoos hotay hein. jab museebat aati hai to kuch loog Abd-ul-Qadir Jeelani ko un k iss laqab say pukaartay hein aur un say madad aur hifaazat talab kertay hein, halankay Allah nay farmaya hai:

“aur agar puhanchaayay tum ko Allah ko nuqsaan to nahein koi door kernay wala uss ka siwaayay Allah k.”
[16]

Quran mein hai k jab makkah k logon say poocha gaya k wo apni duaein butoo_n say kiun maangtay hein to unhon nay kaha:

“(aur kehtay hein) nahein ibadat kertay hum un ki magar iss gharz say keh pohancha dein wo humein qareeb Allah k kisi darjay mein.”
[17]

wo butoo_n ko sirf saalis k toor per istimaal kertay thay, magar Allah nay un k iss tareeqay ki waja say un ko mushrik kaha. Musalmanon mein jo loog Allah k ilawa doosron say dua kernay per israr kertay hein un ko iss haqeeqat per ghoor kerna chaheyay.
Tarsus k rehnay walay ‘saal’ (jo baad mein paul kehlayay) ki taleem say mutasir ho ker eesaayion nay Hazrat Eessa (peace be upon him) ko Allah bana lia aur apni duaein Hazrat Eessa (peace be upon him) aur un ki maan say maangna shuru ker dein. Catholic eessaee k yaha_n her mooqay k liay ilaida buzurg ya wali hotay hein jin say wo duaein maangtay hein, aur ye aqeedah rakhtay hein k ye buzurg ya wali dunya k karobaar per barah-e-raast asar-andaz hota hein. catholic eessaee apnay paadrion ko bhi Allah aur apnay darmian sifarashi k toor per istimal kertay hein kiunki wo apnay ghalat aqeeday ki bina per ye samajhtay hein k un k paadri apnay knwaar-pan aur parhaiz-gaari ki waja say Allah k ziada nazdeeq hein. iss liay iss ka ziada imkaan hai k Allah un ki baat sun lai ga. Bohat say Shia firqon nay bhi apnay liay haftay k makhsoos din aur din k kuch ghantay muqarrar ker rakhay hein jin mein wo Ali, Fatima, Hasan aur Hussain (may Allah be pleased with them all) [18] say sifaarish k muamlay mein apnay ghalat aqeeday ki waja say duaein maangtay hein.
Islaami nuqta-e-nazar k mutabiq ibadat mein roza, zakat, hajj, aur jaanwaron ki qurbaani k ilawa aur bhi cheezein shaamil hein, jaisay jazbaat-e-mohabbat, e’timaad aur khoof waghairah, in sab k darjaat hotay hein jo sirf Allah hi k liay honay chaheyein. Allah nay in jazbaat ka bhi zikar kia hai aur in mein tajaawuz say mutanabbeh kia hai, jaisa k Uss nay farmaya hai:

“aur logon mein say (kuch aisay loog hein) jo banatay hein Allah k siwa (doosron ko Allah ka) madd-e-muqaabil, mohabbat kertay hein un say aisi mohabbat jaisi Allah say honi chaheyay aur wo loog jo eemaan walay hein sab say berh ker mehboob rakhtay hein Allah ko.”
[19]
“kiya nahein tum jang karo gay aisay logon say, toord daalein jinhon nay apni qasmein aur qasad kia tha jila-watni kernay ka Rasool ko aur yahi wo hein jinhon nay ibtada ki thi tum per (ziadati kernay mein) pehli martaba. Kiya tum dartay ho aisay logon say? Haalankay Allah ziada mustahiq hai iss baat ka k daro tum Uss say agar ho tum (waqae) momin.”
[20]
“aur Allah hi per bharoosa karo, agar ho tum eemaan waalay.”
[21]

chunkay lafz ibadat ka matlab hai mukammal tabe’daari aur iss mein Allah ko sab say bara aur aakhri qanoon dainay waala maana jaata hai, iss liay secular qanooni nizamon ko rayij kerna, jin ki bunyaad share’at (islami qanoon) per nahein hai, Allah k qanoon per eemaan na honay aur aisay nizamon k durust honay per eemaan honay k mutaradif hai jo Allah k siwa doosron ki ibadat kernay hi ki aik shakal hai (yani shirk hai). Allah nay Quran mein farmaya:

“aur jo loog faisla na karein un ahkam k mutabiq jo nazil kiyay hein Allah nay to aisay hi loog kafir hein.”
[22]

iss liay Tauheed-ul-Ibadat ka aik aham hissa share’at k nifaaz say mutalliq hai, khaas toor per un mulkon mein jahan musalmaanon ki aabaadi aksariat mein hai. Allah ka qanoon un naam-nihad musalmaan mulkon mein dobara rayij hona chaheyay jahan aaj kal ki hakomatein baahir say mangayay huay sarmaya-daraana dastoor ya ishtraki dastoor k tahat chal rahi hein, aur Islami qanoon ya to bilkul na-paayd hai ya phir ma’muli ahmiat k muamlaat mein nafiz hai. isi tarha un islami mulkon ko bhi jahan Islami qanoon sirf kitabon mein darj hai aur ghair-mazhabi qawaneen rayij hein, islami share’at k tahat laana hoga, kiunki share’at zindagi k har pehlu ka ahaata kerti hai. musalmaan mulkon mein share’at k bijaayay ghair-islami qanoon ka qabool hona shirk hai aur iqdaam-e-kufr hai. jo loog iss ko tabdeel kernay ki position mein hein unhein chaheyay k iss ko tabdeel karein aur jo tabdeel nahein ker saktay un ko chaheyay iss kafiraana qanoon k khilaaf aawaaz buland karein aur share’at k nifaaz ki himayat karein. Aur Tauheed ki sar-bulandi aur Allah ki khusnoodi k liay ghair-islami hakoomat say nafrat karein.

Note: Iss mein agar koi baat ghalat hai to Allah us ko humaray dilon say bhula dai, aur jo sahih hai Allah uss ko maananay ki toofeeq ata farmayay. Agar koi typing mein ghalati hai to Allah muaaf karay aur usay durust kernay ki toofeeq ata farmayay, Aameen. Aur Allah sab say behtar jaanta hai, Alhamdulillaah.

____________________
[1]. Surah Yunus, 10:31
[2]. Surah Zukhruf, 43:87
[3]. Surah ‘Ankabuut, 29:63
[4]. Surah Yusuf, 16:106
[5]. Mujahid ibn-e-Jbeir Al-Makki (642-722) Hazrat ibn-e-Abbass (may Allah be pleased with him) k sab say mumtaaz shagird thay. Un ki Quran ki tafseer (tashreeh) ko Abd-u-RRahmaan Al-Tahir nay tadween kia aur “Tafseer-ul-Mujahid” k naam say 2 jildon mein shaaya’ kia.
[6]. Ibn-e-Jareer Al-Tabre (rahimahullaah) nay jama kia.
[7]. Surah Al-Imran, 3:67
[8]. Suleman ibn-e-Abdul Wahhaab ki kitaab ‘Taiseer Al-Aziz Al-Hameed’ mein manqool hai (Beirut: Al-Maktab-ul-Islami, Second Edition, 1970, Page#34)
[9]. Surah Zaariyaat, 51:56
[10]. Surah An-Nahl, 16:36
[11]. Surah Baqarah, 2:186
[12]. Surah Qaaf, 50:16
[13]. Abu Dawood, Hadith#1479
[14]. Surah Al-Anbiya, 21:66
[15]. Surah Al-A’raaf, 7:194
[16]. Surah Al-An’aam, 6:17
[17]. Surah Zumar, 39:3
[18]. Hazrat Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her) Rasool Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) ki sab say choti baiti thein. Aap ki shaadi Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) k chacha-zaad bhai Hazrat Ali ibn-e-abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) say hue. Hazrat Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) aur Hazrat Hussain (may Allah be pleased with him) un k baitay thay.
[19]. Surah Baqarah, 2:165
[20]. Surah Taubah, 9:13
[21]. Surah Al-Maidah, 5:23
[22]. Surah Maidah, 5:44

[winter]

most welcome on forumpk hope u ll enjoy here

its nice sharing thax

[DJ AALEE]

by Dr. Zakir Naik


The Most Concise Definition of God:

The most concise definition of God in Islam is given in the four verses of Surah Ikhlas which is Chapter 112 of the Qur’an:

"Say: He is Allah,
The One and Only.
"Allah, the Eternal, Absolute.
"He begets not, nor is He begotten.
And there is none like unto Him."
[Al-Qur’an 112:1-4]

The word ‘Assamad’ is difficult to translate. It means ‘absolute existence’, which can be attributed only to Allah (swt), all other existence being temporal or conditional. It also means that Allah (swt) is not dependant on any person or thing, but all persons and things are dependant on Him.



Surah Ikhlas - the touchstone of theology:

Surah Ikhlas (Chapter 112) of the Glorious Qur’an, is the touchstone of theology. ‘Theo’ in Greek means God and ‘logy’ means study. Thus Theology means study of God and to Muslims this four line definition of Almighty God serves as the touchstone of the study of God. Any candidate to divinity must be subjected to this ‘acid test’. Since the attributes of Allah given in this chapter are unique, false gods and pretenders to divinity can be easily dismissed using these verses.

What does Islam say about ‘god-men’?

India is often called the land of ‘god-men’. This is due to the abundance of so-called spiritual masters in India. Many of these ‘babas’ and ‘saints’ have a large following in many countries. Islam abhors deification of any human being. To understand the Islamic stand towards such pretenders to divinity, let us analyze one such ‘god-man’, Osho Rajneesh.

Let us put this candidate, ‘Bhagwan’ Rajneesh, to the test of Surah Ikhlas, the touchstone of theology:

i)
The first criterion is "Say, He is Allah, one and only". Is Rajneesh one and only? No! Rajneesh was one among the multitude of ‘spiritual teachers’ produced by India. Some disciples of Rajneesh might still hold that Rajneesh is one and only.

ii)
The second criterion is, ‘Allah is absolute and eternal’. We know from Rajneesh’s biography that he was suffering from diabetes, asthma, and chronic backache. He alleged that the U.S. Government gave him slow poison in prison. Imagine Almighty God being poisoned! Rajneesh was thus, neither absolute nor eternal.

iii)
The third criterion is ‘He begets not, nor is He begotten’. We know that Rajneesh was born in Jabalpur in India and had a mother as well as a father who later became his disciples.

In May 1981 he went to U.S.A. and established a town called ‘Rajneeshpuram’. He later fell foul of the West and was finally arrested and asked to leave the country. He came back to India and started a commune in Pune which is now known as the ‘Osho’ commune. He died in 1990. The followers of Osho Rajneesh believe that he is Almighty God. At the ‘Osho commune’ in Pune one can find the following epitaph on his tombstone:

"Osho – never born, never died; only visited the planet Earth between 11th December 1931 to 19th January 1990."

They forget to mention that he was not granted visa for 21 countries of the world. Can a person ever imagine ‘God’ visiting the earth, and requiring a visa to enter a country! The Archbishop of Greece said that if Rajneesh had not been deported, they would have burnt his house and those of his disciples.


(iv)
The fourth test, which is the most stringent is, "There is none like unto Him". The moment you can imagine or compare ‘God’ to anything, then he (the candidate to divinity) is not God. It is not possible to conjure up a mental picture of the One True God. We know that Rajneesh was a human being, having two eyes, two ears, a nose, a mouth and a white flowing beard. Photographs and posters of Rajneesh are available in plenty. The moment you can imagine or draw a mental picture of an entity, then that entity is not God.

Many are tempted to make anthropomorphic comparisons of God. Take for instance, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the famous body builder and Hollywood actor, who won the title of ‘Mr. Universe’, the strongest man in the world. Let us suppose that someone says that Almighty God is a thousand times stronger than Arnold Schwarzenegger. The moment you can compare any entity to God, whether the comparison is to Schwarzenegger or to King Kong, whether it is a thousand times or a million times stronger, it fails the Qur’anic criterion, "There is none like unto Him".

Thus, the ‘acid test’ cannot be passed by anyone except the One True God.

The following verse of the Glorious Qur’an conveys a similar message:

"No vision can grasp Him
But His grasp is over
All vision: He is
Above all comprehension,
Yet is acquainted with all things."
[Al-Qur’an 6:103]


By what name do we call God?

The Muslims prefer calling the Supreme Creator, Allah, instead of by the English word ‘God’. The Arabic word, ‘Allah’, is pure and unique, unlike the English word ‘God’, which can be played around with.

If you add ‘s’ to the word God, it becomes ‘Gods’, that is the plural of God. Allah is one and singular, there is no plural of Allah. If you add ‘dess’ to the word God, it becomes ‘Goddess’ that is a female God. There is nothing like male Allah or female Allah. Allah has no gender. If you add the word ‘father’ to ‘God’ it becomes ‘God-father’. God-father means someone who is a guardian. There is no word like ‘Allah-Abba’ or ‘Allah-father’. If you add the word ‘mother’ to ‘God’, it becomes ‘God-mother’. There is nothing like ‘Allah-Ammi’, or ‘Allah-mother’ in Islam. Allah is a unique word. If you prefix tin before the word God, it becomes tin-God i.e., fake God. Allah is a unique word, which does not conjure up any mental picture nor can it be played around with. Therefore the Muslims prefer using the Arabic word ‘Allah’ for the Almighty. Sometimes, however, while speaking to the non-Muslims we may have to use the inappropriate word God, for Allah. Since the intended audience of this article is general in nature, consisting of both Muslims as well as non-Muslims, I have used the word God instead of Allah in several places in this article.

God does not become a human being:

God does not take human form:

Some may argue that God does not become a human being but only takes a human form. If God only takes a human form but does not become a human being, He should not possess any human qualities. We know that all the ‘God-men’, have human qualities and failings. They have all the human needs such as the need to eat, sleep, etc.

The worship of God in human form is therefore a logical fallacy and should be abhorred in all its forms and manifestations.

That is the reason why the Qur’an speaks against all forms of anthropomorphism. The Glorious Qur’an says in the following verse:

"There is nothing whatever like unto Him."
[Al-Qur’an 42:11]


God does not perform ungodly acts:

The attributes of Almighty God preclude any evil since God is the source of justice, mercy and truth. God can never be thought of as doing an ungodly act. Hence we cannot imagine God telling a lie, being unjust, making a mistake, forgetting things, or having any such human failings. Similarly God can do injustice if He chooses to, but He will never do it because being unjust is an ungodly act.

The Qur’an says:

"Allah is never unjust In the least degree."
[Al-Qur’an 4:40]

God can be unjust if He chooses to be so, but the moment God does injustice, He ceases to be God.


God does not make mistakes
God can make mistakes if He wants to, but He does not make mistakes because making a mistake is an ungodly act. The Qur’an says:

"…my Lord never errs."
[Holy Qur’an 20:52]

The moment God makes a mistake, he ceases to be God.


God does not forget

God can forget if He wants to. But God does not forget anything because forgetting is an ungodly act, which reeks of human limitations and failings. The Qur’an says:

"…my Lord never errs, nor forgets."
[Al-Qur’an 20:52]


God only performs Godly acts:

The Islamic concept of God is that God has power over all things. The Qur’an says in several places (Al -Qur’an 2:106; 2:109; 2:284; 3:29; 16:77; and 35:1):

"For verily Allah has power over all things"

Further, the Glorious Qur’an says:

"Allah is the doer of all that He intends."
[Al-Qur’an 85:16]

We must keep in mind that Allah intends only Godly acts and not ungodly acts.

PHILOSOPHY OF ANTHROPOMORPHISM

Many religions at some point believe, directly or indirectly, in the philosophy of anthropomorphism i.e. God becoming a human. Their contention is that Almighty God is so pure and holy that He is unaware of the hardships, shortcomings and feelings of human beings. In order to set the rules for human beings, He came down to earth as a human. This deceptive logic has fooled countless millions through the ages. Let us now analyze this argument and see if it stands to reason.

The Creator prepares the instruction manual:

Suppose I manufacture a video cassette recorder (VCR). Do I have to become a VCR to know what is good or what is bad for the VCR? What do I do? I write an instruction manual: "In order to watch a video cassette, insert the cassette and press the play button. In order to stop, press the stop button. If you want to fast forward press the FF button. Do not drop it from a height or it will get damaged. Do not immerse it in water or it will get spoilt". I write an instruction manual that lists the various do’s and don’ts for the machine.

Holy Qur’an is the instruction manual for the human being:

Similarly, our Lord and Creator Allah (swt) need not take human form to know what is good or bad for the human being. He chooses to reveal the instruction manual. The last and final instruction manual of the human beings is the Glorious Qur’an. The ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ for the human beings are mentioned in the Qur’an.

If you allow me to compare human beings with machines, I would say humans are more complicated than the most complex machines in the world. Even the most advanced computers, which are extremely complex, are pale in comparison to the myriad physical, psychological, genetic and social factors that affect individual and collective human life.

The more advanced the machine, greater is the need for its instruction manual. By the same logic, don’t human beings require an instruction manual by which to govern their own lives?

Allah chooses Messengers:

Allah (swt) need not come down personally for giving the instruction manual. He chooses a man amongst men to deliver the message and communicates with him at a higher level through the medium of revelations. Such chosen men are called messengers and prophets of God.

Some people are ‘blind’ and ‘deaf’:

Despite the absurdity of the philosophy of anthropomorphism, followers of many religions believe in and preach it to others. Is it not an insult to human intelligence and to the Creator who gave us this intelligence? Such people are truly ‘deaf’ and ‘blind’ despite the faculty of hearing and sight given to them by Allah. The Qur’an says:

"Deaf, dumb, and blind,
They will not return (to the path)."
[Al-Qur’an 2:18]

The Bible gives a similar message in the Gospel of Matthew:

"Seeing they see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand."
[The Bible, Matthew 13:13]

A similar message is also given in the Hindu Scriptures in the Rigveda.

"There maybe someone who sees the words and yet indeed does not see them; may be another one who hears these words but indeed does not hear them." 1
[Rigveda 10:71:4]

All these scriptures are telling their readers that though the things are made so clear yet many people divert away from the truth.

Attributes of God:

To Allah belong the most beautiful names:

The Qur’an says:

"Say: Call upon Allah, or
Call upon Rahman:
By whatever name you call
Upon Him, (it is well):
For to Him belong
The Most Beautiful Names."
[Al-Qur’an 17:110]

A similar message regarding the beautiful names of Allah (swt) is repeated in the Qur’an in Surah Al-A’raf (7:180), in Surah Taha (20:8) and in Surah Al-Hashr (59:24).

The Qur’an gives no less than ninety-nine different attributes to Almighty Allah. The Qur’an refers to Allah as Ar-Rahman (Most Gracious), Ar-Raheem (Most Merciful) and Al-Hakeem (All Wise) among many other names. You can call Allah by any name but that name should be beautiful and should not conjure up a mental picture.

Each attribute of God is unique and possessed by Him alone:

Not only does God possess unique attributes, but also each attribute of Almighty God is sufficient to identify Him. I shall clarify this point in detail. Let us take an example of a famous personality, say Neil Armstrong. Neil Armstrong is an astronaut. The attribute of being an astronaut possessed by Neil Armstrong is correct but not unique to Neil Armstrong alone. So when one asks, who is an astronaut? The answer is, there are hundreds of people in the world who are astronauts. Neil Armstrong is an American. The attribute of being American possessed by Neil Armstrong is correct but not sufficient to identify him. So when one asks, who is an American? The answer is, there are millions of people who are American. To identify the person uniquely we must look for a unique attribute possessed by none except that person. For example, Neil Armstrong was the first human to set foot on the moon. So when one asks, who was the first man to set foot on the moon, the answer is only one, i.e. Neil Armstrong. Similarly the attribute of Almighty God should be unique. If I say God is the constructor of buildings, it is possible and true, but it is not unique. Thousands of people can construct a building. But each attribute of Allah is unique and points to none but Allah. For example, God is the creator of the universe. If someone asks who is the creator of the universe, the answer is only one, i.e. Almighty God is the Ultimate Creator. Similarly, following are some of the many unique attributes possessed by none other than the Creator of the universe, Almighty Allah:

"Ar-Raheem", the Most Merciful
"Ar-Rahman", the Most Gracious
"Al-Hakeem", the Most Wise

So when one asks, "Who is ‘Ar-Raheem’, (the Most Merciful)?", there can only be one answer: "Almighty Allah".


One attribute of God should not contradict with other attributes:

Besides the attribute being unique, it should not contradict other attributes. To continue with the earlier example, suppose somebody says that Neil Armstrong is an American astronaut who was the first human to set foot on the moon and was an Indian. The attribute possessed by Neil Armstrong of being the first man to set foot on the moon, is correct. But its associated quality of being an Indian, is false. Similarly if someone says that God is the Creator of the Universe and has one head, two hands, two feet, etc., the attribute (Creator of the Universe) is correct but the associated quality (in the form of human being) is wrong and false.

All attributes should point to the one and same God:

Since there is only one God, all the attributes should point to one and the same God. To say that Neil Armstrong was an American astronaut who first set foot on the moon, but he was born in 1971 is wrong. Both these unique qualities belong to one and the same person, i.e. Neil Armstrong. Similarly to say that the Creator of the universe is one God and the Cherisher is another God is absurd because God possesses all these attributes combined together.

Unity of God:

Some polytheists argue by saying that the existence of more than one God is not illogical. Let us point out to them that if there were more than one God, they would dispute with one another, each god trying to fulfill his will against the will of the other gods. This can be seen in the mythology of the polytheistic and pantheistic religions. If a ‘God’ is defeated or unable to defeat the others, he is surely not the one true God. Also popular among polytheistic religions is the idea of many Gods, each having different responsibilities. Each one would be responsible for a part of man’s existence e.g. a Sun-God, a Rain-God, etc. This indicates that one ‘God’ is incompetent of certain acts and moreover he is also ignorant of the other Gods’ powers, duties, functions and responsibilities. There cannot be an ignorant and incapable God. If there were more than one God it would surely lead to confusion, disorder, chaos and destruction in the universe. But the universe is in complete harmony. The Glorious Qur’an says:

"If there were, in the heavens
And the earth, other gods
Besides Allah, there would
Have been confusion in both!
But glory to Allah,
The Lord of the Throne:
(High is He) above
What they attribute to Him!"
[Al-Qur’an 21:22]

If there were more than one God, they would have taken away what they created. The Qur’an says:

"No son did Allah beget,
Nor is there any god
Along with Him: (if there were
Many gods), behold, each god
Would have taken away
What he had created,
And some would have
Lorded it over others!
Glory to Allah! (He is free)
From the (sort of) things
They attribute to Him!"
[Al-Qur’an 23:91]

Thus the existence of one True, Unique, Supreme, Almighty God, is the only logical concept of God.


TAWHEED:

Definition and Categories:

Islam believes in ‘Tawheed’ which is not merely monotheism i.e. belief in one God, but much more. Tawheed literally means ‘unification’ i.e. ‘asserting oneness’ and is derived from the Arabic verb ‘Wahhada’ which means to unite, unify or consolidate.

Tawheed can be divided into three categories.

1. Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah
2. Tawheed al-Asmaa-was-Sifaat
3. Tawheed al-Ibaadah.


A.
Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah (maintaining the unity of Lordship)

The first category is ‘Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah’. ‘Ruboobeeyah’ is derived from the root verb "Rabb" meaning Lord, Sustainer and Cherisher.

Therefore ‘Tawheed-ar-Ruboobeeyah’ means maintaining the unity of Lordship. This category is based on the fundamental concept that Allah (swt) alone caused all things to exist when there was nothing. He created or originated all that exists out of nothing. He alone is the sole Creator, Cherisher, and Sustainer of the complete universe and all between it, without any need from it or for it.


B.
Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat (maintaining the unity of Allah’s name and attributes):

The second category is ‘Tawheed al Asmaa was Sifaat’ which means maintaining the unity of Allah’s name and attributes. This category is divided into five aspects:

(i)
Allah should be referred to as described by Him and His Prophet

Allah must be referred to according to the manner in which He and His prophet have described Him without explaining His names and attributes by giving them meanings other than their obvious meanings.

(ii)
Allah must be referred to as He has referred to Himself

Allah must be referred to without giving Him any new names or attributes. For example Allah may not be given the name Al-Ghaadib (the Angry One), despite the fact that He has said that He gets angry, because neither Allah nor His messenger have used this name.

(iii)
Allah is referred to without giving Him the attributes of His creation

In a reference to God, we should strictly abstain from giving Him the attributes of those whom He has created. For instance in the Bible, God is portrayed as repenting for His bad thoughts in the same way as humans do when they realise their errors. This is completely against the principle of Tawheed. God does not commit any mistakes or errors and therefore never needs to repent.

The key principle when dealing with Allah’s attributes is given in the Qur’an in Surah Ash-Shura:

"There is nothing
Whatever like unto Him,
And He is the One
That hears and sees (all things)."
[Al-Qur’an 42:11]

Hearing and seeing are human faculties. However, when attributed to the Divine Being they are without comparison, in their perfection, unlike when associated with humans who require ears, eyes, etc. and who are limited in their sight and hearing in terms of space, time, capacity, etc.


(iv)
God’s creation should not be given any of His attributes

To refer to a human with the attribute of God is also against the principle of Tawheed. For example, referring to