We believe that Allah is the only God, and none is worthy of being worshiped other than Him, alone, with no partner; that He is the Truth and all what they invoke beside Him is false; and that this great matter is the purpose for which Allah Almighty revealed the books, sent the messengers, and created Paradise and Hellfire - and it is established by the natural disposition and sound reasoning. We know with certainty that the main thing to which the prophets called their peoples was: to worship Allah Almighty alone and abandon the worship of anything else. Our Lord says: {We never sent before you [O Prophet] any messenger without revealing to him that none has the right to be worshiped except Me, so worship Me.} [Surat al-Anbiyā’: 25] He also says: {Indeed, We sent to every community a messenger, [saying]: "Worship Allah and shun false gods."} [Surat an-Nahl: 36] And He says: {Ask those of Our messengers whom We sent before you: Did We appoint gods to be worshiped besides the Most Compassionate?} [Surat az-Zukhruf: 45] Every prophet - from the first, Nūh, to the last, Muhammad - said to their people: Worship Allah; you have no god other than Him. Prophet Nūh (peace be upon him) is quoted in the Qur'an to have saying: {O my people, worship Allah; you have no god other than Him.} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 59] And the last Prophet, Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), was commanded as follows: {Say [O Prophet]: "I am only a warner, and none has the right to be worshiped except Allah, the One, the Subjugator."} [Surat Sād: 65] Allah Almighty also says: {Such is Allah, your Lord; none has the right to be worshiped except Him, the Creator of all things. So worship Him, for He is the Maintainer of all things.} [Surat al-An‘ām: 102]
This great matter is the purpose for which Allah Almighty created the jinn and mankind. He says: {I have not created the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.} [Surat adh-Dhāriyāt: 56] Worship means: to believe in Allah as the only true God. Commenting on this verse, Al-Bukhāri (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: "I have not created the blissful from the two parties except that they should believe in My oneness." [It is reported in Al-Bukhāri like this, without attribution (6/49); Ibn Hajar mentioned in Al-Fat'h that it was said by Al-Farrā’ (8/600)]
Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal to the people of Yemen, he said to him: "Indeed, you are going to a nation from the people of the book. So, let the first thing to which you invite them is to believe in the oneness of Allah Almighty." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (1458) and Muslim (19)] Al-Bukhāri (may Allah have mercy upon him) set a chapter on this, titled: Chapter on what is reported regarding the Prophet's calling his Ummah to believe in the oneness of Allah Almighty
True worship is that which is sincerely devoted to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds, and done in accordance with the Prophet's guidance. Indeed, the worship of any other deity is false and void. Allah, Exalted be He, says: {That is because it is Allah Who is the Truth and whatever they invoke besides Him is falsehood.} [Surat al-Hajj: 62] "There is no god but Allah" means: No one is truly worthy of being worshiped except Allah - as indicated by the verse above.
Belief in Allah alone and worshiping Him apart from all else is the meaning of the phrase "there is no god but Allah". This noble phrase negates the worthiness of worship from any deity other than Allah, and it negates divinity from any deity other than Allah and affirms true divinity to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and that true worship should only be devoted to Him alone. This phrase occurs in the Qur’an many times, both literally and with its meaning which involves negation and affirmation, like the verse that says: {Indeed, We sent to every community a messenger, [saying]: "Worship Allah and shun false gods."} [Surat an-Nahl: 36] In another verse, Allah Almighty says: {Worship Allah and do not associate any partners with Him.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 36]
This main pillar and firm foundation of the religion of Allah - i.e. affirming divinity to Allah alone and negating worship from any other deity - is the mainstay of the religion and the core of the messengers' mission. It means devotion of the acts of created beings solely to their Creator. This issue is hardly absent from any surah of the Qur’an. Allah Almighty established the argument against mankind with numerous proofs and signs to be counted or encompassed. The greatest proof among them is Allah's testimony. In the Qur'an, He says: {Say: "Whose testimony is the greatest?" Say: "Allah is Witness between me and you. This Qur’an has been revealed to me so that I may warn you thereby and whomsoever it reaches. Do you really bear witness that there are other gods besides Allah?" Say: "I do not bear such witness.” Say: "Indeed, He is One God, and I disown all that you associate [with Him]."} [Surat al-An‘ām: 19]
Allah Almighty bore witness, and so did the noblest of His creation, namely the angels and the people of knowledge. They bore witness to the greatest thing ever to be witnessed, i.e. Allah's oneness and divinity. Allah, Exalted be He, says: {Allah testifies that none has the right to be worshiped except Him, as do the angels and people of knowledge; He is the Upholder of justice. None has the right to be worshiped except Him, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 18] So, the angels and the people of knowledge bore the same witness as Allah bore for Himself: {And sufficient is Allah as a witness.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 79]
Allah uses as argument against His servants that He is the Creator of everything that exists; and He renders every sign in the universe a witness that He alone is worthy of divinity and worship. Hence, He often asks them in the Qur’an about this matter and cites their acknowledgement that He is the Creator, the Provider, and the One Who gives life and causes death; then, He criticizes them for not worshiping Him or for worshiping something along with Him. Allah Almighty says: {If you ask them who created the heavens and earth and subjected the sun and moon, they will surely say: 'Allah.' How are they then deluded? Allah extends provision to whom He wills of His slaves or restricts it. Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing of everything. If you ask them who sends down rain from the sky, then revives therewith the land after its death, they will surely say: 'Allah'. Say: “All praise is for Allah." But most of them do not understand.} [Surat al-‘Ankabūt: 61-63] He Almighty also says: {If you ask them, “who created the heavens and earth?”, they will surely say: "The All-Mighty, the All-Knowing created them." It is He Who spread out the earth for you, and made therein pathways for you, so that you may find your way. And it is He Who sends down rain from the sky in due measure, by which We revive dead land. This is how you will be brought forth [from the grave]. And it is He Who created all types of things, and made for you ships and animals on which you ride.} [Surat az-Zukhruf: 9-12]
As another argument, Allah Almighty makes people acknowledge His favors upon them, which require them to worship the One Who created and bestowed those favors. Our Lord says: {Say: "Who provides for you from the heaven and earth? Or who owns [your] hearing and sight? Who brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living? Who controls all things?" They will say: 'Allah.' Say: "Do you not then fear Him? Such is Allah, your True Lord. What is beyond the truth except falsehood? So how could you be averted [from the truth]?"} [Surat Yūnus: 31-32]
In the Qur’an, Allah Almighty often cites as an argument against mankind the signs of His lordship that entail worshiping Him alone and the fact that the Creator of these major cosmic signs is no one else but Him; and since there is no creator other than Him, no one should be worshiped along with Him. Therefore, He concludes the following verses with the question: {Is there any god besides Allah?} {Is He [not better] Who created the heavens and earth, and sent down for you rain from the sky, by which We caused to grow gardens of cheerful beauty? You could never cause their trees to grow. Is there any god besides Allah? No, but they are people who ascribe equals [to Allah]. Is He [not better] Who made the earth a stable place to live, and caused rivers to flow through it, and placed therein firm mountains, and made a barrier between two flowing bodies of water? Is there any god besides Allah? No, but most of them do not know. Is He [not better] Who responds to the distressed when he calls out to Him, and Who relieves suffering, and Who makes you successors on earth? Is there any god besides Allah? Little is it that you take heed! Is He [not better] Who guides you in the depths of darkness of the land and sea, and Who sends the winds as harbingers ahead of His mercy? Is there any god besides Allah? Exalted is Allah far above the partners they associate with Him!} [Surat an-Naml: 60-63]
Moreover, He refers to some remarkable created beings as a proof of His lordship that entails His divinity. Allah Almighty says: {Among His signs is that He created you from dust, then you became human beings spreading [on the earth]. And among His signs is that He created for you spouses from among yourselves that you may find comfort in them, and He placed between you love and mercy. Indeed, there are signs in this for people who reflect. And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and earth, and the diversity of your tongues and colors. Indeed, there are signs in this for those who have knowledge. And among His signs is your sleep by night and day, and your seeking of His bounty [by day]. Indeed, there are signs in this for people who listen. And among His signs is that He shows you lightning, causing fear and hope, and He sends down water from the sky, reviving therewith the earth after its death. Indeed, there are signs in this for people who understand. And among His signs is that the sky and earth are maintained by His command. Then when He calls you out of the earth, you will immediately come forth. To Him belong all those who are in the heavens and earth; all are devotedly obedient to Him. It is He Who originates the creation then repeats it, which is easier for Him. To Him belong the most sublime attributes in the heavens and earth, and He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. He makes this comparison for you from your own lives: do you have among your slaves any partners who equally share with you whatever wealth we have given you, so you are fearing them as you fear one another? This is how We make the verses clear for people who understand. In fact, the wrongdoers follow their own desires without any knowledge. Who can guide those whom Allah caused to stray? They will have no helpers.} [Surat ar-Rūm: 20-29] He commences each of those verses with {And among His signs}; that's among the cosmic signs that point to His lordship which entails His divinity - are the signs He mentioned. Then He gives this parable to those who equate Him with any of His creation: "Would anyone of you share his house and wife with his slave? Likewise, Allah Almighty would not accept that anyone of His servants be treated as an equal to Him." These are the words of Qatādah. [Tafsīr At-Tabari (20/95)] Then, concluding the verses, He makes clear that the sound natural disposition calls for worshiping Him alone. He says: {Adhere sincerely to the true religion in all uprightness. This is the natural disposition with which Allah has created mankind. There is no change in Allah’s creation. This is the straight religion, but most people do not know.} [Surat ar-Rūm: 30]
Allah Almighty diversified the signs He put as proofs of His divinity in a way that establishes the argument and makes the truth clear; thus people would not have any argument against their Lord. As He uses conclusive arguments, obvious proofs, and amazing signs that prove to people that He is the only God, He also provides examples and comparisons, clarifying the truth. He, Exalted be He, says: {And Allah makes a comparison of two men, one of them is dumb and unable to do anything, and he is a burden to his master; wherever he directs him, he brings no good. Is he equal to the one who enjoins justice and follows a straight path?} [Surat an-Nahl: 76] Commenting on this verse, Ibn Jarīr said: "This is a comparison Allah Almighty made for Himself and the deities worshiped besides Him. He says: {And Allah makes a comparison of two men, one of them is dumb and unable to do anything.} By this, He means idols, which cannot hear or speak, because they are made of wood or copper; they cannot benefit those who serve them or protect them from harm. {And he is a burden to his master.} He says: He is dependent upon his cousins, allies, and guardians. Likewise, an idol is a burden to those who worship it. They need to carry it, place it somewhere, and serve it. This is like a dumb person who cannot do anything and is a burden to his relatives and others. {Wherever he directs him, he brings no good.} He says: In whatever direction he leads him, he does not bring any good, for he does not understand what is said to him and cannot express himself or say what he wants; he does not understand and is not understood. The same holds true for an idol; it does not understand what is said to it and so it cannot take any order; neither can it speak, and so it cannot give any command or prohibition. {Is he equal to the one who enjoins justice?} In other words, is the dumb slave who is a burden to his master, who brings no good wherever he is directed, equal to the one who speaks and commands what is right and calls to it, i.e. Allah, the One, the Superb Vanquisher, Who calls His servants to obey Him and worship Him alone? He says: Not equal is Him, Exalted be He, and the idol whose condition has been described." [Tafsīr At-Tabari (17/262)]
Allah Almighty gave another example about the god of falsehood and the God of the truth, as stated by Mujāhid. [Tafsīr At-Tabari (21/285)] Allah, the Exalted, says: {Allah makes a comparison of a slave owned by several quarrelsome masters, and a slave owned by only one master. Are they equal in comparison? All praise be to Allah. But most of them do not know.} [Surat az-Zumar: 29]
This issue - namely the acknowledgement of Allah's oneness and testifying that Muhammad is His Messenger - is the criterion Allah Almighty laid down for protecting people's blood and life. In the Qur'an, He says: {Then when the [four] sacred months are over, kill the polytheists wherever you find them, seize them, besiege them and lie in wait for them on every route. But if they repent, establish prayers and give Zakah, then set them free, for Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.} [Surat at-Tawbah: 5] He also says: {Yet if they repent, establish prayer, and give Zakah, then they are your brothers in faith.} [Surat at-Tawbah: 11] Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I have been ordered to fight the people until they testify that none is worthy of being worshiped except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establish prayer, and give Zakah. If they do so, then their wealth and blood are protected from me except through the right of Islam, and their reckoning is with Allah." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (1399, 7284), Muslim (20), Abu Dāwūd (1556), At-Tirmidhi (2607), and An-Nasā’i (2443)]
It is not sufficient that faith reside in the heart, but it should also be uttered by the tongue and acted upon by the body organs. Hence, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I have been ordered to fight the people until they say 'none is worthy of being worshiped except Allah'." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (25) and Muslim (22)] Faith is not true unless it is acted upon by the body parts. Our Lord says: {The true believers are those whose hearts are filled with awe when Allah is mentioned, and their faith increases when His verses are recited to them, and they put their trust only in their Lord; those who establish prayer and spend out of what We have provided for them. Such are the true believers; they will have high ranks with their Lord, and forgiveness and an honorable provision.} [Surat al-Anfāl: 2-4] In another verse, Allah Almighty says: {It is not righteousness to turn your faces towards the east or the west, but righteousness is to believe in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Scriptures, and the prophets; and to give charity out of one’s cherished wealth to relatives, orphans, the needy, the wayfarer, beggars, and to free slaves; to establish prayer and give Zakah; to fulfill the ratified pledges; to be patient at times of hardship, adversity, and during the battle. Such are the true believers, and such are the righteous.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 177]
The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever amongst you sees an evil should change it with his hand; if he is unable to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is unable to do so, then with his heart; and that is the weakest form of faith." [Narrated by Muslim (49), Abu Dāwūd (1140), At-Tirmidhi (2172), An-Nasā’i (5008), and Ibn Mājah (1275)] This Hadīth indicates that there are varying degrees of faith in the heart.
Along with belief in Allah, there must be disbelief in false deities. Allah, Glorified be He, says: {Whoever rejects Tāghūt [false gods] and believes in Allah, has indeed grasped the strong handhold that never breaks. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.} It is as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stated in his response to Jibrīl when he asked him about ihsān. He said: "Tell me about ihsān." He replied: "It is to worship Allah as if you can see Him; if you cannot see Him, He sees you." ‘Umar added: Then, he left, and I waited for a short while, after which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: "O ‘Umar, do you know who the questioner was?" I said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "That was Jibrīl; he came to teach you your religion." [Narrated by Muslim (8), Abu Dāwūd (4695), At-Tirmidhi (2610), An-Nasā’i (4990), and Ibn Mājah (63)] Our Lord informs that the followers of this true religion will go to Paradise, with their different degrees and ranks, and whether they are people of Islam, Imān, or ihsān. He, Exalted be He, says: {The Book that We have revealed to you [O Prophet] is the truth, confirming that which came before it. Indeed, Allah is All-Aware and All-Seeing of His slaves.
Then We made to inherit the Book those whom We have chosen from among Our slaves. But among them are some who wrong themselves, some follow a middle course, and some are foremost in good deeds with Allah’s permission. That is the great bounty. They will enter Gardens of Eternity; they will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and pearls, and their garments will be of silk. And they will say: "All praise be to Allah Who has taken away from us all sorrow. Indeed, our Lord is All-Forgiving, Most Appreciative."} [Surat Fātir: 31-34] Chapter on the Command to Adhere to the Sunnah and Hold onto It There are many verses and Hadīths that urge us to adhere to the Sunnah and hold onto it and warn us against opposing it and forbid us from disunity and conflict. Allah Almighty says: {Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for those who look forward to Allah and the Last Day, and remember Allah much.} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 21]
He also says: {Those who have made divisions in their religion and turned into factions, you have nothing to do with them.} [Surat at-Talāq: 12]
And the verse that says: {Rather, Allah raised him up to Himself, and Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 158] And the verse that says: {Glory be to the One Who took His slave [Muhammad] by night from the Sacred Mosque [in Makkah] to the Aqsā Mosque [in Jerusalem] whose surroundings We have blessed, so that We may show him some of Our signs. Indeed, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.} [Surat al-Isrā’: 1]
And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When Allah completed the creation, He wrote a book with Him: My mercy overcame - or preceded - My anger. It is with Him over the Throne." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (7553), Muslim (2751), At-Tirmidhi (3543), and Ibn Mājah (189)]
Mu‘āwiyah ibn al-Hakam as-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: While I was praying with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), a man in the company sneezed. I said: "May Allah have mercy upon you!" The people stared at me with disapproving looks. So, I said: "Woe to me, why are you staring at me?" They began to strike their hands on their thighs, and when I saw them urging me to observe silence, (I became angry) but I said nothing. When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) finished the prayer - and I declare that neither before him nor after him have I seen a leader who gave better instruction than him for whom I would give my father and mother as ransom. I swear that he did not scold, beat, or revile me - he said: "Talking to people is not fitting during the prayer, for it consists of glorifying Allah, declaring His greatness, and recitation of the Qur’an." I said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have been until recently a pagan, but Allah has brought Islam to us; among us there are men who have recourse to diviners." He said: "Do not have recourse to them." I said: "There are men who take omens." He said: "That is something they find in their breasts, but it does not turn them away." I said: "Among us there are men who draw lines." He said: "There was a prophet who drew lines; so if they do it as he did, this is permissible." I had a maid-servant who tended goats by the side of Uhud and Jawwāniyyah. One day I happened to pass by that way and found that a wolf had carried a goat from her flock. I am after all a man from the posterity of Adam. I get angry as they (human beings) get angry. So, I slapped her, after which I went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), having a feeling that this is something grave. I said: "O Messenger of Allah, should I set her free?" He said: "Bring her to me." So, I brought her to him. He said to her: "Where is Allah?" She said: "He is in the heaven." He said: "Who am I?" She said: "You are the Messenger of Allah." Thereupon, he said: "Set her free, for she is a believer." [Narrated by Muslim (537), Abu Dāwūd (930), and An-Nasā’i (1218)] [Surat as-Sāffāt: 35-36]
He should submit and comply. Allah, Exalted be He, says: {Whoever submits himself to Allah and does good, he has certainly grasped the firmest handhold.} [Surat Luqmān: 22]
He should be truthful in his words, deeds, and belief in order for him to attain the reward about which the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) gave glad tidings, in the Hadīth that reads: "There is no one who bears witness that none has the right to be worshiped except Allah and that Muhammad is His messenger, sincerely from his heart, except that Allah will forbid him to Hellfire." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (128) and Muslim (32)]
He should love this religion, the One Who legislated it, the one who came with it, and those who follow it. Allah Almighty says: {And among people there are some who take others as equals to Allah: they love them as they should love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in their love for Allah.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 165] And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "None of you truly believes until I am dearer to him than his children, his father, and all people." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (15), Muslim (44), An-Nasā’i (5013), and Ibn Mājah (67)] In another Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There are three qualities who possesses them will taste the sweetness of faith: to consider Allah and His Messenger dearer to him than everything else; to love a man for Allah's sake alone; and to hate to return to disbelief after Allah has rescued him therefrom as much as he hates to be cast into Hellfire." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (16), Muslim (43), At-Tirmidhi (2624), An-Nasā’i (4987), and Ibn Mājah (4033)]
As Allah clarified the reality of faith and its requirements and pillars, He also cleared the suspicions raised by obstinate polytheists and pointed out that they have no valid justification for their polytheism, for these presumed equals are created beings, who cannot create anything and have no power over even an atom's weight in the heavens or on earth. Allah Almighty says: {Do they ascribe to Him partners those who cannot create anything, but are themselves created? They cannot help them, nor can they help themselves. If you call them to guidance, they will not follow you; it is the same whether you call them or remain silent. Those whom you supplicate besides Allah are slaves like you; supplicate them and let them respond to you if you are truthful. Do they have feet to walk with? Or hands to grasp with? Or eyes to see with? Or ears to hear with? Say [O Prophet]: "Call your idols then conspire against me and give me no respite! My Protector is Allah Who has sent down the Book, for it is He Who protects the righteous. But those whom you supplicate besides Him cannot help you, nor can they help themselves." If you call them to guidance, they do not hear, and you see them looking at you, but they do not see.} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 191-198] Allah Almighty also says: {Say: "Call upon those whom you claim [to be gods] besides Allah. They do not have even an atom’s weight of authority in the heavens or on earth, nor do they have any share in either of them, nor is any of them a helper to Allah." No intercession will be of any benefit before Him, except for those whom He gave permission} [Surat Saba’: 22-23]. This verse cuts off all ties with polytheism.
The Almighty Lord also maintained that those equals, who are worshiped besides Allah, do not hear the call of those who call upon them; and even if they were to hear it, they would not be able to respond; and on the Day of Judgment, they would reject their polytheism and disavow them. He, Exalted be He, says: {If you call upon them, they cannot hear your call, and even if they were to hear, they could not respond to you. On the Day of Resurrection they will disown your associating them as partners with Allah. And none can inform you like the All-Aware.} [Surat Fātir: 14]
He also made clear that those equals who are worshiped besides Allah cannot bring about any benefit or cause any harm; so, how could they be worshiped? Allah Almighty says: {They have taken besides Him other gods who can create nothing but are themselves created. Nor do they have power to harm or benefit themselves, nor do they have power to cause death, give life or resurrect the dead.} [Surat al-Furqān: 3]
Our Lord also pointed out that those equals cannot provide for their followers. In the Qur'an, He says: {They worship besides Allah those who have nothing to provide for them from the heavens and earth, nor are they capable of doing so.} [Surat an-Nahl: 73] So, how could they worship those who cannot provide for them or do any good or harm and have no power over anything?
As an argument, He said that whenever they suffer any harm or distress, they turn to Allah Almighty alone for help, devoting their religion sincerely to Him, and if He rescues them, they turn back to their disbelief. Allah, the Exalted, says: {When they board a ship, they supplicate Allah, devoting their faith sincerely to Him. But as soon as He rescues them to the land, they associate partners with Him.} [Surat al-‘Ankabūt: 65]
As Allah refuted the claim of polytheists with regard to taking equals to Him, He also refuted any other claim that He has taken a son. Our Lord says: {Allah has never begotten a son, nor is there any god besides Him. Otherwise, each god would have taken away what he had created, and each would have tried to gain supremacy over the other. Glory be to Allah far above what they ascribe to Him!} [Surat al-Mu’minūn: 91] He also says: {If there had been gods besides Allah in the heavens and earth, both realms would have fallen in disorder. Glory be to Allah – Lord of the Throne – far above what they ascribe [to Him].} [Surat al-Anbiyā’: 22] Allah Almighty informed that the Jews and Christians claimed that He had a son. In the Qur'an, He says: {The Jews say, "Ezra is the son of Allah," and the Christians say: "The Messiah is the son of Allah." These are mere words that they utter, imitating the words of the disbelievers before them. May Allah ruin them; how can they be deluded?} [Surat at-Tawbah: 30] He refuted their disbelief at its very core. How could a human being who eats food become a god! A god would not eat or drink or need anything as needed by humans. Allah Almighty says: {The Messiah, son of Mary, was no more than a messenger. There were messengers who passed away before him, and His mother was a woman of truth; they both ate food. See how We make Our signs clear to them, yet see how they are deluded! Say: "Do you worship besides Allah that which can neither harm nor benefit you?! And Allah is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing."} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 75-76]
Moreover, Allah Almighty rejected the worship of angels, pointing out that they, although close to Allah, cannot intercede for anyone without His permission. In the Qur'an, He says: {How many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession will be of no avail except after Allah’s permission to whom He wills and pleases.} [Surat an-Najm: 26] They fear their Lord above them. Allah, the Exalted, says: {To Allah prostrates all that is in the heavens and on earth of living things, and so do the angels; and they do not show arrogance. They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded.} [Surat an-Nahl: 49-50] Allah Almighty also says: {The Messiah would never disdain to be a slave of Allah, nor would the nearest angels to Him. Those who disdain to worship Him and are arrogant, He will gather them all together before Him.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 172] So, if this is the case, how could the angels be worshiped besides Allah?
And the prophets and messengers, despite their high status in worldly life and the Hereafter, do not have power to benefit or harm themselves; so what about others who are lower in rank! Allah Almighty informs that the prophets worshiped Him in hope and fear; He says: {They used to hasten in doing good deeds and used to call upon Us with hope and fear, and they were humble before Us.} [Surat al-Anbiyā’: 90] And He commanded the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) to say the following: And the verse that says: {We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an so that you may understand.} [Surat Yūsuf: 2] And the verse that says: {They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded.} [Surat an-Nahl: 50] And the verse that says: