Muslims often declare that Islam is a great monotheistic religion. Is this true? In this article we will prove why this claim is absolutely false. What is important is the fact that we will use sources from Islam itself to disprove their claim. We encourage both Muslims and non-Muslims to read this article carefully. We sincerely invite Muslims to refute the facts presented here.
When a Muslim is engaged in prayer (salat), it is forbidden for him to respond to anyone who interrupts his prayer. Muslims, out of respect for Allah, will not interrupt a fellow-Muslim while he is praying. However, Muhammad is an exception to this rule. He tells Muslims that even if they are performing prayers to Allah, they must respond to him when he calls them. Muhammad invoked Surah 8:24 to justify his case.
Surah 8:24: “O you who believe! Answer the call of Allah and His Apostle when he calls you to that which gives you life; and know that Allah intervenes between man and his heart, and that to Him you shall be gathered.” (Shakir)
Carefully consider now how the Prophet of Islam clarified the meaning and the application of the above Qur’anic verse.
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 226:
Narrated Abu Said Al-Mualla: While I was praying, the Prophet passed by and called me, but I did not go to him till I had finished my prayer. When I went to him, he said, “What prevented you from coming?” I said, “I was praying.” He said, “Didn’t Allah say” “O you who believe Give your response to Allah and to His Apostle.” (Surah 8:24)
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 1:
Narrated Abu Said bin Al-Mu’alla: While I was praying in the Mosque, Allah’s Apostle called me but I did not respond to him. Later I said, “O Allah’s Apostle! I was praying.” He said, “Didn’t Allah say – Give your response to Allah (by obeying Him) and to His Apostle when he calls you.” (Surah 8:24)
This proves that Muslims are required to honor Muhammad above Allah. Why do we say that? One the surface it may appear that Muhammad was only demanding the recognition of his right to interrupt the prayers of Muslims. However, there is more to this. It is important to note that each time Muhammad interrupts the prayer of a Muslim, he simultaneously interrupts Allah from receiving the prayer of that Muslim. This means that Muhammad has the authority to interrupt even Allah from receiving the prayers of his worshipers. Between Allah and Muhammad, Muslims are specifically commanded to give their priority to Muhammad even when it involves something as sacred as their worship of Allah. Is this not a subtle form of polytheism? Does not this exalt Muhammad to a position equal or even greater than Allah?
The Shahada is the Islamic profession of faith. It is the first and most important of the Five Pillars of Islam. It is a testimony of the Islamic Faith which declares: “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger.” Anyone who does not recite the Shahada is not a Muslim. However, a Muslim cannot be a Muslim by invoking the name of Allah only when reciting the Shahada. For his Shahada to be legitimate, it is absolutely necessary for the Muslim to include the name of Muhammad. Believing in Allah alone is not enough to be a Muslim. A Muslim must also believe in Muhammad:
Surah 49:15: The believers are only those who believe in Allah and His Messenger. (Shakir)
Believing only in the teachings of Allah with the exclusion of the teachings of Muhammad will result in the loss of many essential details that are vital for the salvation of Muslims. This is because the Qur’an does not contain all the regulations that are required of a Muslim to live out his faith. Therefore, a devout Muslim must also know and obey the Sunnah (sayings and deeds) of Muhammad in order to follow Islam. A Muslim cannot attain Paradise if he does not believe in the Sunnah of Muhammad. Thus, the teachings of Muhammad are elevated to the same intensity as the teachings of Allah in the Qur’an. In fact, to escape the fires of Hell, a Muslim must obey both Allah and Muhammad.
Surah 4:14: And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and goes beyond His limits, He will cause him to enter fire to abide in it, and he shall have an abasing chastisement. (Shakir)
Of course, Muslims will strongly deny they are rendering worship to Muhammad. However, the reality belies their claim. In actual practice, Muslims merge the words of Allah with the words of a man. And by recognizing them both as equally binding for their salvation, Muslims elevate Muhammad to the status of Allah. If the teachings of Muhammad are recorded in the Qur’an, then there is no valid reason to object. However, since his teachings are not included in the Qur’an, it shows that Muslims are actually required to submit to teachings based on two different sources. The two sources are the Qur’an and the Hadith. Of course, Muslims will object by saying that these two teachings actually complement each other. Really?
It may surprise you to learn that in specific instances, the teachings of Muhammad have precedence over the teachings of Allah when they differ with one other. Take for example, the number of times a Muslim has to pray daily. The Qur’an outlines only three daily prayers for Muslims. However, Muhammad changed that to five daily prayers in the Hadith. Thus, his teachings in the Hadith supersede the teachings of Allah in the Qur’an. Today, Muslims all over the world pray five times daily. Muhammad contradicted the teachings of Allah in the Qur’an and came off victories. Not only Muslims elevate the teachings of Muhammad above Allah but they also idolize the man himself. In the following Hadith, we can clearly see how Muslims idolize Muhammad:
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 4, Number 171:
Narrated Ibn Sirrn: I said to ‘Ablda, “I have some of the hair of the Prophet which I got from Anas or from his family.” ‘Abida replied. “No doubt if I had a single hair of that it would have been dearer to me than the whole world and whatever is in it.”
How can Muslims view a single shred of hair as more valuable than the entire earth and its contents? The veneration of relics is a common practice in paganism. If this is not idolatry, then what is it? Still not convinced? How about the next Hadith?
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 4, Number 617:
“Narrated Abu Musa: Then the prophet asked for a drinking bowl containing water and washed his hands and face in it, and then took a mouthful of water and threw it therein saying to us, ‘Drink some of it and pour some over your faces and chests and be happy at the good tidings.’”
Acts of devotion such as the ones displayed by Muslims towards Muhammad in the above Hadith are not only outright filthy but also idolatrous. The Holy Bible clearly warns against idolatry:
1 Corinthians 10:14: Therefore, my beloved ones, flee from idolatry.
Contrast now the arrogance of Muhammad with the humble attitude of Jesus Christ. As revealed, Muhammad not only washed his hands and face in the drinking bowl but after spitting a mouthful of water into it, instructed his followers to drink that filthy water. Now, why would Muhammad want his followers to do that? In contrast, Jesus washed the feet of his followers. The Bible tells us that during the festival of the Passover, Jesus got up from the meal and washed the feet of his disciples—an act that was usually performed by a servant. Jesus told his disciples: “For I set the pattern for you, that just as I did to you, you should also do. If you know these things, happy you are if you do them.” —John 13:1-17. This humble act left a lasting impression on his disciples.
Rendering worship to a person does not necessarily mean that it is confined only to the act of praying to that individual. There are many subtle forms of rendering worship to an individual or a thing. By their attitude and devotion towards Muhammad, Muslims actually render worship to their Prophet. Muslims have become so obsessed in their devotion to Muhammad that they actually deify him as god. Two gods is one too many. It is clearly polytheism. The Muslim claim that Islam is strictly a monotheistic religion is simply not true.
A GOD WHO PRAYS
It may surprise many to learn that even the Qur’an admits that Allah prays. And it reveals that the very object of the prayers of Allah and his Angels is none other than Muhammad himself:
Surah 33:56: Surely Allah and His Angels shower Serenity (Literally: showerprayers) on the Prophet. O you who have believed, pray for benediction on him, and submit in full submission. (Muhammad Ghali)
The Arabic term used in Surah 33:56 is “yusalloona.” As we can note, the above Muslim translator clearly understands the correct meaning of this Arabic term. He knows that it should be translated literally as “shower prayers.” As such, Surah 33:56 should read as follows:“Surely Allah and His Angels shower prayers on the Prophet.” Since he understands the accurate meaning of this Qur’anic verse perfectly well, then why does he not translate the correct reading right away? Why does he, instead, choose to reveal the correct meaning only in parenthesis?
This is because Muslim translators such as him and many others are horrified by the implications of this Qur’anic verse. As a result, they deliberately mistranslate this Qur’anic verse. Most of them translate the relevant portion as “Allah and his angels shower blessings on the prophet.” The problem for Muslims is that the Arabic word for “blessings”is “baarika.” And this term does not appear anywhere in this Qur’anic verse. The Arabic word used in Surah 33:56 is “yusalloona” which is a verbal form of the word “salat ” (singular) or “salawat” (plural). And “salat” means prayer or worship.
Therefore, the most obvious translation of Surah 33:56 involves Allah praying for Muhammad. This Qur’anic verse is absolutely damaging for Islam. The simple questions that we would like to ask Muslims is this: To whom is Allah praying to? Is he praying to himself? Or is there another deity above him to whom he supplicates. The very suggestion that God prays is preposterous. In fact, we are told in the Qur’an that not only Allah prays for Muhammad but he also prays for his worshippers. In view of its importance, we have provided three different translations of the following Qur’anic verse:
Surah 2:156-157: Who, when an affliction afflicts them, say, “Surely we belong to Allah, and surely to Him we are returning.” Upon those are the prayers (salawatun) from their Lord, and mercy; and those are they who are the right-guided. (Muhammad Ghali)Who, in adversity say: “We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.” On those will be prayers (salawatun) and mercy from their Lord, those are guided. (Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah)Those who if a disaster or any other thing hated struck them they said: “We are to God, and we are to Him returning.” Those, on them are prayers (salawatun) from their Lord and a mercy, and those are the guided. (Samira)
The above Qur’anic verses are crystal clear. It simply states that the prayers of Allah are upon those who return to him during times of calamity. In conformity with the teachings of the Qur’an, the Hadith also supports the fact that Allah prays. We will consider two such Hadiths to prove our point. The Meadows of the Righteous (Arabic: Riyadh as-Salihin) is a compilation by renowned Muslim scholar, Al-Nawawi (1233–1277) from Damascus. It is a collection of important Qur’anic verses along with supplementary Hadiths to elucidate their true meaning. Al-Nawawi recorded the following under the heading, Book of Knowledge, 241. Chapter: The Excellence of Knowledge:
1387. Abu Umama reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Allah and His angels and the people of the heavens and the earth, even the ants in their rocks and the fish, pray for blessings on those who teach people good.” (At-Tirmidhi)
And:
2685. Abu Umamah al-Bahili narrated: “Two men were mentioned before the Messenger of Allah. One of them a worshipper, and the other a scholar. So the Messenger of Allah said: ‘The superiority of the scholar over the worshipper is like my superiority over the least of you.’ Then the Messenger of Allah said: ‘IndeedAllah, His Angels, the inhabitants of the heavens and the earths – even the ant in his hole, even the fish – say Salat upon the one who teaches the people to do good. (Hasan) — English Translation of Jami‘ At-Tirmidhi, Compiled by Imam Hafiz ‘Eisa Mohammad Ibn ‘Eisa At-Tirmidhi, From Hadith no. 2606 to 3290, translated by Abu Khaliyl
The above Hadith is categorized as “Hasan” which means it is recognized as authentic by Muslim scholars. Read carefully the words of Muhammad in the above Hadith once again. He is simply teaching his followers to believe that Allah, like the rest of creation, says salat (prayer) “upon the one who teaches the people to do good.” As an aside, do ants and fishes really pray? The following is an additional reference which also supports the fact that Allah prays:
The people of Israel said to Moses: “Does your Lord pray?” His Lord called him saying: “O Moses, they asked you if your Lord prays. Say to them: ‘Yes, I do pray,and my angels pray upon my prophets and my messengers,’” and Allah then sent down on his messenger: “Allah and His angels pray…” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Q. 33:56; translated from the Arabic online edition)
This is absolutely polytheism. Allah clearly identifies himself as a fellow-worshiper with the rest of the angels. Of course, the true Lord of Moses is not Allah but Jehovah. He is identified by this divine name in the Holy Bible. He is God Almighty. As such, it is impossible for him to pray. On the other hand, Allah prays. This clearly proves that he is not the true God. He is but an impostor.
Sadly for Muslims, they pray to a god who prays. And they follow a prophet who has the authority to interrupt their prayers. And this authority comes at a great cost to Muslims because it empowers Muhammad to prevent Allah from listening to the prayers of those whom he interrupts. When Muhammad calls, Muslims must stop whatever they are doing. And this includes their prayers to Allah. Muslims, we are not the ones saying this but your Prophet. It takes someone who is greater or in equal standing with Allah to prevent him from listening to your prayers. Can you then deny the fact that Islam has two gods?
Before we conclude this article, we want to clarify an important fact. We want our Muslim readers to understand that true Christians do not worship Jesus. The Holy Bible does allow for this. However, we firmly believe that Jesus is the unique Son of God. And we sincerely endeavor to obey all the teachings of Jesus which are recorded in the Holy Bible. One such teaching is the profound statement of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew:
Matthew 4:10: For it is written: “It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.”
This teaching of Jesus Christ rules out the worship of anyone else besides Jehovah. In obedience to this teaching, we worship Jehovah alone. He is the only true God.
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