Dr M. Haris Deen
LONDON : On this day the twelfth day of the lunar month of Rabi-ul-awwal corresponding to the 13th of September 2024 was born the greatest human being ever fourteen centuries ago. This is not a mere declaration by Muslims but has been acknowledged by great non-Muslim philosophers, scientists and great thinkers as well.
Alphonse de Lamartine (1790-1869) French poet and statesman in his book Histoire De La Turquie, (Paris, 1854, vol. II, pp. 276-277)
“Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult without images; the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?”
The most important observation de Lamartine makes is that Prophet Muhammad (May peace and blessings of Allah be Upon him) “is a restorer of rational dogmas of a cult without images”. This is the greatest legacy left behind and remains unsurpassed to this day. For nine years after his viceregency as a Messenger of God, Muhammad (PBUH) left no stone unturned to establish the oneness of God as the first principle. Not the prayer, not the fasting, not the Hadj all these principles came later.
The holy Quran establishes the Oneness of Allah in no uncertain terms as “Say, Allah is One, Allah the Absolute, He begets not neither was He begotten and there is nothing like unto Him”. This is the “mantra” that the beloved prophet (PBUH) left behind as the greatest legacy, amongst other things, for all human beings.
In Islam, “Tawhid” (belief in the oneness of Allah) is the single most important concept upon which other principles are structured. None of the acts of worship or devotion ordained has any meaning or reward of value if the concept of monotheism is compromised in any way.
Discussing the life of the beloved prophet Muhammad (PBUH) without a discussion on the most important aspect of the prophet’s message of monotheism would be pointless as “Tawhid” is the greatest legacy he preached and left behind.
The concept of “Tawhid” establishes that none has the right to be worshipped except God (Allah). This concept is the central idea that was proclaimed by all the Prophets throughout the ages. It is the most important creedal belief in Islam. The purpose of Islam is to call people away from the worship of creation and call them towards the worship of the Creator. Hence, every Muslim declare the faith as “There is none worthy of being worshipped but Allah”.
Islam differs greatly from most other religions in this respect. Though most religions teach that there is a Supreme Being who created all that exists, they are rarely free of some form of polytheism with respect to worship. These religions either call on their adherents to worship other beings as gods besides God (Allah) or they demand that their adherents call on other beings as intercessors between them and God.
All the Prophets and Messengers, from Adam to Muhammad (may God praise them all) called people to worship God alone. This is the purest, simplest, most natural faith. Islam rejects the notion of the cultural anthropologists that the early religion of human beings was polytheism, and then slowly the idea of monotheism evolved from that.
The truth is that the natural religion of humanity is to worship God alone. People later came along and corrupted this religion, introducing into it the worship of other beings. People seem to have a tendency to want to focus their devotions on something tangible, something imaginable, even though they have an instinctive knowledge that the Creator of the universe is far beyond their imaginations. Throughout human history, God sent Prophets and Messengers to call the people back to the worship of the One True God, and repeatedly, people returned to the worship of created beings.
God created human beings to worship Him alone. The greatest possible sin is to worship anyone other than God (Allah). It is no less sinful if the worshipper intends to get nearer to God by offering devotions to another being. God does not need intercessors or intermediaries. He hears all of our prayers and has complete knowledge of everything that happens. This is the basis of “Tawhid” as preached by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
At the same time, God does not need our worship. He is completely independent of all things. If every person in the world were to come together to worship God alone, they would not benefit God in the least. They would not add an atom’s weight to His dominion. Conversely, if all creation abandoned the worship of God, this would not decrease His dominion in the least. By worshipping God, we benefit our own souls and fulfill the purpose for which we were created. We do not fulfill any need of God. He is needless. (Ref: Islamtoday.net)
“Sal Allahu Ala’a Muhammad, Sal Allahu Alaihi wa Sallam”
