TYPES OF RELIGIONS
Mankind is divided as far as their faiths are concerned into two categories:
A category that has a Book that was revealed to them like the Jews, Christians and Muslims. As for the Jews and Christians, the Books that were revealed to their Prophets have been lost as a result of their ignorance of what was in their Books; their taking of men as gods beside Allah and the long time that had passed between them and their acquaintance with these Books. So, their priests wrote some books which they claimed to be from Allah while they were not from Allah but only wrong assumptions of liars and distortion of fanatics.
As for the Book of the Muslims (the Noble Qur’an), it is the last Divine Book to be revealed and the strongest and most firm. Allah Himself guaranteed its preservation and did not delegate that to mankind. He says,
“Verily, we it is, who has sent down the Dhikr (i.e., Qur’an) and surely, we will guard it.” (Al-Hijr 15:9.)
The Qur’an is therefore preserved in the hearts of people and in the Book, for it is the last Book which Allah has guaranteed for the guidance of mankind. He has made it a proof against them till the Last Hour and has decreed its perpetuity. He provides for it in every age those who will observe its limits and words, act by its law and believe in it. Further explanations about this Book will be given in a later section.
There is another section of religious adherents who have no revealed Book from Allah, even though they possess an inherited book which is attributed to the founder of the religion like Hindus, Magians, Buddhists, Confucians and Arabs before the advent of Muhammad.
There is not a nation that does not have some knowledge and carry out some activities by which their worldly interests are achieved. This is the general knowledge which Allah endowed every human being, even animals; for the animal is also guided as to how to attain what benefits it like food and drink and to avert what harms it; and Allah has created in it the love for the former and aversion for the latter. He says,
“Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High, who has created (everything) and then proportioned it. And Who has measured (preordainment for everything), and guided (i.e., showed mankind the right as well as the wrong paths and guided the animals to pasture).” (Al-A ‘la 87:1-3)
He also says, informing us of what Prophet Mousa told Pharaoh,
“Our Lord is He Who gave to each things its form and nature, then guided it aright.” (Taa Haa 20:50.)
He also informs us about Prophet Ibrahim that he said of His Lord, “Who has created me and it is He Who guides me.” (Ash-Shuaraa 26:78, See: Al-Jawaab As-Sahih 4, Page 97.)
CONDITIONS OF THE EXISTING RELIGIONS
Great religions, their old books and ancient laws have become easy preys to frivolous and fraudulent people, an object of mockery for distorters and hypocrites and targets of bloody incidences and great calamities so much so that they have lost their spirit and shape. If their first adherents and prophets were to be resurrected now, they would surely have denied them and proclaimed to be ignorant of them.
Judaism* – today – has become a set of rituals and traditions with no spirit or life. Apart from this, it is a racial religion peculiar to a particular race and carries no message for the world, nor any mission for the people or any mercy for mankind.
This religion has been afflicted in its fundamental creed which is its motto among other religions and nations. And it has been a noble religion while it was the religion of monotheism which Prophets Ibrahim and Yaqoob commanded their children to follow. The Jews had adopted many concepts from the beliefs of corrupt nations with whom they shared neighbourhood or under whose authority they had been subjected. They had also adopted a lot of pagan customs and traditions of these people. This has been confirmed by unbiased Jewish historians. In Jewish Encyclopaedia, we can read in it what approximately means,
“The prophets’ wrath over the worship of images does indicate that worshipping idols and false deities had crept into the hearts of the Israelites and that they had embraced the polytheistic and superstitious beliefs. The Talmud also testifies to the fact that paganism has a particular attraction for the Jews.” (See Jewish Encyclopedia Vol. XLL. P 568-569)
The Babel Talmud– (The word ‘Talmud’ means, ‘Jewish book of religious and moral teachings. It is a compilation of footnotes and commentaries on their book ‘Mishna’ which means, ‘the law ’ according to Jewish scholars of different generations.) which the Jews extremely hallow and prefer to the Torah, was widely circulated among the Jews of the Sixth Century, and which contains a lot of strange manifestations of their simple-mindedness, absurd sayings, insolent behaviour towards Allah, scorning the reality and gambling with religion and human intellect – shows the extent to which the Jewish community of this age has degenerated intellectually and religiously. (Read for information, “Al-Yahood alaa Hasab al-Talmud”, by Dr. Rohlange and its translation from French to Arabic in “Al-kanzul marsood fee qawaaidit-talmood’’ by Yoosuf Hanna Nasrullaah. * For details, read, “Al-jawaab as-Saheeh liman baddala deenal-maseeh” by Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah; “Izhaar al-Haqq” by Rahmatullaah Al-Hindee and “Tuhfatul-Areeb fee radd ‘alaa ubbaad As-Saleeb”, by Abdullah At-Turjumaan who was a Christian revert.)
As for Christianity*, it is also afflicted since its earliest days with distortions of extremists, alterations of the ignorant and paganism of the Romans who claimed to be Christians. (See “The Struggle between Religion and Science”, (p.40-41) by the well-known European author Draper (Note: The translator does not know the actual name of this book in its original language nor the correct spelling of the name of its author because both were translated and transliterated respectively from Arabic).)
All these distortions, alterations and paganism have become the heap under which all great teachings of Christ were buried and the light of Monotheism and sincere worship of Allah were hidden behind these clouds.
A Christian writer speaks on the extent to which the trinity had gone in the Christian society since the end of the Fourth Century after Christ:
“The belief that one God consists of three different godheads had penetrated into the inner life of the Christian world and its thoughts since the last quarter of the fourth century and had become the official recognised creed in all parts of the Christendom ever since. Also, the development of Trinity and its secret were not revealed until in the last half of the nineteenth century A.D.” (See New Catholic Encyclopaedia, The Holy trinity Vol. 14 P. 295.)
A contemporary Christian historian (Rev James Houston Baxter, History of Christianity in the Light of Modern Knowledge”, Glasgow 1929 p. 407.) discusses in a book, “History of Christianity in the Light of Modern Science”, about the appearance of paganism in the Christian society in different forms and shapes and the Christians’ diversity in adopting religious rites, customs and pagan heroes of nations and religions that are ancient in idolatry under the pretext of imitation, admiration or ignorance. He said,
“Paganism has ended but has not been completely eliminated. Rather, it has penetrated the hearts and everything in it has been tolerantly allowed to continue in the name of Christianity and under its cover. Those who abandoned their gods and heroes took one of their martyrs and gave him the title of their former gods then erected a statue in his name. This is how polytheism and idol worship are transferred unto these local martyrs. By the end of that century, worshipping of the martyrs and saints spread all over the Christendom and formed a new creed that teaches that saints have divine attributes. These saints and hallowed men were thus made intermediaries between God and man and pagan festivals were given new names until the ancient pagan Sun festival was turned to Christmas in the year 400 A.C.”
As regards the Magians, they have been known since time of old to be worshippers of natural elements, the greatest of which is fire. They have lately adhered to its worship and built for it alters and temples so much so that fire houses have become widespread in all places in their country and all other religions and faiths disappear except fire worship and hallowing of the sun. The religion, according to these people has become mere rites and traditions that are practised in special places. (Read the book, “Iran during the reign of Sasanids” by Professor of Eastern Languages at Copenhagen University, Denmark, and a specialist on the history of Iran. See also, “History of Iran” by the Magian, Shaeen Makareus.)
The Danish author who wrote the book, “Iran during the reign of Sasanids”, describes their religious leaders and their functions, “These functionaries must worship fire four times in a day. In addition to this, they also worshipped moon, fire and water. They had an order that they should not let the fire die out or let the fire and water meet each other or let the metal rust, because they also hallow the metal.” (Iran during the reign of Sasanids, p. 155)
These Magians have practised dualism all the time and that has become their motto. They believed in two gods; god of light or god of good which they called “ahur mazda” or “Yazdan” and the other god is god of darkness or evil, and this they called: “ahur man”. The war and conflict are continuously going between both of them. (Iran during the reign of Sasanids. p. 183-233.)
As regards Buddhism, the religion that is widespread in India and Middle Asia, it is a paganism whereof its adherents carry with them idols wherever they go. They build temples for these idols and erect the statue of “Buddha” wherever they go and settle. (See “The Ancient India”, by Aishura Toba, a professor of Hindu Civilization at the University of Haydrabad; and “The Discovery of India” by Jawahar lal Nehru, the former Indian Prime Minister. p. 201-202.)
As for Brahmanism the religion of India, it has been popular with a lot of deities. Their paganism had reached its peak in the sixth century A.C. when the number of their deities reached 330 million gods.2 Everything according to Brahmanism has become wonderful and everything has become useful and a deity to be worshipped. During that age, the art of idol making became highly profitable and many idol stylists carved so many idols in different shapes.
The Hindi writer, C. V. Vidya, wrote in his book, “The History of Medieval Hindu” while discussing the era of King Harash (606-648 A.D.), which is the era that follows the advent of Islam in Arabia,
“Hinduism and Buddhism are equally pagan religion though Buddhism might have surpassed Hinduism in paganism. The origin of Buddhism was denial of existence of any Lord but it gradually adopted Buddha (its founder) as the greatest deity. It later on added other deities like Bodhistavas. Paganism has reached its peak in India so much so that the name Buddha became synonymous with idol or statue in some eastern languages.” It is without doubt that Paganism has become widespread in the contemporary world. The whole world from the Atlantic Sea to the Pacific Ocean is greatly immersed in Paganism. The matter becomes as if the Christianity, the Semitic religions and Buddhism are competing in glorification and hallowing of idols like racing horses. (C.V. Vidya: History of Medieval Hindu. Vol. I (Poone 1921))
Another Hindu said in his book, “The Prevailing Hinduism”, that the art of making idols had not ended yet, but small idols continued to join the existing ‘deities complex’ in great numbers throughout different historical periods that they have become an innumerable and an uncountable thong of deities. (See “As-Seeratun-nabawiyyah” by Abil Hasan An-Nadwi p. 19-28.)
This is the condition of the world religions. As for civilized countries where great governments were established, where many sciences flourished and which were the bedrock of civilization, industry and arts, they have become countries with no religions; countries that had lost their origin and power, in which there are no righteous reformers and teachers, where atheism is publicly proclaimed, corruption of all kind proliferated, all standards have been changed and the man has become valueless to his own self. That is why there are many cases of suicide, that all family links have been cut, social relations were put in disarray, the clinics of psychologists are jammed with patients and the market of magic tricksters were established. In these so-called civilized nations, man tries out of every enjoyable thing and follows every invented and innovated creed, seeking to satiate the demand of his soul, make himself happy and give himself peace of mind. But all these enjoyments, and all these creeds and theories failed to achieve these goals for him, and he shall continue in this psychological misery and spiritual torment until he establishes relationship with his Creator and worships Him according to the way He is pleased with and with which He sent His Messengers. Allah says, while describing the condition of the one who turns away from his Lord and seeks for guidance from others besides Him,
“But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e., neither believes in this Qur’an nor acts on its teachings). Verily, for him is a life of hardship and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.” (Taa Haa 20:124.)
He, may He be glorified, also informs us about the life of the true believers and their happiness in this worldly life when He says,
“It is they who believe (in the Oneness of Allah and worship none but Him alone) and confuse not their belief with wrong (by worshipping others besides Allah), for them (only) there will security and they are the guided.” (Al-An’am 6:82)
He Whose praise is great also says,
“As for those who are blessed, they will be in Paradise, abiding therein for all the time that the heavens and the earth endure, except as your Lord wills; a gift without an end.” (Hood 11:108.)
If we apply the criteria of the true religion to all these religions – except Islam, we will see that they are short of all these criteria as it is clear from the above exposition.
The greatest element which all these religions are short of is monotheism. For their adherents have associated other gods with Allah in worship in addition to the fact that these religions do not provide people with a law that can be applicable in all places and at all times and that can protect them, their lives, faith, honour, offspring and properties. These religions also do not guide people to the Law of Allah which He orders to be followed neither do they give their adherents peace of mind and happiness, as a result of their inherent contradictions.
As regards Islam, you will come to know in the following chapters that it is the true religion of Allah which He is pleased with and which He has chosen for mankind as their religion.
At the end of this section, it is appropriate that we define the essence of prophethood and the need of mankind for it; and explain the foundations of the mission of the Messengers and the reality of the last and everlasting message of Islam.
By Dr. Muhammad bin Abdullah As-Suhaym
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