The True Message of Monotheism in Islam and the Widespread Misunderstanding About It
When examining the Qur'an, it becomes clear that the true message of all prophets عليهم السلام – contrary to what many people who identify as Muslims might assume – was not the knowledge that there is only one Creator. The vast majority of the nations to whom the prophets عليه السلام were sent were already well aware of this fact. Even those who attributed divine attributes to multiple beings generally believed in a single Creator who ultimately had power over all these entities.
From an Islamic perspective, the polytheism of these nations lay rather in the fact that, alongside the one Creator, they also revered other entities or individuals. They directed towards them various forms of worship, devotion, and veneration that belong exclusively to the one Creator.
As will be demonstrated in the following sections through early Islamic texts, the pre-Islamic Arabs were also undoubtedly well aware of this28. Today, the word idolater is generally associated with the idea of multiple “gods” or creators. However, if this alone constituted classical polytheism, then the Arabs of that time – or most other nations – would have to be considered monotheists. Thus, true monotheism must entail more than just this knowledge.
The contemporary understanding of many people regarding the actual meaning of the word Islam and the declaration of faith deviates significantly from the explanation mentioned above. They assume that the monotheism affirmed in the declaration of faith simply means that there is only one Creator.
The moment a person holds this belief, he is, according to this view, unquestionably classified as a Muslim, even if he simultaneously engages in various forms of polytheism in worship.
However, Islamic sources demonstrate that it is precisely this association in worship that makes a person a polytheist, which is why such association is condemned in the strongest terms in Islam.
For a person to truly be considered a Muslim from an Islamic perspective, far more is required than a mere verbal declaration. In this sense, it is inconceivable that a person could engage in polytheism yet still be regarded as a true monotheist merely due to his verbal testimony. A polytheistic Muslim or a polytheistic monotheist would ultimately be a contradictory concept29.
Yet, this completely paradoxical notion is widespread today. For this reason, one of the central objectives of this book is to address and clarify this issue.
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Notes
- In light of what was mentioned earlier in the explanation of the term “monotheism”, the following can be noted: The knowledge or mere acknowledgment of the existence of one Creator may fulfil the definitions of monotheism used by some Western religious scholars and historians, but it does not by any means correspond to the definition of Islamic monotheism. As previously stated, this is not about any arbitrary understanding or the question of varying definitions but rather about the concept of monotheism (tawhid) that the Qur'an calls for and the polytheism (shirk) that it condemns. ↩
- The notion of a “polytheistic Muslim” is not only absurd for Muslims. A well-known Christian theologian from Austria, whom I personally know, agreed with me on this point in response to a treatise where I addressed exactly this issue. He stated: “Statements […] without an understanding of their meaning (polytheistic Muslim) … are truly alarming.” One should reflect on this: These are aspects of Islamic theology that are self-evident even to many non-Muslim theologians. ↩