This Ramadan, MuslimMatters is pleased to host the Institute Of Knowledge‘s daily Ramadan series: Ramadan Reflections. Through this series, each day we will spend time connecting with the Qur’an on a deeper, more spiritual, uplifting level.

Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12, Episode 13, Episode 14, Episode 15, Episode 16, Episode 17, Episode 18

Transcript

Al-Shuʿarāʾ (26): 96-102 

قَالُوا وَهُمْ فِيهَا يَخْتَصِمُونَ (٩٦) تَاللَّهِ إِنْ كُنَّا لَفِي ضَلالٍ مُبِينٍ (٩٧) إِذْ نُسَوِّيكُمْ بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (٩٨) وَمَا أَضَلَّنَا إِلا الْمُجْرِمُونَ (٩٩) فَمَا لَنَا مِنْ شَافِعِينَ (١٠٠) وَلا صَدِيقٍ حَمِيمٍ (١٠١) فَلَوْ أَنَّ لَنَا كَرَّةً فَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (١٠٢) 

“As the people of Hell argue and debate with one another, a group says, ‘We swear to God! We were truly lost and astray for having compared and equated all of you (false gods) to The Master of Humanity (Allāh). It was all the evil people and criminals who led us astray and misguided us. Today, we have no one to help us or speak up for us, no do we have any close friends who will defend us… If only we had another chance… We would be believers…’” 

 Allāh describes this seen from Hell. People are arguing with the people they took as false gods. People are blaming each other claiming that someone other than themselves misguided them. But one statement of theirs is the ultimate key to their disbelief and eternal failure. “نُسَوِّيكُمْ بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ – We compared you and considered you equal to The Master of Humanity.” This defines shirk – paganism, associating partners with Allāh – in the simplest yet most comprehensive way. They viewed other things, be it people or objects, to be comparable to Allāh. 

In the past, people would rightly praise the pious people who have left this. As the generations passed, people would continue to honor them. But over time, people would initiate questionable practices to show their veneration. And soon enough, people started to worship them, hoping that their worship of this pious person will bring them closer to Allāh. Sometimes they would make paintings and statues of those people. Sometimes they associated great powers to nature or animals. In the past, and especially today, people equate great power and an intrinsic ability to bring benefit or deter harm to material things.

People chase money and will do anything to get it. Some will idolize celebrities. Others are on the brink of bowing their heads before all star athletes. Others would spare nothing to ensure the success of their political campaign, and view it as the single ultimate goal. Some think education and degrees are the only things that matter for one’s success.

People worship, idolize, and sacrifice everything for these things. They will sell their souls to get an MD. They will take the lives of others to get a selfie with so and so. They will stop at nothing to earn fame and power. They are ready to wholeheartedly submit everything they have for these things. This kind of sacrifice is only for Allāh, or for His Sake. Or they think money and degrees are able to change one’s fate – again comparing material things to Allāh. 

Allāh says that “إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ – Allāh will not forgive the paganism of those who knowingly died on it, but, out of His kindness, can forgive anything and everything else for whomever He chooses.” Never view anything as similar, let alone equal, to Allāh. As Allāh says at the end of Sūrah Al-Ikhlāṣ, “وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ – No one and nothing has ever or will ever be comparable to Allāh.” He says in Sūrah Al-Shūrā, “لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ – Nothing is even like the likeness of Allāh.” He says in Sūrah Al-Rūm “لَهُ الْمَثَلُ الأعْلَى – Only the most perfect examples are suitable for Him.” meaning that even what seems to be a comparison is made, it is still nothing like the perfection, greatness, supremacy, and divinity of Allāh. 

May Allāh allow us to believe in Him and worship Him as He deserves. Āmīn.