Spiritual Disease and Its Cure by Imam Shams-ud-Deen Muhammad bin Abi Bakr bin Qayyim AlJ awziyyah

There is a case where a polytheist claims that he/she only intends to honour the Majesty of God, believing that the Greatness of God requires that he should enter upon Him through mediators, just like visiting a king or president. The polytheist, in this case, believes that he/she should not offend the Honour of the Deity, but dignify Him, instead. Say: "I worship these mediators to get closer to God and enter His Presence; so, why does this Divine Decree bring His Anger and Curse upon me; sentencing me to live eternally in the Hell-Fire, in the Hereafter, legalising my killing, and the possession of my family and property?" Another question results from the above question: Is it possible that Allah ~ could legislate for His Servants to approach Him through mediators and intercessors, as its forbiddance may be understood from Islamic legislation, or is it that such acts are also rejected by human nature and reason, and so Shari' ah should not allow it? What is the secret to the fact that Allah ~ does not forgive any form of polytheism, among all sins, for He ~ said: (Verily, Allah does not forgive that partners should be set up with Hirn (in worship), but He forgives anything else, for whom He wills) 1? Consider this question well, and you will come to realise the difference between polytheists and monotheists; you will distinguish those who know Allah ~ from those who ignore Him; the people of Paradise from the people of the Hell-Fire. With the Success of Allah ~' Who Alone guides His Servants to the Right Path, I say: There are two types of polytheism: ( 1) That which is related to God's Attributes, Names and Actions. (2) That which is related to worshipping Him and conducting oneself towards Him, even though in some cases, a person may still believe that God is Alone, having no partners to share His Attributes, Names and Actions with. The first type of polytheism is also divided to two types: First, a type of polytheism called "ta 'teef' i.e. a concept which denies God all His Attributes, like the case of Pharaoh, who said: (and what is the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists)?)2 . Allah ~ has also informed us about the polytheism of Pharaoh, saying: (Pharaoh said: "0 Haman! Build me a tower that I may arrive at the ways - the ways of the heavens, and I may look on Musa's God." Truly, I think he is a liar.)3 This theological concept denies God His Supremacy, Perfection and Omnipotence over His Creation. It denies the purpose of a servant his/her pure existence, which is to establish Islamic Monotheism (worshipping Allah~ Alone). Second, a type of polytheism is of those who associate partners with Allah ~. without denying Him His Names or Godship, like the polytheism of the Christians who consider God as the third of the three (in a Trinity), with the Messiah as a god, and his mother (and/or the Holy Spirit) as a god. There is also the polytheism of the Magi (Zoroastrians) who relate all good events to light, and all bad events to darkness. There are indeed many polytheist sects in this context, like Al-Qadariyah, which is another theological school of early Islam, who assert man's freewill , and deny the Will of Allah in the actions of His Creation; the Sabians follow astrology, worshipping stars and planets, believing that they are managing the affairs of this world, etc ...