Bayan an tattauna ma'anoni na zahiri daban-daban na kalmar, bari yanzu mu ga menene ra'ayoyin jahiliyya game da ilaah, da kuma waɗanne daga cikinsu Alkur'ani ya yi ƙoƙarin ƙi.

Having discussed the various literal senses of the word, let us now see what the pre-Islamic concepts of ilaah were, and which of these the Qur'ān strove to reject:

Sun kuma riƙa waɗansu ubangiji (ilāhai) baya ga Allah, don su zama ƙarfi a gare su (ko kuma kasancewa ƙarƙashin kariyarsu ta ba da tsaro) bisa ga lissafinsu. (Maryam 19:81)

And they have taken for their ilaahs others than Allah, that they may according to their reckoning be a source of strength to them (or that coming under their protection may confer security). (al-Maryam 19:81)

Kuma sun riƙi waɗansu gumaka baya ga Allah a matsayin ilãhai, suna fatan a taimake su.

And they have taken others than Allah as their ilaahs hoping that they might be helped when needed. (al-Yaseen 36:74)

Daga waɗannan ayoyi biyu muna koyo cewa Larabawan zamanin Jahiliyya (zamanin jahilci kafin Musulunci) sun yi imani cewa waɗanda suka ɗauka a matsayin ilaahs ɗinsu masu kāriya ne, kuma za su zo musu da agaji a lokacin hatsari ko wahala, kuma cewa ta hanyar sanya kansu ƙarƙashin kariyarsu, sun tabbatar da kansu daga tsoro, cuta ko cutarwa.

From these two verses we learn that the Arabs of the Jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic period of Ignorance) believed that those whom they regarded as ilaahs were their patrons, would come to their rescue in time of danger or difficulty, and that by placing themselves under their protection they rendered themselves safe from fear, molestation or harm.

…Sa'ad da hukuncin Ubangijinka ya riga ya zo (kuma lokacin aiwatarwarsa ya iso), waɗanda suke kira wasu ilaahai baicin Allah sun kasa amfanar da su, kuma ba su ƙara musu komai ba face halaka…. (Hud 11:101)

…And when the Decree of your Lord had gone forth (and the time came for its execution), the ilaahs they used to invoke instead of Allah proved of no avail to them and contributed only to their doom…. (al-Hud 11:101)

Waɗanda mutane ke kira zuwa gare su baya ga Allah ba su halicci kowane abu ba, sai dai su kansu halitta ne. Matattu ne, ba masu rai ba, kuma ba su sani ba yaushe za a tayar da su daga yanayinsu. Ilaah na gaskiya shi ne Ɗaya Tilo, Ilaah Ɗaya Tilo….

And those whom the people call to instead of Allah have not created aught, but are themselves creatures. Dead they are, and not alive, and they know not when they would be raised from their state, the real ilaah is the One and Only Ilaah….

(An-Nahl 18:20-21)

(an-Nahl 18:20-21)

Kada ku kira wani ilaah tare da Allah, ko ku roƙe shi. Babu wani ilaah sai Shi…

Invoke not; or pray to, any ilaah along with Allah. There is no ilaah but He….

[Ya kamata a tuna cewa kalmar Ilaah tana zuwa a cikin Alkur'ani a ma'anoni biyu daban-daban: na farko, abin ko halittar da ake ba da ibada a gare shi a zahiri, ko da a daidai ko a kuskure; na biyu, Wanda shi ne ainihin cancantar a bauta masa. A cikin wannan ayar, an yi amfani da kalmar a ma'ana ta farko a karo na farko, kuma a ma'ana ta biyu a karo na biyu. -Maududi] (Yunus 10:88)

[It should be borne in mind that the word Ilaah is used in the Qur'an in two different senses, namely, the object or being, etc., to whom worship is actually being given, irrespective of whether rightly or wrongly, and the Being who is really worthy of worship. In this verse, the word is used in the first sense on the first occasion and in the other sense on the second. -.Maududi](al-Yunus 28:88)

...Kuma waɗanda, maimakon yin addu'a ga Allah, suke yin addu'a ga abokan tarayyarsa da ake zato, ba sa yin wani abu sai bin zato da tunani marasa tushe.

....And those who, instead of praying to Allah, pray to His supposed associates do not but follow suppositions and idle guesses. (al-Qasas 10:66)

Waɗannan ayoyi suna nuna abubuwa uku.

These verses point to three aspects.

Na farko shi ne cewa Larabawa sukan karkata addu'arsu ga waɗanda suke ɗauka a matsayin ilahansu, su kuma roƙe su a lokacin wahala ko domin biyan wata buƙatarsu.

The first is that the Arabs used to address their prayers to those whom they regarded as their ilaahs and invoke them in times of distress or for fulfilment of any of their needs.

Na biyu shi ne cewa waɗannan ilahai ba aljannu, mala'iku da alloli kaɗai suka haɗa ba, har ma da mutanen da suka mutu, kamar yadda za a gani daga aya ta biyu daga cikin ayoyin da ke sama.

The second is that these ilaahs included not only Jinns, angels, and gods, but dead humans too, as one can see from the second of the above verses.

Na uku shi ne cewa sun yi imani cewa waɗannan ilāhai na iya jin addu'o'insu, kuma za su iya zuwa musu da agaji.

The third is that they believed that these ilaahs could hear their prayers and could come to their rescue.

Yana da kyau a bayyana wani abu guda, a wannan mataki, game da yanayin addu'ar da ake yi zuwa ga ilaah ko ilaahai da kuma taimako ko agajin da ake nema daga gare su. Idan na ji ƙishirwa, na kira bawana ya ba ni ruwa, ko kuma na yi rashin lafiya na kira likita don magani, kiran da nake yi musu ba ya zama du'a, wato babu wata kamanceceniya da addu'ar da ake aikawa zuwa ga wani abin bautawa, kuma wannan ba ya mai da bawan ko likitan ya zama ilaah. Dukansu abubuwa ne da ake yi a kullum, babu wani abu na sihiri a cikinsu. Sai dai idan, yayin da nake jin ƙishirwa ko rashin lafiya, na kira wani waliyyi ko wani abin bautawa maimakon bawan ko likita, to a bayyane yake cewa hakan zai zama kamar mayar da waliyyin ko abin bautawan ilaah, kuma zan kasance ina mika du'a gare shi.

It seems desirable to clear up one point, at this stage, about the nature of the prayer made to the ilaah or ilaahs and the help or succour sought of them. If I feel thirsty, and call to my servant to give me some water, or am unwell and call for a doctor for treatment, my summons to them does not constitute du’a, that is, it has no similarity to a prayer sent up to a deity, nor does this make either the servant or the doctor into an ilaah. Both these are common, in everyday happenings, with nothing of the supernatural about them. However, if I should, while feeling thirsty or unwell, call to some saint or god instead of the servant or a doctor, that obviously would amount to treating the saint or god as an ilaah and to my addressing a du’a to him.

Yin addu'a ga wani waliyyi da ke kwance a cikin kabarinsa nisan ɗaruruwan mil ko ma dubban mil [A ƙa'ida, ba ya canza komai ko nisan ya kasance ƙafafu kaɗan ne kawai, abin muhimmi shi ne aikin yin addu'a ga wanda ya mutu, wanda ake yarda cewa yana da wasu iko na musamman, ko a cikin wannan hali nasa ko saboda shi, ba wai kawai na jin addu'ar ba har ma na amsa ta idan ya so. Haka kuma ana yarda cewa waliyyin, idan ba zai iya amsa addu'ar da kansa ba, zai iya miƙa ta ga Allah tare da shawara] a fili yake yana nuna cewa na yi imani da shi – duk da cewa ya mutu – cewa yana da ikon jin addu'a daga wannan nisa ko kuma yana sane da abubuwa da ke nesa, ko kuma, idan za a iya amfani da kalmomin Larabci da suka dace, cewa shi samee' ne kuma baseer' [Zahiri, waɗannan kalmomi, waɗanda a zahiri su ne sifofi biyu na Allah na musamman, suna nufin, Mai Ji Duka da Mai Gani Duka, bi da bi. Sanin Allah ya wuce komai, kuma Yana sane da duk abin da ke faruwa ko'ina. Ba haka lamarin yake ga halittunsa ba, waɗanda ƙarfinsu a waɗannan fannoni yana da iyaka ƙwarai. Yin imani cewa wani wanda ba Allah ba yana da ikon jin addu'a a zahiri daga nesa, ko ganin abubuwan da ke faruwa fiye da ganinsa, yana daidai da danganta masa iko wanda na Allah kaɗai ne, kuma wanda bai taɓa bai wa wata halittarsa ba] Aikina zai nuna a fili cewa na yi imani da cewa suna iya yin tasiri a kan halitta har ya kai ga ruwa ya isa gare ni ko kuma ya sa na warke daga rashin lafiyata. Idan kuwa abin bautawa ne, addu'ata za ta nufi cewa na yi imani yana da iko a kan ruwa da kan lafiya da rashin lafiya, kuma saboda haka yana shirya, ta hanyoyin ban mamaki, cika buƙatuna.

Addressing a prayer to a saint confined to his grave hundreds or even thousands of miles away [In point of principle, it makes no difference if the distance were of a few feet only, the significant point being the act of addressing a prayer to someone who is dead and is believed to possess, even in, or perhaps because of that state, some extraordinary powers not only of hearing the prayer but also of granting it if he so chooses. It is also believed that the saint may, if he cannot himself grant the prayer, pass it up to God with a recommendation] clearly indicates that I believe him – though dead – to be possessed of the power to listen to a prayer at such a distance or to otherwise being aware of things so far off or, if one may use the appropriate Arabic words, to be both samee’ and baseer’ [Literally, these words, which are actually two of Allah’s personal attributes, mean, the All-Hearing the All-Seeing, respectively. God’s knowledge transcends everything, and He is aware of everything that is happening anywhere. This is not the case with His creatures, whose capacities in these respects are severely limited. To believe someone other than God to have power to physically hear prayer offered out of his hearing or to see things happening out of his sight amounts to attributing to him powers which are God’s only, and which He has never given to any of His creatures] My action would clearly imply belief in their exercising such a way over the realm of creation as to be able to have water reach me or to make me recover from my illness. In the case of a god, my prayer would mean that I believe him to possess power over water and over health and sickness, and to therefore arrange, by supernatural means, to fulfil my needs.

Saboda haka, tushen da ake kiran wani da addu'a a kansa ya ƙunshi, babu makawa, ra'ayin cewa yana da wani iko da ƙarfi na sama da na halitta.

Thus, the basis on which a prayer is addressed to someone includes necessarily a concept of his being possessed of some supernatural authority and power.

Kuma lalle ne Mun halakar da garuruwan da ke kewaye da ku, kuma Muka bayyana ayoyinMu ta hanyoyi daban-daban domin su komo (daga hanyoyinsu na ɓata zuwa gare Mu). To me yasa waɗanda suka riƙa bautawa a matsayin ilaahai, suna zaton suna da kusanci zuwa gare Mu, ba su taimake su ba a lokacin halakarsu? A’a, sun yashe su, sun ɓace daga idanunsu, suka fallasa rashin gaskiyar ƙarya da ƙirƙirarriyar maganarsu. [Nassin da ake magana a nan ba shi ne gumaka na tatsuniya ko abubuwan da ba su da rai ba, illa malamai da wasu waɗanda suka karɓi bautar mutane, don haka suka sanya kansu a matsayin ilaahai a gāba da Ilaahi na Gaskiya] (Al-Ahqaf 46:27-28)

And, verily, We did destroy the places of which you see ruins about you, and We showed them Our signs in diverse ways that they might turn (away from their wrong ways to Us). So why did not those whom they had made their ilaahs, and presumed to have access to Us, help them in their hour of doom? Far from helping, they abandoned them and made themselves scarce, exposing the hollowness of their falsehoods and fabrications. [The reference here obviously is not to mythological or inanimate gods, but to priests and others who exacted peoples’ worship and thus set themselves up as Ilaahs in opposition to the True Ilaah] (al-Ahqaf 46:27-28)

Ina zan ƙi bauta wa Wanda ya halicce ni, wanda kuma zuwa gare shi za a mayar da ku duka? Shin zan riƙi waɗansu ilaha baicin Allah, wanda idan Ar-Rahman ya nufe ni da wata cuta, shafaatarsu ba za ta amfane ni komai ba, kuma ba za su iya ceton ni ba? (Ya-Sin 36:22-23)

And wherefore should I not give my worship to Him who created me and to Whom all of you will return? Should I take for myself ilaah other than Allah Who, should He Who is also Ar-Rahman wish me any harm, will avail me naught by their intercession, nor will they be able to come to my rescue? (al-Yaseen 36:22-23)

Waɗanda suka riƙi wasu baya ga Allah a matsayin masu kāre su ko masu taimakon su, suna cewa: "Ba mu bautawa su sai dai don su kusantar da mu zuwa ga Allah." Allah zai yi hukunci a tsakaninsu a Ranar Lahira game da abin da suka saɓa a kansa.

…And those who have taken others than Allah as protectors or helpers say, “We do not worship them except that they may bring us closer to Him.” Allah will decide for them on the Day of Judgement regarding that in which they differ….

(az-Zumar 39:3)

(az-Zumar 39:3)

Kuma suna bautawa wanda ba Allah ba, waɗanda ba su da iko na cutarwa ko amfanarwa a gare su, suna kuma cewa waɗannan su ne masu ceto a wurinsa.

And they worship other than Allah those who have power neither to harm nor benefit them, and they say that they are their intercessors with Him.

(Yunus 10:18)

(al-Yunus 10:18)

Abin da muke koya daga waɗannan ayoyi shi ne, na farko, cewa ba gaskiya ba ne cewa Larabawa sun yi imani da cewa ilahansu sun ƙunshi dukkan ubangiji a tsakaninsu, ko kuma cewa babu wani Mai Girma Mafi Girma sama da su. Sun yi imani a fili da wanzuwar irin wannan Halitta, wanda suka yi amfani da sunan musamman na ‘Allah’ a kansa. Dangane da ilahansu kuwa, imaninsu ya ta'allaka ne bisa ƙa'idar cewa suna da wani ɓangare a cikin ubangijin Allah Maɗaukaki, cewa maganarsu tana da nauyi a wurinsa, kuma cewa roƙonsu zai iya kawo wasu amfani ko kuma kawar da wata cuta ko asara. Bisa waɗannan dalilai suka ɗauke su a matsayin ilahai tare da Allah, kuma idan muka duba koyarwarsu da aikinsu, za mu iya cewa imani game da wani cewa yana da iko na yin roko ga Allah, miƙa addu'o'i gare shi don neman taimako, yin wasu ibadu da ke nuna girmamawa, daraja da bauta, da kuma miƙa hadayu, su ne suka zama, a cikin kalmominsu, ɗaukar shi a matsayin ilahi. Allah kuma ya ce:

What we learn from these verses is, firstly, that it was not that the Arabs believed their ilaahs to account for the whole of divinity among themselves or that there was no Supreme Being over and above them. They quite clearly believed in the existence of such a Being for whom they employed the special Proper name of ‘Allah.’ As for their ilaahs, their belief consisted essentially of the concept that they enjoyed some share in the divinity of the Supreme God, that their word carried some weight with Him, and that their intercession could result in some gains or ward off some harm or loss. It was on these grounds that they regarded them as ilaahs besides Allah and, considering their precept and practice, we may say that it was the belief about someone to have power to intercede with God, the act of addressing of prayers to him for help, the performing of certain devotions indicative of respect and reverence and adoration, and the making of offerings, that constituted in their terminology, the treating of Him as ilaah. And God said:

"Kada ku riƙa yin ilaahai biyu; Ilaahi ɗaya ne kawai…" Saboda haka, ku ji tsoron Ni kaɗai.

“Do not make two ilaahs; there is but one ilaah…So, fear Me alone.” (an-Nahl 16:51)

…Ibrahim ya ce musu: Ba ni jin tsoron waɗanda kuke haɗa wa Allah. Wani abu ba zai same ni ba sai idan Shi ne Ya so, kuma ba haka ba (ta hannun dukkan ko wani daga cikin abin bautarku da kuke zato). Note: the rules require "God" rather than "Allah", so the Hausa word for God should be used instead. Here is the corrected translation: …Ibrahim ya ce musu: Ba ni jin tsoron waɗanda kuke haɗa wa Ubangiji. Wani abu ba zai same ni ba sai idan Shi ne Ya so, kuma ba haka ba (ta hannun dukkan ko wani daga cikin abin bautarku da kuke zato)….

…And (Ibrahim said to them): I fear not those you associate with God. Any harm can come to me only if He should will it, and not otherwise (through any or all of your supposed gods)…. (al-An’aam 6:80)

(Kuma mutanen Hud suka ce masa:) Abin da kawai muke tunanin ka ne cewa kana ƙarƙashin la'anar wani daga cikin ilahai namu. (Hud 11:54)

(And said Hud’s people to him:) All we think of you is that you are under the curse of someone or other of our ilaahs. (al-Hud 11:54)

Dangane da waɗannan ayoyi, imanin Larabawa game da ilāhansu shi ne cewa idan suka ba su wani dalili na fushi, ko kuma idan aka hana su alherinsu da kulawarsu, za su sha wahala daga annoba, yunwa, asarar rai da dukiya, ko wasu masifu.

According to these verses, the Arab belief about their ilaahs was that if they should give them any cause for offence or should otherwise be deprived of their favours and attentions, they would suffer epidemics, famine, lose of life and property, or other calamities.

Sun riƙi malamansu na addini da malaman Yahudawa a matsayin ubangijai baya ga Allah, haka kuma Yesu ɗan Maryam, alhali kuwa an umarce su da bauta wa Ilah ɗaya kawai, wanda babu wani Ilah sai Shi.

They made their religious scholars and rabbis their rabbs instead of Allah, and Jesus son of Mary too into one, although they had been told to worship but one ilaah only, besides Whom there is no ilaah at all…. (at-Tawbah 9:31)

Shin ka lura da mutumin da ya mai da son zuciyarsa abin bautarsa? Shin za ka iya ɗaukar wani nauyi game da irin wannan mutum?

Have you noticed the men who has made his selfish desires his ilaah? Can you assume any responsibility about such a one? (al-Furqan 25:43)

Kuma ta haka ne gumakan da ake zaton su ne na masu bautar gumaka suka sa kisan jarirai ya zama abu mai kyau a idanunsu….. (al-An’aam 6:137)

And in this wise did the supposed gods of pagans make infanticide appear an approved act in their eyes…. (al-An’aam 6:137)

Shin! Suna da abokan tarayya cikin allahntaka da suka shimfida musu wani addini ba tare da izinin Allah ba?.... (ash-Shuraa 42:21)

What! Have they partners in godhood who have established for them some religion without sanction from God?.... (ash-Shuraa 42:21)

Ga mu nan wani tunani na ilaah daban sosai da waɗanda aka tattauna a sama.

Here we have yet another concept of ilaah very different from those dealt with above.

A cikin wannan babu wani abu na ruhaniyya. Ilaahi a nan shi ne wani mutum ko kuma son zuciyar mutum ko son rai. Ba a yin addu'a gare shi, kuma ba a dauke shi a matsayin mai iya nufin cutarwa ko amfani ga wani, haka kuma ba a neman taimako ko agaji daga gare shi. Ilaahi ne a ma'anar cewa ana karɓar umarninsa kuma ana bin sa har ta kai ga abin da ya bayyana a matsayin halal ko haram ana kallon sa haka, kuma ana ɗaukar sa a matsayin yana da haƙƙin halitta na sa mu aikata wasu abubuwa ko kada mu aikata su, babu wani iko mafi girma ko mafi daraja wanda yardarsa zai zama wajibi ga umarninsa ko wanda za a iya roƙon kariya daga gare shi a kan umarninsa.

Here there is no element of the supernatural. The ilaah here is some human being, or man’s own selfish ego or selfish desires. No prayers are offered to it, nor is it regarded as being in a position to will any harm or benefit to someone nor is it looked to for help or succour. It is an ilaah in the sense that its dictates are accepted and obeyed to such extent that that which it declares to be permitted or prohibited is treated as such, and it is deemed to have an inherent right to make us do or not do certain things, with no higher or superior authority whose approval might be necessary for its orders or which might be appealed to against them.

Ayar farko da muka ambata a nan (at-Tawbah 9:31) yana magana ne a kan malamai da rabbi-rabbi da aka mayar da su ilaahs. Muna samun bayani mai haske sosai game da wannan a cikin Hadisi. Hazrat ’Adi bin Hatim ya taba tambayar Manzon Allah ﷺ game da wannan ayar, sai Annabi ﷺ ya amsa masa da cewa abin da aka siffanta da daukar su a matsayin ilaahs shi ne al'adar karbar abin da aka halatta ko aka haramta da sunan malamai ko rabbi-rabbi, ba tare da damuwa da neman tabbatar da abin da Allah ya ce a kansa ba.

The first verse we have quoted here (at-Tawbah 9:31) speaks of religious scholars and rabbis having been made into ilaahs. We get a very lucid explanation of this in Hadith. Hazrat ’Adi bin Hatim once asked the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلمabout the verse, and in reply the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلمtold him that what was characterised as taking as ilaahs was the practice of accepting as permitted or prohibited anything pronounced as such by the scholars or rabbis, without caring to ascertain what God had actually said about it.

Game da aya ta biyu, (al-Furqaan 25:43), ma'anarta a bayyane take. Duk wanda ya bi sha'awoyinsa kawai, ko kuma, a maimakon haka, ya ɗauki ra'ayinsa na kansa a matsayin doka tilo, to a zahiri ya mayar da kansa ilaahi maimakon God.

As for the second verse, (al-Furqaan 25:43) the meaning is clear enough. He who obeys only the dictates of his selfish desires or inclinations or, rather regards his personal views as the only law, in effect makes his self his ilaah instead of God.

Kalmar nan shurakaa’ da muke fassarawa da abokan tarayya ko abokan bautar Allah, a cikin ubangiji, aya ta ƙarshe biyu sun yi amfani da ita. Ko da yake ba a yi amfani da kalmar ilaah ba, abin da ake nufi a fili shi ne cewa duk wanda ya ɗauki wasu halittu da sauransu a matsayin shurakaa’ yana nufin ya yi imani cewa suna da rabo a cikin ubangiji. Ma’anar waɗannan ayoyi ita ce: duk waɗanda suke ɗaukar wata al’ada ko doka ko aiki a matsayin halal alhali kuwa babu izinin Allah a kansa, to sun yi laifin ɗaukar waɗanda suka ƙirƙiro al’adar, da sauransu, a matsayin suna da rabo a cikin ubangiji, wato suna ɗaukar su a matsayin ilaahs.

The last two verses use the word shurakaa’ which we have translated as supposed gods or partners, in godhood, but although the word ilaah has not been used, the implication clearly is that to treat any beings, etc., as shurakaa’ amounts, in effect, to believing them to have a share in divinity. The import of these verses is that those who regard any custom or rule or practice as permissible although it has no divine sanction, are guilty of treating the originators of the custom, etc., as having a share in divinity, i. e., of treating them as ilaahs.