HOW MANY GODS ARE THERE?┇CAN THERE BE MORE THAN ONE GOD?┇POLYTHEISM VS MONOTHEISM
The idea of the existence of multiple gods is illogical at its core. There can be only One God. According to the Holy Quran, if other deities or gods existed other than Allah the Glorious, the gods would compete to establish superior strength, leaving the Heavens and the Earth in ruins. If one of two gods willed an act to occur, then the other god would either be forced to submit to that will or oppose it. If the second god submits to the first god’s will, then that would render the second god less than All-Powerful and not at all omnipotent — in other words, not a god. God is All-Powerful and can do anything He Wills. If he opposes the will of the first god, then a conflict would arise between the two gods, creating chaos in the Heavens and the Earth. The Universe would fall into a state of disorder, chaos, and disarray. There can only be One Omnipotent Creator.
“Say, [O Muhammad], “If there had been with Him [other] gods, as they say, then they [each] would have sought to the Owner of the Throne a way” (Quran 17:42)
Polytheism vs Monotheism
What is monotheism? Islam is a monotheistic religion; a faith in which followers admit and recognize the existence of one Supreme God and Being, who is Almighty, All-Powerful, All-Knowledgeable, All-Loving. Islam stresses the existence of only One God. The same God of Prophet Adam, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon, Jesus, and Prophet Muhammad peace be upon them all. Islam demonstrates the fact that, through the centuries, God has continued to bless humanity with holy Prophets who come bearing the same general Message.
Monotheism Example: God is the only One to whom worship is due; He is the Creator of all, the Provider, the Sustainer of everything. He is the Supreme, the Eternal. God has no father nor mother, nor son nor daughter, nor a partner nor an equal. It is He who gives life and causes death; it is He who is Unique in His Names and Attributes.
Say, “He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent” (Quran 112:1–4)
The word ‘Allah’ is the Arabic name that connotes the Almighty God. Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians use this same word to refer to God. If one peruses an Arabic translation of the Bible, one sees the word ‘Allah’ referenced in place of the term ‘God.’ However, Muslims, Christians, and Jews all hold different concepts of God. Muslims prefer to use the name ‘Allah’ as opposed to the English word ‘God’ because the name ‘Allah’ cannot be made plural and is genderless.
The perfect order and balance of our complex Universe is a sign of God’s Oneness. The existence of the Sun, the moon, the mountains, the orbits of the planets, the direction of the winds, the seasons of the year, the cycles of life and death, and this perfect world, all point to the preeminence of One Creator and are signs posted for the benefit of those who believe, those who reflect, those who use their logic and ponder.
“Had there been within the heavens and earth gods besides Allah, they both would have been ruined. So exalted is Allah, Lord of the Throne, above what they describe” (Quran 21:22)
Iman (faith), begins with the belief in Allah the Glorious, from which all other facets of faith spring. By contrast, the most severe sin in Islam is known as shirk (Polytheism), which translates to the concept of ascribing a partner to Allah; believing and worshipping those other than Allah; ascribing the Rights of Allah to someone or something, other than Allah. The term also encompasses the attribution of divine qualities to any others besides Allah. Shirk is the only sin that God does not forgive if a person dies before repenting from its pure, sheer evil. Shirk is considered the most severe sin in Islam, and is regarded as the cardinal sin in the faith. Only God has the right to be worshipped or venerated.
“And it was already revealed to you and those before you that if you should associate [anything] with Allah, your work would surely become worthless, and you would surely be among the losers” (Quran 39:65)
Belief in multiple gods? The idea of multiple gods is rejected in Islam, as is highlighted many times throughout the Qur’an. The Christian belief that Jesus is the son of God, or God himself, is an example of shirk. And the belief in the concept of the Trinity–father, son, and holy spirit — is a grave sin in Islam.
“They have certainly disbelieved who say, ‘Allah is the third of three,’ And there is no god except one God. And if they do not desist from what they are saying, there will surely afflict the disbelievers among them a painful punishment” (Quran 5:73)
What is Polytheism (shirk)? Polytheism or Shirk in Arabic is giving what belongs to God (Allah) to other than God (Allah). It is the belief in or worship of a deity or deities (multiple gods) other than God (Allah). Worshipping and praising deities other than Allah, who have no power to benefit or harm, is an act of injustice committed against Allah — the Supreme Being who created this whole Universe and gave life to you and me. Shirk is also an act of ingratitude and far worse stands as the root of an evil that causes the greatest downfall of human dignity and status.
“He said, ‘Do you worship that which you [yourselves] carve, While Allah created you and that which you do?’” (Quran 37:96)
Polytheism Examples: In the past, the act of worshipping multiple gods, or gods other than Allah the glorious, often came in a form of idol worship, or perhaps the worship of gods taking the form of objects found in nature, such as the sun, moon, and animals — this despite the fact that none of these beings have the power to benefit nor harm.
“O mankind! A similitude has been presented, so listen to it (carefully): Verily, those on whom you invoke besides Allah, cannot create (even) a fly, even if they gathered together for that purpose. And if the fly snatches away a thing from them, they could not recover it from them. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought. They have not appraised Allah with true appraisal. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might” (Quran 22:73–74)
Whereas this is less common now, the culture of the modern world has replaced physical idols with other contemporary objects of worship, such as the love of obeying one’s own desires; a weakness commonly expressed in constantly entraining oneself, consuming drugs, or embracing the goal and love of acquiring material goods more than Allah. Those who commit this sin stop at nothing to follow their desires, even if it leads to disobedience toward Allah. One becomes so consumed with these foul acts that they submit themselves totally to their lure, to fulfill their desires. This person adopts their desires as their gods, acting only in accordance with their whims. God states:
“Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allah has sent him astray due to knowledge and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So, who will guide him after Allah? Then will you not be reminded?” (Quran 45:23)
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