The Second Step to Polytheism.

The Official Website of Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi

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IntroductionThe first step towards polytheism in creativity.

Two sects in Islam have gone astray on the issue of polytheism and they are the Asharis and Moatazallis.

The Asharis

The Asharis are the followers of Abol Hasan Ashari (d.324H.). They disbelieve in the truth of cause and affect about creation. They say, “If the fire is burning something then it is just an event because it is God who is burning it and it is He who decides that the fire should burn now. The fire burns the hand that touches it and it is God who decrees it to happen. And in this way they deny the issue of cause an effect and for them the cause of all events and occurrences and deeds is God.

They deny feeling and something greater than feeling for they believe that if they believe in cause and effect then the oneness of creativity will be destroyed. (1)

It is due to this great mistake that the Asharis have got entangled in this great disbelief. They believe that the deeds of man are the doings of God and this is the worst form of dominance. In other words it is something greater than dominance; it is not us that do the good and bad deeds but it is the creator Himself and these are directly His doings and these are not the deeds done by us under compulsion or dominance. (Reflect)

This point of the Asharis is against those of the Moatazallis for they believe that this world has cause and effects and they are permanent. They believe that god has created some apostles and saints and given them the duty of creation and they believe that the human being is free in his doings.

In this way they consider mankind to be the lesser creator and God to be the Greater one.

There is no doubt that both the groups have fallen prey to misconception and both are entangled in polytheism one on a greater scale while the other on a lesser.

The Moatazallis believe in delegation and they are involved in the greater polytheism because they believe that man is totally free in his doings or they believe that God has delegated the creation and the origination of the heavens and the earth to His servants and sits aloof. This ideology is absolutely against the verses of the Qura’n because the Book tells us that God is without partners in the creation and management of this universe. It is very surprising that a person says that he believes in the Qura’n and yet speaks in this manner.

 In the same way the Asharis are also involved in polytheism because firstly, they refuse to believe the existence of causality in this world and this is against the natural instincts, secondly if believing in the reality of causality is polytheism then considering man to be a reality will also be considered as polytheism.

The issue will be clear if we study one example. Many carriages like trams and trains are run on electricity with overhead connection with the engines. The engine driver is free to run the carriages as he desires and stops when he wishes but the whole operation depends on someone else who is controlling the power supply and he can stop the supply by the press of a button. He can well claim that the movement of the carriages are in his control and the driver too can claim that he runs the carriages and both are truthful because they contribute to the running and stoppage of the carriages. But their doings follow one another and do not oppose.

In the first instance the one who is driving the train is active and superior.

The running of the train and stopping it is connected with both but the driver is free in his work and no compulsion and if we believe that man is free in his deeds it will not be considered as polytheism in other words when the reality of man is connected with God and accepting this is not polytheism so connecting the man with his deeds too cannot be construed as polytheism.

The Asharis consider the existence of man to be permanent and this is also a kind of polytheism but if this existence is not against the Oneness of God then its deeds too cannot created any fallacy in the oneness.

There is no problem if we can understand this issue through another example.

The Asharis deny the very essence of cause and effects because they consider it to be polytheism so if we connect burning to fire it will be polytheism according to them. But the question remains is it not polytheism to believe in the existence of fire before God? They will definitely reply that the existence of fire is related to the being of God so accepting the existence of fire is not polytheism. (The light that comes out of the decorative bulbs is because of its connection with the power supply and when the power is cut off then the light dies.)

This is exactly what we say about the cause and effect in this world that both are connected with God and the power of man too is connected with God. It is not against the unity of God if we accept the causality and man’s inherent power of decision. We discuss this issue further when we discuss dominance and control.

 


 

1. The law of causality is not just feeling but we can reach through reflection and know ledge too because everyone sees that his souls creates a decision and idea.

 

IntroductionThe first step towards polytheism in creativity.
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