Rebuttal to Sam Shamoun's Article "Is Allah the Only Judge and Forgiver of Sins?"

 

By

 

Bassam Zawadi

 

 

Sam Shamoun responded back to my article over here.

 

 

Sam Shamoun said:

That is NOT what the passages are saying; this is simply what Zawadi wants the verses to say. The references do not qualify their statements by saying that Allah is the ultimate authority or judge, but expressly claim that there is no other judge besides Allah and that he doesn't allow absolutely ANYONE to share in his decisions and judgment, which would naturally include Muhammad.

Note, carefully, the wording of the following text:

"Say: Allah is Best Aware how long they tarried. His is the Invisible of the heavens and the earth. How clear of sight is He and keen of hearing! They have NO protecting friend beside Him, and He maketh NONE to share in His government." S. 18:26 Pickthall

Since Zawadi has a fascination of quoting more than one translation here is the way the various versions render this specific passage:

. There is NO guardian for them besides Him, and He associates NONE in his judgment. Muhammad Ali (*)

. They have NO protector other than Him; NOR does He share His Command WITH ANY PERSON WHATSOEVER. Yusuf Ali

. NO guardian have they apart from Him, since He allots to NO ONE a share in His rule!" Muhammad Asad (*)

. They have NO Wali (Helper, Disposer of affairs, Protector, etc.) other than Him, and He makes NONE to share in His Decision and His Rule." Al-Hilali & Khan

. They have NOT besides Him any protector, and He shares NOT His legislation WITH ANYONE. Al-Muntada Alislami (*)

. There is NONE to be a guardian for them besides Him, and He DOES NOT MAKE ANY ONE His associate in His Judgment. Shakir

. They have NO other guardian but Him, and He DOES NOT share His authority WITH ANY ONE. Ahmed Ali (*)

. NO ONE other than Him is their guardian and NO ONE shares His Judgment. Muhammad Sarwar (*)

. They have NO helper beside HIM, and HE DOES NOT LET ANYONE share in HIS judgment. Sher Ali

. They have NO patron beside Him, NOR in His rule HE ASSOCIATETH ANYONE. Abdul-Majid Daryabadi (*)

. They have NO patron besides Him, NOR DOES HE LET ANYONE ELSE share in His discretion. T.B. Irving (*)

. They have NO helper besides him. He lets NONE ASSOCIATE with Him and share His judgment. Abdul Mannan Omer (*)

. They have NO helper beside Him and He DOES NOT LET ANY ONE share His authority. Muhammad Zafrulla Khan (*)

. Mankind has NO protector besides Him NOR does He share His sovereignty WITH ANYONE. G.A. Parwez (*)

. (there is) NONE for them from other than Him (as a) guardian/ally, and He DOES NOT share/make partners in His judgment/rule ANYONE. Muhamed Ahmed with his daughter Samira (*)

. They DO NOT have besides Him any ally, NOR does He share in His judgment WITH ANYONE. The Message - A Pure and Literal Translation of Al-Qu'ran (*)

. There is NONE beside Him as Lord and Master, and He NEVER PERMITS ANY PARTNERS to share in His kingship. Khalifa

. They have NO protector, apart from Him, and He associates in His government NO ONE.' Arberry

. They have NO patron beside Him, NOR DOES HE LET ANY ONE share in His judgment. Palmer

. Man hath NO guardian but Him, and NONE may bear part in his judgments: - Rodwell

. The [inhabitants thereof] have NO protector besides him; NEITHER DOTH HE SUFFER ANY ONE to have a share in [the establishment or knowledge of] his decree. Sale

All of the major translations (along with some lesser known ones), most of which were produced by Muslims, agree that Q. 18:26 is attesting to the fact that Allah does not allow ANY individual to share in his decision making, in his judgments. Allah also forbids believers from having any other wali (protector/ally/patron/friend) besides him which is another contradiction altogether (*).

In order for Zawadi's explanation to be taken seriously the texts would need to say something like the following,

• Allah doesn't allow anyone to share in his judgment in an absolute sense since he holds ultimate authority.
• Allah doesn't allow anyone to share in his judgment among the false gods or the wicked, but does permit his righteous angels and servants to do so.

Unfortunately for Zawadi that is not what the verses say or imply. The passages expressly and unambiguously assert that absolutely NO ONE is allowed to share in Allah's rule, in Allah's judgments or decisions, just as the following commentators realized:

Say: 'God is more knowledgeable of how long they tarried, [more knowledgeable] than those contending over this [issue] - and this [fact] has already been mentioned [above, verse 19]. To Him belongs the Unseen of the heavens and the earth, that is, [to Him belongs] the knowledge thereof. How well He sees! namely, God - this form is for [expressing] amazement [at something]. How well He hears! likewise [for expressing amazement]. These two [expressions] are being used metaphorically. What is meant is that nothing can escape God's sight or hearing. They, THE INHABITANTS OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH, have no guardian, someone to assist [them], besides Him, and He makes NONE to share in His rule', for He is Independent, without need of a partner. (Tafsir al-Jalalayn; source; capital and underline emphasis ours)

 

My Response:

 

There goes Shamoun with his demands again. He demands the exact wording to his satisfaction in each verse he shows besides looking at all verses together and trying to harmonize and interpret them.

 

 

Ibn Abbas said in his commentary...

 

 

(Say) O Muhammad: (Allah is best aware how long they tarried) after that. (His is the Invisible of the heavens and the earth) His is that which is hidden from the servants. (How clear of sight is He and keen of hearing!) so hear and know what I see and know about them and their matter (They have no protecting friend beside Him) they have no one to protect them beside Allah; it is also said that this means: the people of Mecca have no close one to benefit them against Allah's chastisement, (and He maketh none to share in His government) in His dominion of the Unseen. (Ibn Abbaas, Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn 'Abbâs, Commentary on Surah 18:26, Source)

 

 

So here we see that it really is Allah who is in control. When Allah says that He wont let anyone judge along side with Him, that means that Allah would never give up any of His authority to anyone else like you might have in a company controlled by partnership. What Allah is saying is that He is more like a sole proprietorship in which He has no partners and doesn't have to answer to anyone. Now even in a sole proprietorship you would still have the vice president and managers who would have authority and take charge. However, at the end of the day there is only one person in ultimate authority and that is the owner.

 

Similarly with Allah, in this verse He is emphasizing that He is the only judge with no equals. But this doesn't mean that there can't be other judges who are judging by Allah's permission.

 

 

Sam Shamoun said:

Now let us contrast this with what the following reference says regarding obeying Muhammad in everything and making him a judge in every decision:

But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad SAW) judge IN ALL DISPUTES between them, and find in themselves NO RESISTANCE against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission. S. 4:65 Hilali-Khan

Muhammad is to have the final say in all matters, not just some, and those who oppose his rule are disbelievers. In fact, one commentator mentions that Umar ibn al-Khattab actually killed a man, striking him down with his sword, for refusing to submit to Muhammad's decision in a matter:

One Does not Become a Believer Unless He Refers to the Messenger for Judgment and Submits to his Decisions

Allah said.

Allah swears by His Glorious, Most Honorable Self, that no one shall attain faith until he refers to the Messenger for judgment IN ALL MATTERS. Thereafter, whatever the Messenger commands, is the plain truth that must be submitted to inwardly and outwardly. Allah said.

meaning: they adhere to your judgment, and thus do not feel any hesitation over your decision, and they submit to it inwardly and outwardly. They submit to the Prophet's decision with total submission without any rejection, denial or dispute. Al-Bukhari recorded that `Urwah said, "Az-Zubayr quarreled with a man about a stream which both of them used for irrigation. Allah's Messenger said to Az-Zubayr.

<<O Zubayr! Irrigate (your garden) first, and then let the water flow to your neighbor.>> The Ansari became angry and said, `O Allah's Messenger! Is it because he is your cousin?' On that, the face of Allah's Messenger changed color (because of anger) and said.

<> So, Allah's Messenger gave Az-Zubayr his full right when the Ansari made him angry. Before that, Allah's Messenger had given a generous judgment, beneficial for Az-Zubayr and the Ansari. Az-Zubayr said, `I think the following verse was revealed concerning that case.

'" Another reason in his Tafsir, Al-Hafiz Abu Ishaq Ibrahim bin `Abdur-Rahman bin Ibrahim bin Duhaym recorded that Damrah narrated that two men took their dispute to the Prophet, and he gave a judgment to the benefit of whoever among them had the right. The person who lost the dispute said, "I do not agree." The other person asked him, "What do you want then?" He said, "Let us go to Abu Bakr As-Siddiq." They went to Abu Bakr and the person who won the dispute said, "We went to the Prophet with our dispute and he issued a decision in my favor." Abu Bakr said, "Then the decision is that which the Messenger of Allah issued." The person who lost the dispute still rejected the decision and said, "Let us go to `Umar bin Al-Khattab." When they went to `Umar, the person who won the dispute said, "We took our dispute to the Prophet and he decided in my favor, but this man refused to submit to the decision." `Umar bin Al-Khattab asked the second man and he concurred. `Umar went to his house and emerged from it holding aloft his sword. He struck the head of the man who rejected the Prophet's decision with the sword and killed him. Consequently, Allah revealed...

. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir; source; capital and underline emphasis ours)

 

My Response:

 

I have read the Arabic text of Surah 4:65 and it not say 'all disputes'. It only says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) should judge between what happened between them. Shamoun may verify this with this with his Arab friends.

 

Most translations do not say 'all disputes'...

 

 

 

 

Secondly, even if we assume that the verse says ALL, all of what though? It only says to judge in matters that happened between them in their daily life activities. Its not like the verse says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) will judge whether they will go to heaven or not.

 

 

Al Suyuti states...

 

 

But no, (fa-lā, the lā is extra) by your Lord! They will not believe until they make you judge over what has broken out, has become mixed up, between them and find in themselves no inhibition, [no] constraint or doubt, regarding what you decide, but submit, [but] comply with your ruling, in full submission, without objection. (Jalal ud-Din Siyuti, Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Commentary on Surah 4:65, Source)

 

 

 

Imam Tabari says...

 

 

{ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوك فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنهمْ } يَقُول : حَتَّى يَجْعَلُوك حَكَمًا بَيْنهمْ فِيمَا اِخْتَلَطَ بَيْنهمْ مِنْ أُمُورهمْ               

 

 

Until they make you a judge in disputes of their affairs. (Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Jami' al-bayan fi ta'wil al-Qur'an, Commentary on Surah 4:65, Source)

 

 

 

So we see that this is in reference to the people's private affairs, not literally in ALL MATTERS (e.g. such as deciding ones eternal fate, which only God could judge)

 

Thirdly, how is it that the Prophet (peace be upon him) judges between the people anyways? The Qur'an says...

 

 

Surah 4:105

 

"Surely We have revealed the Book to you with the truth that you may judge between people by means of that which Allah has shown you; and be not an advocate on behalf of the treacherous."

 

Surah 5:48

 

"And We have revealed to you the Book with the truth, verifying what is before it of the Book and a guardian over it, therefore judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their low desires (to turn away) from the truth that has come to you;"

 

 

So here we see that the Prophet (peace be upon him) does not simply judge by his own authority, but by what Allah has revealed. Indicating that really the ultimate judge is Allah.

 

Let me guess, Shamoun is going to demand to see the word 'ultimate' again?

 

 

 

Sam Shamoun said:

Moreover, does the alternate rendering which Zawadi proposes really impact the meaning and thereby nullify our point? Not in the least since the reference says that in order for Allah to forgive these sinners they must come to Muhammad:

We sent no Messenger, but to be obeyed by Allah's Leave. If they (hypocrites), when they had been unjust to themselves, HAD COME TO YOU (Muhammad SAW) and begged Allah's Forgiveness, and the Messenger had begged forgiveness for them: indeed, they would have found Allah All-Forgiving (One Who accepts repentance), Most Merciful. Hilali-Khan

This makes coming to Muhammad synonymous with begging Allah which means that Muhammad does indeed share in Allah's decisions, whether such decisions relate to forgiveness or other issues. As renowned Sunni exegete Ibn Kathir put it:

directs the sinners and evildoers, when they commit errors and mistakes, to come to the Messenger, so that they ask Allah for forgiveness IN HIS PRESENCE and ask him to supplicate to Allah to forgive them. If they do this, Allah will forgive them and award them His mercy and pardon. This is why Allah said.

. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir; source; capital and underline emphasis ours)

Forgiveness here is made incumbent upon the Muslims coming to Muhammad, with the implication being that if they did not come to him they would not be forgiven. With this in mind is it any wonder that Pickthall and the above translator(s) of Ibn Abbas rendered the Arabic to mean that the people had to come and ask Muhammad to forgive their sins since this is basically what they did? To put it another way, why didn't these Muslims simply confess their sins to Allah without having to go to Muhammad if he wasn't somehow involved in assuring that their sins would be forgiven? The answer? Because to come before Muhammad is to go or stand before Allah since Allah decided to make his forgiveness dependent on Muhammad.

 

 

My Response:

 

Shamoun said...

 

Forgiveness here is made incumbent upon the Muslims coming to Muhammad, with the implication being that if they did not come to him they would not be forgiven.

 

Shamoun is making this general statement that all Muslims must go to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and ask him to ask God for our forgiveness. This is not true. We pray directly to God. The verse was talking about a certain group of hypocrites who rejected the judgment of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and looked for another one to judge between them. Thus, addressed, in this verse, the hypocrites who committed injustice to themselves with such a major sin. So since the hypocrites committed injustice towards the Prophet (peace be upon him) in this regards, they were required to go to the Prophet (peace be upon him) as well. See Tafsir Tabari

 

 

Sam Shamoun said:

More importantly, there is a text which explicitly attests that Muhammad does forgive sinners, thereby supporting our understanding of Q. 4:64:

Of their goods, take alms, that so THOU mightest purify and sanctify them; and pray on their behalf. Verily thy prayers are a source of security for them: And God is One Who heareth and knoweth. S. 9:103 Y. Ali

Lest Zawadi accuse us of relying on one translation which happens to support our agenda note how these other versions render this same passage:

O dear Prophet (Mohammed - peace and blessings be upon him) take the obligatory charity from their wealth, by which YOU may cleanse them and make them pure, and pray in their favour. Mohammed Aqib Farid Qadri (*)

(Prophet!) take a portion of their possessions as Zakât so that YOU may thereby purify them (of their evils) and enhance them in their virtuous deeds, and pray for them. Abdul Mannan Omer (*)

. YOU will cleanse and purify them by means of it. Pray for them. T.B. Irving

. wherewith THOU mayst purify them and mayst make them grow, and pray for them. Pickthall

. so that THOU mayest cleanse them thereby and cause them to grow in purity, and pray for them. Muhammad Asad (*)

. THOU wouldst cleanse them and purify them thereby - and pray for them. Muhammad Ali (*)

. thereby THOU wilt cleanse them and purify them; and pray thou for them. Daryabadi

. that THOU mayest purify them thereby and provide for their uplift and welfare; and pray for them. Muhammad Zafrulla Khan

. YOU would cleanse them and purify them thereby, and pray for them . Shakir

. so that THOU mayest cleanse them and purify them thereby. And pray for them. Sher Ali

. by which YOU purify them and cause them increase, and invoke [Allah's blessings] upon them. Al-Muntada Alislami (*)

. that THOU mayst cleanse and purify them thereby, and pray for them. Rodwell

. that THOU mayest cleanse them, and purify them thereby; and pray for them. Sale

And here is how the two Jalals interpreted this reference:

Take of their wealth some alms, to purify them and to cleanse them thereby, of their sins; he thus took a third of their wealth and gave it away as charity; and pray for them, that is, supplicate for them; truly your prayers are a comfort, a mercy, for them: it is also said [to mean] reassurance [for them], that their repentance has been accepted. And God is Hearer, Knower. (Tafsir al-Jalalayn; source; bold and italic emphasis ours)

Nor is this the only text which says Muhammad purifies people:

Indeed Allah conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad SAW) from among themselves, reciting unto them His Verses (the Qur'an), and purifying them (from sins by their following him), and instructing them (in) the Book (the Qur'an) and Al-Hikmah [the wisdom and the Sunnah of the Prophet SAW (i.e. his legal ways, statements, acts of worship, etc.)], while before that they had been in manifest error. S. 3:164 Hilali-Khan

He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad SAW) from among themselves, reciting to them His Verses, purifying them (from the filth of disbelief and polytheism), and teaching them the Book (this Qur'an, Islamic laws and Islamic jurisprudence) and Al-Hikmah (As-Sunnah: legal ways, orders, acts of worship, etc. of Prophet Muhammad SAW). And verily, they had been before in manifest error; S. 62:2 Hilali-Khan

Now seeing how the Quran admits that only Allah can forgive sins and that he is the one who purifies people:

And those who, having done something to be ashamed of, or wronged their own souls, earnestly bring God to mind, and ask for forgiveness for their sins, - and who can forgive sins except God? - and are never obstinate in persisting knowingly in (the wrong) they have done. S. 3:135 Y. Ali

O ye who believe! follow not Satan's footsteps: if any will follow the footsteps of Satan, he will (but) command what is shameful and wrong: and were it not for the grace and mercy of God on you, not one of you would ever have been pure: but God doth purify whom He pleases: and God is One Who hears and knows (all things). S. 24:21 Y. Ali

Doesn't this further prove that Muhammad does share in Allah's rule, Allah's decisions, as well as in his ability to forgive and purify sinners? And wouldn't this imply that the Quran is deifying Muhammad, granting him a status and characteristics which belong only to God?(1) More on Muhammad's deification and sharing in Allah's authority shortly.

Zawadi attacks a straw man by saying that,

Indeed, we human beings can forgive people's shortcomings but that doesn't make us God.

We are not talking about forgiving or overlooking another person's shortcomings, or of pardoning someone's crimes that have been committed against us. Rather, we are talking about forgiveness of sins in the context of salvation, in relation to one's ultimate destiny or eternal fate, which is something that only God can perform and guarantee. Yet the Quran says Muhammad shares in this ability as well.

 

My Response:

 

How does the Prophet (peace be upon him) purify the people?

 

Ibn Abbas states...

 

Allah then mentions his blessings on them, saying: (Allah verily hath shown grace to the believers by sending unto them a messenger) of the Children of Adam whose lineage is well known (of their own) an Arab, like them, from the tribe of the Quraysh (who reciteth unto them His revelations) the Qur'an containing commands and prohibitions, (and causeth them to grow) he purifies them by means of the attestation of Allah's divine Oneness from idolatry as well as by cleansing them from their sins, (and teacheth them the Scripture) the Qur'an (and wisdom) the lawful and the prohibited; (although before) the advent of Muhammad and the Qur'an (they were in flagrant error) they were adherents of disbelief. (Ibn Abbaas, Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn 'Abbâs, Commentary on Surah 3:164, Source)

 

Allah then explained to the Prophet (pbuh) what he should take of their wealth because they had asked him to take some of it because they had stayed behind and not taken part in the Battle of Tabuk. But the Prophet (pbuh) initially refused to take anything from them until, that is, Allah explained the matter to him, saying: (Take alms) a third (of their wealth) the wealth of those who stayed behind, wherewith thou mayst purify them) from their sins (and mayst make them grow) and reform them with it, (and pray for them) ask forgiveness for them and make supplication for them. (Lo! Your prayer) your asking for their forgiveness and your supplications (is an assuagement for them) tranquillity for their hearts that their repentance will be accepted. (Allah is Hearer) of what they say, i.e. their saying: take our wealth, (Knower) of their repentance and intention. (Ibn Abbaas, Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn 'Abbâs, Commentary on Surah 9:103, Source)

 

 

 

Al Suyuti states...

 

It is He Who sent to the unlettered [folk], [among] the Arabs (ummī means 'one who cannot write or read a book'), a messenger from among them, namely, Muhammad (s), to recite to them His signs, the Qur'ān, and to purify them, to cleanse them from idolatry, and to teach them the Book, the Qur'ān, and wisdom, [in] the rulings that it contains, though indeed (wa-in: in has been softened from the hardened form, with its subject having been omitted, that is to say, [understand it as] wa-innahum) before that, [before] his coming, they had been in manifest error. (Jalal ud-Din Siyuti, Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Commentary on Surah 62:2, Source)

 

 

 

Take of their wealth some alms, to purify them and to cleanse them thereby, of their sins; he thus took a third of their wealth and gave it away as charity; and pray for them, that is, supplicate for them; truly your prayers are a comfort, a mercy, for them: it is also said [to mean] reassurance [for them], that their repentance has been accepted. And God is Hearer, Knower. (Jalal ud-Din Siyuti, Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Commentary on Surah 9:103, Source)

 

 

So here we see that the Prophet (peace be upon him) purifies the people by calling them away from idolatry and evil sins. He also does it by taking wealth from the people, which they pay as charity and that will cleanse their sins for giving charity will do so.

 

So it is Allah purifying the people through the Prophet (peace be upon him).

 

Similar examples.

 

Allah is said to be the one teaching the Qur'an (Surah 55:2) but through His Messenger (Surah 3:164).

 

Allah is said to take the souls at night (Surah 39:42) but through His angels (Surah 4:97, 32:11)

 

Allah is said to be the one who guides people (Surah 28:56) but through his Messenger (Surah 13:7).

 

We see in Surah 7:157 that the Prophets can make things forbidden and permissible but only if Allah informs him and gives him permission to do so (Surah 66:1)

 

So Allah purifies the people by sending his Prophets so that people may follow them since they carry the message of God with them.

 

 

Sam Shamoun said:

More importantly, the Quran testifies that Allah does not have ultimate authority but shares it equally with Muhammad, making the two of them the ultimate sources of judgment, salvation and rulership.

Here are a set of passages which proves our point:

These are Allah's limits, and whoever obeys Allah AND His Messenger, He will cause him to enter gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them; and this is the great achievement. And whoever disobeys Allah AND His Messenger and goes beyond His limits, He will cause him to enter fire to abide in it, and he shall have an abasing chastisement. S. 4:13-14

And whoever obeys Allah AND the Messenger, these are with those upon whom Allah has bestowed favors from among the prophets and the truthful and the martyrs and the good, and a goodly company are they! S. 4:69

Obey Allah, AND obey the Messenger, and beware (of evil): if ye do turn back, know ye that it is Our Messenger's duty to proclaim (the message) in the clearest manner. S. 5:92 A. Yusuf Ali

Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah AND His Messenger have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection. S. 9:29

The response of the believers, when they are invited to Allah AND His Messenger that he may judge between them, is only to say: We hear and we obey; and these it is that are the successful. S. 24:51

Say: Obey Allah AND obey the Messenger; but if you turn back, then on him rests that which is imposed on him and on you rests that which is imposed on you; and if you obey him, you are on the right way; and nothing rests on the Messenger but clear delivering (of the message). S. 24:54

There are many more passages that use this formulation, e.g. 3:32, 8:1, 20, 24, 46; 4:69; 9:71; 24:47; 33:33, 66; 47:33; 49:14; 58:13; 64:12, and some additional ones that will shortly be discussed in more detail because they reveal further aspects.

In Islamic and quranic understanding, the Quran comes fully and only from Allah, not the least bit originated from Muhammad or other human sources. Therefore, why would Muhammad's name even have to be mentioned if this is the meaning of the phrase? It would not add anything to "obey Allah" (in what he has commanded you in the Quran). In fact, in that case this formulation would only confuse the concept that the Quran is not from Muhammad in any way, suggesting that Allah and Muhammad are something like co-authors who have to be obeyed together since they together are the source of the Quran.

The command "obey Allah and the Messenger" ' particularly since it is repeated over and over again ' means obedience to Allah and to Muhammad ON THE SAME LEVEL.

Our conclusion is also supported by the fact that in several instances, e.g. 4:59, 5:92, 24:54 etc., the word "obey" is explicitly repeated, i.e. "obey Allah and obey the messenger".

 

My Response:

 

This is indeed a foolish argument. Just because the word 'and' is there, that doesn't mean the two which the word connects are co equal in every sense. (more of this below)

 

Using that logic we would also have to say that Allah is co equal with the believers (Surah 2:9) because the word 'and' connects them together. Also using that logic we have to say that Allah and His Messenger and people in authority are also co equal (Surah 4:59) because the word 'and' connects them together or that Allah is co equal with the revelations that He has sent and His Prophets (Surah 2:136, 275). But that is absurd.

 

 

Rather, what to obey Allah and His Messenger simply means is to follow the Qur'an and Prophetic Sunnah since the Qur'an and Sunnah are the two sources of religious authority.

 

In Islam, to obey the Messenger is as if you are obeying Allah (Surah 4:80). How is that? The Messenger is receiving revelations from Allah and communicating it to the people. Thus to obey what he is saying is obeying the one who has sent him and that is Allah.

 

So is it correct to say that we should obey Allah and the Messenger on the SAME LEVEL (as Shamoun puts it)? In some sense, yes. However, it is only because obeying Allah and His Messenger is actually obeying the same source and that is Allah. Allah is the ultimate authority that is sending revelations to the Prophet (peace be upon him) who follows what he is being told and does not speak of his own desires (Surah 6:50, 7:203, 10:15, 10:109, 18:110, 41:6, 46:9, 53:3-4)

 

That is why it is compulsory to obey the Prophet (peace be upon him) in all matters in regards to religion, for he was infallible in these regard...

 

 

Saheeh Muslim

 

Book 030, Hadith Number 5831.

------------------------------

Chapter : It is obligatory to follow the Prophet (may peace be upon him) in all matters pertaining to religion, but one is free to act on one's own opinion in matters which pertain to technical skill.

 

Rafi' b. Khadij reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came to Medina and the people had been grafting the trees. He said: What are you doing? They said: We are grafting them, whereupon he said: It may perhaps be good for you if you do not do that, so they abandoned this practice (and the date-palms) began to yield less fruit. They made a mention of it (to the Holy Prophet), whereupon he said: I am a human being, so when I command you about a thing pertaining to religion, do accept it, and when I command you about a thing out of my personal opinion, keep it in mind that I am a human being. 'Ikrima reported that he said something like this.

 

 

Sam Shamoun said:

Moreover, if that latter interpretation is correct, then one would expect to find other places in the Quran where it speaks only about obedience to Muhammad without even mentioning Allah explicitly in the exhortation to obey, just as it would be no surprise to find the command to obey Allah without mentioning Muhammad. And that is indeed the case. The two (Allah and the messenger) are nearly always mentioned together when the Quran demands obedience from its listeners, but one can also find the command to obey the messenger used separately as the next several quotations will show.

Only those are believers who believe in Allah and His Messenger, and when they are with him on a momentous affair they go not away until they have asked his permission; surely they who ask your permission are they who believe in Allah and His Messenger; so when they ask your permission for some affair of theirs, give permission to whom you please of them and ask forgiveness for them from Allah; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. Do not hold the Messenger's calling (you) among you to be like your calling one to the other; Allah indeed knows those who steal away from among you, concealing themselves; therefore let those beware who go against his order lest a trial afflict them or there befall them a painful chastisement. S. 24:62-63

Only those are true believers who wait for Muhammad's permission (not Allah's permission), and it is up to Muhammad to give it or to withhold it (give permission to whom YOU please), i.e. whether or not one obeys Muhammad's word determines one's state as a genuine believer.

 

My Response:

 

Shamoun is ignorant of what the verse is even trying to say. The verse is talking about the etiquette of a person who leaves a gathering. That it is etiquette to ask permission from the Messenger when he leaves a gathering in which the Messenger is in. How can someone ask Allah for permission to leave a gathering?

 

Read Tafsir Ibn Kathir

 

Sam Shamoun said:

These verses are even stronger:

Surely those who swear allegiance to you do but swear allegiance to Allah; the hand of Allah is above their hands. Therefore whoever breaks (his faith), he breaks it only to the injury of his own soul, and whoever fulfills what he has covenanted with Allah, He will grant him a mighty reward. S. 48:10

Whoever obeys the messenger has obeyed Allah, and whoever turns away: We have not sent thee as a warder over them. S. 4:80 Pickthall

Do Muslims want to obey Allah? Then simply obey the messenger. Whoever obeys Muhammad, has already obeyed Allah. By obeying Muhammad, one obeys Allah. Obedience to Muhammad is declared to be synonymous with obedience to Allah. Muhammad has, for all practical purposes, taken the place of Allah.

In fact one's entire salvation is determined by one's obedience and devotion to Muhammad:

And obey Allah AND the Messenger, that you may be shown mercy. S. 3:132

Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If ye love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. S. 3:31 Pickthall

Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth as He made rulers those before them, and that He will most certainly establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them, and that He will most certainly, after their fear, give them security in exchange; they shall serve Me, not associating aught with Me; and whoever is ungrateful after this, these it is who are the transgressors. And keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and obey the Messenger, so that mercy may be shown to you. S. 24:55-56

Verily, those who annoy Allah AND His Messenger (SAW) Allah has cursed them in this world, and in the Hereafter, and has prepared for them a humiliating torment. S. 33:57 Hilali-Khan

Have you not seen those who are forbidden secret counsels, then they return to what they are forbidden, and they hold secret counsels for sin and revolt and disobedience to the Messenger, and when they come to you they greet you with a greeting with which Allah does not greet you, and they say in themselves: Why does not Allah punish us for what we say? Hell is enough for them; they shall enter it, and evil is the resort. S. 58:8

 

My Response:

 

Great, we thank Shamoun for giving us a lecture on the importance of obedience to the Messenger since these arguments are one of the biggest blows to the hadeeth rejecting Muslim creed.

 

Sam Shamoun said:

The other major point to note is that in all of the above references where Allah and Muhammad are mentioned together, the passages conjoin the two through the use of the Arabic conjunction Wa ("and"). The significance of this use may be lost to the English readers but not to those who have studied the Muslim reference works.

According to Muslim authorities this conjunction implies partnership and co-equality, e.g. when a person or thing is mentioned alongside Allah using this specific conjunction this implies that that person or thing is Allah's partner or equal.

Muhammad himself realized this and forbade people from using this conjunction when speaking of Allah and someone or something else:

A Jewish man came to the Prophet and said: "Verily, you (Muslims) commit Shirk, for you say: 'As Allah wills and as you will;' and you say: 'By the Ka'bah!'" And so the Prophet ordered whoever wanted to swear, to say: "By the Lord of the Ka'bah" and to say: "As Allah wills, then as you will." (An-Nasaa'ee, it was declared saheeh by Albanee in as Saheehah # 137 and declared saheeh by Adh-Dhahabee in his checking of Al Mustadrak and declared saheeh by Ibn Hajar in Al Isaabah 4/389)

A man came to the Prophet and he said: "As Allah and you will," at which the Prophet said: "Would you set me up as a partner besides Allah? As Allah Alone Wills" (An-Nasaa'ee, declared authentic (hasan) by Albanee in as Saheehah # 139)

On the authority of At-Tufail the half brother of Aishah it is reported that he said: "I saw in a dream that I came upon a number of Jews and I said to them: 'You are indeed a good people were it not that you claim 'Uzair is the son of Allah.' They replied: 'You too are good, were it not that you say: As Allah wills and as Muhammad wills.' Then, I came upon a number of Christians and I said to them: 'You are indeed a good people were it not that you claim the Messiah (Jesus) is the son of Allah.' They replied: 'You are also good, were it not that you say: As Allah wills and as Muhammad wills.' When I awoke I told someone about this then I went to the Prophet and repeated it to him. He asked me: 'Have you told anyone about this?' I said: 'Yes.' Then he went to the pulpit and, after praising Allah, he said: 'At-Tufail had a dream which he has already communicated to some of you. You used to say something which I was prevented from forbidding to you until now. Henceforth do not say: As Allah wills and as Muhammad wills, but say: What Allah Alone Wills.'" (Ibn Maajah, Albanee mentioned it in as Saheehah # 138, Al Haythamee said in Majma Az-Zawaaid: the men in its chain are reliable according to the conditions of Imam Muslim) (Kitab At-Tawheed, by Sheikh ul-Islam Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab, translated by: Compilation and Research Department Dar-us-Salam [Dar-us-Salam Publications Riyadh-Saudi Arabia, 1996], Chapter 43: Saying: "As Allah Wills and You Will", pp. 21-22; source; underline emphasis ours)

A renowned Muslim scholar named Qadi Iyad Ibn Musa al-Yahsubi had this to say regarding Muslims joining Muhammad with Allah in their confession:

Qatada said, "Allah exalted his fame in this world and the Next. There is no speaker, witness nor anyone doing the prayer who fails to say, 'There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.'"

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri related that the Prophet said, "Jibril, peace be upon him, came to me and said, 'My Lord and your Lord says, 'Do you know how I have exalted your fame?"' I said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said, 'When I am mentioned you are mentioned with Me.'"

Ibn 'Ata quoted a hadith qudsi saying, "I completed belief with your being mentioned with Me." And another one which says, "I have made your mention part of My mention so whoever mentions Me, mentions you."

Ja'far ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq, "No one mentions you as the Messenger but that he mentions Me as the Lord."

The fact that mention of the Prophet is directly connected to mention of Allah also shows that obedience to the Prophet is connected to obedience to Allah and his name to Allah's name. Allah says, "Obey Allah and His Messenger" (2:32) and "Believe in Allah and His Messenger." (4:136) Allah joins them together using the conjunction wa WHICH IS THE CONJUNCTION OF PARTNERSHIP. IT IS NOT PERMITTED TO USE THIS CONJUNCTION IN CONNECTION WITH ALLAH IN THE CASE OF ANYONE EXCEPT THE PROPHET.

Hudhayfa said that the Prophet said, "None of you should say, 'What Allah wills and (wa) so-and-so wills.' Rather say, 'What Allah wills.' Then stop and say, 'So-and-so wills.'"

Al-Khattabi said, "The Prophet has guided you to correct behaviour in putting the will of Allah before the will of others. He chose 'then' (thumma) which implies sequence and deference as opposed to 'and' (wa) WHICH IMPLIES PARTNERSHIP."

Something similar is mentioned in another hadith. Someone was speaking in the presence of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, "Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has been rightly guided, and whoever rebels against them both (joining them together by using the dual form) ." The Prophet said to him, "What a bad speaker you are! Get up! [Or he said: Get out!]"

Abu Sulayman said, "He disliked the two names being joined together in that way BECAUSE IT IMPLIES EQUALITY." . (Iyad, Kitab Ash-shifa bi ta'rif huquq al-Mustafa (Healing by the recognition of the Rights of the Chosen One), translated by Aisha Abdarrahman Bewley [Madinah Press, Inverness, Scotland, U.K., third reprint 1991, paperback], pp. 7-8; bold and capital emphasis ours)

". He coupled his name with His own name, and his pleasure with His pleasure. He made him one of the two pillars of tawhid." (Ibid., p. 27)

Ibn 'Abbas said, "Written on the door of the Garden is: I am Allah. There is no god but Me. Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. I will not punish anyone who says that." (Ibid., p. 90)

 

My Response:

 

Obviously we can't say that Allah wills and Muhammad wills. For Allah has not given the Prophet (peace be upon him) authority to will things to happen. To say as Allah and the Prophet wills shows that both of them have exalted power in the same sense while there is no evidence that Allah has given the Prophet (peace be upon him) any such power.

 

This is in opposition to the previous example, which Shamoun showed from the verses talking about obeying Allah and His Messenger for there is evidence that Allah has sent down revelation to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and that He has given him authority to judge amongst the people based on the revelation sent to him.

So yes the word 'and' could imply equality in certain contexts but not always. This is even the case in the English language.

 

For example.

 

David and Mark should be obeyed. (This does not necessarily imply equality between David and Mark since David could possibly be the President of the country and Mark is the vice president)

 

God and Moses both will that the Sun will rise tomorrow. (This implies equality of power and this is blasphemous, for Moses does not have the power to will the Sun to rise. Only God does.)

 

In Arabic language, the letter (wa) - i.e., (and) - indicates either combination or succession. E.g., Zaid and Amr stood up. If I mean that they both stood up in the same time, then (Zaid and Amr) equals (Amr and Zaid), but if I mean that Zaid stood up first, then I should say (Zaid and Amr), (confer Ibn Faris, al-Sahibi, p. 157)

 

 

 

Shaykh Uthaymeen said...

 

When it comes to matters related to Shariah (Islamic law) then it is symbolized by saying (and) because whatever the prophet says in terms of religion it is as if it is said by Allah because Allah says: " whoever obeys the messenger obeys Allah" [Surah 4:80]. On the other hand, the matters that are related to universal matters we cannot say 'Allah and.' because Allah has control over everything which works according to His will.

So if someone says: would it rain tomorrow? And he was answered with: "Allah and his Messenger know!" Then know that this is wrong answer because the Prophet has no knowledge on such matters. However, if someone asks for example: "Is this Haram or halal?" And was answered with: "Allah and his messenger" then this is correct answer because the ruling of the prophet is the same ruling of Allah. as Allah says: whoever obeys the messenger obeys Allah" (Al-'Uthaimin, Sharh al-Arba'een al-Nawawiyyah, Hadith no. 1, Source)

 

 

So we see that the word 'and' does not always imply equality of essence at all times and context needs to be analysed.

 

Qadi Iyad said:

 

"Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has been rightly guided, and whoever rebels against them both (joining them together by using the dual form) ." The Prophet said to him, "What a bad speaker you are! Get up! [Or he said: Get out!]"

 

 

The surprise here is that Qadi 'Iyad here was not talking about (wa/and) at all, rather he was talking about joining Allah with any of His creatures in the same pronoun as (they) or (them). This usage is utterly forbidden; this is the reason why the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to the speaker: "What a bad speaker you are!"

 

Sam Shamoun said:

As if this weren't bad enough that Muhammad is joined to Allah as a partner, the following reference actually ascribes praise and worship to him!

Verily, We have sent you as a witness, as a bearer of glad tidings, and as a warner. In order that you may believe in Allah AND His Messenger, and that you assist and honour HIM and glorify HIS praises morning and afternoon. Verily, those who give allegiance to you they are giving to Allah. The hand of Allah is over their hands. Then whosoever breaks his pledge breaks only to his own harm, and whosoever fulfills what he has covenanted with Allah, He will bestow on him a great reward. S. 48:8-10

In this text, the nearest referent, the closest antecedent to the pronouns ("him," "his") is not Allah, but Muhammad! Basically, the author has written this citation in such a way that he ended up making Muhammad the object of a Muslim's praise, worship and glorification! As one late Christian writer noted:

"This sentence is disrupted because of a sudden shift from addressing Muhammad to addressing other people. Apart from this, the accusative pronoun in 'succour Him, and reverence Him' refers, beyond doubt, to Muhammad, who was mentioned earlier, not to God as the English translator understood it. But 'give Him glory' refers to God. The entire verse is chaotic. The reader cannot be expected to understand its true meaning from the arrangement of words. It is kufr ('unbelief') to say 'succour Him, and reverence Him, and that you may give Him glory at the dawn and in the evening' about Muhammad, since glory should be given to God alone. It is also kufr to make such a statement with reference to God, since God almighty is not in need for succour or help!" ('Abdallah 'Abd al-Fadi, Is the Qur'an Infallible? [Light of Life, PO Box 13, A-9503 Villach, Austria], pp. 182-183)

 

My Response:

 

First of all, Abd al-Fadi is ignorant of Arabic language whether it is in regards to its structure, grammar or expression. You can check this article exposing him and his likes of Arab Christians:
http://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vbe/showthread.php?t=671

It cannot be argued that "It is also kufr to make such a statement with reference to God, since God almighty is not in need for succour or help!" because assisting Allah means assisting His Cause and giving support to His religion and His Messenger as in Surah 47:7 "if you assist Allah, He will assist you".

Al-Zamakhshari says:

 

والضمائر لله عز وجلّ والمراد بتعزيز الله: تعزيز دينه ورسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم ومن فرق الضمائر فقد أبعد                                                                              

The pronouns belong to God (glory be to Him), and the meaning of "assisting God" is assisting His Religion and His Messenger. Whosoever breaks up the pronouns, has gone far. (Az-Zamakhshari, Tafsir-ul-Kashaf, Commentary on Surah 48:9, Source)

 

Other scholars such as Imam Razi and al-Nasafi agree with al-Zamakhshari.

Al-Alousi says:

 

وقيل: كلا الضميرين للرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم وروي عن ابن عباس، وزعم بعضهم أنه يتعين كون الضمير في { تعزروه } للرسول عليه الصلاة والسلام لتوهم أن التعزير لا يكون له سبحانه وتعالى كما يتعين عند الكل كون الضمير في قوله تعالى: { وَتُسَبّحُوهُ } لله سبحانه وتعالى، ولا يخفى أن الأولى كون الضميرين فيما تقدم لله تعالى أيضاً لئلا يلزم فك الضمائر من غير ضرورة

It was said that the two pronouns refer to the Messenger (peace be upon him) and so was narrated on authority of Ibn 'Abbas. Some claimed that the pronoun in "assist Him" must refer to the Messenger for imagining that assistance cannot be attributed to God the Most High. Also, all agree that pronouns in "honour Him and celebrate His praises" refer to God the Most High. Obviously, it is prior of the first two pronouns to refer to God the Most High in order not to break up the pronouns without necessity. (Al-Alousi, Rooh Al Ma'aani, Commentary on Surah 48:9, Source)

Ibn 'Ashour says:

 

وضمائر الغيبة المنصوبة الثلاثة عائدة إلى اسم الجلالة لأن إفراد الضمائر مع كون المذكور قبلها اسمين دليل على أن المراد أحدهما. والقرينة على تعيين المراد ذكر { وتسبحوه }                

The three pronouns refer to God the Glorious due to the fact that mention of two nouns before singular pronouns indicates that only one of them is meant. The clue to recognize which of them is meant is the mention of "and celebrate His praises". (Ibn 'Ashour, Al Tahreer wal Tanweer, Commentary on Surah 48:9, Source)


In conclusion: The three pronouns in the holy verse under discussion refer to God the Most High. For those who think that saying, "assist God" is blasphemous, we reply that it actually refers to assisting God's Religion and His Messenger as Az-Zamakhshari has stated and as Al Razi and Al-Nasafi and have affirmed in their commentaries.