GOD: THERE IS NO OTHER GOD BESIDE HIM

If you ask any Muslim, even a casual Muslim, what’s the first “pillar” of Islam, they’ll tell you without hesitation the shahadah: I bear witness that there is no god besides God. Most will then nullify that very statement by adding Muhammad’s name. And that’s the problem. Every Muslim knows absolutely that the fundamental aspect of Islam is to worship God ALONE. Every human being comes with the natural instinct to worship God. So, as it says in 23:89: Where did we go wrong?

It’s not as if God doesn’t give us lots of chances. Because we’re weak and rebellious and egotistic, God gives us opportunities to repent and reform, to grow our souls, and to be appreciative. Not just a single chance, but chance after chance. He is so merciful. And since we’re so thick-headed, He makes sure that the information is available to us in multiple forms. So if we don’t get it the first time, maybe we’ll recognize it the second or the third.

That’s especially true of His command to us to worship Him alone.

We came to this earth because we failed to uphold God’s absolute authority. We waffled and thought perhaps there could be another god with God. So we’re here to denounce that idolatry and wholeheartedly worship God alone. So in His final scripture, the Quran, God reminds us over and over in many different ways that this is our first and most important duty. It’s the only way our souls can grow enough to return to His presence in the Hereafter.

From Sura 1, where God gives us the words that will save us—You alone we worship; You alone we ask for help—to Sura 112, where He tells us four times that He is the only One worthy of  worship:

Proclaim, “He is the One and only GOD. The Absolute GOD. Never did He beget. Nor was He begotten. None equals Him.” [112:1-4]

God repeatedly informs us in beautiful various ways to worship Him alone. Dozens of times, He repeats the phrase There is no god but He (to name a few: 2:63, 3:18, 2:255,

3:6, 20:8, 27:26, 44:8, 59:22-4). So how much clearer can that be? Well, then to make it clearer, He tells us that all the messengers preached the same message to worship God alone:

To `Aad we sent their brother Hood. He said, “O my people, worship GOD; you have no other god beside Him. Would you then observe righteousness?” [7:65] (see also 7:59,73,85; 11:50,61,84; 23:32; 5:72,117)

He puts it as a direct command to us: You shall worship GOD alone - do not associate anything with Him. [4:36]  

Then He puts it in the first person: “I am GOD; there is no other god beside Me. You shall worship Me alone, and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) to remember Me. [20:14] 

GOD has proclaimed: “Do not worship two gods; there is only one god. You shall reverence Me alone.” [16:51] 

Then He makes it a double negative: You shall not worship beside GOD any other god.

Cont’d on page 2