Divine-Kingship:
Some advocate the mistaken and misleading belief
that God is basically present in everything. Others confine
within man. Those who claimed divinity for themselves basically
claimed that God was more present in them than others. Its
characteristics are: Belief about relationship of dependence
between king and nature, degree of seclusion imposed on him,
primacy of ritual, sacerdotal over administrative action,
and the conceptual centrality of the kingship within the religious-belief
system. Divine king is considered as the reincarnation of
some past hero and death as his or that of his successor's
choice and not due to any other cause. Alexander the great
(336-323 BCE) and his successors created a model for deification,
though man `becoming’ god is known in Egyptian and Roman
traditions also. In the Eastern provinces, the living emperor
was worshiped. In Rome, however, deification (consecratio)
ceremony was decreed after death for the emperor, if he was
worthy of it.
Hammurabi's
Code:It was believed that the `gods', as guardians
of cities of Mesopotamia gave laws, and the king enacted them.
Hammurabi, the king of first dynasty of Babylon (1792-1750
BCE) compiled the famous Code of Laws, which states that gods
instructed him to establish justice in the land. It also recognizes
social obligation of the temple.
Philosophy and Religion
Theism:There
are different concepts about `theism'. (1) The belief in a
single divine being (`God' rather than a god), as personal
and actively related to but distinct from the divinely created
reality including human beings. Thus `theism' holds to both
the `immanence' (the presence within and interaction with
the world) and the `transcendence' (the `otherness', independence,
and separation from the world) of God. In this it is contrasted
with `pantheism' on the one hand, and on the other, with `deism'
which holds God to be the creator but not active in what he
created. (2) The belief in the self-existent perfect Spirit,
upon whom the world depends for its existence, continuance,
meaning and purpose. (3) The belief in One God Who has created
heaven and earth is at the very centre of faith. The Unity
of God, and His loving relationship which man needs are some
of the main ingredients.
Atheism:(i)
Belief that there is no God. It is basically a disbelief in
the existence of any gods or of God. This may take the form
of: (a) Dogmatic rejection of specific beliefs, e.g. of Theism.
(b) Skepticism about all religious claims, or (c) Agnosticism,
that humans can never be certain in matters of religious knowledge
(e.g. whether God exists or not). (ii) An atheist is the one
who may hold a belief in God to be false, or irrational or
meaningless. (iii) A sort of form of `religion' which rejects
the reality or ultimacy of all superbeings.
Deism:Belief
in the existence of Divine Being, but without acceptance of
revelation or religious dogma. It originally referred to the
belief in one God, as opposed to atheism and polytheism..
Monism:Belief
that reality is of one kind, as against dualism and pluralism.
A `monist' may hold that all is `spirit' (one meaning of idealism)
or all is matter (materialism). As regards man, monism rejects
any dualism of body and mind or of flesh and spirit. Neutral
monism holds that the material and the spiritual, the physical
and the mental, are aspects of one being or substance. Some
`pantheism' is explicitly monist.
Dualism:The
belief that the `real' is of two kinds, or in two ultimate
controlling powers. Metaphysical dualism may oppose matter
to spirit , while dualistic religion involves belief in two
externally conflicting factors. Modified dualism holds God
to be ambivalent, both benevolent and malevolent.
Pantheism:Belief
that the whole of reality is divine. It may be: (i) Cosmic
(World-affirming), i.e. equating God and nature. (ii) Acosmic
(World-denying), i.e. sense-experience is illusory and
only the divine is real.
Panentheism:The
Cosmic Pantheism is similar to Panentheism, in which God includes
and permeates, but is not exhausted by all that is known in
sense-experience.
Monotheism: Belief that there is One, but Only One, Divine
Being Alone.
Polytheism (Shirk): `Shirk’ in Arabic means `partnership
or association.’ Belief in or to practice idolatry (worship)
is to associate any other being, any other person or concept
with Allah. Worship of any such thing or such practice is
polytheism. Idolatry is polytheism (Shirk) and Idolater is
a polytheist (Mushrik). Idolatry is the unpardonable sin:
"Allah forgives not
that partners should be set up with Him;
but He forgives anything
else, to whom He pleases;
to set up partners with
Allah
is to devise a sin most
heinous indeed.” 4-48
"It is not for the
prophet or the faithful
to pray for the forgiveness
of those,
even though they be of
kin,
who associate other beings
with God,
after it hath been made
clear to them
that they are to be the
inmates of Hell." 9-113
In its broader sense,
it includes adherence to principles, values and life style
inconsistent or opposed to teachings, moral values and beliefs
of the Quran. It does not essentially require denial of or
the declaration against the existence of Allah. Such stances
taken by polytheists are explained in the Quran, e.g in 6-
22 to 24. It also includes sharing or diversion of `love’,as
they should love Allah’, for other beings, besides or
instead of Him:
“Yet
there are men who take, others, besides Allah, as equal:
They love them as they should love Allah.
But those of the Faith are overflowing in their
love for Allah.” 2-165
“And
he (Abraham, Peace be upon him) said:
You have taken idols besides Allah,
Out of mutual love and regard,
Between yourselves in this life,..” 29-25
Another reason main reason to commit Shirk is
fear. Like love, fear should also be only for Allah:
“Take not two gods:
for, He is just One Allah.
Then fear Me (and Me Alone).
To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and
on earth ,
And to Him is duty due always:
Then will you fear other than Allah?” 16-51
& 52
“When
the order for fighting was issued to them,
Behold! a section of them feared men as –-or
even more than –
they should have feared Allah.” 4-77
Furthermore
there are other attitudes of preferences involving basic concept
of Tauheed of Allah which amount to Shirk or Idolatry. This
includes rejection of some commandments of Allah and hence
creation of divisions or divergence in the revealed Diin.
Polytheists deeds are not accepted:
“But it has already been revealed to you,
as it was to those who went before you,
`If you were to associate other gods with Allah,
truly, fruitless would your work in life be.’
And you would surely be in the ranks of those
,
Who lose all spiritual good.” 39-65
The Quran explains idolatry in detail, e.g:9-28, 22-31,31-13,18-110
Henotheism:Concentration
upon one god whereas many gods are believed to exist in belief
or myth.
Kathenotheism:It
is the same as henotheism, but more precisely it concerns
with one god in worship at a time.
Monolatory:It
is also used for the worship of one god only, while the existence
of other gods is accepted and not questioned, nor objected.
Syncretism:The
fusion of religious cults or movements is known as syncretism.
In the ancient world, new cults were formed by merging elements
from different traditions, mainly in circumstances of political
or cultural domination / subjugation. Romans had absorbed
foreign.
(e.g. Greek) gods also in their system. In addition
they adopted their own by the amalgamation of ritual, myth
and iconography. Greeks and Romans were aware that different
people worshiped the same gods under different names. In the
subjugated or conquered areas the gods of the conqueror were
introduced.
Astrolatory
(Star-worship or Sabaism):Sun, moon, planets
and stars have been worshiped as gods. Their worship evolves
from awe, beauty, regularity, mystery, power etc., and various
phenomena and effects connected with them. From Mesopotamia
star-worship passed into Greeco-Roman culture. In the 3rd
century CE sun-worship and its terrestrial counterpart emperor
became an official religion in the Roman empire.
Mithras
(Mithraism):Mithras was worshiped as the solar
god and its mysteries incorporated much arcane astral lore.
Mithras was a god popular in the Roman empire from the 2nd
to the 5th centuries CE. It is believed, to be originally
Indo-Iranian deity. Mithras was taken as a creator, saviour
and father of all. It was socially respectable, being popular
among military and officials.
The
Scene at Makkah and Surroundings:Only two
generations earlier (about middle of the sixth century C.E.),
the Quraysh had lived a harsh nomadic life in the Arabian
steppes, like other Bedouin tribes: each day had required
a grim struggle for survival. During last years of the sixth
century, however, they became extremely successful in trade
and made Mecca the most important settlement in Arabia. They
were now rich beyond their wildest dreams. Yet their
drastically altered lifestyle meant that the old tribal values
had been superseded by a rampant and ruthless capitalism.
People felt obviously disoriented and lost. The Quraysh
were making a new religion out of money (instead of being
the dutiful righteous obedient worshipers to God, as commanded
by Him, Who made them rich.)
(p.155, A
History of God, Karen Armstrong).
“For
the taming (conditioning)of the Quraysh,
The (Quraysh) caravans
to set forth safe
in winter (to the South), and
in summer (to the North, without any fear),
So let them worship-obey,
The Lord-Master-Owner-Sustainer (Allah)
of this House (Ka’baah in Makkah)
Who (Allah) has fed them against hunger,
And has made them safe from fear.” Surah
106
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