۞ The First Idols: How Polytheistic Worship Emerged ۞
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Allaah (ﷻ) created mankind and the jinn to worship Him alone, and He provided for them everything they need to fulfil this purpose.
Allaah, the Exalted, said:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ مَآ أُرِيدُ مِنْهُم مِّن رِّزْقٍۢ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَن يُطْعِمُونِ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلرَّزَّاقُ ذُو ٱلْقُوَّةِ ٱلْمَتِينُ
“And I have not created jinn and mankind except to worship Me. I seek no provision from them, nor do I need them to feed Me. Indeed, Allaah is the Provider, the Possessor of strength, the Firm.”
[Adh-Dhaariyaat 51:56-58]
Tawheed is firmly rooted in the natural disposition (fitrah) of mankind, while Shirk is something that enters into and corrupts that natural disposition.
Allaah (ﷻ) says:
فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًۭا ۚ فِطْرَتَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِى فَطَرَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا ۚ لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
“So direct your face towards the religion, inclining to truth—the Fitrah (natural disposition) of Allaah upon which He has created mankind. There is no changing the creation of Allaah. That is the straight religion, but most people do not know.”
[Ar-Rum 30:30]
And the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ
كُلُّ مَوْلُودٍ يُولَدُ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ، فَأَبَوَاهُ يُهَوِّدَانِهِ أَوْ يُنَصِّرَانِهِ أَوْ يُمَجِّسَانِهِ
“Every child is born upon the Fitrah (natural disposition), then his parents make him a Jew, a Christian, or a Magian.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1385; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2658]
Therefore, Tawheed is the original state of mankind. Mankind was initially upon Tawheed, but Shaytaan gradually led people away from it until Shirk appeared.
Polytheism and corruption in Aqeedah first became widespread among the people of Nūḥ (عليه السلام), and Nūḥ (عليه السلام) was the first Messenger sent to mankind.
Allaah (ﷻ) says:
وَقَالُوا۟ لَا تَذَرُنَّ ءَالِهَتَكُمْ وَلَا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّۭا وَلَا سُوَاعًۭا وَلَا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًۭا
“And they said: Never leave your gods, and never leave Wadd, nor Suwaa‘, nor Yaghooth, nor Ya‘ooq, nor Nasr.”
[Nūḥ 71:23]
Ibn ‘Abbaas (رضي الله عنهما) explained that these were the names of righteous men from the people of Nūḥ. When they died, Shaytaan inspired their people to make statues in the places where they used to gather and name them after them. The people did so, but the statues were not worshipped at first. When that generation died and knowledge was forgotten, the statues were eventually worshipped.
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4920]
This shows how Shirk develops gradually. It may begin with something that appears to be a good intention—remembering righteous people—but eventually leads people away from the worship of Allaah alone.
Although many people throughout history committed Shirk in worship, most of them still acknowledged that Allaah is the Creator, Provider and Controller of the universe. Their main error was directing acts of worship to others besides Him.
Allaah (ﷻ) says:
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَسَخَّرَ ٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ لَيَقُولُنَّ ٱللَّهُ
“And if you ask them who created the heavens and the earth and subjected the sun and the moon, they will surely say: Allaah.”
[Al-‘Ankabūt 29:61]
Thus, merely believing that Allaah exists and that He is the Creator is not sufficient. A person must also worship Allaah alone, without directing any act of worship to another.
May Allaah (ﷻ) keep us firm upon Tawheed, protect us from every form of Shirk, and guide us and our families to the Straight Path.
*آمِيْن*
