Man has been granted an inherent ability to recognize the Oneness of Allah Ta’ala. Thousands upon thousands of people throughout history have realised and understood the majesty, grace and power of Allah Ta’ala through His many signs placed in the universe and the reminders given by the Messengers.

However, because of being duped by the devil, base desires and irrational imitation of those that went astray, some fell into the humiliation of idol worship. Idol worship arose time and time again in the history of the world, illustrating the danger it poses to a person of a sound and rational mind.

Hindus and other polytheists see idol worship as perfectly normal. This is far from the truth and rationality. In fact, polytheists vent their anger and frustration to sometimes violent levels in order to defend their deities.

The Noble Qur’ān tells us of Ibrāhīm alayhi as-salām, who advised his father and his people with great concern:

‘And mention in the Book [the story of] Ibrāhīm. Indeed, he was a man of truth and a Messenger. [Mention] when he said to his father, “O my father, why do you worship that which does not hear and does not see and will not benefit you at all?”^[1]

In another verse:

‘And We had certainly given Ibrāhīm his sound judgment before, and We were of him well-Knowing. When he said to his father and his people, “What are these statues to which you are devoted?” They said, “We found our fathers worshippers of them.” He said, “You were certainly, you and your fathers, in manifest error.”^[2]

The father of Ibrāhīm alayhi as-salām and his people continued in their ways, but had no reasonable answer to give for their idolatry. When Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam advised his people to give up idolatry, he also was met with scorn and mockery too.

And they wonder that there has come to them a warner [i.e., Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] from among themselves. And the disbelievers say, “This is a magician and a liar. Has he made the gods [only] one God? Indeed, this is a curious thing.”

And the eminent among them went forth, [saying], “Continue, and be patient over [the defense of] your gods. Indeed, this is a thing intended. We have not heard of this in the latest religion. This is not but a fabrication.^[3]

The pagans of Makkah felt duty-bound to defend their idols and statues, yet these deities were nothing but pieces of stone and wood that they carved with their own hands.

The same goes for the Hindu deities; they are figments of imagination, pictures, carvings and drawings that cannot hear, see or speak. They have no power, no ability and do not even know what people are doing to revere them. Despite this, Hindus will pray to such things and feel noble and praiseworthy to bow before such strange images and statues. Instead of resorting to rationality and feeding the less fortunate, even among their own, they will regard it an honour to place food before a lifeless statue.

Is this not anything less than outrageously inane?

This is how Hindu devotion is described:

A devout Hindu is not ashamed of going to a temple and bowing before an idol. He has no hesitation to stand in front of it and speak to it as if he were talking to an individual with exemplary faith and devotion which is not of this world. He may be rich or poor, seeking something or simply praying without any expectation, educated or uneducated, his devotion and dedication to God and his service are unquestionable.^[4]

Deep down in the heart, even a Hindu knows that these deities and idols are helpless and cannot even help themselves and he or she cannot offer any reasonable explanation for their helpless deities. They admit this openly among themselves:

History is replete with such instances where Hindu temples were destroyed, and the idols were subjected to desecration and senseless vandalism in the medieval times by Muslim armies. The gods of Hinduism allowed it to happen. They remained silent and offered no help to the defenders of faith. It does not mean the gods were helpless. They probably let it happen as part of the progression of time upon earth.^[5]

In the above text, we discover the irrational stance of a devout Hindu, ‘it does not mean the gods were helpless.’ Despite these stone and wood carvings being destroyed and crushed, yet the modern human mind fails to perceive their helplessness?

The same happened with the people of Ibrāhīm alayhi as-salām – who destroyed the idols that his nation worshipped, and left the axe hanging on the neck of the biggest one – yet the idolaters stubbornly held onto their beliefs, and threw the Messenger of Allah Ibrāhīm alayhi as-salām into a fire in order to defend their gods.

Glory be to Allah, the gods needed humans to defend them? Where does the irrationality end?

Notes

1. Sūrah Maryam: 41, 42 ↑
2. Sūrah Al-Anbiyā’: 51 – 54 ↑
3. Sūrah Sād: 4 -7 ↑
4. https://www.hinduwebsite.com/idols.asp ↑
5. https://www.hinduwebsite.com/idols.asp ↑

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