AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): In one of his speeches, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, addresses the importance of monotheism referring to verses 114 to 121 of Surah Al-An'am because it provides the principles of belief and an important basis of individual and social practice.
Explaining the meaning of the term “worshipping” he said, “If a person unconditionally obeys someone, for example, a human being, or a human society, and implements his or their commands in his life, body and soul, and his actions, this means that he has worshiped him or them.”
“If someone really wants to worship, that is, to worship only God and refuse to worship anything other than God – that is, to be monotheistic – he must also devote his absolute obedience to the Lord of the worlds, to God the Great; and the primary objective of all prophets was to liberate humanity from the bonds of servitude to anything other than God,” he added.
Surah Al-An'am, Verse 114:
“[Say,] ‘Shall I seek a judge other than Allah, while it is He who has sent down to you the Book, well-elaborated?’ Those whom We have given the Book know that it has been sent down from your Lord with the truth; so do not be one of the skeptics.”
Surah Al-An'am, Verse 115:
“The word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and justice. Nothing can change His words, and He is the All-hearing, the All-knowing.”
About this verse, Ayatollah Khamenei said, “The Lord commanded was that the prophets should come and bring the people gradually to the final stage, then, the last prophet would come and confront the humans with a vast horizon and an infinite field; and grant them the means of walking, running, and evolution as much as possible, so that they could go to the infinite path, to God.”
Surah Al-An'am, Verse 116:
“If you obey most of those on the earth, they will lead you astray from the way of Allah. They follow nothing but conjectures and they do nothing but surmise.”
Regarding verse 116 of Surah Al-An'am, Ayatollah Khamenei said, “Those who falsify and suggest ways, traditions, and methods for people’s lives, are sure of the authenticity of these ways? Or do they want to rule the world people and human societies with estimates, guesses, and theories? But God does not rule anyone with theory. Rather, He, in the true sense, guides people to the right path with reality and knowledge.”
Surah Al-An'am, Verse 118:
“Eat from that over which Allah’s Name has been mentioned, if you are believers in His signs.”
In the importance of God’s Name, and the interpretation of verse 118, he said, “The work that starts with the name and remembrance of God, its direction is also divine.”
Surah Al-An'am, Verse 120:
“Renounce outward sins and the inward ones. Indeed those who commit sins shall be requited for what they used to commit.”
On the consequences of the sins and the interpretation of verse 120, he said, “Man does not know how grave some things are. For example, speaking without knowledge, following other than knowledge, belittling the name and the remembrance of God, obeying other than God, and obeying the commands of other than God; These are things that man does not imagine having so much harm and bad consequences.”
Surah Al-An'am, Verse 121:
“Do not eat [anything] of that over which Allah’s Name has not been mentioned, and that is indeed transgression. Indeed the satans inspire their friends to dispute with you; and if you obey them, you will indeed be polytheists.”
About the graveness of the issue of obeying other than God, Ayatollah Khamenei said, “The devils, and the poles of corruption, coach their henchmen, friends, comrades, and allies to argue and clash with you. What is your duty in front of these friends of Satan and devils? If you obey and follow them, you are polytheists!”
“The Holy Quran does not consider refraining from worshiping others apart from God as a sufficient condition to be a monotheist. But adds another condition to it: avoiding obeying rivals and opponents of God,” he added.
He further said, “This topic is so clearly raised in the Quranic culture that in some cases obedience and following have been considered worshipping, and those who obey other than God have been identified as polytheists. From this point of view, the worship of God, which is the spirit and meaning of monotheism, can be introduced with the expression “exclusive worship and obedience of God”, and worship and obedience other than God is considered polytheism.”
Source: A part of Grand Ayatollah Khamenei’s speech in 1974 at Imam Hassan (a.s.) Mosque in Mashhad.
**************
End/ 345