The Good Monotheist

The Good Monotheist

1989 3 March 3 The Good Monotheist (310) “Allah – there is no god but Him. In Allah let the faithful put their trust.”

Religion is not worthy of the name unless it hinges solely on monotheism. Islam, therefore, demands that all of one’s attention be turned to God, to the exclusion of all else.

Belief in one God implies trusting God above all else and reserving all one’s emotions of love and fear and hope for Him alone. With man’s ability to think and feel, he needs a focal point to which he may relate and in which he may repose his trust. By his very nature, man seeks some external point of dependence. Unable wholly to rely on his own meagre inner resources, he seeks a prop in life – one which will compensate for his own shortcomings. But the worship of entities other than God (i.e. polytheism) is no solution to the problem. Monotheism, as advocated by Islam, and in accordance with which all feelings of devotion and adoration are directed towards God, is the true solution to man’s problems.

The Quran gives due warning to those who are attracted by polytheism: “There are some who make others equal to God, bestowing on them the adoration due to God, though, the love of God is stronger in the faithful. But if only they could see their punishment, the wrongdoers would know that might is His alone, and that God is stern in retribution” (2: 165).

The true monotheist is one who discovers God in all His perfection, and regards Him as his greatest treasure. This is indeed the greatest discovery that man can make. It is only natural then that he should be filled with love and devotion for Him, and that he should also fear His wrath. “They vied with each other in good works and called on Us with piety, fear and submission.” (Quran, 21:90)