The Greatest Foolishness

From Dr. Akram Nadwi’s Official Telegram Channel

Disclaimer: This article has been translated using AI. The original article in Urdu can be found at: https://t.me/DrAkramNadwi/5786.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Western Student: What is the greatest foolishness?
Indian Teacher: Associating partners with Allah (shirk) is the greatest foolishness. Polytheists belong to various categories. While they are united in their core practice of shirk, their manifestations differ. Some carve idols and statues, erect them, and prostrate before them. Others worship the sun, moon, stars, earth, mountains, seas, rivers, trees, and plants. Some bow before animals, insects, and creatures, while others call upon angels, devils, tyrants, and righteous humans (whether alive or dead).

Western Student: How have you concluded that shirk is the greatest foolishness? Please explain.
Indian Teacher: Imagine a king invites a man to his palace, offers him a variety of foods, serves him delicious and refreshing drinks, gifts him fine garments, and bestows many other honors. In return, the man denies the king’s generosity, disregards him entirely, and instead thanks the plates, spoons, forks, and cups. He prostrates before the dining tables and begins to glorify and worship the garments and other gifts. What would you say about such a person?

Western Student: I have never heard of anyone thanking dishes and clothing. This is a strange and absurd example!
Indian Teacher: Foolishness is always strange, and the greatest foolishness appears the strangest. Does the polytheist not worship things that can neither harm nor benefit, neither hear nor see, neither possess knowledge nor power, nor have life or death? Does this example not perfectly fit such a polytheist? The foolishness of polytheists is so evident that it needs no further explanation. They are like animals, or even more astray.

Western Student: Why do you consider them more astray than animals?
Indian Teacher: If I offer food to a dog in a bowl, will it be grateful to me or the bowl?
Western Student: It will be grateful to you and remain loyal to you.
Indian Teacher: Have you ever seen a dog express gratitude to the river it drinks water from?
Western Student: No.
Indian Teacher: If you throw a stone at a dog, will it chase the stone to bite it?
Western Student: No.
Indian Teacher: See, a dog differentiates between the human and the medium through which it receives benefit or harm, despite not having the intellect granted to humans. Now tell me, is the polytheist not more misguided than dogs and other animals?

Indian Teacher: Polytheists exhibit stark contradictions in their own lives.
Western Student: What do you mean?
Indian Teacher: A Hindu claims that an idol represents God and that God resides within it. If his son dies and you make a statue of his son, presenting it as his son, will he be satisfied and accept it as his real son?
Western Student: No.
Indian Teacher: Hindus worship cow idols in their temples, but when they need milk, do they turn to the cow idols or the real cows?
Western Student: I have never seen a Hindu milking a cow idol.
Indian Teacher: If someone steals golden idols, will the idols protect themselves or inform their worshippers about the thief?
Western Student: No.
Indian Teacher: Apply this reasoning to all forms of shirk. Polytheists worship imagined and delusional entities. They call upon angels, jinn, Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him), his mother, and other humans. Their condition is like that of a person mistaking a mirage for water.

Indian Teacher: Understand that Allah has made all creation dependent on Him for their existence, creation, and sustenance. Every small and large entity thrives only through His grace and blessings. If anyone arrogantly turns away from Him, they wrong their own souls, and their end is nothing but clear corruption and manifest loss.

Category: Islamic Creed, Critical Thinking