The Meaning of the Saying of Allah the Exalted: "The God of the People"
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : That is, the one worshipped by the people. "Ilah" means the one worshipped. As for His being the Lord of the people, that is clear, and no one denies the lordship of Allah, not even the polytheists. If you ask them, "Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?" what do they say? "Allah." They do not deny it. His being the King is also not denied, because everyone knows that no one can repel what Allah wills, and that nothing can ever prevent Allah. But "the God of the people," meaning the one worshipped by the people—do all people worship Allah? Answer me, everyone. Some of them worship idols, some worship trees, some worship the sun, some worship the moon, some worship cows, and some worship the private parts—strange things indeed. When a person looks at the books of sects and creeds, he is amazed at the minds of the sons of Adam and how they reach this state. The Arabs before the mission of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), whom Allah sent as a mercy to the servants, are recorded in history as kneading a date with another date into the shape of an object of worship, then bowing to it and prostrating to it. And when they got hungry, they ate it. May Allah have mercy on them, it is eaten, but it is foolishness. For this reason, Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Baqarah 2:130]. It is also recorded about them that they would say: if a person descended to a piece of land and wanted to cook, he would bring four stones, look at the best one in his view, and make it an object of worship to worship, and the other three? They are supports for the fire. Glory be to Allah! Stones he picked up from the ground; he makes one of them a god and uses the three for kindling.
In any case, we say: Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is truly the God of the people. He is truly the God of the people. As for all the objects of worship that people deify, they are invalid. What is the evidence, my brother?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : What is the evidence that all the objects of worship that were taken as gods are invalid?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : What?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Wrong. Is there nothing but this? Sit down. Pay attention, my brother. Pay attention. Where did your mind wander? Where did you go? Tell me the truth so that I may excuse you.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Who will bring the evidence that the objects of worship other than Allah are invalid? And it is a problem, everyone, meaning none of you except this small number knows this. This is a matter that everyone must know. Do you have evidence?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Fine.[Al-Hajj 22:62] Our brother read [Luqman 31:30]. Is what he read correct? Yes. No, my brother, he nods his head indicating that it is not correct, but we say it is correct. There are two verses: the verse [Luqman 31:30]. So where is this verse? Please. Stand up.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Wrong. Go ahead.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Here.[Al-Hajj 22:62] In which surah? Please, stand up, stand up. May Allah reward you with good.
The student: Al-Hajj.
The Shaykh : In Surat al-Hajj. May Allah bless you.
[Al-Hajj 22:62].
And whoever turns away from the religion of Ibrahim—and it is tawhid (the oneness of Allah)—except one who has made himself a fool
إله الناسAnd who would be averse to the religion of Abraham except one who makes a fool of himself
ومن يرغب عن ملة إبراهيم ـ وهي التوحيد ـ إلا من سفه نفسهIn any case, we say: Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is truly the God of the people. He is truly the God of the people. As for all the objects of worship that people deify, they are invalid. What is the evidence, my brother?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : What is the evidence that all the objects of worship that were taken as gods are invalid?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : What?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Wrong. Is there nothing but this? Sit down. Pay attention, my brother. Pay attention. Where did your mind wander? Where did you go? Tell me the truth so that I may excuse you.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Who will bring the evidence that the objects of worship other than Allah are invalid? And it is a problem, everyone, meaning none of you except this small number knows this. This is a matter that everyone must know. Do you have evidence?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Fine.
That is because Allah is the Truth, and that which they call upon other than Him is falsehood
ذلك بأن الله هو الحق وأن ما يدعون من دونه هو الباطلand that what they call upon other than Him is falsehood
وأن ما يدعون من دونه الباطلThat is because Allah is the Truth, and that what they call upon other than Him is falsehood
ذلك بأن الله هو الحق وأن ما يدعون من دونه الباطلThe student: ... .
The Shaykh : Wrong. Go ahead.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Here.
and that which they call upon other than Him is falsehood
وأن ما يدعونه من دونه هو الباطلThe student: Al-Hajj.
The Shaykh : In Surat al-Hajj. May Allah bless you.