Al-Shahrastani (d. 548 A.H.) on the Concept of Tawheed and Ibadah
He said in his Al-Milal wal-Nihal, vol. 3, pp. 104-105:
نعلم قطعا أن عاقلا ما لا ينحت جسما بيده ويصوره صورة ثم يعتقد أنه إلهه وخالقه، وإله الكل وخالق الكل، إذ كان وجوده مسبوقا بوجود صانعه، وشكله يحدث بصنعة ناحته. لكن القوم لما عكفوا على التوجه إليها؛ كان عكوفهم ذلك عبادة، وطلبهم الحوائج منها إثبات إلهية لها. وعن هذا كانوا يقولون: ﴿مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَى﴾ ١ فلو كانوا مقتصرين على صورها في اعتقاد الربوبية والإلهية لما تعدوا عنها إلى رب الأرباب
“We are certain that no rational person would sculpt an object with their own hands, form it into a shape, and then believe that it is their god and creator, or the god and creator of all, given that the existence of its maker, precedes its existence and its form is the result of the craftsman’s work. However, when the people became devoted to these objects, their devotion became a form of Ibadah, and their supplication for needs from these idols served as an affirmation of divinity (ilahiyyah) for them. This is why they said, “We only worship them so they may bring us nearer to God” (Qur’an 39:3). Had they confined their belief in the idols solely to the notion of Rububiyyah and Uluhiyyah, they would not have extended beyond them to the Lord of all lords.”
He also said in his Nihayat al-Iqdam fi ‘Ilm Al-Kalam, pp. 74-75:
أمَّا تعطيلُ العالَمِ عن الصَّانِعِ العالِم القادِرِ الحَكيمِ فلستُ أراها مَقالةً لأحدٍ، ولا أعرفُ عليها صاحِبَ مقالةٍ، إلَّا ما نُقِلَ عن شِرْذِمةٍ قليلةٍ مِن الدَّهريَّةِ أنَّهم قالوا: العالَمُ كان في الأزَلِ أجزاءً مَبثوثةً تتحَرَّكُ على غيرِ استقامةٍ، واصطكَّت اتِّفاقًا؛ فحصل العالَمُ بشَكْلِه الذي تراه عليه!.. ولستُ أرى صاحِبَ هذه المقالةِ مِمَّن يُنكِرُ الصَّانِعَ، بل هو مُعترِفٌ بالصَّانِعِ أيضًا، لكِنَّه يُحيلُ سبَبَ وُجودِ العالَمِ على البَحثِ والاتِّفاقِ؛ احترازًا عن التَّعليلِ، فما عَدَدتُ هذه المسألةَ مِن النَّظَريَّاتِ التي يُقامُ عليها برهانٌ؛ فإنَّ الفِطَرَ السَّليمةَ الإنسانيَّةَ شَهِدَت بضَرورةِ فِطْرتِها وبَديهةِ فِكرتِها على صانعٍ حكيمٍ عالمٍ قَديرٍ، {أَفِي اللَّهِ شَكٌّ فاطِرِ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ} [إبراهيم: 10]، {وَلَئِنْ سَأَلْتَهُمْ مَنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ خَلَقَهُنَّ الْعَزِيزُ الْعَلِيمُ} [الزخرف: 9]، وإن هم غَفَلوا عن هذه الفِطْرةِ في حالِ السَّرَّاءِ فلا شَكَّ أنَّهم يلوذون إليه في حالِ الضَّرَّاءِ، {دَعَوُا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ} [يونس: 22].. ولهذا لم يَرِدِ التَّكليفُ بمَعرِفةِ وُجودِ الصَّانعِ، وإنَّما ورد بمَعرِفةِ التَّوحيدِ ونَفْيِ الشَّريكِ
“As for the notion of the world being without a knowledgeable, powerful, and wise Creator, I do not consider this to be a view held by anyone, nor do I know of any proponents of such an idea, except for a small group of materialists who claim that the world existed in primordial scattered parts, moving randomly until they coincidentally collided, forming the world in the shape we see today!... However, I do not believe that those who hold this view deny the existence of a Creator altogether. Rather, they acknowledge the existence of a Creator but attribute the world’s formation to chance and coincidence, avoiding the notion of intentional causation. I do not regard this matter as one of theoretical debate that requires evidence, for sound human nature, by its very essence and instinctive thought, testifies to the necessity of a wise, knowledgeable, and powerful Creator. As the Qur’an states, “Is there doubt about God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth?” (Ibrahim 14:10), and “If you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they will surely say: ‘The Almighty, the All-Knowing created them’” (Az-Zukhruf 43:9). Even if people overlook this instinct in times of ease, they undeniably turn to Him in times of distress, “They call upon God with sincere devotion” (Yunus 10:22). This is why the obligation was not to recognize the existence of a Creator but rather to affirm Tawheed and deny any partners to Him.”
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