The Concept of Ibadah: The Understanding of Al-Qadi Abdul Jabbar (d. 415 A.H.)
The below is a translation of a facebook post by Dr. Sultan al-Umayri.
He is one of the renowned Imams of the Mu'tazila, and in his book "Al-Mughni fi Abwab al-Adl wa al-Tawhid" (5/155-159), he discusses the true nature of Arab idolatry. He states that the Arabs were in various categories regarding their idolatry, noting that "among them are those who worship idols to draw closer to God." He then explains that all the different classes of Arab idolaters deviate from the truth and that idol worship is false in all aspects. He concludes his critique by saying:
وذلك يبطل عبادتهم على هذه البغية- أي : عبادة لأجل التقرب إلى الله- , كما يبطل عبادتهم للصنم على سبيل أنه الخالق الإله , فلا فرق بين قبح عبادة الأصنام في الوجه الأول والوجه الثاني
"This invalidates their worship with this intent—i.e., worship for the sake of drawing closer to God—as it invalidates their worship of the idol as the creator deity. There is no difference in the repulsiveness of idol worship in the first and second aspects."
This statement indicates that he believes idol worship does not require the belief in the idol's Rububiyyah. He distinguishes between the two situations, showing that both lead to polytheism and worship of beings other than God, regardless of whether they believed in the idol's Rububiyyah or not, as is evident from his words and reasoning. Further supporting this, the apparent meaning of the judge's words implies that he refers to a form of nearness that does not involve any belief in the Rububiyyah of the idols, as he said:
فكيف يقال : إنا نعبد الأصنام لتقربنا إلى الله زلفى ؟ وكيف يصح أن يقال : إنها تقرب إلى الله , وهي مما يستحيل أن يفعل ويختار؟ وإنما يصح أن تكون مقربة لمن يعبدها إلى الله لو كان لها اختيار
"How can it be said that we worship idols to draw closer to God? And how can it be said that they bring one closer to God when it is impossible for them to act and choose? It can only be correct that they bring their worshipers closer to God if they had the ability to choose."
This discussion indicates that Al-Qadi Abdul Jabbar assumes that the Arab idolaters did not believe in any Rububiyyah qualities in their idols. If he believed otherwise, he would not have approached the discussion in this manner. This is further illustrated when he explains that idol worship cannot be correct in any form, reasoning:
لأن العبادة هي ضرب من الخضوع والتذلل للمعبود بأفعال مخصوصة , وقد علمنا أن هذا المعنى لا يصح في الأصنام
"Because worship is a form of submission and humility to the worshiped being through specific acts, and we know that this meaning cannot be applied to idols."
If he had required the belief in the idol's Rububiyyah, he would have said that worship is only valid with the belief in Rububiyyah, which idols do not possess. Note: At the beginning of his book "Tathbit Dala'il al-Nubuwwah," Al-Qadi Abdul Jabbar mentions that the Prophet (peace be upon him) came to "a people who did not know Rububiyyah and worshiped idols and denied resurrection." This statement does not conflict with his understanding of worship, as it is a general description that does not explicitly state that the polytheists were atheists or believed in the Rububiyyah of their idols. Rather, it only implies that they did not know God correctly, which is true.
Recommended Reading: