subject: Islam, Christianity and Judaism Practices: No Hierarchy in Islam [print this page] Islam, Christianity and Judaism Practices: No Hierarchy in Islam
Qur'anic perspective:
Christians, according to the Qur'an, take Gabriel for the Holy Ghost and associate him with Christ and God in a Trinity. Jews and Christian have taken their rabies and their clergy as their lords. Such a practice is not permitted in Islam:
They took their rabbis and their monks as lords beside God, and the Messiah-son-of-Mary, but they were not commanded except to worship one God, there is no god but He. Far away is His glory from what they associate (with Him).' 9: 31
The idea of taking prophets and angels as lords, as Christians do, is denied in Islam:
It is not permitted for a man, to whom is given the Scriptures and wisdom, to say: Be my worshippers rather than God's', but be worshippers of Him.' 3: 79
Nor would he (the Prophet) instruct you to take angels and prophets for lords, would he bid you to disbelief after you became Muslims?' 3: 80
Muslims are forbidden to take Satan as a protector and lord:
"Whoever takes Satan as a protector, forsaking God, he has suffered a manifest loss. Satan makes them promises and builds for them false desires, but Satan's promises are nothing but deception.' 4: 119- 120
This is a reminder ofa similar attitude taken by Jesus Christ towards the Devil:
'Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted there by the Devil.' Matthew 4:1
Three temptations were administered by the Devil to Jesus after forty days of fasting where the trial became hardest. But Jesussent away the Devil:
'Get out of here, Satan,' Jesus told him. Matthew 4:10
The Qur'an constantly denies the Muslims to take any other thing as lords and protectors beside God:
There are men who take others besides God as equal with God; they love them as they should love God. But those who believe are stronger in their love for God.' 2: 165
The parable of those who take protectors other than God is that of the spider who builds for itself a house: but surely the weakest of houses is the spider's house, if they only new.' 29: 41
Islam, Christianity and Judaism Practices: No Hierarchy in Islam
