Answering Islam - A Christian-Muslim dialog

Unveiling Allah’s Adviser and Counselor

Sam Shamoun

According to God’s inspired Word, the Holy Bible, the true God has no advisor or counselor since he knows all things and therefore doesn’t need to consult anyone for anything:

“Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him? With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of justice, and taught Him knowledge, and showed to Him the way of understanding?” Isaiah 40:13-14

“O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable are His ways! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?’ ‘Or who has first given to Him, and it shall be repaid to him?’ For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever! Amen.” Romans 11:33-36

Allah, on the other hand, has an advisor, someone with whom he consults and asks for his help and opinion. That someone is Muhammad!

In Islam every action of a believer is an intercessor, and the Prophet has told us that the Qur'an also will intercede for us on the Day of Resurrection, while he himself is the greatest intercessor other than ALLAH. The position of the Prophet as Intercessor between creation and the Creator is illustrated by his position AS THE ONE WHOM ALLAH CONSULTS WITH REGARD TO HIS COMMUNITY. This is established by the following AUTHENTIC HADITH narrated by Imam Ahmad in his musnad and we start with this narration as it also shows us the rank of our beloved Prophet Muhammad Mustafa:

Hudhayfa said: The Prophet was absent and he did not come out until we thought that he would never come out anymore. When he did come out, he fell into such a long prostration that we thought that his soul had been taken back during that prostration. When he raised his head he said:

My Lord SOUGHT MY ADVICE (istasharani) concerning my Community, saying: "What shall I do with them?" I said: "What You will, my Lord, they are Your creation and Your servants!" Then He SOUGHT MY ADVICE AGAIN (fa istasharani al-thaniya), and I said to Him the same thing, so He said: "We shall not put you to shame concerning your Community, O Muhammad."

Then He informed me that the first of my Community to enter Paradise will be seventy thousand, each of whom will have seventy thousand with them [4,900,000,000], and none of them shall incur any accounting.

Then He sent me a messenger who said: "Supplicate and it will be answered to you. Ask and it will be given to you." I said to His messenger: "Will my Lord give me whatever I ask for?" He replied: "He did not send me to you except to give you whatever you ask for."

And indeed my Lord has given me whatever I asked for, and I say this without pride: He has forgiven me my sins past or future while I am still alive and walking about; He has granted me that my Community shall not starve, and shall not be overcome. And He has granted me al-Kawthar, a river of Paradise which flows into my Pond; and He has given me power and victory over my enemies, and terror running in their ranks at a month's distance from my Community; and He has granted me that I be the first among the Prophets to enter Paradise; and He has made spoils of war lawful and good for me and my Community, and He has made lawful much of what He had forbidden those before us, nor did He take us to task for it.

Narrated by Imam Ahmad, and Haythami said in Majma 'al-zawa'id (10:68) that its chain was fair (hasan). (Al Hall al Masa'il Min Waseela wal Wasa'il: A comprehensive research in the subject of tawassul and its validity in Islam by going through the Qu'ran, hadith, and sayings and opinions of the Eminent Muslim Scholars, compiled by Ruhan Madni Naqash, p. 9 - See also here; bold, capital and underline emphasis ours)

This same report is also cited in the following article titled, “III. Questions on Tawwasul: The Proofs For Intercession (Shafa`a) In Islam”.

If this narration doesn’t convince Muslims that Allah exists to satisfy and please Muhammad then nothing will. In fact, this narrative does nothing more than bring out the clear implications of the Quran’s own testimony that Allah has gone–and continues to go–out of his way to make sure that Muhammad gets what he wants in order to make sure he is always happy.

For instance, we are told that Allah coupled his pleasure with that of Muhammad’s:

They swear by Allah to you (Muslims) in order to please you, but it is more fitting that they should please Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), if they are believers. S. 9:62 Hilali-Khan

Allah also joined obedience to himself with obedience to Muhammad,

He who obeys the Messenger (Muhammad), has indeed obeyed Allah, but he who turns away, then we have not sent you (O Muhammad) as a watcher over them. S. 4:80 Hilali-Khan

And even went as far as to couple his mention and fame with that of Muhammad’s,

And exalted thy fame? S. 94:4 Pickthall

Did We not exalt your mention? For you are mentioned where I God am mentioned in the call announcing the time for prayer adhān in the second call to perform the prayer iqāma in the witnessing ‘there is no god but God Muhammad is His Messenger’ tashahhud in the Friday sermon and in other instances. (Tafsir al-Jalalayn; bold emphasis ours)

(And exalted thy fame) and raised your voice with the call to prayer, supplication and testification of faith, such that you are mentioned just as I am? And the Prophet said: "Yes, indeed!" (Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs; bold emphasis ours)

Allah also decreed that all of his booty and plunder go to Muhammad, for the express purpose of making the latter rich,

They ask you (O Muhammad) about the spoils of war. Say: "The spoils are for Allah and the Messenger." So fear Allah and adjust all matters of difference among you, and obey Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), if you are believers… And know that whatever of war-booty that you may gain, verily one-fifth (1/5th) of it is assigned to Allah, and to the Messenger, and to the near relatives [of the Messenger (Muhammad)], (and also) the orphans, Al-Masakin (the poor) and the wayfarer, if you have believed in Allah and in that which We sent down to Our slave (Muhammad) on the Day of criterion (between right and wrong), the Day when the two forces met (the battle of Badr) – And Allah is Able to do all things. S. 8:1, 41 Hilali-Khan

Your Lord will give you and you will be pleased. Did he not find you an orphan and He sheltered you? He found you lost, and He guided you? He found you in need, so He gave you riches? S. 93:5-8 Quran: Reformist Translation (QRT)

We are further told that Allah deliberately changed the direction of prayer in order to satisfy Muhammad,

We have seen thee [O Prophet] often turn thy face towards heaven [for guidance]: and now We shall indeed make thee turn in prayer in a direction which will fulfil thy desire. Turn, then, thy face towards the Inviolable House of Worship; and wherever you all may be, turn your faces towards it [in prayer]. S. 2:144 Muhammad Asad

And gave him specific marital and sexual privileges which he did not grant to anyone else:

O prophet, We have made lawful for you the wives to whom you have already given their dowry, and the one who is committed to you by oath, as granted to you by God, and the daughters of your father's brothers, and the daughters of your father's sisters, and the daughters of your mother's brothers, and the daughters of your mother's sisters, of whom they have emigrated with you. Also, the acknowledging woman who had decreed herself to the prophet, the prophet may marry her if he wishes, as a privilege given only to you and not to those who acknowledge. We have already decreed their rights in regard to their spouses and those who are still dependants. This is to spare you any hardship. God is Forgiver, Compassionate. You may postpone whom you will of them, and you may receive whom you will. Whomsoever you seek of those whom you have set aside then there is no sin upon you. Such is best that they may be comforted and not grieve, and may all be pleased with what you give them. God knows what is in your hearts. God is Knowledgeable, Compassionate. S. 33:50-51 QRT

This latter “blessing” even caused Muhammad’s child bride to opine that Allah really seemed to be going out of his way to make sure his “messenger” was always happy and satisfied:

Narrated Hisham's father: Khaula bint Hakim was one of those ladies who presented themselves to the Prophet for marriage. 'Aisha said, "Doesn't a lady feel ashamed for presenting herself to a man?" But when the Verse: "(O Muhammad) You may postpone (the turn of) any of them (your wives) that you please,' (33.51) was revealed, " 'Aisha said, 'O Allah's Apostle! I do not see, but, that your Lord hurries in pleasing you.'" (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 48)

26 The Book of Marriage

Narrated 'Aishah:

It was narrated that 'Aishah said: "I used to feel jealous of those (women) who offered themselves (in marriage) to the Prophet and I said: 'Would a free woman offer herself?' Then Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, revealed: 'You can postpone whom you will of them, and you may receive whom you will.' I said: 'By Allah, I see that your Lord is quick to respond to your wishes.'"

Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)           

Reference: Sunan an-Nasa'i 3199

In-book reference: Book 26, Hadith 4

English translation: Vol. 4, Book 26, Hadith 3201 (Sunnah.com; italicized and underline emphasis ours)

The foregoing conclusively proves that Allah is not only a false god who has nothing to do with the true God revealed in the glorious Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, but also shows that Islam is anything but a pure monotheistic religion. The fact is that Islam has turned Muhammad into a divine being, a demigod of sorts, since he has been exalted to a level of equality with his own god in virtually every respect.