Article appeared Friday, August 22nd, 2014 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (41! yousu" #ah$u$ul %sla#, &h'

%s it possi$le to de"ine the word (god)* +oo,ing out "or a de"inition, can $eauty, "ood, popularity,
status, success, wealth or one-s ego $e classi"ied as a god* %" not, what does the word #ean*
'oes the word god have anything to do with the things that we worship today*
.ould /oogle $e used to "ind an answer to this 0uestion* 1e #ay try entering the "ollowing
search string, What things do we worship today? /oogle will display articles and videos that
suggest answers2 For e3a#ple, the 4#inute video {1} shows graphic i#ages o" the things that
we are preoccupied with and are driven $y2 At the end o" the video, it as,s whether we worship
"a#e, cele$rities, #oney, shopping, wor,, clothes, se3, power or sport and "inally as,s (5
anything else*) 6o what, in "act, do we worship, if in fact, we worship anything at all* An article
{2} $y 'ennis +argey titled, Refusing to Worship Todays Graven Images, discusses variety o"
things that we give priority in our daily li"e7
The second o" the Ten .o##and#ents the +ord gave to 8oses is (Thou shalt not
#a,e unto thee any graven i#age2) 9:3odus, 2074;{2} 1hile this co##and#ent was
initially given to "orti"y %srael against the idolatry ra#pant in the land o" .anaan{3}, it has
a great application "or us today{4}2 6ince the +ord has not rescinded the co##and#ent,
we need to loo, at our lives and see i" we are worshipping graven i#ages2 There are
(golden calves) all around today < tangi$le i#ages li,e cars, and others that are #ore
intangi$le2 When anything wastefully dominates our time, compromises our loyalty, or
confuses our priorities so that God and is Wor! "ecome secondary, we are flirting with
idolatry# {5, italics added}
As 0uoted a$ove, earlier =oly 6criptures, e#g#, :3odus 207 < 207>{2}, "ro# the ?ld Testa#ent,
a$solutely "or$ade the worship o" anything other than the .reator2 :ssentially, anything that
waste"ully dominates our li#ited ti#e on earth is in "act idolatry or worship2 %n what ways do
people or youngsters waste or devote their ti#e to these days* For e3a#ple, how #any people
spend #ore than an hour on $ace"oo! each day without any productive output* Fro#
appearances, it would see# that their day4to4day li"e depended on Face$oo,@ In contrast, how
#uch ti#e each day do the sa#e people spend see,ing the .reator or praying to =i#* As Ti#
Aeller {6} e3plains,
%n idol is something you rely on instead of God for your salvation2 ?ne o" the religious
idols is your #oral record7 B/od accepts #e $ecause %C# living a good li"e5B) {6, italics
added for emphasis}
1hatever we rely on or use in our (good li"e) has $een arranged $y the .reator as a
convenience2 The #ost recent and "inal Revelation, the Dur-an, clari"ies the role o"
conveniences, and introduces the Being who has given such things,
The (#aterial! things which you are given are $ut the conveniences o" this li"e and the
glitter thereo"E $ut that which is with Allah is $etter and #ore enduring7 will you not then
"e wise? 92F2G0;
=e is Allah, the .reator, the %nventor, the FashionerE to =i# $elong the $est na#es
(attri$utes or 0ualities!5 9>H224;
1hile using earthly conveniences should we e3alt or adore the ?N: who has given us li"e and
arranged "or everything* =e alone is worthy o" worship2 6o the 0uestion is, &hould the 'reator
tolerate importance or priority given to things other than e? %" we do not give priority, on our
part, would it $e a de#onstration o" inIustice and ingratitude* %n the Dur-an, Allah adds to the list
o" graven i#ages, i#e#, gods or idols that #an has (created)2 %n addition, =e also gives an
e3a#ple o" an e3cuse that #any attri$ute "or such worship2
10.18 They worship besides Allah thi!s that "a either har# the# or bee$it
the#, ad they say, "These are our intercessors with Allah." %ay, &'o yo( ideed
i$or# Allah o$ so#ethi! )e *ows ot i the hea+es or o earth, Ad e-alted
is )e, $ar abo+e the parters they as"ribe to )i#.&
The Dur-an "urnishes e3a#ples o" those who are considered intercessors or inter#ediaries7
They have ta,en their scholars and #on,s as lords $esides Allah, and (also! the
8essiah, the son o" 8ary2 But they were not co##anded e3cept to worship one /odE
there is no deity e3cept =i#222 9H21;
?"ten, those lying in graves are prayed to and considered as intercessors, however,
Nor are ali,e those that are living and those that are dead2 Allah can #a,e any that =e
wills to hearE $ut you cannot #a,e those hear who are ($uried! in graves2 9>222;
6o, a"ter death, there is no possi$ility o" co##unication with the dead person, regardless o" who
heJshe is2
10.1/ Ad #a*id was ot b(t oe "o##(ity 0(ited i reli!io1, b(t the they
di$$ered 0later1. )ad it ot bee $or a word 0de"isio1 that pro"eeded $ro# yo(r
2ord, their di$$ere"es wo(ld ha+e bee settled betwee the# i##ediately.
The analytical intelligence o" hu#an $eings places the# a$ove the rest o" the creation2 The
purpose o" this intelligence is to independently learn and understand the $lessings,
ac,nowledge and adore the /iver in return2 For e3a#ple, there can only $e ?ne Religion Iust as
there can only $e ?ne .reator2 =owever, instead o" "ul"illing this purpose,
10.20 They say3 &4hy is ot a %i! set dow to hi# $ro# his 2ord,& 5eply,
&The (see is oly $or Allah 0to ad#iister1. %o wait, 6 too will wait with yo(.&
1hat signs are we loo,ing "or* Are we not deriving $ene"it "ro# $eing alive and enIoying
u#pteen $lessings < li"e and $lessings that we had no part in creating* :ach person-s ti#e on
earth will soon run out2 .an one a""ord to wait* Allah points out that we actually ,now who =e is,
as we pray directly to =i# when in trou$le2
10.21 4he 4e #a*e #a*id taste o$ so#e #er"y a$ter ad+ersity has to("hed
the#, at o"e they "ospire a!aist 7(r 8erses. %ay, &%wi$ter to pla is Allah.&
8erily 7(r #esse!ers 0i.e., a!els1 re"ord all the plots that yo( #a*e.
:ven the s#allest good or $ad deed is recorded2
(%n whatever $usiness you #ay $e and whatever portion you #ay $e reciting "ro# the
DurCan and whatever deed you (#an,ind! #ay $e doing 1e are 1itnesses even when
you are deeply engrossed therein2 Nor is hidden "ro# your +ord (as #uch as! the weight
o" an ato# on the earth or in the heavens2 And not the least and not the greatest o"
these things $ut are recorded in a clear Record2) 9102G1;
444444
{9otes}7
{1} https7JJwww2youtu$e2co#Jwatch*vK.H80aLM'=TN
{2} http7JJ$i$lehu$2co#Je3odusJ20442ht#
{3} http7JJen2wi,ipedia2orgJwi,iJThouMshaltMnotM#a,eMuntoMtheeManyMgravenMi#age
{4} https7JJanswers2yahoo2co#J0uestionJinde3*0idK201200124O41AA4t>%,
{5} https7JJwww2lds2orgJensignJ1HH4J02Jre"using4to4worship4todays4graven4i#ages*langKeng
{6} http7JJwww2christianitytoday2co#JctJ200HJnove#$erJ12O12ht#l