Muslims boast that Islam is the strictest, purest form of monotheism, even more so than Christianity and perhaps Judaism. However, what these same Muslims do not care to share or perhaps are unaware that according to the Quran and supposed authentic hadiths, Allah is a deity who actually prays, worships and even intercedes like creatures do!

In this post I am going to present some of the evidence which portrays Allah as a worshipful deity.

ALLAH PRAYS/WORSHIPS ALONG WITH CREATION

The Muslim scripture states that Allah prays along with his angels to bring people out of their spiritual darkness into the light:

He it is who prays (yusalli) for you and His angels too, to bring you forth out of the darkness into the light, for He is merciful to the believers. S. 33:43 Palmer

The raises the question as to why does Allah need pray to lead people out of their darkness when he is supposed to be the one who guides (as well as misleads) mankind?

Then what is the matter with you that you are divided into two parties about the hypocrites? Allah has cast them back (to disbelief) because of what they have earned. Do you want to guide him whom Allah has made to go astray? And he whom Allah has made to go astray, you will never find for him any way (of guidance). S. 4:88 Hilali-Khan

And We sent not a Messenger except with the language of his people, in order that he might make (the Message) clear for them. Then Allah misleads whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. S. 14:4 Hilali-Khan

And whomsoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his breast to Islam, and whomsoever He wills to send astray, He makes his breast closed and constricted, as if he is climbing up to the sky. Thus Allah puts the wrath on those who believe not. S. 6:125 Hilali-Khan

That’s not all.

Allah is further depicted as joining both angels and Muslims in praying for the well-being of Muhammad:

Verily, God and His angels pray (yusalloona) for the prophet. O ye who believe! pray (salloo) for him and salute him with a salutation! S. 33:56 Palmer

Moreover, the sound hadiths unashamedly acknowledge that Allah does indeed pray together with creatures:

1387. Abu Umama reported that the Messenger of Allah said, “Allah AND His angels AND the people of the heavens AND the earth, EVEN the ants in their rocks AND the fish, PRAY for blessings on those who teach people good.” [at-Tirmidhi] (Aisha Bewley, Riyad as-Salihin (The Meadows of the Righteous), Book of Knowledge, 241. Chapter: the excellence of knowledge; bold, capital and italicized emphasis mine)

And:

2685. Abu Umamah al-Bahili narrated: “Two men were mentioned before the Messenger of Allah. One of them a worshipper, and the other a scholar. So the Messenger of Allah said: ‘The superiority of the scholar over the worshipper is like my superiority over the least of you.’ Then the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Indeed ALLAH, His Angels, the inhabitants of the heavens and the earths – even the ant in his hole, even the fish – SAY SALAT upon the one who teaches the people to do good. (Hasan)

[Abu ‘Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Gharib Sahih… (English Translation of Jami‘ At-Tirmidhi, Compiled by Imam Hafiz ‘Eisa Mohammad Ibn ‘Eisa At-Tirmidhi, From Hadith no. 2606 to 3290, translated by Abu Khaliyl (USA), ahadith edited and referenced by Hafiz Abu Tahir Zubair ‘Ali Za’i, final review by Islamic Research Section Darussalam [Darussalam Publishers & Distributors, First Edition: November 2007], Volume 5, Chapter 19. What Has Been Related About the Superiority Of Fiqh Over Worship, p. 80 https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:2685; capital emphasis mine)

Here’s another version of the above report:

Narrator: AbuUmamah al-Bahili

Mention was made to Allah’s Messenger of two persons: the one being a devout, and the other being a scholar. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger said: The superiority of the scholar over the devout is like my superiority over one who is of the lowest rank amongst you. Then Allah’s Messenger said: Verily (for the scholars) ALLAH AND His angels, the dwellers of the Heavens and of the Earth, EVEN an ant in its hole AND fish (in the depth of water) INVOKE blessings on one who teaches people goodness.

Transmitted by Tirmidhi. (Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 70 https://www.alim.org/hadith/tirmidi/70; bold and capital emphasis mine)

Here are some additional references which acknowledge that Allah prays/worships:

The people of Israel said to Moses: “Does your Lord pray?” His Lord called him [saying]: “O Moses, they asked you if your Lord prays. Say [to them] ‘Yes, I do pray, and my angels [pray] upon my prophets and my messengers,’” and Allah then sent down on his messenger: “Allah and His angels pray…” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Q. 33:56; translated from the Arabic)

And:

Hadith 216:

The Israelites said to Musa: Does your Lord pray? Musa said: Fear Allah, O Sons of Israel!

Allah said: O Musa! What did your people say? Musa said: O my Lord, You already know? They said: Does your Lord pray?

Allah said: Tell them My prayer for My servants is that My Mercy should precede My Anger. If it were not so, I would have destroyed them. [Ibn ‘Asakir] (Al-Ahadith Al-Qudsiyyah – Divine Narratives translated by Dr. Abdul Khaliq Kazi & Dr. Alan B. Day, Section 2: Al-Ithafat Al-Saniyya Bi‘l-Ahadith Al-Qudsiyyah by Shaikh Zain al-Din Abdul Ra‘uf b. Taj al-‘Arifin b. ‘Ali b. Zayn al-‘Abidin al-Munawi [Dar Al Kitab Arabi – USA, 1995], pp. 305-306; emphasis mine)

The following is supposed to be a prayer of Allah taken from Ibn Hisham’s Al-Sirah Al-Halabiyya:

قلت يا جبريل أيصلى ربك قال نعم قلت وما يقول قال يقول سبوح قدوس رب الملائكة والروح سبقت رحمتى غضبى

I [Muhammad] said, “O Gabriel, does your Lord pray?” He said, “Yes.” I said, “What does he say?” “This is what he says. He says: ‘Glory, holy, Lord of the angels and the Spirit. My mercy overcomes my wrath.’” (Bracketed comments mine)

ALLAH INTERCEDES WITH HIS CREATURES

To make matters worse for Muslims, Allah even intercedes for people in the same way that his creatures do!

For instance, the Quran acknowledges that Allah is the sole intercessor and mediator that a person has and needs:

It will not be in accordance with your desires (Muslims), nor those of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), whosoever works evil, will have the recompense thereof, and he will not find any protector or helper besides Allah. S. 4:123 Hilali-Khan

Warn hereby those who fear (because they know) that they will be gathered unto their Lord, for whom there is no protecting ally nor intercessor beside Him, that they may ward off (evil). S. 6:51 Pickthall

And forsake those who take their religion for a pastime and a jest, and whom the life of the world beguileth. Remind (mankind) hereby lest a soul be destroyed by what it earneth. It hath beside Allah no protecting ally nor intercessor, and though it offer every compensation it will not be accepted from it. Those are they who perish by their own deserts. For them is drink of boiling water and a painful doom, because they disbelieved. S. 6:70 Pickthall  

Say: Naught befalleth us save that which Allah hath decreed for us. He is our Protecting Friend. In Allah let believers put their trust! S. 9:51 Pickthall

Allah it is Who created the heavens and the earth, and that which is between them, in six Days. Then He mounted the Throne. Ye have not, beside Him, a protecting friend or mediator. Will ye not then remember? S. 32:4 Pickthall  

Or choose they intercessors other than Allah? Say: What! Even though they have power over nothing and have no intelligence? Say: Unto Allah belongeth all intercession. His is the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. And afterward unto Him ye will be brought back. S. 39:43-44 Pickthall

The hadiths further attest that Allah will personally intercede for believers after all the prophets and angels are done interceding for others:

“… ‘Surely! Allah wrongs not even of the weight of an atom (or a smallest ant) but if there is any good (done) He doubles it.’ (4.40) The Prophet added, ‘Then the prophets and Angels and the believers will intercede, and (last of all) the Almighty (Allah) will say, “Now remains My Intercession.’ He will then hold a handful of the Fire from which He will take out some people whose bodies have been burnt, and they will be thrown into a river at the entrance of Paradise, called the water of life…” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 532s https://sunnah.com/bukhari:7439)

THE PROBLEM THAT MUSLIMS FACE

Since Muslims claim that their god is a singular person then they must answer the question to whom does their deity pray and intercede? Do Muslims really want us to believe that Allah actually prays and intercedes with himself? Does that make any sense?

Trinitarians can grasp the notion of a Tri-Personal Being praying and interceding, since it makes sense for one divine Person of the Godhead interacting and fellowshipping with the other divine Members of the Trinity:

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God… Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” Romans 8:26-27, 34 New King James Version (NKJV)

“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,” 1 Timothy 2:5-6 NKJV

“But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:24-25 NKJV

“But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.” Hebrews 8:6 NKJV

“And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Hebrews 9:15 NKJV

“to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.” Hebrews 12:24 NKJV

“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” 1 John 2:1-2 NKJV

But how much sense does it make for a singular divine consciousness to pray and intercede seeing that there is no other god for him to invoke and mediate to besides himself? Wouldn’t this prove that Muhammad’s god is schizophrenic?      

PRAYERS (SALLA/SALAWAT) ARE NOT THE SAME AS MERCY (RAHMAH) OR BLESSING (BARAKA)

To get around this embarrassing dilemma Muslims have to redefine the terms salla/salah so they refer either to the mercy of Allah or his blessings. I.e., Allah isn’t really praying for anyone but rather he is sending down his mercy or blessings upon his servants.

The problem with this assertion is that the Quran distinguishes Allah’s prayers from his mercy:

Upon those are the PRAYERS from their Lord, AND MERCY (salawatun min rabbihim wa’rahmatun); and those are they (who) are the right-guided. S. 2:157 (Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali https://www.islamawakened.com/quran/2/st21.htm)

The ahadith also make a distinction between Allah’s prayers, blessings and mercy. Note, for instance, what the following renowned Muslim jurist stated about this very subject:

“Allah makes the merit of His Prophet clear by first praying blessing on Himself, and then by the prayer of the angels, and then by commanding His slaves to pray blessing and peace on him as well. Abu Bakr ibn Furak related that one of the ‘ulama interpreted the words of the Prophet, ‘The coolness of my eye is in the prayer,’ as meaning Allah’s prayer, that of the angels and that of his community in response to Allah’s command until the Day of Rising. The prayer of angels and men is supplication for him and that of Allah is mercy.

“It is said that ‘they pray’ means they invoke blessing (baraka). However, when the Prophet taught people the prayer on himself, he made a distinction between the word salat (prayer) and baraka (blessing). We will return to the meaning of the prayer on him later.” (Qadi ‘Iyad Musa al-Yahsubi, Muhammad Messenger of Allah (Ash-Shifa of Qadi ‘Iyad), translated by Aisha Abdarrahman Bewley [Madinah Press, Inverness, Scotland, U.K. 1991; third reprint, paperback], Part One. Allah’s great estimation of the worth of His Prophet expressed in both word and action, Chapter One: Allah’s Praise Of Him And His Great Esteem For Him, Section 8: Concerning Allah instructing His creation to say the prayer on the Prophet, His protecting him and removing the punishment because of him, p. 25; bold emphasis mine)

And:

“The Prophet made a distinction between salat (prayer) and baraka (blessing) in the hadith in which he taught about making the prayer on him. This indicates that they have two separate meanings.” (Ibid., Part Two. Concerning the rights which people owe the Prophet, Chapter Four: The Prayer On The Prophet And Asking Peace For Him, And The Obligation Of Doing It And Its Excellence, Section 1: The meaning of the prayer on the Prophet, p. 250; bold emphasis mine)

Again:

“Salama al-Kindi said: ‘Ali used to teach us the prayer on the Prophet as follows: ‘O Allah, the One who spread out the flat expanses and created the heavens! Bestow YOUR NOBLE PRAYERS, Your increasing blessing and the compassion of Your tenderness upon Muhammad…’”

“‘Ali also said about the prayer on the prophet in the ayat, ‘Allah and his angels pray on the Prophet’ (33:56) ‘At your service and obedience, my Lord. The PRAYERS OF Allah, the good and Merciful, the near angels, the true ones, the martyrs, the salihun, and anything that glorifies You, O Lord of the worlds, be upon Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah…’” (Ibid., Section 4: Concerning the manner of doing the prayer on the Prophet and asking for peace for him, p. 257; capital emphasis mine)

This next one is particularly interesting:

“Ibn Mas’ud used to say, ‘When you bless the Prophet, then make the prayer on him excellent. You do not know; perhaps it will be shown to him. Say, “O Allah, bestow YOUR PRAYERS, Your MERCY AND Your BLESSING on the Master of the Messengers, the Imam of the God-fearing, the Leader of the Good and the Messenger of Mercy.”’” (Ibid., p. 258; bold and capital emphasis mine)

Here we have prayers, mercy and blessing being used in the same exact context, thereby conclusively refuting the assertion that Allah’s prayers really mean his mercy or blessings.

And here are some further reports which distinguish Allah’s prayers (salat) from his blessings (barakat):

The Command to say Salah upon the Prophet

Al-Bukhari said: “Abu Al-`Aliyah said: “Allah’s Salah is His praising him before the angels, and the Salah of the angels is their supplication.” Ibn `Abbas said: “They send blessings.” Abu `Isa At-Tirmidhi said: “This was narrated from Sufyan Ath-Thawri and other scholars, who said: `The Salah of the Lord is mercy [sic], and the Salah of the angels is their seeking forgiveness.’” There are Mutawatir Hadiths narrated from the Messenger of Allah commanding us to send blessings on him and how we should say Salah upon him. We will mention as many of them as we can, if Allah wills, and Allah is the One Whose help we seek. In his Tafsir of this Ayah, Al-Bukhari recorded that Ka`b bin `Ujrah said, “It was said, `O Messenger of Allah, with regard to sending Salam upon you, we know about this, but how about Salah?’ He said…

<<Say: ‘O Allah, send YOUR SALAH upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent YOUR SALAH upon the family of Ibrahim, verily You are the Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious. O Allah, send YOUR BLESSINGS upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent YOUR BLESSINGS upon the family of Ibrahim, verily You are Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.’>>” Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn Abi Layla said that Ka`b bin `Ujrah met him and said, “Shall I not give you a gift? The Messenger of Allah came out to us and we said, `O Messenger of Allah! We know how to send Salam upon you, but how can we send Salah?’ He said…

<<Say: ‘O Allah, send YOUR SALAH upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent YOUR SALAH upon the family of Ibrahim, verily You are the Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious. O Allah, send YOUR BLESSINGS upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent YOUR BLESSINGS upon the family of Ibrahim, verily You are Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.’’>>” This Hadith has been recorded by the Group in their books with different chains of narration. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Q. 33:56 https://www.alim.org/quran/tafsir/ibn-kathir/surah/33/56; capital emphasis mine)

And:

Another Hadith

Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri said: “We said, `O Messenger of Allah, this is the Salam upon you, but how do we send Salah upon you?’ He said…

<<Say: ‘O Allah, send YOUR SALAH upon Muhammad, Your servant and Messenger, as You sent YOUR SALAH upon the family of Ibrahim, and send YOUR BLESSINGS upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent YOUR BLESSINGS upon the family of Ibrahim.’>>” Abu Salih narrated that Layth said…

<<Upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as You sent YOUR BLESSINGS upon the family of Ibrahim.>> Ibrahim bin Hamzah told that, Ibn Abi Hazim and Ad-Darawardi told, that Yazid, i.e., Ibn Al-Had said…

<<As You sent YOUR SALAH upon Ibrahim, and send YOUR BLESSINGS upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your blessings upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim.>> This was also recorded by An-Nasa’i and Ibn Majah. (Ibid.; capital emphasis mine)

The foregoing provides irrefutable proof that the Muhammad’s god does in fact pray, worship and intercede like his supposed creation.

Muslims, therefore, have no choice but to accept the fact that their deity prays, worships and intercedes with himself, and therefore is a schizophrenic being that loves to talk to himself. Muhammadans must wrestle with the reality that their ilah may also suffer from multiple personality disorder.

FURTHER READING

Whom does he talk to? (The Affect Allah’s Intercession has on Divine Unity)

To Intercede or Not To Intercede? – That is the Question! 

How the Islamic Doctrine of Intercession undermines Allah’s Omniscience

ALLAH WORSHIPS WITH THE QURAN

• Uncategorized