The Searcher Who Wants to Give

I respect your guidance from God, and I ask you to respect mine

To me, the mother of spiritual rivalry is polytheism in guidance.

Meaning, to demand that others must give someone other than God a share in the formers’ guidance from God. Or likewise to demand that they conform, adopt, accept or adjust to one’s own or someone else’s guidance from God in relation to themselves, or hold them accountable in any way, shape or form for not doing so.

This does not mean that guidance from God cannot be found in something or someone other than God. What I am referring to is when it goes against someone’s guidance from God.

I am writing about this as it is something that has caused and causes conflict. And conflict is best to be resolved, not delayed, as delaying also causes multiplication of it. And I will do my best to present a resolution to this conflict.

I am also sure of my standing in this, as I write from a place of putting God and monotheism above all and everyone else when it comes to God. This includes statements and actions from prophets. It is not a rebellion against prophethood, but a maintaining of the sovereignty, integrity and monotheism of God according to and within my guidance from and belief in Him.

This distinction, even between the greatest of prophets and God, is because I don’t hold them equal. To follow prophetic guidance even when it goes against my guidance from God would be to do the exact opposite, namely to hold them equal, which within the boundaries of my divine guidance is a violation of monotheism (in other words, polytheism).

This is perhaps best portrayed by the Quran in chapter 39 verse 45:

”And when Allah (God) alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who believe not in the Hereafter^📜 are filled with aversion. But when those other than Him are mentioned, they rejoice”.

^📜 or the End, as is mentioned in the Quran that all things lead back to God (2:210, 57:5, 3:109 and so on).

The verse refers to a specific people that doesn’t believe in the Hereafter, but its basic principle to me has a general implication and meaning.

Its principle, to me, differentiates between an islam (or religion in a general sense) centered around Muhammad (it’s prophet or prophets) and an islam (religion) centered around the Self-Sufficient (al-Ghaniyy, one of God’s 99 Names in Islam) – the One Who reveals religion.

The general underlying meaning is even more clear in another verse, which also talks specifically about guidance, which I find to be the basis of monotheism:

”Say, ‘Is there any of your partners who guides towards truth?’ Say, ‘Allah guides to truth’. So who is more worthy to be followed, the One Who guides, or those who cannot guide unless they are guided?”

— Quran 10:35

Those who cannot guide unless they are guided are most evidently everyone else besides God. Everyone, even prophets.

This is furthermore strengthened by the quranic verse of 3:79 and the verses that follow.

Just like the Quran also says in 21:22;

“Had there been deities alongside God within the heavens and earth, then both would have been ruined.”

Similarly, when one predicates that people must take someone other than God as an absolute divine guider, much corruption, aggravation and depravity occurs – which also has happened. Spirituality is ruined, if one speaks according to the mode of the above verse.

Monotheism, to me, is thus the spiritual solution not only on a cosmic spiritual plane but also on a social spiritual plane, if given due credence and its true scope realized. (This is why monotheism in guidance to me is the most crucial form of monotheism, as it serves as fundament to the relevance and understanding of all other forms of monotheism. It is guidance that teaches about divinity, worship and spiritual understanding.)

This is why I leave the parts of religion that don’t resonate with my spirituality and divine guidance. It is as simple as that. That is all one needs; one does not have to understand why certain religious things have been said, done or inspired that one cannot make sense of. It is not upon you to deal with, or make up for. Leave them to God and the doer or sayer. Make use of that which supports you where you currently are in your journey towards God.

As the Quran too mentions in 2:256, monotheism assures the most firmest, steadfast handhold which nothing can break.

So how do we solve this spiritual rivalry?

By doing the opposite of what was mentioned in the beginning of this post. By allowing each other to have our own guidance from God, respecting it and not interfering with it except by mutual interest and compassion. Or while believing that others have a fundamental right to their guidance from God, and that its integral and conclusive discretion rests between each person and God.

By writing this, I do not intend to interfere in anyone’s guidance from God, but to protect each person’s guidance from God.

Monotheism is also the very reason for the revelation of Islam, as it is a monotheistic religion, as with all monotheistic religions. It is my belief that monotheistic religion should guide towards God, not replace Him.