Quranic Terminology: (Ilhad – Root: l/h/d)

Was published in Arabic in December, 26, 2015

Translated by Ahmed Fathy

 The Arabic term (Ilhad) as well as its Arabic root (l/h/d) is associated in modern Arabic tongue with one meaning: atheism. This is not the Quranic denotation of this term and its roots and derivatives. In the Quran, the term and its declensions and derivatives means: "to be inclined to something negative or blasphemy ", "to deviate from something good", or "to tend to something negative or blasphemy" and such basic meaning occurs in various Quranic contexts, as shown below.

Firstly:

1- The Quran is the righteous path, as per Quranic description of the Quran itself in the following verse: "This is the straight path of your Lord. We have explained the revelations in detail for people who recollect." (6:126). Deviating from this righteous path, i.e., the Quran, means to tend to go against it or to intentionally misinterpret in order to misguide others. This is done when someone tries or claims to refute the authenticity or meanings of Quranic verses and to cast doubt on them or to despise them. "Those who despise Our revelations are not hidden from Us. Is he who is hurled into the Fire better? Or he who arrives safely on the Day of Resurrection? Do as you please; He is Seeing of everything you do." (41:40). Hence, this is a divine warning to those who tend to follow their whims with the intention to misinterpret and twist the meanings of the Quranic verses. God warns such people that He is aware of them; they are to choose either the path to Hell or the path to Paradise. God vows in the Quran to preserve the integrity, order, and authenticity of the Quranic text and verses against any distortions; it is ironic that the enemies of the Quran (i.e., the three categories of the current and ancient Muhammadans: the Sunnites, the Shiites, and the Sufis) vie with one another (past and present) in preserving the text in its unique way of Arabic writing. Their enmity of the Quran has been directed toward Quranic meanings: they participate vehemently in the endeavors (successfully spread by them so far until now) to intentionally distort meanings and misinterpret the verses. This distortion follows many ways; chief among them the claim of many ancient tomes to know for certain the reasons of the revelation of each verse! For them, it is as if each verse is related to historical contexts only and has nothing to do with modern times! This is blasphemy against the Holy Quran, of course. It is as if the Quran could not be applied in modern times in the lives of the faithful believers in it. Thus, the Muhammadans managed to abandon the Quran as if it were nonexistent (see 25:30). Abandoning the Quran by the Muhammadans means that it the Quran for them is just a mere text preserved but not linked to reality around them: it is there but of no use at all in their lives. The Quran for the Muhammadans is being used only as a 'song/dirge' recited in funerals and other occasions, a "luck-charm" in houses, vehicles, companies, etc., and a decoration hung or pained on walls, shops, and mantelpieces! This is practical deviation (Ilhad) away from the Quran and mocking or making fun of its verses. The Quran is banished from thought, use, practice, and influence in daily life. It is just a mere book bound beautifully! Shame on them, indeed!

2- Another type of deviation or negative tendencies (Ilhad) is in the epithets and names of God mentioned exclusively in the Quran. Human beings commit the grave error/sin in ascribing names and epithets to God that are never mentioned or even alluded to in the Quran. Thus, they impose on people their whims and caprices concerning epithets of God the Almighty! One has the right to feel offended when people call one by any names that are not of one's choice. Let alone offending God in that manner! What a shameful act! This is propagated by mob culture and clergymen in the countries of the Muhammadans! This offense we understand to avoid from the following verse: "To God belong the Most Beautiful Names, so call Him by them, and disregard those who blaspheme against His names. They will be repaid for what they used to do." (7:180). Such names found exclusively in the Quran are the ones to be used. One cannot add to them. Some of such epithets are found in the following verses: 2:255 and 59:22-24. Such names and divine epithets can be used in naming children preceded by the word Abdel- or Abdul- (the slave/servant of…). Examples in Arabic among names of Arab men and male children include Abdullah, Abdel-Aziz, and Abdel-Hamid. Deviation and blasphemy in divine epithets occurs when they call children names like Abdul-Sattar, Abdul-Mawjoud, and Abdul-Maqsoud. Such epithets (after the prefix Abdul- or Abdel-) are never to be found in the Quran. It is wrong to ascribe such epithets to God the Almighty. This is blasphemy against the divine epithets of God found only in the Quran. What is worse is that in the countries of the Muhammadans, the prefix Abdul- or Abdel- is used followed by names of 'holy' historical characters, prophets, or proper names of deified mortals! Examples of this blasphemy (due to deifying mortals) include Abdul-Hussein, Abdul-Hassan, Abdul-Ali, Abdul-Massieh, Abdul-Nabbi, Abdul-Rasool, Abdul-Emir, and Abdul-Saliheen.

Secondly:

 The meaning that denotes a negative sense of "tend to" is found in another Quranic context that differs from the above-mentioned examples. Let us examine this verse: "We are well aware that they tend to say, "It is a human being who is teaching him." But the tongue of him they tend to allude to is foreign, while this is a clear Arabic tongue." (16:103). Let us explain the facts deducted from this verse; it is linked directly to the fact that regardless of old false notions and claims of the Muhammadans concerning who undertook the writing of the Quran, it was Prophet Muhammad himself who wrote it by his hands in that order, using divine guidance of course. Quranists refute the old false notion that Muhammad was illiterate. This false notion has been drawn from the misinterpretation of the two verses: (3:20) and (3:75). In these two verses, the Arabic term (Ummi) is a singular form and it plural form (Ummiyyeen), and both do not mean ''illiterate'' as traditionally propagated for centuries; both terms mean: gentiles or goyim i.e. those who never received a divine message via a prophet. This term is used in the Quran not in a negative way; it is used ONLY in contrast to the Quranic term (People of the Book), which means those who have received holy scriptures via prophets who in turn received this divine revelation from God before Islam; i.e. the Jews and the Christians. God in the Quran asserts the fact that Muhammad was literate; he knew how to read and write. Read is the very first divine order and divine word of the Quranic revelation; see 96:1. This divine order is given to a literate person of course; otherwise, how come he would receive this divine order to read?! Stories and narratives of history that tend to assert Muhammad's illiteracy are false and fabricated, then. Another verse that asserts the literacy of Muhammad is the following: "A messenger from God reciting purified scripts. In them are valuable writings." (98:2-3). This means that Muhammad used to read actually the Quran which was in a written form. Is not that clear enough?! Would we believe in the Quran or in historical accounts?! Prophet Muhammad never read or recited divine books before the Quran: "You did not read any scripture before this, nor did you write it down with your right hand; otherwise the falsifiers would have doubted." (29:48). He did write and read the Quran when he became a prophet. This last verse implies his literacy before receiving the Quran from God. Another verse that shows Muhammad's literacy as a fact is the following: "And they say, "Tales of the ancients; he wrote them down; they are dictated to him morning and evening."" (25:5). This verse shows that polytheistic doubters of the Quran accused him of writing down mythology. Thus, he could read and write. The so-called prophet's companions never wrote or compiled the Quran. Traditions that claim such notion are false traditions aimed to deify these mortal companions. No one wrote the divine revelation for the very first time in that order except Prophet Muhammad. Others wrote copies for themselves not for the Prophet as some ancient historians claim in their tomes. Several verses assert that Prophet Muhammad acted like a teacher to those around him who were like disciples: please review 2:151, 2:129, 3:77, and 62:2. Hence, 16:103 is understood in light of the above-mentioned facts. Polytheistic unbelievers accused Muhammad of being taught myths of the ancients by a foreign person. This is impossible; how come a foreign man can teach someone such refined style of Arabic as found in the Quran? Hence, Ilhad in a verb form (i.e. to tend to) in 16:103 means tend to think negatively.

Thirdly:

 1- Another derivative in another context in the Quran is found to mean ''refuge'' in the following verse: "And recite what was revealed to you from the Book of your Lord. There is no changing His words, and you will find no refuge except in Him." (18:27). The Arabic word (Multahada), which is underlined here in this verse, follows the same root l/h/d as well. This verse asserts the fact that no one, including Muhammad, can ever find a refuge away from God and His divine word or Holy Writ, i.e. the Quranic verses. The pronoun in Arabic in this verse refers to both God and the Quranic verses. That is to say, we are never to separate God and His Words: the Quran. Hence, real and true believers, including Muhammad, can never find any haven or refuge except in the Quran alone. There are no other sources of faith to a true Muslim. We are compelled here to remember the Quranic notion of adhering only to the Quran alone: "These are God's Verses which We recite to you in truth. In which message, after God and His revelations, will they believe?" (45:6). As one cannot believe in God and other gods and deities simultaneously, likewise, we are not to believe in any discourse/narration/message in religion except the Quran. The Quran is very clear on that subject; yet, the Muhammadans do not understand this!

2- In the same vein, we find the following verses: "Say, "I pray only to my Lord, and I never associate anyone with Him." Say, "It is not in my power to harm you, nor to bring you to right conduct." Say, "No one can protect me from God, and I will not find any refuge except with Him. Except for a proclamation from God and His messages. He who defies God and His Messenger-for him is the Fire of Hell, in which they will dwell forever."" (72:20-23). Hence, from these verses, we conclude the following facts.  Prophet Muhammad, and of course all true believers as well, is ordered in the Quran to address prayers only to God, with no supplications addressed to mortals, dead or alive, or to locations/tombs/stone/things sanctified and made holy by the polytheists. Prophet Muhammad could never guide, harm, or give benefit to anyone of those around him in his lifetime. How come that some people invoke him and supplicate to him after his death, or to his said tomb, to come to their aid?! This is sheer madness and blasphemy; as if he were alive or immortal. This deification of Muhammad is deemed polytheism punishable in Eternal Hell if one does not repent. This bad notion is spread and practiced by today's Muhammadans. This deified sanctified character of Muhammad did not and does not exist except in the imaginations of polytheistic Muhammadans. They invoke the prophet's name in their speech daily and in the call for prayers and in daily prayers. They even perform daily additional prayers in his memory to invoke, supplicate, appease, and appeal to him and call these prayers as Sunnite additional prayers offered to him, after performing the ones offered to God! This is certain polytheism. They have deified Muhammad after his death. The historical mortal Prophet Muhammad cannon find refuge except in the Quran; how come he is to be deified?! This has been done with Jesus as well. Muhammad in the Quran is warned against not to convey the whole divine message of the Quran. This would have been punishable by eternal residence Hell. This is the fate of all who disobey the Quran. We all as believers ought to seek refuge and a haven in the noble and glorious Quran alone. We do not need any other books written by man in matters of religion.

Lastly:

 The Arabic term (Ilhad) in the Quranic terminology does not indicate (atheism) in the sense of denying God, as the common meaning of the term in contemporary Arabic denotes; rather, we find that in the Quranic contexts, it covers, along with its derivatives and forms, the meanings explained in detail in this article.