How did Christianity become mixed with polytheistic beliefs

How did Christianity become mixed with polytheistic beliefs

Question
If true Christianity brought the message of the Oneness of God (Tawheed), and stated that He alone is to be worshipped to the exclusion of anyone else in His creation, whether that is ‘Eesa (Jesus) or anyone else, then how did this religion become mixed with polytheistic beliefs (shirk) and how did they take ‘Eesa (Jesus – peace be upon him) and his mother as gods besides Allaah?.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

There can be no doubt that the call to believe in Allaah alone (Tawheed) and to worship Him alone to the exclusion of anyone else, is the basic message that was brought by the Prophet of Allaah ‘Eesa (peace be upon him), as it was the basic message brought by all the Prophets. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): ‘Worship Allaah (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Taghoot (all false deities, i.e. do not worship Taghoot besides Allaah).’ Then of them were some whom Allaah guided and of them were some upon whom the straying was justified. So travel through the land and see what was the end of those who denied (the truth)”
[al-Nahl 16:36]
“And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We revealed to him (saying): Laa ilaaha illa Ana [none has the right to be worshipped but I (Allaah)], so worship Me (Alone and none else)”
[al-Anbiya’ 21:25]
‘Eesa will bear witness to this call against his people, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And (remember) when Allaah will say (on the Day of Resurrection): 'O ‘Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)! Did you say unto men: “Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allaah?”’ He will say: ‘Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it. You know what is in my inner‑self though I do not know what is in Yours; truly, You, only You, are the All‑Knower of all that is hidden (and unseen).
117. ‘Never did I say to them aught except what You (Allaah) did command me to say: “Worship Allaah, my Lord and your Lord.” And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them, but when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them; and You are a Witness to all things’”
[al-Maa'idah 5:117]
With regard to how the followers of this religion deviated after that from pure Tawheed to idolatrous beliefs and the worship of Jesus and his mother besides God, this is something which happened early on in Christian history. We will quote here some evidence to that effect from their own people’s words. Let whoever has ears listen.
It says in the American Encyclopedia:
The belief in the Oneness of God – as a theological movement – began at a very early stage in history, and in fact it preceded the belief in trinity by many decades. Christianity developed from Judaism, and Judaism firmly believes that there is one God.
The path that led from Jerusalem (the home of the first disciples of Christ) to Nicea (where it was decided in 325 CE that Christ was equal to God in essence and eternal nature) can hardly be described as a straight path.
The doctrine of trinity which was affirmed in the fourth century CE bears no resemblance to the original teachings of Christ concerning the nature of God. Au contraire, it is the opposite, a deviation from that teaching. Hence it developed in opposition to the belief in One God… (27/294).
You can refer to the views of some of those Christians who still believe in the Oneness of God in the same American Encyclopedia, 27/300-301
Will Durant says:
When Christianity conquered Rome, the new religion (i.e., Christianity) was infused with the blood of the old idolatrous religion: the title of archbishop, worship for the great mother, and an innumerable number of lords who gave peace of mind and were like who exist in all places and cannot be detected with the senses. All of this came into Christianity as the blood of the mother comes into her child.

 

The civilized empire handed over power and administration to the papacy and the impact of the word replaced the impact of the sword. The preachers of the church started to assume positions of power.
Christianity did not put an end to idolatry, rather it reinforced it. The Greek mind came back to life in a new form, in the doctrines and rituals of the church. The Greek rituals appeared in the rituals of the monastic saints. From Egypt came the idea of the holy trinity, the day of reckoning, eternal reward and punishment, and man’s eternal life in one of the other. From Egypt also came the worship of the mother and child, the mystical union with God, the union which led to Platonism and agnosticism, and the erasing of Christian doctrine. And from Persia came the belief in the return of the Messiah and his ruling the earth for 1000 years.
Qissat al-Hadaarah, 11/418 (The Story of Civilization)
Despite the element of atheism in the words of Durant, which is something that he is known for, and which is apparent in his claim that the idea of eternal reward or punishment came from the Egyptians, tracing the origins of deviant idolatry in Christianity is no longer a secret, and he is not the only one who has researched them. In his book Christianity and Idolatry, Robertson states that Mithraism, which is a religion of Persian origin, flourished in Persia approximately six centuries before the birth of Christ, and it reached Rome around the year 70 CE, where it spread throughout the Roman lands. Then it reached Britain and spread to a number of British cities. What concerns us here about this religion is that it says:
-That Mithras, after whom it is named, was an intermediary between God and man (for a similar doctrine in Christianity, see Acts 4:12).
-He was born in a cave or in a corner of the earth (cf. Luke 2:8)
-His birthday was December 25 (which is the day celebrated by the Christians as the day when Jesus was born)
-He had twelve disciples (cf. Matthew 10:1)
-He died to save the world (cf. I Corinthians 15:3)
-He was buried but he came back to life (cf. I Corinthians 15:4)
-He ascended to heaven in front of his disciples (cf. Acts 1:9)
-He was called “Saviour” (cf. Titus 2:13)
-Among his attributes is that he is like a peaceful lamb (cf. John 1:29)
-The “Divine supper” was held in his memory every year (cf. I Corinthians 11:23-25)
-One of his symbols was baptism
-Sunday was sacred to them
The French Orientalist Leon Joteh, in his book “An Introduction to Islamic philosophy” is of the view that the origin of the Christian trinity is to be found in Greek philosophy, specifically in the ideas of modern Platonism, which took the basis of the idea of trinity as a view of the Creator of the universe from Plato, then developed it to a great extent, so that the resemblance between this idea and Christianity became greater. So (in their view) the Creator, the One Who is absolutely perfect, appointed two intermediaries between him and mankind, who emanated from Him, and were also part of Him at the same time, meaning that they are contained in His essence. These two entities are reasoning and divine spirit. Then he said:
The marriage of Jewish belief and Greek philosophy did not only produce philosophy, rather it produced a religion too, namely Christianity which imbibed many ideas from the Greeks. The Christian concept of divinity is taken from the same source as modern Platonism. Hence you see many similarities between the two, although they may vary in some details. They are both based on a belief in trinity, in which the three “persons” are one.
This is what the American writer Draper refers to:
Idolatry and polytheism entered Christianity through the influence of the hypocrites who occupied positions of influence and high positions in the Roman state by pretending to be Christians, but they never cared about religion and were not sincere at all. Similarly Constantine had spent his life in darkness and evil, and he did not follow the commands of the church except for a short while at the end of his life. (p. 337)
Although the followers of Christianity gained some power, to the extent that they managed to have Constantine appointed as ruler, they failed to eradicate idolatry completely. As a result of their struggle, their principles became fused with idolatry, from which point there developed a new religion in which Christianity and idolatry were manifested equally.
Thus the Christians followed the same path of those disbelievers who had come before them, step by step, as their own Book testifies. And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And the Jews say: ‘Uzayr (Ezra) is the son of Allaah, and the Christians say: Messiah is the son of Allaah. That is their saying with their mouths, resembling the saying of those who disbelieved aforetime. Allaah’s Curse be on them, how they are deluded away from the truth!”
[al-Tawbah 9:30]
And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Link: Reference Link

The Winning Trade - (2) Tawheed Since 2016-02-17

- The first and most important treasure which is vital for all your good deeds to be accepted and to be labeled a 'Muslim', is Tawheed (Oneness of Allah The Almighty). Tawheed is the mother of all obligations, basically you will not harvest your good deeds without having this belief. In my previous article, we had addressed the reason behind attaining the winning trade, as it was guaranteed for you by Allah The Allmighty. The two outcomes you shall receive from this trade are the pleasure of Allah The Allmighty (Doing it for His sake only) and to attain Paradise (Jannah). Great! Now in this article, we will delve deeper into the hidden treasures that will lead us to the winning trade. The first and most important treasure which is vital for all your good deeds to be accepted and to be labeled a 'Muslim', is Tawheed (Oneness of Allah The Almighty). Tawheed is the mother of all obligations, basically you will not harvest your good deeds without having this belief. Wonder why?! The main goal of your existence as a servant of Allah The Almighty, as our lord Allah The Almighty informed us in the Holy Qu'ran: قال الله تعالى: {وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُون} الذاريات:56 (Interpretation of what Allah The Almighty said): "And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me" [Surat adh-Dhariyat:verse 56]. Allah The Allmighty also informed us in another verse: قال الله تعالى: {ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ لّا إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ فَأَنَّى تُؤْفَكُونَ} غافر:62 (Interpretation of what Allah The Almighty said): "That is Allah, your Lord, the Creator of all things: there is no god but Allah. How then are you turning away [from the Path of Truth]?" [Surat Gahfir:verse 62]. Tawheed was the message that all the Prophets came to convey (Prayer and peace of Allah The Almighty be upon all of Them) as they strove for its sake, and it is the only way for all your good deeds to be accepted and to attain Paradise. Contradictory of Tawheed is Shirk ( associating Allah The Almighty with other deities) which can lead to the entry of hell fire and a permanent stay there. Allah The Allmighty said : قال الله تعالى: {وَلَقَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِين} الزمر:65 (Interpretation of what Allah The Almighty said): "And it was already revealed to you and to those before you that if you should associate [anything] with Allah, your work would surely become worthless, and you would surely be among the losers" [Surat az-Zumar:verse 65]. Learning about Tawheed and the steps to fulfill it is one of the most important concepts any Muslim can achieve. Tawheed has three different types or categories: "Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah (Oneness of Divine Lordship), Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah (Oneness of Divinity) and Tawheed al-Asma’ wa’l-Sifaat (Oneness of the Divine Names and Attributes). 1: Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah (Oneness of Divine Lordship): means believing in Allaah as One and Unique with regard to His actions such as creation, sovereignty, control, giving life and death, and so on. 2: Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah means devoting all acts of worship, both inward and outward, in word and deed, to Allaah Alone, and not worshipping anything or anyone other than Allaah, no matter who he is. Allah The Almighty says: قال الله تعالى: {وقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ} الإسراء من الآية:23. (Interpretation of what Allah The Almighty said): “And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him” [al-Isra’:23] 3: Tawheed al-Asma’ wa’l Sifaat(Oneness of the Divine Names and Attributes), this means affirming the names and attributes of Allah and believing that there is none like unto Allah The Almighty in His Names and Attributes." (Source: Islam Question and Answer website) The reward of Tawheed: 1: Obtaining the blessing of Paradise (Jannah ) and avoiding the punishment of hell fire. It was narrated that Anas bin Malik (may Allah The Almighty be pleased with him) said: Allah’s Prophets (Prayer and peace of Allah The Almighty be upon Him) said: عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله تعالى عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: «مَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ يَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صِدْقًا مِنْ قَلْبِهِ إِلاَّ حَرَّمَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى النَّارِ» البخاري (Interpretation of what the Prophet Muhammad (Prayer and peace of Allah The Almighty be upon Him) said: "If any one testifies sincerely from his heart that there is no God except Allah and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah, Allah will save him from Hell fire" (Al-Bukhari). Also it was narrated in another Hadith, narrated by Othman ibn affan (may Allah The Almighty be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allah (Prayer and peace of Allah The Almighty be upon Him) said: عن عثمان رضي الله تعالى عنه، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «من مات وهو يعلم أنه لا إله إلا الله دخل الجنة» مسلم (Interpretation of what the Prophet Muhammad (Prayer and peace of Allah The Almighty be upon Him) said: “He, who dies and he knows (and has faith in the fact) that there is no deity except for Allah would enter Paradise” [Muslim]. 2: It will be a reason to attain Intercession for some people who have entered Hell fire, that they might be brought forth from it, as they will not stay in hell fire for ever. Also narrated by Anas ibn Malik (may Allah the Almighty be pleased with him) that, the Prophet (Prayer and peace of Allah The Almighty be upon Him) said : " Allah The Allmighty will say: عن أنس رضي الله تعالى عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «إن الله تعالى يقول: وعزتي وجلالي لأخرجن من النار من قال لا إله إلا الله» البخاري ومسلم (Interpretation of what the Prophet Muhammad (Prayer and peace of Allah The Almighty be upon Him) told us about what Allah The Almighty will say: "by My Might, My Majesty, My Supremacy and my Greatness, I will most certainly bring forth from it those who said laa ilahaa illa Allah (there is no God except Allah The Almighty)" [Bukhari and Muslim]. 3: Obtaining the Intercession of the Prophet (Prayer and peace of Allah The Almighty be upon Him) عن أبي هريرة رضي الله تعالى عنه: قال: «يا رسول الله أي الناس أسعد بشفاعتك يوم القيامة قال: يا أبا هريرة لقد ظننت أن لا يسألني عن هذا الحديث أحد أولى منك، لما رأيته من حرصك على الحديث، أسعد الناس بشفاعتي يوم القيامة، من قال: لا إله إلا الله، يبتغي بها وجه الله» البخاري It was narrated that Abu Huraira (may Allah The Almighty be pleased with him) said to the Prophet (Prayer and peace of Allah The Almighty be upon Him): "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Who will be the luckiest person who will gain your Intercession on the Day of Resurrection?" (Interpretation of what The Prophet (ﷺ) said): "O Abu Huraira! I have thought that none will ask me about this Hadith before you, as I know your longing for the (learning of) Hadiths. The luckiest person who will have my intercession on the Day of Resurrection will be the one who said, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,' sincerely from the bottom of his heart" [Al-Bukhari]. So in order to win the trade you have chosen, you need to do good actions and for those actions to be accepted, you need to fulfill Tawheed (Oneness of Allah). To fulfill the highest level of Tawheed, you need to believe in all three categories of Tawheed, Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah, Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah and Tawheed al-Asma’ wa’l-Sifaat. I ask Allah The Aamighty to grant us firmness on the word of Tawheed and to keep us on the path of the Prophets ( Prayer and peace of Allah The Almighty be upon all of them); Ameen.

Calling to Islam in the best Manners

- Since 2014-04-01 According to many scholars in this field, the term Da'wah (call to Islam) applies to conveying the message of Islam to non-Muslims and inviting them to Allaah. Non-practicing and lost Muslims need to be reeducated and motivated to become better Muslims; they already know Allaah Almighty and have been given the concept of Tawheed (monotheism). Some objectives of Da'wah are as follows. Calling to Islam in the best Manners According to many scholars in this field, the term Da'wah (call to Islam) applies to conveying the message of Islam to non-Muslims and inviting them to Allaah. Non-practicing and lost Muslims need to be reeducated and motivated to become better Muslims; they already know Allaah Almighty and have been given the concept of Tawheed (monotheism). Some objectives of Da'wah are as follows: (a) Conveying the message of Islam to non-Muslims and inviting them to Allaah. (b) Making efforts to remove misinformation about Islam and Muslims from text books, reference material and media. (c) Making efforts for the integration of new Muslims into the Muslim community. (d) To develop material resources, recruit manpower (volunteers) and provide training for Da'wah workers. Guidance is in the hands of Allaah, but the goal of Da’wah is definitely to be a reason to convert people to be Muslims, to save them from the Hell Fire. To avoid aggressiveness as a result of that is for the caller to Islam to know that guidance is not in his control, it is by the will of Allaah. Is Da'wah a duty on every Muslim? Yes, it is a collective duty, if some fulfill its rights then it is not a duty on every Muslim. In the Qur'an, Allaah has placed the responsibility on the Muslim Ummah (community) to convey the message of Islam to mankind. Allaah, The Exalted, says in the Qur'an (what means): {Thus We have appointed you a model community (Ummah), that you may be witnesses against mankind, and that the Messenger may be a witness against you} [Albaqara:143]. 'Witnessing', here, means to convey the message of Islam, i.e. to call people towards Allaah. Allaah also Says (what means): {Invite to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Revelation and the Qur’an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided} [An-Nahl:125]. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) completed his assignment in his lifetime by conveying the message to the entire Arabian Peninsula and sending letters to the heads of surrounding countries. In his Khutbah (ceremony) of his farewell Hajj (pilgrimage), he passed on the responsibility to every Muslim when he said (pbuh): «Those who are present should convey (my message) to those who are not» (Al-Bukhaari). Remember! Da'wah has great rewards. The Prophet (pbuh) said: «Whoever guides someone towards good, will receive the reward of the one who acts upon it» (Muslim). This means, if a person is converted through the Da'wah you give him/her, you get rewards for all the prayers he/she does or all the fasts that he/she does, etc. General tips for Da'wah The best Da'wah is to be a good example because people can see this without you having to talk to them. 1. You should be a good example all the time, not just when doing Da'wah. 2. Don't be a hypocrite and not follow what you preach. For example: how would it look if you tell people that Muslims can't drink alcohol and then they see you drinking. Smell good. Don't act like you're better than the person or people you are giving Da'wah to. Don't insult the person or their religion. Don't tell them that they are wrong and you are right and that they are going to hell. But you have to be clear that the religion of the truth is the religion of Islam, and Allaah doesn’t accept any other religions. And if a person dies in a state other than being a Muslim, he will be in the Hell Fire. This can be done in a wide way. Don't get too deep in a subject you don't know much about, because if they have questions, you won't have answers. Use common sense to explain Islam because much of Islamic ethics and rules are based on common sense and most people can relate to common sense. Dress according to the Sunnah, since the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) has so much blessings in it, and do not imitate the disbeliever. Da'wah opportunities are everywhere Just look for them. For example: you are invited for eating food with your co-workers, and they are going to eating pork. Let them know that you can't eat it. That is Da'wah. For teenagers specifically, whenever people are talking about dating or dances, tell them it is against your religion and why. It is not permissible for a Muslim to take friends that are disbelievers (eating pork, etc.) but if it is your co-workers, or so, then advice them. Also, it is not permissible to be present in a gathering that sins are involved. The easiest people to give Da'wah to are the ones who already believe in Allaah or some kind of deity. People who don't believe in Allaah, atheists, are the hardest to give Da'wah to. Don't be afraid to give them Da'wah, but be prepared and be knowledgeable because they always look at everything from a short sighted materialistic view. Methodology of Da'wah When giving Da'wah, you have to be wise. Be careful of the words and think before you speak. Know to whom you speaking to. For example, try to find out what they are interested in or if they have any problems. According to that, give them their information. People will always be interested if it gives them an answer to their problem or it has something to do with them. Da'wah to Christians First of all, the best Da'wah is by your actions. When doing Da'wah to non-Muslims, we should try to concentrate on what we have in common to them. For example: Islam and Christianity both believe that abortion is wrong. This is only to break the tension We should let them know that we share many of the same ethics and manners. Let them know that we believe in heaven, hell, angels, devils, the Day of Judgment, sins, repentance, and prophets. Let them know we only believe in one Allaah. And as a result, we worship Him alone, and explain what is the meaning of worship in Islam. Avoid controversial issues, like is Jesus (pbuh) the son of Allaah or just a Prophet. Don’t get in an argument, but it has to be mentioned clearly, that Jesus the son of Mary is a Messenger of Allaah and not His son. Do not insult them or put them or their religion down in any way. Avoid argument and debates. This only leads to ruin.