المسلم يحذو بحذو الصالحين وصحابة الرسول ويحبهم ويحاول أن يكون صالح مثلهم، ويعبد الله وحده كما فعلوا هؤلاء، ولكن لا يقدسهم ولا يجعل منهم وسيطًا بينه وبين الله.
The Muslim follows in the footsteps of the righteous and the Prophet's Companions. He loves them and tries to be as righteous as they were, and he worships Allah alone just as they did. However, he does not sanctify them or take them as mediators between himself and Allah.
قال الله تعالى:
Allah Almighty said:
"… وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ ۚ …" [168]. (آل عمران: 64).
{...and that we do not take one another as lords besides Allah...} [168] Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 64.
محمدٌ لم يكن سنيًا ولا شيعيًا ولكن كان حنيفًا مسلمًا، والمسيح لم يكن كاثوليكيًا ولا غيرها، كلاهما عبد الله وحده بلا وسيط، فلم يعبد المسيح نفسه ولم يعبد أمه، وكذلك لم يعبد محمد نفسه ولا ابنته ولا زوج ابنته.
Muhammad was neither a Sunni nor a Shiite; rather, he was a monotheist Muslim. Jesus also was not a Catholic or anything else. Both were the slaves of Allah alone without a mediator. Jesus did not worship himself or his mother, and similarly, Muhammad did not worship himself, his daughter, or his son-in-law.
وظهور فِرق كثيرة بسبب مشاكل سياسية أو انحرافات عن الدين الصحيح أو غيرها من الأسباب وارد، ولا علاقة له بالدين الصحيح الواضح البسيط، وفي كل الأحوال فإن كلمة "سُنَّة" تعني اتباع منهج الرسول بحذافيره، وتعني كلمة "شيعة" فِرقة من الناس انشقوا عن النهج الذي ينتهجه عامة المسلمين. وبالتالي فإن السنة هم المتبعين لمنهج الرسول وهم السائرون على المنهج الصحيح في العموم، أما الشيعة فهم فرقة انحرفت عن النهج الصحيح للإسلام.
The emergence of diverse sects due to political problems or deviations from the right religion is possible and has nothing to do with the right, clear, and simple religion. In all cases, the word "Sunnah" means full compliance with the Prophet's methodology, whereas the word "Shia" means a group of people who deviated from the methodology adopted by the majority of Muslims. Therefore, the Sunnis are followers of the Prophet's methodology and the ones on the right course in general, while the Shiites represent the sect that deviated from the right course of Islam.
قال الله تعالى:
Allah Almighty said:
"إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا لَّسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ"[169]. (االأنعام:159).
{Those who have made divisions in their religion and turned into factions, you have nothing to do with them. Their case rests with Allah alone; He will inform them of what they used to do.} [169] Surat al-An‘ām: 159.
كلمة إمام تعني من تقدم قومه بالصلاة أو برعاية شؤونهم وقيادتهم، وهي ليست رتبة دينية محصورة في أشخاص معينين، ولا يوجد طبقية أو كهنوت في الإسلام، والدين للجميع، الناس سواسية كأسنان المِشط أمام الله، فلا فرق بين عربي ولا أعجمي إلا بالتقوى والعمل الصالح. والأولى بإمامة الصلاة هو الأكثر حفظًا والعارف بما يلزم معرفته من الأحكام المتعلقة بالصلاة، ومهما حصل الإمام على احترام من المسلمين فإنه في كل الحالات لا يسمع لاعتراف ولا يغفر الذنوب كما هو الحال عند القسيس.
"Imam" is a word that means the one who leads his people in prayer or manages their affairs and their leadership. It is not a religious rank restricted to certain people. In Islam there are no classes or priesthood; rather, religion is for all. and all people are equal before Allah, i.e., there is no difference between an Arab and a non-Arab except in terms of piety and righteous deeds. The one who is more entitled to lead people in prayer and be their Imam is the one who memorizes more of the Qur’an and is well-informed about the rulings related to prayer. No matter how much Muslims revere the Imam, he, in all cases, does not listen to the confessions and does not forgive sins like the Christian priest does.
قال الله تعالى:
Allah Almighty said:
" اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَالْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا إِلَٰهًا وَاحِدًا ۖ لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ سُبْحَانَهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ" [170]. (التوبة:31).
{They have taken their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah, as well as the Messiah, son of Mary, even though they were commanded to worship only One God; none has the right to be worshiped except Him, glorified is He far above what they associate with Him.} [170] Surat at-Tawbah: 31.
والإسلام يؤكد على عصمة الأنبياء من الخطأ فيما يُبلغون عن الله، ولا عصمة ولا وحي لقسيس أو قديس، ومن المحرم تمامًا في الإسلام اللجوء لغير الله في الاستعانة والطلب حتى لو كان الطلب من الأنبياء أنفسهم، ففاقد الشيء لا يعطيه. كيف يطلب الإنسان من غيره العون وهو الذي لا يستطيع إعانة نفسه، والطلب من الله عز ومن غيره مذلة. هل يُعقل أن نساوي بين الملك وعامة شعبه بالطلب، فالعقل والمنطق يدحض هذه الفكرة تمامًا. وإن الطلب من غير الله عبث مع الإيمان بوجود الإله القادر على كل شيء، وهو شرك مناقض للإسلام وهو أعظم الذنوب.
Islam stresses the prophets' infallibility in what they convey from Allah, yet no priest or saint is infallible or receives revelation. It is totally forbidden in Islam to resort to anyone but to Allah when seeking aid or making a request, even if the request is addressed to the prophets themselves; as one cannot give what he does not have. How could man seek help from another man if he cannot even help himself?! All honor lies in asking Allah, while humiliation lies in asking other than Him. Is it logical to put the king on an equal footing with his subjects in terms of request?! This idea is totally unacceptable to both mind and logic. Seeking help from other than Allah despite belief in the existence of an Omnipotent God is frivolity and constitutes Shirk (polytheism), which contradicts Islam and is deemed the gravest sin.
قال الله تعالى على لسان الرسول:
Allah Almighty said, reporting the Prophet's words:
" قُل لَّا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ۚ وَلَوْ كُنتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لَاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ ۚ إِنْ أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ" [171]. (الأعراف:188).
{Say, “I have no power to benefit or harm myself, except what Allah wills. If I had knowledge of the unseen, I would have acquired much good, and no evil would have touched me. I am only a warner and bearer of glad tidings for people who believe.”} [171] Surat al-A‘rāf: 188.
وقال أيضًا:
He also said:
"قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا " [172]. (الكهف: 110).
{Say, “I am only a man like you; it has been revealed to me that your God is One God. So whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord, let him do righteous deeds and associate none in the worship of his Lord.”} [172] Surat al-Kahf: 110.
"وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا "[173]. (الجن: 18).
{The mosques are for Allah alone, so do not supplicate to anyone along with Allah.} [173] Surat al-Jinn: 18.