Page 94 - The Worst Slander: Idolatry

92 THE WORST SLANDER: IDOLATRY

ascribe equals to Allah have a flawed and deficient knowl-
edge and understanding of Him. Unable to establish a sin-
cere closeness to Allah and appreciate Him as they should,
they direct their love toward that which is not Him.
Here it will be useful to concentrate upon the male-
female relationship, the tightest and most frequently
observed form of idolatrous love. In these relationships, any
devotion and togetherness constructed independently of
Allah's approval is a major cause of deviation into idolatry.
Thus, they are usually based on romanticism, emotionality,
and mutual benefit, for one person is seeking the other per-
son's approval. Not hesitating even for a moment about
transgressing the bounds Allah set for humanity in order to
please each other, they direct the love bestowed upon them
by Allah toward each other and soon forget Him. The result
is people who fulfill all duties to each other, instead of to
Allah, and who perversely regard each other as indepen-
dent entities. In the Qur'an Allah describes such relation-
ships as mutual worship and deifying the other person.
Allah notes in the Qur'an the passionate love felt toward
women in such relationships. If this love causes the man to
forget Allah or to not remember Him as is His due, if he
prefers his love of the woman over and above his love for
Allah, and if it replaces his love for Allah in his heart, he is
heading toward idolatry. The same is true for the female
member of this relationship. In the Qur'an Allah tells us that
such a love, which society considers "innocent," is not
pleasing to Him:
What they call on apart from Him are female idols. What