The verse says...

The verse says: “…conforming with the saying of those who disbelieved before…” Then, the verse continues saying: “…May Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!” Surah At-Tawbah – Verse 31 اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَاباً مِن دُونِ اللّهِ وَالْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَمَآ أُمِرُوا إِلاَّ لِيَعْبُدُوا إِلَهاً وَاحِداً لآ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ سُبْحَانَهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ 31 ***.

“They have taken their rabbis and their monks and Messiah, son of Mary, as (their) lords apart from Allah, while they were commanded to worship but One God; there is no god but He; Pure is He and Exalted is He from what they associate (with Him).”*** The Qur’ānic term /’ahbār/ is the plural form of /hibr/ which means ‘scholar, learned’; and the Arabic term /ruhbān/ is the plural form of /rāhib/ with the meaning of ‘monk’.

These people, with all their saintliness, are servants and worshippers of God, not objects of worship. Unconditioned obedience from Jewish rabbis and Christian monks is a kind of worship done by the Jews and the Christians.

Imam Sadiq (as) said: “Whoever obeys a person in sinning Allah; he has worshipped him.” [^1] The verse says: “They have taken their rabbis and their monks and Messiah, son of Mary, as (their) lords apart from Allah, while they were commanded to worship but One God; there is no god but He...” Thus, obeying other than Allah unconditionally is a sort of serving other than Allah. To worship the prophets, exaggerating about them, and considering them as son(s) of God is attributing partners to God.

The verse continues saying: “…Pure is He and Exalted is He from what they associate (with Him).” Surah At-Tawbah – Verse 32 يُرِيدُونَ أَن يُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللّهِ بِاَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَيَأْبَى اللّهُ إِلآَّ أَن يُتِمَّ نُورَهُ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ 32 ***.

“They intend that they extinguish the Light of Allah with their mouths and Allah refuses but to perfect His Light, though the infidels detest it.”*** For the vain and useless efforts of the Jews and the Christians, or all the opponents of Islam, among whom are polytheists, there has come an interesting resemblance in this verse.

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