You Can Be A 'Slave' To Allah; Others Aren't

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 18 January 2024 "I want to add a point to your comment that all the people of the world are slaves to Allah Almighty." By Intikhab Raza While I respect the piety and universality of Mr Raza, I simply don't approve of the 'slavish' term 'slaves to Allah.' First of all, this is an Islamic perception of devoutness. You find this servile devotion in all Semitic faiths, esp. in Islam because all three Semitic faiths not just approved of slavery, but also institutionalized it. Islam is Numero Uno on this count. The Quran legitimises slavery and that cannot be denied, however hard you may try or gloss over. So, the term slavery is an institutionalized linguistic reality for the Muslims. An average Muslim will look up to Allah as a draconian and punitive master and himself as Allah's bondsman. This is not piety. This is unflinching obedience based on abject fear. Remember, a slave has no free will or volition. His existence has no value. The very word 'slave' is disgustingly demeaning and an insult to an individual. That's why, nowadays you come across words such as 'black', 'nigger', 'negro' and 'slave' with a note that these are offensive words in evolving social milieu. But religion, esp. Islam, is hell-bent on remaining unchanged in every sphere. So, Muslims still proudly, nay foolishly, call themselves 'slaves to Allah.' Agreed, if you want to stay a slave to Allah, it's your choice. Please don't include others and call themselves 'slaves to Allah.' Furthermore, people like yours truly, having no faith in any damn god, Allah or Bhagwan, will never like to be called 'slaves to Allah' or for that matter, any fictional entity eternally hidden in an obscure nook of the Universe. If you continuously call yourself a 'slave' to Allah, where's your RIGHTEOUS EGO? You're just crawling and genuflecting before a concocted entity. Is this the objective of a worshipper? Didn't Ghalib say, "Bandagi Mein Bhi Woh Aazaad-O-Khudbeen Hain Ke Hum/ Ulte Phir Aayein Dar-E-Kaaba Agar Wa Na Hua" (Though I worship, yet I retain my individuality/ I shall return home if the doors of Kaaba don't open for me!). At the same time, Eastern faiths have a different kind of relation with the so-called almighty. It doesn't stem from fear but from love. Eastern belief systems don't like the term god-fearing because believers are god-loving. If you believe in the concept of An-al-Haq or Aham Brahmasmi (I'm the Truth), there's no disparity between the god and the worshipper. Both are on an even keel. Don't you have a very strange and sadistic god who perversely feels good when IT enslaves you and treats you like ITS perennial slave or factotum? And what kind of pathological pleasure do you draw by prostrating forever before this 'divine' martinet? You can jolly well be a spineless slave to Allah. That's your decision and I fully respect it. But please, don't include others. ---- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/slave-allah-others/d/131538 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism