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dhālika mimmā ʾawḥā ʾilayka rabbuka mina l-ḥikmati wa-lā tajʿal maʿa llāhi ʾilāhan ʾākhara fa-tulqā fī jahannama malūman madḥūran
These are among [precepts] that your Lord has revealed to you of wisdom. Do not set up another god besides Allah, or you will be cast into hell, being blameworthy and banished [from His mercy].
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Isra’ – Verse 39
39. “That (commandment) is of the wisdom (that) your Lord has revealed to you, and do not associate with Allah any other god for you will be thrown into the Hell, blamed, cast away.”
Some commentators of the Holy Qur’an are of the opinion that by ‘of the wisdom’ in here is meant those constant commandments which have been mentioned in the previous verses and which have been outstanding in other Divine religions as well and it will never be abrogated. In holy verse No. 22, the first among the wise sayings, was prohibition of paganism, and, the discussion of paganism in this verse, concludes all wise sayings, too. To stress once again the point that such wise commandments are all having their origin in Divine revelation, the holy Qur’an says:
“That (commandment) is of the wisdom (that) your Lord has revealed to you…”
Allusion as to the fact that the commandments have been both proven through rational philosophy as well as through the method of the Divine revelation, and the principles underlying all of the Divine commandments have common grounds though one can not recognize their details under the weak light of the intellect itself, has been here made. It is only through the power of revelation which one can obtain an understanding of such issues.
As was the case with the beginning of these commandments which concerned the prohibition of paganism, He concludes them with the same issue, implying that you shall never associate any other god with ‘Allah’ and should not place any other god for the purpose of worshipping alongside the Lord, ‘Allah’, for you will be thrown down into Hell, blamed and outcast from the Lord. The verse says:
“…and do not associate with Allah any other god for you will be thrown into the Hell, blamed, cast away.”
In fact, paganism and dualism in some matters of worship provide the basic substance for deviations, crimes, and sins. Therefore, these chains of fundamental commandments in Islam began with paganism and ended with it, too. Incidentally, sometimes, the Lord, addressing His Prophet, in an adamant manner, in fact issues warnings to the pagans to abandon hope in the Prophet (S), who are targeted in actual fact.
Explanations
Intellect and innate disposition do not make man free from the need in revelation. On the contrary, man is in need of revelation. All schools of thought and methods, other than the school of revelation and the Divine laws, are out of the question and lead man astray, the following of which would lead one to total deprivation, blaming, and the opening of one’s way to the ‘inferno’.