Socio Political Thought Of Shah WaliAllah Rahmatullahi Alaihi

SECTION XIV
The Origin and Essence of Religion is
One, but the Prescribed Laws vary
102. God has said: "He has made plain to you the Religion which He
enjoined upon Nuh and which we have revealed to thee, and which
we enjoined on Ibrahim and Miis2 and 'Is3 to establish Religion and
not to be divided therein".16
In his.commentary on the above verse, Mujahid says: "We have
taught you [0 Muhammad] and them the same one ~eligion".'~
God says: "And surely this your community is one community, and
I am your Lord, so keep your duty to me. But they became divided
into sects, each party rejoicing in that which was with them".18 This
means that the community of Islam is your community; as to those
who became divided, they were polytheists, Jews and Christians.
God also says: "For everyone of you, We appointed a law and a
meth~d".~%x~lainin~ the above verse, Ibn 'Abbas says: "God has
appointed the way and the prescribed pattern (sunnah) ".20
God also says: "To every community We appointed acts of devotion
which they observe."21
103. It should be borne in mind that the origin and essence of the Religion
is one. All the Prophets (peace be upon them) were agreed on it.
The difference lay in the codes of prescribed law and the methods
of reform. To explain this point further, we would say that all the
Prophets (peace be upon them) are agreed on the following:
(i) That God is One and Unique in an absolute sense, which means that
no one else is worthy of servitude, nor of being approached for help.
It also implies His purity of anything that does not befit His Honour
and Glory and the prohibition of violating the sanctity of His
attributive names.