Min Dun Illah

بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Heretical and misguided groups, like the Qadianis, which teach that the Messiah عليه السلام is dead, quote the proceeding verses of the Holy Quran:

وَالَّذِیۡنَ یَدۡعُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ لَا یَخۡلُقُوۡنَ شَیۡئًا وَّہُمۡ یُخۡلَقُوۡنَ

Those they call upon besides Allah do not create a thing but are themselves created

اَمۡوَاتٌ غَیۡرُ اَحۡیَآءٍ

They are dead, not alive

(Surah 16:20-21)

The argument goes that the words "min dun Illah" literally mean other than Allah and includes all the creation, including the Messiah. But as a term "min dun Illah" in many places throughout the Holy Quran refers only to the idols and false deities of the polytheists. For instance, Allah سبحانه وتعالي says:

وَمَا لَکُمۡ مِّنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ مِنۡ وَّلِیٍّ وَّلَا نَصِیۡرٍ

There is not for you, besides Allah, a protector [wali] nor a helper

(Surah 2:107)

Yet elsewhere, He says:

اِنَّمَا وَلِیُّکُمُ اللّٰہُ وَرَسُوۡلُہٗ وَالَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوا الَّذِیۡنَ یُقِیۡمُوۡنَ الصَّلٰوۃَ وَیُؤۡتُوۡنَ الزَّکٰوۃَ وَہُمۡ رٰکِعُوۡنَ

Verily, your protector [wali] is none other than Allah, His Apostle and those who believe; those who establish the Salah and discharge the Zakah and are bowing

(Surah 5:55)

If the words "min dun Illah" as they occur in Surah 2:107 literally mean anything or anyone besides Allah, from His creation, then we have a problem, a serious contradiction! Yet Allah says:

اَفَلَا یَتَدَبَّرُوۡنَ الۡقُرۡاٰنَ ؕ وَلَوۡ کَانَ مِنۡ عِنۡدِ غَیۡرِ اللّٰہِ لَوَجَدُوۡا فِیۡہِ اخۡتِلَافًا کَثِیۡرًا 

Why do they not ponder the Quran? Had it been from other than Allah they would have found in it much discrepancy

(Surah 4:82)

Therefore, the words "min dun Illah" as they occur in the Holy Quran do not always literally mean anything or anyone besides Allah, but as a term refers to idols and false deities. And when Allah says that besides Him there is no protector or helper it means no protector or helper independent of Him. Allah says:

 لَیۡسَ لَہَا مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ وَلِیٌّ وَّلَا شَفِیۡعٌ

There is not for it, besides Allah, a helper or intercessor

(Surah 6:70)

Can any Muslim understand from this that the Holy Prophet Muhammad صلي الله عليه وسلم is not the Intercessor on Judgment Day? "Min dun Illah" here again refers to idols and false deities, or that there is no protector nor intercessor independent of Allah. Is it not the meaning of the Prophet's praise and supplication of Allah:

وَأَنْـتَ الْبـاطِـنُ فَلَـيْسَ دونَـكَ شَيء

"You are Al-Batin [the Hidden], there is nothing independent of You"

(Sahih Muslim)

The Wahhabis and their various offshoots accuse mainstream, Sunni Muslims of polytheism and grave worship, and quote some of those Ayat with the words "min dun Illah" in a futile attempt to refute our doctrine.