And Purify Your Garments,Does the Command to Avoid Idols Mean That the Messenger Worshipped Idols?
Does the Command to Avoid Idols Mean That the Messenger Worshipped Idols?
The answer is no.
Not every command addressed in the singular form in the Qur’an is specifically directed only to the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him.
Allah says:
“And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment…”
Yet it is well known that the Prophet’s father died before his birth, and his mother died many years before prophethood. Therefore, this verse is general in wording and not specifically directed to him alone.
Likewise, commands such as avoiding idols do not mean that the Prophet was previously involved in idol worship.
Evidence That the Prophet Did Not Worship Idols
Sahih al-Bukhari narrates that the Prophet met Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl before revelation came to him.
Food was presented, but Zayd refused it and said:
“I do not eat from what you slaughter upon your idols, and I do not eat except from that over which the name of Allah has been mentioned.”
This narration shows that even before prophethood, the Messenger was not associated with idol worship or idol sacrifices.
There is also the narration of Umm Ayman regarding the idol called Buwanah.
The Quraysh would gather around it, sacrifice to it, and celebrate around it every year. The Prophet was urged by his family to attend, but he repeatedly refused.
When he eventually went near it under family pressure, he became frightened and said:
“Whenever I approached an idol there, a tall white man appeared to me, shouting at me: ‘Behind you, O Muhammad, do not touch him.’”
After that, he never attended any of their idol festivals.
What “Avoid Idols” Actually Means
The command is not proof that the Prophet worshipped idols. Rather, it means to stay away from them completely.
Allah says:
“So avoid the filth of idols and avoid false speech.”
Quran
No one understands this verse to mean that Muslims worship idols and are then told to stop. Rather, the meaning is to stay far away from idols, avoid them, and never approach them.
Mujahid ibn Jabr said that “filth” in this verse refers to idols.
Qatadah ibn Di’amah explained that Allah commanded His Prophet to avoid idols, stay away from them, and not approach them.
Likewise, Ibn Zayd said:
“He commanded him to leave them, not come to them, and not go near them.”
Conclusion
The command to avoid idols does not imply prior idol worship.
It is simply a command to stay away from idols, reject them, and have no connection with them whatsoever.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was protected from idol worship even before revelation, and the historical reports clearly support that.