A summary of the concepts held by the Ahl al-Sunnah.
The fallacy of claiming that polytheism has vanished and correct creed is firmly established.
Some mistakenly imagine that with the mission of the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and the revelation of the Qur'an, polytheism was eradicated and monotheism was established,
and that there is, therefore, no need to begin the call to Islam with the creed,
as long as it is already present and established.
The answer to this is that what was eradicated by the mission of the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and the revelation of the Qur'an was the total dominance of Jahiliyyah across the globe, in both time and place.
The correct creed will never vanish from all parts of the earth, even if it is absent from others.
This does not contradict the emergence and spread of polytheism in numerous places on earth,
indeed, even in some Muslim lands, where it manifests in various spheres.
Examples include the spread of circumambulation around graves and seeking aid from saints,
requesting their intercession, and offering sacrifices and vows to them.
Another example is the belief in the infallibility of saints and shaykhs,
their knowledge of the unseen, and their ability to fulfill needs.
Also, people going to soothsayers, magicians, and charlatans,
in an effort to know the unseen or break spells,
and seeking their help after complying with their polytheistic, satanic demands.
Another example is the removal of the law of Allah from governance in most Muslim countries,
with people resorting instead to unjust, ignorant tyranny for judgment.
Furthermore, the rise of so-called secular, liberal thought,
and the fact that most people today do not base their loyalty on creed,
but rather on race, homeland, ethnicity, and so forth.
Instead, loyalty has been pledged to the enemies of Allah among the Jews and Christians,
and others among the people of polytheism and atheism.
The Qur'an itself affirms the reality that polytheism persists and spreads among the masses,
despite the manifestation of the truth and the abundance of its followers.
For Allah the Exalted has said:
“And though thou try much, most men will not believe.” (12:103)
And He the Exalted said:
“And most of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute partners (unto Him).” (12:106)
And He the Exalted said:
“If thou obeyedst most of those on earth they would mislead thee far from Allah's way. They follow naught but an opinion, and they do but guess.” (6:116)
After all of this, is there any room for those who say
that the creed of the Ummah is in good condition,
and that talking about matters of creed is an exaggerated affair?