Mankind's Greatest Need: Tawheed
Date: 2007-07-07
Format: text
Identifier: http://www.troid.org/articles/aqeedah/introductorymaterial/greatestneed.htm
Language: en
Subject: iman
Title: Mankind's Greatest Need: Tawheed
Created on: Sat Jul 07 12:53:52 -0400 2007
Updated on: Sat Jul 07 12:53:52 -0400 2007
Version: 1
Abstract: ... [23] Since this great aayah informs us - from start to finish - purely about Allaah’s Names, His Attributes and His Actions. So this further emphasises the importance of the Tawheed of knowledge. Similarly, Sooratul-Ikhlaas - from start to finish - is concerned with the Tawheed of knowledge, whilst Sooratul-Kaafiroon is connected with the Tawheed of action. Indeed, the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said about a man who was reciting al-Kaafiroon in the first rak’ah, “This is a servant who believes in his Lord.” Then the man recited al-Ikhlaas in the second, so he (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “This is a servant who knows his Lord.” [25] The Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam said, “Say: He is Allaah, the One.” is equivalent to one third of the Qur‘aan. And “Say: O disbelievers...” is equivalent to a quarter of the Qur‘aan. [26] What further demonstrates the importance of this Tawheed is the fact that the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam), “would begin his day with Tawheed (of knowledge and action), since he recited both Sooratul-Kaafiroon and Sooratul-Ikhlaas in the two rak’aat before Fajr (dawn prayer). [27] And he would end the night by reciting both of these Soorahs in his witr prayer. [28]” [29] “Indeed, all of the Qur‘aan is about Tawheed.” [30] And Allaah - the Mighty and Majestic – says, “A book We have sent down, full of blessings, that men may ponder over its messages; and those who possess understanding may take them to heart.” [31] TAWHEED – IT’S IMPORTANCE FROM THE SUNNAH: And what proves the importance of Tawheed from the Sunnah is that the Chosen one - ’alayhis-salaatu was salaam - remained in Makkah thirteen years amongst the disbelievers, calling them to it, and saying to them, “Say: None has the right to be worshipped except Allâh and thus be successful...” [32] The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “I have been sent close to the Hour, with the sword, so that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah alone, without any partner. My sustenance is beneath the shade of my spear. And humiliation and ignominy is for whosoever opposes my command. And whosoever resembles a people is from them.” [33]” [34] Similarly he would send his Companions to various communities ordering them with this Tawheed first - as was the case when he sent Mu’aadh Ibn Jabal to Yemen, saying, “Indeed you are going to a people from the People of the Book, so let the Tawheed of Allaah be the very first thing you call them to...” [35] And just as the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) started his Prophethood and teaching with the matter of Tawheed, then likewise, “He (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) mentioned the matter of Tawheed during his final illness from which he (’alayhis-salaatu was salaam died, when he said, “The curse of Allaah be upon the Jews and the Christians, for they took the graves of their Prophets as places of worship.” [36]” [37] CLEARING A MISCONCEPTION: Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (d.728H) said, “The Tawheed with which the Messengers came with comprises of affirming that Divinity and worship belong to Allaah alone, such that a person witnesses that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, and that none is worshipped except Him, nor depended upon other than Him, nor are alliances or enemies made except for Him, nor is an action done except for Him. This affirmation also covers those Names and Attributes which Allaah affirms for Himself, as Allaah - the Most High – says, “And the Allaah to be worshipped is only one Allaah. None has the right to be worshipped except Him, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.” [38] And Allaah - the Most High – says, “Do not take two objects of worship. Indeed, Allâh is the only Deity to be worshipped, so fear Him.” [39]. And He - the Most High – says, “Whosoever calls upon (i.e. supplicates or prays to) other than Allaah, for which he has no proof, then his reckoning is only with his Lord. Indeed, the disbelievers will not be successful.” [40] Allaah - the Most High - also says, “And ask those of our Messengers whom we sent before you, ‘Did We ever appoint objects of worship besides the Most Merciful?’ ” [41] And Allaah informed us about every Prophet from amongst the Prophets that they called the people to the worship of Allaah alone, having no partner, as He said, “Indeed there is an excellent example for you in Ibraaheem and those with him, when they said to their people, ‘Indeed we are free from you and whatever you worship besides Allaah. We have rejected you, and there has arisen between us and you, hostility and hatred forever - until you believe in Allaah alone.’” [42] And Allaah said about the mushriks (pagan idolaters), “When it is said to them, ‘None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah’, they become arrogant. And they say: ‘Are we to abandon those deities that we worship because of a mad poet?’” [43] And this occurs a lot in the Qur‘aan. And what is meant by Tawheed is not merely Tawheedur-Ruboobiyyah - the belief that Allaah alone is the Creator - which is what some of the people of Kalaam (speculative theology) and the Soofees think! So they think that if they affirm this type of Tawheed, along with its proofs, then they have affirmed the utmost limits of Tawheed and that if they bear witness to this and become absorbed in it, then they have absorbed themselves in the limits of Tawheed! However, this is not the case. Since even if a person agreed to those attributes which are befitting to the Lord, and declared Him free from everything He should be declared free from and affirmed that He alone is the creator of everything - then still such a person would not be a muwahhid (a person of Tawheed) until along with this, he witnesses that the only Ilaah (i.e. object of worship) is Allaah - (i.e. none has the right to he worshipped except Allaah alone) - affirming that Allaah alone is the Ilaah deserving off all worship, adhering to this worship and associating no partners with Him. Also affirming that this Ilaah (object of worship) is He who is deified and worshipped and who deserves worship and it is not that Ilaah merely with the meaning, “The One who has the power to create and originate.” [44] So if an explainer (of the Qur‘aan) explains Ilaah to mean, “The One who has the power to create and originate” and believes that this is the most particular description of Ilaah and affirms this to be the limits of Tawheed - as is done by the people of Kalaam, and it is what they say from Abul-Hasan al-Ash’aree [45] and his followers - then they do not know the true reality of the Tawheed with which Allaah sent His Messengers, since the Arab mushriks used to agree that Allaah alone is the Creator of everything. Yet despite this, they were still mushriks, as Allaah - the Most High – says, “Most people do not believe in Allaah except that they commit shirk (i.e. associate others with Him in belief and worship).” [46] A group from amongst the Salaf (the first three generations of Muslims) said, “If you ask them who created the Heavens and the earth, they will say, ‘Allaah’ - yet along with this, they worshipped others besides Him.” [47] Allaah - the Most High – said, “Say: ‘Whose is the earth and all that is in it, if you do indeed know?’ They will say, ‘It belongs to Allaah.’ Say, ‘Will you not then remember?’ Say, ‘Who is the Lord of the heavens and the Lord of the great Throne?’ They will say, ‘Allaah.’ Say, ‘Will you not then fear Him?’” [48] So not everyone who affirms that Allaah is the Lord of everything and is its Creator, will be a worshipper of Him to the exclusion of everything else - calling upon Him alone, hoping in Him alone, having fear of Him alone, forming allegiance and enmity for Him, obeying His Messengers, ordering what He orders and forbidding what He forbade.” [49] CONCLUSION: Shaykh ’Abdul-Qaadir al-Jeelaanee (d.561H) said, “So it is upon you to fear Allaah - the Mighty and Majestic - and not to fear anyone else except Him. Turn to Allaah - the Mighty and Majestic - for your every need, and rely upon Him alone - the Most High - seeking that which you need from Him alone. Do not rely upon anyone other than Allaah. And Tawheed - all is contained in Tawheed.” [50] Footnotes: [1] Sharhul-’Aqeedatit-Tahaawiyyah (p. 69) [2] Fadl ’Ilmus-Salaf (p. 47) of al-Haafidh Ibn Rajab (d.795H) [3] Related by ad-Daarimee (1/102) and Aboo Nu’aym in al-Hilyah (7/280), with a Saheeh isnaad. [4] Related by al-Bukhaaree (1/49) and Muslim (no. 16) from ’Abdullaah ibn ’Umar - radiyallaahu ’anhu. [5] Related by Muslim (no.20) [6] Related by Muslim (no.19) [7] Lisaanul-’Arab (3/450) of Ibn Mandhoor and also al-Hujjah fee Bayaanil-Mahajjah (1/305) of Abul-Qaasim al-Asbahaanee [8] ad-Durarus-Sunniyyah (1/48) of Shaykh ’Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Hasan [9] Jawharut-Tawheed (p. 10) [10] Sharh Kitaabut-Tawheed min Saheehil-Bukhaaree (1/38) [11] Lawaami’ul-Anwaarul-Bahiyyah (1/128) of as-Safaareenee. For the division of Tawheed into three types, refer to: al-Ibaanah ’an Sharee’atil-Firqatin-Naajiyah (p. 693-694) of Ibn Battah (d.387H); Kitaabut-Tawheed of Ibn Mandah (d.395H) and al-Hujjah fî Bayaanil-Mahajjah (1/85, 1/111-113) of Abul-Qaasim al-Asbahaanee (d.535H) [12] Soorah Maryam [19:65] [13] Taqreebut-Tadmuriyyah (p. 110) of Shaykh Ibn al-’Uthaymeen [14] Taqreebut-Tadmuriyyah (p. 110-111) [15] Taqreebut-Tadmuriyyah (p. 112-113) [16] Taqreebut-Tadmuriyyah (p. 116-117) [17] Soorah aali-’Imraan [3:64] [18] Madaarijus-Saalikeen (3/449-450) of Ibn al-Qayyim [19] Sooratul-Faatihah [1:1] - and what follows is a completion of this Soorah [20] Sharhul-’Aqeedatul-Tahaawiyyah (p. 89-90) of Ibn Abil-’Izz [21] Sooratun-Naas [114:1] [22] Hukmul-Intimaa‘ (p. 58) of Shaykh Bakr Aboo Zayd - slightly adapted [23] Related by Muslim (no. 1768) from ’Ubayy Ibn Ka’b - radiyallaahu ’anhu. [24] Refer to Majmoo’ul-Fataawaa (1/54) of Ibn Taymiyyah [25] Hasan: Related by at-Tahawee and Ibn Hibbaan. Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajar authenticated it in Ahadeethul-’Aaliyaat (no. 16). [26] Saheeh: Related by at-Tabaraanee in al-Mu’jamul-Kabîr (3/203/2) from Ibn ’Umar - radiyallaahu ’anhu. It was authenticated by al-Albaanee in Saheehul-Jaami’ (no. 4405). [27] Related by Muslim (no.726) [28] Saheeh: Related by an-Nisaa‘ee and al-Haakim, who declared it saheeh. [29] at-Tawheed wa Atharahu fee Hayaatil-Muslim (p. 30) of Ahmad Ibn ... [Full Article...]
