When discussed in detail, there are three types of Tawhid (belief in the Oneness of Allah):
Tawhid-ul-Rububiyyah (Allah being the only Lord); Tawhid-ul-Uluhiyyah (Allah's Exclusive Right to be worshipped) and Tawhid-ul-Asma' wal-Sifat (Allah being the Only One Who has the perfect Names and Attributes). In fact, the earlier Mushriks (those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity or worship) did not deny Tawhid-ul-Rububiyyah, but this did not cause them to be considered Muslims, because still they did not direct all acts of worship exclusively to Allah. They did not acknowledge Tawhid-ul-Uluhiyyah. Even though they believed that Allah is their Creator, their Provider and their Lord, they did not worship Him Alone. Therefore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) strived and fought against them to make them worship Allah Alone.
Tawhid-ul-Rububiyyah means to acknowledge the Actions of Allah as solely His, and His managing and disposing of all the affairs of the universe. In other words, a person testifies that Allah is the Creator, the Provider, the Manager, and Disposer of all affairs. He gives and withholds, degrades and elevates, honors and humiliates, gives life and causes death, and He is Able to do all things.
The earlier Mushriks acknowledged all these matters, as Allah (Glorified be He) says:
And if you ask them who created them, they will surely say: “Allâh.”
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Allah (Glorified be He) also says:
And if you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) ask them: "Who has created the heavens and the earth?" They will surely say: "Allâh."And:
Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "Who provides for you from the sky and the earth? Or who owns hearing and sight? And who brings out the living from the dead and brings out the dead from the living? And who disposes the affairs?" They will say: "Allâh." Say: "Will you not then be afraid of Allâh’s punishment (for setting up rivals in worship with Allâh)?"
Although they acknowledged these facts, this availed them nothing since their Tawhid and acts of worship remained impure and insincere, because they set up rivals with Allah and claimed that they were intercessors who would bring them closer to Him. Allah (Exalted be He) says:
And they worship besides Allâh things that harm them not, nor profit them, and they say: “These are our intercessors with Allâh.” Allah (Glorified be He) answered them, saying:
...Say: “Do you inform Allâh of that which He knows not in the heavens and on the earth?” Glorified and Exalted is He above all that which they associate as partners (with Him)! Allah (Glorified be He) does not have a partner in the heavens or on the earth. He is the One God, the Self-Sufficient Master, Who is worthy of all worship. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
So worship Allâh (Alone) by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allâh’s sake only. Surely the religion (i.e. the worship and the obedience) is for Allâh only. He (Glorified be He) also says:
And those who take Auliyâ’ (protectors, helpers, lords, gods) besides Him (say): “We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allâh.” It means that they did not worship them along with Allah because they can cause harm or bring about benefit or because they create, provide, or dispose the affairs. They only worshipped them to bring them closer to Allah and intercede with Him on their behalf, as they said in the Ayah (Qur'anic verse) quoted above from Surah (Qur'anic chapter) Yunus:
These are our intercessors with Allâh.
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These Ayahs make it clear that the earlier Mushriks did not believe that their deities can bring about benefit or cause harm, give life or cause death, provide sustenance or withhold it. Rather, they worshipped them to act as intercessors on their behalf and bring them closer to Allah. The Mushriks in the past did not worship Al-Lat, Al-`Uzza, Manat (names of idols), `Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him), Maryam (Mary, may Allah be pleased with her) or deceased righteous because they have the power to bring about benefit or cause harm. Rather, they worshipped them because they wished for their intercession and because they thought they would bring them near to Allah. Nevertheless, Allah described them with Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship) in His saying:
...Say: “Do you inform Allâh of that which He knows not in the heavens and on the earth?” Glorified and Exalted is He above all that which they associate as partners (with Him)! He also said in the Ayah of Surah Al-Zumar:
Verily, Allâh will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. Truly, Allâh guides not him who is a liar, and a disbeliever. Allah (Exalted be He) declared them to be Kafirs (disbelievers) and liars when they claimed that they worshipped them only to bring them close to Him. Allah stated that they are liars in the claim that their deities brought them close to Him, and declared them to be Kafirs because they dedicated acts of worship, such as slaughtering animals, making vows, seeking help and the like, to them.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) invited them for ten years, saying:
O people, say: "La ilaha illa Allah (there is no god but Allah)," to prosper.
Most of them turned away from him, except for a few. Then they agreed to kill him, but Allah saved him from their evil plots. He (peace be upon him) migrated to
Al-Madinah where he instilled the Law of Allah (Exalted be He) and called people to Islam. His Da`wah (calling to Islam) was welcomed by
the Ansar (Helpers, inhabitants of Madinah who supported the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them) and they strived with him along with
the Muhajirun (Emigrants from Makkah to Madinah) who migrated away from
Quraysh and other Mushriks until Allah made His Religion prevail, His Word reigned supreme, and Kufr (disbelief) and Kafirs were humiliated.
The Mushriks acknowledged Tawhid-ul-Rububiyyah, which is the ascription of all Actions of Allah to none but Him Alone, such as creation, providing sustenance, management or disposition of affairs, giving life, causing death, and other Actions pertaining to Allah (Exalted be He), as previously mentioned.
This type of Tawhid stands as evidence against their rejection of restricting worship solely to Allah, since it necessarily involves, indicates, and enjoins it.
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Therefore, Allah made their recognition of this type of Tawhid refuting evidence against them, saying:
Say: “Will you not then be afraid of Allâh’s punishment (for setting up rivals in worship with Allâh)?” According to other Ayahs: "Then will you not use reason?" and "Will you not then take heed?"
Anyone who ponders over the matters which the Mushriks acknowledged as pertaining to Allah Alone will surely conclude that the One Who possesses such attributes is the Only One Worthy to be worshipped. Knowing that Allah is the Creator, the Provider, the One Who gives life, causes death, bestows blessings, gives protection, disposes the affairs, the Omniscient, and the Omnipotent, how can a person direct any act of worship to other than Him? How can a person hope or fear anyone other than Him? If only these Kafirs had thought it over... but they had no understanding:
Shaitân (Satan) has overpowered them. So he has made them forget the remembrance of Allâh. They are the party of Shaitân (Satan). Verily, it is the party of Shaitan (Satan) that will be the losers! Allah says about the hypocrites:
They are deaf, dumb, and blind, so they return not (to the Right Path). Allah (Glorified be He) says about those who follow the same erroneous path:
And surely, We have created many of the jinn and mankind for Hell. They have hearts wherewith they understand not, and they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not (the truth). They are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the heedless ones. Those people were truly heedless. They were even more astray than cattle as Allah described them in clear Ayahs. In spite of the manifest signs and evidence, they did not understand or heed them. They persisted in their Kufr and error and fought the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the Battle of Badr, Uhud, and Al-Khandaq (the Trench) [or the Day of Confederates]. They did not benefit from the clear signs or wake up from their heedlessness and rejection. Indeed, to Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) belongs the perfect wisdom and irrefutable evidence.
Then Allah (Glorified be He) granted victory to His Prophet, honored His Religion, and defeated the enemies. The Prophet (peace be upon him) marched to them on the Day of
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the Liberation of Makkah. Allah gave him victory and made him conquer their lands after which people embraced Islam in multitudes. At this point, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) declared Tawhid-ul-Uluhiyyah which people accepted, and they adopted the truth. Then
Hawazin and
the people of Al-Ta'if resisted him but Allah made him triumph over them and shattered their unity, and he (peace be upon him) seized their women, children, and properties. Allah rewarded His Prophet (peace be upon him) and His believing slaves with the good end and victory. All praise be to Allah.
The second type is Tawhid-ul-Asma' wal-Sifat, which also pertains to Tawhid-ul-Rububiyyah. The Mushriks acknowledged and understood this type of Tawhid. Tawhid-ul-Rububiyyah necessarily includes it. In other words, the One Who is the Creator, the Provider of sustenance, and the Owner of everything inevitably deserves all the Magnificent Names and Perfect Attributes. He is Perfect in His Being, Names, Attributes and Actions. He has no partner or equal and no vision can grasp Him. He is the All-Hearer and All-Knower. Allah (Glorified be He) says:
There is nothing like Him; and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer. He (Glorified and Exalted be He) also says:
Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "He is Allâh, (the) One." "Allâh-us-Samad (السيد الذي يصمد إليه في الحاجات) [Allâh the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks)]." "He begets not, nor was He begotten. "And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him." The Kafirs knew their Lord by his Names and Attributes. Some of them haughtily denied the Name of Al-Rahman (the Most Gracious), so Allah (Glorified be He) belied them, saying:
Thus have We sent you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) to a community before whom other communities have passed away, in order that you might recite unto them what We have revealed to you, while they disbelieve in the Most Gracious (Allâh) Say: "He is my Lord! Lâ ilâha illâ Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He)! In Him is my trust, and to Him will be my return with repentance."
The third type is Tawhid-ul-`Ubudiyyah, which is the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah." It means none is truly worthy of worship but Allah. It negates worship, in all its forms, to other than Allah, and affirms worship of Allah Alone (Glorified and Exalted be He).
This testimony is the foundation and essence of Islam to which the Prophet (peace be upon him) called his people and his uncle
Abu Talib, who refused to embrace Islam and died believing in the religion of his people.
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Allah explained the meaning of this testimony in various parts of the Qur'an. For instance, Allah (Glorified be He) says:
And your Ilâh (God) is One Ilâh (God - Allâh), Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (there is none who has the right to be worshipped but He), the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. He (Glorified and Exalted be He) also says:
And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And:
You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything). And:
And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allâh, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him) There are many Ayahs to that effect. All of them explain the meaning of this word, which emphasizes the negation of worshipping anyone other than Allah and confirming true worship only to Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He). In Surah Al-Hajj, Allah (Glorified be He) says:
That is because Allâh - He is the Truth (the only True God of all that exists, Who has no partners or rivals with Him), and what they (the polytheists) invoke besides Him, it is Bâtil (falsehood). And verily, Allâh - He is the Most High, the Most Great. In Surah Luqman, He (Exalted be He) also says:
That is because Allâh, He is the Truth, and that which they invoke besides Him is Al-Bâtil (falsehood, Satan and all other false deities); and that Allâh, He is the Most High, the Most Great.
Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) is the Truth and to Him belongs the Word of Truth. Worshipping Allah is the true worship; anything else is false worship. A Muslim should seek relief from Allah Alone, make vows for Him, put his trust in Him, ask Him for healing, circumambulate His Ancient House (the Ka`bah), and so on. Allah is the Truth and His Religion is the truth. Any person who perfectly comprehends and maintains these three types of Tawhid and applies their meanings will realize that Allah, indeed, is the One Who is worthy of worship Alone, and nobody else. A person who neglects one of them has neglected them all. This is because the three types are totally inseparable. A person is not deemed Muslim until he believes in them altogether. Anyone who denies the Names and Attributes of Allah is no believer. Anyone who claims that someone else controls the affairs of the universe along with Allah is a Kafir and Mushrik (one who associates others with Allah in His Divinity or worship) according to the Ijma` (consensus of scholars).
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Anyone who confirms both Tawhid-ul-Rububiyyah and Tawhid-ul-Asma' wal-Sifat but does not worship Allah Alone and associates others with Him, such as a shaykh, a prophet, an angel, a Jinni, a star, an idol or the like, commits Shirk and Kufr. Neither Tawhid-ul-Rububiyyah nor Tawhid-ul-Asma' wal-Sifat will be of avail to him until he believes in the three types together. He must believe that Allah is the Creator, the Provider of sustenance and the Controller of all affairs. He must confirm as true what the Mushriks disbelieved in, and must believe that Allah (Glorified be He) exclusively possesses the Magnificent Names and Sublime Attributes, without peer or partner. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "He is Allâh, (the) One." "Allâh-us-Samad (السيد الذي يصمد إليه في الحاجات) [Allâh the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks)]." "He begets not, nor was He begotten. "And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him." He (Glorified be He) also says:
So put not forward similitudes for Allâh (as there is nothing similar to Him, nor He resembles anything). Truly! Allâh knows and you know not. And:
There is nothing like Him; and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.
The third type, which is Tawhid-ul-`Ubudiyyah, embodies the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah." It is the basic principle of the prophets' mission. The Mushriks did not deny the other two categories of Tawhid, as previously explained, but they denied Allah's Exclusive Right to be worshipped. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked them to say "La ilaha illa Allah", they replied:
"Has he made the âlihah (gods) (all) into One Ilâh (God - Allâh). Verily, this is a curious thing!" They also said:
And (they) said: "Are we going to abandon our âlihah (gods) for the sake of a mad poet?" Allah (Glorified be He) describes them, saying:
Truly, when it was said to them: Lâ ilâha illallâh "(none has the right to be worshipped but Allâh)," they puffed themselves up with pride (i.e. denied it). And (they) said: "Are we going to abandon our âlihah (gods) for the sake of a mad poet?" Allah belies their claims, saying:
Nay! He (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) has come with the truth (i.e. Allâh’s religion - Islâmic Monotheism and this Qur’ân) and he confirms the Messengers (before him who brought Allâh’s religion - Islâmic Monotheism).
This type of Tawhid, which stresses Allah's Exclusive Right to be worshipped, is the type that the earlier Mushriks denied and the present-day Mushriks deny and disbelieve in. They worship others along with or instead of Allah, such as
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trees, stones, idols, and pious and righteous people. They even seek relief from them, make vows for them, slaughter animals in their names along with the evil acts that worshippers of the graves, idols, stones and the like practice. By doing so, they are Mushriks and Kafirs. They will not be forgiven, if they die in such a state. Allah (Glorified be He) says:
Verily, Allâh forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills He (Glorified be He) says:
But if they had joined in worship others with Allâh, all that they used to do would have been of no benefit to them. He (Glorified be He) says:
Verily, whosoever sets up partners (in worship) with Allâh, then Allâh has forbidden Paradise to him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers) there are no helpers.
This type of Tawhid must be fulfilled. Worship must be directed to Allah Alone, associating no partner with Him. One must remain steadfast in it, call other people to it, and make it the basis for loyalty or disassociation towards others. Due to ignorance and misunderstanding of this type of Tawhid, people commit Shirk and think that they are rightly guided. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
...surely they took the Shayâtîn (devils) as Auliyâ’ (protectors and helpers) instead of Allâh, and think that they are guided. Allah also says regarding the Christians and those who are like them:
Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds?" "Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds. Due to ignorance and deviation of their hearts, the Kafirs falsely think they are doing righteousness while in fact they worship, supplicate to, seek relief from, slaughter sacrificial animals and make vows for other than Allah. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) speaks about them, saying:
Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are only like cattle - nay, they are even farther astray from the Path (i.e. even worse than cattle). He (Glorified and Exalted be He) also says:
And surely, We have created many of the jinn and mankind for Hell. They have hearts wherewith they understand not Thus, it is obligatory for
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the scholars and seekers of knowledge to give much care to such kind of Tawhid, because many people are ignorant of it. Hence, they commit acts that contradict it.
All praise be to Allah, the other two types are very clear. However, this third type, which is Tawhid-ul-`Ubudiyyah, is the one that people get misled about because of the great deal of misconceptions that the enemies of Allah spread regarding it. Nevertheless, it clear for those whom Allah endow with insight, because they all are baseless and false claims.
The truth is crystal clear. It is obligatory to dedicate any acts of worship to Allah Alone, and nobody else. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
So, call you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and the believers) upon (or invoke) Allâh making (your) worship pure for Him (Alone) (by worshipping none but Him and by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allâh’s sake only and not to show off and not to set up rivals with Him in worship), however much the disbelievers (in the Oneness of Allâh) may hate (it). He (Praised and Glorified be He) also says:
...so invoke not anyone along with Allâh. And:
"And invoke not besides Allâh, any such that will neither profit you nor harm you, but if (in case) you did so, you shall certainly be one of the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers)." And:
Such is Allâh, your Lord; His is the kingdom. And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own not even a Qitmîr (the thin membrane over the date-stone). If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call; and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant it (your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them. And none can inform you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) like Him Who is the All-Knower (of everything). And:
And whoever invokes (or worships), besides Allâh, any other ilâh (god), of whom he has no proof; then his reckoning is only with his Lord. Surely! Al-Kâfirûn (the disbelievers in Allâh and in the Oneness of Allâh, polytheists, pagans, idolaters) will not be successful. There are numerous Ayahs stressing the obligation of being sincere to Allah Alone in worship and that directing worship to anyone or anything other than Allah is Shirk and Kufr. Also, anyone who believes that a human being or an inanimate object deserves to be worshipped is considered a Kafir even if he himself does not worship that person or thing. Likewise, if someone believes that an idol, Jibril (Angel Gabriel, peace be upon him), Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Shaykh
`Abdul-Qadir Al-Jilany, Al-Badawy, Al-Husayn or
`Aly ibn Abu Talib
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is worthy of worship or that there is nothing wrong with supplicating or seeking relief from any of them along with Allah, he will be considered a Kafir even if he does not do it himself.
If a person believes that they know the Ghayb (the Unseen) or dispose the affairs of the universe, he will be a Kafir according to the Ijma`. The case becomes more serious if he calls upon them instead of Allah or seeks help from them or makes a vow for them, he will be committing major Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship that takes the Muslim out of Islam).
The same ruling applies if such a person prostrates, offers Salah (Prayer), or observes Sawm (Fasting) for their sake. We implore Allah to protect us from this.
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