This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Irshad Ullah Maan's book The Search for Truth.
Muslims in whose nature Tawheed was ingrained, to whom it was emphatically said by excluding others besides Allah:
[تَبَتَّلۡ اِلَیۡہِ تَبۡتِیۡلًا] Be devoted exclusively to Him alone.
Reference: Al-Muzzammil:8
Cut off from all and connect only to Him (i.e., Allah). To whom the command was given: [فَاِذَا فَرَغۡتَ فَانۡصَبۡ]،[وَ اِلٰی رَبِّکَ فَارۡغَبۡ] [Spend your time in the work of the Lord of the Worlds, saving it from here and there], [Cut off all hopes and desires from the whole world and create attraction only towards your Lord]
Reference: Al-Inshirah:8,7
To whom, while teaching Tawheed, it was said: [فَعَلَیۡہِ تَوَکَّلُوۡۤا] Trust only in Allah, the Almighty.
Reference: Yunus:84
, rely on Him and take support from Him.To whom, to instill certainty and reassurance of Tawheed, a voice of majesty and power came: [اَلَیۡسَ اللّٰہُ بِکَافٍ عَبۡدَہٗ] Is not Our Lord sufficient for all the creatures (who are Our slaves)?
Reference: Az-Zumar:36
Is Allah not sufficient for His slaves?To whom, as a warning, addressing their Prophet (ﷺ), it was said: [لَئِنۡ اَشۡرَکۡتَ لَیَحۡبَطَنَّ عَمَلُکَ] If you associate partners with Me, I will cut off your name from the register of Prophethood.
Reference: Az-Zumar:65
Ah! Today that Ummah is blatantly committing shirk. They do not leave the grave, they do not leave the mourning gatherings, they do not leave the khanqahs, they do not leave the shads and panchas, they do not leave the shrines and platforms, they do not leave the trees and water, they do not leave the paper and ink, they do not leave the soil and dust; in short, they have worshipped everything along with the Lord, making as many Shankars as there are pebbles. Offerings and gifts are for the creation. Requests are to the creation, prayers are to the creation, oaths are by the creation, prostrations are for the creation, standing with folded hands is for the creation, considering the creation as the Knower of the unseen and the Giver, as present and witnessing, as the Reliever of difficulties and Helper, and as the Fulfiller of needs. In short, just like the Hindus, these nominal Muslims, after coming to India, have also colored their Islam with Hindu hues and have effectively said clearly:
The stones have become objects of worship,
Ours on this side, yours on that side.
We do try to think, but these gentlemen do not even reach the wisdom that when the Truth, Blessed and Exalted is He, hears the calls from every era and every place, then why should this attribute be ascribed to the Prophets and Saints, and why should they be called from near and far? When all needs are fulfilled by Allah Almighty alone, then why accept this attribute in the creation and seek needs from them? When the fulfiller of desires and reliever of difficulties is the same, then why not accept that there is no one else? When we recite ،،لا الہ الا اللہ،،, then why accept the attributes of the Lord in others? And why recognize others as doers of the works of the Lord, such as granting offspring, expanding sustenance, sending rain, bestowing blessings, curing illness, etc.? When we accept ارحم الراحمین Allah, Blessed and Exalted, then obviously there is no saint, prophet, wali, martyr, or angel more merciful to us than Him. When we accept احکم الحاکمین Allah Almighty, then obviously all decrees can be averted; the One whose decree cannot be averted is only Allah, Blessed and Exalted. This is His glory:
[یَفۡعَلُ مَا یَشَآءُ] That is, He does whatever He wills.
Reference: Al Imran:40
[یَحۡکُمُ مَا یُرِیۡدُ] He commands whatever He intends.
Reference: Al-Ma'idah:1
[فَلَا رَآدَّ لِفَضۡلِہٖ] No hand can withhold His grace and mercy, no one can stop it.
Reference: Yunus:107
[وَ مَا تَشَآءُوۡنَ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ یَّشَآءَ اللّٰہُ رَبُّ الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ] Whatever He wills is fulfilled, while not all desires of others are fulfilled.
Reference: At-Takwir:29
[وَہُوَ الۡقَاہِرُ فَوۡقَ عِبَادِہٖ] He alone is dominant over all His servants, the Subduer, and the ruler over all.
Reference: Al-An'am:61
[مَنۡ ذَا الَّذِیۡ یَشۡفَعُ عِنۡدَہٗۤ اِلَّا بِاِذۡنِہٖ] Before Him, no tongue can open for intercession or mediation without His permission.
Reference: Al-Baqarah:255
[ قُلۡ لِّلّٰہِ الشَّفَاعَۃُ جَمِیۡعًا] Indeed, He is the owner of all intercessions.
Reference: Az-Zumar:44
Yes, Muslims! Do you not know that the leader and master of all the people of the world is the most excellent and best, Muhammad ﷺ, yet he did not own anything. In Allah’s dominion, you had no share. It is in the Kalima: [أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُه] meaning Muhammad (ﷺ) is the servant of the Lord (that is) subordinate, a slave, obedient, and His Messenger. So all creation—prophets, saints, righteous people, and martyrs—are servants of the Lord, His slaves, His worshippers, helpless and powerless before Him. Without His command, a leaf does not move, a breeze does not blow, a drop of water does not fall, a grain of corn does not sprout. Calamities, trials, and tribulations came upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself; he was often ill, tied stones on his stomach due to hunger, was subjected to magic, was forced by enemies to leave his homeland, his blessed body was bathed in blood, obstacles were placed in his path, his companions were oppressed and wronged, and those ungrateful ones even slandered him. He was distressed. He was defeated for a short time in the Battle of Uhud and the Battle of Hunayn, his face was wounded, his blessed teeth were broken, his shins were bloodied. Finally, the last moment came, and he left the nation crying and wailing, departing on the path to the eternal abode. So when such a leader of the Messengers, the intercessor of sinners ﷺ could not ward off calamities and trials from his own life, then who else today, O people! will come to your aid in your difficult times, remove your troubles, and relieve your sorrows?
Yes! O reciters of the Quran! Recite! [وَ اِذَا مَرِضۡتُ فَہُوَ یَشۡفِیۡنِ]،
Reference: Ash-Shu'ara:80
, Recite! [اَمَّنۡ یُّجِیۡبُ الۡمُضۡطَرَّ اِذَا دَعَاہُ وَ یَکۡشِفُ السُّوۡٓءَ]،
Reference: An-Naml:62
, Recite! [ یَہَبُ لِمَنۡ یَّشَآءُ اِنَاثًا وَّ یَہَبُ لِمَنۡ یَّشَآءُ الذُّکُوۡرَ]،[الشورى:49]، Recite! [یٰۤاَیُّہَا النَّاسُ اَنۡتُمُ الۡفُقَرَآءُ اِلَی اللّٰہِ]،[فاطر:15], Recite! [اِنۡ کُلُّ مَنۡ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ اِلَّاۤ اٰتِی الرَّحۡمٰنِ عَبۡدًا]،[مریم:93], and Recite! [یَسۡـَٔلُہٗ مَنۡ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ]،
Reference: Ar-Rahman:29
, and Recite! [اِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَغَنِیٌّ عَنِ الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ]،
Reference: Al-Ankabut:6
, and Recite! [وَ لِلّٰہِ یَسۡجُدُ مَنۡ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ]،[الرعد:15], and Listen! [مَا مِنۡ دَآبَّۃٍ اِلَّا ہُوَ اٰخِذٌۢ بِنَاصِیَتِہَا]،
Reference: Hud:56
, and Say! [وَ اِذَاۤ اَرَادَ اللّٰہُ بِقَوۡمٍ سُوۡٓءًا فَلَا مَرَدَّ لَہٗ]،
Reference: Ar-Ra'd:11
, and also Recite! [وَ مَا النَّصۡرُ اِلَّا مِنۡ عِنۡدِ اللّٰہِ الۡعَزِیۡزِ الۡحَکِیۡمِ]،[آل عمران:126]That is, the cure for diseases is only in the hands of Allah. The One who listens to the prayers of the restless and removes their restlessness is the same. The One who grants children is also only Him. The Creator of all creatures is Allah Almighty. The Provider of sustenance for all is the Great Sustainer. All people of the world, whether they are prophets, saints, martyrs, righteous, living or dead, are all beggars and needy at the door of Allah; they are all His slaves and servants. All of them, whether on earth or in the heavens, are supplicants, beggars, and poor at the court of the Lord. Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, is independent of all, indifferent to all. All the creatures of the heavens and the earth, every kind of creature, are prostrate before Him without any objection. All foreheads and crowns are in the hands of this Merciful, Dominant Lord. If He wishes to harm someone, there is no one to repel it; if He wishes to help someone, there is no one to prevent it. All benefit and harm are in His hands.
Despite these clear and explicit verses of the Holy Quran, despite this clarification and explicitness of Tawheed, today those who claim to uphold the Quran and mention Tawheed have started to consider the servants of the Lord as partners with Him. The irony is that they even try to provide their own reasoning for this great injustice. But I say, even the most misguided person has some flimsy reasoning in their own mind for their misguidance. Even Iblis presented a reason for not prostrating to Prophet Adam (peace be upon him): [خَلَقۡتَنِیۡ مِنۡ نَّارٍ وَّ خَلَقۡتَہٗ مِنۡ طِیۡنٍ] "He was created from clay, and I was created from fire."
Reference: Al-A'raf:12
Therefore, [اَنَا خَیۡرٌ مِّنۡہُ] "I am better than him," so there is no reason to bow before this inferior one.
Tawheed in Action is
To consider Allah Almighty as the owner of every kind of benefit and harm.
Shirk in Action is
That no one among Allah's creation is authorized to cause any kind of profit or loss. Remember that these verses make every believer independent of all creation:
[وَ اِنۡ یَّمۡسَسۡکَ اللّٰہُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا کَاشِفَ لَہٗۤ اِلَّا ہُوَ ؕ وَ اِنۡ یَّمۡسَسۡکَ بِخَیۡرٍ فَہُوَ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ قَدِیۡرٌ ]
And if Allah afflicts you with any harm (such as illness, poverty, or any other hardship), then none can remove it except Him; and if He intends any good for you, He is capable of all things.
Reference: Al-An'am:17
[وَ اِنۡ یَّمۡسَسۡکَ اللّٰہُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا کَاشِفَ لَہٗۤ اِلَّا ہُوَ ۚ وَ اِنۡ یُّرِدۡکَ بِخَیۡرٍ فَلَا رَآدَّ لِفَضۡلِہٖ ؕ یُصِیۡبُ بِہٖ مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِہٖ ؕ وَ ہُوَ الۡغَفُوۡرُ الرَّحِیۡمُ]
And if Allah afflicts you with any harm, none can remove it except Him; and if He intends any benefit for you, none can repel His favor. He grants benefit to whom He wills among His servants, and He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Reference: Yunus:107
[وَ مَا مِنۡ دَآبَّۃٍ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ اِلَّا عَلَی اللّٰہِ رِزۡقُہَا وَ یَعۡلَمُ مُسۡتَقَرَّہَا وَ مُسۡتَوۡدَعَہَا ؕ کُلٌّ فِیۡ کِتٰبٍ مُّبِیۡنٍ]
And there is no creature walking on the earth but its provision is upon Allah, and He knows its dwelling place and its deposit; all is recorded in a clear Book.
Reference: Hud:6
[مَا یَفۡتَحِ اللّٰہُ لِلنَّاسِ مِنۡ رَّحۡمَۃٍ فَلَا مُمۡسِکَ لَہَا ۚ وَ مَا یُمۡسِکۡ ۙ فَلَا مُرۡسِلَ لَہٗ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِہٖ ؕ وَ ہُوَ الۡعَزِیۡزُ الۡحَکِیۡمُ]
When Allah opens His mercy upon people, there is none who can withhold it, and when He withholds it, there is none who can release it. And He is the Almighty, the Wise.
Reference: Fatir:2
