Source: Khutbat Hafiz Muhammad Ishaq Zahid, Compiled by: Tawhid.com
We must know well that:
❀ Tawhid is the foundation of the religion of Islam.
❀ Tawhid is the first obligation, the affirmation and acceptance of which is incumbent upon every Muslim.
❀ Without Tawhid, no person can enter the fold of Islam.
❀ Allah Almighty sent all prophets and messengers, عليه السلام, for this very reason: that people should abandon the worship of other than Allah and worship only one Allah.
❀ It was because of Tawhid that wars occurred between truth and falsehood, and countless Muslims drank the cup of martyrdom.
❀ Tawhid is the criterion that distinguishes between a Muslim and a disbeliever.
❀ Whoever accepts Tawhid as it truly deserves, fulfills its requirements, and dies upon it, for him is the promise of Jannah; and whoever does not accept it, for him is the threat of Hellfire and Jannah is forbidden.
Definition of Tawhid
Since Tawhid is so fundamental for human salvation, first understand what Tawhid is:
① Allamah Al-Jurjani says:
(التَّوحيدُ ثلاثةُ أشياءَ: مَعرِفةُ الله تعالى بالرُّبوبيَّةِ، والإقرارُ بالوحدانيَّةِ، ونفيُ الأندادِ عنه جملةً)
Reference: (Al-Ta'rifat: p. 69)
Translation: Tawhid is the name for three things: recognizing the Lordship of Allah Almighty, affirming His Oneness, and completely negating all partners from Him.
② Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab رحمه الله says:
(التَّوحيدُ هُوَ إفرادُ اللهِ سُبحانَه بالعِبادةِ)
Reference: (Majmu'at al-Tawhid. Al-Risalah al-Thalithah: p. 70)
Translation: Tawhid is the name for singling out Allah, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, in worship.
③ Shaykh Nasir al-Umar says:
(التوحيد شرعا: إفراد الله بحقوقه، وهو لله ثلاثة حقوق: حقوق ملك، وحقوق عبادة، وحقوق أسماء وصفات)
Reference: (Al-Tawhid Awwalan: p. 15)
Translation: In Sharia, Tawhid is to dedicate Allah's rights exclusively to Him, and Allah has three rights: the right of ownership, the right of worship, and the right of names and attributes.
The summary of these definitions is that:
◈ Allah Almighty is acknowledged as the Creator and Owner,
◈ All acts of worship are performed solely for Him,
◈ And He is acknowledged as unique in His Names and Attributes.
The Meaning of the Kalimah of Tawhid “La ilaha illa Allah”
The Kalimah of Tawhid is the word to which all prophets and messengers عليهم السلام invited. It has two parts:
(لا إله) : Negation of all false deities
(إلا الله) : Affirmation of Allah Almighty as the only true deity
This means denying every deity other than Allah and acknowledging only Allah as worthy of worship.
Evidence from the Quran
﴿وَإِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ﴾
Reference: (Surah Al-Baqarah:163)
Translation: And your God is one God. There is no deity except Him, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
Similarly:
﴿ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَأَنَّ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ هُوَ ٱلْبَٰطِلُ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْكَبِيرُ﴾
Reference: (Surah Al-Hajj:62)
Translation: That is because Allah is the Truth, and that which they call upon other than Him is falsehood, and because Allah is the Most High, the Grand.
When the Noble Prophet ﷺ invited the polytheists of Makkah to this Kalimah, they were astonished:
﴿أَجَعَلَ ٱلْـَٔالِهَةَ إِلَٰهًا وَٰحِدًا ۖ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَشَىْءٌ عُجَابٌ﴾
Reference: (Surah Sad:5)
Translation: Has he made the gods [only] one God? Indeed, this is a curious thing.
And they said:
﴿أَئِنَّا لَتَارِكُوٓا۟ ءَالِهَتِنَا لِشَاعِرٍ مَّجْنُونِۭ﴾
Reference: (Surah As-Saffat:36)
Translation: Are we to leave our gods for a mad poet?
Therefore, it is not enough to merely believe that Allah is worthy of worship; rather, disavowal and denial of all deities other than Allah are also essential. As He said:
﴿قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِىٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مَعَهُۥٓ... حَتَّىٰ تُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَحْدَهُۥٓ﴾
Reference: (Surah Al-Mumtahanah:4)
Translation: There has already been for you an excellent pattern in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their people, "Indeed, we are disassociated from you and from whatever you worship other than Allah... until you believe in Allah alone."
① Tawhid is the call of all Prophets and Messengers, peace be upon them
Prophet Nuh عليه السلام:
﴿لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ...﴾
Reference: (Surah Al-A'raf:59)
Translation: We sent Nuh to his people, and he said: 'O my people! Worship Allah, you have no other god but Him.'
Prophet Hud عليه السلام:
﴿يَٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ...﴾
Reference: (Surah Al-A'raf:65)
Translation: 'O my people! Worship Allah, you have no other god but Him.'
Prophet Salih عليه السلام:
﴿يَٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ...﴾
Reference: (Surah Al-A'raf:73)
Translation: 'O my people! Worship Allah, you have no other god but Him.'
Prophet Shu'aib عليه السلام:
﴿يَٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ...﴾
Reference: (Surah Al-A'raf:85)
Translation: 'O my people! Worship Allah, you have no other god but Him.'
The call of Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام:
﴿يَٰصَٰحِبَىِ ٱلسِّجْنِ ءَأَرْبَابٌ مُّتَفَرِّقُونَ...﴾
Reference: (Surah Yusuf:39-40)
Translation: 'O my fellow prisoners! Are many different gods better, or Allah, the One, the Irresistible?... The command is for none but Allah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him. That is the straight religion, but most people do not know.'
General Principle:
﴿وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ...﴾
Reference: (Surah Al-Anbiya:25)
Translation: And We did not send any messenger before you except that We revealed to him that there is no god worthy of worship except Me, so worship Me.
﴿وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولًا...﴾
Reference: (Surah An-Nahl:36)
Translation: And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship Allah and avoid Taghut."
② The Oneness of Allah has been testified to by Allah Himself and His angels
Allah Almighty says:
﴿شَهِدَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَأُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمِ قَآئِمَۢا بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۚ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ﴾
Reference: (Surah Aal-Imran:18)
Translation: Allah bears witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge. [He is] maintaining [creation] in justice. There is no god worthy of worship except Him, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
This verse is a clear proof of the fact that Tawhid is an extremely important obligation in the sight of Allah Almighty, and without it, no human being's salvation is possible.
③ Tawhid is one of the fundamental principles of the religion of Islam
The religion of Islam has two fundamental principles:
❀ First principle: Only Allah Almighty should be worshipped, all acts of worship should be for Him alone, and no one should be associated with Him in worship.
❀ Second principle: Worship should be performed according to the method of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and in light of his excellent example (uswah hasanah).
These two principles are derived from the Kalimah Shahadah:
(أشْهَدُ أنْ لا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُ وأشْهَدُ أنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسولُ اللَّهِ)
Thus, it is known that Tawhid is one of the great fundamental principles of the religion of Islam.
④ Tawhid is the starting point of every caller's (da'i's) invitation
We have already mentioned that every prophet began his call with Tawhid. The people whom the Messenger of Allah ﷺ first invited were known for idol worship. They considered idols to be fulfillers of needs, removers of difficulties, and owners of benefit and harm; they loved them and offered vows and sacrifices to them. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ began his call with these words:
(قُولوا: لا إلهَ إلا اللهُ، تُفلِحوا)
Translation: Say: There is no god worthy of worship except Allah, and you will succeed.
Then, he ﷺ and his companions endured hardships and suffering for this call to Tawhid, migrated, then fought wars against the disbelievers (kuffar) and polytheists (mushrikin) for Tawhid, and traveled to uphold Tawhid.
On the day of the Conquest of Makkah, when he ﷺ entered Makkah al-Mukarramah victoriously, he broke the three hundred and sixty idols installed in the Ka'bah and said:
﴿جَآءَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ ٱلْبَٰطِلُ ۚ﴾
Translation: The truth has come, and falsehood has vanished.
Here, "truth" (haqq) refers to Tawhid, and "falsehood" (batil) refers to idols and their worship.
To further clarify this reality, when you ﷺ sent Hadhrat Mu'adh ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه to Yemen, you commanded him to give the very first call to Tawhid:
(إِنَّكَ تَأْتِي قَوْمًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ، فَادْعُهُمْ إِلَى شَهَادَةِ أَنَّ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَأَنِّي رَسُولُ اللهِ... )
Reference: (Sahih Muslim:19)
Translation: You are going to a people from the People of the Book, so first invite them to bear witness that there is no true god but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah. Then, if they accept that, inform them that Allah has enjoined five prayers upon them during the day and night... Then, if they accept that, inform them that Allah has enjoined Zakat, which is to be taken from their wealthy and given to their poor... Then, if they accept that, beware of taking their best properties and beware of the supplication of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between it and Allah.
In another narration, it is stated:
(إِنَّكَ تَقْدَمُ عَلَى قَوْمٍ أَهْلِ كِتَابٍ فَلْيَكُنْ أَوَّلَ مَا تَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَيْهِ عِبَادَةُ اللَّهِ فَإِذَا عَرَفُوا اللَّهَ فَأَخْبِرْهُمْ...)
Reference: (Sahih al-Bukhari:1458)
Translation: You are going to a people from the People of the Book, so the very first thing you should invite them to is the worship of Allah. Then, when they recognize Allah, inform them (of the further commands)...
This proves that the starting point of every caller's (da'i's) invitation is Tawhid.
⑤ Tawhid is the First Pillar of the Religion of Islam
Among the five pillars upon which Islam is founded, the very first pillar is Tawhid. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
(بُنِيَ الإسْلَامُ علَى خَمْسٍ: شَهَادَةِ أنْ لا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُ وأنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسولُ اللَّهِ...)
Reference: (Sahih al-Bukhari:8)
Translation: Islam is built upon five things: (1) Bearing witness that there is no true god but Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah... etc.
⑥ Tawhid is Allah Almighty's First Right upon His Servants
Hadhrat Mu'adh رضي الله عنه narrates that I was riding behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on his mount... Then he said:
(هل تدري ما حَقُّ اللهِ على العِبادِ؟)
Translation: Do you know what the right of Allah upon His servants is?
I said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He ﷺ said:
(حَقَّ اللهِ على العِبادِ أن يعبُدوه ولا يُشْرِكوا به شيئًا)
Translation: The right of Allah upon His servants is that they worship Him alone and not associate anyone with Him.
Then he said:
(هَلْ تَدْرِي مَا حَقُّ الْعِبَادِ عَلَى اللهِ إِذَا فَعَلُوا ذَلِكَ؟)
Translation: Do you know what the right of servants upon Allah is if they do this?
He ﷺ said:
(حَقَّ العِبَادِ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ لاَ يُعَذِّبَ)
Translation: The right of servants upon Allah is that He does not punish them.
Reference: (Sahih al-Bukhari: 2856 and Sahih Muslim: 30)
From this Hadith, it is known that the first and greatest right is that servants worship Allah alone and do not commit shirk (polytheism). And if servants fulfill the right of Allah, then Allah Almighty, by His grace, saves them from punishment and admits them into Paradise.
⑦ The Beginning of Faith is with Divine Oneness (Tawhid)
It is narrated from Hadrat Musayyab رضي الله عنه that when the time of Abu Talib's death came, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to him... and said:
(يَا عَمِّ! قُلْ: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، كَلِمَةً أَشْهَدُ لَكَ بِهَا عِنْدَ اللهِ)
Translation: O uncle! Say 'La ilaha illallah' (There is no god but Allah), this is a word based on which I will bear witness for you before Allah.
But Abu Jahl and Abdullah ibn Abi Umayyah said: Will you abandon the religion of Abdul Muttalib? Abu Talib said he would remain on the religion of Abdul Muttalib and refused to recite the kalimah.
Reference: (Sahih al-Bukhari: 3884 and Sahih Muslim: 24)
This proves that the beginning of faith is with Tawhid, and a non-Muslim enters Islam only by affirming the Kalimah of Tawhid.
Virtues of Tawhid
① Paradise is for the one who affirms Tawhid with their heart
It is narrated from Uthman رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
(مَنْ مَاتَ وَهُوَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ)
Reference: (Sahih Muslim: 26)
Translation: Whoever dies knowing with certainty that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, will enter Paradise.
It is narrated from Jabir رضي الله عنه that a man asked: "What are the two things that make [Paradise or Hell] obligatory?" He ﷺ said:
(مَنْ مَاتَ لَا يُشْرِكُ بِاللهِ شَيْئًا دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ، وَمَنْ مَاتَ يُشْرِكُ بِاللهِ شَيْئًا دَخَلَ النَّارَ)
Reference: (Sahih Muslim: 93)
Translation: Whoever dies without associating anything with Allah, will enter Paradise, and whoever dies while associating partners with Allah, will enter Hell.
A Story: Glad Tidings of Paradise upon the Testimony of “لا إله إلا الله”
Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrates that we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ... He ﷺ went away for a while and did not return... Then I went searching and reached the garden of Banu al-Najjar, and when I entered, I found the Messenger of Allah ﷺ... He ﷺ gave me his sandals and said:
(اذْهَبْ بِنَعْلَيَّ هَاتَيْنِ، فَمَنْ لَقِيتَ مِنْ وَرَاءِ هَذَا الْحَائِطَ يَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ مُسْتَيْقِنًا بِهَا قَلْبُهُ، فَبَشِّرْهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ)
Reference: (Sahih Muslim: 31)
Translation: Take these two sandals of mine, and whoever you meet behind this garden wall who testifies with certainty from his heart that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, give him the glad tidings of Paradise.
Further on, Umar رضي الله عنه met [him]... Upon hearing this, he sent Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه back and said, "I fear that people will rely solely on this and abandon good deeds..." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Let them act."
In this story, there are great glad tidings of Paradise for the people of Tawhid.
② Hellfire is Forbidden for the Monotheist
Abu Abdullah Abd al-Rahman ibn Usaylah al-Sanabihi narrates that when the time of death of Ubadah ibn al-Samit رضي الله عنه approached, I came to him. I wept upon seeing his condition. He said: Why do you weep? By Allah! If I am asked for testimony, I will testify in your favor, and if I am granted permission for intercession, I will intercede for you, and I will benefit you as much as possible.
Then he said: I heard a hadith from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ which I narrate to you today. He ﷺ said:
(مَنْ شَهِدَ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ، حَرَّمَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ النَّارَ)
Reference: (Sahih Muslim: 29)
Translation: Whoever testifies that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah, Allah makes Hellfire forbidden for him.
③ On the Day of Resurrection, the Intercession of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ will be for the People of Tawhid
Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrates that I asked: O Messenger of Allah! Who will be the most deserving of your intercession on the Day of Resurrection? So he ﷺ said:
(أَسْعَدُ النَّاسِ بِشَفَاعَتِي يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ، مَنْ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، خَالِصًا مِنْ قَلْبِهِ، أَوْ نَفْسِهِ)
Reference: (Sahih al-Bukhari: 99)
Translation: The most deserving person of my intercession on the Day of Resurrection will be the one who said 'La ilaha illa Allah' sincerely from the depths of his heart.
Awf ibn Malik رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
(أَتَانِي آتٍ مِنْ عِنْدِ رَبِّي فَخَيَّرَنِي بَيْنَ أَنْ يُدْخِلَ نِصْفَ أُمَّتِي الْجَنَّةَ وَبَيْنَ الشَّفَاعَةِ فَاخْتَرْتُ الشَّفَاعَةَ وَهِيَ لِمَنْ مَاتَ لَا يُشْرِكُ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا)
Reference: (Jami' al-Tirmidhi: 2441)
Translation: An emissary came to me from my Lord and gave me a choice: either half of my Ummah enters Paradise, or I am granted intercession. I chose intercession, and my intercession is for the one who died without associating anything with Allah.
④ The Intercession for People of Tawhid Will Also Be Accepted
It is narrated from Abdullah ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
(مَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ مُسْلِمٍ يَمُوتُ فَيَقُومُ عَلَى جَنَازَتِهِ أَرْبَعُونَ رَجُلًا لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا إِلَّا شَفَّعَهُمْ اللَّهُ فِيهِ)
Reference: (Sahih Muslim: 948)
Translation: If any Muslim dies and forty people who have not associated anything with Allah participate in his funeral prayer, then Allah accepts their intercession on his behalf.
⑤ Major Sins Can Also Be Forgiven Due to Tawhid
It is narrated from Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
There was a man among the previous nations who had not performed any good deed, but he was firm upon Tawhid. When the time of his death came, he said to his family: Burn me, then grind the ashes and scatter them in a strong wind.
When this was done, Allah gathered him and asked: Why did you do this? He said: O my Lord! Out of fear of You. So Allah forgave him.
Reference: (Musnad Ahmad: 2/304, and its origin is in the Sahihayn (Bukhari and Muslim))
Translation: He had not done any good deed, but he was upon Tawhid, and for this reason, Allah forgave him.
⑥ People of Tawhid Who Committed Major Sins Will Be Taken Out of Hell
It is narrated from Jabir رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
(يعذَّبُ ناسٌ مِن أَهْلِ التَّوحيدِ في النَّارِ حتَّى يَكونوا فيها حَممًا ، ثمَّ تُدرِكُهُمُ الرَّحمةُ ، فيَخرُجونَ... ثمَّ يُدخَلونَ الجنَّةَ)
Reference: (Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 2597)
Translation: Some people of Tawhid will be punished in Hell due to their sins until they turn into charcoal. Then Allah's mercy will reach them, they will be taken out of Hell, placed at the gates of Paradise, water will be poured upon them, and they will grow like grass grows in the debris of a flood. Then they will enter Paradise.
① The Hadith of the Ninety-Nine Scrolls
It is narrated from Abdullah ibn Amr رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
On the Day of Resurrection, a man will be called, and ninety-nine scrolls will be unrolled before him, each scroll stretching as far as the eye can see. He will be asked: Do you deny anything in these? He will say: No.
Then a card will be brought out for him, on which will be written:
(أشْهَدُ أنْ لا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُ وأنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ ورَسولُهُ)
Translation: I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger.
When the card is placed on one side of the scale and the rest of the scrolls on the other, the side with the card will outweigh them.
Reference: (Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 2641, Ibn Majah: 4300, Musnad Ahmad: 2/213, Ahmad Shakir: Its chain of narration is sahih)
② The Weight of “لا إله إلا الله”
It is narrated from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
Musa عليه السلام said: O my Lord! Teach me a remembrance by which I may remember You? Allah Almighty said: Recite لا إله إلا الله.
Musa عليه السلام said: Everyone recites this. Allah Almighty said: If the seven heavens and the seven earths were placed on one side of the scale, and لا إله إلا الله were on the other side, then the side with لا إله إلا الله would outweigh them.
Reference: (Amal al-Yawm wal-Laylah by al-Nasa'i: 834, Ibn Hibban: 2324, Al-Hafiz said in Al-Fath 11/175: Al-Nasa'i narrated it with a sahih chain)
Categories of Tawhid
Tawhid has three categories:
① Tawhid al-Rububiyyah (Oneness of Lordship)
② Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah (Oneness of Worship)
③ Tawhid al-Asma wal-Sifat (Oneness of Names and Attributes)
The first two categories have been explained; now consider the third category.
③ Tawhid al-Asma wal-Sifat
This means that we also believe Him to be unique in the names and attributes of Allah Almighty. The names and attributes that Allah Himself described for Himself, or that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ described, we accept them without resemblance (tashbih), without likeness (tamthil), without distortion (tahrif), and without denial (ta'til).
Allah Almighty says:
﴿وَلِلّٰهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا وَذَرُوا الَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِي أَسْمَائِهِ﴾
Reference: (Surah Al-A'raf: 180)
Translation: And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them. And leave those who deviate concerning His names. They will be recompensed for what they used to do.
Similarly, He says:
﴿لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ﴾
Reference: (Surah Ash-Shura: 11)
Translation: There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
In this verse, there are two points:
❀ Negation of resemblance (tashbih) (There is nothing like Him)
❀ Affirmation of attributes (He is the All-Hearing and the All-Seeing)
Therefore, we believe that Allah hears and sees, but His hearing and seeing are not like that of creation.
Imam Malik رحمه الله was asked about ﴿الرَّحْمَٰنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى﴾, and he said:
“الاستواء معلوم، والكيف مجهول، والسؤال عنه بدعة، والإيمان به واجب”
Translation: The meaning of Istiwa' is known, its modality is unknown, asking about it is an innovation, and believing in it is obligatory.
Conclusion
We should understand Tawhid correctly, avoid all forms of shirk, perform our acts of worship purely for Allah, and live our lives upon it, praying for our end to be upon it.
We pray to Allah, the Lord of Might, that He keeps us firm upon pure Tawhid, protects us from shirk, and grants us an end upon faith and Tawhid. Amin.
