Tawheed
The Reality of Tawheed:
The root of Tawheed is “وحد” and its sources are “وَحُدًا“, “وَحْدَةً“, “حِدَةً“, and “وُحُودًا“.
The literal meaning of Tawheed is to know and believe in the Oneness and Uniqueness alone.
And its Shariah meaning is to believe in Allah as One and Unique in His Essence and Attributes and to worship Him alone (not to associate anyone else with Him in His attributes of divinity and worship).
❀ Imam Tahawi Hanafi (died 321 AH) explains the Aqeedah of Tawheed as follows:
(( نَقُولُ فِي تَوْحِيدِ اللَّهِ مُعْتَقِدِينَ بِتَوْفِيقِ اللهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ ، وَلَا شَيْءٍ مِثْلَهُ ، وَلَا شَيْءَ يُعْجِزُهُ ، وَلَا إِلَهَ غَيْرُهُ ، قَدِيمٌ بِلَا اِبْتِدَاءٍ ، دَائِمٌ بِلَا اِنْتِهَاءٍ ، لَا يَفْنِى وَلَا يَبِيدُ وَلَا يَكُونُ إِلَّا مَا يُرِيدُ، لا تبلغه الا وَهَامٌ ، وَلَا تُدْرِكُهُ الأَفَهَامُ ، وَلَا يُشْبِهُ الْآنَامُ ، خَالِقٌ بِلَا حَاجَةٍ رَازِقٌ بِلا مَتُونَةٍ ، مُمِيتُ ِبلا مَخَافَةٍ ، بَاعِتُ بِلَا مُشْقة ، مَا زَالَ بِصِفَاتِهِ قَدِيمًا قَبْلَ خَلْقِهِ لَمْ يَزْدَدُ بِكَوْنِهِمُ شَيْئًا ، لَمْ يَكُن لَهُمُ مِنْ صِفَتِهِ ، كَمَا كَانَ بِصِفَاتِه اَزْلِيًّا ، كَذَالِكَ لَا يَزَالُ عَلَيْهَا ابدِيًّا ، لَيْسَ بَعْدَ الْخَلْفِ ِاسْتِفَادَ إِسْمَ الْخَالِقِ ، وَلَا بِإِحْدَاثِهِ الْبَرِيَّةِ اِسْمَ الْبَارِئ ، لَهُ مَعْنَى الرَّبُوبِيَّةِ وَلَا مَرْبُوبَ وَمَعَنَى الْخَلَّاقِ وَلَا مَخْلُوقُ ، وَ كَمَا أَنَّهُ مُحْيِ الْمَوْتَى بَعْدَ مَا أَحْيَا اسْتَحَقَّ هَذَا الْإِسْمَ قَبْلَ اِحْيَاءِ هِمُ كَذَالِكَ بِأَنَّهُ عَلى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ، وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ إِلَيْهِ فَقِيرٌ ، وَكُلَّ اَمْرٍ إِلى يَسِيرُ ، لَا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى شَيْءٍ ، لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ ، وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ . خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ بِعِلْمِهِ ، وَقَدَّرَ لَهُمْ أَقْدَارًا، وَضَرَبَ لَهُمُ اَجَالًا لَمْ يَخَفْ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَهُمْ وَعَلِمَ مَا هُمُ عَامِلُونَ قَبْلَ أَن يَخْلُقُهُمْ ، وَاَمْرَهُمْ بِطَاعِتِهِ ، وَنَهَاهُمْ عَنْ مَعْصِيَتِهِ ، وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ يَجْرِى بِتَقْدِيرِهِ ، وَمَشِيئَتُهُ تَنْفَذُ ، لَا مَشِيئَةٌ لِلْعِبَادِ ، إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ لَهُمُ ، فَمَا شَاءَ كَانَ وَمَا لَمْ يَشَأْ لَمْ يَكُنُ، يَهْدِى مَنْ يَشَاءُ ، وَيَعْصِمُ وَيُعَافِى فَضْلًا، وَيُضِلُّ مَنْ يَشَاءَ ، ويَخْذُلُ . وَيَبْتِلِى عَدْلًا ، وَكُلُّهُمْ يَنَقَلِبُونَ فِي مَشِيئَتِهِ ، بَيْنَ فَضْلِهِ وَعَدْلِهِ ، وَهُوَ مُتَعَالٍ عَنِ الْاَضْدَادِ وَلانَدَادِ ، لَا رَادَ لِقَضَاءِ هِ وَلَا مُعَقِّبَ لِحُكْمِهِ ، وَلَا غَالِبَ لاَمْرِه . أمَنَّا بِذَالِكَ كُلِّهِ وَأَيْقَنَّا أَنَّ كُلَّا مِّنْ عنده . ))
“We speak about the Oneness of Allah by the grace of Allah Himself, and this is our belief that the essence of Allah is unique and singular, He has no partner, nothing is like Him, nothing can weaken or incapacitate Him, no one besides Him is worthy of worship, He is eternal with no beginning to His existence, alive and everlasting with no end to His existence, His being cannot perish or decline, nothing can happen except what He wills. His essence and nature are beyond the reach of human intellect, and human thought cannot comprehend Him. He has no resemblance to creation, He is the Creator without any need, the Provider without any effort, the Giver of death without any fear or danger, the Resurrector without any hardship. He was characterized by His attributes even before creating creation; He did not acquire any attribute from creation that He did not already possess. Just as He was characterized by the attributes of divinity in eternity, He will remain so forever. He did not acquire the name of Creator and Originator after the creation of creatures and the universe (rather, this name is eternal, meaning the power to create is eternal and ancient, although the actual act of creation is a temporal event). He possessed the attribute of Lordship even when there was no one to be nurtured, and He possessed the attribute of Creator even when there was no creation. Just as He is called the Resurrector after giving life to the dead, He was worthy of this name even before resurrecting the dead (in terms of the power to give life). Similarly, He was worthy of the name Creator (the one who brings into existence) even before the creation of creatures.”
He has power over everything, everything depends on Him, everything returns to Him, and He Himself is not dependent on anyone. Nothing is like Him. He hears everything and sees everything. He created the creation according to His knowledge (meaning He had knowledge of everything in the universe even before creation). He has predetermined and fixed the estimate and measure of every necessary thing for the creation. He has set the times of their deaths. Before creating the creation, nothing was hidden from Him; He knew what these people would do after being created.
He has commanded obedience and forbidden disobedience. Everything is executed and comes into existence by His decree and will. The will of the servants cannot be enforced; they cannot will except what He has willed for them. Whatever He wills happens, and whatever He does not will cannot happen. He grants guidance (success) to whom He wills and protects from disobedience and forgives whom He wills by virtue of His grace. And He leads astray whom He wills (that is, the obstinate and rebellious) and disgraces and punishes whom He wills by virtue of His justice. All people revolve within His will between His grace and justice. No one is His rival or partner. No one can reject His decree, nor can anyone delay His decision. And no one’s command can prevail over His command. We have believed in all these matters and are certain that everything is from Him.
❀ Shah Waliullah (may Allah have mercy on him), while explaining Tawheed in his famous work “Hujjatullah al-Baligha,” states:
“There are four fundamental and essential beliefs of Tawheed:
➊ The Necessary Being, eternal and everlasting, is only the essence of Allah.
➋ Allah is the Creator of the Throne, the heavens, the earth, and all substances. Neither the Arab polytheists nor the Jews and Christians disputed these two beliefs.
➌ Allah alone is the Manager, Controller, and Organizer of the heavens, the earth, and everything in between.
➍ Only Allah is worthy of worship and devotion. There is a mutual connection between these last two beliefs, and many groups have differed regarding them.”
The Importance of Tawheed:
Every messenger and prophet of Allah Almighty began their mission with the call to monotheism and ended it on the same point. If you take a cursory glance at the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ, and the call of the prophets and messengers upon them be peace and blessings, you will clearly see that every prophet and messenger started their work with this very issue. And when departing from this world, they also bequeathed this matter.
The command of Allah Almighty is:
(وَمَا اَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدُون)
“And We sent not before you any messenger except that We revealed to him that there is no deity except Me, so worship Me.”
Example of Noah (peace be upon him):
Prophet Noah (peace be upon him), while inviting his people to monotheism, says:
(أن لَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا اللَّهَ)
“Worship none but Allah.”
And when his time of death approaches, he says to his son:
((أُوصِيكَ بِقَولٍ : لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، فَإِنَّهَا لَوُ وُضِعَتُ فِي كِفَّةِ الْمِيزَان، وَوُضِعَتِ السَّمْوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ فِي كِفَّةِ لَرَجَحَتُ بھن))
“I strongly advise you to remain steadfast on لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا الله, because
if the seven heavens and the seven earths were placed on one side of the scale, and لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا الله on the other side, then لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ would be heavier.
The Example of Ibrahim (AS):
Prophet Ibrahim (AS) spent his entire life inviting the world to the oneness of God and monotheism, and forbidding the worship of false gods. Allah Almighty says:
قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ اُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِیْۤ اِبْرٰهِیْمَ وَ الَّذِیْنَ مَعَهٗۚ-اِذْ قَالُوْا لِقَوْمِهِمْ اِنَّا بُرَءٰٓؤُا مِنْكُمْ وَ مِمَّا تَعْبُدُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ٘-كَفَرْنَا بِكُمْ وَ بَدَا بَیْنَنَا وَ بَیْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةُ وَ الْبَغْضَآءُ اَبَدًا حَتّٰى تُؤْمِنُوْا بِاللّٰهِ وَحْدَهٗۤ
“O Muslims! Indeed, Ibrahim and those with him are the best example for you, when they said to their people: ‘We disassociate ourselves from you and from those gods you worship besides Allah. We reject your religion, and enmity and hatred have arisen between us and you forever, until you believe in one God.'”
And then, at the end of his life, he exhorts his sons to remain firm on this matter. Thus, the Divine command is:
(وَوَصَّى بِهَا إِبْرهِمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ يُبَنِيَّ إِنَّ اللهَ اصْطَفى لَكُمُ الدِّينَ فَلا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَانْتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ)
“And this was the advice that Ibrahim (peace be upon him) gave to his sons, and Yaqub (peace be upon him) gave to (his sons), saying: O my sons! Allah has chosen the religion of Islam for you! Therefore, when you die, die in the state of Islam.”
The Example of Yaqub and the Sons of Yaqub (peace be upon them):
Sayyiduna Yaqub (peace be upon him) also presented the concept of the Oneness of Allah before his offspring, and when the time of his death approached, he tested this teaching and was satisfied that after him, his children would worship only one Allah. The command of Allah Almighty is:
(كُنتُمْ شُهَدَاءَ إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ الْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن بَعْدِي قَالُوا نَعْبُدُ إِلَٰهَكَ وَإِلَٰهَ آبَائِكَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِلَٰهًا وَاحِدًا وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ)
“Was it you who were present when Yaqub was dying? When he asked his sons, ‘Whom will you worship after me?’ They said, ‘We will worship your God and the God of your forefathers, Ibrahim, Ismail, and Ishaq, the One God, and to Him we submit.'”
The Example of Yusuf (peace be upon him):
The son of the same father, Sayyiduna Yusuf (peace be upon him), was inviting people to monotheism in the narrow and dark prison cells. The command of Allah is:
(اِنِّیْ تَرَكْتُ مِلَّةَ قَوْمٍ لَّا یُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِاللّٰهِ وَ هُمْ بِالْاٰخِرَةِ هُمْ كٰفِرُوْنَ وَاتَّبَعْتُ مِلَّةَ آبَائِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ ۚ مَا كَانَ لَنَا أَن نُّشْرِكَ بِاللَّهِ مِن شَيْءٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِن فَضْلِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى النَّاسِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ)
“I have abandoned the religion and faith of those who do not believe in Allah and also deny the Hereafter, and I have adopted the religion of my forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is not befitting for us to associate anything with Allah. This (the belief in the Oneness of Allah) is a favor from Allah upon us and upon the people, but most people do not give thanks to Allah.”
After stating his belief, Yusuf (peace be upon him) now, with great wisdom and understanding, questions them to explain the flaws in their polytheistic belief:
( يَا صَاحِبَيِ السِّجْنِ أَأَرْبَابٌ مُّتَفَرِّقُونَ خَيْرٌ أَمِ اللَّهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ (39) مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءً سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُم مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ ۚ إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۚ أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ (40))
“O companions of the prison! Are there many good gods, or is Allah the One who is Mighty? Besides Allah, those whom you worship are only names which you and your forefathers have named, for which Allah has sent down no authority. The ownership of every command and every judgment belongs only to Allah. He has commanded that none be worshipped except Him. This is the true religion, but most people do not know.”
When the time of Yusuf’s (peace be upon him) death approaches, he desires to die upon the belief in the Oneness of Allah:
(فَاطِرَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ- اَنْتَ وَلِیّٖ فِی الدُّنْیَا وَ الْاٰخِرَةِۚ-تَـوَفَّنِیْ مُسْلِمًا وَّ اَلْحِقْنِیْ بِالصّٰلِحِیْنَ)
“O Creator of the heavens and the earth! You are my protector and helper in this world and the Hereafter. Take me as a Muslim and include me among the righteous.”
The Example of the Messenger ﷺ :
When the beloved Prophet was sent, he ﷺ began his invitation with Tawheed (the Oneness of Allah). Due to the importance of Tawheed, the Mercy to the Worlds ﷺ clarified only the issue of Tawheed during his thirteen years in Makkah. It is narrated from Sayyiduna Rabee’ah Daili رضي الله عنه that I saw during the era of ignorance the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying in the market of Dhu al-Majaz:
((يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ : قُولُوا لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، تُفْلِحُوا .))
“O people! Say لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا الله and you will be successful.”
And in the last moments of his life, the Prophet ﷺ advised people about Tawheed in this way:
Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها used to say that at the time of the Prophet’s ﷺ death, a large bowl of water was placed before him. He ﷺ put his blessed hand into that vessel and then wiped his hand over his face and said:
((لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ إِنَّ لِلْمَوْتِ سَكَرَاتٍ.))
“O people! Even in the unconsciousness of death, my message is that there is no deity except Allah.”
Then the Prophet ﷺ raised his hand and said, “فی الرفيق الأعلیٰ” until his blessed soul was taken, and his hand fell down.”
At the beginning of Surah Bani Isra’il, where the summary of Islam is presented, it starts with (لَا تَجْعَلُ مَعَ اللهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ)
“Do not associate any other deity with Allah,” and after all the statements, it says:
(ذٰلِكَ مِمَّاۤ اَوْحٰۤى اِلَیْكَ رَبُّكَ مِنَ الْحِكْمَةِؕ-وَ لَا تَجْعَلْ مَعَ اللّٰهِ اِلٰهًا اٰخَرَ)
“These are the wise words that your Lord has revealed to you through revelation, and do not associate any other deity with Allah.”
From this, there is a subtle indication that the beginning of the religion is also the declaration of the Oneness of God, “لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا الله,” and its end is also on the principle of Oneness.
Meaning and Concept of Lā ilāha illā Allāh:
The following lines explain the meaning and concept of the Kalima Tauheed “لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا الله” so that a complete picture of Tauheed emerges, and the reality of Tauheed becomes clearer. Furthermore, it becomes easier to understand both the negative and positive aspects of the Kalima Tayyiba.
Linguistic meaning of إلهَ:
The meaning of إِلَهَ is “Ma’bood” (i.e., the one who is worshipped). If he is deserving of worship, then he is “إله حق,” meaning the true Ma’bood (God). For example, the Divine Being. And if he is not entitled to worship, then he is “إِلهِ باطل,” meaning a false deity, like the self-created gods of the Arab polytheists. Accordingly, the famous Arabic lexicon
states: (( أَلَهَ يَأْلَهُ إِلَاهَةً أَي عَبَدَ .)) “He worships a Ma’bood,” إِلا هَةً “to worship.”
And in
it is stated that: (( إِلَّةٌ عَلَى فِعَالٍ بِمَعْنَى مَفْعُول لااَنَّهُ مَأْلُوهٌ أى مَعُبُودٌ .)) “On the pattern of إِلهُ فِعال, it is in the meaning of the object, because الہ is said to the one who is worshipped.”
It should be remembered that a person worships and prays to the one whom he considers to be the possessor of unseen power and supernatural authority. From dictionaries and tafsir, it is understood that the original meaning of Ilah is the entity in whom one seeks refuge, from whom one attains peace and tranquility, to whom one turns with utmost passion and love, and to whom one directs restless attention just like a child who, after being weaned, clings to its mother, and the entity that is worshipped, and the entity that is hidden. Consider a few idioms:
(( أَلِهَ يَأْلَهُ إِذَا تَحَيَّرَ لِأَنَّ الْعُقُولَ تَأْلَهُ فِي عَظُمَتِهِ . ))
“أَلِهَ يَأْلَهُ is said at a moment when one is astonished and bewildered, as if intellects have become amazed and bewildered in recognizing His greatness and grandeur.”
((أَلِهَ إِذَا تَحَيَّرَ لِأَنَّ الْعُقُولَ تَتَحَيَّرُ فِي مَعْرِفَتِهِ . ))
“اله is said at a moment when one is astonished, as if intellects have become bewildered in acquiring knowledge of Him.”
(( أَلِهَ إِذَا فَزِعَ مِنْ أَمْرٍ نَزَلَ عَلَيْهِ، وَآلَهَهُ غَيْره أَي أَجاره إِذَا العَائَذُ يَفْزَعُ إِلَيْهِ وَهُوَ يُجِيرُهُ حَقِيقَةٌ أَو بِزَعْمِه . ))
“A man became fearful and distressed due to the descent of calamity and trouble, and another gave him refuge. Because the one seeking refuge desires his protection, and he grants him protection in reality or in his perception.”
((أَلِه يَأْلَهُ إِلَه كَذَا أَي لَجَأَ إِلَيْهِ لِأَنَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ الْمَفْزَعُ الَّذِي يُلْجَدُّ إِلَيْهِ فِى كُلّ أَمْرٍ ، قَالَ الشَّاعِرُ : أَلِهتَ إِلَيْنَا وَالْحَوَادِتُ جُمَّةٌ .))
“In a state of fear and distress, he sought refuge with so-and-so and turned towards him. Because Allah, Glorified and Exalted, is the refuge whose protection is sought at every time of calamity and accident. A poet says:
You have taken refuge with us, and the calamities are many.”
(( اَلهُتُ إِلَى فُلانٍ أَى سَكَنتُ إِلَيْهِ ، لِأَنَّ الْقُلُوبَ تَطْمَئِنُّ بِذكُرِهِ، وَالْأَرْوَاحَ تَسْكُنُ إِلَى مَعْرِفَتِهِ . ))
“By going into His protection, I attained tranquility. Because hearts find reassurance through His remembrance, and souls find peace through His knowledge.”
((ألِهَ الْفَيُصِلُ إِذَا وَلَعَ بِأُمَّهِ، إِذَا الْعِبَادِ يُولَعُوْنَ بِالْتَضَرُّعِ إِلَيْهِ فِي الشَّدَائِدِ . ))
“The baby camel clung to its mother with intense longing as soon as it found her, because people turn humbly towards Allah Almighty in times of calamity.”
(( لَاة يَلِيهُ لَيْهَا وَلَاهَا ، إِذَا احْتَجَبَ وَارْتَفَعَ لِأَنَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى مَحْجُوبٌ عَنْ إِدْرَاكِ الْأَبْصَارِ، وَمُرْتَفِعٌ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيءٍ وَعَمَّا لَا يَلِيقُ بِهِ))
“لَاةَ ، يَلِيهُ، لَيْها and لاھاً are said on occasions when something becomes hidden and exalted, because Allah Almighty is also hidden from sight, and His essence is exalted above everything, and He is free from everything that is not worthy of His majesty.”
Terminological Meaning of Ilah:
The Imams of Tafsir, Hadith, and the Imams of Linguistics, in light of the above expressions, have defined the meaning of الٰہ as follows: The true Ilah is the one who is the Creator, the Owner, the Sovereign, the Provider, the Knower of the unseen, the Possessor of perfect power, the Doer, the Lawgiver, and the possessor of all attributes.
Accordingly, Ibn Manzur states in Lisan al-Arab (189/1):
(( قَالَ أَبُو الْهَيْثَمِ : وَلَا يَكُونُ إِلَها حَتَّى يَكُونَ مَعْبُودًا ، وَحَتَّى يَكُونَ لِعَابِدِهِ خَالِقًا وَرَازِقًا وَمُدَبّرًا ، وَعَلَيْهِ مُقْتَدِرًا ، فَمَنْ لَمْ يَكُن فَلَيْسَ بِالهِ ، وَإِنْ عُبْدِ ظُلُمَّا بَلْ هُوَ مَخْلُوقٌ وَ مُتَعَبَّدٌ أَنَّ الْخَلْقَ يُولَهُونَ إِلَيْهِ فِي حَوَائِجِهِمْ ، وَيَضَرَّعُونَ إِلَيْهِ فِيمَا يُصِيبُهُم ، وَيَفْزَعُونَ إِلَيْهِ فِى كُلّ مَا يَنُوبُهُمُ كَمَا يُولَهُ كُلُّ طِفل إلى أمّه . ))
“Abu al-Haytham says:
Only الٰہ can be worshipped, and the one deserving of worship and devotion can only be the Creator of the worshipper, the Provider, the Planner, and the Most Powerful. One who does not possess these attributes is not الہ, even if he is worshipped unjustly; rather, he is a creation and a weak deity, while creation anxiously turns to him in its needs, laments before him in its afflictions, and calls upon him in all the calamities that befall it, just as a child brings its complaints to the bosom of its mother.
Imam Qurtubi says:
(( إِنَّمَا سُمّى ’’ الله ‘‘ إلها، لأنَّ الخَلْقَ يَتَأَلَهُونَ إِلَيْهِ فِي حَوائِجِهِمْ وَيَتَضَرَّعُونَ إِلَيْهِ عِنْدَ شَدَائِدِهِمُ . ))
“Allah is called الہ because people turn to Him for their needs and cry out and lament at His court in times of calamities and hardships.”
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
(( فَالْإِلهُ هُوَ الَّذِي يَأْلَهُهُ الْقَلْبُ بِكَمَالِ الْحُبِّ وَالتَّعْظِيمِ وَالْإِجْلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ وَالْخَوْفِ وَالرَّجَاءِ. ))
الہ That is the Being with whom hearts have utmost love, utmost reverence, honor, and respect, and from whom they have utmost fear and hope, and all such matters are related to Him alone.”
Allama Ibn Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
((تَأَلَهُهُ الْخَلَائِقُ مَحَبَّةً وَتَعْظِيمًا وَحُضُوعًا وَفَرُعًا إِلَيْهِ فِي الْحَوَائِج وَالنَّوَائِب .))
“الہ refers to that Being in whose love the heart is restless, who is awe-inspiring due to His majesty and grandeur, to whom one turns, whom one honors and reveres, before whom one appears with humility, submissiveness, and fear, on whom one places hopes and in whom one trusts.”
Qur’anic Verses about Allah:
To further understand Allah, studying Quranic verses will prove beneficial. Therefore, a few verses are presented in which Allah’s الٰہ is mentioned. From all these verses, it is established that the sovereign of creation (Hakim Takwini) is Allah, and the legislative sovereign (Hakim Tashree’i) is also Allah, because الٰہ can only be the one who possesses unseen power. Thus, the sovereign of creation and legislation is the one who possesses unseen power.
(سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ .)
The Creator, the One who brings into existence.
The deity (Ilah) can only be the one who legislates the Shariah. As the command of the Exalted Allah is:
(وَ لَا تَدْعُ مَعَ اللّٰهِ اِلٰهًا اٰخَرَۘ-لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ ۫-كُلُّ شَیْءٍ هَالِكٌ اِلَّا وَجْهَهٗؕ-لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَ اِلَیْهِ تُرْجَعُوْنَ)
“And do not invoke any other deity along with Allah; there is no deity except Him. Everything will perish except His Face. His is the command, and to Him you will be returned.”
From the above verse, it becomes clear that Ilah (deity) is called the one who legislates, whose command prevails.
The deity can only be the one who is the Creator and the Provider of sustenance.
The command of Allah Almighty is:
(یٰۤاَیُّهَا النَّاسُ اذْكُرُوْا نِعْمَتَ اللّٰهِ عَلَیْكُمْؕ-هَلْ مِنْ خَالِقٍ غَیْرُ اللّٰهِ یَرْزُقُكُمْ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ وَ الْاَرْضِؕ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ ﳲ فَاَنّٰى تُؤْفَكُوْنَ)
“O people! Remember the favor of Allah upon you. Is there any creator besides Allah who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? There is no الہ besides Him, so why has your intellect been blinded?” From the mentioned verse, it is clear that being the Creator and the Provider of sustenance is included in the meaning of الہ. الہ can only be the one who has the power to hear (i.e., ears) and see (i.e., eyes), who can take away and restore.
Allah Almighty says:
(قُلْ اَرَءَیْتُمْ اِنْ اَخَذَ اللّٰهُ سَمْعَكُمْ وَ اَبْصَارَكُمْ وَ خَتَمَ عَلٰى قُلُوْبِكُمْ مَّنْ اِلٰهٌ غَیْرُ اللّٰهِ یَاْتِیْكُمْ بِهٖؕ-اُنْظُرْ كَیْفَ نُصَرِّفُ الْاٰیٰتِ ثُمَّ هُمْ یَصْدِفُوْنَ)
“Ask them, ‘What do you think? If Allah takes away your hearing and your sight and seals your hearts, is there any deity besides Allah who can restore them to you?’ See how We present the signs in various ways, yet they still turn away.” The deity can only be the one who can maintain the solar system.
The command of Allah Almighty is:
(قُلْ اَرَءَیْتُمْ اِنْ جَعَلَ اللّٰهُ عَلَیْكُمُ الَّیْلَ سَرْمَدًا اِلٰى یَوْمِ الْقِیٰمَةِ مَنْ اِلٰهٌ غَیْرُ اللّٰهِ یَاْتِیْكُمْ بِضِیَآءٍؕ-اَفَلَا تَسْمَعُوْنَ(71)قُلْ اَرَءَیْتُمْ اِنْ جَعَلَ اللّٰهُ عَلَیْكُمُ النَّهَارَ سَرْمَدًا اِلٰى یَوْمِ الْقِیٰمَةِ مَنْ اِلٰهٌ غَیْرُ اللّٰهِ یَاْتِیْكُمْ بِلَیْلٍ تَسْكُنُوْنَ فِیْهِؕ-اَفَلَا تُبْصِرُوْنَ(72))
“O my Prophet! Ask the polytheists, what do you think, if Allah imposes the night upon you until the Day of Resurrection, then who besides Allah will bring light for you? Do you not hear? Ask the polytheists, what do you think, if Allah imposes the day upon you until the Day of Resurrection, then who besides Allah will bring the night for you, in which you rest? Do you not see?”
الہ Only He can be deserving alone of all kinds of praise and glorification in this world and the Hereafter.
The command of Allah Almighty is:
(وَ هُوَ اللّٰهُ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَؕ-لَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِی الْاُوْلٰى وَ الْاٰخِرَةِ٘-وَ لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَ اِلَیْهِ تُرْجَعُوْنَ)
“And He is Allah; there is no deity except Him. All praise is due to Him in this world and the Hereafter, and His is the dominion, and to Him you will be returned.”
الٰہ Only He can be the Controller, the Sovereign, and the Knower of the unseen.
The command of Allah Almighty is:
(اَلرَّحْمٰنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوٰى(5)لَهٗ مَا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَا فِی الْاَرْضِ وَ مَا بَیْنَهُمَا وَ مَا تَحْتَ الثَّرٰى(6) وَ اِنْ تَجْهَرْ بِالْقَوْلِ فَاِنَّهٗ یَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ وَ اَخْفٰى(7)اَللّٰهُ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَؕ-لَهُ الْاَسْمَآءُ الْحُسْنٰى(8))
الہ
“He is the Most Merciful, established on the Throne; whatever is in the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them and whatever is beneath the soil is His. And if you speak aloud, then indeed, He knows the secret and what is even more hidden. There is no deity except Him, and He has the best names.”
الٰہ Only He can send down rain and cause trees to grow.
The command of the Exalted is:
(اَمَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضَ وَ اَنْزَلَ لَكُمْ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءًۚ-فَاَنْۢبَتْنَا بِهٖ حَدَآىٕقَ ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍۚ-مَا كَانَ لَكُمْ اَنْ تُنْۢبِتُوْا شَجَرَهَاؕ-ءَاِلٰهٌ مَّعَ اللّٰهِؕ-بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ یَّعْدِلُوْنَﭤ(60))
“(Are their self-made partners better) or is He better who created the heavens and the earth and sent down for you rain from the sky, by which We caused to grow lush and beautiful gardens, whose trees you could not have grown? Is there any deity with Allah? Indeed, they are a people who have gone far astray.”
Benefit:
الٰہ
After the general negation of false deities, Allah Almighty has posed a compelling question to the polytheists of Mecca by giving examples of His absolute power: Tell me, whose power is this miracle of creation, who created these things, who has given these blessings?
And when the answer to every question you have is nothing but that all these are the miraculous works of Allah, then why do you abandon Him and make others your gods? Allah Almighty asked the polytheists of Mecca the first compelling question: Who created these heavens and the earth, and who sent down rain from the sky for you?
By which We have grown beautiful gardens for you, you did not have the power to grow these trees. Obviously, there is no answer other than that all these works belong to Allah Almighty, so why do you worship anyone other than Allah? The deity can only be the one who can sustain the earth, create rivers, mountains, and seas, unite bitter and sweet two rivers and maintain the boundary; these attributes are also among the essentials of divinity.
The command of Allah Almighty is:
(اَمَّنْ جَعَلَ الْاَرْضَ قَرَارًا وَّ جَعَلَ خِلٰلَهَاۤ اَنْهٰرًا وَّ جَعَلَ لَهَا رَوَاسِیَ وَ جَعَلَ بَیْنَ الْبَحْرَیْنِ حَاجِزًاؕ-ءَاِلٰهٌ مَّعَ اللّٰهِؕ-بَلْ اَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا یَعْلَمُوْنَﭤ(61))
“Or who is better than He who made the earth a stable place and placed rivers in it and set mountains firmly and placed a barrier between the two seas? Is there any deity with Allah? Indeed, most of them do not know.”
Benefit:
The second question is: Who made this earth a place of settlement for you so that it does not overturn, and you live comfortably on it? And who caused rivers to flow on it, and who set mountains firmly so that it does not move? And who placed a barrier between sweet and salty water so that they do not mix? Other than this, you have no answer except that all these are miracles of Allah’s power. So why do you worship anyone else besides Him?!
الٰہ Only He can hear the unseen call of the helpless, can grant help, and remove distress.
The command of the Exalted Allah is:
(اَمَّنْ یُّجِیْبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ اِذَا دَعَاهُ وَ یَكْشِفُ السُّوْٓءَ وَ یَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَآءَ الْاَرْضِؕ-ءَاِلٰهٌ مَّعَ اللّٰهِؕ-قَلِیْلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُوْنَﭤ(62))
“Or who is better in [ordaining] judgment than He who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil and makes you inheritors of the earth? Is there a deity with Allah? Little do you remember.”
Benefit:
The third question is: when a person faces any distress, falls ill, or becomes a victim of an oppressor, whom does he call out to excessively, and who is it that responds to his plea and removes his calamity? And who is it that causes some to die and makes their offspring the inheritors of the earth? The answer is known: it is Allah. So, O polytheists of Mecca! Then why do you abandon Him and prostrate before false deities? The reality is that you people rarely take advice. Regarding the prayer of the helpless, powerless, and distressed, Allama Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) writes in his book
:
“If during supplication one attains complete presence of heart, feels a strong need and necessity, shows utmost humility and deep reverence before the Lord of the Worlds, and the heart becomes tender, and in this state the servant makes supplication using the pure names and exalted attributes of his Lord as a means, then such a supplication is hardly ever rejected.”
الہ He is the One who guides people through the darkness of land and sea and controls the winds.
The command of the Almighty Allah is:
(اَمَّنْ یَّهْدِیْكُمْ فِیْ ظُلُمٰتِ الْبَرِّ وَ الْبَحْرِ وَ مَنْ یُّرْسِلُ الرِّیٰحَ بُشْرًۢا بَیْنَ یَدَیْ رَحْمَتِهٖؕ-ءَاِلٰهٌ مَّعَ اللّٰهِؕ-تَعٰلَى اللّٰهُ عَمَّا یُشْرِكُوْنَﭤ(63) )
“Or is He (better) who guides you through the darkness of land and sea and sends the winds as glad tidings before His mercy? Is there any deity with Allah? High is Allah above what they associate (with Him).”
Benefit:
The fourth question is: Who guides you in the darkness of the desert and the sea, and who sends the winds before the rain, by which people understand that rain will come? Who is capable of these things? The answer is known: it is Allah. So why do you associate others with Him? Allah is far superior and exalted above your false gods.
In the Holy Quran, the oneness of Allah as the only deity is mentioned in (122) verses. To further understand the issue of divinity, it is necessary to study these verses.
Negative Monotheism: There is no god except Allah:
In the previous lines, a brief outline of the invitation of the Prophets was presented, in which the common element is the Kalima “لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ“. This small phrase consists of affirmation and negation, acceptance and rejection. The negation is “لا إِلهَ” and the affirmation is “،” whose literal translation would be “There is no deity except Allah.” In the Kalima of Tawheed, negation is placed first so that it becomes clear that before accepting Allah as the deity, it is essential to completely deny the deity of anything other than Allah. That is, whatever was previously in the mind must be abandoned, even erased. When the ground is thus cleared, then a new construction will take place on it. Until the house is empty, a new occupant does not settle.
In the negative part of the pure Kalima, it is necessary to deny all those attributes from anything other than Allah that are included in its meaning.
Positive Tawheed … Except Allah:
The states of exception vary with respect to offer and acceptance. Thus, if the preceding statement is affirmative, the ruling of transfer will be negative, as in “Zaid is excluded from the command of love (coming),” and if the preceding statement is negative, then the negative attribute becomes specific with the exception, as in “The command of coming is specific to Zaid.” Similarly, in the negative part of the Kalima Tayyiba, the attributes that are negated from anyone other than Allah in the context of divinity are all exclusively attributed to Allah’s essence. The intention behind the statement is not merely the acknowledgment of Allah’s essence, but the acknowledgment of Allah’s divinity in the Kalima, from which it necessarily follows that Allah is the Creator, the one who rules over the creations, the one deserving of all worship and needs of the servants, the one who created them. The benefit and harm of creations, killing and burning, honor and disgrace, health and sickness are all under His control. He is the one who responds to everyone’s pleas because He is the Knower of the unseen, and He is the one who solves the difficulties of every afflicted and distressed person because He hears everyone’s calls invisibly.
These are the affirmative principles and pillars of Tawheed, whose explanation is given in the light of the Holy Quran in the following lines, accordingly:
The Sovereignty in the Earth and the Heavens belongs to Allah:
The sovereignty in the earth and the heavens belongs only to one Allah; no one shares His sovereignty. Those beings who are considered partners of Allah by regarding them as caretakers of the interests of servants are themselves helpless; they do not even possess existence of their own home. Neither do they have the authority to create even a particle, nor do they have control over killing or burning; nor can they cause the slightest benefit or harm to anyone by their own will. Rather, they themselves do not have the power and ability to gain even a particle of benefit for their own selves or to remain safe from harm. Allah Almighty says:
(اِنِ الْحُكْمُ اِلَّا لِلّٰهِؕ)
“There is no sovereignty except for Allah.”
And in Surah Al-Mulk it is stated:
(تبارك الذي بيده الملك وهو على كل شيء قدير الذي خلق الموت والحياة ليبلوكم أيكم أحسن عملا وهو العزيز الغفور الذي خلق سبع سماوات طباقا ما ترى في خلق الرحمن من تفاوت فارجع البصر هل ترى من فطور ثم ارجع البصر كرتين ينقلب إليك البصر خاسئا وهو حسير)
“He is the One with countless blessings (Allah), in whose hand is the dominion of the entire universe, and He is over all things competent. He who created death and life to test you as to which of you is best in deed, and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving. He who has made the seven heavens in layers. You will not see any inconsistency in the creation of the Most Merciful. So look again: Do you see any flaw? Then look again and again. Your sight will return to you humbled and exhausted.”
Allah is the Controller of Affairs:
After creating the earth and the heavens, complete control and authority over them, and all kinds of ownership and sovereign dominion belong solely to Him. Allah Almighty says:
(اِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللّٰهُ الَّذِیْ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضَ فِیْ سِتَّةِ اَیَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوٰى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ۫-یُغْشِی الَّیْلَ النَّهَارَ یَطْلُبُهٗ حَثِیْثًاۙ-وَّ الشَّمْسَ وَ الْقَمَرَ وَ النُّجُوْمَ مُسَخَّرٰتٍۭ بِاَمْرِهٖؕ-اَلَا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَ الْاَمْرُؕ-تَبٰرَكَ اللّٰهُ رَبُّ الْعٰلَمِیْنَ(54))
“Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself above the Throne. He covers the night with the day, chasing it rapidly; and He created the sun, the moon, and the stars, all subjected to His command. Be aware that He alone is the Creator of all, and His command is enforced everywhere. The essence of Allah, the Lord of the worlds, is most blessed.”
The Only Sovereign in the Universe is Allah:
Allah Almighty creates whatever He wills, and He alone is the ultimate sovereign. To consider anyone else among His creation as sovereign is shirk (associating partners with Allah). He has not given anyone the authority of creation or legislation.
The command of the Almighty Allah is:
(وَ رَبُّكَ یَخْلُقُ مَا یَشَآءُ وَ یَخْتَارُؕ-مَا كَانَ لَهُمُ الْخِیَرَةُؕ-سُبْحٰنَ اللّٰهِ وَ تَعٰلٰى عَمَّا یُشْرِكُوْنَ(68))
And your Lord creates whatever He wills and chooses for Himself whoever He wills (for His prophethood). Those polytheists have no authority (to choose partners for Us). Allah is free from all defects and exalted above the polytheists’ association.”
Benefit:
This noble verse negates the creation and choice of servants, meaning that neither can they create anyone, nor do they have the authority to choose whoever they want to be the Prophet of Allah, or reject whoever they want. Rather, Allah appoints as His Prophet whomever He wills. Nor do the servants have the authority to worship whatever they want or worship in any manner they please. It is the right of Allah, the Creator of the universe, that He alone commands His worship, forbids polytheism, and establishes the legitimate way of worship. The duty of the servants is only obedience and servitude. That is why at the end of the verse it is said that Allah’s essence is free from the polytheists’ association and is exalted.
The commentators have written that this verse was revealed in refutation of Walid bin Mughirah, when he said why did Allah not appoint a great man from among the people of both towns as His Prophet. It was also revealed in refutation of the common polytheists, who arbitrarily associated partners with Allah and assumed that these false deities would be intercessors on the Day of Resurrection.
All treasures are under Allah’s control:
He alone has control over the abundant treasures of everything, and from whichever treasure He wills, He grants as much as He wishes, and He alone is the distributor of sustenance.
Allah Almighty says:
(وَ اِنْ مِّنْ شَیْءٍ اِلَّا عِنْدَنَا خَزَآىٕنُهٗ٘-وَ مَا نُنَزِّلُهٗۤ اِلَّا بِقَدَرٍ مَّعْلُوْمٍ(21))
“And there is no thing but that with Us are its treasures, and We do not send it down except in a known measure.”
Allah is the guardian of the interests of His servants:
Government and sovereignty, honor and disgrace, and control over all kinds of affairs are solely in the hands of Allah, the All-Knowing Owner. He gives the kingdom to whom He wills and takes it away from whom He wills. Sometimes He shortens the night and lengthens the day, sometimes He reverses it, the egg from the chicken, the chicken from the egg, man from the sperm, and sperm from man, the ignorant from the learned, the learned from the ignorant, the perfect from the imperfect, and the imperfect from the perfect — this is His work.
The command of Allah the Exalted is:
(قُلِ اللّٰهُمَّ مٰلِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِی الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَآءُ وَ تَنْزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّنْ تَشَآءُ٘-وَ تُعِزُّ مَنْ تَشَآءُ وَ تُذِلُّ مَنْ تَشَآءُؕ-بِیَدِكَ الْخَیْرُؕ-اِنَّكَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَیْءٍ قَدِیْرٌ(26) تُوْلِجُ الَّیْلَ فِی النَّهَارِ وَ تُوْلِجُ النَّهَارَ فِی الَّیْلِ٘-وَ تُخْرِ جُ الْحَیَّ مِنَ الْمَیِّتِ وَ تُخْرِ جُ الْمَیِّتَ مِنَ الْحَیِّ٘-وَ تَرْزُقُ مَنْ تَشَآءُ بِغَیْرِ حِسَابٍ(27))
“Say: O my Allah! Owner of the true kingdom! You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take the kingdom away from whom You will, and You honor whom You will, and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is all good. Surely, You have power over all things. You cause the night to enter the day, and the day to enter the night, and You bring the living out of the dead, and the dead out of the living, and You provide sustenance without measure to whom You will.”
And in
it is stated:
(لِلّٰهِ مُلْكُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِؕ-یَخْلُقُ مَا یَشَآءُؕ-یَهَبُ لِمَنْ یَّشَآءُ اِنَاثًا وَّ یَهَبُ لِمَنْ یَّشَآءُ الذُّكُوْرَ(49)اَوْ یُزَوِّجُهُمْ ذُكْرَانًا وَّ اِنَاثًاۚ-وَ یَجْعَلُ مَنْ یَّشَآءُ عَقِیْمًاؕ-اِنَّهٗ عَلِیْمٌ قَدِیْرٌ(50))
“The dominion of the heavens and the earth belongs only to Allah. He creates what He wills; He gives daughters to whom He wills, and He gives sons to whom He wills, or He gives them both sons and daughters. And He renders barren whom He wills. Indeed, He is the Knowing, the Powerful.”
Only Allah is the Knower of the Unseen:
The Holy Quran repeatedly emphasizes the belief that no one except Allah has knowledge of the unseen.
Thus, the command of the Exalted Allah is:
(قُلْ لَّا یَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ الْغَیْبَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُؕ)
“Say, none in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah.”
And in Surah Al-An’am it is stated:
(وَ عِنْدَهٗ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَیْبِ لَا یَعْلَمُهَاۤ اِلَّا هُوَؕ-وَ یَعْلَمُ مَا فِی الْبَرِّ وَ الْبَحْرِؕ-وَ مَا تَسْقُطُ مِنْ وَّرَقَةٍ اِلَّا یَعْلَمُهَا وَ لَا حَبَّةٍ فِیْ ظُلُمٰتِ الْاَرْضِ وَ لَا رَطْبٍ وَّ لَا یَابِسٍ اِلَّا فِیْ كِتٰبٍ مُّبِیْنٍ(59))
“And the treasures of the unseen are with Him alone; none knows them except Him. He knows whatever is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it, and no grain is there within the darkness of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry, but that it is in a clear Book with Allah.”
Benefit:
Allah Almighty has likened the unseen matters to those precious and important items which are locked in chests with utmost caution. The knowledge of these unseen matters belongs to none except Allah.
By mentioning some observations, He further emphasized that the knowledge of all unseen matters is only with Allah. Accordingly, He said that whatever is in the sea and on the land is known only to Allah. To further emphasize this reality, He stated that the knowledge of countless details of the universe is solely with Allah.
The author of فتح البیان has written that this noble verse refutes soothsayers, astrologers, and those who claim to reveal the unseen, who falsely claim inspiration and revelation. It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
(( مَنْ أَتَى كَاهِنًا أَوْ عَرَّافًا فَصَدَّقَهُ بِمَا يَقُولُ، فَقَدْ كَفَرَ بِمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ . ))
“Whoever goes to a soothsayer or an astrologer has denied the book revealed to Muhammad (ﷺ).”
Benefit:
The knowledge given to the Prophets (peace be upon them) is educational and informative. Therefore, in the Holy Quran, the words “information” and “expression” are applied to it. There is no verse that states that Allah Almighty has endowed any Prophet, Wali, or the Seal of the Prophets (ﷺ) with the attribute of knowledge of the unseen. After the information is given, the “unseen” is no longer unseen, because the Prophet (ﷺ) conveyed news of the unseen to the Ummah. So, has the entire Ummah become all-knowing of the unseen?
Definition of Knowledge of the Unseen:
The definition of knowledge of the unseen is that it is obtained automatically, directly, and without any intermediary, and it is not partial but complete. This attribute is exclusive to the Divine Essence. Therefore, after informing the Prophets about the unseen, Allah Almighty has reserved the title “Knower of the Unseen” exclusively for Himself and has not used it for any Prophet. A disciple of Sayyiduna Ali (RA) said in a conversation:
(( لَقَدْ أُعْطِيتَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عِلْمَ الْغَيْبِ . ))
“O Commander of the Faithful! Surely you have been given knowledge of the unseen.”
In response, he (RA) said:
(( يا أَخَا كَلْبٍ، لَيْسَ هُوَ بِعِلْمٍ غَيْبٍ، وَإِنَّمَا هُوَ تَعَلَّمُ مِنْ ذِى عِلم.))
“O Kalbi man! This is not knowledge of the unseen, but knowledge learned from the Knower.”
Then he recited the last verse of Surah Luqman:
( اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عِنْدَهٗ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِۚ-وَ یُنَزِّلُ الْغَیْثَۚ-وَ یَعْلَمُ مَا فِی الْاَرْحَامِؕ-وَ مَا تَدْرِیْ نَفْسٌ مَّا ذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًاؕ-وَ مَا تَدْرِیْ نَفْسٌۢ بِاَیِّ اَرْضٍ تَمُوْتُؕ-اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلِیْمٌ خَبِیْرٌ(34) )
“Indeed, only Allah has knowledge of the Hour, and He sends down the rain, and He knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in which land it will die. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.”
And while explaining Mafatih al-Ghayb, he said:
((فَهَذَا عِلْمُ الْغَيْبِ الَّذِي لَا يَعْلَمُهُ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَمَا سِوَى ذَلِكَ فَعِلُمٌ عَلَّمَهُ اللهُ نَبِيَّة))
“So this is the knowledge of the unseen which none knows except Allah Almighty, and whatever else there is besides the knowledge of the unseen is absolute knowledge which Allah Almighty taught to the Prophet ﷺ and he informed us.”
Acquired Knowledge through Divine Revelation:
Allah Almighty does not intend to give anyone the knowledge of the unseen, however, the Prophets, peace be upon them, are informed of certain unseen matters through revelation.
The command of Allah Almighty is:
(عٰلِمُ الْغَیْبِ فَلَا یُظْهِرُ عَلٰى غَیْبِهٖۤ اَحَدًا(26)اِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضٰى مِنْ رَّسُوْلٍ فَاِنَّهٗ یَسْلُكُ مِنْۢ بَیْنِ یَدَیْهِ وَ مِنْ خَلْفِهٖ رَصَدًا(27))
(He) is the Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His unseen to anyone, except to whom He chooses among His messengers, and then He makes known to him what He wills.
Thus, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has narrated thousands of past events as if you were witnessing them with your own eyes. Similarly, he made hundreds of predictions about the future, which have been fulfilled word for word, are being fulfilled, and will continue to be fulfilled. But the question is, through what means did you acquire this knowledge? Were you present and observing in every era? If not, and indeed you were not, then did you hear it from those who witnessed it? If not this either, then did you acquire the information through education, learning, and studying books? No, no! The Holy Quran negates all these sources of knowledge from your person, and only one source of information remains, which is the revelation of prophethood and inspiration. So, whatever knowledge you acquired, you obtained it through this means, and this is the greatest sign and indication of your truthfulness.
The command of the Exalted Allah is:
(وَ مَا كُنْتَ بِجَانِبِ الْغَرْبِیِّ اِذْ قَضَیْنَاۤ اِلٰى مُوْسَى الْاَمْرَ وَ مَا كُنْتَ مِنَ الشّٰهِدِیْنَ(44))
“And you were not on the western side of Mount Sinai when We gave Moses the Scripture, nor were you among those present.”
((وَ مَا كُنْتَ ثَاوِیًا فِیْۤ اَهْلِ مَدْیَنَ تَتْلُوْا عَلَیْهِمْ اٰیٰتِنَاۙ-وَ لٰـكِنَّا كُنَّا مُرْسِلِیْنَ(45)وَ مَا كُنْتَ بِجَانِبِ الطُّوْرِ اِذْ نَادَیْنَا وَ لٰـكِنْ رَّحْمَةً مِّنْ رَّبِّكَ لِتُنْذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّاۤ اَتٰىهُمْ مِّنْ نَّذِیْرٍ مِّنْ قَبْلِكَ لَعَلَّهُمْ یَتَذَكَّرُوْنَ(46)))
“And you were not among the people of Midian, reciting to them Our verses, but We sent you as a messenger. And you were not at the foot of the mountain when We called (Moses), but you were sent as a mercy from your Lord so that you might warn a people to whom no warner had come before you, so that they might take heed.”
And in Surah Al-Ankabut it is stated:
(وَ مَا كُنْتَ تَتْلُوْا مِنْ قَبْلِهٖ مِنْ كِتٰبٍ وَّ لَا تَخُطُّهٗ بِیَمِیْنِكَ اِذًا لَّارْتَابَ الْمُبْطِلُوْنَ(48))
“And you did not recite before it any scripture, nor did you write it with your hand, otherwise the falsifiers would have had a doubt.”
The commentator Abu al-Su’ud in Qom is of the opinion:
((الْوَقُوفُ عَلى مَا فَصَّلَ مِنَ الأحَوَالِ لَا يَتَسَتَّى إِلَّا بِالْمُشَاهَدَةِ أوِ التَّعَلُّمِ وَحَيْثُ انْتَفَى كِلَاهُمَا تَبَيَّنَ أَنَّهُ يُوحَى مِنْ عَلَّامٍ الْغُيُوبِ))
“(That is) the knowledge your team has about the previous nations cannot be obtained except through observation or educational means, therefore, where both of these are negated, it automatically becomes clear that you are informed by the Knower of the unseen through revelation.”
But this is not knowledge of the unseen; it is acquired knowledge, which is both accidental and limited. Accidental because before the revelation, you did not have this knowledge, and limited because many things were not given to you even through revelation. As evidence, the command of Allah the Exalted is:
(اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عِنْدَهٗ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِۚ-وَ یُنَزِّلُ الْغَیْثَۚ-وَ یَعْلَمُ مَا فِی الْاَرْحَامِؕ)
(وَ مَا تَدْرِیْ نَفْسٌ مَّا ذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًاؕ-وَ مَا تَدْرِیْ نَفْسٌۢ بِاَیِّ اَرْضٍ تَمُوْتُؕ-اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلِیْمٌ خَبِیْرٌ(34))
“Only Allah has knowledge of the Hour; He sends down the rain, and He knows what is in the wombs. And no soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.”
When the Noble Prophet ﷺ was asked about the Day of Judgment, when it would come, he ﷺ said:
(( فِي خَمْسٍ لَا يَعْلَمُهُنَّ إِلَّا اللهُ . ))
“That is, the Day of Judgment is among five things that no one knows except Allah, the Almighty.”
Then the Prophet ﷺ recited the same (above) verse.
Thus, both the Quran and Hadith have made it clear that no one has knowledge of these matters except Allah Almighty.
عاقل را اشاره کافی است, otherwise so much could be written on this topic that an entire book could be prepared. May Allah grant the ability to understand the truth. آمین!
The Only One Deserving of Being Called Upon is Allah:
The command of the Exalted Allah is:
(لَهٗ دَعْوَةُ الْحَقِّؕ)
“Only He is truly to be called upon.”
And the false deities who are called upon besides Allah cannot fulfill any need; not only do they not fulfill needs, they do not even hear anyone’s call.
The command of Allah Almighty is:
(وَ الَّذِیْنَ تَدْعُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِهٖ مَا یَمْلِكُوْنَ مِنْ قِطْمِیْرٍﭤ(13) اِنْ تَدْعُوْهُمْ لَا یَسْمَعُوْا دُعَآءَكُمْۚ-وَ لَوْ سَمِعُوْا مَا اسْتَجَابُوْا لَكُمْؕ)
“And besides Him, those whom you call upon are not even the owners of the membrane of a date seed. If you call upon them, they will not hear your call, and even if they do hear, they will not respond to you.”
Rather, on the Day of Resurrection, they will express disassociation from these polytheistic acts and instead of being helpers, they will prove to be enemies. Consider the command of Allah Almighty:
(وَ مَنْ اَضَلُّ مِمَّنْ یَّدْعُوْا مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ مَنْ لَّا یَسْتَجِیْبُ لَهٗۤ اِلٰى یَوْمِ الْقِیٰمَةِ وَ هُمْ عَنْ دُعَآىٕهِمْ غٰفِلُوْنَ(5) وَ اِذَا حُشِرَ النَّاسُ كَانُوْا لَهُمْ اَعْدَآءً وَّ كَانُوْا بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ كٰفِرِیْنَ(6))
“And who is more astray than one who calls upon those who will not hear him until the Day of Resurrection, and they are heedless of his call? And when the people are gathered on the Day of Resurrection, those whom they called upon will be their enemies and will deny their worship.”
And in Surah Yunus (verse: 29) it is stated that they will say:
( فَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِيدًۢا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ إِن كُنَّا عَنْ عِبَادَتِكُمْ لَغَٰفِلِينَ )
“So sufficient is Allah as a witness between us and you that we were of your worship unaware.”
On this verse, Shah Sahib (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
“All the polytheists worship their own ideas or Satan, and they mention the names of the righteous; they are averse to this matter, it will be known in the Hereafter.”
Only Allah Almighty Deserves Worship:
It is proven and clear from the explicit texts of the Book and Sunnah, the Quran and Hadith, that worship is the exclusive right of Allah alone. Worship of anyone other than Allah, the Lord of Glory, is forbidden, unlawful, disbelief, and polytheism.
The command of Allah Almighty is:
(یٰۤاَیُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوْا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِیْ خَلَقَكُمْ وَ الَّذِیْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُوْنَ(21) الَّذِیْ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْاَرْضَ فِرَاشًا وَّ السَّمَآءَ بِنَآءً۪-وَّ اَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَاَخْرَجَ بِهٖ مِنَ الثَّمَرٰتِ رِزْقًا لَّكُمْۚ-فَلَا تَجْعَلُوْا لِلّٰهِ اَنْدَادًا وَّ اَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُوْنَ(22))
“O mankind, worship your Lord who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous. He who made the earth a bed for you and the sky a canopy, and sent down water from the sky by which He brought forth fruits as provision for you. So do not set up rivals to Allah while you know (that there is none comparable to Him).”
Now observe a detailed but concise discussion on the meaning and reality of worship, and its types and categories.
Definition of Worship:
The meaning of worship is servitude, devotion, utmost humility and submission, and extreme reverence and obedience. Accordingly;
➊ Imam Raghib Asfahani (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
“العَبُودِيَّة means to show humility and submissiveness before someone, but the word ‘العِبَادَةُ‘ is used to indicate the utmost degree of humiliation and humility.
From this, it is established that in terms of meaning, the word ‘العِبَادَةُ‘ is more expressive than ‘العبودیة‘, therefore the one deserving of worship can only be the Being who is immensely full of grace and bounty, and such a Being is only the Divine Being. That is why it is said:
(( أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ .))
That you should worship none besides Him.”
➋ Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes in Tafsir al-Kabir:
(( إِنَّ الْعِبَادَةَ عِبَارَةٌ عَنْ نِهَايَةِ التَّعْظِيمِ وَهِيَ لَا تَلِيقُ إِلَّا بِمَنْ صَدَرَ عَنْهُ غَايَةُ الْإِنْعَامِ .))
“Worship means utmost reverence, and worship is only due to that Being whose favors are immense and infinite.”
At another place, it is stated:
(( إِنَّ الْعِبَادَةَ اَعْظَمُ أَنْوَاعِ التَّعْظِيمِ فَهِيَ لَا تَلِيقُ إِلَّا بِمَنْ صَدَرَ عَنْهَ اَعْظَمُ انْوَاعِ الْإِنْعَامِ وَذَلِكَ لَيْسَ إِلَّا الْحَيَوةَ وَالْعَقْلَ وَالْقُدْرَةَ وَمَصَالِحَ الْمَعَاشِ وَالْمَعَادِ ، فَإِذَا كَانَتِ الْمَنَافِعُ وَالْمَضَارُ كُلُّهَا مِنَ اللهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى وَجَبَ أَنْ لَا تَلَيْقَ الْعِبَادَةُ إِلَّا بِاللهِ سُبْحَانَهُ . ))
“Indeed, worship is the greatest and highest form of reverence among all kinds and types of reverence, therefore it is only deserving of the Being whose favors are greater and higher than all kinds and types of blessings. The greatest blessings of life are intellect, power, and the interests of this world and the Hereafter. Since every kind of benefit and harm is under the control of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, it is obligatory that no one except this Being, Glorified and Exalted, is worthy of worship.”
So Imam Razi (may Allah have mercy on him) considers worship as the ultimate reverence and the greatest type of reverence. In the same Tafsir Kabeer, while defining worship as obedience, he presents a very unique and subtle discussion and writes:
(( قوله : ” لَا تَعْبُدُوا الشَّيْطَانَ ” مَعْنَاهُ لَا تُطِيعُوهُ بِدَلِيلٍ أَنَ الْمَنْهِىَ عَنْهُ لَيْسَ هُوَ السَّجُودُ لَهُ فَحَسْبُ ، بَلِ الْاِنْقِيَادُ لِأمْرِهِ وَالطَّاعَةُ لَهُ فَالطَّاعَةُ عِبَادَةٌ.))
The words of Allah, ” لَا تَعْبُدُوا الشَّيْطَانَ ” mean “Do not obey Satan.” From this evidence, it follows that not only is prostration to Satan forbidden, but also following his commands and obeying him is prohibited. Therefore, obedience is worship.”
An objection:
The question arises that when Allah Almighty has commanded us to obey the rulers in His decree;
(أَطِيعُوا اللهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُوْلَ وَأُولِي الأمْرِ مِنْكُمُ )
then does it mean that we are commanded to worship the rulers?
Answer:
(Imam Razi (may Allah have mercy on him) says)
((طَاعَتُهُمْ إِذَا كَانَتْ بِأَمْرِ اللهِ لَا تَكُونُ إِلَّا عِبَادَةُ اللَّهِ وَطَاعَةٌ لَهُ.))
“The obedience of these rulers (i.e., authorities) when it is by the command of Allah, then it is the worship of Allah Himself and obedience to Allah Himself.”
And how can this obedience not be obedience to Allah, when even prostration and bowing to others besides Allah is by Allah’s command, then it is worship of Allah alone. Do you not see that the angels prostrated to Adam (peace be upon him) (when commanded by Allah), and this was worship of Allah alone.
(( وَإِنَّمَا عِبَادَةُ الْأُمَرَاءِ هُوَ طَاعَتُهُمْ فِيْمَا لَمْ يَأْذَنِ اللَّهُ فِيْهِ .))
“The obedience (submission) to the rulers (authorities) and their worship is only in the case where Allah Almighty has not given permission or command to obey them.”
If it is said that we do not listen to Satan at all nor are affected by him, then how is there any difference or distinction between obedience to Satan and obedience to the Most Merciful?
The answer to this is:
(( عِبَادَةُ الشَّيْطَانِ فِي مُخَالِفَةِ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ.))
“Opposing the command of Allah is the worship of Satan.”
And in obeying the command of Allah, there will be no worship of Satan, because Allah has commanded:
((فَفِي بَعْضِ الْأَوْقَاتِ يَكُونُ الشَّيْطَانُ يَأْمُرُكَ وَهُوَ غَيْرُكَ وَفِي بَعْضِ الْأَوْقَاتِ يَأْمُرُكَ وَهُوَ فِيُكَ.))
“So sometimes Satan commands you and he appears in a form other than yourself, and sometimes Satan commands you and he is within you.”
So when a person comes to you and gives a command, see whether that command is in accordance with the divine command or not.
((فَإِن لَم يَكُن مُوَافِقًا فَذَالِكَ الشَّخصُ مَعَهُ الشَّيْطَانُ يَأْمُرُكَ بِمَا يَأْمُرُكَ به .))
“If it is not in accordance with the command of Allah, then this is the person with whom Satan is, his command is the command of Satan.”
((فَإن أَطَعْتَهُ فَقَدْ عَبَدَتَ الشَّيْطَانَ، وَإِن دَعْتكَ نَفْسُكَ إِلى فِعل فَانْظُرْ أَهْوَ مَأْذُونَ فِيهِ مِنْ جِهَةِ الشَّرْعِ أَوْلَيْسَ كَذَلِكَ، فَإِن لَّمْ يَكُن مأذوناً فِيهِ ، فَنَفْسُكَ هِىَ الشَّيْطَانُ أَوْ مَعَهَا الشَّيْطَانُ يَدْعُوكَ ،فَإِن اتَّبَعْتَهُ فَقَدْ عَبَدتَهُ.))
“In this case, if you obey that person, then you have worshipped Satan. And if your self (nafs) calls you towards any action, then see whether that action is permitted by Shariah or not? If Shariah does not permit that act, then your self is itself Satan or Satan is with it who calls you. If you follow it, then surely you have worshipped Satan.”
Then Satan first commands apparent disobedience and opposition to Allah Almighty:
((فَمَنْ أَطَاعَهُ فَقَدْ عَبْدَهُ ، وَمَنْ لَّمْ يُطِعْهُ فَلَا يَرْجِعُ عَنْهُ، بَلْ يَقُولُ لَهُ أَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ كَى لَاتُهَانَ وَ لِيُرْتَفَعَ عِنْدَ النَّاسِ شَأْنُكَ، وَيَنْتَفَعُ بِكَ اِخْوَانُكَ وَأَعْوَانُكَ، فَإِنْ أَجَابَ إِلَيْهِ فَقَدْ عَبَدَهُ.))
“So whoever obeys him has worshipped him, and whoever does not obey Satan, Satan does not leave him (discouraged), rather he says to him: Worship Allah so that you are not humiliated and your status is elevated in the eyes of people and your existence benefits your other brothers and friends. So if that person accepts his words, then surely he has worshipped Satan.”
But the worship of Satan differs in worship, because among deeds, some acts are such that the heart of the doer, his tongue, and his limbs all equally participate, and some acts occur where the heart of the doer opposes his tongue and limbs.
Some people commit a sin while their heart is not pleased with it, and they (with their tongue) seek forgiveness from their Lord and admit that this act is wrong. (( فَهُوَ عِبَادَةُ الشَّيْطَانِ بِالْأَعْضَاءِ الظَّاهِرَةِ.)) This is (only) the worship of Satan by the outward limbs.
And some people commit sin while their heart is pleased, and their tongue is also eager (to mention and describe this sin). (These are worshippers of Satan both outwardly and inwardly.)
سبحان اللہ! What a strange, delightful, and enlightening speech this is, how beautifully the deceptions of the evil self and the conspiracies of the accursed Iblis have been exposed. Furthermore,
➌ Hafiz Ibn Kathir (died 774 AH) writes:
(( وَالْعِبَادَةُ فِى اللُّغَةِ مِنَ الدُّلَّةِ يُقَالُ طَرِيقُ مُعبَّدٌ وَبَعِيرٌ مُعَبَّدُ أَى مُذِلُّ وَفِي الشَّرْعِ عِبَارَةٌ عَمَّا يَجْمَعُ كَمَالَ الْمَحَبَّةِ وَالْخُضُوع وَالخَوفِ .))
“The meaning of worship in the language is humiliation. ‘Tariq Mu’abbad’ refers to a path that is weak. Similarly, ‘Bighayr Mu’abbad’ refers to a camel that is very low and bent. And in Islamic Shariah, worship is the name for love, humility, submissiveness, and fear (combined).”
➍ Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (died 751 AH) defined worship as follows:
((الْعِبَادَةُ عِبَارَةٌ عَنِ الْاِعْتِقَادِ وَالشُّعُورِ بِأَن لِلْمَعُبُودِ سُلْطَةٌ غَيبيَّةٌ يَقْدِرُ بِاَعْلَى النَّفَع وَالضَّرَرِ فَكُلُّ ثَنَاءٍ وَدُعَاءٍ وَتَعْظِيمٍ يُصَاحِبُهُ هَذَا الْاِعْتِقَادُ وَالشُّعُورُ فَهِيَ عِبَادَةٌ. ))
“Worship is the name of the belief and consciousness that the worshipped has an unseen authority (and control) by virtue of which He has power over benefit and harm, so every praise, every call, and every glorification done with this belief and consciousness is worship.”
➎ And Al-Sayyid Sharif al-Jurjani, while defining worship, writes:
(( الْعِبَادَةُ هُوَ فِعَلُ الْمُكَلَّفِ عَلى خِلَافِ هَوى نَفْسِهِ تَعْظِيمًا لِرَبِّهِ ))
“An obligated person acting against the desires of the self and honoring Allah is called worship.”
This definition of worship resolves many doubts. Whether it is a definition or a call, whether it is honoring or any other act, only that is worship in which the praised, invoked, and exalted Being is considered to be supernaturally controlling and powerful, and is regarded as the possessor of power, strength, authority, and control beyond causes. If any exalted and honored Being is not attributed with this characteristic, then neither anyone’s praise and commendation, nor anyone’s prayer and invocation, nor anyone’s honoring and reverence will be included in worship. Therefore, honoring and revering the Holy Prophet ﷺ, respecting the friends of Allah, and calling upon someone for a task under apparent causes is permissible and will not be considered shirk.
Types and Categories of Worship:
Worship consists of three types.
➊ Verbal worship.
➋ Physical worship.
➌ Financial worship.
Verbal Worship:
Tasbih (glorification), Tahleel (declaring there is no god but Allah), Takbeer (saying Allahu Akbar), Tahmeed (praising Allah), Dhikr (remembrance), and Dua (supplication) are all verbal acts of worship.
Physical Worship:
Fasting, circumambulation, seclusion (I’tikaf), and prayer, etc., are physical acts of worship.
Financial Worship:
Charity, almsgiving (Zakat), vows and offerings, and sacrifice, etc., are financial acts of worship.
It is to be remembered that these three types are exclusively for Allah, the Lord of Glory; no type is permissible for anyone other than Allah, neither verbal worship, nor physical worship, nor financial worship. Muslims are commanded to repeatedly acknowledge verbally and practically in the five daily prayers that all kinds of worship are solely for Allah Almighty. Thus, the worshipper declares in the Tashahhud that (( التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ . )), meaning all verbal, physical, and financial acts of worship are for Allah alone. In the Holy Quran, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and through him the entire Ummah are instructed to perform these three types of worship solely for Allah, without associating anyone else with Him.
( قُلْ اِنَّ صَلَاتِیْ وَ نُسُكِیْ وَ مَحْیَایَ وَ مَمَاتِیْ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِیْنَ(162)لَا شَرِیْكَ لَهٗۚ-وَ بِذٰلِكَ اُمِرْتُ وَ اَنَا اَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِیْنَ(163))
“You say that my prayer and my sacrifice, and my living and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the worlds; He has no partner. And I have been commanded to be the first of those who submit.”
Benefit:
That is, an accepted deed is one that is done by the command of Allah, whether that command is in the form of Quranic verses or the Hadiths of the Prophet ﷺ, and whatever is beyond that is not accepted, no matter how great the deed may be.
Only Allah deserves vows and supplications:
Vows and supplications are only the right of Allah. Those who spend wealth or make vows against the command of Allah are oppressors who have no helper. Allah may impose punishment on them as He wills. The command of the Exalted is:
(وَ مَاۤ اَنْفَقْتُمْ مِّنْ نَّفَقَةٍ اَوْ نَذَرْتُمْ مِّنْ نَّذْرٍ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ یَعْلَمُهٗؕ-وَ مَا لِلظّٰلِمِیْنَ مِنْ اَنْصَارٍ(270))
“And whatever you spend in the way of Allah or make of vows, indeed Allah knows of it. And for the wrongdoers there are no helpers.”
That is, the polytheists used to worship others besides Allah, and they used to sacrifice as vows and offerings for nearness to others besides Allah. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ was commanded to declare in opposition to them that all his acts of worship, prayer, sacrifice, etc., are for the nearness and pleasure of Allah alone.
The visitors of the House of Allah are commanded:
( وَ لْیُوْفُوْا نُذُوْرَهُمْ )
“And let them fulfill their vows.”
And in
, in the description of the servants of Allah, this characteristic is prominently mentioned that they fulfill the vows they make to Allah.
(یُوْفُوْنَ بِالنَّذْرِ)
“(The believers) fulfill their vows.”
Benefits and Effects of Tawheed:
The belief in the Oneness of Allah Almighty is the greatest part of faith and the fundamental principle of the religion of Islam. The entire structure of worship, transactions, deeds, and morals is established on this foundation and basis. If this fundamental belief is correct and true, then all acts of worship and deeds will be accepted by Allah and will be a cause of reward and recompense. But if there is a defect in this fundamental belief, then all acts of worship and deeds will be rejected, wasted, and fruitless. You can also express this meaning in this way: the relationship of Tawheed (Oneness of Allah) with the religion of Islam is like the relationship of the soul with the body. In the living body, all the organs and the powers vested in these organs by Allah, the Lord of Glory, depend solely on the soul and life for their existence. As long as the soul is present in the body, all the organs and powers are alive, but when the soul departs, all of these functions cease.
Just as the existence of religion is dependent on monotheism. If there is monotheism, then the concept of religion will also exist, and if there is no monotheism or if its concept is diminished, then the entire religion will be considered useless like a body without a soul. Just as the strength of a building depends on its foundations, in the same way, the structure of true religion is established on the issue of monotheism. If this belief is harmed, if this foundation becomes weak, then whatever structure of religion is built upon it will necessarily be unstable and unreliable.
This belief is so important and necessary. Allah Almighty has given great attention to its dissemination and understanding. More than one hundred thousand prophets and hundreds of books and scriptures were sent for the promotion and clarification of this belief. Since the chain of prophethood was to be concluded with the Master of the Prophets ﷺ, therefore, with your mission and the revelation of the Quran, the entire religion of Islam in general and this fundamental belief of Islam in particular were completed. One-third of the entire Quran is related to this issue, in which this matter has been clarified with rational and transmitted proofs, verses of the universe and the self, and analogies and examples. And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ explained it through his actions and sayings, and along with that, he also waged jihad for it with wealth and life, accompanied by his companions and relatives.
Because of this very monotheism, immense atrocities were inflicted upon you, and you ﷺ had to face hardships and difficulties. To the extent that you ﷺ were compelled to migrate along with your companions. When you ﷺ sent Sayyiduna Mu’adh رضي الله عنه towards Yemen, you instructed him to first take the acknowledgment of Allah’s Oneness from the people there and then explain the remaining matters! And Sayyiduna Abu Darda رضي الله عنه says:
((أَوْصَانِى خَلِيلِى أَن لا تُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَإِنْ قُطِعُتَ وَحُرِّقْتَ . ))
“My most sincere friend (the Messenger of Allah ﷺ) advised me not to associate anyone with Allah (i.e., to firmly uphold monotheism) even if you are torn apart or burned.”
It has been established that considering monotheism as essential and hatred of polytheism is a fundamental issue. Polytheism is such a reprehensible act that because of it, a person’s selfhood, self-confidence, and spirit of self-respect are destroyed, and he becomes compelled to rely on others at every step. Then his condition becomes such that he begins to bow before every thing in the universe that has been made subservient and obedient to him. He accepts humans like himself as his Lord and Master, bows before them, and addresses them with titles such as “Giver” and “Benefactor of the Poor.” To the extent that he passes by the living and presents his requests and supplications before the dead, calling them the Knower of the unseen, the Beneficial and Harmful, the Controller of affairs.
Whereas, on the basis of Tawheed, he regains the lost gem of his selfhood, his humiliation turns into dignity, and due to this belief, he once again attains the status of his natural freedom, liberty, and self-respect, by virtue of which he was honored as the best of creation! Previously, he was as low as he could be, but now he considers himself elevated to the same extent; all his attachments to anyone other than Allah are severed, and his connection is established with the True Creator. Then his condition becomes such that every action, deed, and word of his becomes subject to the pleasure of Allah. Kindness to parents, respect for elders, compassion towards the young, good treatment of relatives—in short, he becomes characterized by all good qualities because his Master, Creator, Owner, the One and Only True God, has commanded him to do so. Thus, the universe of a monotheist’s heart changes completely, and he begins to live life focused inwardly and outwardly as a devoted servant of the One True God. If he is then granted steadfastness in this state, the angels of mercy descend upon him, and when he departs from this world, he receives the glad tidings that:
( یٰۤاَیَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَىٕنَّةُ(27)ارْجِعِیْۤ اِلٰى رَبِّكِ رَاضِیَةً مَّرْضِیَّةً(28) فَادْخُلِیْ فِیْ عِبٰدِیْ(29)وَ ادْخُلِیْ جَنَّتِیْ(30) )
“O tranquil soul! Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him]. So enter among My [distinguished] servants and enter My Paradise.”
A person whose monotheism is defective will not attain this status. Rather, this rank will be granted to the one whose monotheism is pure. In this pure monotheism is the love of Allah, the awareness of His greatness and majesty, and His fear, which is a means of forgiveness of sins, even though the earth is full of them. Allah the Exalted says:
(اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا یَغْفِرُ اَنْ یُّشْرَكَ بِهٖ وَ یَغْفِرُ مَا دُوْنَ ذٰلِكَ لِمَنْ یَّشَآءُۚ)
“Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.”
Readers! From the above discussion, the reality, importance, and effects of monotheism must have become as clear as daylight. Now we will begin to explain the types of monotheism.
Types of Monotheism:
There are three types of monotheism:
➊ Monotheism of Lordship (Tawhid al-Rububiyyah)
➋ Monotheism of Worship (Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah)
➌ Monotheism of Names and Attributes (Tawhid al-Asma wa Sifat)
Monotheism of Lordship:
So the essence of Lordship is that Allah is considered alone in His essence, unique, unparalleled, and without partner. It is acknowledged that He has neither a wife nor offspring, neither a mother nor a father; He is not a part of anyone’s essence, nor is anyone else a part of His essence.
When the polytheists of Mecca were invited by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to a الٰہ, they asked him ﷺ questions and said: “Describe the genealogy of what you call to; what is it made of, what does it eat and drink, from whom did it inherit, and who will be its heir?” In response to their questions, Allah revealed Surah Al-Ikhlas.
(قُلْ هُوَ اللّٰهُ اَحَدٌ(1)اَللّٰهُ الصَّمَدُ(2)لَمْ یَلِدْ ﳔ وَ لَمْ یُوْلَدْ(3)وَ لَمْ یَكُنْ لَّهٗ كُفُوًا اَحَدٌ(4))
“O my Prophet! Say that Allah is One, Allah is Self-Sufficient, He has not begotten anyone, nor was He begotten, and there is none comparable to Him.”
And it is an intuitive fact that the earth and the sky, all the stars of this universe, clouds, lightning, thunder, wind, deserts and seas, night and day, darkness and light, trees and flowers, jinn and humans, angels and animals—in short, all creatures which cannot be counted—were not created without a Creator, nor did they create themselves, and neither they nor any before or after them have ever claimed that they are the creators of all these things or even one of them. So then, who is their Creator? If a person rises above self-interest and thinks, he will give the same answer that the polytheists of Mecca gave, about whom Allah, the Lord of Glory, has informed in the Glorious Quran:
( وَ لَىٕنْ سَاَلْتَهُمْ مَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضَ لَیَقُوْلُنَّ خَلَقَهُنَّ الْعَزِیْزُ الْعَلِیْمُ(9) )
“And if you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they will surely say, ‘They were created by the Almighty, the Knowing.'”
But atheists, communists, and those whose minds are polluted by their teachings believe that humans and this universe and everything in it came into existence automatically; nature itself is their creator. However, they could not bring this to sound practice, and they had to accept divine attributes under the name of the First Cause. This theory is completely opposed to the Holy Quran, whereas the command of Allah Almighty is:
(ااَللّٰهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَیْءٍ٘-وَّ هُوَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَیْءٍ وَّكِیْلٌ(62))
“Allah is the Creator of everything, and He is the Guardian of everything.”
Contrary to this belief, considering anyone as the son or daughter of Allah Almighty, or attributing any creature as a part or portion of Allah Almighty’s essence, or believing that Allah Almighty’s essence is present everywhere and in everything, is called shirk in the essence (shirk fi al-dhat).
Tawheed al-Uluhiyyah:
Tawheed al-Uluhiyyah is also called Tawheed al-Ibadah, which means that all kinds of worship and devotion should be exclusively dedicated to Allah Almighty, and no one else should be associated with Him in this. It should be remembered that the word worship includes all meanings such as adoration, reverence, obedience, and submission (as has been mentioned earlier).
Keeping the mentioned meaning of worship in mind, Tawheed al-Ibadah means that all forms of servitude rituals (prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, zakat, charity, bowing and prostration, vows and offerings, circumambulation and seclusion, supplication and calling out, seeking help and refuge, obedience and servitude, compliance and following) are only for Allah Almighty. Associating anyone else with Allah Almighty in even one of these is called “شرك في العبادة” or “شرك في الألوهية“.
Tawheed al-Asma wa Sifat:
Tawheed al-Asma wa Sifat is that all the attributes proven by the Quran and Hadith are to be attributed to Allah Almighty alone, uniquely, without comparison, and without partner الٰہیہ.
One of these attributes is Allah’s attribute of Hayat (Life), as the command of the Almighty Allah is:
(ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ)
“There is no deity except Allah, the Ever-Living.”
And the attribute of ‘Ilm (Knowledge) as the Divine command is:
( وَ لَا یُحِیْطُوْنَ بِشَیْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهٖۤ )
“And they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills.”
And the attribute of ‘Iradah (Will), the command of the Almighty Allah is:
(اِنَّمَاۤ اَمْرُهٗۤ اِذَاۤ اَرَادَ شَیْــٴًـا اَنْ یَّقُوْلَ لَهٗ كُنْ فَیَكُوْنُ(82))
“His command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.”
And the attribute of Qudrah (Power) is also there. The command of the Almighty Allah is:
( وَاللهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ )
“And Allah is over all things competent.”
And the attribute of سمع و بصر is also there. The command of the Almighty Allah is:
( وَأَنَّ اللهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ )
“And indeed, Allah is Hearing and Seeing.”
And the attribute of Kalam (Speech) is also there, as the command is:
( تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلٰى بَعْضٍۘ-مِنْهُمْ مَّنْ كَلَّمَ اللّٰهُ )
“We gave some of the messengers preference over others; among them were those to whom Allah spoke.”
And there is the attribute of mercy and forgiveness as well, the command of the Almighty Allah is:
( إِنَّ اللهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا )
“Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”
And there is the attribute of “love” as well, the divine command is:
((اِنَّ اللّٰهَ یُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِیْنَ وَ یُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِیْنَ(222) ))
“Indeed, Allah loves those who repent and loves those who purify themselves.”
And there is the attribute “الیدین” as well. The command of the Almighty is:
( بل يده مبسوطتن )
“Rather, both His hands are spread out.”
And there is the attribute “استواء علی العرش” as well.
The command of the Almighty Allah is:
(اِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللّٰهُ الَّذِیْ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضَ فِیْ سِتَّةِ اَیَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوٰى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ۫)
“Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne.”
And there is the attribute of “descent” as well. It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (RA) that
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
(( يَنزِلُ رَبُّنَا تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ إِلَى سَمَاءِ الدُّنيا . ))
“Our Lord, the Most Blessed and Most High, descends every night to the lowest heaven.”
Allama Ibn Taymiyyah (RA) wrote a dedicated book on this subject named “نزول الرب إلى سماء الدنيا,” in which he proved with clear evidence that He descends to the lowest heaven.
Readers! Associating anyone else with Allah Almighty in His attributes or any other attribute is شرک فی الأسماء والصفات.
