Allah azza Wajjal has
always kept concept of Tawhid (oneness of God) very
simple to understand.
Some people like Christians
and extremists from Muslims such as Wahhabiyyah/Salafis
try to complicate Tawhid.
Christians
have innovated complex concepts like Trinity in which they believe that God is one being with three persons (i.e. The Father, Son,
and The Holy Spirit),
whereas Wahhabiyyah/Salafis have innovated
Muslim trinity of dividing Tawhid in three parts i.e.
Tawhid al Uloohiyah (Worship),
Ruboobiyah (Lordship), and
Asma wa Sifaat (Names and Attributes).
None of these three divisions of Tawhid
are proven from explicit verse of Qur’an nor Marfu hadith where Prophet said that Tawhid is divided into three parts. Please
remember that Wahhabiyyah/Salafis consider every
new innovation to be blameworthy no matter it is good in nature.
Ironically they
have done Bidah in dividing Tawhid itself.
Qur’an states:
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِ
أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدُونِ –
Translation: And We sent no messenger before
you but We inspired him, (saying): There is no god save Me (Allah), so worship
Me. [21:25]
Hence all Prophets and Messengers taught this
simple message of Oneness of Allah, and never asked people to worship other
gods besides Allah or associate partners with him from human beings or idols.
Qur’an also says “La ILaha iL Allah (There is
no god but Allah) in 37:35
إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا إِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ
يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ –
Surely they used to behave proudly when it was
said to them: “THERE IS NO god BUT ALLAH”
Hence Tawhid is simply stating
and believing: “La iLaha iL
Allah” which literally means: There is no god but Allah, and
explanatory meaning of it is: There is none “worthy of worship” but
Allah.
In Hadith the Tawhid
is kept very simple and here is one of my favorite hadiths.
Narrated Usama bin Zaid: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent us towards Al-Huruqa, and in the morning we attacked them
and defeated them. I and an Ansari man followed a man from among them and when
we took him over, “HE SAID LA ILAHA IL ALLAH.” On hearing that, the
Ansari man stopped, but I killed him by stabbing him
with my spear. When we returned, the Prophet (ﷺ) came to know about that and he said, "O Usama! Did you
kill him after he had said "La ilaha ilal-Lah?" I said, "But he said so only to save himself." THE
PROPHET (ﷺ)
KEPT ON REPEATING THAT SO OFTEN THAT I WISHED I HAD NOT EMBRACED ISLAM BEFORE
THAT DAY” [Volume 5, Book 59, Number 568: (Sahih Bukhari)]
Now that person
had not known all details about Islam or Tawhid but only said “La
iLaha iL Allah” .The Prophet (s)did not say that he did not learn Tawhid al Uloohiyah,
Ruboobiyah, or Asma wa Sifaat in order
to have become proper monotheist. Remember that person was killed
right after uttering La iLaha iL Allah and had not
performed any other deeds or known technicalities of Islam, but still Prophet
(Peace be upon him) testified to his Tawhid.
In Hadith we need to read hadith about Kalima
of Shahadah which we recite in our daily prayers.
Hadith states:
Narrated `Abdullah bin Mas`ud: We used to say
the greeting, name and greet each other in the prayer. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) heard it and said:--"Say,
'at-tahiyyatu lil-lahi was-salawatu wat-taiyibatu . Assalamu 'Alaika
aiyuha-n-Nabiyu warahmatu- l-lahi wa-barakatuhu. Assalamu alaina wa-'ala
'ibadi-l-lahi as-salihin.. Ashhadu an la ilaha illa-l-lah wa ashhadu anna
Muhammadan `Abdu hu wa Rasuluh. (All the compliments are for Allah and
all the prayers and all the good things (are for Allah). Peace be on you, O
Prophet, and Allah's mercy and blessings (are on you). And peace be on us and
on the good (pious) worshipers of Allah. ‘I TESTIFY
THAT NONE HAS THE RIGHT TO BE WORSHIPPED BUT ALLAH AND THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS
SLAVE AND APOSTLE (أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ
وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ)
So, when you have said this, then you have
surely sent the greetings to every good (pious) worshipper of Allah, whether he
be in the Heaven or on the Earth . "
[Sahih Bukhari: Vol. 2, Book 22, Hadith 294]
It also has slight addition of “وَحْدَهُ لَا
شَرِيْكَ لَهُ ” which means “One is He, no partner
has He’
Complete translation of 2nd Kalima of Islam
i.e. Shahadah is:
“I bear witness that (there is) no god
but Allah; One is He, no partner has He, and I bear witness that Muhammad is
His (chosen) Servant and Messenger”
The greatest chapter to learn about Tawhid
is 112th chapter called Surah al-Ikhlas, also known as Surah
of Tawhid. The greatest verse to learn about Tawhid is Ayat al Kursi
which is 255th verse of 2nd chapter. Also read beautiful verses
from chapter 59 verses 22-24
Now in Islamic theology, the matters are known
from their opposites.
The opposite of Tawhid is Shirk (i.e. associating partners with Allah). The
opposite of Day is Night, the opposite of
Light is Darkness, the opposite of White
is Black, and so on.
So what is Shirk? Shirk literally means “To associate (partners to or with Allah)”
Qur’an states:
وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا ۖ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ
إِحْسَانًا وَبِذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْجَارِ ذِي
الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْجَارِ الْجُنُبِ وَالصَّاحِبِ بِالْجَنبِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ
وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخْتَالًا فَخُورًا -
“WORSHIP ALLAH ‘ALONE’ AND ASSOCIATE NONE WITH
HIM.” And be kind to parents, relatives, orphans,
the poor, near and distant neighbours, close friends, ˹needy˺
travellers, and those ˹bondspeople˺ in your possession. Surely Allah does not like
whoever is arrogant, boastful [4:36]
Qur’an also states:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ
ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ افْتَرَىٰ إِثْمًا
عَظِيمًا –
Surely Allah does not forgive that anything should be associated with Him, and forgives what is besides that to whomsoever He pleases; and whoever associates anything with Allah, he devises indeed a great sin. [4:48]
Surely Allah does not forgive that anything should be associated with Him, and forgives what is besides that to whomsoever He pleases; and whoever associates anything with Allah, he devises indeed a great sin. [4:48]
There are many more verses which talk about
Shirk, see for example: 4:116, 3:64, 7:191, 12:38 and many others.
Here are 10 condensed matters which will
constitute shirk, and those which will not.
List of Shirkiyah deeds
with important clarifications.
1. To
say or believe anyone or anything is equal to Allah in any of Allah’s
attributes. Or to say anyone/anything is partner to/with Allah in any of His
attributes.
2. To
believe that Allah begets or is begotten.
3. To
believe that anyone or anything is comparable to Allah. [For proofs on first
three points see Qur’an chapter 112, verse 42:11, 3:64, 19:88-93, and 5:73]
4. To
say or believe that anyone or anything is partner with Allah in creation,
giving life and death, or in any of the attributes of Allah.
5. To
call for help anyone other than Allah with belief that created being has
independent powers and capabilities. However to believe that Prophets and
Saints have granted capabilities will not be
shirk, like for example Jesus “CREATED BIRDS AND BLEW SPIRIT INTO THEM, HE
BROUGHT THE DEAD BACK TO LIFE, HE HEALED THE BLIND AND LEPERS, AND SO ON BUT
WITH THE GRANT OF ALLAH (SEE QUR’AN 3:49 & 5:110).”
Remember
all these are qualities of Allah but Qur’an attributes them to Jesus too
however with condition that he did it with the will/grant of Allah. Similarly
had asking for help or intercession of Prophets and Saints been shirk then It would have been shirk in all forms, whether
during their lives, in hereafter, or after their passing away.
From analogical point of view this could be
understood by the saying that “making idols or
worshiping anyone is shirk whether the person is alive or dead, similarly
intercession and asking for help should have also been shirk if done to someone
alive or dead.” The definition of Shirk does
not change with transition of life.
All the verses which Wahhabiyyah/Salafis misuse refer to worshiping idols or created
beings. It is belief of Muslims
that Prophets remain alive in graves and intercede for us whereas that cannot be said of idols.
6. To
worship anyone or anything.
7. To
prostrate to anyone or anything other than Allah with intention of worship. Prostration
of reverence will not be Shirk but Haram.
8. To
believe that anyone whether the Prophets have same knowledge as of Allah.
Remember Prophets having immense knowledge of “granted” unseen is proven
from Qur’an and authentic hadiths (see: 3:179, 6:75, 72:26-27, 4:113, 81:24,
16:89, 18:65-82 and many hadiths). The title Aalim ul Ghayb is only for
Allah and cannot be used for anyone but Him.
However “ILM UL GHAYB” is given to Prophets and many righteous by Allah.
9. To
believe that anyone whether the Prophets have same qualities
like that of Allah, for example Allah is al-Hayy (The living) which
means He is eternal. The Prophets are also “Alive in graves and
praying as proven from Sahih Muslim and other authentic hadiths” but their
life is not comparable to Allah because Allah
is eternal whereas Prophets and all created beings came into existence at a
specific time and they also “taste” death.
10. To
believe that anyone or anything has independent and intrinsic powers and
capabilities.
The list is longer but this is precise summary.
Remember it will also be SHIRK to believe that anyone or anything was always there from azl (eternity) with
Allah.
Like for example:
Allah was always on Throne or Water.
Allah is literally sitting on throne, comes down literally, has body parts like hands, eyes, shins
(legs), and so on.
The Mutashabih (allegorical) verses which Salafis misuse are not to be taken on their
“DHAHIR (APPARENT)” meaning, and it is also school of theologians and great
scholars that such verses are to be interpreted.
In the end I would like to conclude with hadith that Muslims will never get into Shirk al Akbar in majority but can indulge in minor shirk i.e. Shirk al-Khafi.
In the end I would like to conclude with hadith that Muslims will never get into Shirk al Akbar in majority but can indulge in minor shirk i.e. Shirk al-Khafi.
It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed said: “The
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
came out to us when we were discussing Dajjal (False
Christ) and said: ‘Shall I not tell you of that which I fear more for you than
Dajjal?’ We said: “YES. HE SAID HIDDEN POLYTHEISM, WHEN
A MAN STANDS TO PRAY AND MAKES IT LOOK GOOD BECAUSE HE SEES A MAN LOOKING AT
HIM” [Ref: Ibn Majah, Vol.1 B37, H4204]
This hadith is declared "Good" in
Salafi version of Dar us Salam publication.
The Prophet (Peace be
upon him) feared "SHIRK AL-KHAFI (HIDDEN/MINOR SHIRK)" more than he feared Dajjal and this is a proof that Prophet (Peace
be upon him) did not fear of Shirk al-Akbar (MAJOR SHIRK) to become prevalent in Majority of
Ummah.
By Brother Aamir Ibrahim
(Edited by ADHM)
---
---------------
Trinity Tawhid
Tawheed Al-Ruboobiyya, Al-Uloohiyy and
Al-Asmaa Wa Al-Sifaat.
This
division is not found in the Qur’an or
in the teaching of the Prophet (s) nor was it reported from the
three blessed generations (the Companions, the Followers and the
Successors).
Neither was it reported from any of
the great Imams such as Abu Hanifa, Malik, Al-Shafi’i, Ahmad bin Hanbal (ra) or
their peers.
It
was first introduced during the eighth century hijri by Ibn Taymiyya.
It
was also adapted by his student Ibn Al-Qayyim but the rest of
the scholars of the Ummah did not accept it and consequently the idea rightfully died out until
the coming of M. bin Abdul Wahhab Najdi in the twelfth century. He resuscitated the ideas of Ibn Taymiyya and started to spread and impose them on
the Muslims by force. Among the innovations (bid’aat) that he spread
was the trinity of tawheed.
---
----------
The
Dispute:
Reconciliation between Shia, Sunni, and Salafi
To read introduction PDF down load click : Here
FREE on Amazon Kindle
To buy:Amazon UK: Here
---
By Aamir Ibrahim
---
(Edited by ADHM)
