🌟 The Pillars and Categories of Tawhid — أقسام التوحيد الثلاثة

"Tawhid is the treasure for which the Prophets were sent, the Books were revealed, and the swords of Jihad were drawn. It is the right of Allah upon His servants."

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📖 Prologue: The Supreme Right of Allah

Allah ﷻ says:

﴿قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ۝ اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ ۝ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ۝ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ﴾
"Say: 'He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born. Nor is there to Him any equivalent.'" [Al-Ikhlās: 1-4]

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🏗️ The Three Categories of Tawhid — Overview

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First Category: Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah (Oneness of Lordship)

Definition

Singling out Allah in His actions: such as creation, provision, giving life, causing death, and management.

Proofs

"Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is, over all things, Disposer of affairs." (Az-Zumar 39:62)

"Unquestionably, His is the creation and the command; blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds." (Al-A'raf 7:54)

"Say: 'Who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? Or who controls hearing and sight? And who brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living? And who arranges every matter?' They will say: 'Allah.'" (Yunus 10:31)

Elements of Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah

1. Creation: Allah alone is the Creator
2. Sovereignty: Allah alone is the true Owner
3. Management: Allah alone manages the universe
4. Provision: Allah alone is the Provider
5. Life and death: In Allah's hands alone

Ruling on one who denies Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah

One who denies Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah is a disbeliever, because he denies Allah's existence or associates others with Him in His actions.

Important note

Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah alone is not sufficient to enter Islam. The polytheists used to acknowledge it:

"And if you asked them: 'Who created the heavens and the earth?' they would surely say: 'Allah.'" (Luqman 31:25)

Yet they were polytheists because they did not single out Allah in worship!

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Second Category: Tawhid Al-Uluhiyyah (Oneness of Worship)

Definition

Singling out Allah in all types of worship, both apparent and hidden.

Proofs

"And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me." (Adh-Dhariyat 51:56)

"Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him." (An-Nisa 4:36)

"It is You we worship and You we ask for help." (Al-Fatiha 1:5)

The Pillars of Worship

Worship is not accepted except with three pillars:

Types of worship

Worship of the heart:

• Fear of Allah
• Hope in His mercy
• Trust in Him
• Love for Him

Verbal worship:

• Supplication
• Dhikr
• Seeking forgiveness
• Talbiya

Physical worship:

• Prayer
• Fasting
• Hajj
• Jihad

Financial worship:

• Zakat
• Charity
• Vow
• Sacrifice for Allah

Severity of shirk in Tawhid Al-Uluhiyyah

"Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills." (An-Nisa 4:48)

The Prophet ﷺ said:

"Whoever dies while calling upon a rival to Allah will enter the Fire."
(Sahih Bukhari 4497)

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Third Category: Tawhid Al-Asma was-Sifat (Oneness of Names and Attributes)

Definition

Singling out Allah in His most beautiful Names and lofty Attributes, by affirming what He has affirmed for Himself or what His Messenger ﷺ has affirmed for Him, and negating what He has negated from Himself.

Proofs

"And to Allah belong the best Names, so invoke Him by them." (Al-A'raf 7:180)

"There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing." (Ash-Shura 42:11)

Rules of Tawhid of Names and Attributes

First rule: Affirmation without resemblance

We affirm the Attributes as they came, without comparing them to the creation.

"There is nothing like unto Him." (Ash-Shura 42:11)

Second rule: Transcendence without negation

We transcend Allah above defects, but we do not deny His Attributes.

"And He is the Hearing, the Seeing." (Ash-Shura 42:11)

Third rule: Not delving into the "how"

We affirm the Attribute without asking about its modality.

Imam Malik رحمه الله said:

"The Istawa (Establishment) is known, the how is unknown, believing in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation."

Fourth rule: Adhering to the text

We affirm for Allah only what He has affirmed for Himself, and negate only what He has negated.

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The Relationship Between the Three Categories of Tawhid

The interdependence between them

1. Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah necessitates Tawhid Al-Uluhiyyah:
   One who acknowledges that Allah is the Creator and Provider must worship Him alone.

2. Tawhid Al-Uluhiyyah contains Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah:
   One who worships Allah alone has acknowledged His Lordship.

3. Tawhid of Names and Attributes is the basis for both:
   Knowing Allah's Names and Attributes necessitates loving Him, fearing Him, and worshipping Him.

Failing in one category means failing in Tawhid

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The Word of Tawhid: La ilaha illa Allah

Its meaning

• La ilaha: Negation of divinity for all other than Allah
• Illa Allah: Affirmation of divinity for Allah alone

Its pillars

1. Negation: La ilaha (negating worship to other than Allah)
2. Affirmation: Illa Allah (affirming worship for Allah alone)

Its conditions

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💎 Sayings of the Scholars

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله

"The Tawhid for which Allah sent the Messengers is the Tawhid of worship, which contains the Tawhid of Lordship."

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Imam Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله

"Tawhid is the first call of the Messengers, the first station of the path, and the first rank where the traveler to Allah stands."

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Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abdel-Wahhab رحمه الله

"Know that Tawhid is singling out Allah in worship, and it is the religion of all the Messengers."

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Shaykh Ibn Baz رحمه الله

"The categories of Tawhid are three, and they are derived from the induction of the texts of the Book and the Sunnah."

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🌟 Fruits of Tawhid

1. Salvation from the Fire: ﴿Whoever associates with Allah, Allah has forbidden him Paradise﴾
2. Entry into Paradise: "Whoever dies without associating anything with Allah will enter Paradise" (Sahih Bukhari)
3. Security and guidance: ﴿Those who believe and do not mix their belief with injustice, those will have security﴾
4. Tranquility of the heart: He fears none but Allah
5. Liberation of the mind: From servitude to other than Allah
6. Strength and dignity: By relying on Allah alone

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Supplication

O Allah, make us among the people of Tawhid, and let us die upon Tawhid.
O Allah, we seek refuge in You from associating anything with You that we know, and we seek Your forgiveness for what we do not know.

وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا. 📖

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🗺️ Mind Map: The Categories of Tawhid