13 LESSON 4 The three parts of Tawheed are Tawheed Ar-Rubuubiyyah (the Oneness of Lordship), Tawheed Al- Uluuhiyyah (the Oneness of Worship) and Tawheed Al-Asmaa was-sifaat (Oneness of Names and Attributes) and this is all based upon the difference in what the kufaar believed in, because they believed in something and they disbelieved in something else. They believed in Allaah s Lordship but they disbelieved in Allaah s right to be worshipped Alone. That is why it is not enough that a person believes in Allaah s Lordship to become a Muslim, but he has to believe that Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta Aalaa Alone has the right to be worshipped. Otherwise the disbelievers of Quraysh used to believe in Allaah s Lordship but that did not enter them into Islaam and they were not recognized as Muslims, neither by Allaah nor by His Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam. As Allaah Ta Aalaa said in the Qur aan: ٹ ڤ ڤ ڤ ڤ ڦ ڦ And most of them believe not in Allâh except that they attribute partners unto Him. [Yuusuf 12:106] This verse made it very clear that there is a belief in something and a disbelief in something else. The interpreters said that the meaning of belief here is the belief that Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta Aalaa is the only Creator, the only Provider, and the only Disposer of Affairs. This is a type of belief this is their belief in Allaah s Lordship. But observe what Allaah is saying in this verse, (...except that they attribute partners to Him,) - and attributing partners to HIm is not of believing, although He said in the beginning of this verse, (...Most of them believe not except...). So the verse proved a belief then negated it. And we know that the Word of Allaah could not contradict itself, so this has to mean that the first belief is different than the second. The first belief is the belief in Allaah s Lordship - that is what they believed in. And the second belief is the belief in Allaah s right to be worshipped and that is the one they haven t believed in. Allaah Ta Aalaa said about them saying when they were called to Laa Illaaha IllaAllaah: ڄ ڃ ڃ ڃڃ چ چ چ چ "Has he made the âlihah (gods) (all) into One Ilâh (God - Allâh). Verily, this is a curious thing!" [Saad 38:5] Their disbelief was only in one thing which is Allaah s right to be worshipped. That is the thing that they haven t believed in and that is why they were worshipping other than Allaah with Him.
14 Understanding the Three Types of Tawheed Belief in the Oneness of Lordship (Tawheed Ar-Rubuubiyyah; in reference to Ar-Raab) is to do with Allaah s Actions. Belief in the Oneness of Worship (Tawheed Al-Uluuhiyyah, Al- Ibaadah or Al- Ilaahiyyah) is to do with our actions which we should direct only to Allaah. Belief in the Oneness of Allaah s Names and Attributes (Al-Asmaa was-sifaat) is understood according to Allaah s Glory, Might, and Infinite Perfection and not His creation. Every attribute of the creation is understood according to their weakness, imperfection, and limitedness and not to Allaah The Most High. When you hear Allaah Subhanaahu wa Ta Aalaa saying, The All-Hearer, don t let your mind go to the hearing of the creation because Allaah Subhanaanahu wa Ta`Aalaa has a different hearing. He has a hearing which suits his Glory,Might and Perfection. This imagination (imagining our hearing which is imperfect and limited and suited to us), this imagination should not even cross your mind. Our hearing is totally something else, but when it comes to Allaah it is a different issue. That is an attribute that you could never imagine no matter how hard you try. A simple example to understand this is if we say, Does Allaah have a Face? Yes He does and the proof for that is in the Qur aan: ٹ ڤ ڤ ڤ ڤ Except to seek the Countenance of his Lord, the Most High; [Al-Layl 92:20] ڌ ڌ ڎ ڎ ڈ ڈ And the Face of your Lord full of Majesty and Honour will remain forever. [Ar-Rahmaan 55:27] Do we have faces? Yes and the proof is what we see. Is the Face of Allaah anything like the faces of His creation? No it is not and therefore we have to believe in Allaah s Oneness in His Face, meaning proving to Him a Face unlike the faces of His creation. We only prove the Attributes which have been proven in the Qur aan and the Sunnah; what Allaah affirmed for Himself in His Book or on the tongue of His Prophet - Sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam. Does Allaah have eyesight 1 and hearing? Yes He does and the proof for that from the Qur aan is: ٺ ٺ ٿ ٿٿ ٿ ٹ ٹ There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer. [Ash- Shuuraa 42:11]... 1 It is the unanimous agreement of the Sahaba and the Pious Predecessors, that Allaah has Eyes.
15 Do we have eyesight and hearing? Yes we do and the proof is that we are seeing and hearing now. Is Allaah s Seeing and Hearing anything like the seeing and hearing of His creation? No it is not, therefore we have to believe in Allaah s Oneness in His Seeing and Hearing. They are unlike anything of the creation. This is a brief explanation of Taweed Al-Asmaa was-sifaat and how to understand it. An Important Point Concerning the Aayah ٺ ٺ ٿ ٿٿ ٿ ٹ ٹ There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer. [Ash- Shuuraa 42:11] We have to understand the Saying of Allaah, (There is nothing like Him,) under the light of His saying (and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.) And we have to understand the Saying of Allaah, (and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.) under the light and understanding of His saying, (There is nothing like Him,). Why is this? There are some who take the first saying of the verse and leave the second and there are some who take the second saying and leave the first. There are some who take the first half (There is nothing like Him,) and leave the second half, saying, That means if we have eyesight, He doesn t because there is nothing like Him. And if we have hearing, He doesn t because there is nothing like Him. And if we have faces, He doesn t because there is nothing like Him. They took Allaah s Saying, (There is nothing like Him,) and they disregarded the second half which is His Saying, (and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.) On the other hand, some people did it the other way around. They took the second half (and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.) and disregarded the first, and from that they said, If He (Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta Aalaa) Hears and Sees and we hear and see then His Hearing and Seeing is like ours. So they didn t understand the second part of the verse under light of the first half which is His Saying, (There is nothing like Him,). These misunderstandings are from their deviated scholars who instructed them to believe in such an ill belief. So now we see how Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta Aalaa cut off all misunderstandings in the Qur aan when He said (There is nothing like Him,). Allaah knew that such doubts will arise, that some might have this idea crossing their minds (that this statement means He doesn t hear or see), and that is why He Ta Aalaa followed that phrase with (and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.) - to cut off that misunderstanding, to cut off the ways of Iblees - may Allaah s endless curses be upon him. It is as if He is saying, there is nothing like Him, and on top of that - He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer, so don t think that what is meant by (There is nothing like Him,) that means He doesn t See or He doesn t Hear! This should be very clear to the brothers and sisters and they should explain it to others because others don t understand this issue. This finishes the mentioning of the three parts of Tawheed...
16 After the beautiful du`aa that the author made to Allaah for us, he said: اع ل م أ ر ش د ك الل ه ل ط اع ت ه I`lam Ar-sha-da-kallahu li-taa`a-ti-hi, Know may Allah guide you to obeying Him, أ ن ال ح ن يف ي ة م ل ة إ ب ر اه يم Annal-haneefiyyata, millata Ibraaheem: that Haneefiyyah, the religion of Ibraaheem is: أ ن ت ع ب د اهلل و ح د ه م خ ل ص ا ل ه الد ين An ta`budallaha wah-da-hu mukh-li-sal la-hud-deen That you worship Allah alone making the religion sincerely for Him ك م ا ق ال ت ع ال ى Kamaa qaala Ta`aalaa: As He, The Most High, said: ڄ ڄ ڄ ڃ ڃ ڃ And I (Allâh) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone). [Adh Dhaariyaat 51:36] This is the first issue which the introduction contained; that Al-Haneefiyyah is the religion of Ibraheem and it is worshipping Allaah Alone. What is the detailed meaning of Al-Haneefiyyah? It comes from the root: hanaf which means, tilting and Al-Haneef means, the one tilted. The monotheistic believer (and at the top of them Ibraheem, `alayhis-salaam), is called Al-Haneef because he is tilted away from polytheism and to monotheism. Ash-shirk is polytheism and at-tawheed is monotheism. This religion was called Haneefiyyah because it is the religion which is tilted away from ash-shirk. It is reported in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree that the Prophet - sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam said: Al-Haneefiyyah is the simple religion. (in the Book of Eemaan or Book of Knowledge). A doubt may arise: How could it be called haneefiyyah (meaning tilted) and Allaah called it a straight path? The answer is simple: It is straight in itself but it is tilted away from polytheism. Its direction is away from polytheism. Just as a pen is straight and when you place it on a table then tilt it to the right, did it bend? No it did not. It is still straight in itself however it is moving in a different direction. This is how the religion is a straight path that is heading away from shirk. One may ask, Isn t Haneefiyyah the religion of all prophets and messengers? So why did Allaah Ta Aalaa refer this religion to Ibraheem only? The answer is because Allaah made Ibraheem an Imaam and the finest example for those coming after him. That is why Allaah said to His Prophet-sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam:
17 ٿ ٹ ٹ ٹ ٹ ڤ ڤ ڤ ڤ ڦ ڦ ڦ ڦ ڄڄ ڄ ڄ ڃ ڃ ڃ ڃ چ چ چ چڇ ڇ ڇ ڇ ڍ ڍ ڌ ڌ ڎ ڎ ڈ ڈ ژ ژ ڑڑ ک ک ک ک Verily, Ibrâhim (Abraham) was an Ummah (a leader having all the good righteous qualities), or a nation, obedient to Allâh, Hanif (i.e. to worship none but Allâh), and he was not one of those who were Al-Mushrikûn (polytheists, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allâh, and those who joined partners with Allâh). (120) (He was) thankful for His (Allâh s) Favours. He (Allâh) chose him (as an intimate friend) and guided him to a Straight Path (Islâmic Monotheism, neither Judaism nor Christianity). (121) And We gave him good in this world, and in the Hereafter he shall be of the righteous. (122) Then, We have sent revelation to you (O Muhammad saying): Follow the religion of Ibrâhim (Abraham) Hanif (Islâmic Monotheism to worship none but Allâh) and he was not of the Mushrikûn (polytheists, idolaters, disbelievers). [An-Nahl 16:120-123] This religion was referred to Ibraaheem -`alayhis-salaam, not because it is only Ibraheem s religion but because he is the imaam of the monotheistic believers. He is the finest example. A young man who stood in front of all his people and his father, broke all the idols and called to the One and Only, to worshipping the One and Only Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta Aalaa. Allaah took out of his heart every love except the love for Allaah. That is why he was about to sacrifice his own son, he was tested with his own son. After Allaah s test for him, his devoted love to Allaah appeared and this is why Allaah made him an imaam for the monotheistic believers. The author continued: ف إ ذ ا ع ر ف ت أ ن اهلل خ ل ق ك ل ع ب اد ت ه Fa-i-dhaa `a-raf-ta an-nallaha kha-la-qa-ka li-`i-baa-da-tih, So when you acknowledge that Allah created you to worship Him ف اع ل م أ ن ال ع ب اد ة ال ت س م ى ع ب اد ة إ ال م ع الت و ح يد Fa`lam an-nal`ibaadata laa tusammaa `ibaadatan illa ma`at-tawheed Then know that worship is not (considered) called worship except with Tawheed If you know why Allaah created you (to worship Him alone), then know that the act of worship is not considered an act of worship unless it is built upon tawheed. The second issue which the introduction contained will come in the next class inshaa Allaah. It is the conditions for accepting an act of worship. End of Lesson Four