The claim of those who assert that focusing on tawhid (the oneness of Allah) divides the Ummah (the Muslim community)

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Question:
Some people say that focusing on 'aqidah (creed) and tawhid (the oneness of Allah) divides the Ummah (the Muslim community), so let us focus on the branches and leave the foundations, for the people are Muslims in their origin.

Answer:
This is a batil (invalid) statement. It means we leave the 'aqidah (creed), which is the foundation, and focus on the superficial matters or the commands. We do not call them superficial matters; rather, we call them the correct commands and the fard (obligatory) duties. However, these fard (obligatory) duties are built upon the foundations. The fard (obligatory) duties are not valid except after establishing the foundations, after establishing the foundations. So the one who says that tawhid (the oneness of Allah) divides [the people] should first review his mind. First, he is not sane at all. Tawhid (the oneness of Allah) does not divide; tawhid (the oneness of Allah) is what unites the people and unites the hearts. As for shirk (associating partners with Allah), it is what divides people. Allah the Exalted said:

It is He who supported you with His help and with the believers ⁽⁶³⁾ And brought together their hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have brought their hearts together

هُوَ الَّذِي أَيَّدَكَ بِنَصْرِهِ وَبِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِهِمْ لَوْ أَنفَقْتَ مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا مَّا أَلَّفْتَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِهِمْ

[Al-Anfal 8:62-63]

What divided the hearts of the Companions except tawhid (the oneness of Allah)? And the correct 'aqidah (creed); the 'aqidah (creed) is what unites the hearts upon one worshipped entity and one form of worship. As for shirk (associating partners with Allah), bid'ah (religious innovation), and superstitions, these divide people. We are not concerned with numbers or gathering; we are concerned with what is correct. If there is a small number of Muslims on the correct methodology, that is what concerns us. We do not want a large number of superstitious and innovating people who do not benefit Islam and Muslims in any way. Mere affiliation is not sufficient, and superficial matters are not sufficient. That is, mere affiliation without establishing [the truth] is superficial and does not benefit. The core and the essence is tawhid (the oneness of Allah), the people of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), and the people of the correct 'aqidah (creed). We are not concerned with many or few; we are concerned with correctness: the correctness of the 'aqidah (creed), the correctness of the action, and the correctness of the affiliation. As for gathering people upon other than the truth, that is absolutely impossible. Allah the Exalted said:

But if they turn away,

فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا

[An-Nahl 16:82]

They are in shiqaq (discord)

Say, "O People of the Scripture, do you resent us except [for the fact] that we have believed in Allah and what was revealed to us and what was

قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ هَلْ تَنقِمُونَ مِنَّا إِلَّا أَنْ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ

[Al-Ma'idah 5:59]

To you

⁽¹³⁶⁾ Say, [O believers], "We have believed in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him." ⁽¹³⁷⁾ So if they believe in the same as you believe in, then they have been [rightly] guided; but if they turn away, they are only in dissension, and Allah will be sufficient for you against them. And He is the Hearing, the Knowing.

قُولُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَمَا أُوتِيَ النَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ فَإِنْ آمَنُوا بِمِثْلِ مَا آمَنتُم بِهِ

[Al-Baqarah 2:136-137]

then they have been [rightly] guided; but if they turn away, they are only in dissension, and Allah will be sufficient for you against them. And He is the Hearing, the Knowing.

فَقَدِ اهْتَدَوا وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا هُمْ فِي شِقَاقٍ فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

[Al-Baqarah 2:137]

.
And He the Exalted and Majestic said, "And hold firmly to the rope of Allah." The rope of Allah is tawhid (the oneness of Allah).

And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided

وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا

[Ali 'Imran 3:103]

Nothing unites people except tawhid (the oneness of Allah), absolutely. Allah the Exalted said:

Allah has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth

وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ

[An-Nur 24:55]

just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish for them [therein] their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security, [for] they worship Me, not associating anything with Me

كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضَىٰ لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِّن بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا يَعْبُدُونَنِي لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئًا

[An-Nur 24:55]

These matters do not occur except by worshipping Allah alone, having no partner with Him. As for us gathering the idolaters, the grave-worshippers, the superstitious, and the Sufis and saying that our task is gathering, no, it is not in a correct way, absolutely. Yes.

Source قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، محاضرات في العقيدة والدعوة-14-الدعوة إلى الله|صالح الفوزان|العام|كبار العلماء — youtube.com (1:05:47)

The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.

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