The Ruling on Excusing a Person for Ignorance in Matters of Tawhid

Question:
Is a person excused for his ignorance in matters of tawhid (the oneness of Allah)?

Answer:
What is there in this ignorance? He is determined to learn, and it is obligatory for a person to learn. A Muslim is not excused in what he cannot be ignorant of; it is not permissible for him to be ignorant of his religion, what Islam is, what the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah" is, what the meaning of "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah" is. He must learn the obligatory prayer, zakah (the obligatory alms), fasting Ramadan, and he must abstain from what is forbidden. He must learn about Hajj (the major pilgrimage) if he intends to perform it. That is, he must understand his religion so that he performs the obligatory acts with knowledge; this is necessary, because the obligatory acts of worship cannot be performed as Allah has legislated them except through knowledge and understanding of the religion. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: and every Muslim woman must understand the religion. It has come in a hadith narrated by a group from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: knowledge is a major matter. So knowledge is necessary; one must seek to understand the religion in matters of which ignorance is not excused, the necessary matters. The man and the woman must learn what is required of them to do. One learns through the circles of knowledge, through correspondence, through listening to "Nur 'ala al-Darb" (Light on the Path), through listening to religious hadiths, through asking by telephone, through asking in writing. All of this is abundant, praise be to Allah; the paths of knowledge are made easy for him, praise be to Allah. This is not silent. The most important thing is the creed. The most important thing is: what is the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah"? What is the meaning of "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah"? What is shirk (associating partners with Allah)? What is tawhid (the oneness of Allah)? One learns the reality of his religion, which is Islam, which is loyalty to Allah through tawhid, and disavowal of shirk and its people, and steadfastness in abandoning the forbidden, and in performing the obligatory, and in staying within the limits that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has set.