The Meaning of the Word of Tawhid

The Shaykh : All praise is due to Allah; we praise Him, seek His help, and seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our own souls and from the evil of our deeds. Whoever Allah guides, no one can mislead, and whoever He misleads, no one can guide. And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.
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As for what follows: The best of speech is the speech of Allah, the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and the worst of matters are their innovations. Every innovation is a religious innovation (bid'ah), every religious innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire.
I thank my brother Ibrahim for his good opinion of your brother, who came to you to learn and to teach some matters of your religion. Second, and more importantly, he pointed out that the foundation of the call of all the prophets and messengers is the worship of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) alone, with no partner. Every prophet Allah sent and every messenger He dispatched to his people began by calling them to . It was on this basis that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came, and it was on this foundation that the disagreement arose between him and his people. As you all know, and this matter does not require much explanation or detail, they used to worship other deities alongside Allah. So when he called them to worship Allah alone, with no partner, and called them to say with him: "La ilaha illa Allah" (There is no god but Allah), they were arrogant and refused, saying: .
Just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) began his call by inviting his people to this tawhid (the oneness of Allah), so too, when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent a messenger on his behalf to one of the Arab tribes to invite them to Islam, the call of the Messenger of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to faith in Islam was not one whose boundaries were unclear. Rather, the call of the Messenger of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was, just as his own call (peace be upon him) was, to worship Allah alone, having no partner. In this manner, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught his companions and instructed them to call others to the religion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Among this is what came in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim in the hadith of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Mu'adh to Yemen to invite them to Islam—and perhaps you know that Yemen at that time gathered together groups of polytheists and other groups from the People of the Book who, alongside Allah, claimed 'Isa ibn Maryam—therefore the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) advised his messenger Mu'adh when he sent him to Yemen, saying to him: And here is the point to the end of the hadith. The point of this hadith, and of the previous verse and those similar to it, which are many and excellent verses in the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), is that the call of the messengers and the call of the followers of the messengers is that their concern is to call those around them to this good word, the testimony that there is no god but Allah. However, Muslims today, due to their distance from their Islam and the religion that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) brought to them, pure and clean as it came in the hadith , because of this vast distance that stood between Muslims and receiving Islam as it is fresh and green, have entered into Islam, in its foundations, let alone its branches, things that had no existence or mention among the early Muslims. In addition to this, the Noble Qur'an, as you all know, was revealed by Allah to the heart of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in a clear Arabic language, to the pure Arabs to whom the Qur'an was revealed in their language. It was easy for them to understand it without the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) having to explain much of it, except for what was related to explaining rulings whose foundations exist in the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). But we today, due to the foreignness that has entered our tongues, we Arabs, have become unable to understand from the Noble Qur'an, at least in terms of the Arabic language, what the early Arabs understood, including the polytheists who fought the call of tawhid, such as Abu Jahl and his like. They, because of their language, understood when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: They understood that the meaning of this testimony is disbelief in everything other than Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) from what was worshipped besides Him in the age of the polytheists to whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent directly, or before them. All of these polytheists worshipped other gods alongside Allah. The word "ilah" (god) in the Arabic language in which the Qur'an was revealed, as we mentioned, and as understood by the Arabs to whom the Messenger (peace be upon him) was sent directly, is not understood today by many Muslims in its true sense. Rather, they may understand it in another sense that is not a synonym for the word "ilah," but is only a part of the meaning indicated by the word "ilah." We know today, from what we hear from some Muslims, even from those who consider themselves among the callers to Allah, let alone the general public, that they understand the meaning of "ilah" to be the same as "Rabb" (Lord). They interpret the good word, which is the foundation of Islam, as you know and as you heard in the hadith mentioned earlier, understanding "La ilaha" to mean "There is no Lord but Allah." This is a deficient and incomplete understanding. One who testifies that there is no god but Allah, meaning only that there is no Lord but Allah— and I hope you pay attention to my word "only"—because I want to say: "La ilaha" means "There is no Lord" and something else, namely, there is no Lord to be worshipped but Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with truth. So "La ilaha illa Allah" does not mean "There is no Lord but Allah," or "There is no Creator but Allah" only. No. It is necessary to add to this, in the belief of the Muslim who must testify with this good word, "La ilaha illa Allah," that he has understood that its meaning is that there is no worshipped entity with truth in existence but Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). If the Muslim understands this correct understanding, he has stood on the straight path and taken the first thread of it. Then he must realize this meaning that he has understood, believed in, and affirmed, realizing it in his life in which he claims to worship Allah (Mighty and Majestic) alone, having no partner. Many people imagine that worship is only to pray to Allah alone, having no partner, and that if you bow or prostrate, or seek aid or assistance in hardships from other than Allah (Mighty and Majestic), you have not violated your testimony of saying "La ilaha illa Allah." Many people imagine that one who seeks aid from other than Allah in hardships does not contradict the testimony of tawhid. This is a blatant and very clear error, because this testimony means that there is no worshipped entity with truth in existence but Allah. And if you seek aid from Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in a state of hardship where no human being can save you, whether living or dead, you have made that one from whom you sought aid a partner with Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). At that time, you have violated this testimony and have not believed in it with true faith. Every Muslim today, among those who pray, his prayer is not valid unless he recites the opening of the Book, as you know. In its beginning, he addresses Allah; in its beginning, he addresses his Lord (Mighty and Majestic) by saying: Many people understand that it is not permissible to worship other than Allah, and this is the first principle of this good word that the Muslim must understand. But they do not pay attention to the completion of the verse , which means that seeking aid from other than Allah (Mighty and Majestic) contradicts worshipping Allah alone, having no partner. Therefore, when we hear some people or see them seeking aid in hardships from some of the righteous, or the awliya (close friends of Allah), or the prophets, while they know that they do not possess for themselves any harm or benefit, at that time they have not understood the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah." Whereas the early polytheists understood the meaning of this word, so they did not submit to it or believe in it, but rather they denied it to the Messenger of Allah and said: The difference between Muslims today and polytheists in the past and present is that the polytheists, I mean specifically the Arabs, understood the meaning of this testimony but did not believe in it. Whereas Muslims today, few of them understand it and believe in it truly. Many of them testify with it with their tongues, but as Allah the Exalted said regarding some of the Bedouins: Faith does not enter the heart of the believer except through two things: first, correct understanding; second, correct faith. Therefore, our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) rebuked a group who recite the Qur'an but do not understand it, saying: So among the foundations that Islam brought in the Qur'an is . Therefore, Muslims today are Muslims, without doubt, because they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. From this perspective, they have separated from the polytheists who did not utter this testimony, because they knew that uttering it obligated them to act upon its realities, implications, and requirements, such as not worshipping but Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). This is what they explicitly stated: that they did not believe in it. Therefore, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said in the Noble Qur'an: They explicitly stated that they worshipped other gods alongside Allah. What was their worship? Did they pray while not knowing prayer? Did they pray to those gods, those idols they worshipped besides Allah? The answer is no. So what was the worship of the polytheists to those idols, which the Qur'an explicitly stated on their tongue that they worshipped besides Allah, and that they did not worship them for their specific sake, but to bring them closer to Allah? What did these people of ignorance, these polytheists, do with those worshipped entities besides Allah (Mighty and Majestic)? They slaughtered for them, and you know this fact. They slaughtered for them. They made vows for them. In hardships, they called for their aid. But when a hardship came that they knew no one could save them from except Allah, at that time they remembered Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and turned to Him, as is explicit in many noble verses. So the Muslim must learn the things that contradict tawhid so that he is protected from falling into them without knowing or feeling it. Therefore, it came in some hadiths: It is necessary to combine affirming worship for Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and negating worship for other than Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Worships are many and very many. So whatever worship we worship Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with, whether it is from the obligatory duties, the required duties, or the recommended practices, it is not permissible for the Muslim to direct any of it to other than Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). In the Noble Qur'an, as you know: And my sacrifice, namely my 'udhiyah (the 'Id sacrifice) and my slaughter . So whoever slaughters for other than Allah, it means that he worshipped other than Allah. It is not necessary that he prays to this other entity. It is sufficient for shirk (associating partners with Allah) that he slaughters for other than Allah. It is sufficient for shirk that he makes a vow for other than Allah. It is sufficient for shirk that he swears an oath by other than Allah. All these things have explicit texts in the authentic Sunnahs from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) cursing the doer of them. Whoever slaughters for other than Allah is cursed and expelled from the mercy of Allah. Why? Because he drew near to other than Allah with what is not permissible for him to draw near with except to Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). Therefore, may Allah reward you, it is not befitting for you to be content with just speaking, whether in prayer or outside of prayer, glorifying Allah, saying Allahu Akbar, and saying La ilaha illa Allah, and then not understanding its meaning well. And even if you understood its meaning well, you negated part of its true meaning with some actions that contradict tawhid. And I have reminded you of some examples that are from the reality of many Muslims today. We are not talking about imaginary matters, but rather, unfortunately, they are witnessed and occurring among many Muslims. I do not say among the general public, but among some of the elite who, at least, if they did not do what the general public did, they supported the action of the general public and said, "Leave them to their own affairs, their intention is good." This is the clear misguidance. This is an acknowledgment of the shirk in which some ignorant Muslims fall, instead of warning them and alerting them. There is no harm in being gentle with them, saying for example, "My brother, when you make a vow to such-and-such a wali (close friend of Allah), wanting to honor him and offer this to this wali for his righteousness and piety, but as it is said:"
"Sa'd brought it, and Sa'd was wrapped up. This is not, O Sa'd, how camels are brought in."
Exalting the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the righteous by contradicting the awliya and the righteous in what they were upon regarding worship, righteousness, and creed is not permissible. The righteous do not worship anyone but Allah. Among the things that indicate this is that they do not slaughter except for Allah, they do not make vows except for Allah, and they do not swear except by Allah. So, you, O Muslim brother, do not slaughter for such a grave or for such a wali; slaughter for Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and say with your tongue and your heart: Look at how Allah (Mighty and Majestic) coupled the sacrifice with the prayer . Therefore, it is not permissible for a Muslim to separate between his prayer, saying, "I do not pray except for Allah," which is true. He should also say and commit to what he says, that he does not slaughter except for Allah, because whoever slaughters for other than Allah is cursed, as came in Sahih Muslim with a chain that has no doubt regarding its authenticity. The hadith has a continuation, but this witness of it is sufficient for us now. , , Today, swearing by other than Allah is a widespread matter among the Arabs, and this is very strange. Swearing by other than Allah is more widespread among the Arabs than among many of the non-Arabs. The Arabs are those who carried the first call, and it is fitting for them, and they are more deserving to carry it in this time, because they are those who are able to understand the words of Allah and the words of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) with correct understanding. The point is that the phrase "La ilaha illa Allah" (There is no god but Allah), by which the Muslim is saved in this world from being fought or having the jizyah imposed on him, which he pays from his hand while humiliated, and by which he is saved on the Day of Resurrection from eternal abode in the Fire—this good word does not benefit him unless he understands it with correct understanding, believes in it with sincere faith, and then applies it in his life in his conduct. Therefore, remember at the end of this speech the words of Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him), who used to say: . So, you must ask about the matters of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and idolatry that contradict the word of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), so that your tawhid is clear in your minds, settled in your hearts, and apparent in your conduct based on this correct understanding and correct faith. Therefore, it is necessary to combine the belief in worshipping Allah alone, with no partner, with knowing what contradicts this correct tawhid from the matters of shirk and idolatry.