Explanation of the main issues upon which the Salafi call is based, including the focus on tawhid (the oneness of Allah) in its three types: tawhid al-rububiyyah (oneness of lordship) and tawhid
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The 'Abassi Eid: If we wish to clarify this with a bit more explanation, we can say that there are main issues that embody the Salafi call.
The first foundation is tawhid (the oneness of Allah), as clarified by some of the great, meticulous Salafi scholars, such as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and others. They clarified that the tawhid for which Allah sent down the books and sent the messengers is divided into three categories.
First is tawhid al-rububiyyah (oneness of lordship), by clarifying that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) alone is the Creator, the Provider, the Manager of all affairs, the Giver of life, the Giver of death, the Originator, in Whose hand are benefit and harm, and Who knows everything [Yasin: 82], up to His other attributes (Glorified and Exalted is He).
Believing that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is the Creator, the Provider, and the Manager, and that no one acts in the universe with independent action other than Him, is what we briefly call tawhid al-rububiyyah (oneness of lordship). Regrettably, this is the only type of tawhid known to the Khalaf (the later generations), and indeed to many of today's callers to Islam, including those who appoint themselves leaders of Islamic groups. This is the only tawhid they know and by which they interpret the phrase "La ilaha illa Allah". It is regrettable to say that the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, to whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent to guide and with whom he fought, believed in this foundation. If these callers achieve what they desire, the result of their work is to make people like the first people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, who believed that Allah exists, or like the Christians or the Jews, who believe that Allah exists as the Creator, Manager, and Provider only.
Therefore, it is among the concerns of the Salafi call to clarify that there is another tawhid, or two other types of tawhid. The second of these is what these scholars termed by convention, though they did not invent it; rather, they derived it from the Book and the Sunnah and from their texts, and they understood it with the correct understanding. This second tawhid is tawhid al-uluhiyyah (oneness of worship). Perhaps most of you have heard a lot about it. The summary of this tawhid, to which the call directs, is the principle: "That the Muslim believes that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) alone is the One to whom all types of worship must be directed, all types of desire, fear, reliance, awe, dependence, asking, seeking help, making vows, slaughtering, and performing rituals. All these types, which represent the highest degrees of sanctification, direction, and intention, are called tawhid of servitude or tawhid al-uluhiyyah (oneness of worship)". This is what the polytheists neglected, and regrettably, this is what we see the ignorant Muslims, indeed the majority of them, and many of their elites, are ignorant of and fall into violating. You see them calling for aid other than Allah, making vows to other than Allah, and swearing oaths by other than Allah. You see them not hesitating about such matters, even though they are the very shirk (associating partners with Allah) that the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance were upon. This is clarified by, for example, the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) [Yunus: 18]. Those people call upon the idols, the statues, the lots, the angels, and the jinn. Why? Not because they believe that they create, provide, benefit, or harm, but because they believe that they have status with Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and a rank that makes them worthy of interceding and being interceded for, and of benefiting people through this intercession.
This belief, which the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance held, is what many scholars and the common people who follow them fall into, while they think they are doing well.
The third tawhid is tawhid al-asma' wa al-sifat (oneness of the names and attributes), which is for the Muslim to believe that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) alone is distinguished by perfect attributes, attributes of perfection and majesty, because He alone knows everything, knows the secret and what is even more hidden, He alone is able to do everything, He alone wills and executes what He wills, He hears everything, and He sees everything, up to whatever else there is.
The later generations, the majority of the Sufis, and also many of these shaykhs have also fallen into violating this type of tawhid. So it has become, as we hear and read, that so-and-so, the wali (close friend of Allah), knows, for example, what was in the heart of his disciple and reveals it to him, claiming that this is from kashf (unveiling). Another says, for example, "I left my saying 'Be, and it is' for twenty years out of respect for Allah." And a third and fourth, and so on, until it overflows... This is an important tawhid, and it is part of the essence of what Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) called for.
This is the first point upon which the Salafi call is based: clarifying that tawhid (the oneness of Allah) has three types: tawhid al-rububiyyah (oneness of lordship), tawhid of servitude, and tawhid al-asma' wa al-sifat (oneness of the names and attributes). No one is a believer unless he realizes these three types, and a fortiori, no one who does not understand them.
This is the first item around which the Salafi call revolves, which they reject by calling it the Wahhabi call.
The first foundation is tawhid (the oneness of Allah), as clarified by some of the great, meticulous Salafi scholars, such as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and others. They clarified that the tawhid for which Allah sent down the books and sent the messengers is divided into three categories.
First is tawhid al-rububiyyah (oneness of lordship), by clarifying that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) alone is the Creator, the Provider, the Manager of all affairs, the Giver of life, the Giver of death, the Originator, in Whose hand are benefit and harm, and Who knows everything
His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, "Be," and it is.
إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُ إِذَا أَرَادَ شَيْئًا أَنْ يَقُولَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُBelieving that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is the Creator, the Provider, and the Manager, and that no one acts in the universe with independent action other than Him, is what we briefly call tawhid al-rububiyyah (oneness of lordship). Regrettably, this is the only type of tawhid known to the Khalaf (the later generations), and indeed to many of today's callers to Islam, including those who appoint themselves leaders of Islamic groups. This is the only tawhid they know and by which they interpret the phrase "La ilaha illa Allah". It is regrettable to say that the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, to whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent to guide and with whom he fought, believed in this foundation. If these callers achieve what they desire, the result of their work is to make people like the first people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, who believed that Allah exists, or like the Christians or the Jews, who believe that Allah exists as the Creator, Manager, and Provider only.
Therefore, it is among the concerns of the Salafi call to clarify that there is another tawhid, or two other types of tawhid. The second of these is what these scholars termed by convention, though they did not invent it; rather, they derived it from the Book and the Sunnah and from their texts, and they understood it with the correct understanding. This second tawhid is tawhid al-uluhiyyah (oneness of worship). Perhaps most of you have heard a lot about it. The summary of this tawhid, to which the call directs, is the principle: "That the Muslim believes that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) alone is the One to whom all types of worship must be directed, all types of desire, fear, reliance, awe, dependence, asking, seeking help, making vows, slaughtering, and performing rituals. All these types, which represent the highest degrees of sanctification, direction, and intention, are called tawhid of servitude or tawhid al-uluhiyyah (oneness of worship)". This is what the polytheists neglected, and regrettably, this is what we see the ignorant Muslims, indeed the majority of them, and many of their elites, are ignorant of and fall into violating. You see them calling for aid other than Allah, making vows to other than Allah, and swearing oaths by other than Allah. You see them not hesitating about such matters, even though they are the very shirk (associating partners with Allah) that the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance were upon. This is clarified by, for example, the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic)
And they worship other than Allah that which neither harms them nor benefits them, and they say, "These are our intercessors with Allah
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلا يَنْفَعُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ هَؤُلاءِ شُفَعَاؤُنَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِThis belief, which the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance held, is what many scholars and the common people who follow them fall into, while they think they are doing well.
The third tawhid is tawhid al-asma' wa al-sifat (oneness of the names and attributes), which is for the Muslim to believe that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) alone is distinguished by perfect attributes, attributes of perfection and majesty, because He alone knows everything, knows the secret and what is even more hidden, He alone is able to do everything, He alone wills and executes what He wills, He hears everything, and He sees everything, up to whatever else there is.
The later generations, the majority of the Sufis, and also many of these shaykhs have also fallen into violating this type of tawhid. So it has become, as we hear and read, that so-and-so, the wali (close friend of Allah), knows, for example, what was in the heart of his disciple and reveals it to him, claiming that this is from kashf (unveiling). Another says, for example, "I left my saying 'Be, and it is' for twenty years out of respect for Allah." And a third and fourth, and so on, until it overflows... This is an important tawhid, and it is part of the essence of what Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) called for.
This is the first point upon which the Salafi call is based: clarifying that tawhid (the oneness of Allah) has three types: tawhid al-rububiyyah (oneness of lordship), tawhid of servitude, and tawhid al-asma' wa al-sifat (oneness of the names and attributes). No one is a believer unless he realizes these three types, and a fortiori, no one who does not understand them.
This is the first item around which the Salafi call revolves, which they reject by calling it the Wahhabi call.