I want you, may Allah reward you, to clarify for me the most important thing in my belief? And a dialogue between the Shaykh and a student regarding tawhid (the oneness of Allah).
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner: My master, the Shaykh, I want to accompany you so that you teach me what you have been taught of guidance.
The Shaykh: As for companionship, my brother, that is not feasible for me, and there are hundreds, indeed thousands, like you. But I have established a method for answering those who might ask, which is to call every night after the 'Isha' prayer. So you call and ask. As for companionship, there is no way to it, because my time is tighter than that. Now we take advantage of the opportunity; I have an errand to run like this, and then I will return from here.
The questioner: Yes, my master, the Shaykh, I want you to clarify for me the most important thing in my creed, meaning the most important thing in the creed, the creed of tawhid (the oneness of Allah).
The Shaykh: Good, do you know tawhid (the oneness of Allah)?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: And its three categories?
The questioner: Yes, praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh: What are they?
The questioner: Tawhid (the oneness of Allah) is singling out Allah the Exalted in worship, and it is the religion of all the Prophets and Messengers, from the Prophet of Allah, Noah, to our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), until the Hour. It has three categories: singling out Allah in His Lordship, which is singling Him out in creation, provision, giving life, and causing death, and other such things; singling out Allah in His Divinity, meaning in His worship, so He alone is worshipped, and no one else is sought for aid, or called upon for help, or sworn by, or vowed to, except Him; and singling out Allah in His Names and Attributes, which is affirming what Allah has affirmed for Himself and His Messenger in His Book and the Sunnah of His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), without likening Allah to creation, or comparing Allah to creation, or denying the divine attributes, or figurative interpretation, such as[Al-A'raf 7:180] Allah says: [Al-Ikhlas 112:1-4].
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: I am asking about... I do not know, where do you reside?
The questioner: I am currently in Oman... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner: I reside in Oman, in Ras al-Ayn.
The Shaykh: Oman?!
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: Ask about them, you will get to know them, if Allah wills.
The questioner: Good, my master, the Shaykh, does that mean, pardon me, our master, that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), regarding the creed of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), you have presented it in a correct form? Meaning, was my speech correct, if Allah wills?
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner: When I said tawhid (the oneness of Allah), I am trying to focus on it to know the creed, and then take the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). May Allah bless you. If I said to you, pardon me, Shaykh, what do you think if I clarified that it has three categories: shirk (associating partners with Allah) in the Lordship of Allah, or in His Divinity, or in His Names and Attributes? Is this expression correct or not?
The Shaykh: It is correct.
The questioner: It is correct, may Allah bless you. Good, pardon me, regarding the meaning of the two testimonies, if I said to you that I am currently pronouncing them, is it correct or not? Regarding the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad rasul Allah"... I wanted to accompany you and take from your knowledge what Allah writes for us. I ask Allah to give you patience and to have mercy on us with His mercy. Muhammad 'Abd Allah from Iraq; the primary goal of my journey to here was to take from your knowledge, meaning this is what Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) knows.
The Shaykh: May Allah make the correct knowledge beneficial for us.
The questioner: Amen.
The Shaykh: As for companionship, my brother, that is not feasible for me, and there are hundreds, indeed thousands, like you. But I have established a method for answering those who might ask, which is to call every night after the 'Isha' prayer. So you call and ask. As for companionship, there is no way to it, because my time is tighter than that. Now we take advantage of the opportunity; I have an errand to run like this, and then I will return from here.
The questioner: Yes, my master, the Shaykh, I want you to clarify for me the most important thing in my creed, meaning the most important thing in the creed, the creed of tawhid (the oneness of Allah).
The Shaykh: Good, do you know tawhid (the oneness of Allah)?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: And its three categories?
The questioner: Yes, praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh: What are they?
The questioner: Tawhid (the oneness of Allah) is singling out Allah the Exalted in worship, and it is the religion of all the Prophets and Messengers, from the Prophet of Allah, Noah, to our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), until the Hour. It has three categories: singling out Allah in His Lordship, which is singling Him out in creation, provision, giving life, and causing death, and other such things; singling out Allah in His Divinity, meaning in His worship, so He alone is worshipped, and no one else is sought for aid, or called upon for help, or sworn by, or vowed to, except Him; and singling out Allah in His Names and Attributes, which is affirming what Allah has affirmed for Himself and His Messenger in His Book and the Sunnah of His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), without likening Allah to creation, or comparing Allah to creation, or denying the divine attributes, or figurative interpretation, such as
And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them. And leave [the company of] those who practice deviation concerning His names
وَلِلَّهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا وَذَرُوا الَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِي أَسْمَائِهِ(1) Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One, (2) Allah, the Eternal Refuge. (3) He neither begets nor is born, (4) Nor is there to Him any equivalent."
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ * اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ * لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ * وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌThe Shaykh : ... .
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: I am asking about... I do not know, where do you reside?
The questioner: I am currently in Oman... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner: I reside in Oman, in Ras al-Ayn.
The Shaykh: Oman?!
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: Ask about them, you will get to know them, if Allah wills.
The questioner: Good, my master, the Shaykh, does that mean, pardon me, our master, that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), regarding the creed of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), you have presented it in a correct form? Meaning, was my speech correct, if Allah wills?
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner: When I said tawhid (the oneness of Allah), I am trying to focus on it to know the creed, and then take the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). May Allah bless you. If I said to you, pardon me, Shaykh, what do you think if I clarified that it has three categories: shirk (associating partners with Allah) in the Lordship of Allah, or in His Divinity, or in His Names and Attributes? Is this expression correct or not?
The Shaykh: It is correct.
The questioner: It is correct, may Allah bless you. Good, pardon me, regarding the meaning of the two testimonies, if I said to you that I am currently pronouncing them, is it correct or not? Regarding the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad rasul Allah"... I wanted to accompany you and take from your knowledge what Allah writes for us. I ask Allah to give you patience and to have mercy on us with His mercy. Muhammad 'Abd Allah from Iraq; the primary goal of my journey to here was to take from your knowledge, meaning this is what Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) knows.
The Shaykh: May Allah make the correct knowledge beneficial for us.
The questioner: Amen.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.