The Divisions of Tawhid and Their Inclusion in the Two Testimonies

Question:
This is, in fact, a question about creed from a questioner in Libya (Taha A. A.) from Benghazi. He says: Your Eminence, what are the divisions of tawhid (the oneness of Allah)? Is a Muslim required to believe in all these divisions? And if a Muslim affirms only the two testimonies, is that sufficient?

Answer:
The divisions of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) are three, known through induction. They are: belief in tawhid al-rububiyyah (oneness of lordship), tawhid al-uluhiyyah (oneness of worship), and tawhid al-asma' wa al-sifat (oneness of the names and attributes). If one testifies that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah with sincerity, that is sufficient. What he may not know is explained to him. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) accepted from people those who testified that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and whose actions aligned with his words, submitting to the Shari'ah and uniting Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He). He is a Muslim because the testimony includes the belief that Allah is his Lord and Creator, the belief that He is the one worthy of worship, and the belief in His names and attributes. This is because the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that He is the one worshipped in truth includes tawhid al-rububiyyah (oneness of lordship) and tawhid al-asma' wa al-sifat (oneness of the names and attributes). For He, Glorified and Exalted is He, is the true God, and whoever is in this position is the Lord of all and the Creator of all, and He is perfect in His essence, His names, His attributes, and His actions. Thus, tawhid al-rububiyyah (oneness of lordship) is the belief that He is the Creator and the Provider, and tawhid al-uluhiyyah (oneness of worship) is the belief that He is the one worthy of worship, Exalted and Majestic is He, and that the deities invoked alongside Him are false, whether they are inanimate objects or animals, whether the one invoked is an angel, a prophet, or otherwise. Whoever is invoked besides Allah, his worship is false. [Surah al-Hajj: 62]. Therefore, all who are invoked besides Allah are worshipped in falsehood, whether the worshipped one is a messenger, an angel, a jinn, a stone, a tree, or otherwise. Likewise, belief in the names and attributes of Allah: if one believes that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, has the most beautiful names and the highest attributes, and that He is perfect in His essence, attributes, and actions, that is sufficient. Thus, tawhid al-asma' wa al-sifat (oneness of the names and attributes) is the belief that He, Glorified and Exalted is He, is described with the most beautiful names and the highest attributes, and that there is no one like Him, no one comparable to Him, and no one similar to Him. And belief in lordship is that He is the Creator, the Provider, the Manager of affairs, the Disposer of things, with no Creator other than Him and no Lord besides Him. And tawhid al-uluhiyyah (oneness of worship) means the belief that He is worthy of being worshipped, the belief that He is worthy of being worshipped, invoked, called upon for aid, vowed to, and sacrificed to, among other things. He is the one worthy of worship through prayer, fasting, supplication, slaughter, and other acts, and no one else is worthy of it.
If he affirms the two testimonies, this is included within his testimony. For if he testifies that there is no god but Allah, it means that He is the one worshipped in truth, that He is the Creator and the Provider, and that He is perfect in His essence, His names, and His attributes. All of this is included within the testimony. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.