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     | Friday, March 30, 2001 - 09:08 pm Important Points in Tawheed Auhtor: Shaikh Usaamah Al-Qoosee (http://www.al-manhaj.com/bios/qoosee.html) Source: A four tape set entitled Tawheed [This article is most of side A of tape 1] Comments: This week's discussion is on the important topic of Tawheed. The Shaikh discusses basic and fundamental points of Tawheed in this section, which every Muslim is required to know, thus we encourage all of our readers to study these points and learn them. You may post comments or questions to this topic at: http://www.al-manhaj.com/ubb/Forum14/HTML/000015.html <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> All Praise is for Allaah and may His peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allaah (saws) and on his family, Companions and those who follow his guidance. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allaah, alone with no partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave and Messenger. To Proceed: We have finished our discussion on the issue of Hijaab and now we move on to discussing the foundation and main basis of this Religion, which is Tawheed. So when we turn our attention towards one group of people, they reject the obligation of wearing Hijaab and they describe it as backwardness or that it is a call to return to the times of old or that it goes against the spirit of women's freedom, or that the Hijaab is just something whose time has gone and that there is no place for it in these times of progression and advancement. I say that these types of people should not be talked to about the obligation of Hijaab, but rather that they should be talked about knowledge of Allaah first. They should be talked to about the Tawheed (Oneness) of Allaah before they are talked to about the obligation of Hijaab. The reason for this is because if someone knows and understands who Allaah is, he will readily accept from Allaah. But if he doesn't know about Allaah or what Allaah requires him to know, then he will indeed debate and argue about the verses of Allaah without knowledge. And he will take them as a joke and a trivial matter – and due to that, he will be far astray. So knowledge of Allaah and His Oneness is the foundation of this Religion. And it was the da'wah (Call) of all of the Messengers that Allaah sent. In the Saheeh of Imaam Al-Bukhaaree, there is the found the famous hadeeth, in which the Messenger of Allaah (saws) sent Mu'aadh Ibn Jabal (raa) to Yemen. When he was seeing him off, he said to him: "Indeed you are going to a group of people who are from the People of the Book (the Jews and the Christians). So let the first thing that you call them to be that they worship Allaah alone and not ascribe any partners to Him." In another wording of this hadeeth found in the Saheeh of Imaam Al-Bukhaaree, the Prophet (saws) said: "So let the first thing that you call them to be that they single Allaah out (i.e. worship Him alone)." So this indicates to us that the foundation of this Religion is Tawheed. And in another wording of this hadeeth, the Prophet (saws) said to Mu'aadh: "So when they come to know Allaah, then inform them or teach them that Allaah has obligated five prayers on them during each day and night." The point here is that these people should not be talked to about the prayer until after they first perfect their understanding of Allaah, Subhaanahu wa Ta'alaa. So knowledge of Allaah, which is Tawheed, is the primary foundation of this Religion - the Religion of Islaam. And it is that which all the messengers and the prophets were sent with. They were sent with the Tawheed of Allaah, as Allaah says quoting from the prophets: "That you worship Allaah, you have no other god besides Him." When we read the Noble Qur'aan, we find that Allaah, the Lord of Glory and Might, Tabaraaka wa Ta'alaa, described these messengers as ones who called their people to worship Allaah alone and not ascribe any partners to Him (or mix other gods in their worship of Him). Just looking in the Qur'aan will make us understand this point very well. We can find this same understanding in what is intended in Allaah's saying: "And indeed We have sent messengers in every nation, saying to their people: 'Worship Allaah, and stay away from the Taghoot (false deities and systems).'" So worshipping Allaah and avoiding the false deities is what is meant by the saying: "Laa Ilaaha Illaa Allaah." "Worship Allaah" - this is an affirmation of our servitude to Allaah alone. And in Allaah’s saying "Stay away from the Taghoot", there is a rejection and a denial of everything that is worshipped besides Allaah. So this statement of Tawheed has two parts to it: One is a negation and the other is an affirmation. This is when we say Laa Ilaaha Illaa Allaah (There is no deity that has the right to be worshipped, except Allaah). If we were to reflect and ponder on this sentence that we say often, we would find that it consists of two parts - a part in which there is a negation "Laa Ilaaha" and a part in which there is an affirmation "Illaa Allaah." And here this (second) part serves as an exemption (to the previous general and absolute negation.) So "Laa Ilaaha" (There is no deity that has the right to be worshipped) is a negation, and "Illaa Allaah" (Except Allaah) is an affirmation. Tawheed cannot be achieved unless there is both a negation and an affirmation. So whoever says "Laa Ilaaha" and then stays quiet after that, then he is an atheist, for he has negated and not affirmed. The person who says "Laa Ilaaha" - this is a pure and absolute negation. So the absolute negation is considered atheism, because it is a denial of God. In fact, it is a denial of everything that is labeled with the title God. It is a negation of all gods, in the general and absolute sense. So this is atheism. And if someone affirms but does not negate - if he says "I worship Allaah", and then it is said "Say: And I don't ascribe any partners to Him (or mix others in worship with Him)", he says “No, I worship Allaah and then I remain silent and I do not negate all the other gods." This is Shirk. So whoever negates but does not affirm, then he is an atheist. And whoever affirms but does not negate, then he has committed Shirk (ascribing partners to Allaah). And whoever negates and affirms at the same time, then he has singled Allaah out and made Him One in Tawheed. So then, Tawheed means that we negate and we affirm. So we say Laa Ilaaha Illaa Allaah, which means, "There is no true god that deserves to be worshipped except Allaah." What connection does this have to our discussion, which is the issue of knowing Allaah? Knowledge of Allaah is the foundation of this Religion. As the Prophet (saws) said to Mu'aadh: "So if they know that" meaning if they affirm Allaah and know who He is, then at this point you should say to them "This Lord and this God whom you have gotten to know and comprehend, He has obligated you to pray five prayers every day." At this point, it is not possible for the one who knows Allaah to say: "When I am convinced, I will pray" - because he has already become convinced when he singled Allaah out and made Him one in Tawheed. The Muwahhid (one who implements the Tawheed) is convinced with the foundation of the Religion, which is Tawheed. So if he is convinced about the foundation of this Religion and if he agrees with the basis of this Religion, which is Tawheed, then the matter to him becomes such as that of receiving and readily accepting whatever comes from Allaah. So because of this, the muwahhid has no problem with praying or giving Zakaat or making Hajj or fasting, or with regard to women, she has no problem with the Hijaab. So these kinds of people, when they are commanded by Allaah - whom they believe in and make One - to abide by and implement any of the obligations of this Religion, their response is that of the believers, which is: We hear and we obey. Allaah says: "Indeed when the believers are called to Allaah and His Messenger to judge between themselves, their only saying (in response) is to say: We hear and we obey. And these are the successful." So the believers do not argue about Allaah's verses nor do they change and distort the words from their true nature. Nor do they cover the truth with falsehood. The only thing that the believer needs is to be called to Allaah and His Messenger - so if it said to him Allaah said such and such and it is authentically reported on the Messenger of Allaah (saws) that he said such and such, then nothing is expected from the muwahhid except that he should say: We hear and we obey. But if he gives an answer that is not the proper answer - it is not We hear and we obey - then this person is not a muwahhid (i.e. he does not establish the Tawheed of Allaah). He is not a muwahhid nor is he someone who knows Allaah, since the muwahhid accepts from Allaah because he knows Allaah. Let us look at the hadeeth of Mu'aadh, in which the Prophet (saws) said: "So if they know Allaah", "So if they know that", "So if they agree with that." Therefore, Tawheed is the foundation of this Religion. And it is Allaah's right that he has over all of His servants, as is stated in a hadeeth reported by Mu'aadh (raa) also. The Prophet (saws) said: "Do you know what the servants' right over Allaah is and what Allaah's right over His servants is?" So Mu'aadh said: "Allaah and His Messenger know best." The Prophet (saws) said: "Allaah's right over His servants is that they worship Him alone and not mix anything with Him in worship." So Tawheed is Allaah's right over His servants. And on the other side, what is the right the servants have over Allaah if they first give Allaah His right? If they worship Him alone and do not mix anything with Him in worship, their right is that Allaah will not punish them – “that He will not punish anyone that worships Him and does not ascribe partners to Him.” So if we understand this basic principle, O noble brothers, then we must know that Tawheed is singling Allaah out in worship as well as freeing and absolving oneself from everything that is worshipped besides Allaah from the false gods, rivals, opponents, intercessors - everything that is considered a rival to Allaah. This is why we said it is a negation and an affirmation. “Laa Ilaaha” is a negation and “Illaa Allaah” is an affirmation. So Tawheed is negating and affirming. One cannot be a muwahhid (adherent of Tawheed) unless he negates and affirms. So whoever negates only, then he is an atheist, and whoever affirms but does not negate, then he is a mushrik (ascribed partners to Allaah). One cannot be a Muwahhid unless he negates and affirms at the same time. Now we will present a strange question. What is this question? Are we in need of giving a lecture on Tawheed? The answer will be given in the form of a question. This question (i.e. answer) will definitely make us say: Yes, the Muslims are in great and extreme need during these days of understanding Tawheed, because many of them, whether because of ignorance or error, have serious deficiencies and errors in the matter of Tawheed, while knowing that they are contradicting it. So the question we will respond to them with, is the following: “If you truly want to know the importance of this subject, then ask those around you in your gatherings and in your daily affairs, rather the Muslims who are beloved and close to you. Try and attempt with them. And ask those Muslims around you. Say to one of them: 'You, O Muslim, who believes in Tawheed, you say the statement of Tawheed: Laa Ilaaha Illaa Allaah. So what is its meaning O Muslim, who understands Tawheed?” Ask him this question. And we don't mean by this that they give us a class or a lecture on it! We only want the simple and basic meaning, which every Muslim – even the unlettered - can understand. Unfortunately, some people that are sent out to give Da'wah or who are put in charge of running the Da'wah - they call others to Islaam - when they are asked this question, they respond with the answer: “It means: ‘There is no Creator except Allaah.’” These are callers that are in positions of responsibility within the field of Da'wah, and who think they are calling others to Islaam! When they are asked this question: What does Laa Ilaaha Illaa Allaah mean? They respond: "It means that there is no Creator except Allaah." And this is an answer that is completely wrong, for this answer "There is no Creator except Allaah", was understood well by even Abu Lahab - the one for whom Allaah revealed the following verses, "Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab and may he perish. Neither his wealth nor his progeny will avail him. He will be burned in a Fire of blazing flames. And his wife too, who carries wood. Upon her neck is a twisted rope of masad (palm fiber)." Abu Lahab knew that there was no Creator except Allaah. So then was Abu Lahab a muwahhid? No. The answer is no. So now we realize the danger of being ignorant about Tawheed, in the total sense, on the part of the Muslims. If I were to say to my brothers, and I am not exaggerating, but this is the truth and it is actually occurring and present, that some people who are responsible for calling the people towards good, according to their perception of it, they themselves do not know the meaning of Tawheed! So he talks about it as if it’s meaning were “There is no Creator except Allaah.” So if someone who is in charge of giving Da'wah says to you that the meaning of the statement of Tawheed is that there is no Creator except Allaah. And this meaning, which he claims is the meaning of the statement of Tawheed - Abu Lahab and Abu Jahl knew and understood it. The high nobles and leaders of the Quraish knew and understood this meaning very well, as Allaah says: "And if you ask them who Created them, they would surely say Allaah." And He says: "And if you were to ask them who Created the heavens and the earth, they would surely say Allaah." They understood this very well - that Allaah created the heavens and the earth and that Allaah created them. So at this point, there should be occurring some kind of self-questioning in the minds of the listeners - because someone may be reflecting to himself saying: “I understand the statement Laa Ilaaha Illaa Allaah to mean there is no Creator except Allaah. So then what is the difference between Abu Lahab and me and between Abu Jahl and me (?) so long as I understand this statement with a meaning that these polytheists used to agree and comply with?” This self-questioning is the beginning of knowledge. This self-questioning is the commencement of understanding. So if you truly desire good for yourself and your close ones, then each of us must be truthful to himself and truthful with Allaah, such that he is sincere to Allaah. But if I am ignorant, then know that ignorance is not a defect unless it goes from slight (baseet) ignorance to compounded (murakkab) ignorance. It is easy to correct the one that has slight ignorance because he can be corrected through knowledge. So the ignorant person - who has slight ignorance - this person acknowledges that he is ignorant. But the misfortune lies in the one who is ignorant - with compounded (murakkab) ignorance. He is the one who thinks he understands and knows, but in reality he neither knows nor understands. He thinks that he is upon something good, he regards himself to be upon knowledge, when in fact he ascribes partners to Allaah and places rivals with Him. But in spite of this, he thinks that he is a muwahhid (adherent to Tawheed). So the one with slight ignorance can be healed through teaching. And all of us, except those whom Allaah has had mercy on, can say that we were ignorant of things that were from the most important aspects of Tawheed, while we thought that we were from the muwahhideen. But this was until we learned, and understood and heard and opened our ears to those who admonished us and reminded us and taught us and made us understand. And we came to realize our ignorance and lack of understanding, so then we began to accept and understand. But this was when we answered the call of the caller. [this article will continue as the tape set is translated in the future in sha Allaah] http://www.al-manhaj.com
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| | Friday, March 30, 2001 - 09:33 pm Anon I am in a hurry and I skimmed through your rather long posting, and my first reaction is THUMBS UP, a good work and precisely what the people are in dire need. I will post my remarks later. Baarakallah feek
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