WHAT ARE THE CATEGORIES OF TAWHEED..WHAT DOES THE WORD TAWHEED MEAN...

[islamtoday]

SALAMS TO ALL... let's benefit from each other and get to know our diin and obligations little bit better...

[Nur]

e-Nuri Past Publications

 

Revised, for a new audience

 

 

From Nurtel Archives ( Somaliaonline edition, some changes appear from original version for clarification)

 

 

TAWHEED

 

 

Fourteen centuries ago, Allah SWT sent a Messenger(SAWS) to mankind, A man who was raised in Makkah, present day Saudi Arabia, and who belonged to a tribe called Quraish, the decendants of Prophets Ismail and Abraham (aleyhimaa assalam).

 

The Messenger of Allah was sent to an Arab speaking people, and naturally, he communicated with them in Arabic language. Every messenger also did communicate with his people by way of their respective language and culture with examples they could understand and relate it to their lives. The reason is that Allah intended the message to be understood, and his teachings followed. Whe we fail to address people with analogies they understand we fail to deliver the true meaning of our message and confusion shrouds our minds. That is why some of our respected Ulema fail to convince the new generation of Muslims and non Mulsims, because the Ulema are "NOT CONNECTED" to the same media, nor speak the lingo of the times, as a result, a great deal of knowledge remains untransmitted, and not utilized. Based on the above prelude, I am about to convey the history of Tawheed with analogoies that cann be understood by residents of North America, and to an extent most westernized Somalis, specially my cousins in Qurac Dheer, Somali Peninsula, who listen to Heavy Metal in their tents.

 

 

The Arabian Tribe Quraish was the center of attention of all Arabs at the time as it controlled the holly shrine Kaaba, which represented a tribute erected by Prophet Abraham and his son Ismail for the remembrance and reverence of Allah ALONE on earth.

 

These days, life was simple, there was no TV, Radio, newspapers, sitcoms, tabloids and Somaliaonline.

 

So people communicated one-on-one and they enjoyed poetry and oratory in public places, similar to the ancient Greeks and Romans lavish theaters.

 

They mastered the language early in their childhood, and as adults they were quick to understand the meaning of every spoken word.

 

When the prophet SAWS called them for Islam, they asked him about the essense of his message.

 

The prophet told them ( My message is laa ilaaha illa Allahu)

 

A bedouin responded, (then all Arabs and non Arabs wil fight against you).

 

The bedouin knew the meaning of the word ILAAH in Arabic language.

 

In Suuratl Jinn, aayah 19, Allah says " And when the Abdullah Servant of Allah stood up to calling for his (ilaah), (the polytheists) almost ganged up against him"

 

This brings us to the core issue, TERMINOLOGY. understanding these terminology the way the SALAF understood it, will make us do what they did. The Salaf were proficient in their language, lived their times and fulfilled their commitment to their best. Can the same be said about us? When we speak about Islam do we live our times? are we taking our responsibilities seriously as they did to make Islam interwoven throughout our lifestyle? are we fulifilling our responsibility to Allah? or are we wishy washy people?

 

SALAF were not a group of people, it was a period of time in history, in which Islam blossomed, and the word of Allah reached the corners of the world. Generally it is referred to the first three generations of Saxaabah and the taabiciin, and taabicu taabiciin.

 

Today we are trying to understand what used to drive these people to do monumental achievements recorded to their credit in every sphere of life. They were more pious in ibaadah, more involved in community and political environment, more accomplished in jurisprudence Fiqh, sciences, the arts, and business, they were leaders for humanity, they freed Europe from darkness and corrupt Kings and Church leaders, they traded with asia with honesty and fairness which resulted mass conversion of Asians to Islam, the religion of common sense.

 

The key to understanding what motivated these Salaf generation lies in the components of the very word that changed history

 

The Word was :

 

 

" Laa ilaaha Ilaa Allah)"

 

 

Once Quraish heard the word, they became alarmed.

 

why? because they understood its far reaching meaning more than most muslims understand today.

 

This strategy to present this Word before all the detais of Islam's social change was not the choice of our prophet Muhammad SAWS. Nor did it happen thoughtlessly. The Messenger was commanded to do it that way. And there is a wisdom for us to ponder. In contrast, today, the first thing we tell non Muslims is the Hijaab, or Sharia, we fail to set up the right comminications link between man and his maker, the link of Tawheed, laa ilaaha ilaa Allah, which can transform the human being from a defiant to a humble person.

 

Imagine, the Messenger SAWS sitting on the corner of Yamaaniyah of the Kaaba, making ibaadah (worship), and around him ther are circumventing female naked pilgrim women making tawaaf and all he is asking people to do was " SAY , LAA ILAAHA ILLAA ALLAH" not to cover up their bodies, because he was ordered to address the root cause of man's rebellion against his maker which is his ignorance of his maker.

 

He knew if they accept this word, and its requirements, that all evil will be wiped. and in twenty three short years, it was.

 

 

So, We may ask, how was it possible that the decendants of the father of TAWXIID, Prophet Abraham, Peace be upon him, The honorable tribe of Quraish, put three hundered and sixty idols asnaam (Gods) inside a house dedicated to the sole reverence of Allah, the one and only god?

 

It is all about terminology.

 

Just like Satan persuaded Adam and Eve, to eat from the forbidden tree, calling it ( Shajaratul Khuld), Satan inspired Quraish to worship extensions of Allah through what they have claimed as his daughters, just as Christians today ascribe a son to Allah as an extension of the Real Ilaah (subhaanahu wa tacalaa camma yaquuluuna culuwan kabeera).

 

So Satan inspired them to select the names of these goddesses from the root name of Allah, to make it easy for people ta accept it (like copying a trade mark with slight change, like naming your supermarket SAFESTWAY instead of SAFEWAY, or naming your autopart shop TRECKAUTO instaead of TRAKAUTO).

 

So they named the first godess ( Al Laata, from Allah and Al Uzza, From Al Azeez etc.)

 

This tactic in Arabic language is called ILXAAD, Allah mentioned in the Quraan saying " Inna ladeenu yulxiduuna fee asmaa'ih laa yakhfowna calaynaa)". (Those who change the purpose behind the meaning of His Names, are not hidden from our view)

 

Therefore Ilxaad It means changing the purpose behind the meaning of a word, just like Sodomy is called GAY today.

 

 

Just like unsuspecting SAFEWAY Supermarkets customers can shop at a phony store cashing illegaly on someone else's trade mark, by naming his supermarkets SAFESTWAY, The decendants of Abraham were tricked by SATAN to worship others beside Allah therby satan scored a point to support his promise to to Allah that he will mislead mankind.

 

When Prophet Muhammad came with his message, he challenged the tribe of Quraish that all but Allah is fake as an ILAAH. This caused a major problem.

 

But what does ILAAH mean.

 

The root meaning of the word ILAA caomes from the Arabic word (ALIHA) the masdar of this word means among others:

 

1. To seek a protection ( Like an infant seeks mother's love , wormth and protection)

2. To seek a rescuer ( in times of distress)

3. To seek the highest authority, no one scapes from ( Jurisdiction and Sovreighnty).

4. It meant leadership. ( ZACIIM UL QOWM)

5. Any thing one follows even desires is called ilaah

 

Now when all these meaning were assigned to Allah alone, Quraish had a reason to be alarmed. After all they were the masters of the Arabs at the time. They controlled the trade routes, the Pilgramage and the business it created, The slave trade, Gambling, fornication, drinking and all social evils. They were the losers if the system changed and Muhammad came with a very radical view of the world and how it should be run.

 

They offered him to lead Quraish as their Zaciim, if he stops this word.

 

They offered him money, and most beautiful women.

 

But Mohammad SAWS was not looking for power, presidency, good life, rather he had a mission and a message to deliver, and against it nothing could distract him, so he said his famous statement

 

" If they place the sun on my right palm, and the moon on my left palm, to stop my mission, I would not stop preaching the message that man should surrender to his creator willingly)

 

(note that all creatures are submiting to Allah unwillingly since they have no control over their creation and death and all natural causes that are limiting their freedom).

 

" and then Allah ( ISTAWAA) on the heavens while it was smoke ( Dust particles) and said to them and the earth "surrender willingly or unwillingly" they said, we surrender willingly,....."

 

Before Mohammad SAWS, Prophet Jesus (aleyhi salam) delivered the same message, and the Romans with the help of Jews, planned for his murder, but Allah lifted him up to the heavens and saved him from their wickedness.

 

Today, the Tawheed word exists, but there is no correspondense between this word and the reality of those who say it, hence, saying shahaada today is like a tenant signing a rental agreement he did no understand,

 

Is such a document binding? scolars say NO.

 

A further proof for the above observation is that this word has not stirred in our lives, what it has stirred in the lives of the SALAF AL SAALIX, before us.

 

They said the word, and its effects were detected in their lives and the entire world.

 

We also said the word, and it has no significant effect on our lives.

 

A wise person shouldn't then fool themselves that the King has still some clothes.

 

A good way to measure understanding of this word, is a measure of actions it creates in our lives.

 

If the actions are not there. It may mean that there is no gold reserves in the Bank to validate the currency in circulation. The root cause, the meaning of the word and the belief may not be there.

 

 

Nur

 

2003 Nurtel Communications

 

Paradise is Possible Summer Campaign

[RendezVous]

Thank you very much Brother Nur..I previosuly used some of your replies to 'help Convert an Australian lady' To ISLAM....she is doing fine with some of your literature..Kindly compile a database of all your freinds e-mail and send them some of your research pieces...

 

They are wonderful...and elaborative..

 

..."Those days, life was simple, there was no TV, Radio, newspapers, sitcoms, tabloids and Somaliaonline"

[islamtoday]

salams to all... what i was looking for were basically the three divisions of tawheed that we need to know in oder for us to stay away from commiting shirk in these areas... our problem is understanding how we supposed to impliment not what we have to do... 'cause i think most of us know what we supposed to do.. if not it's a big delima...

 

the other thing.. before i forget... it's our duty to go out and seek knowledge,,, we go to knowledge,, it doesn't come to us... and the scholars i don't think they are out of touch with the people,,, it's the opposite,, the people don't want to listen to them,, the scholars they are well aware of what is going on,,, they are after all the inheriters of the prophets like our prophet SAW said before,,, ofcourse the inheritance we talking about is "knowledge"...

 

 

basically "Tawheed" is divided into three categories:

 

1. The oneness of Allah SWA in his WORSHIP: all worhsip should be directed to him alone

 

2. The oneness of Allah SWA in his ACTIONS: creating, providing "Rizq" provision to his creation,,and bringing and removing of clamities..(to test his slaves) etc..

 

3. The oneness of Allah SWA in His NAMES and ATTRIBUTES.

 

 

The Term "Tawheed" means: the oneness of Allah SWA in these three categories... away from associates and partners...

 

wasalam...

[Umm al_khair]

The Reality of Tawheed

 

 

 

Linguistically the word tawheed means unification (to make something one). However Islamically it is in reference to Allah being singled out alone, in all that is particular to him. The opposite of tawheed is 'Shirk' which is to associate partners with Allah by giving that which belongs to him, to others. [2]

 

 

 

Traditionally tawheed has been divided into three categories which help us to understand why Allah alone deserves to be singled out for worship. The division of tawheed into these three categories was something which was not done by the prophet of Allah (saws) or any of his companions. So is this something new that has been introduced into the religion (bida [3])? The answer to this is no, because we find that the basis of these three categories are to be found in the verses of the Qur'aan, hadeeth [authenticated reports] of the prophet (saws) and the statements of his companions.

 

 

 

The necessity for dividing up tawheed into three categories first came about during the early days of Islam. After the death of the prophet (saws) Islam spread like wildfire and before long the empires of Africa, Byzantium, Persia and India all fell under Muslim rule. Many people from these areas became Muslims. However some of these converts to Islam also carried with them some of their old pagan beliefs. This caused much confusion amongst people, and the simple belief of Islam which the people had accepted, started to become clouded. The task of opposing these new thoughts and ideas which were becoming prevalent, fell upon the shoulders of the Muslim scholars, who rose to meet this challenge intellectually. Amongst the first people to divide tawheed into three categories was the famous scholar of Iraq, Abu Haneefah. [4]

 

 

 

Before mentioning what these three categories are, it has to be stressed that the concept of tawheed is in no way similar to the Christian concept of trinity except the fact that they both begin with the letter 'T'!! The division of tawheed does not divide Allah up into three separate parts (as does trinity), but rather it helps us to understand as to how our Creator is unique and alone in being singled out for worship and reverence. Unfortunately there are some Christians today[5] who seem to forget this fact and continue to spread lies about the meaning of the tawheed of Allah.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Unity of Allah's Lordship

 

 

 

This first category of tawheed is known as tawheed-ur Ruboobeeyah or the unity of Allah's lordship. Through this we understand that it is Allah who alone created the universe which is why one of his divine names is AlKhaliq (the Creator). Through this we know that it is Allah alone who controls the universe and allows things to happen. This is why Allah refers to himself in the Qur'aan as AI-Malik (The Owner of the universe). Hence when something happens, it only happens with the permission of Allah:

 

"And no calamity strikes except with the permission of Allah"

 

(Surah At-Taghabun 64:11)

 

The prophet Muhammed (saws) further elaborated on this concept of Allah's control over the universe by saying: "Be aware that if the whole of mankind gathered together in order to do something to help you they would only be able to do something for you which Allah had already written for you. Likewise, if the whole of mankind gathered together to harm you, they would only be able to do something to harm you which Allah had already written to happen to you". [7]

 

We know that another name, which Allah chooses to call himself by, is Ar-Razzaq (the Sustainer). It is Allah who provides us with our food, shelter, clothing, families and friends. When our crops seem to be dying and there is not a cloud in sight, it is Allah who sends down His rain from the skies and sustains us.

 

"Allah created all things and He is the agent upon which all things depend"

 

(Surah Az-Zumar 39:62)

 

From this you would expect that people would turn back to Allah for good or bad fortune. However this is not the case. Today we find people relying on all kinds of good luck charms[9], which they believe will bring them good fortune and ward off evil.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, this selfish act of turning away from the favours of Allah has hit the Muslims hard, we find in many of our societies that the Muslims believe in all kinds of superstitions and good luck charms such as the Tawees (amulet). These practices have absolutely no basis whatsoever in Islam, but rather the prophet (saws) warned us by saying: "Whosoever brings something new into Islam, something which does not belong to it, will have it rejected".[10]

 

The Unity of Allah's names and Attributes

 

 

 

This category of tawheed is known as Tawheed-al-Asma Wa-Siffaat or the unity of Allah's name and attributes. Allah says in the Qur'aan:

 

 

 

"Allah there is no god but be. To Him belong the most beautiful names"

 

(Surah Ta-Ha 20:8)

 

 

 

This category of tawheed helps us to understand who our Creator is through His Names and Attributes. Through His Names and Attributes we know that Allah is far beyond our imagination and bears no resemblance to human beings. In fact it is this principle which makes Islam unique from all the other religions on the face of this earth. Allah says in the Qur'aan:

 

 

 

"There is nothing like Him and He hears and sees all things"

 

(Surah Ash-Shura 42:11)

 

 

 

It is in this verse that a distinction is made between those who truly worship their Creator and those who worship the creation. The most prominent example of this is that of the Christians. They claim that Jesus (as) was God, this negates the Tawheed of Allah's Names and Attributes because it degrades the Creator (whom the Christians say was Jesus) to the level of human beings and gives Him those weaknesses which humans possess. It is known from the bible that Jesus ate, drank, felt tired, slept and did all the things which normal humans do. So how is it right for the Christians to say that god lowered himself to the level of humans? As Muslims we say 'Allah is above such imperfection' (subhanallah) and rather it is us weak humans who need to turn to this perfect lord and Creator.

 

 

 

The Unity of Allah's Worship

 

 

 

This part of tawheed is known as tawheed-al-eebadah or the unity of Allah's worship. It is this aspect of tawheed which it could be said is the most important. It is through this that we learn how to worship our Creator alone. Allah is not the kind of god who does not respond or hear your calls. He is not the kind of god who needs some sort of middleman to take our prayers up to Him. Rather Allah says:

 

"And your lord said: Call on me and I will answer you"

 

(Surah Ghafir 40:60)

 

There is nothing to prevent a person from calling directly upon Allah and asking for His help and forgiveness. Unfortunately this is violated by most of mankind who believe that other men can intercede for them and even grant them forgiveness because of their apparent special status! An example of this is the Catholic religion which holds that the celibate priests are more purer then normal people. This allows for them to then hear the confessions of people's sins and subsequently grant them forgiveness. It is this kind of behaviour which takes a person away from the worship of Allah to the worship of man.

 

 

 

As Muslims we too should be careful of this, because it seems that many of our brothers and sisters are indulging in this kind of evil and are not even aware of it. How many Muslims are there today who call upon others besides Allah? We find that in countries such as Pakistan and India there are millions of Muslims who go to the graves of 'saints' and ask them for children, wealth, fame and more sadly, forgiveness. What makes this more ironic is the fact that many of these Muslims pray five times a day, and in every rakat (unit) of their prayer they say the following to their Creator:

 

"You alone do we worship and You alone do we seek help from"

 

(Surah Al-Fatiha 1:4)

 

Learning about the tawheed of Allah is the most important thing for the whole of humanity. For if we learn how to trust and worship our Creator with sincerity, then -and only then- will we escape from the slavery and captivity of this life. By worshipping Allah alone does a man achieve true peace and success. This is the reason why when the adhaan[15] is called, the muezzin[16] says "Haya alal Falaa" (come to success). And we ask Allah to make us amongst those who go to this success. Ameen

 

 

 

Footnotes

1 Monotheistic - The belief in one God

2 The topic of Shirk will be dealt with in the next issue, Inshallah

3 Bida - The Arabic word for innovation (something new broughtinto the religion)

4 Abu Haneefah an-Nu'man ibn Thabit was born in Kufah (Iraq) in the year 700 CE. He made his living as a cloth merchant, but devoted his entire life to studying and teaching Islam. His refusal to he appointed the judge of Kufah resulted in him being imprisoned and incurring punishment. He died in the year 767 CE in prison. His rulings and reasoning became the basis of the Hanafite school of Islamic law.

5 One of these Christians is a man by the name of Joseph Smith. Smith is on a continuous crusade against Islam and is a regular preacher in Hyde Park (London). A debate between Smith and Abdur-Raheem Green, entitled "The Sources of Islam" conducted last year shows the fallacy of Smith's lies against Islam.

6 Surah At-Taghaabun 64:11

7 At-Tirmidhee

8 Surah Az-Zurnar 39:62

9 Such as four-leaf clovers, rabbits paws and horseshoes.

10 Bukhari ( Eng. Trans Vol .3 pp 535 No. 861 ) and Muslim Eng Trans Vol. 3 pp 931 No 4266

11 Surah Ta-Ha 20:8

12 Surah As-Shura 42:11

13 Surah Ghaffir 40:60

14 Surah Fatiha 1:4

15 The call to prayer

16 The one who calls to prayer

[islamtoday]

salams to all... bros and sis...May Allah SWA bless u all for ur efforts... i think we shouldn't go into too much details, we should keep it nice and simple so people don't get bored fast... we should give them the headlines not the whole news... so they can go and do some homework on their own,, we have to encourage them to do some research on their own... let them learn about the proper islamic books and in which books to look and so on... and if they have questions let them post...

 

 

Jazakumu Allahu khairan...

 

wasalam...

[Warrior of Light]

Jakhallah Kheir for all the posts.

 

Islamtoday, there is no harm in providing nomads with elaborative replies.The essence is to share and everyone has/had a certain book/article which caught their eyes and broadened their thinking. Gives us all a different view of the same topic in a healthy way, instead of searching for something(especially if your less knowledgable) and stumbling into wrong, unhealthy answers.

 

Fiamanillah