ISL201 Assignment Solution
Tuesday, October 26, 2010 Posted In Misc Edit ThisThe Doctrine of Tauheed “Oneness of Allah” is the very basic dogma of Islam. It means belief in oneness of Allah as He is the solitary Creator of the whole universe, everything belongs to Allah, that there is no one but Allah, no one like Him, or opposite Him, or equal to Him. You have to describe in detail how this doctrine of Tauheed “Oneness of Allah” effects on human life?
Solution:-
When an individual pronounces the testimony: "Ash-hadu allaa ilaaha illallaah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadar- Rasullullaah" (I testify that there is no god worthy of worship except Allaah and I testify that Muhammad is His Messenger), believing in it and acting upon it, he experiences a noticeable change in his life.
By understanding who his Lord is as well as the purpose of his creation, he will be able to achieve success in this life and the next. This success emanates from the following points:
1- A believer in this testimony can never be narrow in outlook. He believes in Allaah, Who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Master of the universe and its Sustainer. After this belief, he does not regard anything in the world as a stranger to himself. He looks on everything in the universe as belonging to the same Lord he himself belongs to. Allaah Almighty Says (what means): "Say (O Muhammad): 'To whom belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth?' Say: 'To Allaah.'" [Quran 6:12]
His sympathy, love and service are not confined to any particular sphere or group. His vision is broadened, his intellectual horizon widens, and his outlook becomes as liberal and as boundless as is the Kingdom of Allaah. How can this width of vision and breadth of mind be achieved by an atheist, a polytheist or one who believes in a deity supposed to possess limited and defective powers like a man?
2- This belief produces in man the highest degree of self-respect and self esteem. The believer knows that Allaah Alone is the Possessor of all power, and that none besides Him can benefit or harm a person, or provide for his needs, or give and take away life or wield authority or influence. This conviction makes him indifferent to, independent on, and fearless of all powers other than those of Allaah. He never bows his head in homage to any of Allaah's creatures, nor does he stretch out his hand before anyone else. He is not overawed by anybody's greatness. This attitude of mind cannot be produced by any other belief.
3- Along with self-respect, this belief also generates in man a sense of modesty and humbleness. It makes him unostentatious and unpretending. A believer never becomes proud, haughty or arrogant. The boisterous pride of power, wealth and worth can have no room in his heart, because he knows that whatever he possesses has been given to him by Allaah, and that Allaah can take away just as He can give. In contrast to this, an unbeliever, when he achieves some worldly merit, becomes proud and conceited because he believes that his merit is due to his own worth. In the same way, pride and self-conceit are a necessary outcomes and concomitants of 'Shirk' (association of others with Allaah in worship), because a polytheist believes that he has a particular relation with deities, which does not exist between them and other people.
4- This belief makes man virtuous and upright. He has the conviction that there is no other means of success and salvation for him except purity of soul and righteousness of behavior. He has perfect faith in Allaah Who is Above all needs, is related to none and is absolutely Just. This belief creates in him the consciousness that unless he lives rightly and acts justly, he cannot succeed. No influence or underhand activity can save him from ruin.
As to those who do not believe that there is any Being having power over them, to whom they should be responsible for their good or bad actions; therefore, they consider themselves independent to act in whatever way they like. Their own fancies become their gods and they live like slaves of their wishes and desires. Allaah states in the Quran (what means): "Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allaah, knowing (him as such), left him astray, and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart, and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allaah? Will you not then remember?" [Quran 45:23]
5- The believer never becomes despondent. He has a firm faith in Allaah Who is The Master of all the treasures of the earth and the heavens, Whose grace and bounty have no limit and Whose power is infinite. This faith imparts to his heart extraordinary consolation, fills it with satisfaction and keeps it filled with hope. Although he may be met with rejection from all sides in this world, faith in and dependence on Allaah never leave him, and on that strength he goes on struggling. Such profound confidence can result from no other belief than belief in Allaah Alone.
Atheists have small hearts; in the sense that they depend on limited abilities; therefore, in times of trouble they are soon overwhelmed by despair and, frequently, they commit suicide.
The testimony of Prof. Joad is also very explicit on this point. He writes about the West: "For the first time in history there is coming to maturity a generation of men and women who have no religion, and feel no need for one. They are content to ignore it. Also they are very unhappy, and the suicide rate is abnormally high." [C. E. M. Joad. The Present and Future of Religion, quoted by Sir Arnold Lunn., And Yet So New, London, 1958, p. 228]
As to the world of Islam, let the views of a non-Muslim historian, not in any way being sympathetic to Islam, be read with profit:
"In this uncompromising monotheism, with its simple and enthusiastic faith in the supreme rule of a transcendent being, lies the chief strength of Islam. Its adherents enjoy a consciousness of contentment and resignation unknown among followers of most creeds." [Suicide Is Rare in Muslim Lands] (Phillip K. Hitti, History of the Arabs, 1951, p.129)
6- This testimony of faith inspires bravery in man. There are two things which make a man cowardly: (a) fear of death and love of safety, and (b) the idea that there is someone else besides Allaah who can take away life, and that man- by adopting certain devices- can ward off death. Belief in 'Laa ilaaha illallaah'' blocks and drives away both these ideas. The first idea goes out of his mind because he knows that his life and his property and everything else really belong to Allaah, and he becomes ready to sacrifice his all for the pleasure of Allaah. He gets rid of the second idea because he knows that no weapon, no man or animal has the power of taking away his life; Allaah alone has the power to do so. A time has been ordained for him, and all the forces of the world combined cannot take away anyone's life before that time.
It is for this reason that no one is braver than the one who has faith in Allaah. Nothing can daunt him: not even the strongest tempest of adversity and the mightiest of armies.
7- The belief in 'Laa ilaaha illallaah' creates an attitude of peace and contentment, purges the mind of jealousy, envy and greed, and keeps away the temptations of resorting to base and unfair means for achieving success. The believer understands that wealth is in Allaah's hands, and He apportions it out as He Wills; that honor, power, reputation and authority - everything - is also subjected to His Will, and He bestows them as He Wills; and that man's duty is only to endeavor and to struggle fairly.
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Praise be to Allaah.
Praise be to Allaah and blessings and peace be upon His Messenger and Chosen Prophet.
Tawheed in Arabic means attributing Oneness to Allaah and describing Him as being One and Unique, with no partner or peer in His Essence and Attributes.
The Arabs say waahid, ahad and waheed, all meaning one. Allaah is Waahid, meaning that He has no rivals or peers in any way. So Tawheed means knowing Allaah is One, with none like unto Him. Whoever does not acknowledge Allaah in these terms and does not describe Him as being One with no partner or associate does not believe in Tawheed.
With regard to the shar’i definition of Tawheed, it means believing in Allaah alone as God and Lord and attributing to Him alone all the attributes of Lordship and divinity.
It may be defined as follows: Believing that Allaah is One with no partner or associate in His Lordship (ruboobiyyah), divinity (uloohiyyah) or names and attributes (al-asma’ wa’l-sifaat).
This word (Tawheed) and its derivatives are used with this meaning in the Qur’aan and Sunnah. For example:
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say (O Muhammad): He is Allaah, (the) One [Ahad].
2. Allaah‑us‑Samad [Allaah — the Self‑Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks)].
3. He begets not, nor was He begotten.
4. And there is none co‑equal or comparable unto Him”
[al-Ikhlaas 112:1-3]
“And your Ilaah (God) is One Ilaah [ilaahun waahidun] (God — Allaah), Laa Ilaaha illa Huwa (there is none who has the right to be worshipped but He), the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”
[al-Baqarah 2:163]
“Surely, disbelievers are those who said: ‘Allaah is the third of the three (in a Trinity).’ But there is no Ilaah (god) (none who has the right to be worshipped) but One Ilaah [ilaahun waahidun] (God —Allaah). And if they cease not from what they say, verily, a painful torment will befall on the disbelievers among them”
[al-Maa'idah 5:73]
And there are many similar verses.
In Saheeh al-Bukhaari (7372) and Saheeh Muslim (19) it is narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent Mu’aadh ibn Jabal to Yemen, he said to him: “You are going to people from among the People of the Book, so let the first thing to which you call them be belief in Allaah alone (Tawheed). If they accept that, then tell them that Allaah has enjoined on them five prayers every day and night. If they pray then tell them that Allaah has enjoined on them zakaah from their wealth to be taken from their rich and given to their poor. If they agree to that then take it from them but avoid the best of people’s wealth.”
In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Islam is built on five (pillars): belief that Allaah is One, establishing regular prayer, paying zakaah, fasting Ramadaan and Hajj.”
What is meant by Tawheed in all these texts is affirming the meaning of the testimony that there is no god but Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, which is the essence of the religion of Islam with which Allaah sent His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), based on the evidence of the words of the Qur’aan and Sunnah. In some versions of the hadeeth of Mu’aadh quoted above it says: “You will come to some people from among the People of the Book so when you come to them, call them to bear witness that there is no god except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1492.
According to another version of the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Islam is based on five (pillars): the testimony that there is no god except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger...” Narrated by Muslim, 16.
This indicates that Tawheed is the essence of the testimony that there is no god except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, and that this is Islam with which Allaah sent His Prophet to the two races of mankind and the jinn, other than which Allaah will not accept any religion from anyone.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Truly, the religion with Allaah is Islam”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:19]
“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:85]
Once this is understood, it should be noted that the scholars have divided Tawheed into three categories, as follows:
Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah (Oneness of Divine Lordship), Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah (Oneness of Divinity) and Tawheed al-Asma’ wa’l-Sifaat (Oneness of the Divine Names and Attributes).
Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah (Oneness of Divine Lordship): means believing in Allaah as One and Unique with regard to His actions such as creation, sovereignty, control, giving life and death, and so on.
There is a great deal of evidence to support this in the Qur’aan and Sunnah. See question no. 13532 to learn some of it.
Whoever believes that there is any creator other than Allaah or any sovereign controlling this universe and disposing of its affairs other than Allaah has denied this aspect of Tawheed and disbelieved in Allaah.
The kuffaar of old accepted this aspect of Tawheed in general terms, although they differed with regard to some of its details. The evidence that they used to accept this is to be found in several verses of the Qur’aan such as the following (interpretation of the meaning):
“And if you were to ask them: ‘Who has created the heavens and the earth and subjected the sun and the moon?’ they will surely reply: ‘Allaah.’ How then are they deviating (as polytheists and disbelievers)?”
[al-‘Ankaboot 29:61]
“And if you were to ask them: ‘Who sends down water (rain) from the sky, and gives life therewith to the earth after its death?’ they will surely reply: ‘Allaah.’ Say: ‘All the praises and thanks be to Allaah!’ Nay, most of them have no sense”
[al-‘Ankaboot 29:63]
“And if you ask them who created them, they will surely say: ‘Allaah.’ How then are they turned away (from the worship of Allaah Who created them)?”
[al-Zukhruf 43:87]
In these verses Allaah states that the kuffaar affirm that He is the Creator, Sovereign and Controller, but despite that they do not worship Him alone (Tawheed of worship), which points to the graveness of their wrongdoing and lies, and the weakness of their reasoning. For if there is One Who is described in such terms, none should be worshipped except Him alone and none should be described as being one and unique except Him; may He be glorified above those that they associate with him.
So whoever affirms this Tawheed in the true sense must inevitably also affirm the Oneness of Allaah’s Divinity (Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah).
Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah means devoting all acts of worship, both inward and outward, in word and deed, to Allaah Alone, and not worshipping anything or anyone other than Allaah, no matter who he is. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him”
[al-Isra’ 17:23]
“Worship Allaah and join none with Him (in worship)”
[al-Nisa’ 4:36]
It may be described as devoting all one’s actions to Allaah alone.
It is called Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah because it is based on ta’alluh lillaah which is worship and devotion of Allaah accompanied by love and veneration.
It is also called Tawheed al-‘Ibaadah (oneness of worship) because it means that a person worships Allaah by doing that which He has commanded and avoiding that which He has forbidden.
It is also called Tawheed al-Talab wa’l-Qasd wa’l-Iraadah (Oneness of goal, purpose and will) because it means that a person does not seek anything except the Face of Allaah, so he worships Him sincerely.
This is the kind of Tawheed concerning which people went astray, which is why the Prophets were sent and the Books were revealed. This is the purpose for which the universe was created and laws were prescribed. Concerning this disputes arose between the Prophets and their peoples, so the stubborn were doomed and the believers were saved.
Whoever goes astray with regard to this Tawheed, such as devoting some of his worship to someone other than Allaah, has gone beyond the pale of Islam and drifted away from true belief. May Allaah protect us from that.
With regard to Tawheed al-Asma’ wa’l-Sifaat (Oneness of the Divine Names and Attributes), this means affirming the names and attributes of Allaah and believing that there is none like unto Allaah in His names and attributes. This Tawheed is based on two principles:
1 – Affirmation: i.e., affirming that which Allaah has affirmed for Himself in His Book or that His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has affirmed of His beautiful names and sublime attributes in a manner that suits the Majesty and Greatness of Allaah, without distorting them, twisting their meanings, denying their reality or discussing how they are.
2 – Denial: i.e., denying that Allaah has any faults and denying any shortcomings that He has denied Himself. The evidence for that is the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
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All exerts are taken from Aqeedatul Islamiyyah by sheikh jibreen The first matter in the aqeedah is At-tauheed and the meaning of At-tauheed according to the technical terms of the shari'ah is: iman in the existence of allah and his oneness in the rububiyyah and the uluhiyyah and iman in all of his names and attributes. and every person, from adam to this time is born upon fitrah and a believer in the existence of allah and that there is nothing worshipped by rights other than him nor a rabb other than him. qala allah ta'ala: " and therefore turn your face towards the religion of hanifan, the fitrah of allah is that which allah created the people upon and there is no change for the creation of allah " rum: 30 and allah ta'ala also said in hadith qudsi: " verily i have created my servants hanifan, all of them and verily the shaiyateen came to them and then roamed amongst them concerning their religion and made haram for them what i made permissible for them and commanded them to associate partners with me when i never sent down an authorization for this (shirk) " and rasulullah said concerning this issue: " there is not a child born except it is born upon the fitrah and then it's parents make it a yahood or a christian or a fire- worshipper " and in another narration in muslim: " there is not a child born except that it is born upon this religion " and allah ta'ala mentioned the fitrah many times in the quran and more specifically is suratul fatihah: " al-hamdulillahi rabbil a'lameen " allah's saying" " lillah " is tauheedul-uluhiyyah and his saying: " rabbil a'lameen " is tauheedul-rububiyyah " ar-rahmanir-raheem " is tauheedul-asma'a was-sifaat " maaliki yaumid