Imaam Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahaab rahimahullah wrote in his kitaab at-Tawheed chapter 6 'Explaining Tawhid and the testimony Laa ilaaha illa Allaah' Allaah the Mighty and the Majestic said; "Those whom they call upon themselves seek means of becoming nearer to their Lord." (al-Israa' 17:57) And; "When Ibraaheem said to his father and his people, 'Surely I am innocent of what you worship, except the one who created me.'" (al-Zukhruf 43:26-27). And; "They have taken their rabbis and monks as their Lords besides Allaah." (al-Tawbah 9:31). And; "Among people are those who have taken others as rivals to Allaah, whom they love as they love Allaah." (al-Baqarah 2:165) In the Sahee Muslim, the Prophet (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) said; "Whoever says Laa ilaaha illa Allaah and disbelieves in what is worshipped other than Allaah, his wealth and blood is unlawful, and his reckoning is with Allaah." Imaam al-Sadi' explains this further - "Tawhid and Laa ilaaha illa Allaah both have the same meaning, so here their synonymous nature is clarified. and this issue is the greatest and the most important of the issues as the author said 'may Allaah have mercy upon him'. The true meaning of Tawhid is knowledge and awareness that the Lord is alone in all of His perfect attributes and to render worship sincerely to Him alone, This depends upon two matters; 1- Negating all divinity from other than Allaah, such that it is known and believed that neither divinity, nor any element of worship is due to any creature, nor a prophet who was sent, nor an angel holding honoured station, nor anyone else, and believing that not one part or parcel of this is due to any creature. 2- Confirming divinity to Allaah the most High alone, without any partners, singling Him out with all implications of divinity, including all the perfect attributes. This belief alone is not sufficient until the servant accompanies it by sincerely rendering religion to Allaah, abiding in Islaam, faith and Ihsaan (goodness), maintaining the rights of Allaah and the rights of the creatures with the sole intent of Allaah's Face, seeking His reward and acceptance. This teaches that the disavowal of worshipping other than Allaa completes the expression and the fulfilment of Tawhid. That taking rivals that are loved as Allaah is loved or obeyed as Allaah is obeyed, or when deeds are done for them as they are done for Allaah, then this is the severest negation of the meaning Laa ilaaha illa Allaah. The author, rahimahullah explains that one of the greatest clarifications of the meaninf Laa ilaaha illa Allaah is the hadith of the Prophet (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) "Whoever says Laa ilaaha illa Allaah and disbelieves in what is worshipped other than Allaah, his wealth and blood is unlawful, and his reckoning is with Allaah." He (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) did not make the mere statement as a shelter of his blood and wealth, not even knowing its meaning and its utterance, nor its acknowledgement, nor even that he does not call upon any but Allaah alone without partners. No, but he did not declare his wealth and his blood unlawful until he attached to that disbelief in what is worshipped other than Allaah. So if he doubts this or hesitates, his blood and wealth are not unlawful. So this necessitates believing that it is obligatory to worship Allaah alone without partners, and to accept that with both creed and utterance, and to worship Allaah alone in obedience and submission to him, and to disavow whatever belief, saying, or action negates that. Yet this is not complete except with the love of those who uphold Tawhid of Allaah and allegiance and assistance for them, and by hating the people of disbelief, and shirk, and having enmity for them. Mere utterance of an expression or slogans without real meaning are not enough for this. Rather it is essential that this includes knowledge, creed, saying and actions. So these things are interdependent, such that if one of them is contradicted then the rest of them are contradicted. And Allaah knows best.

• published: 01 Jun 2015
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