Introduction: The Importance of Tawheed (23/10/16) - Class Three

بِسْم الله الرحمن الرحيم

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It is very important that we live upon Tawheed - the word لا اله الا الله - because it is the first thing we will be asked about in our graves. Another reason is because Tawheed is the message of all the Messengers; Allah sent Messengers in order to establish لا اله الا الله on earth.

Also, Good Deeds will not be accepted unless they are based on Tawheed: 

In Surah An-Nahl [16:97]:

"Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)."

And in Surah An-Nisaa [4:124]:

"And whoever does righteous good deeds, male or female, and is a true believer in the Oneness of Allah (Muslim), such will enter Paradise and not the least injustice, even to the size of a Naqira (speck on the back of a date-stone), will be done to them."

Allah set a condition: "و هو مؤمن" - He should be a believer, only then will Allah reward him.

Christians consider themselves believers as well. 
But A Believer = A Monotheist. 
الإيمان بالله (Belief in Allah) = توحيد الله.

Of the evidence of this is Surah Ghafir [40:10]:

"Indeed, those who disbelieve will be addressed, "The hatred of Allah for you was [even] greater than your hatred of yourselves [this Day in Hell]..."

Why?

"....when you were invited to faith, but you refused.""

In Verse 11, they say:

"They will say: "Our Lord! You have made us to die twice (i.e. we were dead in the loins of our fathers and dead after our deaths in this world), and You have given us life twice (i.e. life when we were born and life when we are Resurrected)! Now we confess our sins, then is there any way to get out (of the Fire)?"

But there will be no way to leave the Hellfire, because, as Allah says in Verse 12:

"(It will be said): "This is because, when Allah Alone was invoked (in worship, etc.) you disbelieved, but when partners were joined to Him, you believed! So the judgement is only with Allah, the Most High, the Most Great!" 

Connect Verse 10 with Verse 12.

In Verse 10: "إذ تدعون إلى الإيمان فتكفرون" 

In Verse 12: "إذا دعى الله وحده كفرتم"

الإيمان بالله = توحيد الله 

Their crime was that they did not worship and invoke Allah alone; they did not have Tawheed. Tawheed is what Belief in Allah is - and this is what will save us from the Hellfire. A believer is one who worships and invokes Allah alone. 

So when Allah says, "و هو مؤمن" (And he is a Believer), He means "و هو مؤحد" (And he is a Muwwahid). Because even Christians claim that they are believers.

In the same Surah [40:84]:

"So when they saw Our punishment, they said: "We believe in Allah Alone and reject (all) that we used to associate with Him as (His) partners."

But that belief will not benefit nor be accepted from them. Belief which benefits is belief in this Dunya. Therefore, Allah says in Verse 85:

"Then their Faith (in Islamic Monotheism) could not avail them when they saw Our punishment. (Like) this has been the way of Allah in dealing with His slaves. And there the disbelievers lost utterly (when Our Torment covered them)."

"سنّت الله" - The Way of Allah 

When they were in this Dunya, Allah sent messages and signs one after the other, but they did not believe. It is the way of Allah, that He never leaves His slaves in disbelief, He sends those who will guide them to the right path, but they used to turn away. 

Instead of using the blessings of Allah to bring us closer to Allah, we get diverted by His blessings. Instead of loving Allah more and thanking Him alone for these blessings, we love these blessings more and forget about Allah - the One who bestowed the blessings upon us.

When someone is good to us, helps us, and supports us, we love and get attached to that person, instead of thanking Allah for sending that person to us. Allah deserves this love and attachment from us. We are not speaking about natural love - but love that causes a person to magnify the other person, such that you may even commit sins for the sake of that person. This is love which is forbidden. If Allah gave you a blessing, thank Allah for it. 

This does not mean you cannot thank people, but when you do, you should thank them because the Prophet ﷺ said:

"لاَ يَشْكُرُ اللَّهَ مَنْ لاَ يَشْكُرُ النَّاس"

"He who does not thank the people is not thankful to Allah." [Abu Dawud #4811]

So you thank the person because you are acting upon the command of the Prophet ﷺ, while fully knowing in your heart that Allah is the One who sent that person to help you, to guide you, etc.

We should attribute favours to Allah alone. When signs come again and again from Allah, and you do not attribute it to Allah alone, it will diminish your faith. You will start to accuse people, etc.

No one deserves our hearts attachment except Allah. Our companions in this world are a trial for us, especially if they are close to us. They either cause us to turn away from Allah or bring us closer to Him. Therefore the Prophet ﷺ said:

"الرَّجُلُ عَلَى دِينِ خَلِيلِهِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ أَحَدُكُمْ مَنْ يُخَالِلُ"

"A man is upon the religion of his friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends" [Tirmithi #2378]

Our test in life is the test of our Tawheed - to whom is your heart attached to? When you accuse someone, why are you accusing them? Is it because she did not give you or help you? It is not her; it is Allah closing this gate from you. Therefore it is very important to know the Actions of Allah. 

E.g. When you get married. Look at your husband as a blessing from Allah, and Allah is testing your Tawheed through him. Will you use him as a means to go to Paradise or not? How many look at their husbands in this way? Look at every blessing in this way: It is a test from Allah for your Tawheed. Will your heart become attached to this blessing or Allah? 

In Surah Zumar [39:45]:

"And when Allah Alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who believe not in the Hereafter are filled with disgust (from the Oneness of Allah and when those (whom they obey or worship) besides Him are mentioned, behold, they rejoice!"

Do not think this verse is limited to those who are not Muslim. Apply this to ourselves: Someone was cured from a sickness and you ask her how she got cured. She says Allah; Ash-Shafi. If you were a believer, you would be satisfied with this answer. But many of us are not satisfied, we say: "But how?" We only accept when the person says they took such and such medicine or went to such and such doctor. We only rejoice when someone other than Allah is mentioned.

E.g. "Where did you learn this? "

"Allah, الفتاح, opened it for me"

"No - but which centre, which teacher, etc.?"

When you claim you are a believer, ask yourself how much you practice Tawheed in your life. 

In Surah Al-Isra'a [17:46]:

"And We have put coverings over their hearts lest, they should understand it (the Quran), and in their ears deafness. And when you make mention of your Lord Alone [La ilaha ill-Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah) Islamic Monotheism ] in the Quran, they turn on their backs, fleeing in extreme dislikeness."

The Meaning of الإيمان بالله / توحيد الله 

Tawheed consists of two parts: 

1) Negation - النفي

2) Affirmation - الإثبات

E.g. You want to single Fatma out with success in an exam. You have to say: "No one succeeded except Fatma". It should comprise of negation and affirmation, otherwise you did not single that person out in that attribute. 

In the Qur'an, Allah mentioned many of His Actions. In Surah An-Najm [53:43]:

"And that it is He (Allah) Who makes (whom He wills) laugh, and makes (whom He wills) weep;"

The Interpretators said: "Allah is the One who brings the means of happiness and the means of grief."

أضحك و أبكى are two actions of Allah. In order to single Allah out in them, when you are happy, for example, you would say, "No One brought the means of happiness for me except Allah". You would know that it is not the materialistic means that brings happiness to the heart, it is Allah that brings happiness to the heart. Do not allow your heart to become attached to the means, thinking that children, marriage, and money, bring happiness. No one brings happiness except Allah. 

In the Hadith Qudsi, Allah says:

"يا عبادي كلكم جائع إلا من أطعمته فاستطعموني أطعمكم"

"O My Slaves, all of you are hungry, except for those whom I feed. So seek food from Me, and I Will Feed you" 

No One feeds us except Allah. Whenever we are hungry we immediately think of the refrigerator, ordering, cooking. We do not think that no one feeds us except Allah. If you bring your children up on this, it would be easy for them to attribute it to Allah. 

"ياعبادي كلكم عار إلا من كسوته فاستكسوني أكسكم"

"O My Slaves, all of you are naked, except for those whom I clothe. So seek clothing from Me, and I Will Clothe you."

When we want to buy clothes, do we say that no one clothes us except Allah? Allah tells us to ask Him for clothes, but how many of us ask? 

We need to strengthen our Tawheed - especially the negation part. We affirm that Allah gave us but also our husband, and also our jobs, etc. When you go through the Qur'an and come across Actions of Allah, negate and affirm them to yourself. We are weak in Tawheed Ruboobiya - أفعال الله (Actions of Allah) - thus our Tawheed Al-Uloohiyah is weak.

E.g. In Surah An-Nisa [4:90]:

"Except those who join a group, between you and whom there is a treaty (of peace), or those who approach you with their breasts restraining from fighting you as well as fighting their own people. Had Allah willed, indeed He would have given them power over you, and they would have fought you. So if they withdraw from you, and fight not against you, and offer you peace, then Allah has opened no way for you against them."

and in Surah Al-AlHashr [59:6]:

"And what Allah gave as booty (Fai') to His Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ) from them, for which you made no expedition with either cavalry or camelry. But Allah gives power to His Messengers over whomsoever He wills. And Allah is Able to do all things."

سلّط - To give power over 

This is an Action of Allah. 

So whenever someone cheats you, disgraces you, defeats you, you should say, "No one made this person overpower me except Allah"

Allahs Actions in the Qur'an are of two types:

1) Actions with which He Nurtures His Slaves with

E.g. رزق، سلَّط، خلق، Guidance, etc.

These are all Actions of Allah related to His Servants.

2) Actions which are particular to His Essence; It does not have a relation to His creation

E.g. استوى على العرش (Rising over the Throne), Coming on the Day of Judgement for Judgement, etc. 

-> We should not invent Actions of Allah. We should attribute the Actions which Allah has attributed to Himself in the Qur'an. 

E.g. People say "الله يخليك". This is neither mentioned in the Qur'an or Sunnah. The intention is to mean, "May Allah keep (preserve) you" but even in the Arabic Language it means, "May Allah keep you away".

We have to strengthen our Tawheed and talk about it. Nowadays the whole world is fighting against توحيد الله.