بِسْم الله الرحمن الرحيم
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Tawheed Al-‘Ibadah is the meaning of لا اله الا الله.
The إله to the polytheists is whoever is sought for these matters, regardless if it is an angel, a Prophet, a Wali, a tree, a grave, etc.
They did not want their إله to be the Creator, Sutainer, the Manager of Affairs, even though they knew that solely belonged to Allah. Otherwise they’d have no problem saying لا اله الا الله. They knew that if they said it, they would have to disregard all their deities and worship Allah alone.
They only intended by the word اله what the polytheists of the present times call سيد (Master). They direct their love, fear, hopes, and worship to their سيد.
So the Prophet ﷺ came to them and called them to the word of Tawheed which is لا اله الا الله, and the aim behind this word is in its meaning, not merely uttering its words. We have to act upon the requirements of the word which is to worship Allah alone and turn away from all other false deities. Many Muslims nowadays think that as long as they say لا اله الا الله with their tongue they are Muslims and can do whatever they want.
The ignorant disbelievers at the time of the Prophet ﷺ knew that his intent was to single Allah out with attachment and disbelieve and disassociate from what is worshipped besides Him, because when they were ordered to say لا اله الا الله, they said as mentioned in Surah Sad [38:5]:
“أجعل الآلهة إله واحداً إن هذا لشيء عجاب”
"Has he made the aliha (gods) (all) into One Ilah (God - Allah). Verily, this is a curious thing!"
لا اله الا الله
Is to negate the divinity of all that is worshipped besides Allah and affirm it to Allah alone
To disbelieve in all false deities
And disassociate oneself from them.
If you know the true nature of Tawheed in your heart and the true nature of Shirk which Allah will not forgive, as Allah says in Surat An-Nisa [4:48 and 116]:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ
“Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives lesser than that (anything else) to whom He pleases“
[The Scholars differed. They are in consensus that the unforgivable Shirk is Major Shirk, but they differed with regards to Minor Shirk. Some say it is unforgivable. A person will inevitably be punished in Hell, unlike major sins and other sins which are under the will of Allah, but it will not cause a person to abide eternally like Major Shirk].
And if you know the true Religion of Allah which He sent all Messengers with, from the first Messenger (Nuh) until the end, and that Allah will not accept a religion besides it; and you know what most people have fallen into out of ignorance, you would have acquired two benefits:
1) Happiness with the bounty of Allah and His mercy
As Allah says in Surah Yunus [10:58]:
قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَٰلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ
Say: "In the Bounty of Allah, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islam and the Quran); -therein let them rejoice." That is better than what (the wealth) they amass.“
This is the praiseworthy type of فرح which you will consequently be rewarded for. The blameworthy فرح is to rejoice arrogantly with worldly gain and not use it for the benefit of this world and the next.
2) Great Fear
This is because a person can disbelieve due to a word he says. The Prophet ﷺ said in a Hadith:
إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَيَتَكَلَّمُ بِالْكَلِمَةِ يَنْزِلُ بِهَا فِي النَّارِ أَبْعَدَ مَا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ
“Verily, the servant may speak a single word for which he plummets into the Hellfire farther than the distance between East and West.” [Bukhari #6112 - Kitab Ar-Riqaq, Muslim #2988]
A person may say this word thinking it is bringing him closer to Allah, like the polytheists did, and the author gave the example of Bani Israeel as mentioned in Surah Al-A’raf [7:138]:
وَجَاوَزْنَا بِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْبَحْرَ فَأَتَوْا عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ يَعْكُفُونَ عَلَىٰ أَصْنَامٍ لَّهُمْ ۚ قَالُوا يَا مُوسَى اجْعَل لَّنَا إِلَٰهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ آلِهَةٌ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ
“And We brought the Children of Israel (with safety) across the sea, and they came upon a people devoted to some of their idols (in worship). They said: "O Musa (Moses)! Make for us an ilahan (a god) as they have aliha (gods)." He said: "Verily, you are a people who know not (the Majesty and Greatness of Allah and what is obligatory upon you, i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone, the One and the Only God of all that exists)."
A person should therefore ask Allah to make him die upon Tawheed.
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