التوحيدكتابشرح

Explanation of Kitab at-Tawhid

Compiled by Abu Hafs

الرحيمالرحمـناللهبسم

Introduction

All praises are due to Allah, we praise Him, we seek His aid and we ask Him forforgiveness, we take refuge unto Allah against the evils in ourselves and againstthe badness of our deeds. Those whom Allah has guided no other creature willlead them astray and those whom Allah has misguided no one will guide. I testi-fy that there is no God except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is theslave and Messenger of Allah.

The reason way this book is compiled so that it is easy for the student of knowl-edge to understand and memorize the explanation of the ayat and ahadith men-tioned in the book. This compilation is based on a famous book in the field ofAqidah named ‘Kitab At-Tawhid’ author by the great Imam Muhammad Ibn Ab-dul Wahhab, we have complied all the different commentary’s on this book andtried to summarize them in points of benefits so that it is easy to understand.

In some of the chapters we have added some extra information for the reader;you will find this in the footnote for the relevant ayah of Quran or hadith.

I ask Allah to Reward those who have helped in this work and to make it ameans of benefit for myself, those who have assisted in this work and the Read-ers.

Abu HafsAbuhafs03@googlemail.com

AuthorImam Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab

His Life and Mission by Sheikh Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdullah Ibn BazImam Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab was a great man, an outstanding reformerand a zealous preacher, who appeared in the Arabian Peninsula in the twelfthcentury 12 A.H. He was educated by his father in his homeland, Oyayna, a vil-lage located at Yamama in Najd, northwest to the city of Riyadh. He learnt toread the Qur'an at a very early age and exerted himself in studies and advancedlearning at the hands of his father, Sheikh Abdul Wahhab Ibn Sulaiman, whowas a great jurisprudent and the Judge of Oyayna.

Having attained puberty, the Sheikh travelled to Makkah and then to Medina tolearn from learned personalities there. Then he went to Iraq (Basrah) to seekafter knowledge. It was in Iraq that he started his mission. There he called thepeople to Tawhid and the Sunnah of the Prophet (). He announced that it wasthe duty of every Muslim to follow his or her religion (Islam) strictly in accor-dance with the Qur'an and the Sunnah. He engaged in debates and discussionwith scholars and thus became famous. However, some characterless scholarsrebelled against him and he faced some harms and persecutions from them.So, he left Basrah moving towards Az-zubair, then to al-Ahsa, and then finally toHuraymela, where also he faced much suffering at the hands of the wicked be-cause he enjoined the good and forbade the evil and persuaded the rulers topunish the criminals severely. So, some of them even attempted on his life, butAllah saved him. Then he moved to Oyayna, which was then governed byPrince Uthman Ibn Muhammad Ibn Muammar, who welcomed the Sheikh withhospitality and promised him all support and help in calling people to Islam.

People in Najd at that time lived in a condition that could not be approved byany believer. Polytheism had spread widely; people worshiped domes, trees,rocks, caves or any persons who claimed to be Awliya (saints). Magic andsoothsaying also had spread. When the Sheikh saw that polytheism was domi-nating the people and that no one showed any disapproval of it or no one wasready to call people back to Allah, he decided to labour singly and patiently inthe field. He knew that nothing could be achieved without Jihad, patience andsuffering.

The Sheikh continued calling people to the Path of Allah and guided them to pi-ety, righteousness and love in the cause of Allah. Gradually, the Sheikh becamefamous in and around Oyayna. People came to Oyayna to meet him from neigh-bouring areas and villages. He also wrote to many scholars requesting theirsupport and reminding them of their task of helping Allah's Religion and fightingagainst polytheism. Many scholars from Najd, Makkah and al-Medina acceptedhis request, while some disagreed with him, reproached his mission, con-

demned him and kept him away.

The Sheikh and those with him were in between two types of people; one groupconsisted of the ignorant people, who knew nothing about Islam and followeddeviations and innovations, superstitions, etc. which their forefathers had up-held. The Qur’an says about them, "We found our fathers following a certainway and religion and we will indeed follow their footsteps." The second group,on the other hand, was related to knowledge but responded negatively to theSheikh because of their envy and also because they were ashamed and afraidthat the people would question their integrity, 'why did you keep silent withoutwarning us against such and such evils until Abdul Wahhab appeared?'

But the Sheikh carried on patiently seeking the Help of Allah in all matters. Hestrove hard in studying the Qur'an and reading useful books. He had a specialskill of interpreting the Qur'an and deducing from it. He also worked hard instudying the life of the Prophet r and the lives of his companions (radhi allahuanhum).

The Sheikh went on teaching and preaching. Gradually, he exerted himself onpractically removing polytheism when he noticed that his call to Islam had no ef-fect on some. One day, the Sheikh said to the governor, 'Let us demolish thedome at the grave of Zaid Ibn al-Khatab (Zaid Ibn al-Khatab was the brother ofUmar Ibn al-Khattab and a martyr, who died in the fighting against MusailimahKhaddhab in 12 A.H, he was buried and later on people built a dome on hisgrave). It is erected on deviation and the Prophet r has forbidden building do-mes or mosques on graves. Moreover, this dome has destroyed the people'sbelief with polytheism. So, it must be demolished.'

The Prince agreed and mobilized an army of six hundred soldiers and marchedtowards the grave, headed by the Sheikh. As soon as they approached thedome, the people came forward to defend it but when they saw the Prince withhis army, they changed their decision. Then the Sheikh took the action of de-molishing and removing the dome. Allah removed it by his hands and Al-Hamdu-lillah, none of its traces remains now. Similarly, there were other domes, caves,trees, etc. that were also destroyed and removed. The Sheikh, thus, continuedhis mission by words and action, for which he became very famous. Also, oneday a woman came to him and confessed that she had committed adultery.After realizing that she was sane, married and had confessed without externalcompulsion, he gave the order according to the Sunnah that she should bestoned to death as a punishment, as he had now become the Judge of Oyayna.

Meanwhile, the Prince of al-Ahsa (and surrounding villages) feared the Sheikh'sposition, because committing wrong, robbery, murder, etc, were usual for them.He wrote to Prince Uthman threatening him and demanding him to kill theSheikh. The Prince approached the Sheikh saying, "the nomad prince has sentme a message to do so and so. We never wish to kill you, but we are afraid ofthe prince and we are unable to fight him. So if you think you may leave." TheSheikh replied: "I am simply calling people to Islam and to the fulfilment of thetestimony of Faith that there is no god except Allah and Muhammad is Allah'sMessenger. Whoever holds fast to Islam and upholds it truthfully, Allah will helphim and make him ruler of his enemy's countries. And if you endure and berighteous and accept this Religion, then be glad that Allah will help you and pro-tect you from the nomad prince and others. Allah will also give you power overhis country and his kinfolk." But Uthman said: "O Sheikh! But we cannot fighthim nor can we stand his oppression." So, the Sheikh had to leave Oyayna forDareyya on foot because Uthman did not even provide him any means of trans-portation.

On reaching Dareyya, the Sheikh stayed in the house of a man who was one ofthe best personalities in Dareyya, but he feared the prince of Dareyya, Muham-mad Ibn Suad. The Sheikh said to him, 'be glad and hope for the best. I am sim-ply calling the people to Allah's Religion, and He will undoubtedly make it victor-ious.'

The news of Sheikh's arrival in Dareyya reached Muhammad Ibn Suad. It is saidthat his wife first informed him of the Sheikh. She was a kind and pious lady andshe addressed her husband saying, 'Here is a great fortune sent to you by Al-lah. A man who is calling the people to Islam, calling to the Qur'an and the Sun-nah of the Prophet. What a good fortune! Rush to him and support him. Neverresist him or stop him from that.' Muhammad Ibn Suad accepted her advice andwent to the Sheikh and made a contract with the Sheikh that he should notleave the country.

The Sheikh now settled in Dareyya. People started to come to him for learningfrom everyplace - from Oyayna, Iraq, Manfooha, Riyadh and other neighbouringplaces. Respected, loved, supported by the people, the Sheikh arranged lec-tures on various topics; Creed, the Holy Qur’an, the Qur'anic commentaries, Is-lamic Jurisprudence and its principles, the Hadith and its terminology, andothers. He arranged classes for the public as well as for the selected persons.Thus, he continued his mission and activities of preaching in Dareyya. He wroteto the scholars and rulers establishing his arguments and warning them againstpolytheism and innovation. Because of his correspondence with scholars and

rulers and his struggling in the cause of Allah, the Sheikh became famous. Hismission continued and spread all over the Islamic world and also other coun-tries.

It is a known fact that every favour has its envier, as every preacher has hisenemies. Allah, the Exalted, said in the Qur'an: "And so We have appointed toevery Prophet an enemy - devils among the men and Jinn - inspiring to eachother adorned speech as a delusion. And had your Lord willed they could nothave done it. So, leave them alone to their fabrication."1

When the Sheikh became famous for his teaching, and his writings receivedwide popularity among the people, many envious groups emerged as his oppo-nents. One group consisted of characterless scholars who saw the truth as fal-sehood and falsehood as truth, and believed that building domes and invokingthe engraved as pertaining to Islam. The second group was associated withknowledge but was ignorant of the reality of the Sheikh's mission. They simplybelieved others and kept aloof from the Sheikh. The third group that opposedthe Sheikh consisted such people who feared the removal of their positions andranks. They showed humility so that the supporters of the Islamic mission mightnot reach them and remove their positions and take over their lands.So, some opposed him in the name of religion, while other opposed him in thename of politics though they hid under the cover of knowledge and religion andexploited the enmity of those scholars who had hated him and accused him ofdeviation. Sometimes, his opponents argued that he belonged to the Khawarij,at times some criticized him out of their lack of proper knowledge, etc. Thus, thefighting between words continued through debates and arguments. He wouldwrite to them and they would reply to him, and he would refute them, and thusnumerous questions and answers were accumulated and compiled into vo-lumes. And Al-Hamdulillah, most of them have been published. Then the Sheikhturned to Jihad in 1158 A.H, he wrote to people to enter the field of Jihad andremove polytheism, which existed in their countries.

The Sheikh, thus, strove in his preaching and Jihad for fifty years from 1158A.H. until he died in 1206. He resorted to all methods of his mission - Jihad,preaching, resistance, debates and arguments until people adhered to obedi-ence and demolished the domes and mosques built by them on the graves andagreed to run their affairs in accordance with Islamic Law, discarding all rulesand laws which had been applied by their fathers and forefathers. Then after thedeath of the Sheikh, his sons, grandson and supporters continued his missionand struggle in the cause of Allah.1 Surah al-An'aam (6): 112

Chapter 1

Tawhid2

- Text -

ليعبدونإلاوالإنسالجنخلقتوما

And I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they shouldworship Me (Alone). (Surah Adh-Dhariyat (51): 56)

- Explanation -

Benefits that we take from the ayah:

The Jinn and Mankind I obliged to Worship Allah Alone Confirmation of the presence of the jinn, they can see us but we cannot

see them in this world

اإلنس - Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa’di (may Allah have mercy on him)said: ‘Allah, may He be exalted, created mankind to worship Him and toknow Him by His names and attributes, and to enjoin that upon them.Whoever submits to Him and does what is enjoined upon him will beone of those who are successful, but whoever turns away from that,they are the losers. He will inevitably gather them together in theHereafter where He will reward or punish them for what Hecommanded and forbade them to do.’3

الجن - The jinn are part of the creation of Allah. He created them from firebefore He created Adam, as Allah says:

السمومنارمنقبلمنخلقناهوالجانمسنونحمإمنصلصالمنالإنسانخلقناولقد

2 Tawhid - with the Salaf and the Scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah has three divisions:

Tawhid ar-Ruboobiyyah implies: A firm and definite belief that Almighty God alone is the Creator, theMaster and Owner, and the Command is for none but Him."

Tawhid al-Uloohiyyah is to single-out God alone for all worship and not to worship anything along withHim, whether it be an angel, a Messenger, a prophet, a pious person, a tree, a stone, the sun, themoon, or other than these."

Tawhid al-Asmaa was-Sifaat is the uniqueness of Almighty God - the Most High - with re-gards to His Names and His Attributes, by affirming that which God has affirmed for Himself- whether in His Book (i.e. the Qur'an) or by the tongue of His Messenger - may the peaceand blessings of God be upon him - without Tahreef (distorting the Names and Attributes),Ta'teel (denial of the Names and Attributes), Takyeef (saying how they are), or Tamtheel(making any resemblance with the creation)."

3 Tafsir al-Sa’di, p. 333

“And indeed, We created man from dried (sounding) clay of altered mud.And the jinn, We created aforetime from the smokeless flame of fire”.4 Allof the jinn, like mankind, are accountable. Among them there arebelievers and kuffar, those who obey Allah and those who disobey Him5

Ibn Kathir – ‘To worship Allah is to obey Him by doing what He orderedus to do and to avoid what He has prohibited from doing….’

The verse is showing the importance of Tawhid Uloohiyyah اإللهيةتوحيد Allah is Self Sufficient, He is not in need of His creation but the creation

is need of Allah in all their affairsعبادة (Worship)6: Sheikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullaah) said‘Worship is a collective term for everything which Allah loves and ispleased with from among the sayings and inward and outward actions.likewise loving Allah and His Messenger ى ل وسلمعليهاللهص , apprehensionbefore Allah and returning repentantly to Him, sincerity in Ad-Deen forHim, patience with His Ordainment, thankfulness for His Bounties,contentment with His Decree, dependence on Him, hope for His Mercy,fear of His Punishment and the like are also part of Al-'Ibaadah due toAllah.

4 al-Hijr 15:26-275 From Usool al-Deen al-Islami, by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Tuwayjri

6Conditions of Worship:Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih ibn ‘Uthaymeen (May Allah have mercy on him) said:1- Reason

o Firstly: the worship must be in accordance with sharia in its reasons. Any personwho worships Allah by doing an act of worship that is not done for a reason proven insharia is doing an act of worship that will be rejected and is not enjoined by Allah andHis Messenger

2- Typeo Secondly: the act of worship should be in accordance with sharia in its type or

nature.3- Amount

o Thirdly: the act of worship must be in accordance with sharia in its amount. Ifsomeone were to say that he was going to pray Zuhr as six rak'ahs, would this act ofworship be in accordance with sharia? Not at all, because it is not in accordance withit in terms of the amount or number.

4- Mannero Fourthly: The act of worship must be in accordance with sharia in how it is done. If a

person does an act of worship that is acceptable in its type, amount and reason, buthe goes against sharia in the manner in which he does it, then it is not valid.

5- Timeo Fifthly: the act of worship must be in accordance with sharia with regard to its timing

6- Placeo Sixthly: the act of worship must be in accordance with sharia with regard to the place

where it is done. For example if a person stands in Muzdalifah on the day of ‘Arafah,this standing is not valid, because the act of worship is not in accordance with shariawith regard to the place where it is done.

- Text -

الطاغوتواجتنبوااللهاعبدواأنرسولاأمةكلفيبعثناولقد

And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) aMessenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid (or keep awayfrom) Taaghoot (all false deities, etc. i.e. do not worship Taaghoot besides

Allah)." (Surah an-Nahl (16): 36)

- Explanation –

Benefits that we take from the ayah:

Evidence that mankind has not been neglected and left withoutguidance

The people who heard from these Messengers وسلمعليهاللهصلى aredivided into two groups:

1. The first, those whom Allah guided to goodness andwho responded positively to the guidance of theMessenger وسلمعليهاللهصلى and abstained from all thatwas forbidden to them

2. The second group were forbidden from success andrejected the truth, and therefore they were losers,both in this world and the Hereafter

Allah sent messengers to mankind since shirk appeared amongthe people of Nuh, who was the first messenger to be sent tomankind, till Mohammed وسلمعليهاللهصلى came and he was the sealof all the messengers

أمة – Ummah the word usually means "community" or "nation, butit also has many different meanings in Quran

Shaykh Muhammad al-Ameen al-Shanqeeti (may Allah havemercy on him) said: The word Ummah is used in four senses inthe Qur’an:

The word Ummah is used to mean a period of time, as inthe ayahs (interpretation of the meanings): “And if We

delay the torment for them till a determined term [ilaummatin ma’doodah]”7

It is used to mean a group of people, which is the usualusage, as in the ayahs (interpretation of the meaning):“And for every Ummah (community or nation) there is aMessenger”8 and there are other similar ayahs.

The word Ummah is used to refer to a man who is takenas a leader, as in the ayah (interpretation of the meaning):“Verily, Ibraaheem (Abraham) was an Ummah (a leaderhaving all the good righteous qualities)”9

The word Ummah is used to mean a way or religion, as inthe ayahs (interpretation of the meanings): “Truly, this,your Ummah [Sharia or religion (Islamic Monotheism)] isone religion”10 and there are other similar ayahs.

The Wisdom of behind sending Messengers is to invite people toTawhid and stop people from committing shirk

الرسول – the Messenger is on who has divine law revealed to himand whom Allah commanded to spread and teach the people,main reason the sending of messengers was for them to tell theirpeople to worship Allah alone and avoid any false deities

الطاغوت – Imam Ibn Jareer al-Tabari said: ‘Taaghoot refers toeveryone who arrogates to himself a position that is befitting onlyfor Allah, and so is worshipped instead of Him, either by forcingothers to worship him or by accepting their willing worship. Theone that is thus worshipped may be a human being, or ashaytaan (devil), or an idol, or a statue, or some other being’11

Mohammad bin ‘Abdul Wahab mentions 5 heads of theTawaagheet:

Shaytaan: The Devil who calls the people to worship otherthan Allah. The proof for this is Allah’s saying: “Did I not

1 7 Surah Hood 11:81 8 Surah Yoonus 10:471 9 Surah al-Nahl 16:1201 10 Surah al-Anbiyaa 21:92

11 Ibn Jareer al-Tabari Tafsir (3/21)

command you O children of Adam, that you should notworship the Devil. Verily, he is a plain enemy to you.”12

The unjust ruler who changes the laws of Allah: Thetyrannical and oppressive ruler who changes Allah’srulings. The proof for this is Allah’s saying: “Have you notseen those (hypocrites) who claim to have faith in thatwhich has been revealed to you, and that which wasrevealed before you, and they wish to go for judgement (intheir disputes) to the Taaghoot, when they have beenordered to reject them? But the Devil wishes to lead themfar astray.”13

The one who rules by other than that which Allah revealed:The one who judges by other than what Allah hasrevealed, and the proof for this is Allah’s saying: “Andwhoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, thenthey are the disbelievers.”14

The one who claims to have knowledge the unseen: Theone who claims to have knowledge of the Unseen, apartfrom Allah. The proof for this is Allah’s saying: “He alone isthe All-Knower of the Unseen, and He does not discloseHis Unseen matters to anyone. Except to a messengerwhom He has chosen, and then He makes a band ofwatching guards (angels) to march before him and behindhim.”15

Anyone who is worshiped besides Allah, and is pleased:The one who is worshipped apart from Allah, while beingpleased with being worshipped. The proof for this is Allah’ssaying: “And whoever amongst them says: ‘Verily, I am aGod besides Him (Allah)’, then this person’s recompense

1 12 Surah Yasin: 601 13 Surah An-Nisa: 601 14 Surah Al-Maa’idah: 441 15 Surah Al-Jinn: 26-27

will be the Hellfire. That is the way We recompense thewrongdoers.”16

1 16 Surah Al-Anbiyaa: 29

- Text -

۞ ولاأفلهماتقلفلاكلاهماأوأحدهماالكبرعندكيبلغنإماإحساناوبالوالدينإياهإلاتعبدواألاربكوقضى

كريماقولالهماوقلتنهرهما

And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And thatyou be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attainold age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout

at them but address them in terms of honour. (Surah Al-Isra (17): 23)

- Explanation –

Benefits that we take from the ayah:

The obligation of worshipping Allah Alone

Allah commands His servants to be dutiful to parents17, afterurging them to adhere to belief in His Tawhid, because a person'sparents are the cause of his existence. So he must treat themwith the utmost kindness and respect, his father for spending onhim and his mother because of her compassion for him.18

On the authority of Abu Hurairah that the Prophet وسلمعليهاللهصلى hassaid: “Despised and humiliated he is! Despised and humiliated heis! Despised and humiliated he is!” When his companions askedhim to whom he was referring, the Prophet وسلمعليهاللهصلى

answered: “A person whose parents, or one of them, attain oldage, living with him, and they do not cause him to be admittedinto heaven.”19

17 The importance of honouring one's parents are:a. Obedience to Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him,b. Obeying and honouring one's parents is a means of entering Paradise,c. Respecting and honouring them brings friendship and love,d. Respecting and obeying them is a way of showing gratitude to them because they

are the ones who brought you into this world,e. If a person honours his parents this may be the cause of his own children honouring

him.18 Tafsir ibn Kathir19 Muslim, Ahmad and Al-Tirmidhee

The meaning of the name of Allah – الرب Ar-Rabb20 (The Lord andCherisher): This name has been repeatedly mentioned in manyverses. Ar-Rabb is the one who nurtures and sustains all of Hisservants through regulating and governing their affairs andgranting them all types of favours and blessings. Morespecifically, He is the one who nurtures and sustains his sincerefriends by correcting and purifying their hearts, souls andmanners. This is why their supplications are frequently made withthis noble Name because they seek this specific nurturing.

موئلادونهمنيجدوالنموعدلهمبلالعذابلهملعجلكسبوابمايؤاخذهملوالرحمةذوالغفوروربك

“And your Rabb is the Ever-Forgiving, Owner of Mercy. Were He to callthem to account for what they had earned, surely He would have

hastened on their punishment. Instead they have their appointed timebeyond which they will find no escape.” [Al-Kahf (18):58]21

- Text -

شيئابهتشركواولااللهواعبدوا

Worship Allah and join none with Him (in worship)… (Surah Nisa: 36)

- Explanation –20 The meaning of Ar-Rabb: Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al ‘Uthaymeen rahimahullaah states:Rabb – meaning khaaliq (Creator) and Sovereign Owner and the One who controls; so He is the One whocreated the heavens and the Earth; and He is the One who owns the heavens and the Earth; and He is the Onewho controls the heavens and the Earth. He, the Most High, said: “Certainly creation and command are Hisalone.” [Surah al A’raaf (7): 54] And this is His being unique with regards to His creating and His controlling.And He, the Most High, said: “And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the Earth.” [Surah alJathiyah (45): 27]

So in everything from the created things of Allah, there is a sign proving His Oneness and His Perfection. (AndHis saying) “Rabb il ‘izzah (power and might)” [Surah as Saffaat (37): 180] Meaning: ghalabah (supremacy). AndRabb here has the meaning of ‘one who possesses’ (something) and its meaning is not ‘creator’. And it occurs inthe Qur’an with the meaning of Creator and Sovereign Owner and One who controls – except in this place; so theintent here is ‘one who possesses’ only. And it is not possible that it be with the meaning of ‘creator’ (here) sinceal ‘izzah (power and might) is one of the Attributes of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; and the Attributes of Allah,the Mighty and Majestic are not created. So it is a must that the intent behind ‘rabb’ in His saying “rabb il ‘izzah”is the One who possesses power and strength, and not Creator (of ‘izzah) since the Attributes of the Rabb arenot created. (Tafsir Surah as Saffaat of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al ‘Uthaymeen rahimahullaah, quoted inMu’jam at Ta’reefaat p200. Translated by Nasser ibn Najam)21 Taken from Explanation to the Beautiful and Perfect Names of Allah by Shaykh Abu 'Abdur-Rahman as-Sa'di

Benefits that we take from the ayah:

First we see the obligation of worshipping Allah Alone Allah includes all forms of worship should be directed to Him only,

He does not specifically enjoin a certain act of worship rather thisgenerally includes all acts

The Prohibition of associating partners with Allah

ك ر ش ل ا – Definition: Shirk22 is ascribing a partner to Allah interms of His Rububiyyah (Lordship) and Uloohiyyah (wor-ship). The common type of Shirk is the Shirk in Uloohiyyah,which entails supplicating others along with Allah, or dedi-cating to them worships such as, offerings, vows, rever-ence, fear, hope, and devotional love. Shirk is the gravestof all sins due to the following: It is resembling the crea-tures with the Creator in terms of the attributes of Divinity,for he who ascribes a partner to Allah; he in effect resem-bles him with Him (Allah). This is the gravest injustice. Allahsays: "Verily, Shirk is gross injustice."23 Injustice signifiesputting a thing in a wrong place. Thus, he who worshipsother than Allah, he places the worship in a place otherthan its own, and dedicates it to one who does not deserveit; hence, it is gross injustice.

Allah has stated that He does not forgive the one who does now dis-avow Shirk. He says: "Surely, Allah will not forgive (the sins of) as-cribing partners to Him, but He will forgive whatever is short of thatto whoever He wishes."24

22 Shaykh Aboo Bakr Bin Muhammad 'Aarif Khuqayr (d. 1340H) divided shirk into six categories:a. Shirk in Independence (Istiqlaal: affirming two independent gods, like the shirk of

the Magians.b. Shirk in Division (Tab'eedh): which is extracting a god from another god, like the

shirk of the Christians.c. Shirk in Nearness (Taqreeb): worshipping other than Allah in order to gain nearness

to Him.d. Shirk of Taqleed: like the shirk of the later people of the times of Jaahiliyyah.e. Shirk in Causes (Asbaab): to ascribe causes to other than the Power of Allah as the

philosophers and atheists do when they say, 'it rained due to the planet tempset(alone)'.

Shirk in Needs (Aghraadh): doing actions for other than Allah and this is judged as being sinful as some of thescholars have mentioned. (Kitaan Maa Laa Budda Minhu, p. 31)23 Surah Luqman (31): 1324 Surah an-Nisa (4): 48

The Types of Shirk: Shirk is of two types:

Major Shirk: Which constitutes apostasy, and condemns the personwho practices it to Hell-Fire, and to live therein eternally if he doesnot relinquish it before death Shirk is devoting an act of worship toother than Allah, such as; supplication, vows, offerings that aremade to jinn, graves or Shaytaan.

Lesser Shirk: is which does not constitute apostasy, but defects theTawhid, and is conducive to greater Shirk. It is of two kinds:

1 Obvious Shirk which constitutes of Utterances andActions.

2 The hidden Shirk pertains to intentions and wills-such as acting hypocritically and fame that is, to do athing which usually is done as a means for seekingnearness to Allah, but does it only so that peoplecommend him for it; such as performing Salat in aperfect manner, or giving charitable gift to bepraised, or raising his voice with the Dhikr (remem-brance of Allah) or reciting Qur'an for people to hearhim and praise him.

The Differences between Greater Shirk and Lesser Shirk: The follow-ing differences between the Greater Shirk and the Lesser Shirk are de-duced from the above mentioned:

1 The Major Shirk establishes apostasy, while the LesserShirk does not establish apostasy

2 The Major Shirk judges the one who practices it to eternalFire. Whereas the lesser Shirk does not condemn the onewho practices it to eternal life in the Fire if he enters it.

Sheikh Mohammad bin Ibrahim (May Allah have mercy on him)said, ‘ This verse proves the prohibition of all the types of Shirk:

1) Major Shirk (Ash-Shirk al-Akbar)2) Lesser Shirk (Ash-Shirk al-Asghar)3) Hidden Shirk (Ash-Shirk ul-Khafy)

Likewise, it is not allowed to associate and angel, a prophet, a righteousperson, stones, trees or a jinn as a partner with Allah because these arecreated things.’25

25 Sharh Kitab at-Tawhid by Sheikh Mohammad bin Ibrahim

- Text -

۞ نرزقكمنحنإملاقمنأولادكمتقتلواولاإحساناوبالوالدينشيئابهتشركواألاعليكمربكمحرمماأتلتعالواقل

تعقلونلعلكمبهوصاكمذلكمبالحقإلااللهحرمالتيالنفستقتلواولابطنومامنهاظهرماالفواحشتقربواولاوإياهم

قلتموإذاوسعهاإلانفسانكلفلابالقسطوالميزانالكيلوأوفواأشدهيبلغحتىأحسنهيبالتيإلااليتيممالتقربواولا

تذكرونلعلكمبهوصاكمذلكمأوفوااللهوبعهدقربىذاكانولوفاعدلوا

تتقونلعلكمبهوصاكمذلكمسبيلهعنبكمفتفرقالسبلتتبعواولافاتبعوهمستقيماصراطيهذاوأن

(151) Say (O Muhammad وسلمعليهاللهصلى : "Come, I will recite what your Lord hasprohibited you from: Join not anything in worship with Him; be good and dutifulto your parents; kill not your children because of poverty - We provide suste-

nance for you and for them; come not near to Al-Fawahish (shameful sins, ille-gal sexual intercourse,) whether committed openly or secretly, and kill not any-

one whom Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause (according to Islamiclaw). This He has commanded you that you may understand.

(152) "And come not near to the orphan's property, except to improve it, until he(or she) attains the age of full strength; and give full measure and full weight

with justice. We burden not any person, but that which he can bear. And when-ever you give your word (i.e. judge between men or give evidence), say the truth

even if a near relative is concerned, and fulfil the Covenant of Allah, This Hecommands you that you may remember.

(153) "And verily, this (i.e. Allah's Commandments mentioned in the above twoVerses 151 and 152) is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other)

paths, for they will separate you away from His Path. This He has ordained foryou that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V.2:2)." (Surah An’aam:

151-153)

- Explanation –

Benefits that we take from the ayah:

Allah , orders His Prophet Muhammad وسلمعليهاللهصلى to call thepeople to come forth and listen to the Commands of Allah ,concerning what has been prohibited for them; and because it isthe idolater who most often opposes all good deeds, Allah hasbegun by warning them to abstain from associating partners withHim

That Shirk is the greatest of sins and that no other deed will beaccepted by Allah if there is any association of partners involvedin it; and because of its importance, Allah has mentioned it first

The ten basic obligations that are established in these ayats:1. Allah has warned you that you do not make shirk with Him.

That includes any kind of shirk with Allah, any kind of objectof worship, no matter how big or small, with Allah. And anykind of action that is directed as an act of worship to Allahand someone else. All of that is prohibited, no matter howbig, how relevant, how significant.

2. He has admonished you to be dutiful to your parents. Thatis by being dutiful to them. Being in their service and pro-tecting them. Keeping all types of harm from them, andobeying them in all issues that are within the permissiblerange, outside the disobedience of Allah.

3. Our Lord has prohibited us from killing our children in fearof poverty.. Do not fear poverty to the point that you kill yourchildren. For Allah is the One that provides for you and forthem.

4. You do not go anywhere near prohibited deeds. Those pro-hibited acts of disobedience that are done openly and thosedone in secret.

5. He has admonished you not to murder. The prohibition ofmurder. Especially if the murdered one was one’s own rela-tive.

6. The prohibition of the taking of the wealth of the orphan andusing it for oneself. The caretaker takes the wealth of theorphan and uses it for himself. That is prohibited. The legis-lated manner of using that money to invest with it, to in-crease that money for the orphan.

7. When you do business weigh in full measure and give fullvolume. When you weigh something in volume with cupsand litres and things like that, then measure with full vo-lume. And that is from fairness. And that order is not limitedto the size or the weight of the product being sold, but it isall inclusive. And includes an admonition for businessmento be truthful, to be clear in their sales, do not be deceptiveor cheating. That they be clear in their selling.

8. When you give your testimony, when you speak somewords, then be fair and just. Even if it is against a close re-lative. Then be fair and be just, and offer your testimony intruth, and do not hide your testimony, and do not twist yourtestimony because of your animosity for that person. All ofthat is from the balance of Islam.

9. Hold to the covenant of Allah by obeying Allah and followingHis legislation. Staying away from what He has forbiddenyou from. And by learning the things in His Book and whatHis Messenger has come with.

10.This is my path, a straight one, so follow it. And do not fol-low the other paths as they will divide you away from Hispath. So Allah in this tenth admonition has ordered us, oradmonished us, all of mankind, to follow the path of theMessenger of Allah وسلمعليهاللهصلى . To follow our religionbased on the exemplification of the Messenger of Allah صلى

وسلمعليهالله . And to abandon all other ways, all other roadsand paths that will split you up, that would take you awayfrom the following of the Messenger of Allah وسلمعليهاللهصلى .

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Ibn Masood (radhi Allaahu anhu) says: Whoever wants to know the will of Pro-phet Muhammad وسلمعليهاللهصلى sealed with his seal, let him recite these Qur’anicverses,’... Say (O Muhammad وسلمعليهاللهصلى ): “Come, I will recite what your Lordhas prohibited you from...”’ ending with ‘And verily, this (i.e. Allah’s Command-ments mentioned in the above two Verses) is my straight path, so follow it, and

follow not (other) paths...’” [Surah Al-An’aam (6):151-153]26

- Explanation –

26 Shaykh Sulayman Ibn Abdul Wahhab said: “This report is recorded by At Tirmidhee who graded it ha-san, Ibn Al Mundhir, Ibn Abee Haatim, at Tabaranee similarly, and Abu Ubayd and Abd Ibn Humayd re-ported similarly from al Rabi’a Bin Khuthaym” At Tirmidhee’s wording is: “Whoever takes pleasure in look-ing at the page which has the seal of Muhammad on it then let these people recite the ayat” and the restis the same. So it does not contain the word ‘will’. Albani comments after the text with At Tirmidhee,“weak isnaad” Da’eef Sunan at-Tirmidhee

Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud states that had the Prophet وسلمعليهاللهصلى

made his will he would of mentioned the above ayat to befollowed

This is a reminder from Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud for us to obey the 10commandments mentioned in these ayat

The commandments of the Prophet وسلمعليهاللهصلى are exactlythose of Allah for he instructs what Allah commands

The companions were truly amongst the most knowledge-able in understanding the Quran

The commandments mentioned in the previous ayat (SurahAn’aam: 151-153) represent the will of the Prophet عليهاللهصلىوسلم

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Mu’adh Ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “I was a companionrider of the Prophet on a donkey. The Prophet asked, “O Mu’adh! Do you knowAllah’s right on His servants and the right of His servants on Him.’ I replied, ‘Al-lah and His Messenger know best.’ He said, ‘Allah’s right on His servants is thatthey must worship Him (only) and must not worship any besides Him. And theservant’s right on Allah is that He must not punish whoever worships none be-sides Him.’ I said, ‘O Allah’s Messenger! Should I not inform the people of thisgood news?’ He said, ‘Do not inform them of it, lest they should depend on it

(absolutely).’”27

- Explanation –

Benefits that we take from the hadith:

27 Reported by Al-Bukhari (#2856) and Muslim (#30)

We see from the above hadith that Allah has rights on Hisservants, that they the servants should worship Him (Allah)without associating any partners with Him

We also see the right of the servants on Allah, it refers to Allah’spromise to reward His obedient servants out of His bounty theJannah, to those that worship Him alone

The legitimacy of riding behind another, if it does not overburdenthe riding beast

The humbleness of the Prophet وسلمعليهاللهصلى in sharing hisdonkey with one of his companions, This is as opposed towhat the people of pride and

Arrogance would do in a situation like that That the sweat of the donkey is not impure

The Prophet وسلمعليهاللهصلى used to teach them using ques-tions and answers. By posing a question, giving a chanceto the Companions to answer the question, and then an-swering the question if they needed the answer.

If anyone is questioned about something they do not knowthen they should say ‘Allah knows best’ we do not add ‘andHis messenger’ because the Prophet وسلمعليهاللهصلى has leftus now

That the first obligation of the slave towards Allah is to wor-ship Him Alone

That the one who dies believing and practising Tawhid is savedfrom the torment of the Hell-fire, so long as he does not commitany of the major sins which would cause him to be punished inthe Fire.

The desire to give glad tidings to Muslims with regards with thingsthat will make them happy. That’s taken from the initial interest ofMu’adh Ibn Jabal in conveying that knowledge and giving glad tid-ings. And the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) did not re-buke him for that, but rather he ordered him not to convey it. Butthe general idea was there that a Muslim loves to give good tid-ings to his brothers in Islam.

The permissibility of keeping knowledge secret for the sake of securinga greater interest, although it is mentioned in an authentic Hadith thatthe Prophet وسلمعليهاللهصلى said: "Whoever concealed knowledge, Allahwill make him wear a bridle of fire on the Day of Resurrection,"28 thereis no contradiction here, because the forbiddance of concealingknowledge in the above hadith is general, while the first Hadithcontains an exception to that forbiddance in special circumstances: Forit permits one to conceal knowledge if there is a fear that revealing itwill cause disorder or trouble in the Muslim community. He told Mu’adh do not convey this, so that the people might lay

back or lean back, not do any work, they might relax and do noth-ing. Because they’ll say, we have Tawhid and that is enough, andtherefore there is no need for us to work.

A student should display good manners with his teacher. Inthe hadith Mu’adh was on the back of the donkey riding

28 Reported by Abu Dawud