1Unit

Lesson 1Introduction to Tawheed

Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah

Soorat Al-Ma‘aarij : Ways of Ascent (Part 1) Aayaat (1-11)

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Lesson 1 2

Lesson 1 3

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Unit 1

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Introduction to Tawheed

Tawheed means to believe that there is only one God, and He is Allah. Allah is the only Lord, Creator and Sustainer of all of creation. He is One, without any partners. He is not in need of anybody or anything and He has control over all things. He is unique in His Names and Attributes, and only He deserves to be worshipped.

This explanation of Tawheed informs us re-garding three important facts related to Allah

. It tells us about Allah’s:

His Lordship and His Actions (Ruboo-biyyah),

Creation’s duty towards Him – worship-ping Him alone (Uloohiyyah)

His Names and Attributes (al-Asmaa wa as-Sifaat),

Based on this, scholars have divided Ta-wheed into the following categories:

1 Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah

2 Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah

3 Tawheed al-Asmaa wa as-Sifaat

Meaning of Tawheed.The different categories of Tawheed.

WORD BANK

tawheed توحيدshirk شـرك

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Tawheed is actually a single, comprehensive concept that covers all the above aspects. Scholars however divided it into the above-mentioned categories so that people may have a better understanding of Tawheed in light of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah. These are thus three aspects of Tawheed, rather than independent categories. It is for this reason that all three aspects are equally important and to be a true Muslim it is essential to firmly believe in all of them. Rejecting any of them or believing deficiently in them can amount to shirk.

Tawheed al-Asmaa wa as-Sifaat means to believe that Allah has unique Names and At-tributes. Allah has many Names and Attributes that He uses to describe Himself. How-ever, only ninety-nine of His Names have been revealed to the people. It is important for Muslims to understand the Names and Attributes of Allah in the same way as the Prophet Muhammad and his Companions understood them.

The following aayah in the Qur’aan epitomizes the way in which the Companions be-lieved in the Names and Attributes of Allah .

As an example thus, since there is nothing like Allah :

1 We cannot say that Allah Hears like we hear,

1 We cannot say that Allah does not ‘hear’,

1 We cannot change the meaning of ‘hear’ to something else,

1 We cannot ask about ‘how’ Allah hears.

Allah’s Attribute of Hearing is used in this example, however the rules concerning the four statements above can and should be applied with regard to any of Allah’s Names and Attributes.

Believing like the Prophet Muhammad and his Companions means to follow how they understood the concept of Tawheed. The correct belief also means to follow the Prophet and the Companions’ understanding of the other two categories of Tawheed. This under-standing is the correct understanding.

Lesson 1 1

There is nothing like Him, and He Hears and Sees everything. [Soorat ash-Shooraa: 11]

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Answer the following questions:a One of Allah’s Names is the Provider. Find the Arabic term that refers to this. Name five

other Names and/or Attributes of Allah. List the Arabic and English translation for each of these names.

b Would the fasting of a man be accepted if he believes that Allah has partners?c Why is it dangerous to use logic to interpret the concept of Tawheed?

Tawheed has three categories.

Rejecting any one category of Tawheed leads to shirk.

Muslims should follow the understanding of the Prophet and the Compan-ions .

Learning from the lesson

Exercise

Answer true or false to the following statements:

1 There are four categories of Tawheed.

2 Rejecting any one category of Tawheed leads to shirk.

3 Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah is to believe in Allah’s unique Names and Attributes.

4 Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah is to worship Allah Alone.

5 Tawheed al-Asmaa wa as-Sifaat is to believe in Allah’s unique Names and

Attributes

6 The Companions used to deny some of Allah’s Attributes.

7 The correct understanding is that of the Prophet and his Companions

8 All Muslims should understand Tawheed in the same way as the Companions

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Imagine someone has written to you telling you that categorizing Tawheed is an innovation in Islam.

Write a reply explaining why it is wrong to say the categorization of Tawheed is an innovation. You should state what an innovation is and why this particular issue does not fall into it.

Bismil-laahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem

Your Address

Date

Dear...............................

Name & Address of whom you are writing to

As-salaamu ‘Alaykum wa Rahmatullaah

Body of the letter

Name:

Follow this letter format

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Unit 1

Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah

Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah

WORD BANKqadr (decree) قدر al-suhuf الصحف

Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah is one of the three categories of Tawheed. It explains the fact that Allah is the Creator of all things and it is only He who brought all things into ex-istence. It encompasses the aspect that He maintains and sustains all the creation and provides for all the needs of the entire creation. It includes the facts that Allah is the One who takes and gives life and that the entire creation is depen-dent on Allah , and He is not in need of any of them, while nothing happens except through the knowledge and permis-sion of Allah .

The term ar-Ruboobiyyah is derived from the word Rabb which is commonly translated as ‘Lord’ in English. However, the word Rabb has a much broader meaning and includes a description of Allah that cannot be translated into English by a single word. Instead, the correct meaning of Rabb is as dis-cussed above that Allah Creates, Owns, and Manages.

There are many aayaat in the Qur’aan which make reference to Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah.

One such aayah is the example taken from the discussion that Ibraaheem had with his father and his people. In this instance, Ibraaheem described Allah in the following way:

…Who created me and He (it is who) guides me. And it is He who feeds me and gives me drink. And when I am ill, it is He who cures me. And Who will cause me to die and bring me to life. [Soorat ash-Shu’araa: 78 - 81]

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Lesson 1 2Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah also means to recognize that Allah is the only real power that stands behind everything that happens in the universe. Allah declares in the Qur’aan that surely it is only He who has power over everything.

Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah incorporates the fact that everything that takes place , occurs un-der the instruction and with the permission of Allah . Whether good or bad, difficult or easy, it is all from the qadr of Allah . No one can harm another person except if Allah wants it to happen. At the same time, no one can help someone except if Allah wants it. This concept is expounded upon in a hadeeth of the Prophet wherein he addresses ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Ab-baas in a most kind and gentle manner. The Prophet says to Abdullaah ibn `Abbaas:

This hadeeth clarifies various aspects related to the concept of Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah. Among the points mentioned in the hadeeth are the following:

The Prophet told ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Abbaas to ask and seek help from only Allah . This clearly tells us that only Allah is the Provider, Sustainer and it is only He who sees to the needs of the creation. The essence of the statement is that only Allah should be relied upon since people are unable to do things on their own. When people turn to Allah

and ask for help, then it demonstrates the fact that they recognize the fact that they are in total need of Allah’s assistance.

The hadeeth also refers to the concept that no-one has the ability or power to harm or benefit any or all person/s. Everything is under the control of Allah , and if Allah wants something to happen, then it will, while if Allah does not want for something to take place then it never will. If Allah wants to provide someone with food, then the person will get food, while if Allah has not decreed any food to be part of the sustenance of a person then he will definitely not have any part of it. It does not matter if all the people in the world try to feed a person or try to stop food getting to a person, since this takes place under the Order of Allah and the creation cannot change what is decreed by Allah .

‘“O young man, I shall teach you some words … If you ask, ask Allah. If you seek help, seek help from Allah. Know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with something, they would not benefit you with anything except that which Allah has already written for you. And if they gather to harm you with something, they would not harm you with anything except that which Allah has already written for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried”. [at-Tirmidhi]

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Find ten words or phrases hidden in the grid below. The words are related to the concept of Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah:

Clues:1 in Arabic it refers to Al-Mumeet 2 one who provides sustenance 3 provide with food 4 in Arabic it refers to Al-Muhyee 5 to hurt 6 in Arabic it refers to Ar-Razzaaq 7 closest English equivalent - Lord 8 another word for heals 9 to gain something 10 in Arabic it refers to Al-Khaaliq

The concept of Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah is taken from the Qur’aan.

Only Allah has the power to bring harm or benefit.

Learning from the lesson

Exercise

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Using the hidden words from Exercise 1, write down three ways in which Allah causes them to happen. You should write your answers in table format. Use the table below as an example:

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Use the students’ resource center. Find two books that contain information on the subject of Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah. When you have done this, complete the following tasks:

1 Write down the definitions of Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah from each book.

2 Check and write down the similarities and differences between the two definitions.

First Way Second Way Third Way

1st word

2nd word

3rd word

4th word

5th word

6th word

7th word

8th word

9th word

10th word

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Unit 1

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Soorat al-Ma‘aarij: Ways of Ascent (Part 1) Aayaat (1-11)

1-A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen.

2-To the disbelievers; of it there is no preventer.

3-[It is] from Allāh, owner of the ways of ascent.

4-The angels and the spirit [i.e., Gabri-el] will ascend to Him during a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years.

5-So be patient with gracious patience.

This part of the soorah gives a description of the Day of Judgment. It also describes some of its frightening aspects.

WORD BANK

ta‘ruj تعرجar-rooh الروح

Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem

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