Class 2 – What Where Why – Basics of Tawheed
Class – 2
What/Where/Why : Basics of Tawheed
I. THE PILLARS OF ISLAM
Q1. The Angel Gabriel asked: “Muhammad tell me about Islam.”
A. The Prophet ﷺ , answered:
Islam is:
- To bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (and that he was sent by Allah to teach us His religion).
- And to establish Salat (prayer) — (that is to perform it correctly with sincerity and humility).
- And to pay Zakât
- And to observe Saum (fasting) during the month of Ramadan — (by avoiding food, drink and sexual intercourse from dawn to dusk).
- And to perform Hajj (to make pilgrimage to the House of Allah —the Sacred Mosque at Makkah) if he/she is able to make this journey. (Muslim)
II. THE PILLARS OF FAITH
Q1 What are the pillars of Faith?”
A. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Faith is to believe in:
1. Allah [That He is the Creator and that only He has the right to be worshipped, and that He has Names and Attributes (referred to in the Qur’ân and Sunnah) and that: There is nothing like unto Him, He is the All- Hearer, All-Seer’. (V.42:11)]
2. His Angels (Creatures of light, invisible to us, created by Allah, they perform certain duties assigned to them).
3. His Books (The Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, and the Qur’an which confirms and fulfills them).
4. His Messengers (The Prophets sent to mankind) The first was Noah and the last was Muhammad (peace be upon them all).
5. In the Final Day (The Day of Resurrection when mankind will be judged).
6. And to believe in Allah’s Decree (Qadar) both the good and the evil thereof. (To be content with the fate which Allah has decreed for us, while taking the precautions and seeking the legal causes that lead to the desired purpose). (Muslim)
III. HUMAN BEINGS’ DUTY TO ALLAH
Q1 Why has Allah created us?
A. Allah has created us to worship Him Alone and to worship no other besides Him.
The proof is Allah’s saying: “And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone).” (V.51:56)
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Mankind’s duty to Allah is to worship Him Alone, and not to associate partners to Him in anything.” (Bukhari – Muslim)
Q2 What is worship?
A. Worship is a comprehensive term which includes all sayings and actions which are appreciated by Allah; such as invocation, Salát (prayer), humbling oneself in front of Him etc. As Allah, the All-Mighty says: “Say (0 Muhammad ., ﷺ ) : Verily, my Salát (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists).” (V.6:162)
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah says: The most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to me, is the observance of what I have enjoined upon hint” (Bukhari)
Q3 How do we worship Allah?
A. We worship Him as He and His Messenger ﷺ have commanded, as Allah says:
“0 you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ ) and render not vain your deeds’ (V.47:33)
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever does any deed (in religion) which we have not commanded, it is rejected.” (Muslim)
Q4 Should we worship Allah with fear or hope?
A. Both, that is how we should worship Him as He has commanded His servants: And invoke Him with fear and hope – (V.7:56)
The Prophet ﷺ said: “I beseech Allah to grant me Paradise, and I seek refuge in Him from Hell-fire.” (Abü Dáwüd)
Q5 What Is Ihsan (perfection In worship)?
A. Ihsán (Perfection in worship) is to be conscious of Allah during worship.
As Allah said: “Who sees you (0 Muhammad ﷺ ) when you stand up (alone at night for Tahajjud prayer). And your movements among those who fall prostrate (along with you to Allah in the five compulsory congregational prayers).” (V.26:2 18,219)
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Ihsan (Perfection in worship) is to worship Allah as if you are seeing Him, (and if you cannot concentrate to that extent) yet truly He is seeing you”. (Muslim)
IV. FORMS AND BENEFITS OF TAUHID
Q1 Why did Allah send the Prophets?
A. He sent them to call mankind to His worship and to reject the worship of anything besides Allah, as the All-Mighty says: “And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): ‘Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Tághut (all false deities etc. do not worship Tâghüt besides Allah)’…” (V.16:36)
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The Prophets are brothers, their faith is one.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
Q2 What is the affirmation of Allah’s Oneness as Lord? (Tauhid Ar-Rubübiya)
A. It is to affirm the uniqueness and exclusiveness of His works, creation and direction (of the universe) etc.
As Allah, the All-Mighty says: “All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists).” (V.1:1)
The Prophet ﷺ said: “You are the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth…” (Bukhári – Muslim)
Q3 What is the affirmation of Allah’s Oneness as the Only One to be worshipped? (TauhId Al Ulâhiyah).
A. It is to devote to Him exclusively all our worship like; supplications, invocations, sacrifice, vows, prayer, hope, fear, seeking help, trust etc.
As Allah says: “And your Ilah (God) is One Ilah (God – Allah) La iláha lila Huwa (there is none who has the right to be worshipped but He), the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.’ (V.2:163)
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Let the first thing you invite them to do is to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah.”
In another version in Bukhâri: – to assert Allah’s Oneness’ (Bukhâri, Muslim)
Q4 What is the affirmation of Allah’s Names and Attributes? (Tauhid Al-Asmd.was-Sifât).
A. It is to affirm Allah’s Attributes as He Himself describes them in the Book and as His Messenger describes Him in authentic Ahádith, that they are true without allegorizing them (Ta‘wil), anthropomorphizing them (Tajsim), comparing them to the creation (Tamihil), or negating them (Ta ‘til) or questioning about their quality (Takyif). Such as the matter of (His) establishment (above the Throne), or (His) descent (to the first heaven) or (His) Hand, which are appropriate to Allah’s Perfection.
Allah says: “There is nothing like unto Him and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer”. (V.42:11)
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah descends each night to the first heaven.” (Ahmad)
(that is: He descends in a way befitting His Majesty, which is unlike the action of any of His creations).
Q5 Where Is Allah?
A. Allah is over the Throne (which is) above the (seventh) heaven.
As Allah says: “The Most Beneficent (Allah) Isiawa (rose over) the• (Mighty) Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty). (V.20:5) (that is: He raised Himself above it).
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah wrote out (all things) in a Book before He created the creation………. it is with Him above the Throne.” (Bukhari)
Q6 Is Allah with us?
A. Allah is with us through His Knowledge (of all things). He hears and sees us, as He says: “He (Allah) said: Fear not, Verily! I am with you both, Hearing and Seeing.” (V.20:46)
The Prophet , said: “You call upon the One Who hears, Who is near, and is with you (i.e. through His Knowledge)” (Muslim)
Q7 What is the benefit of affirming Allah’s Oneness(Tauhid)?
A. It is salvation from eternal punishment in the Hereafter, right guidance in this world, and forgiveness for sin.
Allah, the All Mighty says: “It is those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah and worship none but Him Alone) and confuse not their belief with Zuim (wrong i.e. by worshipping others bes ides Allah), for them (only) there is security and they are guided’ (V.6:82)
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The worshipper’s right on Allah is that He will not punish those who worship none besides Him.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
CONDITIONS FOR ALLAH’S ACCEPTANCE OF OUR DEEDS
Q1. What are the conditions for the acceptance of our deeds?
A. They are three:
1. Belief (Faith) in Allah and affirmation of His Oneness, as Allah says: “Verily! Those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah — Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous deeds, shall have the Gardens of Al-Firdaus (Paradise) for their entertainment”. (V. 18:107)
2. Sincerity (Ikhlâs), which is to do deeds for Allah’s sake only neither seeking praise from fellow-beings nor to have repute among men.
Allah says: “So, call you (0 Muhammad ﷺ and the believers) upon (or invoke) Allah making (your) worship pure for Him (Alone) (by worshipping none but Him and by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allah’s sake only and not to show off and not to set up rivals with Him in worship)’ (V.40:14)
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever sincerely testifies: ‘None has the right to be worshipped but Allah’ shall enter Paradise.” (Al-B azzár and others)
3. That they should be in accordance with the teachings of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as Allah says: “And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad . ) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it) … “(V.59:7)
The Prophet ﷺ . said: “Whoever does any deed (in religion) which we have not commanded, it is rejected.” (Muslim)