Al-Aqeedah (Islamic Creed) - Level 1

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Unit 1 — Introduction to Sound Aqeedah

The Meaning of Sound Aqeedah

Linguistically, aqeedah derives from al-aqd — tying, securing, binding firmly (the opposite of hall, undoing). The same root gives uqdah, used in uqdat al-yamin (a binding oath) and uqdat an-nikah (the marriage tie). Reference: al-Ma’idah 5:89.

Other names the salaf used for Islamic aqeedah: Tawhid, Sunnah , usul ad-deen (principles of religion), al-fiqh al-akbar, sharia, and eeman.

In Islamic terminology, aqeedah is “the ruling not subject to any doubt for the one who believes in it” — the proven, definitive matters one holds in the heart as true without doubting them.

“Sound” (sahih) means free from all faults and errors.

Definition of sound aqeedah: firm belief in Allah and what must be believed about Him — His divinity, His Lordship, His names and attributes — plus belief in His angels, Books, Messengers, the Last Day, and His decree (good and bad), and everything established in the sound texts regarding the unseen. It must be held with certainty, without doubt (al-Hujurat 49:15).

Evidence That Aqeedah is These Six Pillars of Belief

1. al-Baqarah 2:177 — true righteousness is belief in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets.
2. al-Baqarah 2:285 — the Messenger and believers believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers.
3. Hadith of Umar ibn al-Khattab (the hadith of Jibreel): faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and the divine decree (good and bad). (Muslim)

The Importance of Sound Aqeedah

1. It is the condition for deeds being accepted and, after Allah’s mercy, the means of salvation and Paradise (al-Kahf 18:110; at-Tawbah 9:72). Corrupt aqeedah renders deeds worthless (al-Ma’idah 5:5; az-Zumar 39:65) — deeds become null, carrying no weight in the Hereafter.
2. It is the core message of every messenger. No messenger was sent except to call first to sound belief (an-Nahl 16:36; al-Anbiya 21:25).
   • Benefit — Taghut: anything or anyone worshipped besides Allah that approves of being so worshipped.
3. It is more essential to a person than air and water, because only it answers humanity’s greatest questions: Where did I come from? Why was I created? Where do I go after death? Lacking answers produces the misery, mental illness and rising suicide rates seen even in wealthy nations. Sound aqeedah fills the heart with certainty and tranquillity.
4. It brings security and guidance in this world and the next (al-An’am 6:82 — “do not mix belief with injustice” means not mixing faith with shirk ).

Qur’an

﴿الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُم بِظُلْمٍ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمُ الْأَمْنُ وَهُم مُّهْتَدُونَ﴾ — الأنعام ٨٢

Absence of security and the spread of turmoil in the Muslim world traces to abandoning sound aqeedah. 5. It is a means of abundant blessings from heaven and earth (al-A’raf 7:96).

Distinguishing Features of Sound Aqeedah

1. Clear and straightforward — nothing mysterious or complex, and no part reserved only for a clergy to understand.
2. In harmony with innate human nature (fitrah) — common sense, not contrary to it.
3. Unchanging — it does not alter or develop over time; nothing added or subtracted, not subject to distortion. Other beliefs were altered by the whims of rulers and monks.
4. Based on proof and evidence for every issue (al-An’am 6:149).
5. Moderate — no extremes, no exaggeration or heedlessness.

Sources of Sound Aqeedah

Preliminary point: sound aqeedah accords with the fitrah — humans instinctively believe in Allah’s oneness and are naturally inclined to accept the truth. Evidence:

1. ar-Rum 30:30 — direct your face toward the religion by nature (fitrah); no change in Allah’s creation.

Qur’an

﴿فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا ۚ فِطْرَتَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا ۚ لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾ — الروم ٣٠

Haneefiyyah = Islam and its pillars. Fitrah = the sound human nature able to accept the true religion. 2. Bukhari & Muslim (Abu Hurayrah): every newborn is born upon the fitrah; his parents make him a Jew, Christian, or Zoroastrian

Hadith

«مَا مِنْ مَوْلُودٍ إِلَّا يُولَدُ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ، فَأَبَوَاهُ يُهَوِّدَانِهِ وَيُنَصِّرَانِهِ وَيُمَجِّسَانِهِ، كَمَا تُنْتَجُ الْبَهِيمَةُ بَهِيمَةً جَمْعَاءَ، هَلْ تُحِسُّونَ فِيهَا مِنْ جَدْعَاءَ؟» (متفق عليه)

— just as animals are born whole (“intact” = complete with all limbs; “deformed” = missing limbs). Then he recited ar-Rum 30:30. 3. Muslim (Abu Hurayrah), two versions: every newborn is born a believer in this religion (one version adds: “until he begins to speak”). 4. Muslim (Iyad ibn Himar): Allah created His slaves hunafa (inclined to truth), but devils divert them. Hunafa (sing. haneef) = one inclining away from all other religions toward Islam.

First Source — The Noble Quran

The miraculous words of Allah revealed to Muhammad ﷺ (ash-Shu’ara 26:193–195). Evidence that we take aqeedah from it:

1. It commands following it alone (al-A’raf 7:3).
2. Everything in it is sound and true (al-Baqarah 2:176; Aal Imran 3:95; an-Nisa 4:87, 4:122).
3. It is protected from tampering (al-Hijr 15:9).
4. It is the judge that explains and clarifies in detail (al-An’am 6:114).
5. It is al-Furqan — the Criterion distinguishing truth from falsehood (al-Furqan 25:1).
6. We are instructed to refer disputes to it (an-Nisa 4:59; ash-Shura 42:10).
7. It is the decisive word, not amusement (at-Tariq 86:13–14).

Second Source — The Sound (Sahih) Prophetic Sunnah

That which is soundly narrated from the Prophet ﷺ via a sound chain (isnad) — his words, deeds, and approvals. Evidence:

1. al-Hashr 59:7 — take what the Messenger gives, refrain from what he forbids.
2. al-Anfal 8:1 — obey Allah and His Messenger.
3. an-Nahl 16:44 — the Messenger clarifies the revelation.
4. Abu Rafi: the Prophet ﷺ warned against the man who rejects his command saying “we only have the Book of Allah.” (Four, except an-Nasa’i; sahih per Ibn Hibban)
5. al-Miqdam ibn Ma’di Karib: “I have been given the Book and something like it with it” — i.e. the Sunnah . (Ahmad; sahih per al-Arna’ut)
6. al-Irbad ibn Sariyah: adhere to my Sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs. (Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi — sahih)
7. Ijma (consensus): ash-Shafi’i noted no Sahabi or Tabi’i rejected an authentic report of the Prophet ﷺ.

Third Source — The Consensus (Ijma) of the Righteous Early Generations

Salaf linguistically = the early group / one’s forefathers. Their names:

• Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jama’ah — “Sunnah ” for adhering to the Prophet’s Sunnah ; “Jama’ah” for being united in following it and adhering to consensus.
• The saved sect — saved from the Fire by adhering to the Sunnah . Hadith of Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan: the ummah will split into 73 sects, all in the Fire except one — the main body (jama’ah). (Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi — hasan per al-Albani)
• The prevailing group — a group of the ummah continues to prevail until the Hour. (Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi — sahih)

Evidence that ijma is binding proof:

1. an-Nisa 4:115 — opposing the Messenger and the way of the believers leads to Hell.
2. al-Irbad ibn Sariyah hadith (above).
3. Ibn Umar: Allah will not let this ummah agree on misguidance; the hand of Allah is with the jama’ah. (at-Tirmidhi — sahih per al-Albani)

Benefit — Reason (aql): reason can grasp some established facts (that Allah exists, is one, ever-living, all-knowing, almighty, the only one worthy of worship). But reason alone cannot discover the details of aqeedah — those come only from the Quran and Sunnah . If a proven sound text and sound reasoning appear to conflict, the text takes precedence because (a) the text does not change while reason does, and (b) the text is infallible while reason is not. Sound texts = the Quran and authentically narrated Sunnah . Sound reason = that free from deviation and specious arguments. Ibn Taymiyyah: sound reasoning can never truly contradict sound texts; apparent contradictions are always specious arguments known by reason itself to be false.

Summary — sources for learning aqeedah: (1) The Book of Allah, (2) The Sunnah , (3) The ijma of the early generations.

The Principles of Ahl as-Sunnah for Verifying Issues of Aqeedah

1. Believing in, submitting to, and venerating the texts of Quran and Sunnah — unlike the people of innovation who accept some texts and reject others out of ignorance and desire. Evidence: al-Ahzab 33:36; an-Nur 24:51; al-Hujurat 49:1; an-Nisa 4:65.
2. Gathering all texts on an issue and understanding them together — not relying on some to the exclusion of others, nor chasing ambiguous texts. Warning: Abdullah ibn Amr — nations before were doomed by using parts of scripture against other parts; comply with what you understand, refer what you don’t to someone who does. (Ahmad — sahih per al-Arna’ut)
3. Holding fast to Quran and Sunnah as the sole source — unlike those (e.g. Sufis) who treat their shaykhs’ statements and dreams as religious evidence. Evidence: al-Ma’idah 5:16; al-Ma’idah 5:3; an-Nahl 16:89; Zayd ibn Arqam (the “two weighty things”) (Muslim).
   • Benefit: this principle means affirming what Allah and His Messenger affirmed, negating what they negated, and keeping silent about what they were silent on (al-Isra 17:36). It also means no contradiction between the texts and correct reason; the people of innovation wrongly elevate reason above the texts, especially on the unseen which reason cannot access.
   • Benefit: the base principle — a sound text and sound reasoning can never truly contradict, since the Creator of reason is also the Sender of revelation. Any apparent clash means either the text is unsound or the reasoning is flawed.
4. Understanding texts as the Sahabah understood them — unlike innovators (e.g. Kharijites, Rafidis) who impugn the Sahabah and ignore their understanding. Evidence: an-Nisa 4:115; al-Baqarah 2:137; al-Baqarah 2:13; al-Irbad ibn Sariyah hadith.
   • Benefit — the bidah of “reinterpreting the texts”: a dangerous modern idea (held by so-called progressives / modernists / liberals) claiming the Sahabah’s understanding is outdated and texts must be reread for “modern life.” It is contrary to Ahl as-Sunnah because: (a) it is a reprehensible innovation unknown to the best three generations (Imran ibn Husayn hadith — Bukhari & Muslim); (b) it contradicts the obligation to limit ourselves to the Sahabah’s understanding; (c) it distorts meanings — each reader inventing his own reading, as the Children of Israel did (al-Ma’idah 5:13); (d) it opens the door to evil, making texts playthings for personal whims (al-Ma’idah 5:16).
5. Referring to the language of the Arabs to understand the intended meanings when one text does not explain another, since the Quran was revealed in clear Arabic (Yusuf 12:2; Ta-Ha 20:113).

Unit 2 — Drifting Away from Sound Aqeedah

Firstly: Causes of Drifting Away

1. Ignorance of sound aqeedah — through neglecting to learn or teach it, until a generation grows up not knowing aqeedah or its opposite, believing truth is falsehood and vice versa. Umar: “The knots of Islam will be undone one by one when a generation grows up in Islam not knowing what Jahiliyyah is.”
2. Following promoters of evil and leaders of misguidance. Evidence: al-Qasas 28:41 (leaders inviting to the Fire); Hudhayfah — callers at the gates of Hell who speak our language (Muslim); Thawban — “the only thing I fear for my ummah is leaders who lead astray” (Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi — sahih); Abdullah ibn Amr — knowledge is taken by the death of scholars, then people take ignorant leaders who give fatwa without knowledge (Bukhari & Muslim).
   • Promoters of evil (historical examples):
     • As-Samiri — from a cow-worshipping people; while Musa was at Jabal Tur he made the Children of Israel a golden calf that lowed in the wind, and led them to worship it (Ta-Ha 20:85).
     • Amr ibn Aamir al-Khuza’i — the Prophet ﷺ saw him dragging his intestines in Hell for being the first to introduce the sa’ibah custom (dedicating a she-camel to idols, left free in fulfilment of a vow); he was first to change the religion of Ismail and set up idols. (Bukhari & Muslim)
   • In modern times — the extreme Rafidis: they oppose Ahl as-Sunnah by (a) rejecting sahih hadith on whim (including hadith about the signs of the Hour — Dajjal, descent of Isa, the Mahdi); (b) impugning the Sahabah, especially Muawiyah; (c) exaggerating the role of reason above the texts.
     • Note on the Mahdi: the true Mahdi is Muhammad ibn Abdillah al-Alawi al-Fatimi al-Hasani, promised to emerge at the end of time; allegiance sworn to him at the Sacred House. This is not the Rafidi claim of a Mahdi hidden in the tunnel of Samarra — that has no evidence and is confusion from Shaytan.
3. Following whims and desires — pursuing harmful likes that take one from the truth. Evidence: al-Jathiyah 45:23; al-Qasas 28:50.
4. Exaggeration about the righteous — praising them to excess and raising them above their status by directing worship to them: devotion to tombs, sacrifices, vows, offerings, calling upon them, seeking their help (as the people of Nuh did with Wadd, Suwa’, Yaghuth, Ya’uq, Nasr — Nuh 71:23). Prohibited by an-Nisa 4:171 and the hadith “beware of extremes in religion” (Ahmad, an-Nasa’i — sahih per al-Albani).

Hadith

«إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْغُلُوَّ فِي الدِّينِ، فَإِنَّمَا أَهْلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمُ الْغُلُوُّ فِي الدِّينِ» (أحمد والنسائي)

5. Blind following — following parents, scholars, leaders and prominent figures without evidence. Evidence: az-Zukhruf 43:22; al-Ahzab 33:67; at-Tawbah 9:31 (taking scholars and monks as lords = obeying them in making lawful the prohibited and vice versa).
   • Modern examples: the Sufis and Rafidis — absolute blind obedience, “like a corpse in the hands of the one washing it.”
6. Following paths of misguidance (al-An’am 6:153 — follow the straight path, not other ways).
7. Heedlessness — failing to reflect on the Quran’s verses and Allah’s signs in the universe. Evidence: an-Nahl 16:108; al-A’raf 7:179; Yusuf 12:105.
8. Arrogance — prompting rejection of truth and scorn for the one who brings it. “Arrogance is rejecting the truth and scorning people” (Muslim)

Hadith

«الْكِبْرُ بَطَرُ الْحَقِّ وَغَمْطُ النَّاسِ» (مسلم)

— rejecting truth = being too proud to accept it; scorning people = looking down on them. Arrogance caused Iblees to refuse (al-Baqarah 2:34) and led disbelieving nations (Pharaoh, ‘Aad) astray (Yunus 10:75; Fussilat 41:15). 9. Following the Shaytan. Evidence: al-Hijr 15:39; Fatir 35:6; al-A’raf 7:16–17; Ibrahim 14:22; Iyad ibn Himar hadith; Ibn Mas’ud — the Prophet ﷺ drew the straight line and the diverging paths each with a devil on it, then recited al-An’am 6:153. (Ahmad — sahih per al-Arna’ut)

Summary of causes: (1) ignorance, (2) following promoters of evil, (3) whims and desires, (4) exaggeration about the righteous, (5) blind following, (6) paths of misguidance, (7) heedlessness, (8) arrogance, (9) following Shaytan.

Secondly: Means of Protecting Oneself Against Drifting Away

1. Following the straight path of the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions, avoiding innovation. Evidence: al-An’am 6:153; al-A’raf 7:3; al-Irbad ibn Sariyah — “beware of newly-introduced matters, for they are misguidance.”
2. Being cautious of promoters of evil and keeping far from them. Evidence: Aisha — those who chase the ambiguous (Aal Imran 3:7) are the ones Allah warned of (agreed upon); Abu Hurayrah — beware of the end-time charlatans and liars (Muslim); Imran ibn Husayn — whoever hears of the Dajjal, let him keep far away (Abu Dawud — sahih per al-Albani).
3. Seeking knowledge from trustworthy scholars who follow Prophetic methodology. Evidence: Muhammad 47:19; an-Nahl 16:43–44; Muawiyah — “when Allah wills good for a person, He grants him understanding of religion” (agreed upon).
4. Refraining from extremes in religion. Evidence: an-Nisa 4:171; al-Ma’idah 5:77; the “beware of extremes” hadith.
5. Regarding the Shaytan as an enemy — striving for true servitude to Allah, seeking refuge, trusting Him. Evidence: Fatir 35:6; al-Hijr 15:42; an-Nahl 16:99; Saad 38:82–83; Fussilat 41:36; and the hadith: when Shaytan asks “who created your Lord?”, seek refuge with Allah and stop such thoughts (agreed upon).

Hadith

«يَأْتِي الشَّيْطَانُ أَحَدَكُمْ فَيَقُولُ: مَنْ خَلَقَ كَذَا؟ مَنْ خَلَقَ كَذَا؟ حَتَّى يَقُولَ: مَنْ خَلَقَ رَبَّكَ؟ فَإِذَا بَلَغَهُ فَلْيَسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ وَلْيَنْتَهِ» (متفق عليه)

6. Not following whims, speculation, or blind imitation — relying on evidence and proof. Evidence: al-Jathiyah 45:18; Saad 38:26; Yunus 10:36; an-Najm 53:28; Muhammad 47:14; and “beware of conjecture, for conjecture is the falsest of speech” (agreed upon).

Hadith

«إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظَّنَّ، فَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ أَكْذَبُ الْحَدِيثِ» (متفق عليه)

Unit 3 — Tawhid

Definition and Importance of Tawhid

Linguistically, Tawhid comes from wahhada — to make something one.

In Islamic terminology, it means to attribute to Allah alone what is uniquely His — His divinity, Lordship, and sublime names and attributes. Both senses convey uniqueness: believing Allah is unique in those characteristics that belong to Him alone, in which none shares — no matter how high his status (angel, prophet, or righteous person).

Three conditions for sound Tawhid: affirming it in the heart, uttering it on the tongue, and acting upon it. Ibn Abd al-Wahhab (Kashf ash-Shubuhat): if any of the three is lacking, the person cannot be a Muslim.

The word Tawhid is in the texts (against those who claim it is an innovated term):

• Quran: al-Isra 17:46; Ghafir 40:12; al-Mumtahinah 60:4 (all using wahdahu, “Alone”); al-Baqarah 2:163 (ilaahun waahid, “one God”).
• Sunnah : Jabir (Farewell Pilgrimage) — the Prophet ﷺ “raised his voice proclaiming the word of Tawhid”; hadith of Muadh sent to Yemen — call first to affirming Allah’s oneness; “whoever affirms Allah’s oneness and rejects what is worshipped besides Him — his wealth and life are protected”; “Islam is built on five [pillars]: affirming the oneness of Allah…” (Bukhari & Muslim).

Importance of Tawhid

Ibn Abi’l-Izz al-Hanafi: Tawhid is the first thing the messengers called to and the first stage of the journey to Allah (an-Nahl 16:36). It is the first duty and the entry to Islam, and the last thing at death: “whoever’s last words are La ilaaha illa Allah will enter Paradise.”

1. It is the purpose of creation (adh-Dhariyat 51:56 — created only to worship Me, i.e. affirm My oneness).

Qur’an

﴿وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ﴾ — الذاريات ٥٦

2. It is the call of all messengers (al-Anbiya 21:25).
3. Deeds are not accepted without it (az-Zumar 39:65–66).
4. It is the first duty to learn (Muhammad 47:19) and the last word to utter (Muadh — Abu Dawud, sahih per al-Albani).
5. It is Allah’s right over His slaves — Muadh riding behind the Prophet ﷺ: Allah’s right is that they worship Him and not associate anything with Him (agreed upon).
6. It is the means of the ummah gaining power and security (an-Nur 24:55).
7. It is the means of security in this world and the Hereafter (al-An’am 6:82).
8. It is a means of forgiveness of sins — shirk is the barrier to forgiveness (an-Nisa 4:116).
   • The hadith of the slip of paper: a man given 99 scrolls of bad deeds, each as far as the eye can see, outweighed by a single slip bearing the shahadah — because nothing outweighs the name of Allah. (at-Tirmidhi — hasan) Ibn Taymiyyah: this is due to the sincerity, purity of heart and devotion accompanying the word — outwardly identical words vary greatly by what is in the heart.
9. It is the religion of Ibrahim which Muhammad ﷺ was commanded to follow (an-Nahl 16:123) and Ibrahim’s own supplication (Ibrahim 14:35).
10. It is the noblest of deeds — asked which deed is best, the Prophet ﷺ said “believing in Allah and His Messenger” (Bukhari & Muslim).
11. It is the condition of admittance to Paradise (Ghafir 40:40); its opposite (shirk ) bars Paradise and leads to the Fire (al-Ma’idah 5:72).

Impact of Tawhid on the Individual

1. Well-being and a good life in both worlds (an-Nahl 16:97). Ibn al-Qayyim: sincerity and Tawhid are like a tree whose branches are righteous deeds and fruits are a good life and eternal bliss; shirk , lying and showing off are a tree whose fruits are fear, worry, distress and darkness.
2. Relief of distress. Ibn al-Qayyim: Tawhid is the refuge of all — even Allah’s enemies turn to Him alone at sea (al-Ankabut 29:65). Nothing wards off calamity like Tawhid; the supplication of Dhu’n-Noon brings relief by virtue of the Tawhid in it.
3. Steadfastness in the grave (Ibrahim 14:27). al-Bara ibn Azib: the Muslim questioned in the grave testifies to the shahadah — this is “the firm word.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
4. Salvation from eternity in Hell — mutawatir hadith that monotheists will be brought out of the Fire; the Prophet ﷺ will intercede for some who entered it.
5. Safety from fear and terror in both worlds — terror is cast into disbelievers for their shirk (Aal Imran 3:151); those who affirm His oneness attain perfect safety on the Day of Resurrection (al-Anbiya 21:101–103).

Explaining That Tawhid is Islam — The Religion of All the Messengers

The religion Allah sent all His messengers and Books with is Islam: affirming Allah’s oneness by worshipping Him and submitting completely to Him. It is His religion in heaven and earth (Aal Imran 3:19; 3:85 — no other religion is accepted).

Qur’an

﴿إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الْإِسْلَامُ﴾ — آل عمران ١٩ ۝ ﴿وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ﴾ — آل عمران ٨٥

The prophets all called their peoples to it as Muslims (submitters):

• Nuh (Yunus 10:72), and addressing his people (Yunus 10:84 — rely on Him if you are Muslims).
• Ibrahim and Yaqub instructing their sons to die only as Muslims (al-Baqarah 2:130–132); Ibrahim “neither Jew nor Christian but a Muslim inclining to truth” (Aal Imran 3:67).
• Yusuf — “cause me to die a Muslim” (Yusuf 12:101).
• Sulaiman — asking for the Queen of Saba’s throne “before they come to me in submission” (an-Naml 27:38).
• Balqees — “I submit with Solomon to Allah” (an-Naml 27:44).
• Pharaoh’s magicians — “let us die as Muslims” (al-A’raf 7:126); even Pharaoh, cornered, claimed to be “of the Muslims” (Yunus 10:90).
• The disciples of Isa — “we are Muslims” (Aal Imran 3:52).
• The prophets who submitted judged by the Torah (al-Ma’idah 5:44).
• The believers make no distinction between the messengers, “and we are Muslims” (al-Baqarah 2:136).

The religion of the prophets is one — all brought Tawhid. Only the laws varied (al-Ma’idah 5:48 — “to each We prescribed a law and a method”).

Qur’an

﴿لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنكُمْ شِرْعَةً وَمِنْهَاجًا﴾ — المائدة ٤٨

The Prophet ﷺ: “The Prophets are like brothers from co-wives; their mothers differ but their religion is one” (agreed upon).

Hadith

«الْأَنْبِيَاءُ إِخْوَةٌ لِعَلَّاتٍ، أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ شَتَّى وَدِينُهُمْ وَاحِدٌ» (متفق عليه)

That laws can change or be abrogated does not affect the one original call: Tawhid and submission to Allah (al-Baqarah 2:132).

• Benefit — “the three heavenly religions”: this common phrase is wrong. It implies valid religions other than Islam. There is no true religion except Islam; there are only different laws. Allah never named Judaism or Christianity — their people named themselves (al-Baqarah 2:135; al-Ma’idah 5:14; 5:82).

Unit 4 — The Pillars of Tawhid

The Two Pillars

Tawhid rests on two pillars: negation and affirmation. All texts on Tawhid are built on these.

Ash-Shinqeeti (on La ilaaha illa Allah):

• Negation = abandoning all that is worshipped other than Allah, whatever it is, in every type of worship.
• Affirmation = devoting all worship to Allah alone, sincerely, in the manner He prescribed through His Messengers.

So whoever affirms only that Allah deserves worship, without also rejecting as false the worship of anything else, has not yet believed in the word of Tawhid. And whoever merely denies divinity altogether has only negated. Both together are required — and the Arabic construction of La ilaaha illa Allah is precisely what combines them.

Supporting texts:

• an-Nahl 16:36 — “Worship Allah” (affirmation) “and avoid Taghut” (negation).

Qur’an

﴿وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولًا أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى اللَّهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلَالَةُ﴾ — النحل ٣٦

• an-Nisa 4:36 — worship Allah and associate nothing with Him.
• Hud 11:26 — worship none but Allah.
• Ibrahim’s words, az-Zukhruf 43:26–27 — “I am disassociated from what you worship” (negation) “except for He who created me” (affirmation).

Qur’an

﴿وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِ إِنَّنِي بَرَاءٌ مِّمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ ۝ إِلَّا الَّذِي فَطَرَنِي فَإِنَّهُ سَيَهْدِينِ﴾ — الزخرف ٢٦–٢٧

Negation = disbelief in Taghut; affirmation = belief in Allah (al-Baqarah 2:256 — whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold, i.e. La ilaaha illa Allah).

Qur’an

﴿لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ ۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ ۚ فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ لَا انفِصَامَ لَهَا ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ﴾ — البقرة ٢٥٦

Belief in Allah alone is sound only on condition of rejecting and disbelieving in Taghut (an-Nahl 16:36).

• Benefit — “Freedom of belief”: the call for religious freedom (to practise or change any religion) is dangerous from the standpoint of Tawhid, because its laws do not recognise disbelief in Taghut — they approve everything worshipped besides Allah and prevent objecting to it. This contradicts Tawhid, which requires openly declaring disavowal of kufr and its people.

The Categories of Tawhid

Scholars divide Tawhid into three:

1. Tawhid ar-Rububiyah (Oneness of Lordship)
2. Tawhid al-Uluhiyah (Oneness of divinity)
3. Tawhid al-Asma wa’s-Sifat (Oneness of the sublime names and attributes)

Tawhid ar-Rububiyah (Oneness of Lordship)

Linguistically, rububiyah is from rababa → ar-Rabb (the Lord). Unqualified, ar-Rabb refers to Allah, Lord of all creation. Of others it appears only in construction (rabb al-bayt, head of the household; rabb ad-dabbah, owner of the animal) — e.g. Yusuf 12:42.

In terminology, rububiyah = believing in the actions unique to Allah connected to His slaves: creation, sovereignty, and control — from which flow provision, withholding, bestowing, giving life and death, resurrecting, benefit and harm. Ar-Rabb is the one who cares for (yurabbi) His slave and controls his affairs (Ibn Taymiyyah).

It rests on three things affirmed for Allah alone:

1. Creation — Allah alone creates; none else can (al-A’raf 7:54; al-Hashr 59:24; an-Nahl 16:20; al-Hajj 22:73; Yunus 10:34). Creation here = bringing something into existence from nothing.
   • Objection & response: some philosophers cite al-Mu’minun 23:14 (“the best of creators”) to claim other creators exist. Response: “creation” attributed to created beings means transforming something already existing (clay into a jug, wood into a wheel), dependent on means Allah provided. Allah creates merely by saying “Be.”
2. Sovereignty / dominion — Allah alone is sovereign (Aal Imran 3:26; al-Mulk 67:1; al-Isra 17:111; Ya-Seen 36:83).
3. Control — Allah alone directs the running of the universe (ar-Ra’d 13:2; Yunus 10:3; 10:31; as-Sajdah 32:5).

Connected concepts: Allah initiates and repeats creation (ar-Rum 30:27); gives life and death (ad-Dukhan 44:8; al-Mulk 67:2); controls harm and benefit (Yunus 10:21; al-Fath 48:11); grants and withholds provision (al-Ankabut 29:17; ar-Ra’d 13:26; Fatir 35:2; and the du’a “none can withhold what You give…” — Bukhari & Muslim); grants victory and guides hearts (Aal Imran 3:126; al-Baqarah 2:107; al-Qasas 28:56; al-A’raf 7:178).

• Benefit — Rububiyah implies Uluhiyah: believing Allah is the only Lord is the very reason He alone deserves worship. Because He is the sole Creator (Maryam 19:65; al-Baqarah 2:21) and Provider (al-Ankabut 29:17), He alone deserves servitude.

The Disbelievers and Polytheists Affirm Rububiyah

Do disbelievers affirm the oneness of Lordship? Yes — all creation does, even the polytheists:

1. Luqman 31:25 — asked who created the heavens and earth, they say “Allah.”
2. al-Mu’minun 23:88–89 — in whose hand is all — “Allah.”
3. al-Hijr 15:39 — even Iblees affirmed Allah’s Lordship (“My Lord…”).
4. al-Ankabut 29:61 — asked who created and subjected the sun and moon, they say “Allah.”
5. Yunus 10:31 — who provides and controls — they say “Allah.”

• Crucial benefit: affirming Rububiyah alone is not sufficient to enter Islam or attain salvation, because the disbelievers acknowledged it yet were ruled to Hell forever (al-Bayyinah 98:6). Ibn al-Qayyim: Tawhid is not merely affirming Allah as sole Creator and Lord (idol-worshippers did that while associating others with Him) — it includes loving Him, submitting to Him, humbling oneself, obeying Him completely, and worshipping Him alone with sincere devotion.

Impacts of Belief in Tawhid ar-Rububiyah on Faith

1. Loving Allah (al-Baqarah 2:165; Yunus 10:31).
2. Venerating Allah (al-Isra 17:111).
3. Trusting Him and delegating affairs to Him (Hud 11:56; al-Anfal 8:2).
4. Hastening to Him for help at times of distress (al-Anfal 8:9).
5. Turning to Him in repentance and humbling oneself (al-A’raf 7:23).
6. Submitting to Him and showing humility (al-Baqarah 2:131).
7. Fearing Allah, Lord of the Worlds (al-Ma’idah 5:28).
8. Using reason to reflect and contemplate (al-Baqarah 2:164).
9. Attaining true sincerity (al-An’am 6:79).
10. Accepting Allah’s will and decree — everything happens by His creation and control (al-Baqarah 2:155–156).

Evidence for the Existence of Allah Other Than the Religious Texts

When addressing nonbelievers and atheists, quoting texts is inappropriate (they reject them). Three kinds of non-textual evidence:

1. Evidence of Innate Human Nature (Fitrah)

Every creature is created inclined to believe in the Creator without needing to think or learn — diverted only if taught otherwise. “Every child is born upon the fitrah; his parents make him a Jew, Christian, or Zoroastrian” (Bukhari & Muslim) — note he did not say “or a Muslim,” because the child is already Muslim by nature (ar-Rum 30:30). A further sign: in dire straits people instinctively turn to Allah (al-Isra 17:67; al-Ankabut 29:65). This evidence is so strong none can ward it off; left to their nature, people would incline to no one but their Lord.

2. Evidence of Reason and Common Sense

There must be a creator for every created thing — accepted by all sound reasoning.

• The Bedouin’s argument: dung indicates a camel, footprints indicate a traveller — so the heavens with their stars, the earth with its terrain, and the sea with its waves indicate the All-Knowing, All-Aware.
• The scholar and the atheists: he arrived late, claiming a boat had crossed the river with no helmsman to steer it; when they scoffed, he replied — you deny the universe has a creator yet won’t accept a boat without a helmsman? They affirmed Allah’s existence.
• The Quran’s argument (at-Tur 52:35–36): only two possibilities, no third — either they were created by nothing (impossible: the non-existent cannot create), or they created themselves and the heavens and earth (impossible: no one claims to have created himself). So the only option: One who brought them into being — Allah. Jubayr ibn Mut’im on hearing this: “My heart almost leapt out of place” (Bukhari).

Qur’an

﴿أَمْ خُلِقُوا مِنْ غَيْرِ شَيْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الْخَالِقُونَ ۝ أَمْ خَلَقُوا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ۚ بَل لَّا يُوقِنُونَ﴾ — الطور ٣٥–٣٦

• The believer vs. the atheist: “you believe in reason though you’ve never seen, heard, smelt or touched it — how then deny Allah on the same grounds?”

Further reason-based evidence — reflection and contemplation: contemplating the heavens’ vastness, the fixed and moving stars circling the pole, the seas surrounding the land, the mountains stabilising the earth, the rivers, and the varied animals and plants — all grown in the same soil and water yet differing in taste, shape and colour — leads one to recognise the Maker’s power, wisdom and mercy (Fatir 35:27–28; al-Baqarah 2:164). Ash-Shafi’i: mulberry leaves all taste the same, yet the silkworm makes silk, the bee honey, the sheep dung, the gazelle musk — from one food. (Followed by a poem on the flowers of the earth testifying that Allah has no partner.)

3. Tangible, Visible Evidence

Two types:

(a) His answering those who call upon Him in distress — those in dire straits on land, sea and air who turn to their Lord and have their supplications answered and distress relieved (an-Naml 27:62). The answered prayers of the prophets and righteous are among the greatest proofs (Nuh — al-Anbiya 21:76; al-Anfal 8:9), and continue today for those who sincerely turn to Him.

(b) The miracles of the Prophets — signs beyond human capability that Allah caused to support His messengers:

• Musa striking the sea, which parted into twelve dry paths (ash-Shu’ara 26:63).
• Isa raising the dead by Allah’s permission (Aal Imran 3:49; al-Ma’idah 5:110).
• Muhammad ﷺ splitting the moon when Quraysh demanded a sign (al-Qamar 54:1–2).
• Others: Nuh (as-Saffat 37:75; al-Qamar 54:10–11); Yunus / the man of the fish (al-Anbiya 21:87–88).

These tangible signs, seen or heard of by people, offer definitive proof of the existence of the One who sent the messengers.

End of Level 1 revision notes.