Lesson 9: the Division of Tawheed into categories Flashcards
Benefits of categorizing in general and Tawheed specifically
- To make something easy to understand
- For example, when talking about zakat al fitr (zakah at the end of ramadan) or zakat al maal (zakah based on regular income) it helps you understand the different rules that it has
- Such as in Arabic or any language, nouns, prepositions, verbs etc - to clarify when people do something wrong, and makes falling mistakes more harder (by tightening the definition of it)
- If tawheed is left vague and undefined without detail and categories, it’s easy for someone to fall into shirk and claim Tawheed as they have some of Tawheed. For instance, if one defined Tawheed as to believe in the oneness of the creator, a person can claim Tawheed as they would be a “monotheist”. Then there would be an issue as a person must combine between believing in the creator and worshipping the creator alone. - This categorization is given to us in revelation
- It’s not from our feelings and intellect and the like, but rather from the texts of the Quran and Sunnah, the nusoos
- There are many verses where the verses themselves speak of Tawheed in categories
How did the people of knowledge categorize Tawheed
into 2 or 3 categories, and this is because the Quran may speak of it in the sense of 2 categories, and 3, as well as there being different ways of categorizing. These do not contradict each other, just a different angle.
the names may be different, as we mentioned of the principle لا مشاحة في الاصطلاح, it does not matter.
How was Tawheed categorized according to those who divided it into 2
- توحيد المعرفة والإثبات-Tawheed of knowledge and affirmation
The oneness of knowledge and affirmation:
This mean what is required from you in relation to this type of Tawheed-which is you must know it and affirm it.
Allah is the only one who does what he does-no one creates, no answers dua, no one grants rain except Allah
What is required from us is to have knowledge of this, and believing in it, this is why it is called توحيد المعرفة والإثبات
Some other names of it are:
- التوحيد علمي- The Tawheed of knowledge
- توحيد الله بأفعاله-the Tawheed of Allah in/with his actions
All of these revolve around Allah- knowing him and believing in him-his names, attributes and actions.
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توحيد القصد والطلب -the Tawheed of your intention and seeking
- It’s about what you intended, and who you’re calling to
Some other names include (these can replace توحيد القصد والطلب the tawheed of your intention and seeking)
- التوحيد العملي-The Tawheed of action
- توحيد العبادة-the Tawheed of worship
- توحيد الإلهية-The Tawheed of the oneness of {your object of worship; God}/the Tawheed of divinity
- توحيد الألوهية- Tawheed of worship
- توحيد الله بأفعال العباد- the Tawheed/oneness of Allah through/in the actions of his servants
All of our worship is four Allah alone, so we don’t supplicate to anyone other than Allah, and we don’t seek help from anyone other than Allah in those things only Allah can do, we don’t sacrifice for other than Allah, we don’t have love, hope and fear that is only for Allah for anyone else other than Allah
Difference between the division of Tawheed into 2 (the difference between the first and second)
The difference between these 2 is that in one you are required to know Allah and to affirm and believe who Allah is-and this is Tawheed, and that our worship is for only Allah alone, and we don’t divert any worship to anyone other than him.
Connection between the ‘Aqeedah split into 2
- The first leads to the second-once you know nobody does what Allah does except him, you will dedicate your worship to him
- The second category encompasses the first- a person can’t worship Allah alone without knowing him, and affirming that he’s the only one who does what he does
When you know Allah and believe in him, it leads to worshipping him alone. We worship alone alone based upon the knowledge we have of him, otherwise how can we worship something/one that we don’t know?
- The second category is the reason the prophets were sent, and the scripture was revealed. The majority of people accepted the first as a whole-that Allah is their lord and creator, but didn’t dedicate worship to him alone.
وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍۢ رَّسُولًا أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى ٱللَّهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةُ ۚ فَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ
And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], “Worship Allāh and avoid ṭāghūt.”1And among them were those whom Allāh guided, and among them were those upon whom error was [deservedly] decreed. So proceed [i.e., travel] through the earth and observe how was the end of the deniers
- Again as we mentioned previously, Allah didn’t say believe Allah is your creator, as this was previously accepted.
- The primary message is to worship Allah-we aren’t saying these people were perfect in knowing Allah, otherwise they would have worshipped Allah. But the primary difference between them and their prophets and their clashes with them, was the issue of worshipping Allah alone
What was the issue of most of the mushrikeen around Tawheed
eople accepted the first as a whole-that Allah is their lord and creator, but didn’t dedicate worship to him alone.
Evidence of how the mushrikeen accepted Allah as their lord (in general terms) but didn’t dedicate worship to him alone
- وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍۢ رَّسُولًا أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى ٱللَّهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةُ ۚ فَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَAnd We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], “Worship Allāh and avoid ṭāghūt.”1And among them were those whom Allāh guided, and among them were those upon whom error was [deservedly] decreed. So proceed [i.e., travel] through the earth and observe how was the end of the deniers
** وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُم بِٱللَّهِ إِلَّا وَهُم مُّشْرِكُونَ
**
And most of them believe not in Allāh except while they associate others with Him
Explanation of Ibn abbas on the ayah “وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُم بِٱللَّهِ إِلَّا وَهُم مُّشْرِكُونَ”
قال ابن عباس : من إيمانهم ، إذا قيل لهم : من خلق السموات ؟ ومن خلق الأرض ؟ ومن خلق الجبال ؟ قالوا : “ الله “، وهم مشركون به
Their Iman (belief they had) when it’s said to them, who created the heavens, and who created the earth, and who created the mountains? They say Allah, but they make partners with him in worship
As such the primary argument and issue was with regards to the worship of Allah alone
Explanation of Ikrimah on the ayah “وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُم بِٱللَّهِ إِلَّا وَهُم مُّشْرِكُونَ”
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حدثنا هناد قال: حدثنا أبو الأحوص عن سماك عن عكرمة في قوله: (وما يؤمن أكثرهم بالله إلا وهم مشركون) قال: تسألهم: مَن خلقهم؟ ومن خلق السماوات والأرض؟ فيقولون: الله. فذلك إيمانهم بالله، وهم يعبدون غيره…. from Ikrimah, regarding his saying: (And most of them believe not in Allah except while they associate others with Him), he said: You ask them: Who created them? And who created the heavens and the earth? They say: Allah. That/this is their faith in Allah, while they worship others besides Him
- Ikrimah specifies they had the belief Allah is the creator, but not the belief Allah deserves to be worshiped alone, and this is a benefit of this categorization. To show when a person makes a mistake that while they believe in part of tawheed, but not all of it
Division of Tawheed into 3
- توحيد الربوبية- Tawheed of Allahs lordship
- توحيد الأسماء والصفات-Tawheed of Allahs names and attributes
- توحيد الألوهية-oneness of Allahs worship
Explanation of توحيد الربوبية- Tawheed of Allahs lordship
The word الربوبية is taken from the word rabb (lord) and this encompasses all of the aspects of Allahs lordship-creator, giver and taker of life, etc
Explanation of توحيد الأسماء والصفات-Tawheed of Allahs names and attributes
belief that all of Allahs perfect names and attributes are only for him-ﷲ,ilah,samad etc that nobody has anything of that except him
Explanation of توحيد الألوهية-oneness of Allahs worship
All of our worship is four Allah alone, so we don’t supplicate to anyone other than Allah, and we don’t seek help from anyone other than Allah in those things only Allah can do, we don’t sacrifice for other than Allah, we don’t have love, hope and fear that is only for Allah for anyone else other than Allah
Connection and benefit between توحيد الربوبية- Tawheed of Allahs lordship and توحيد الأسماء والصفات-Tawheed of Allahs names and attributes
- When you look at these 2 categories, you see that they both require the slave to have معرفة and إثبات-knowing Allah and affirming and believing in him. As such the scholars who divided it into 2 put lordship and names and attributes together and called it التوحيد علمي- The Tawheed of knowledge. The reason they put them together while the Quran makes them separate in some verses is because the requirement from a Muslim is the same-to know them and believe them.
- But what separating does is gives emphasis on the names and attributes as some people fell into making a partner with Allah in those names and attributes while claiming to believe in lord and creator. such as a person giving the name of Allah to someone else, they could still claim Allah is the only lord and creator and other attributes, we would say the division of Tawheed into these categories combat this, and the person would fall into shirk in Allahs names and attributes
- Despite the above, this categorization isn’t needed, as a person can simply argue that one does not believe Allah is lord until you believe and affirm his names and attributes are for him alone.
Ayah on the danger of speaking without knowledge
- وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْبَصَرَ وَٱلْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْـُٔولًۭاAnd do not pursue1that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned.
