Understanding Tawheed: Its Meaning, Categories, and Spiritual Fruits

Indeed, all praise is due to Allah.

We praise Him, seek His help, and ask His forgiveness,

and we seek refuge in Allah from the evil of ourselves and our bad deeds.

Whomever Allah guides, none can misguide,

and whomever He misguides, none can guide.

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner,

and I bear witness that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger.

May Allah's blessings, peace, and favor be upon him, his family, and companions,

and those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment.

To proceed:

I greet you with the greeting of Islam:

May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.

And I ask Allah ﷻ, just as He gathered us in this blessed mosque,

that He gather us together under the shade of His Throne,

on couches facing one another in Gardens

“Indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and rivers,”

“In a seat of honor near a Sovereign, Perfect in Ability.” (Quran 54:54-55)

And I ask Allah ﷻ to grant us beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds,

and to grant us an understanding of Him and His Messenger ﷺ

that elevates us to the rank of the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous,

"and excellent are those as companions."

First and foremost,

I would like to begin this lecture

by offering thanks to Allah ﷻ,

Who facilitated this gathering in His Sacred House;

to Him belong all grace, favor, and praise.

I also extend my sincere gratitude to our leaders in this blessed country,

headed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his trustworthy Crown Prince,

and I ask Allah ﷻ to reward them with the best reward

for their unlimited support

in everything that serves the Sacred Mosque

and the Prophet's Mosque, and their visitors among pilgrims, Umrah performers, and guests.

I ask Allah ﷻ

to place all their efforts on the scale of their good deeds on the Day they meet Him,

and to perpetuate upon this country the blessing of security and safety,

and of serving Islam and Muslims.

Thanks are also due to the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques,

led by His Excellency Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais,

may Allah protect and guide him,

for coordinating and organizing this lecture,

entitled "The Fruits of Tawheed in

Light of the Book and the Sunnah."

I say, seeking the help of Allah ﷻ:

Indeed, Tawheed of Allah is the foundation of the faith

and the purpose of the Message. It is the greatest of rights

and the most obligatory of duties,

the basis for the acceptance of deeds

and the validity of acts of obedience.

Allah ﷻ says:

"And I did not create the jinn and mankind...

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (Quran 51:56)

And Allah ﷻ said:

“And they were not commanded except to worship Allāh, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakāh. And that is the correct religion.” (Quran 98:5)

the Day of Resurrection."

Allah ﷻ sent the messengers with the religion of Tawheed,

and sealed their line with the Master of the Messengers ﷺ,

making happiness for whoever follows him, and loss for whoever strays from his path.

So whoever believes in Allah as the One Lord,

and in Muhammad ﷺ as a prophet and messenger,

and in the Quran as the Word of Allah ﷻ, brought down by the Trustworthy Spirit,

and that the Hour is true, and is pleased with the decrees of Allah ﷻ,

and knows that what has afflicted him was never to miss him,

and that what has missed him was never to afflict him—

whoever fulfills these principles with conviction in his heart,

and affirms them with his tongue,

and whose limbs act in accordance with them,

that is the true believer—

a believer who feels the fruits of that faith within himself, now and in the Hereafter,

those good fruits that sweeten his worldly life and his Hereafter.

Allah ﷻ said: "Whoever does righteousness...

“Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do.” (Quran 16:97)

The first thing the messengers began with in calling to Allah was Tawheed,

as Allah ﷻ mentioned about them:

“And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship Allāh and avoid ṭāghūt." And 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.” (Quran 16:36)

"...and avoid the Taghut."

Ibn al-Qayyim (RH) says in a splendid statement

about the word of Tawhid, "La ilaha illa Allah":

Listen to what he says. He (RH) says:

"'I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, alone without partner'—a statement

by which the earth and the heavens were established, and for which all creatures were created.

With it, Allah ﷻ sent His messengers, revealed His books, and prescribed His laws.

For its sake, the scales were set up, the records were laid out, and the market of Paradise and Hell was established.

By it, creation was divided into believers and disbelievers, righteous and wicked.

About it and its rights will be the questioning and accounting, and upon it reward and punishment depend.

It is Allah's right over all servants; it is the word of Islam and key to the Abode of Peace."

End of his words, may Allah have mercy on him.

Before we proceed to talk about the fruits and virtues of Tawhid,

it is fitting for us to address the definition of Tawhid and its importance.

The definition of Tawhid: It is singling out Allah in worship.

And worship—as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (RH) said—

is a comprehensive term for all that Allah loves and is pleased with,

of outward and inward words and actions.

And the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah" is: there is no deity worthy of worship in truth except Allah.

Some err when they say: "There is no worshiped being except Allah." This is incorrect.

The correct meaning is: there is no deity worthy of worship in truth except Allah.

This statement comprises negation and affirmation:

The negation is in the phrase "La ilaha" (there is no deity), and the affirmation is in "illa Allah" (except Allah).

So "La ilaha" negates divinity from everything other than Allah,

and "illa Allah" affirmed divinity to Allah alone, without any partner.

This technique, my brothers,

is known in Arabic and in rhetoric as the method of restriction (qasr),

which is a well-known Arabic style. A sentence of restriction carries the weight of two statements:

one affirmative and the other negative.

This style is considered one of the most powerful ways to firmly establish

a statement in the mind and to dispel any denial or doubt regarding it.

That is why when the Prophet ﷺ said to the disbelievers of Quraysh,

"Say: There is no deity except Allah," they said,

“Has he made the gods [only] one God? Indeed, this is a curious thing."” (Quran 38:5)

So the polytheists understood that the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah"

was abandoning shirk and devoting worship to Allah alone, Exalted is He.

Thus, the definition of Tawhid, as we mentioned, is singling out Allah in worship,

and singling Him out in what pertains uniquely to Him: Divinity, Lordship, and Names and Attributes.

And Tawhid, my brothers, has categories

divided by early scholars,

such as Abu Ja'far al-Tabari and Ibn 'Abd al-Barr.

This refutes the claim of some people that this division

was introduced by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (RH);

for Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah was preceded in this categorization,

and the breakdown is as follows: First is Tawhid al-Rububiyyah, which is singling out Allah in His actions,

such as singling Him out in creation, administration, disposal of affairs, and provision.

For there is no disposer of affairs in this universe except Allah ﷻ,

nor is there any owner of this universe except Allah ﷻ.

So Tawhid al-Rububiyyah is affirming Allah's oneness in His actions—that He ﷻ is the Creator,

the Provider, the Giver, the Withholder, the Rejector,

the Abaser, the Creator, the Giver of life, and the Causer of death ﷻ.

That these actions are the actions of Allah ﷻ,

so a person acknowledges within himself and holds a

firm belief that these actions belong to Allah ﷻ alone.

It is worth mentioning that the disbelievers acknowledged this type of Tawhid, as is clear in the Book

of Allah ﷻ.

Allah ﷻ says:

“And if you asked them, "Who created the heavens and earth?" they would surely say, "Allāh." Say, "[All] praise is [due] to Allāh"; but most of them do not know.” (Quran 31:25)

“And if you asked them who created them, they would surely say, "Allāh." So how are they deluded?” (Quran 43:87)

“If you asked them, "Who created the heavens and earth and subjected the sun and the moon?" they would surely say, "Allāh." Then how are they deluded?” (Quran 29:61)

So the polytheists affirmed and acknowledged this type of Tawhid—Tawhid al-Rububiyyah.

However, this affirmation is not a cause of salvation from the Fire,

nor does it make one a Muslim

unless paired with the declaration of Tawhid: "La ilaha illa Allah"—none worthy of worship but Allah.

As for Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah, it is singling Allah out through the actions of the servants.

If you notice, the difference is simple and clear; the difference in definition is clear.

Tawhid al-Rububiyyah is singling Allah out through His actions.

Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah is singling Allah out through the actions of the servants.

Thus, the difference becomes clear between Tawhid al-Rububiyyah and Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah—

in that you direct no act of worship except to Allah ﷻ,

singling Allah ﷻ out with worship,

so you rely only on Allah, seek help only from Allah, and seek aid only from Allah,

and you sacrifice only for Allah, and pray only to Allah.

You direct all your acts of obedience to Allah ﷻ.

And this Tawhid—Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah—is where a major deviation occurred,

which is why the messengers were sent to rectify

this Tawhid and correct this matter among people.

“And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship Allāh and avoid ṭāghūt." And 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.” (Quran 16:36)

the Taghut. This type of Tawhid is what the disbelievers rejected in every era.

As for the Tawhid of Names and Attributes, it is by believing in all of Allah's names and attributes

mentioned in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ,

and affirming those names which Allah ﷻ affirmed

for Himself and His Messenger ﷺ affirmed for Him,

without distortion, asking how, likening, or resemblance.

Allah ﷻ said: "[He is] the Originator of the heavens

“[He is] Creator of the heavens and the earth. He has made for you from yourselves, mates, and among the cattle, mates; He multiplies you thereby. There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.” (Quran 42:11)

'...and of the cattle, pairs; He multiplies you thereby.'

“[He is] Creator of the heavens and the earth. He has made for you from yourselves, mates, and among the cattle, mates; He multiplies you thereby. There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.” (Quran 42:11)

These three categories constitute belief in Allah, glorified and exalted be He.

The relationship between these categories is complementary; belief in some does not suffice without the others,

so Tawhid of Rububiyyah is not valid without Tawhid of Uluhiyyah,

nor is Tawhid of Uluhiyyah valid without Tawhid of Rububiyyah.

Any flaw in any of these three categories is considered a flaw in one's Tawhid as a whole.

Whoever believes in Tawhid of Rububiyyah, that Allah is One, and exalted above any partner or son,

is bound by this belief to single out Allah, glorified and exalted be He, in worship.

Therefore, we notice in Surah Al-An'am, when Allah, glorified and exalted be He, spoke

in one of the passages of this surah, the discussion pertained to

Tawhid of Rububiyyah, Tawhid of Uluhiyyah, and Tawhid of the Names and Attributes.

For instance, when Allah ﷻ said:

“Indeed, Allāh is the cleaver of grain and date seeds. He brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living. That is Allāh; so how are you deluded?”

“[He is] the cleaver of daybreak and has made the night for rest and the sun and moon for calculation. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing.”

“And it is He who placed for you the stars that you may be guided by them through the darknesses of the land and sea. We have detailed the signs for a people who know.” (Quran 6:95-97)

Notice, these are all actions of Allah.

“And it is He who placed for you the stars that you may be guided by them through the darknesses of the land and sea. We have detailed the signs for a people who know.”

“And it is He who produced you from one soul and [gave you] a place of dwelling and of storage. We have detailed the signs for a people who understand.” (Quran 6:97-98)

Notice also that the verses mention the Names and Attributes when Allah ﷻ said:

“[He is] the cleaver of daybreak and has made the night for rest and the sun and moon for calculation. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing.” (Quran 6:96)

So here, there is Tawhid of Lordship and Tawhid of Names and Attributes.

And at the end of the passage, when He ﷻ said:

“And it is He who sends down rain from the sky, and We produce thereby the growth of all things. We produce from it greenery from which We produce grains arranged in layers. And from the palm trees - of its emerging fruit are clusters hanging low. And [We produce] gardens of grapevines and olives and pomegranates, similar yet varied. Look at [each of] its fruit when it yields and [at] its ripening. Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe.” (Quran 6:99)

until Allah ﷻ said:

"[He is] the Originator of the heavens

“[He is] Originator of the heavens and the earth. How could He have a son when He does not have a companion [i.e., wife] and He created all things? And He is, of all things, Knowing.” (Quran 6:101)

What did He say after that?

“That is Allāh, your Lord; there is no deity except Him, the Creator of all things, so worship Him. And He is Disposer of all things.” (Quran 6:102)

This is Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah: directing worship to the One who deserves it, who is Allah ﷻ.

As for the importance of Tawhid, Allah ﷻ has commanded His servants to observe Tawhid in many verses.

And the Prophet ﷺ continued throughout the entire Meccan period,

the Prophet ﷺ was focused on Tawhid,

instilling it deep within people's hearts.

Therefore,

how keen the Prophet ﷺ was to plant

faith and firmly establish Tawhid in people's hearts,

and when you read the words of 'Aishah (RA), you realize that 'Aishah (RA)

was describing that stage in the life and mission of the Prophet ﷺ.

'Aishah (RA) said:

The first thing revealed was a surah from al-Mufassal mentioning Paradise and Hellfire,

until, when people embraced Islam—notice her words: 'until when people embraced Islam'—the halal and haram were revealed."

This means that many of the rulings were only

revealed during the Medinan era—in Madinah.

The Prophet ﷺ was eager to plant faith in people's hearts,

because if faith is firmly rooted in people's hearts,

you need not question their compliance with the commands of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.

For the principle states: "When you know...

the Commander, and then know the command, you will be devoted to obeying Him.

Whereas if you know the command but not the Commander, you will excel at evading His orders.

The point is that the Prophet ﷺ was keen on planting faith

during the Meccan period, and many details were revealed only in the Medinan period.

Ibn Hajar said, commenting on these words of 'A'ishah (RA)—and it is in al-Bukhari:

Ibn Hajar said in his commentary on this hadith:

"She pointed to the divine wisdom behind the order of revelation:

that the first Quranic revelations called to Tawheed, promising Paradise to the obedient believer

and Hellfire to the disobedient disbeliever. Once souls settled upon that,

rulings were revealed, as human nature resists abandoning the familiar."

End of his quote, may Allah have mercy on him.

So the Prophet ﷺ was keen to plant faith,

such that 'Abdullah ibn Jundub (RA) said: "We learned faith before the Quran,

then we learned the Quran and increased in faith."

Thus the Prophet ﷺ nurtured his companions and Ummah upon faith,

Tawheed, and a sound, firmly rooted creed,

and only after that would he introduce details and rulings.

Likewise, all messengers, from Noah (AS) to the Prophet ﷺ,

came with the call to Tawheed.

whoever ponders the Quran and Sunnah knows with certainty

the importance of Tawhid, with which Allah sent His messengers and revealed His Scriptures.

And no one can encompass the importance of Tawhid, even in whole volumes and tomes,

and that is only due to the immense depth of meaning carried by the word of Tawhid.

Its status is magnificent, its benefit is widespread, and its virtues are beyond counting.

However, I will mention a part of them in this lecture

to serve as beacons guiding people to the most beneficial paths.

First, Tawhid is the purpose for which Allah created all creation. Allah ﷻ says:

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (Quran 51:56)

This is why Allah created jinn and mankind, and sent all messengers to call to it.

Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir (RH) said, commenting on this verse:

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (Quran 51:56)

that He ﷻ created servants to worship Him alone, with no partner;

so whoever obeys Him, He rewards him fully,

and whoever disobeys Him, He punishes with the severest punishment.

He also informed that He is not in need of them;

rather, they depend on Him in all their states, for He is their Creator and Provider.

That is why Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says in Surah Fatir, "O...

“O mankind, you are those in need of Allāh, while Allāh is the Free of need, the Praiseworthy.”

“If He wills, He can do away with you and bring forth a new creation.”

“And that is for Allāh not difficult.” (Quran 35:15-17)

Sheikh Abdul Aziz ibn Baz (RH) said:

“Allah ﷻ clarified the wisdom of creating them, which is that they worship Him alone,

and they were not created in vain nor without purpose;

rather, they were created for this grand purpose: to worship Allah ﷻ and associate nothing with Him,

and to devote to Him their supplication, fear, hope, prayer, fasting, sacrifice, vows, and more."

A thought has just crossed my mind that I would like to mention and emphasize.

Some people think that speaking about Tawhid and focusing on the issue of creed

implies accusing people regarding their faith.

Our speech about creed, Tawhid, and faith

is not an accusation against anyone's faith;

rather,

we are following the path set by the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet ﷺ,

which established and emphasized Tawhid.

Therefore, Ibn al-Qayyim (RH) said: “The Quran in its entirety is Tawhid.

And everything revealed in the Book of Allah is contained within Surah al-Fatihah,

and all of al-Fatihah is in His saying: 'You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help.'"

Thus, Tawhid is this entire religion; the heavens and the earth were established for it.

In fact, Allah ﷻ even stated regarding the Prophets, who are the most noble of people—

Allah ﷻ said, after listing a number of Prophets in Surah...

Al-An'am: He said,

“That is the guidance of Allāh by which He guides whomever He wills of His servants. But if they had associated others with Allāh, then worthless for them would be whatever they were doing.” (Quran 6:88)

These are Allah's prophets, and Allah ﷻ says of them:

“That is the guidance of Allāh by which He guides whomever He wills of His servants. But if they had associated others with Allāh, then worthless for them would be whatever they were doing.” (Quran 6:88)

Muhammad ﷺ, the most beloved of creation to Allah—

Allah ﷻ said to the Prophet ﷺ:

“And it was already revealed to you and to those before you that if you should associate [anything] with Allāh, your work would surely become worthless, and you would surely be among the losers.” (Quran 39:65)

"...and you would surely be among the losers."

Then He said to him:

“Rather, worship [only] Allāh and be among the grateful.” (Quran 39:66)

the grateful."

“Rather, worship [only] Allāh and be among the grateful.” (Quran 39:66)

Allah ﷻ speaks to the prophets, reminding them of Tawhid and its importance,

So what about us? What about those below them?

We are even more duty-bound to remember Tawhid.

Therefore, if you review the verses that speak of Tawhid, you will find that

hardly do a few verses pass without Allah ﷻ speaking about Tawhid,

as Ibn al-Qayyim (RH) said—and I mentioned this to you a short while ago—

because the purpose of commands, prohibitions, rulings, and creation—

all of it is for people to single out Allah ﷻ in worship

and to devote worship sincerely to Allah ﷻ. Indeed,

even the angels, from whom committing shirk is inconceivable,

listen to what Allah ﷻ said in warning them.

Allah ﷻ said:

“And they say, "The Most Merciful has taken a son." Exalted is He! Rather, they are [but] honored servants.” (Quran 21:26)

in Surah Al-Anbiya:

“And they say, "The Most Merciful has taken a son." Exalted is He! Rather, they are [but] honored servants.”

“They cannot precede Him in word, and they act by His command.”

“He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they cannot intercede except on behalf of one whom He approves. And they, from fear of Him, are apprehensive.” (Quran 21:26-28)

The context is still speaking about the angels.

Notice what He says next: "And whoever of them says...

“And whoever of them should say, "Indeed, I am a god besides Him" - that one We would recompense with Hell. Thus do We recompense the wrongdoers.” (Quran 21:29)

'...the wrongdoers.'

Even the angels were warned by Allah ﷻ against falling into that,

though shirk is utterly inconceivable for them.

Yet Allah ﷻ made this an absolute matter in which He accepts no ransom or compensation.

“Indeed, Allāh does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allāh has certainly fabricated a tremendous sin.” (Quran 4:48)

“Indeed, Allāh does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allāh has certainly gone far astray.” (Quran 4:116)

And in the other verse:

“Indeed, Allāh does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allāh has certainly fabricated a tremendous sin.” (Quran 4:48)

So reminding people of Tawhid, the matter of creed—

our eminent senior scholars in this blessed land and across Muslim lands

to establish Tawhid and emphasize the subject of Tawhid stems from this premise:

that we must always be reminded of Tawhid.

Secondly, Tawhid is fitrah.

“So direct your face [i.e., self] toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fiṭrah of Allāh upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allāh. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know.” (Quran 30:30)

Allah ﷻ said:

“So direct your face [i.e., self] toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fiṭrah of Allāh upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allāh. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know.” (Quran 30:30)

And the saying of Allah ﷻ: 'So set your face towards the religion' — meaning Islam.

Religion is Islam, and Islam also includes faith (Iman) and excellence (Ihsan),

by directing your heart, intention, and body toward establishing the outward rites of the religion,

such as prayer, zakat, fasting, Hajj, and the like,

and its inward rituals, such as love, fear, hope, and repentance.

And Ihsan in outward and inward acts of worship

is to worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He sees you.

Ibn al-Qayyim (RH) said,

regarding the Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ when he said:

'Every child is born upon natural disposition (Fitrah);

then his parents make him a Jew, a Christian, or a Magian.'

Ibn al-Qayyim (RH) said in Madarij al-Salikin, commenting on this Hadith narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim:

'Allah has created hearts naturally disposed toward truth, submitting to it, and finding peace and love in it;

and disposed them to hate falsehood and lies, recoiling from them and finding no peace in them.

‘And if the natural disposition remained as it was—’ —profound words—

'If the fitrah remained intact, it would never prefer anything over the truth,'

'nor find rest except in it,

nor be tranquil except through it, nor love anything else.'

And Ibn Taymiyyah (RH) said: 'He informed that He created His servants

to direct themselves uprightly, which is worshipping Allah alone without partner.'

'This is part of the natural, upright, and balanced innate movement of the heart.'

'Abandoning it is a great injustice—its people follow their desires without knowledge.'

This innate disposition—which is the sound natural state—requires

sustenance and nourishment that reinforces its inherent nature in knowledge and action.

Ibn al-Qayyim (RH) said: "For this reason, the falsehood of shirk and its evil—"

Notice: "—for this reason, the falsehood of shirk and its evil were known by sound fitrah and upright intellects,

and knowing its evil is more evident than knowing the evil of all other vices."

Our Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him, said:

"The soul by its nature, if left undisturbed, affirms Allah's divinity, loves Him, worships Him, and associates nothing with Him.

But it is corrupted and diverted by what the devils among mankind and jinn beautify for it through...

“And thus We have made for every prophet an enemy - devils from mankind and jinn, inspiring to one another decorative speech in delusion. But if your Lord had willed, they would not have done it, so leave them and that which they invent.” (Quran 6:112)

Tawhid is thus ingrained in human nature, while shirk is foreign and extraneous to it.

End of his quote, may Allah preserve him.

Thirdly, Tawhid is that for which Allah took the covenant from the Children of Adam. Allah ﷻ said:

“And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], "Am I not your Lord?" They said, "Yes, we have testified." [This] - lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection, "Indeed, we were of this unaware."” (Quran 7:172)

"...unaware." Allah Almighty informs that He brought forth the offspring of Adam from their loins,

and made them testify against themselves.

Imam Ahmad narrated from Anas bin Malik (RA) that the Prophet ﷺ said:

This is a Hadith worth pausing to reflect upon.

He reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:

"It will be said to a man from the people of Hellfire on the Day of Resurrection:

'If you had everything on Earth, would you ransom yourself with it?'

He will say, 'Yes.'

Then He will say,

'I asked of you something far easier than that:

I took a covenant from you in the loins of Adam that you associate nothing with Me,

but you insisted on associating partners with Me.'"

This Hadith is originally in Al-Bukhari and Muslim. And in Sahih Muslim,

from Iyad Al-Mujashi'i, the Prophet ﷺ reported that Allah ﷻ said—in a Hadith Qudsi:

"'I created My servants naturally upright, but the devils came to them and turned them away from their religion, prohibiting them what I had made lawful for them.'"

Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (RH) said, commenting on Allah's saying:

“And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], "Am I not your Lord?" They said, "Yes, we have testified." [This] - lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection, "Indeed, we were of this unaware."” (Quran 7:172)

Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Uthaymeen (RH) said:

"This verse shows that man is innately disposed to testify to Allah's existence and Lordship,

whether we say Allah brought them forth from Adam's loins and made them testify,

or that this is what Allah embedded in their fitrah of acknowledging Him.

The verse shows that man knows his Lord through his fitrah."

All of these Hadiths also indicate this meaning.

Also among what shows the importance of Tawhid:

It is for Tawhid that Allah sent the messengers.

Allah ﷻ said:

“And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship Allāh and avoid ṭāghūt." And 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.” (Quran 16:36)

false gods." Ibn Kathir said: "Every Prophet sent by Allah called to the worship of Allah alone, without partner."

All the Prophets—all the Prophets came to call people and bring them out of darkness into light.

They came with a single message: worshipping Allah and declaring the Oneness of Allah ﷻ.

And even if the divine laws differed—meaning the practical laws varied—the religion was one.

"Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam."

Therefore, some commentators explained that "Islam" here encompasses the religion brought by all the Prophets,

for religion with Allah—Islam—is submission to Allah ﷻ,

compliance to Allah ﷻ, and affirming the Oneness of Allah Almighty.

So every Prophet sent by Allah called to the worship of Allah alone, but the divine laws varied.

For example, prayer differed for one nation, and the manner of repentance differed for another nation,

while for another, repentance was not done in the same way, as Moses (AS), for instance, said:

"When Moses said to his people: 'O my people...'"

“And [recall] when Moses said to his people, "O my people, indeed you have wronged yourselves by your taking of the calf [for worship]. So repent to your Creator and kill yourselves [i.e., the guilty among you]. That is best for [all of] you in the sight of your Creator." Then He accepted your repentance; indeed, He is the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful.” (Quran 2:54)

Our Ummah, alhamdulillah, is granted mercy.

A person repents to Allah ﷻ, supplicates to Him, and humbles himself before Him,

and Allah ﷻ accepts it from him.

So the details may differ from one nation to another,

but the religion brought by the prophets is one: submission to Allah ﷻ,

meaning Islam in its general, comprehensive sense.

Al-Sa'di (RH) said: "Allah ﷻ informs that His proof has been established against all nations,

and no nation, past or present, but Allah sent a messenger to it,

and all of them agreed upon one call and one religion: worshipping Allah alone, with no partner."

So the verse indicates that the wisdom behind sending messengers is the worship of Allah.

Fifth: Tawhid is why Allah revealed the Scriptures.

Allah ﷻ said at the beginning of Surah Hud: "Alif, Lam, Ra. [This is] a Book whose verses are perfected,"

“Alif, Lām, Rā. [This is] a Book whose verses are perfected and then presented in detail from [one who is] Wise and Aware” (Quran 11:1)

What did He say after that?

“[Through a messenger, saying], "Do not worship except Allāh. Indeed, I am to you from Him a warner and a bringer of good tidings,"” (Quran 11:2)

Meaning: this perfected, detailed Qur'an is for worshipping Allah ﷻ alone, without any partner.

Ibn Taymiyyah (RH) said: "Worshipping Allah alone is the foundation of religion—the Tawhid for which Allah sent messengers and revealed scriptures."

Imam al-Shinqiti (RH), author of Adwa' al-Bayan, said:

"This noble verse clearly shows that the primary purpose of revealing

the Qur'an is worshipping Allah ﷻ." He then recited the verse.

Sixth: Tawhid is the first thing we call people to. Therefore, when the Prophet ﷺ sent Mu'adh (RA),

the Prophet ﷺ said to him: "You are going to a people from the People of the Book, so let the first thing you call them to be...

...that they single out Allah Almighty in worship."

Ibn Hajar (RH) said: "Worshipping Allah means Tawhid,

which is bearing witness to Allah's Oneness and His Prophet's messengership.

They were placed first because they are the foundation of religion, without which nothing else is valid."

Ninth: Tawhid is a condition for victory and establishment. Allah ﷻ says in Surah An-Nur:

“Allāh has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish for them [therein] their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them,

after their fear, security, [for] they worship Me, not associating anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves after that - then those are the defiantly disobedient.” (Quran 24:55)

...anything [with Me].

The verses indicate that obedience to Allah ﷻ

and righteous deeds are a cause for strength and succession in the land.

Therefore, Allah ﷻ promised the believers empowerment in the land

if they obey Allah ﷻ, affirm His Oneness, and walk upon the path He laid out.

Allah ﷻ said: "If you support Allah, He will support you,"

and Allah ﷻ said: "Allah will surely support those who support Him."

This is a promise from Allah ﷻ to the Prophet ﷺ

that He will make his Ummah successors on Earth—leaders and rulers over humanity,

through whom lands are rectified and servants submit. Allah said in the same verse:

“Allāh has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish for them [therein] their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security, [for] they worship Me, not associating anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves after that - then those are the defiantly disobedient.” (Quran 24:55)

And Allah ﷻ indeed fulfilled it and favored the Prophet ﷺ,

and honored him ﷺ during his lifetime

by granting him the conquest of Makkah, Khaybar, and all of the Arabian Peninsula and beyond.

So Allah ﷻ empowered the Prophet ﷺ during his lifetime, and he witnessed the spread of Islam.

That is why Allah ﷻ said:

“When the victory of Allāh has come and the conquest,”

“And you see the people entering into the religion of Allāh in multitudes,”

“Then exalt [Him] with praise of your Lord and ask forgiveness of Him. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of Repentance.” (Quran 110:1-3)

Imam Ahmad narrated from Ubayy ibn Ka'b (RA) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

"Give glad tidings to this Ummah of glory, high rank, religion, victory, and establishment on earth."

Also, among the things that show the importance of Tawhid

is that Tawhid is a condition for security and guidance. Allah ﷻ said:

“They who believe and do not mix their belief with injustice - those will have security, and they are [rightly] guided.” (Quran 6:82)

And what is meant by wrongdoing here is shirk.

“They who believe and do not mix their belief with injustice - those will have security, and they are [rightly] guided.” (Quran 6:82)

Meaning that they had mixed this faith with shirk.

So when this verse was revealed,

the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:

"Which of us has not wronged himself, O Messenger of Allah?"

They had misunderstood the meaning, so the Prophet ﷺ clarified to them that what was meant was polytheism,

and recited to them Allah's ﷻ words: "Indeed, shirk is a great injustice," as the righteous servant said.

Eleventh: Tawheed is the common word between us and the People of the Book.

Therefore, we notice that Allah ﷻ said: "Say, 'O People of the Scripture...'"

“Say, "O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you - that we will not worship except Allāh and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of Allāh." But if they turn away, then say, "Bear witness that we are Muslims [submitting to Him]."” (Quran 3:64)

This noble verse—the Prophet ﷺ used to include it in his letters to the rulers of the world,

and he ﷺ would sometimes recite in the first rak'ah of the Sunnah of Fajr, "Say, 'We believe in Allah,'"

and in the last rak'ah of the Sunnah of Fajr

because it includes the call to one religion agreed upon by the Prophets and Messengers,

and contains the Tawhid of Uluhiyyah.

Moving on to the next point: Tawhid is the greatest virtue.

The Prophet ﷺ was asked, "Which deed is best?"

He ﷺ replied, "Faith in Allah and His Messenger." [Narrated by al-Bukhari]

He ﷺ was also asked, "Which sin is greatest before Allah?"

He ﷺ said, "That you set up a rival to Allah when He created you." [Narrated by al-Bukhari]

Likewise, Tawhid is a prerequisite for the acceptance of deeds.

“Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone."” (Quran 18:110)

“Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone."” (Quran 18:110)

is a condition for the acceptance of deeds.

Scholars always emphasize that deeds are not accepted except with two conditions:

Ikhlas (sincerity) and Mutaba'ah (adherence),

that you devote the deed sincerely to Allah ﷻ and follow the Prophet ﷺ.

That is why Ibn al-Qayyim (RH) said in I'lam al-Muwaqqi'in:

"Correct understanding and good intention are among the greatest blessings Allah bestows upon a servant; indeed, they are the two legs of religion,

and through them one is saved from the path of those who evoked anger and those who went astray."

Then he said beautifully: "Nothing corrupted religion except bad understanding or bad intention."

"Nothing corrupted religion except bad understanding or bad intention."

Intention here means Tawhid—Ikhlas and Mutaba'ah.

That is why Imam al-Bukhari (RH), as you know, opened his book with the Hadith:

"Actions are judged by intentions, and every person will have only what they intended."

Thus, the matter of intention and purpose is of immense importance with Allah ﷻ.

Likewise, Mutaba'ah means following the example of the Prophet ﷺ in your deeds,

for it is not enough for the intention to be correct and the purpose sound;

you must also be a follower of the Prophet ﷺ.

That is why the scholars said: Religion rests upon two Hadiths; religion rests upon two Hadiths.

The Hadith: "Actions are judged by intentions, and every person will have only what they intended,"

So this represents which aspect? The aspect of sincerity.

And the Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ: "Whoever introduces into this affair of ours that which is not of it, it is rejected,"

and this represents which aspect? Adherence.

Nothing can be accepted in this religion except with sincerity and adherence.

That is why Imam Al-Nawawi (RH),

when he compiled his book "The Forty Hadith", included in it

the Hadith "Actions are by intentions" and "Whoever introduces into this affair what is not of it, it is rejected."

So we need sincerity of intention for Allah ﷻ, as well as adherence.

So whoever hopes...

“Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone."” (Quran 18:110)

...that the heart be attached to Allah, Glorified and Exalted.

Tawheed is Allah's right upon His servants.

The Prophet ﷺ said: "O Mu'adh, do you know Allah's right upon His servants

and the servants' right upon Allah?" He said: "Allah and His Messenger know best."

"Indeed, Allah's right upon His servants is that they worship Him and associate nothing with Him."

Also, Tawheed expiates sins and misdeeds.

This shows the importance of Tawheed.

We will briefly cover the virtues and fruits of Tawheed,

speaking about them concisely.

First, the monotheist will not abide eternally in the Fire.

In Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim, from Abu Hurairah (RA), the Prophet ﷺ said:

"When Allah has finished judging between His servants and wills to bring out by His mercy whoever He wills of the people of the Fire,

He will command the angels to bring out whoever did not associate anything with Allah,

from among those Allah wills to show mercy to, who used to say: 'There is no god but Allah.'

They will recognize them in the Fire by the mark of prostration.

For Allah has forbidden the Fire to consume from the son of Adam the mark of prostration.

So they will bring them out, having been burnt to ashes,

and water called the Water of Life will be poured over them, and they will sprout like a seed in the silt of a flood stream."

There is also another Hadith.

The second fruit of Tawhid is that whoever says "La ilaha illa Allah" with sincerity will attain intercession—

the Prophet's ﷺ intercession on the Day of Judgment.

We ask Allah ﷻ to grant us the intercession of the Prophet ﷺ

and gather us with the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous.

The Prophet ﷺ said: "The happiest of people with my intercession on the Day of Resurrection

is the one who says 'La ilaha illa Allah' sincerely from his heart or soul." Reported by Al-Bukhari.

Thirdly, among the fruits of Tawhid is that whoever says "La ilaha illa Allah" and disbelieves in whatever is worshipped besides Allah,

his wealth and blood become inviolable, as in the two Sahihs:

"I was commanded to fight people until they testify that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger, establish prayer, and pay Zakat.

If they do so, their blood and wealth are protected, except by Islam's right, and their reckoning is with Allah." Agreed upon.

Fourthly, those who realize Tawhid and stay away from shirk in all its forms have security, as we mentioned earlier.

Tawhid is a source of peace and tranquility for the soul, so fears do not overcome it.

The believer is psychologically stable. Why? Because he has submitted his affair to Allah ﷻ.

He knows what befell him could never have missed him, and what missed him could never have befallen him.

The Prophet ﷺ said to Ibn 'Abbas (RA) when he was a young boy:

"O young man, I shall teach you some words: Mind Allah and He will protect you; mind Allah and you will find Him before you.

If you ask, ask Allah; and if you seek help, seek help from Allah.

And know that if the nation were to gather to benefit you with anything,

they could only benefit you with what Allah has written for you.

And know that if they were to gather to harm you with anything,

they could only harm you with what Allah has written against you.

The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried."

That is why the Companions (RA) reached this sublime understanding.

'Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) said:

"By Allah, I wake up every morning not caring

whether it brings me joy or sorrow."

They asked, "Why, O Amir al-Mu'minin?"

He said, "Because I don't know if good lies

in what pleases me or in what displeases me."

"Perhaps you love a thing that is bad for you."

“Battle has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allāh knows, while you know not.” (Quran 2:216)

Therefore, 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz said a statement

similar to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab's.

He said, "Every morning I wake up

having two mounts: patience and gratitude.

If I am tested, I exercise patience; and if I am given, I show gratitude."

Therefore, the believer is psychologically stable.

He has surrendered and entrusted his affairs to Allah ﷻ.

He believes in Allah's divine decree, both its good and its bad,

fully submitting to the command of Allah ﷻ.

Therefore, Ibn al-Qayyim (RH) said:

He said, "Whoever knows Allah by His names and attributes,"

"Whoever knows Allah by His names and attributes

knows with certainty that whatever trials and disliked things afflict him—"

—note: these words deserve to be written in gold—

He said, "Whoever knows Allah by His names and attributes

knows with certainty

that whatever trials and disliked things afflict him

contain such avenues of benefit as his mind cannot encompass.

Rather, a servant's best interests lie in what he dislikes more than what he loves.

A servant's interests in what he dislikes are greater than in what he loves.

Also, a beautiful quote said by one of the Salaf:

He said, "Know that the Lord's choice for His servant is better than his own choice."

"The Lord's choice for His servant is better than his own."

Another saying by one of the Salaf, worth writing in gold:

He said, "If the unseen were unveiled, you would choose only what Allah ﷻ chose."

"If the unseen were unveiled..."

you would choose nothing except what Allah has chosen.

So the believer submits, surrenders, yields, and humbles himself before Allah ﷻ.

This stability comes only through Tawheed and attaching one's heart to Allah,

fearing none but Allah, hoping in none but Allah, and clinging to none but Allah;

not fearing people, no matter how high their status,

because the most that people can do to you is to execute Allah's will concerning you.

The most that people can do to you is to execute Allah's will concerning you.

So the matter is from Allah, not them; they are merely an executor.

Rather, the matter is entirely from Allah.

This human cannot benefit or harm himself, so how could he benefit or harm you?

He cannot benefit or harm himself,

so how could he harm or benefit you? Why then do you attach your heart to him?

Attach your heart to Allah, and ask Allah ﷻ to subjugate this servant for you,

or to send someone to fulfill your hopes in this world and the Hereafter.

Fifth: the heart is illuminated by Tawheed. Allah says:

“And is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him light by which to walk among the people like one who is in darkness, never to emerge therefrom? Thus it has been made pleasing to the disbelievers that which they were doing.” (Quran 6:122)

Listen to these exquisite words from Ibn al-Qayyim (RH):

"Among people are those whose heart holds the light of this word"—of Tawheed—

"Some have its light in their heart like the sun,

others like a brilliant star,

others like a shining lamp,

and another like a faint lamp.

And therefore, lights will appear on the Day of Resurrection before them and on their right,

according to the light of this word in their hearts.”

Notice this:

“Therefore, lights will appear on the Day of Resurrection before them and on their right,

according to the light of this word in their hearts—in knowledge, action, understanding, and state.”

Allah ﷻ says: “On the Day you see the believing men and believing women, their light proceeding before them and on their right,

'Good tidings today: Gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein.'"

We ask Allah ﷻ to make us among them.

“On the Day you see the believing men and believing women, their light proceeding before them and on their right, [it will be said], "Your good tidings today are [of] gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein you will abide eternally." That is what is the great attainment.” (Quran 57:12)

and on their right: "Good tidings for you today:

Gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding eternally."

“On the Day you see the believing men and believing women, their light proceeding before them and on their right, [it will be said], "Your good tidings today are [of] gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein you will abide eternally." That is what is the great attainment.”

“On the [same] Day the hypocrite men and hypocrite women will say to those who believed, "Wait for us that we may acquire some of your light." It will be said, "Go back behind you and seek light." And a wall will be placed between them with a door, its interior containing mercy, but on the outside of it is torment.” (Quran 57:12-13)

the hypocrite men and women

“On the [same] Day the hypocrite men and hypocrite women will say to those who believed, "Wait for us that we may acquire some of your light." It will be said, "Go back behind you and seek light." And a wall will be placed between them with a door, its interior containing mercy, but on the outside of it is torment.”

“They [i.e., the hypocrites] will call to them [i.e., the believers], "Were we not with you?" They will say, "Yes, but you afflicted yourselves and awaited [misfortune for us] and doubted, and wishful thinking deluded you until there came the command of Allāh. And the Deceiver [i.e., Satan] deceived you concerning Allāh.” (Quran 57:13-14)

Tawhid brings about soundness of the heart,

and that is why Allah ﷻ said:

“The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children”

“But only one who comes to Allāh with a sound heart."” (Quran 26:88-89)

What does 'sound' mean? Qatadah said: 'Free from shirk.'

And Mujahid said: 'Having no doubt regarding the truth.'

Most commentators said a sound heart is one free from shirk, doubt, and hypocrisy.

And when it is free from these things, it is certain and sincere.

Furthermore, Tawhid yields soundness of the tongue.

The tongue, as is known, obeys the heart's command.

So if the heart is sound, the tongue speaks only good and wholesome speech.

Allah ﷻ explained to us that there is good speech and evil speech.

Allah ﷻ says:

“Have you not considered how Allāh presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky?” (Quran 14:24)

This context refers to the testimony: there is no god but Allah, Muhammad ﷺ is His Messenger.

And He ﷻ said:

“And the example of a bad word is like a bad tree, uprooted from the surface of the earth, not having any stability.” (Quran 14:26)

Likewise, Tawhid engenders the uprightness of the limbs,

so a person directs himself only towards good,

for when one holds firm belief and draws close to Allah ﷻ through words and deeds,

Allah ﷻ brings him to a state where he acts only with good, as you know:

"My servant draws near to Me with voluntary deeds until I love him.

When I love him, I become his hearing by which he hears, his sight by which he sees,

his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks.”

When we fulfill Tawhid, we attain happiness in this life and the next.

Allah ﷻ said:

“Indeed, those who have said, "Our Lord is Allāh" and then remained on a right course - the angels will descend upon them, [saying], "Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised.” (Quran 41:30)

Two points remain for us

among the fruits of Tawhid, having skipped some due to time:

that Tawhid is the foundation of brotherhood and equality.

Servitude to other than Allah makes people take one another as lords,

whereas servitude to Allah is the basis of equality and brotherhood among people.

That is why Allah ﷻ said:

“Say, "O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you - that we will not worship except Allāh and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of Allāh." But if they turn away, then say, "Bear witness that we are Muslims [submitting to Him]."” (Quran 3:64)

Tawhid is also a means for relieving distresses.

That is why we notice that Dhu al-Nun, Yunus (AS), when he was cast into the sea,

with what did he turn to Allah?

“And [mention] the man of the fish [i.e., Jonah], when he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree [anything] upon him. And he called out within the darknesses, "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers."” (Quran 21:87)

On what? "He cried out through the darknesses:"

“And [mention] the man of the fish [i.e., Jonah], when he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree [anything] upon him. And he called out within the darknesses, "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers."” (Quran 21:87)

the wrongdoers."

Thus, the way to relieve distress is through the oneness of Allah ﷻ,

so he turned to that:

“And [mention] the man of the fish [i.e., Jonah], when he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree [anything] upon him. And he called out within the darknesses, "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers."” (Quran 21:87)

"Glory be to You." So He said: "We answered him."

Now, was this answer for Yunus alone? No! Read the rest of the verse.

He said: "And thus do We deliver the believers."

So whoever does what Yunus (AS) did, Allah ﷻ will answer him

and save him from the distresses and afflictions he faces in his life.

The final fruit of Tawhid is that Tawhid...

...unites ranks and joins hearts, and thereby Muslims grow strong.

That is why Allah ﷻ says in Surah Al 'Imran:

“And hold firmly to the rope of Allāh all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allāh upon you - when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allāh make clear to you His verses that you may be guided.” (Quran 3:103)

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (RH) says:

"Among the firmest precepts of Sharia is Allah's statement:

“And hold firmly to the rope of Allāh all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allāh upon you - when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allāh make clear to you His verses that you may be guided.” (Quran 3:103)

Allah ﷻ has warned us against division.

Therefore, Tawhid strengthens the bonds among human beings,

“And brought together their hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have brought their hearts together; but Allāh brought them together. Indeed, He is Exalted in Might and Wise.” (Quran 8:63)

And so, Allah warned us against division right after it—just two verses later.

Allah ﷻ says:

“And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful.”

“And do not be like the ones who became divided and differed after the clear proofs had come to them. And those will have a great punishment” (Quran 3:104-105)

This comes after: "Hold fast to the rope of Allah..."

“And do not be like the ones who became divided and differed after the clear proofs had come to them. And those will have a great punishment” (Quran 3:105)

clear proofs.

And Allah ﷻ said:

“Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects - you, [O Muḥammad], are not [associated] with them in anything. Their affair is only [left] to Allāh; then He will inform them about what they used to do.” (Quran 6:159)

Allah ﷻ also says in Surah Ar-Rum:

“[Adhere to it], turning in repentance to Him, and fear Him and establish prayer and do not be of those who associate others with Allāh”

“[Or] of those who have divided their religion and become sects, every faction rejoicing in what it has.” (Quran 30:31-32)

Then look at how Allah ﷻ concluded this verse:

“But they [i.e., the people] divided their religion among them into portions [i.e., sects] - each faction, in what it has, rejoicing.” (Quran 23:53)

Every group claims that it is upon the truth,

and Allah ﷻ warned us against them. He warned us against partisanship and division;

He warned us against factions and sects that divide people in their religion.

So Allah ﷻ warned us against these groups because they divide people.

As for the methodology of the Righteous Predecessors, it is not a party, but a methodology.

The difference is that the methodology of the Salaf is not a party,

but rather a methodology—meaning it has no formal organization.

Whoever adopts this methodology and follows it—even if he were at the ends of the Earth—

is from the people of this methodology and follows the Righteous Predecessors.

It does not require him to belong to a specific organization,

because the problem with factions and organizations is that they close the mind,

so the standard of truth and falsehood becomes what this group says,

not what the Book and the Sunnah say.

The criterion becomes what this group says, not what is in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ.

That is why Allah ﷻ warned us against partisanship, division, and splintering.

Indeed,

whoever belongs to these groups and factions

has his allegiance and disavowal tied to what this group says.

Therefore, great harm and major corruption occur,

and an unimaginable rift takes place within the Ummah because of that.

As for adhering to what...

came from Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, and following the path of the righteous predecessors—

this is the guarantee that ensures we walk on the correct and upright path,

and cross the wilderness of this life while on the safe path.

The Prophet ﷺ said in his final admonitions:

"I have left among you that which, if you hold fast to it, you will never go astray:

the Book of Allah and my Sunnah."

Whoever seeks safety must adhere to the Book and Sunnah,

as understood by the righteous predecessors and the first generation.

This is the guarantee that ensures we walk on the path of guidance.

That is why our great and illustrious scholars, such as Sheikh Ibn Baz (RH),

and Sheikh Muhammad ibn 'Uthaymin (RH),

as well as our living scholars—may Allah ﷻ prolong their lives in His obedience—

such as His Eminence the Grand Mufti, Sheikh Salih Al-Fawzan, and others,

always emphasize this principle and remaining attached to the Book of Allah ﷻ and the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.

Finally, in this era when many have put themselves forward,

I remind you of a very important matter:

that we must not take our religion except from those whose knowledge is vast and well-established,

and whose piety is widely acknowledged among people.

Their knowledge and piety must both be widely known among the people.

It is not enough for someone's piety to be recognized and for him to be known as religious,

Nor is it sufficient that he be known only for his knowledge,

for a person with knowledge might come and mislead people, as He ﷻ said:

“It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muḥammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise - they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allāh. But those firm in knowledge say, "We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord." And no one will be reminded except those of understanding.” (Quran 3:7)

"...decisive verses—the foundation of the Book—and others unspecific."

“It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muḥammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise - they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allāh. But those firm in knowledge say, "We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord." And no one will be reminded except those of understanding.” (Quran 3:7)

or seeking its interpretation.

Thus, knowledge alone is not enough;

His knowledge must be widely known, and he must be recognized for it.

Shaykh Ibn Baz (RH), from when he was a judge

in his twenties in Al-Dilam, was known for his knowledge until he passed away.

so the people conceded to him, and the eminent scholars conceded as well—acknowledging them as scholars,

even their enemies testified that they were scholars.

So recognition of knowledge alone is not enough;

there must also be widespread recognition of piety,

such that the man is known for his religion among creation.

In this way, a person stays on the right path.

Hence, as Imam Malik (RH) said: 'Indeed,

so consider from whom you take your religion.'

'This matter is religion, so consider from whom you take your religion.'

In conclusion of this lecture, these were some of the fruits, virtues, and impacts of Tawheed,

and this is what was possible to cover in this lecture.

I ask Allah ﷻ to grant us an understanding of Him and His Messenger ﷺ that elevates us to the rank of the truthful,

martyrs, and righteous.

And I ask Him ﷻ to grant us and you beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds,

and to make us and you among the people of Tawheed and His sincere servants.

And we ask Him ﷻ, as Ibrahim (AS) supplicated when he said:

“And [mention, O Muḥammad], when Abraham said, "My Lord, make this city [i.e., Makkah] secure and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols.” (Quran 14:35)

We say: 'O Allah, keep us and our children from worshipping idols,'

and make us firm upon the religion and tawheed until we meet You while You are pleased with us,

O Lord of all worlds, O Owner of Majesty and Honor.

O Allah, relieve the distressed, dispel the anguish of the afflicted, and settle the indebted's debts,

heal our sick and the sick of the Muslims, and have mercy, O Allah, upon our dead and the dead of the Muslims.

And I ask Allah ﷻ to grant us our hopes in this world and the Hereafter,

and to fulfill for us what we desire until we meet Him ﷻ while He is pleased with us.

And we ask Him ﷻ to preserve this country and safeguard its security,

prosperity, stability, creed, scholars, and rulers.

We ask Him ﷻ to reward the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman,

and his Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and their helpers, with righteousness and piety,

and to guide their steps in all that brings good and righteousness to the country and the people.

I ask Allah ﷻ to grant us faith. And may He send blessings and peace upon our Prophet ﷺ, his family, and Companions.