Assalamo alaykum,
It is well-known that tawheed at one time was broken down into three parts, so people can better understand and grasp the idea, plus there were other reasons behind it. Refer to: The Categories of Tawheed.
I believe it’s vital to understand and straighten our Tawheed before anything else. Plenty has been posted recently on/or in relation to tawheed and this sort of prompted me to post something on the basics of tawheed from Bilal Philips’ books, “The Fundamentals of Tawheed.”
1. Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah (Maintaining the Unity of Lordship)
This category is based on the fundamental concept that Allaah alone caused all things to exist when there was nothing; He sustains and maintains creation without any need from it or for it; and He is the sole Lord of the universe and its inhabitants without any real challenge to His sovereignty. In Arabic the word used to describe this creator-sustainer quality is Ruboobeeyah which is derived from the root “Rabb” (Lord). According to this category, since God is the only real power in existence, it is He who gave all things the power to move and to change. Nothing happens in creation except what He allows to happen. In recognition of this reality, Prophet Muhammad (saws) used to often repeat the exclamatory phrase “La hawla wa laa quwwata illaa billaah” (There is no movement nor power except by Allaah’s will).
For details, please refer to: Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah (Maintaining the Unity of Lordship)
2. Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat (Maintaining the Unity of Allaah’s Names and Attributes).
This category of Tawheed has five main aspects:
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For the unity of Allaah’s names and attributes to be maintained in the first aspect, Allaah must be referred to according to how He and His Prophet (saws) have described Him without explaining away His names and attributes by giving them meanings other than their obvious meanings.
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The second aspect of Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat involves referring to Allaah as He has referred to Himself without giving Him any new names or attributes.
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In the third aspect of Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat Allaah is referred to without giving Him the attributes of His creation.
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The fourth aspect of Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat requires that man not be given the attributes of Allaah.
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Maintaining the unity of Allaah’s names also means that Allaah’s names in the definite form cannot be given to His creation unless preceded by the prefix ‘Abd meaning “slave of” or "servant of’. Many of the Divine names in their indefinite form like Ra’oof and Raheem are allowable names for men because Allaah has used some of them in their indefinite forms to refer to the Prophet (saws)
For details, please refer to: Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat (Maintaining the Unity of Allaah’s Names and Attributes)
3. Tawheed al-'Ebaadah (Maintaining The Unity of Worship)
In spite of the wide implications of the first two categories of Tawheed, firm belief in them alone is not sufficient to fulfill the Islamic requirements of Tawheed. Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah and Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat must be accompanied by their complement, Tawheed al-'Ebaadah, in order for Tawheed to be considered complete according to Islaam. This point is substantiated by the fact that Allaah Himself has related in clear terms that the Mushrikoon (idolators) of the Prophet’s time confirmed many aspects of the first two forms of Tawheed.
In spite of the Makkans’ confessions of Tawheed and their knowledge of Allaah, Allaah classified them as disbelievers (Kuffaar) and pagans (Mushrikoon) simply because they worshipped other gods along with their worship of Allaah.
For details, please refer to: Tawheed al-'Ebaadah (Maintaining The Unity of Worship)
for sharing.