Tawheed in the Glorious Qur’an
Author : Shaykh Salih Fawzaan bin Fawzaan
Source : Lessons from the Glorious Qur’an(1)
Translated by: Kashif bin Hazoor Khan As Salafi
The Categories of Tawheed:
At-Tawheed: Three categories extracted from the book of Allah the Glorified and Exalted, and the division of tawheed has not come by way of opinion, or by way of terminology, but verily it is extracted from the book of Allah the Glorified and Exalted.
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The first category: Tawheed Ar-Rubboobiyyah and that is the singling out of Allah the Almighty and Exalted with His actions of creating, and providing, and giving life, and taking life, and the running of the affairs. So a man believes that Allah by Himself is the Creator, Provider, and Disposer of affairs, the Living that never dies.
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The second category: **Tawheed Al-Uloohiyyah **and that is the singling out of Allah for actions of worship which bring us closer to Him, the Glorified and Exalted. And from it is dua’a, fear, hope, reliance, righteousness, sacrifice, dedication, or other than that from the categories of worship. So it is a must for all forms of worship to be solely for the sake of Allah and nothing from it should be diverted to other than Him. This is what Tawheed Al Ibaadah or Tawheed Al Uloohiyyah is. And this is the tawheed of action and the tawheed of obedience.
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The third category: Tawheed Al Asmaa was Sifaat and that is belief in that which Allah and His Messenger (saws) have established for Him from His names and attributes.
These are the categories of Tawheed that have been extracted from the book of Allah the Exalted and Most High. So all the verses in the Qura’an that speak about the actions of Allah from creating and providing, and taking and giving life, and the running of the affairs of the dunya (world) then these verses are concerning Tawheed Ar Rubboobiyyah. And there are many examples of this in the Qura’an.
Allah the Most High says:
“Say: Whose is the earth and whosoever is therein? If you know! They will say: Allah. Say: Will you not then remember? Say: Who is the Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the Great Throne? They will say: Allah. Say: Will you not then fear Allah? Say: In whose hand is the sovereignty of everything? And He protects while against Whom there is no protector, if you know?” Suratul Mu’minoon: 84-89
And He the Most High says:
Say (O Muhammad (SAW)): “Who provides for you from the sky and from the earth? Or who owns hearing and sight? And who brings out the living from the dead and brings out the dead from the living? And who disposes the affairs?” They will say: “Allah.” Say: “Will you not then be afraid of Allah’s Punishment (for setting up rivals in worship with Allah)?” Suratul Yunus 10:31
And this is how every verse is which mentions the creation of the heavens, earth, and the rest of the makhlooqaat[2] is, and verily these verses are concerning Tawheed Ar Rubboobiyyah.
And every verse that mentions worship: it has an order to worship Allah and a prohibiton on shirk[3], then these verses are concerning Tawheed Al Uloohiyyah.
And every verse that mentions the names and attributes of Allah, then these verses are concerning Tawheed Al Asmaa was Sifaat.
And all of these three categories are found in the Quran, and that is why the scholars say the tawheed is three categories: Tawheed Ar Rubboobiyyah, Tawheed Al Uloohiyyah, Tawheed Al Asmaa was Sifaat.
They did not come with this from their own selves, but verily they extracted them from the book of Allah the Glorious and Most High, and an explanation to this will follow insha Allah.
Footnotes:
1 This section is taken from Duroos min al-Qur’ann al-Kareem by Shaykh Salih Fawzaan bin Fawzaan.
2 the creation.
3 to associate any one in worship with Allah.