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The Three Important Points
Secondly, The Three Important Points
Know, may Allah have mercy on you, it is obligatory upon every Muslim man and woman to study these three points and to act upon them (1):
(1) The author begins this section by supplicating for the student/reader.
The author supplicates for the student in this book three times; to begin the Four Important Points, the Three Important Points, and also when he says “Know, may Allah guide you to His obedience that Hanifiyyah is the way of Ibraheem". Before mentioning the four important points, the three important points as well as when he say: Know, may Allaah guide you to His Obedience that Hanifiyyah is the way of Ibraheem.
Intro to the Three Important Points
Tawheed
- Linguistically: To single something out.
- In Islam: To single out Allah with that which is specific to Him from his Lordship, Worship, and His Names and Attributes.
Tawheed has three categories:
| Tawheed of Lordship: To single out Allah with His actions or to say that He is the only Creator, Sustainer, and the Disposer of all affairs | Tawheed of Worship: To single out Allah with all worship. | Tawheed of the Names and Attributes of Allah: To single out Allah with that which He has named and described Himself with in His Book or in the statements of His Messenger -may Allah praise him amongst the angels and send him peace -. This is done by affirming that which He has affirmed for Himself and negating that which He has negated for Himself: without distorting their meaning, denying them, describing them, or giving examples. |
*The Names and Attributes of Allah are restricted only to that which has been narrated in the Qur'an or the Sunnah. This is done by affirming that which Allah has affirmed for Himself in His Book or his Messenger has affirmed for Him in his statements. Also by negating that which Allah has negated for Himself in His Book or His Messenger negated for Him. For example: «No slumber can overtake Him nor Sleep». This is done without distorting their meaning, denying them, explaining them, or giving examples.
The First Point: Allah has created us, provides for us, and He has not left us without a purpose; rather, He has sent to us a messenger. Whoever obeys him, will enter Paradise and whoever disobeys him, will enter the Fire. The proof is the saying of Allah: «We have certainly sent a messenger to be a witness over you, as We have sent a Messenger to the Pharaoh. However, the Pharaoh disobeyed the Messenger; so We seized him with a severe punishment» (Qur'an 73:15-16).
A summary of the Three Important Points
| Tawheed of Lordship and Tawheed of the Names and Attributes. | Tawheed of Worship | Staying away from shirk and its people. |
(1) In the first point, the author -may Allah have mercy on him- affirms Tawheed of Lordship and Tawheed of the Names and Attributes: "Allah has created us" so He is the Creator, "and provides for us" so He is the Provider, " and He has not left us purposeless" without orders and prohibitions, "rather He has sent us a Messenger".
The reason Allah has sent Messengers:
| To establish the proof upon the creation: «We do not punish anyone until we send a Messenger» (Qur'an 17:15). | As a mercy: «We have not sent you except as a mercy to everything that exists» (Qur'an 21:107 |
The Second Point: Allah is not pleased that anyone is worshipped with Him; not a close angel nor a sent Messenger. The proof is the saying of Allah: «Surely the mosques belong only to Allah, so do not make supplication to anyone along with Allah» (Qur'an 72:18).
The second point affirms the worship only for Allah, the Most High.
The author -may Allah have mercy on him- says: “Allah is not pleased that anyone is worshiped with Him”. “Anyone” is indefinite so it includes everyone and everything; prophets, righteous people, jinn, angels, pious, or other than them whoever they may be .
The proof is the saying of Allah, the Most High: «Surely the mosques belong only to Allah, so do not make supplication to anyone along with Allah».
There are three opinions with regards to the meaning of 'Masaajid' and there could easily be reconciled:
| The mosques which are built to worship Allah in them. | The body parts we prostrate with. | The entire earth: "The earth has been made for me a place of prayer and purification" (Bukharee). |
The Third Point: Whoever obeys the Messenger and singles Allah out with all worship, it is not permissible for him to have loyalty to those who oppose Allah and His Messenger; even if they are the closest relatives. The proof is the saying of Allah the Most High: «You (O Messenger) will not find anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), even if they are their fathers, sons, brothers, or their kindred (people). For such He has written Eemaan in their hearts, and strengthened them with Rooh (proofs, light and true guidance) from Himself. And He will admit them to Gardens under which rivers flow to live in it forever. Allah is pleased with them, and they with Him. They are the Party of Allah. Verily, it is the Party of Allah that will be successful» (Qur'an 58:22).
In the third point the author clarifies staying away from shirk and its people.
Disassociating yourself from shirk and its people is done with:
| Heart | Speech | Actions |
1. Heart: We hate those who worship other than Allah and their celebrations; especially their shirk and innovations in the religion due to them associating partners in worship with Allah.
2. Speech: «I am absolutely free of that which you worship. “Say: 'O disbelievers, I do not worship that which you worship and you do not worship the One whom I worship. I will not worship that which you worship and you will not worship that which I worship. For you is your religion and for me is mine»” (Qur'an 109)
3. Actions: By not participating in their acts of worship, celebrations, etc.
Thirdly, the Importance of Studying Tawheed
Know - may Allah direct you to obey Him- that certainly the true religion, the way of Ibraheem, is to worship Allah alone; making the Religion sincerely for Him. Allah has ordered everyone with this and He has created them because of it. Allah, The Most High, says: «I did not create jinn and Mankind except to worship Me» (Qur'an 51:56). The meaning of «worship» is to single Allah out with all worship. The greatest of that which Allah has ordered with is Tawheed; which is to single out Allah with all worship (3). The worst of that which He forbade is shirk; which is to worship others along with Him or besides Him. The proof is His saying, The Most High: «Worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him»
Haneef
Linguistically: To lean toward something.
In Islam: Al Haneefeeyyah: is a nation which is far from shirk and upon sincerity, Tawheed, and Imaan. «(Qaanitan) one who does a lot of good deeds continuously for the sake of Allah Haneefan» (Qur'an 16:120) meaning heading towards Allah and away from shirk since Haneef is the one who is always upon Tawheed and far away from shirk.
(3) The author clarifies the reason why we study Tawheed and we have mentioned its importance previously.
Definition of Tawheed
Linguistically: To single something out
Islamically: To single out Allah in His Lordship, Worship, and Names and Attributes
The author says that: “the meaning of «to worship Me» is 'to single Me out with worship”. This is the saying of Ibn Abbas (3 years before hijra- 67 or 68H) -may Allah be pleased with him- when he said: “Every time the word 'worship' is used in the Qur'an it means Tawheed” such as «Worship Allah» means: single Him out with worship, «O people worship your Lord» means: O people single out your Lord with worship.
