IT IS ALLAH ALONE WHO IS WORTHY OF WORSHIP
A STATEMENT OF TRUTH REVEALED TO THE MUSHRIKS
Continuing and inshallah the last post in the explanation of the poem, we will now we move into the third aspect of tawheed: maintaining the oneness, uniqueness, and exclusiveness of Allah’s rights to be worshipped (tawheed al-uloohiyyah)
The grand importance of tawheed al-uloohiyyah is evident in the fact that the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam was commissioned to a nation that confirmed many aspects of the first two categories of tawheed but rejected worshipping Allah alone. His mission was to bring people back to the pure worship of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala as He says to the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam:
Say, “Who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? Or who controls hearing and sight and who brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living and who arranges [every] matter?” They will say, “Allah,” so say, “Then will you not fear Him?” [Surah Yunus V. 31]
The idolaters (mushriks) at the time of the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam acknowledged that Allah was their rabb who has the power and ability to cause death and life yet they were considered disbelievers because they denied His oneness and uniqueness to be worshipped alone. Allah says:
And most of them believe not in Allah except while they associate others with Him. [Surah Yusuf V. 106]
Mujaahid rahimuhallah (the most outstanding student of Ibn Abbas radhiAllah anhu) comments on this verse by stating:
“Their belief in Allah, represented by their statement, ‘Allah created us, provides for us and takes our lives’, did not stop them from worshiping other deities along with Allah”
The grand importance of this type of tawheed is also evident in the fact that Allah has made this the sole purpose of our creation, as He says:
And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. [Surah Dhariyat V.56]
This was where the idolaters in the time of the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam fell into error. They failed to understand that indeed the prayers , sacrifices, and supplications they were offering to those idols was worship and worship is only due to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. The people had strayed so far away from the pure tawheed that Allah sent our Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam to bring them back. He subhanahu wa ta’ala sent the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam to bring these people back from the worship of stones and idols to the worship of Allah alone; to bring them back towards pure tawheed.
Even today, we have Muslims who have failed to understand the concept of worship. They acknowledge Allah as their Lord yet they pray and supplicate to other than Him. They fall into the same error as the mushriks of the time of the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam fell into. When the mushriks were asked why they supplicated and worshipped idols, they would say to come closer to Allah. They would use the idols as intercessors between themselves and Allah and it is this very concept that Allah rebukes the mushriks for in the Qur’an. Allah says:
Unquestionably, for Allah is the pure religion. And those who take protectors besides Him [say], “We only worship them that they may bring us nearer to Allah in position.” Indeed, Allah will judge between them concerning that over which they differ. Indeed, Allah does not guide he who is a liar and [confirmed] disbeliever. [Surah az-Zumar V.3]
He said, “Then do you worship instead of Allah that which does not benefit you at all or harm you? [Surah al-Anbiya V. 66]
It’s clear that those who worship saints and supplicate to dead people are the same as the mushriks in the time of the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam. The saints and the dead, just like the idols, cannot benefit nor harm anyone for verily that power only belongs to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and beyond that, worship is only due to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala accept this work. Anything good that comes out of this is only from Him and anything wrong is from myself and the whispers of the accursed shaytaan.