Tafseer

Scholars of ‘aqeeda divide tawhid into three aspects: tawhid ar-rububiyyah, tawhid al-uloohiyyah, and tawhid al-asmaa wal sifat. Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah is the tawhid of Lordship. It pertains to Allah’s right as the Lord, and all that entails–the Creator, the Sustainer. Tawhid Al-Uloohiyyah is the tawheed of worship. It pertains to Allah’s right to be worshipped, without any partners. Tawhid Al-Asmaa wal Sifat is the tawheed of Allah’s names and attributes–such as that he is Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim.

Allah blessed me with the opportunity to listen to Shaykh Yasir Qadhi, who specializes in Aqeeda, speak about shirk. Here’s what he said. Question: What happens if you’re Muslim and you’ve committed shirk? Answerer: Shaykh Yasir Qadhi In the Qur’an, in many places, Allah says shirk is unforgivable. إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاء وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللّهِ فَقَدِ افْتَرَى إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا Translation: Surely Allah does not forgive that anything should be associated with Him, and forgives what is besides that to whomsoever He pleases; and whoever associates anything with Allah, he devises indeed a great sin.

In Surah Nisaa, Allah says: وَدُّواْ لَوْ تَكْفُرُونَ كَمَا كَفَرُواْ فَتَكُونُونَ سَوَاء فَلاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ مِنْهُمْ أَوْلِيَاء حَتَّىَ يُهَاجِرُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَخُذُوهُمْ وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ وَجَدتَّمُوهُمْ وَلاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ مِنْهُمْ وَلِيًّا وَلاَ نَصِيرًا Translation: They desire that you should disbelieve as they have disbelieved, so that you might be (all) alike; therefore take not from among them friends until they forsake (their homes) in Allah’s way; but if they turn back, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them, and take not from among them a friend or a helper (Surah Nisaa, 4:89)1

In Surah Nisaa, Allah says: فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِئَتَيْنِ وَاللّهُ أَرْكَسَهُم بِمَا كَسَبُواْ أَتُرِيدُونَ أَن تَهْدُواْ مَنْ أَضَلَّ اللّهُ وَمَن يُضْلِلِ اللّهُ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ سَبِيلاً Translation: What is the matter with you, then, that you have become two parties about the hypocrites, while Allah has made them return (to unbelief) for what they have earned? Do you wish to guide him whom Allah has caused to err? And whomsoever Allah causes to err, you shall by no means find a way for him.

Allah says, in the Qur’an: وَإِذَا حُيِّيْتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّواْ بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَا أَوْ رُدُّوهَا إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَسِيبًا Translation: When a (courteous) greeting is offered you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous, or (at least) of equal courtesy. Allah takes careful account of all things (Surah Nisaa, 4:86)1 If your brother or sister in Islam gives you salaams, return it. So respond to “as-salaamu ‘alikum” with “wa’alikum as-salaam wa rahmatullah” and “as-salaamu ‘alikum wa rahmatullah” with “wa’alikum as-salaam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh” (but don’t go beyond that).

In the Qur’an, surah Nisaa, Allah says: فَقَاتِلْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ لاَ تُكَلَّفُ إِلاَّ نَفْسَكَ وَحَرِّضِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَسَى اللّهُ أَن يَكُفَّ بَأْسَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَاللّهُ أَشَدُّ بَأْسًا وَأَشَدُّ تَنكِيلاً Translation: Then fight in Allah’s cause – you are responsible only for yourself – and rouse the believers. It may be that Allah will restrain the fury of the Unbelievers; for Allah is the strongest in might and in punishment (Surah Nisaa, 4:84)1

In Surah Nisaa, Allah says: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ خُذُواْ حِذْرَكُمْ فَانفِرُواْ ثُبَاتٍ أَوِ انفِرُواْ جَمِيعًا Translation: O ye who believe! Take your precautions, and either go forth in parties or go forth all together (Surah Nisaa, 4:71).1 The message: prepare, and fight in groups. A related incident: after the battle of Uhud, many tribes targeted the Muslims to take them down once and for all. The day the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) returned from battle, he slept, prayed ‘Isha (alone), and the next day, after Fajr, said “we’re going after [the fleeing army].

The people came to the king and said “Don’t you see, by Allah, your fear brought about the very thing you were afraid of.” The king didn’t know what to do. So he had ditches dug at all the roads out of the city. People try to escape, BOOM into a ditch. He had people brought to the ditches and said “disbelieve and live or believe and in you go.” They believed, so he threw them in.

The boy said “You will never be able to kill me until you do what I say.” The king said “Ok, what do I do?” Notice the reversal of roles–who’s in control now? So the boy said “gather the people, cruficy me on a tree trunk, put your arrow in the middle of the bow, say ‘in the name of Allah, Lord of the worlds’ and fire.” And the king did just that, so obsessed to kill the boy he didn’t realize what the effect would be.

The king asked the boy to renounce his religion, to which the boy refused. The king said “take him to the highest mountain and if he doesn’t renounce by the time you reach the top, throw him off.” Why not saw him in half? Because the boy’s useful. He has influence among the poeple. People love him, and if he joins the king, many will follow his example. So they took him up, and the boy said “O Allah, suffice me against them in whatever way You please”.