Part 1: Praise and the Most Important Worship
All praise is for Allah. We thank Him and ask Him for help. We ask Allah to forgive us and protect us from our bad thoughts and actions. If Allah guides someone, no one can mislead them. If Allah leaves someone, no one can guide them. I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah alone. He has no partner. I bear witness that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger.
Allah says: “O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared, and do not die except as Muslims” [Al Imran 3:102]
The most important thing to do is Tawheed which is worshipping Allah alone. This is saying: “no one deserves to be worship except Allah.”
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah forbade the Fire for the one who says: ‘There is no god except Allah,’ seeking His pleasure” [Bukhari & Muslim]
Muslim narrated from Uthman bin Affan: “Whoever dies knowing there is no god except Allah, will enter Paradise” [Muslim]
Muslim narrated from Abu Huraira: “Whoever I meet beyond this wall, testifies there is no god except Allah with certainty in his heart, give him the glad tidings of Paradise” [Muslim]
We must only call on Allah, ask Him for help and sacrifice for Him alone.
Part 2: Saying Tawheed Is Not Enough
Not everyone who says “La ilaha illallah” is saved. Some hypocrites said it but it did not help them. Allah said they will be in the lowest part of the Fire. Bukhari narrated about Wahb bin Munabbih: “Is ‘La ilaha illallah’ the key to Paradise?” He said: “Yes, but a key only works if it has teeth. If it has teeth, it will open. Otherwise, it will not.” Even people like Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab knew Allah is the Creator and Provider but it did not help them. Allah says: “And if you asked them who created the heavens and the earth, they would say Allah” [Al An’am 6:101] This shows that Tawheed is not just believing Allah is the Creator. It means: no one deserves our worship except Allah. We must not worship anyone else or call anyone for help except Allah.
Part 3: Worshiping Others Is Wrong
The Quraysh worshipped idols like Al-Lat and Al-Uzza. They knew these idols could not help or harm. They only wanted them to bring them closer to Allah. Allah says: “We do not worship them except that they may bring us nearer to Allah” [Al-Zumar 39:3] “And they worship besides Allah what neither harms them nor benefits them, and they say: These are our intercessors with Allah” [Al-Zumar 39:3] Today, some Muslims do the same. They go to graves, ask dead people for help or sacrifice for them. Whoever does this falls into major shirk, which Allah will not forgive if they die in it.
Part 4: Only Call on Allah in Hard Times
The Quraysh, when in danger, only called Allah sincerely: “So when they boarded the ship, they called Allah, sincerely devoting their religion to Him, but when He brought them safely to land, they associated others with Him” [Yunus 10:22] Today, some people call saints or dead people instead of Allah. Even on an airplane, people cried out to others like: “O Sayyid Al-Badawi!” or “O Sayyida Zainab!” Even the disbelievers of Quraysh did not do this. How dangerous ignorance is! O Allah, You alone have no partner. You are Most Merciful and Most Kind. Keep us firm on Tawheed and the Sunnah. Let us meet You pleased with us.
Part 5: Shaytan Tricks People to Forget Tawheed
Shaytan whispers to people who believe in Allah that they are safe and don’t need to remember Tawheed or teach it. He wants people to waste their time and forget Allah. Even Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) asked Allah: “And save me and my children from worshipping idols” [Ibrahim 14:35] A scholar said: Who can be safe from shirk after Ibrahim? Prophet Muhammad ﷺ spent ten years in Makkah teaching only Tawheed. Prayer, fasting, zakah and hajj were not yet commanded. Later, when prayer was made obligatory, he also taught prayer but always kept teaching Tawheed. Muslim narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): “May Allah curse the Jews and Christians. They made the graves of their prophets places of worship” [Bukhari & Muslim]
Part 6: Be Thankful and Study Tawheed
Be thankful to Allah for the blessing of Tawheed. Review it for yourself. Teach it to your family and children. Teach it to friends.
Read useful books on Tawheed. Some of the best books are:
- Kitab al-Tawheed by Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab
- Three Principles
- Four Rules
Study them, revise them and keep learning. This is knowledge we need very much.
Dua (Supplication)
O Allah, keep us firm on Tawheed and the Sunnah.
O Allah, guide us to the straight path.
O Allah, protect us from the paths of error.
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