Part 11

By our qualification of the predicate in this expression: with the word true, the answer to the doubt which assails many people becomes clear, and that is: How can you say that there is no deity except Allah, when there are deities which are worshipped besides Allah, and Allah has called them deities, and those who worship them call them deities? Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High says:

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“So their aliha (gods), other than Allah, whom they invoked, profited them naught when there came the Command of your Lord.)

And He, the Most High says:

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“And set not up with Allah any other ilah (god). And He, the Most High says:

“And invoke not any other ilah (god) along with Allah.’'*! HB)

“never shall we call upon any ilah (god) other than Him. And He, the Most High says:

“Worship Allah! You have no other Ilah (God) but Him. (La ilaha illallah: none has the right to be worshipped but Allah).""*) So, how is it possible for us to say that there is no deity besides Allah, when the existence of other deities worshipped besides Allah is confirmed? And how is it possible for us to confirm the worship of other deities besides Allah, the Almighty, the AllPowerful, when the Messengers said to their peoples: “That is because Allah, He is the Truth, and that which they invoke besides Him is Al-Batil (falsehood, Satan and all other false deities); and that Allah, He is the Most High, the Most Great."7)

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The answer to these doubts is clear from the meaning of the predicate in the words: La Ilaha Illallah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah).We say that these deities which are worshipped besides Allah are deities which are worshipped, but they are false deities, not true gods and they have no right at all to be worshipped; and the Words of Allah, the Most High:

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CAL xy GG “Have you then considered Al-Lat, and Al-'Uzza (two idols of the pagan Arabs). And Manat (another idol of the pagan Arabs), the other third? Is it for you the males and for Him the females? That indeed is a division most unfair! They are but names which you have named — you and your fathers — for which Allah has sent down no authority."!

are evidence of this, as are the Words of Allah, the Most High reporting the words of Yusuf, peace be upon him:

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“You do not worship besides Him but only names which you have named (forged) — you and your fathers — for which Allah has sent down no authority.”"*!

So, the meaning of La Ilaha Illallah is that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. As for those things which are worshipped besides Him, their divinity as claimed by those who worship them is not true, that is, it is a false divinity; indeed, the true Divinity is that of Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

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As for the meaning of the testimony: Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, it is an affirmation in words and the heart’s belief that Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah Al-Qurashi AlHashimi is the Messenger of Allah to all created beings among the jinn and mankind, as Allah, the Almighty, the AllPowerful says:

BE di Sl ae Fea ot 35 a) Ur Gs “Say (O Muhammad #): O mankind! Verily Iam sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah — to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). It is He Who gives life and causes death. So, believe in Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad #8), the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad #8), who believes in Allah and His Words [(this Qur‘an), the Taurat (Torah) and the Injil (Gospel) and also Allah's Word: ‘Be!’ — and he was, i.e. ‘Isa (Jesus) son of Maryam (Mary), pel Lege], and follow him so that you may be guided."

And He, the Most High says:

“Blessed is He Who sent down the Criterion (of right and wrong, ie. this Qur’an) to His slave (Muhammad #) that he may be a warner to the ‘Alamin (mankind and jinn).’"?) And this testimony necessitates believing the Messenger #% in all that he tells us, and to implement his commands, and to stay away from what he prohibited and forbade, and not worship Allah except in the way which he has legislated for us.

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Also implied by this testimony, is that you do not believe that the Messenger of Allah #¢ has any rights in Lordship and the control of the universe, or that he has any right to be worshipped. Rather he is a creature, he is not worshipped, and he is a Messenger who must be believed in, and he possesses no power to benefit or harm himself nor anyone else, except as Allah wills, as He, the Most High says: ae oe Ke AQ gecy ye “Say (O Muhammad #8): I don’t tell you that with me are the treasures of Allah, nor (that) I know the unseen; nor do I tell you that I am an angel. I but follow what is revealed to me." So, he is a worshipper who is commanded (by Allah) and he follows what he is commanded to do; and Allah, the Most High says: rien aig o Sei “Say: ‘It is not in my power to cause you harm, or to bring-you to the Right Path.’ Say (0 Muhammad 3%): ‘None can protect me from Allah's punishment (if I were to disobey Him), nor can I find refuge except in Him.’ And He, the Most Glorified says:

‘ ee ee ee eke ee pee - of xt (AES ff a OY EG UY o> “Say (O Muhammad #8): I possess no power over benefit or harm to myself except as Allah wills. If I had the knowledge of the Ghaib (unseen), I should have secured for myself an abundance of

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wealth, and no evil should have touched me. I am but a warner,

and a bringer of glad tidings unto people who believe.”\") This is the meaning of the testimony that none is worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. By this meaning, you know that no one has the right to be worshipped neither the Messenger of Allah #8 nor any other created being, and that worship is not for anyone except Allah, the Most High Alone:

“Say (O Muhammad ): Verily, my salah (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists). He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims.) And that the right of the Messenger #¢ is to assign to him the status given to him by Allah, the Most High, which is Allah’s worshipper and His Messenger, may the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him.

Q. 18. How does the testimony La Iaha Illallah (None has the right to be worshipped except Allah) include all types of Tawhid?

A. It includes all types of Tawhid either by implication or as a requirement. This is because when a person says: I testify that none is worthy of worship except Allah, it comes immediately to mind that what is intended by it is affirming Allah’s sole tight to be worshipped, which is known as Tawhid Al-Uluhiyyah and this implies Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah, because every person

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who worships Allah Alone would not do so unless he acknowledged His Oneness in matters of Lordship. Likewise, it implies Tawhid Al-Asma’ was-Sifat, because a person does not worship except One Whom he knows has the right to be worshipped because of the Names and Attributes which belong to Him. Ibrahim said to his father:

“O my father! Why do you worship that which hears not, sees not and cannot avail you in anything?’"")

So affirming Allah’s sole right to be worshipped implies Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah and Tawhid Al-Asma’ was-Sifat.

Q. 19. What is the wisdom behind the creation of the jinn and mankind?

A. Before speaking about this matter, I would like to point out a general rule regarding what Allah, the Almighty, the AllPowerful creates and what He legislates; and this rule is taken from the Words of Allah, the Most High:

“And He is the All-Knower, the All-Wise.”"?! And His Words: 40S ts 5F ail |p “And Allah is Ever All-Knower, All-Wise.”"?! And the many other Verses which prove the confirmation of Allah’s Wisdom in what He creates and legislates: That is in His

Judgements in matters relating to the creation and in matters relating to legislation, for there is nothing created by Allah

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which is without some wisdom behind it whether that Him causing it to exist or in Him causing it to be destroyed. And, there is nothing which Allah legislated which is without wisdom whether it is in Him making something obligatory, or in Him prohibiting something, or making something permissible. But this Judgement which includes His Judgement in matters relating to the creation and in matters relating to legislation might be known to us, or it might be unknown to us; or they might be known to some people and not to others. This is all based upon the knowledge and understanding which Allah, the Most Glorified, the Most High has given to people. This having been determined, we say that there is a great wisdom and a praiseworthy goal behind Allah, the Most Glorified, the Most High creating jinns and mankind. That goal is to worship Him, the Most Blessed, the Most High, as He, the Most Glorified, the Most High says:

dot I sal A ak wp ‘And I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they

should worship Me (Alone).”"") And He, the Most High says:

“Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?’"'*!

And He, the Most High says:

“Does man think that he will be left neglected (without being punished or rewarded for the obligatory duties enjoined by his Lord Allah on him)?!