. J'..; j ':}I . ':}( ஋ (cont.)

And Allah has described Himself in His noble book with attributes that He wants us to know and attribute Him with [so that our worship of Him can be proper and as complete as we can make it].1 Ahmad Salaam points out that the people before the coming of the Prophet (peace be upon him) accepted the idea of Allah alone being the only Creator of the Universe. However, they associated partners with Allah in different forms of worship. Therefore, Islam came to purify this concept of Allah being the Lord or Rabb and gave it its proper understanding. By doing so, then they would worship Allah alone properly. But the way to achieve that, or the beginning point, is to have the knowledge and correct understanding of Allah's names and attributes. If one has knowledge of and a correct understanding of Allah's names and attributes, then one would never turn to anyone else or direct any form of worship to anyone other than Allah. Hence, a correct and detailed understanding of Allah's names and attributes is truly the foundation for the correct fulfillment of the other types of tauheed. 2 He further states that tauheed al-ruboobiyah is like a tree. Its root, then, is tauheed al­ asmaa wa al-sifaat. In other words, tauheed al-ruboobiyah stands on a foundation, which is tauheed al-asmaa wa al-sifaat. If that root or foundation is not found, the tree itself may be diseased and weak.3 However, given that parable, the real fruit of tauheed al-asma wa al­ sifaat, once again, is tauheed al-uloohiyah. The more that one knows about Allah and His attributes, the more one will love Allah, fear Allah and have hope in Allah. Definitely, the more one knows about Allah, the more one will love Allah and desire to please Allah and have Allah pleased with him. Hence, the correct understanding of the names and attributes of Allah is very important and very beneficial. Those people who stray on this issue have harmed themselves greatly and lost a great fortune. The Division of Tauheed Into Two Categories The division of tauheed into three categories is a very common presentation of the concept of tauheed. Another important presentation of it is to divide it into two categories. 4 It is important to note at the outset that the two ways are simply two presentations of exactly the same concepts and ideas. In essence, there is no difference between them. However, one approach may be 1 Muhammad Qutb, Rakaaiz al-lmaan (Riyadh: Daar Ishbeeliyah, 1997), p. 105. 2 Ahmad Salaam, Muqaddimahfi Fiqh Usool al-Dawah (Beirut: Daar ibn Hazin, 1990), p. 97. 3 Salaam, p. 100. 4 This is the approach found in Haafidh ibn Ahmad Haakimi, Maaraj al-Qabool (Beirut: Daar al­ Kutub al-Ilmiya, 1983), vol. 1, passim; Abdul Majeed al-Shaadhili, Had al-lslaam wa Haqiqat al-lmaan (Makkah: Umm al-Qura University, 1983), passim; Shams al-Din ibn al-Qayyim, Madaaraj al-Salikeen (Beirut: Dar al-Kitaab al-Arabi, n.d.), vol. 3, pp. 445-451 . The further subdivisions that will be discussed are mostly from al-Shaadhili. Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi easier for some to understand and grasp than the otherand the correct understanding is the goal of both presentations. A second way to view tauheed is to divide it into two categories. These two categories may, in essence, be referred to as "tauheed in theory" and "tauheed in practice". 1 One's beliefs about Allah must be correct. That is, at the theoretical or rational level, one must know what to believe about Allah. These aspects are clearly presented and explained in the Quran and sunnah. However, tauheed is not simply a theoretical matter, a matter of "dry" belief or academic discussion. It is something that is supposed to be put into practice in the life of a Muslim. Hence, tauheed goes beyond the simple matter of, "What do I believe about Allah,'' to the question, "What are the ramifications that this belief must have on my life and actions?" This is the other essential half of tauheed: how one relates to Allah and implements that belief in Allah. stated, Ibn Abu al-Izz mentioned this conceptualization of tauheed when he The tauheed which the prophets preached and the heavenly books taught are of two kinds: tauheed in knowledge and recognition and tauheed in will and intention. The first is to affirm that God is unique in His essence, attributes, name and acts; that there is nothing like Him in any respect; and that He is as He has said about Himself or as His Prophet (peace be on him) has said about Him. The Quran has expounded this type of tawhid in the clearest fashion, as may be found in the beginning of surah al-Hadid (chapter 57), Taha (chapter 20), end of al-Hashr (chapter 59), beginning of Alif Lam Mim Tanzeel (chapter 32), beginning of ali 'Imran (chapter 3), all of al-Ikhlaas (chapter 1 12) and so on.