بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
The Connection of the Testimony of Faith (The Shahādah) with the Different Types of At-Tawheed
Excerpts from the ‘Jurisprudence of Worship’
By Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih ibn Uthaymeen رحمه الله تعالى
Question: Oh Noble Shaykh, how does the testimony of faith encompass the (different) types of At-Tawheed?
Answer:
The testimony of faith encompasses the different types of At-Tawheed in totality, either through the comphrension and the commitment in the utterance of the one that says: I bear witness that verily there is no Deity worthy of worship except Allāh, (it) leads to the understanding that verily the intended meaning of this testimony of Faith is to singling out Allāh in worship; known as Tawheed Uloohiyah (Oneness in the Worship of Allāh) necessitates but rather incorporates Tawheed Rububiyah (Oneness of the Lordship of Allāh). For verily every servant to Allāh alone, does so by not worshipping Allāh except through affirmation of His Lordship and such is the case of the inclusion of Tawheed- Asmaa Wa Sifaat (Oneness of the Names and Attributes of Allāh). Certainly, both mankind and jinn do not worship (Allāh) except with knowledge that He is (only one) worthy of worship considering that which Allāh has from His Name’s and Attributes. This is exampled when Prophet Ibrahim’s عليه السلام (peace be upon him) speech to his father (Āzarah):
إِذۡ قَالَ لِأَبِیهِ یَـٰۤأَبَتِ لِمَ تَعۡبُدُ مَا لَا یَسۡمَعُ وَلَا یُبۡصِرُ وَلَا یُغۡنِی عَنكَ شَیۡـࣰٔا¹
When he said to his father: “O my father! Why do you worship that which hears not, sees not and cannot avail you in anything?²
Thus, Tawheed of worship is Tawheed Uloohiyaah (Oneness in the Worship of Allāh), is incorporated in Tawheed Rububiyah (Oneness in the Lordship of Allāh) and (Tawheed) Asmaa wa Sifaat (Oneness in the Names and Attributes of Allāh).
¹Al-Quran – [Surat Maryam Ayat 42]
²Noble Quran – Mushin Khan and Taqi-ud Din al-Hilal – [Surat Maryam Ayat 42]
Translated by: Abu Uwāis, Muhammad Abdullahi Elmi