The First Obligation Upon the Creation

Question: Oh Noble Shaykh, What is the first obligation upon the creation?

Answer:
The first obligation upon the creation, is the first of that which the creation is called towards, and verily this was indicated by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to Muadh ibn Jabal رض الله عنه (may Allāh be pleased with him) when he sent him as an emissary (caller to Islam) to Yemen. He said, “Verily, you are coming to a people among the people of the Scripture. So make the first thing you invite them to testify to that verily there is no Deity that has the right to be worship but Allāh and that verily Muhammad is the Messenger of Allāh.”¹

So this is the first obligation upon the servant, that he singles out Allāh عزوجل and testifies and bears witness to His Messenger and affirms his message of singling out Allāh alone (in worship) سبحانه و تعالى . Through the fulfilment of sincerity (to Allāh) and Adherence (to the Prophetic Traditions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ie: Sunnah); being the two conditions of the acceptance of every act of worship.

Thus, it is the first of which is obligated upon the servant that he singles out Allāh (in his worship free from attributing partners to Him) and he bears witness to His Messengers صلوات الله و سلامه عليهم أجمعين by belief in the message (that which was revealed to Muhammad ﷺ. Therefore, the testimony of ‘لا إله إلا الله’ –there is no Deity worthy of worship except Allāh– encompasses At-Tawheed (singling out Allāh in His lordship, His worship and in belief in His Perfect Names and Attributes) completely.

¹Related by Bukhari – The Book Zakāt – Number – [1496]

Translated by: Abu Uwāis, Muhammad Abdullahi Elmi