Aqidah and Tawhid

Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah: Its Meaning and Evidence

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and companions.

Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah is a great branch of tawhid. It means that the servant believes Allah alone is the Lord, Creator, Provider, Owner, Controller, Giver of life and death, the One who benefits and harms, with no partner in His creation, ownership, or control.

This foundation fills the heart with reverence for Allah, reliance upon Him, and need of Him. It is also a clear proof that Allah alone must be singled out in worship, because the One who alone creates, provides, and controls is the only One who deserves to be worshipped without partner.

The Meaning of Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah

Definition

The Meaning of Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah

Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah means singling Allah out in His actions, such as creating, providing, owning, controlling, giving life, causing death, bringing benefit, preventing harm, and managing the affairs of the universe.

Allah alone created the heavens and the earth, He alone provides for the servants, He alone owns the entire affair, and nothing occurs in the universe except by His knowledge, will, and decree.

{اللَّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَكِيلٌ}Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is Guardian over all things. [Az-Zumar 39:62]

{أَلَا لَهُ الخَلْقُ وَالأَمْرُ، تَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ العَالَمِينَ}Unquestionably, to Him belong creation and command. Blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds. [Al-A'raf 7:54]

To Him belong creation, command, ownership, and control. Exalted is He.

Evidence for Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah

From the Quran

Evidence from the Quran

{الحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ العَالَمِينَ}All praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds. [Al-Fatihah 1:2]

Allah is the Lord of all worlds: their Creator, Owner, and Controller.

{يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ... فَلَا تَجْعَلُوا لِلَّهِ أَنْدَادًا وَأَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ}O mankind, worship your Lord who created you and those before you... so do not set up rivals to Allah while you know. [Al-Baqarah 2:21-22]

This verse combines the command to worship Allah alone with the evidence for that command: He is the One who created, provided, blessed, and controlled.

{قُلْ مَنْ يَرْزُقُكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ... وَمَنْ يُدَبِّرُ الأَمْرَ، فَسَيَقُولُونَ اللَّهُ، فَقُلْ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ}Say: Who provides for you from the heaven and the earth... and who controls the affair? They will say: Allah. So say: Will you not fear Him? [Yunus 10:31]

This verse shows that provision, ownership, giving life, causing death, and control of all affairs are in Allah’s hand alone.

{قُلْ مَنْ بِيَدِهِ مَلَكُوتُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ يُجِيرُ وَلَا يُجَارُ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ . سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ، قُلْ فَأَنَّى تُسْحَرُونَ}Say: In whose hand is the dominion of all things, and He protects while none can protect against Him, if you know? They will say: Allah. Say: Then how are you deluded? [Al-Mu'minun 23:88-89]

All dominion belongs to Allah. Protection, victory, and refuge are in His hand, and no one can prevent what Allah wills or repel His judgment.

{مَا يَفْتَحِ اللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ مِنْ رَحْمَةٍ فَلَا مُمْسِكَ لَهَا، وَمَا يُمْسِكْ فَلَا مُرْسِلَ لَهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ، وَهُوَ العَزِيزُ الحَكِيمُ}Whatever mercy Allah opens for people, none can withhold it; and whatever He withholds, none can release it after Him. He is the Mighty, the Wise. [Fatir 35:2]

This verse plants in the heart that giving and withholding are in Allah’s hand, and that no created being owns benefit or harm for itself or anyone else except by Allah’s permission.

From the Sunnah

Evidence from the Sunnah

The Prophet ﷺ nurtured his Companions upon attaching the heart to Allah alone and knowing that benefit and harm are in His hand.

O young boy, I will teach you some words: Guard Allah, He will guard you... If you ask, ask Allah; and if you seek help, seek help from Allah. Know that if the whole nation gathered to benefit you with something, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already written for you...

Narrated by At-Tirmidhi, who said: hasan sahih.

This hadith contains a great explanation of the meanings of Lordship: benefit and harm, protection, success, and decrees are all in Allah’s hand. The intended meaning is that the heart attaches to Allah, asks Him, and seeks His help in what only He can do. As for seeking help from a living, present person in what he is able to do, while believing he is only a means and that success is from Allah, this does not oppose tawhid.

The Polytheists’ Acknowledgment and the Need for Worship

Important Note

Did the Polytheists Affirm Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah?

Many of the polytheists to whom the Prophet ﷺ was sent acknowledged that Allah is the Creator, Provider, and Controller, but they did not single Him out in worship. They called upon others, sacrificed to others, and sought intercession from others without right.

{وَلَئِنْ سَأَلْتَهُمْ مَنْ خَلَقَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ، فَأَنَّى يُؤْفَكُونَ}If you ask them who created them, they will surely say: Allah. So how are they turned away? [Az-Zukhruf 43:87]

{وَلَئِنْ سَأَلْتَهُمْ مَنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ}If you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they will surely say: Allah. [Luqman 31:25]

{وَلَئِنْ سَأَلْتَهُمْ مَنْ نَزَّلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الأَرْضَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَوْتِهَا لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ}If you ask them who sent down water from the sky and revived the earth with it after its death, they will surely say: Allah. [Al-Ankabut 29:63]

Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما and Mujahid رحمه الله explained the verse, “Most of them do not believe in Allah except while associating partners with Him” [Yusuf 12:106], as their acknowledgment that Allah created and provided for them while they still associated partners with Him in worship. Imam At-Tabari mentioned this in his tafsir.

Not Enough Alone

Is Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah Alone Enough?

Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah alone is not enough to fulfill Islam. It must be joined with Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah: singling Allah out in worship.

Whoever acknowledges that Allah created and provided for him, then calls upon other than Allah, sacrifices to other than Allah, seeks rescue from other than Allah in what only Allah can do, or directs any act of worship to other than Allah, has not fulfilled the tawhid with which the Messengers were sent.

{وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُمْ بِاللَّهِ إِلَّا وَهُمْ مُشْرِكُونَ}Most of them do not believe in Allah except while associating partners with Him. [Yusuf 12:106]

{وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدُونِ}We did not send any messenger before you except that We revealed to him: None has the right to be worshipped except Me, so worship Me. [Al-Anbiya 21:25]

Proof

How Does Lordship Prove Worship?

If Allah alone is the Creator, Provider, and Controller, then He alone deserves worship. This is why the Quran often mentions Allah’s Lordship as evidence that He alone must be worshipped.

{يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ}O mankind, worship your Lord who created you and those before you, so that you may attain taqwa. [Al-Baqarah 2:21]

Allah began with the command to worship, then mentioned its evidence: He is the One who created people and those before them.

{ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ، خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَاعْبُدُوهُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَكِيلٌ}That is Allah, your Lord; none has the right to be worshipped except Him, Creator of all things, so worship Him. He is Guardian over all things. [Al-An'am 6:102]

Effects and Common Mistakes

Fruits

The Effects of Believing in Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah

Strong reliance upon Allah, because all affairs are in His hand.
Belief in Allah’s decree and patience during trials while taking lawful means.
Not attaching oneself to created beings with attachment of worship, humiliation, or absolute fear.
Gratitude to Allah for His blessings, because every blessing is from Him.
Fear of Allah and hope in Him, because He is the Owner, Controller, Benefiter, and Preventer of harm.
Patience during hardship, because the servant knows that what reached him could not have missed him.
Using Allah’s Lordship as proof that He alone must be worshipped.
Leaving asking created beings for what only Allah can do.

Mistakes

Common Mistakes Regarding Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah

One common mistake is thinking that believing Allah is the Creator is enough by itself, while being careless about calling upon other than Allah, seeking rescue from the dead, or directing any worship to other than Allah.

Another mistake is exaggerating attachment to causes until one forgets the Causer of causes. A Muslim takes lawful means, but knows that benefit and harm are in Allah’s hand alone.

Another mistake is attributing blessings to one’s intelligence, effort, or people around him while forgetting Allah’s favor. The servant must know that causes do not benefit except by Allah’s permission, and every blessing is from Allah.

{وَمَا بِكُمْ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ، ثُمَّ إِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الضُّرُّ فَإِلَيْهِ تَجْأَرُونَ}Whatever blessing you have is from Allah; then when harm touches you, to Him you cry for help. [An-Nahl 16:53]

Frequently Asked Questions

Question

What is the difference between Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah and Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah?

Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah relates to Allah’s actions, such as creating, providing, owning, and controlling. Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah relates to the servants’ acts of worship by which they draw near to Allah, such as supplication, prayer, sacrifice, vows, and reliance.

Question

Did the polytheists deny that Allah is the Creator?

Most Arab polytheists did not deny that Allah is the Creator, Provider, and Controller. The verses show they acknowledged that. Their shirk was in worship, as they took gods besides Allah whom they called upon and sought nearness through.

Question

Does taking means oppose Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah?

No. Taking lawful means does not oppose tawhid; rather, it is part of the Shariah and sound reason. But the heart may not rely on the means independently. The doctor, medicine, work, and income are causes, while the true Healer, Provider, and Controller is Allah alone.

Question

May someone say, “So-and-so saved me” or “This medicine benefited me”?

It is permissible to mention a real cause while believing that the true Benefiter and Savior is Allah, and that the created being is only a means. As for believing that a created being benefits or harms independently without Allah, this is false and contrary to tawhid.

Question

How can a Muslim strengthen Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah in the heart?

By reflecting on the Quran, observing Allah’s signs in creation, remembering Allah’s blessings, increasing supplication, relying upon Allah, and knowing that creation, provision, and control are all in His hand alone.

Conclusion

Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah is belief that Allah alone is the Creator, Provider, Owner, and Controller, with no partner in His command, judgment, or decree. It is a great foundation that fills the heart with reverence for Allah, reliance upon Him, and need of Him. But it is not enough by itself until the servant singles Allah out in worship, for the right of the Lord, Creator, and Provider is that He alone be worshipped with no partner.