Aqidah and Tawhid

Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah: Its Meaning and Importance

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 al-Uluhiyyah is the greatest matter to which the Messengers called, and it is the reality of the testimony that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah. It means that the servant singles out his Lord with every act of worship: he calls upon none but Allah, relies with worshipful reliance upon none but Him, sacrifices and makes vows only for Him, and directs no act of worship to anyone besides Him.

This tawhid is also called Tawhid al-Ibadah, because uluhiyyah is Allah’s right to be worshipped, while worship is the servant’s action that must be sincerely devoted to Allah alone. For this purpose Allah created jinn and mankind, sent the Messengers, revealed the Books, and by it deeds become sound and the servant is saved from shirk.

{وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الجِنَّ وَالإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ}I did not create jinn and mankind except to worship Me. [Adh-Dhariyat 51:56]

The Meaning of Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah

Definition

The Meaning of Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah

Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah means singling Allah out with the servants’ actions by which they draw near to Him, whether outward or inward, in speech or deed.

Prayer, supplication, sacrifice, vows, fear, hope, love, reliance, seeking aid, seeking rescue, fasting, Hajj, and all other acts of worship are Allah’s right alone, and none of them may be directed to anyone besides Him.

{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]

{قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ العَالَمِينَ . لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ}Say: My prayer, my sacrifice, my life, and my death are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. He has no partner. [Al-An'am 6:162-163]

The word nusuk includes sacrifice and worship. Just as prayer is only for Allah, sacrifice and all acts of devotion are only for Him.

Allah’s Right

The Right of Allah Over His Servants

The Prophet ﷺ explained that the greatest right Allah has over His creation is that they worship Him alone and do not associate anything with Him.

“O Mu‘adh, do you know what Allah’s right over the servants is?” He said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: “That they worship Him and do not associate anything with Him...”

Agreed upon.

The right of the servants upon Allah here means the right Allah obligated upon Himself by His grace and promise for whoever fulfills tawhid. The people of tawhid who die with sins below shirk are under Allah’s will, and no one has the right to obligate anything upon Allah from himself.

The Shahadah

What Does La Ilaha Illa Allah Mean?

It means: none has the right to be worshipped except Allah. The phrase “la ilaha” negates the right of worship from everything besides Allah, and “illa Allah” affirms worship for Allah alone with no partner.

It does not merely mean that Allah exists or that He is the Creator; many polytheists acknowledged that Allah is the Creator, yet that acknowledgment did not enter them into Islam because they worshipped others alongside Him.

{ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الحَقُّ، وَأَنَّ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ هُوَ البَاطِلُ}That is because Allah is the Truth, and what they call upon besides Him is falsehood. [Al-Hajj 22:62]

“Whoever says: La ilaha illa Allah, and rejects what is worshipped besides Allah, his wealth and blood are protected, and his reckoning is with Allah.”

Narrated by Muslim. Applying legal rulings and punishments belongs to legitimate authority and judiciary, not to individuals transgressing against anyone’s blood or wealth.

The Call of the Messengers and the Understanding of the Salaf

The Messengers’ Call

Why Is It the Foundation of the Messengers’ Call?

The dispute between the Messengers and their peoples was over singling Allah out in worship. Many polytheists acknowledged that Allah is the Creator, Provider, and Controller, but they placed intermediaries between themselves and Him, calling upon them and seeking nearness through them.

{وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَسُولًا أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ}We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, saying: Worship Allah and avoid taghut. [An-Nahl 16:36]

{فَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرُهُ}He said: O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity besides Him. [Al-A'raf 7:59]

{أَلَا لِلَّهِ الدِّينُ الخَالِصُ... مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَى}Unquestionably, sincere religion belongs to Allah... We only worship them so they may bring us nearer to Allah. [Az-Zumar 39:3]

Allah did not accept their use of intermediaries under the claim of seeking nearness to Him, because supplication and worship are purely His right.

The Salaf

The Companions’ and Salaf’s Understanding of Worship

Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما explained the verse, “Most of them do not believe in Allah except while associating partners with Him” [Yusuf 12:106], as the polytheists’ acknowledgment that Allah created the sky, the earth, and the mountains while they still fell into shirk.

Mujahid رحمه الله said their belief was that they said Allah created them, provided for them, and caused them to die, then they associated partners with Him in worship. Imam At-Tabari mentioned this in his tafsir.

This shows that Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah necessarily leads to Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah, but it does not replace it. Whoever knows that Allah alone created him, provided for him, and controls his affairs must worship Allah alone.

Worship and Its Conditions

Worship

What Is Worship?

Worship is a comprehensive term for everything Allah loves and is pleased with, whether outward or inward, in speech or action.

It includes supplication, prayer, sacrifice, vows, reliance, fear, hope, love, seeking rescue, seeking aid, charity, fasting, Hajj, honoring parents, and everything else Allah legislated.

Permissible habits can become worship when the intention is sound and the action agrees with Allah’s law, such as sleeping, earning, and spending on one’s family with the intention of seeking help for obedience and fulfilling rights.

{إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الكِتَابَ بِالحَقِّ فَاعْبُدِ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَهُ الدِّينَ}Indeed, We sent down to you the Book in truth, so worship Allah, making the religion sincerely His. [Az-Zumar 39:2]

The Heart of Worship

Love, Fear, and Hope

The believer worships his Lord out of love for Him, hope in His mercy, and fear of His punishment. He does not worship Allah with love alone without fear and hope, nor with fear alone until he despairs, nor with hope alone until he feels safe from Allah’s plan and leaves action.

{وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِلَّهِ}Those who believe are stronger in love for Allah. [Al-Baqarah 2:165]

{يَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَهُ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُ}They hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. [Al-Isra 17:57]

Acceptance

When Is Worship Accepted?

Worship is not accepted except with two foundations: sincerity to Allah, meaning the servant seeks Allah’s face alone, and following the Messenger ﷺ, meaning the worship agrees with what he legislated.

{فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا}Let him do righteous work and not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord. [Al-Kahf 18:110]

“I am the One least in need of partners. Whoever does a deed in which he associates someone else with Me, I leave him and his shirk.”

Narrated by Muslim.

Forms of Shirk and the Difference Between Worship and Ordinary Help

Warning

Forms of Shirk in Uluhiyyah

Calling upon other than Allah for what only Allah can do.
Sacrificing or making vows to other than Allah.
Seeking rescue from the dead, or from an absent person who does not hear and cannot respond through ordinary means, in matters only Allah can do.
Relying on a created being in what only Allah can do, or attaching the heart to him with worshipful reliance.
Directing secret fear, worshipful hope, or devotional love to other than Allah.
Circumambulating a grave or anything else as worship for its occupant, or prostrating to it.
Showing off in worship, which is minor shirk if the entire worship was not for other than Allah, and it invalidates the portion of the deed mixed with it.

{وَأَنَّ المَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا}The mosques are for Allah, so do not call upon anyone along with Allah. [Al-Jinn 72:18]

“Whoever dies while calling upon a rival besides Allah will enter the Fire.”

Narrated by Al-Bukhari.

Important Distinction

The Difference Between Worship and Ordinary Help

Not every request made to a created being is worship of him. Asking a living, present person for what he is normally able to do is permissible, such as saying: help me carry this, give me water, or show me the road.

Shirk is when a servant calls upon the dead, or an absent person who does not hear and cannot respond through ordinary means, or asks a created being for what only Allah can do, such as forgiving sins, relieving distress in an unseen way, healing independently, granting children, entering Paradise, or being saved from the Fire.

Speaking to a distant person by phone or similar means and asking for what he is normally able to do is not from this category.

{فَاسْتَغَاثَهُ الَّذِي مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ عَلَى الَّذِي مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ}The one from his faction sought his help against the one from his enemy. [Al-Qasas 28:15]

The man’s request for help from Musa عليه السلام was a request from a living, present created being in something he was normally able to do, not a supplication of worship.

The Importance of Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah and How to Fulfill It

The Greatest Obligation

Why Is Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah So Important?

It is the purpose for which Allah created jinn and mankind.
It is the foundation of the call of all Messengers.
It is Allah’s greatest right over His servants.
It is a condition for deeds to be valid and accepted.
It is a cause of safety, guidance, and salvation for whoever fulfills it and dies upon it.
Major shirk destroys deeds and makes Paradise forbidden for the one who dies upon it without repentance.

{لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الخَاسِرِينَ}If you associate partners with Allah, your deeds will surely be nullified, and you will surely be among the losers. [Az-Zumar 39:65]

{إِنَّهُ مَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الجَنَّةَ}Whoever associates partners with Allah, Allah has forbidden Paradise for him. [Al-Ma'idah 5:72]

{إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ، وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ}Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. [An-Nisa 4:48]

This applies to the one who dies upon major shirk. As for the one who repents sincerely before death, Allah forgives all sins.

Daily Practice

How Does a Muslim Fulfill Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah?

He makes his worship sincerely for Allah alone.
He learns the meaning of La ilaha illa Allah.
He stays away from shirk and its means.
He calls upon Allah alone.
He sacrifices and makes vows only for Allah.
He relies upon Allah while taking lawful means.
He follows the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ in worship.
He watches his heart and guards against showing off, self-amazement, and attachment to created beings.
He learns the types of worship and types of shirk so he worships Allah upon insight.
He repents to Allah from every statement or action that contradicts tawhid or decreases its perfection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question

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

Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah is singling Allah out in His actions, such as creating, providing, owning, and controlling. Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah is singling Allah out with the servants’ acts of worship, such as supplication, prayer, sacrifice, and vows.

Question

Is it enough for someone to say La ilaha illa Allah?

Merely pronouncing it does not benefit if a person contradicts its meaning with shirk. The servant must say it while knowing its meaning, having certainty in it, being truthful and sincere, accepting and submitting to it, loving what it indicates, and rejecting what is worshipped besides Allah.

Question

May prophets or awliya be called upon for intercession?

No one may call upon prophets, awliya, or anyone else besides Allah, because supplication is worship and all intercession belongs to Allah. Allah says: “Say: To Allah belongs all intercession” [Az-Zumar 39:44]. A Muslim asks Allah to grant him the Prophet’s intercession.

Question

Is asking a living Muslim to make dua permissible?

Yes. A Muslim may ask his living, present brother to make dua for him, while keeping his heart attached to Allah, because the one making dua is only a means and the One who answers is Allah.

Question

Does going to a doctor or seeking people’s help oppose tawhid?

No, if the request is for something a created being is normally able to do, while believing he is only a means and that healing and success are from Allah. Asking for what only Allah can do, or believing a cause independently benefits or harms, is false and contradicts tawhid.

Question

Is fear of a person or animal shirk?

Natural fear of an apparent danger is not shirk, though it does not permit leaving an obligation or committing a sin. Secret fear, such as believing a dead or absent created being has unseen independent power to harm, or drawing near to him out of fear, is shirk.

Question

Does loving the Prophet ﷺ and righteous people oppose tawhid?

No. Loving the Prophet ﷺ is obligatory, and loving the believers is from faith. But this love may not be raised to directing worship to them or exaggerating regarding them.

Question

What is the ruling on showing off in worship?

Showing off is minor shirk and a danger to sincerity. If a servant performs worship so people see and praise him, the part mixed with showing off is invalid, and the entire deed may be invalid depending on the case.

Question

Is it permissible to swear by other than Allah?

It is not permissible to swear by the Prophet, trust, the Ka‘bah, or any created being, because swearing is an act of magnification that belongs to Allah. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever swears, let him swear by Allah or remain silent.” Agreed upon.

Question

Is every sin major shirk?

No. Sins are not all major shirk. Some are major sins, some are minor sins, some are minor shirk, and some are major shirk. Each sin must be explained according to its Islamic ruling without exaggeration or minimization.

Important Note

A Note on Ruling on Specific Individuals

Explaining that directing worship to other than Allah is shirk does not mean rushing to declare specific individuals disbelievers. Ruling on an action is one thing, and ruling on a specific person is another matter with conditions, impediments, and details that return to firmly grounded scholars and legitimate Islamic judiciary.

The duty is to explain tawhid and warn clearly against shirk, while remaining just and avoiding transgression in judging individuals without knowledge.

Conclusion

Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah is the core of the Messengers’ call and the reality of La ilaha illa Allah. It means singling Allah out in worship outwardly and inwardly. Whoever knows that Allah is his Lord, Creator, Provider, and Controller must call upon Him, hope in Him, rely upon Him, worship Him alone, and direct no worship to anyone besides Him.

The servant’s need to learn this tawhid is greater than his need for anything else, because it is the foundation of the religion, by it worship becomes sound, and upon it salvation depends. A Muslim must learn it, act upon it, beware of what contradicts or weakens it, and ask Allah for firmness upon tawhid until he meets Him.