The Word Tawheed

The Word Tawheed as Mentioned in the Ahadeeth

Of the

Messenger of Allaah

– sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam –

Compiled & Translated

by

Abbas Abu Yahya

Ayaat which clarify Tawheed.  The meaning that Allaah is One Alone without any  partners. 

Allaah said:

(و إذا ذُكر الله وحده اشمأزت قلوب الذين لا يؤمنون بالآخرة)، 
《And when Allah Alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who believe not in the Hereafter are filled with disgust (from the Oneness of Allah)》

And Allaah Ta’ala said: 

وَإِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ ۖ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الرَّحْمَٰنُ الرَّحِيمُ

<<And your Ilah (God) is One Ilah (God – Allah), La ilaha illa Huwa (there is none who has the right to be worshipped but He), the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful>>.

And Allaah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala said:

أَجَعَلَ الْآلِهَةَ إِلَٰهًا وَاحِدًا ۖ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَشَيْءٌ عُجَابٌ

<<Has he made the aliha (gods) (all) into One Ilah (God – Allah). Verily, this is a curious thing>>38:5

It has been narrated from the scholar of Tafseer Abdullaah bin Abbas –Radhi Allaahu anhu– that he said:

“كل ما في القرآن من الأمر بالعبادة فالمراد به التوحيد.”

‘Everywhere in the Qur’aan where the command with worship is mentioned then the intent is Tawheed.’

[Mentioned by Bagawi in Tafseer 1/55 ]

Also what he mentions in the Tafseer of Soorah Kafiroon:

“ليس في القرآن أشد غيظاً لأبليس لأنها توحيد و براءة من الشرك.”

‘There is nothing in the Qur’aan which makes Iblees more angry because [this Soorah] is Tawheed and being completely far away from Shirk.’

[Jamia Ahkam al-Quran – Qurtubi 20/199]

It has been narrated by Imam Malik bin Anas –Radhi Allaahu anhu:

“محال أن نظن بالنبي صلى الله عليه و سلم أنه علّم أمته الاستنجاء و لم يعلمهم التوحيد.”

‘It is impossible to think that the Prophet – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – taught his Ummah how to wash themselves after defecating and that he did not teach them Tawheed.’

[Seera Alaam  10/27]

• Ahadeeth which mention Singling out Allaah Alone

1 – The hadeeth of Amr bin Abbsah –Radhi Allaahu anhu–  when he became Muslim at the beginning when the Messenger – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam –  was sent, he said:

‘I used to think while I was in the times of Jahileeyah (Pre-Islamic times) that the people were upon misguidance and that they were upon nothing while they used to worship their idols. I heard about a man in Makkah spreading some information,  so I mounted my ride and went to him and at that time the Prophet was hiding as his people had made life hard for him. I adopted a friendly attitude (towards the people of Makkah and thus managed) to enter Makkah and go to him until I visited him in Makkah.

So I asked: ‘What are you?’

He replied : ‘I am a Prophet.’

I asked: ‘And what is a Prophet?’

He said: ‘I am sent by Allaah. ‘

I said: with what did He send you?’
He said:

أرسلني بصلة الأرحام وكسر الأوثان وأن يوحّد الله ولا يُشرك به شئ.

‘He sent me to keep good contact with relatives, to break idols[1] and to single out Allaah alone and not to associate anything with Him.’
So I asked: ‘Who is with you upon this?’

He replied: ‘ A free person and a slave.’ 

Amr bin Abbsah mentions : and with him on that day was Abu Bakr and Bilal from those who believed in him.

So I said: ‘ Indeed I follow you.’ 

He said:

إنك لا تستطيع ذلك يومك هذا. ألا ترى حالي و حال الناس؟ و لكن ارجع الى أهلك فإذا سمعت بي قد ظهرت فأتني…”

‘Indeed you cannot do that today. Do you not see my condition and the condition of the people?  However return to your family and when you hear about me that I have appeared then come to me………..’   

[The hadeeth is long and narrated in Saheeh Muslim. ]

2  – From Tariq bin Asheem al-Ashja’ee  –Radhi Allaahu anhu–  from the Prophet – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – who said:

“من وحّد الله وكفر بما يعبد من دون الله حرم ماله و دمه و حسابه على الله.”

 ‘Whoever singles out Allaah alone and disbelieves in what is worshipped other than Allaah then his wealth and blood is sanctified and his reckoning is with Allaah.’
[Saheeh Muslim]

3 – From Ibn Umar, the son of Umar bin Al-Khattab, –Radhi Allaahu anhu– who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah  –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam–  say:

قال بُني الإسلام على خمس على أن يوحّد الله و أقام الصلاة و ايتاء الزكاة و صيام رمضان و الحج.’

‘Islam has been built on five [pillars]: singling out Allaah Alone, establishing the prayers, paying the Zakat, Fasting in Ramadan and performing the Hajj.’

A man said: Performing the Hajj and Fasting in Ramadan.

Ibn Umar said: No, Fasting in Ramadan and performing the Hajj, this is how I heard it from the Messenger of Allaah  –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam.

[Collected by Bukhari and Muslim]

• The Word Tawheed Mentioned in Ahadeeth

4 – al-Aas bin Wa’il took an oath in the days of ignorance – before Islaam – that he would slaughter one hundred camels. His son Hisham bin al-Aas slaughtered fifty camels on behalf of his father. Umar asked the Prophet  – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – about this?

The Prophet – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – said:

فلو كان أمر بالتوحيد فصمت وتصدقت عنه نفعه ذلك

As for your father, if he affirmed Tawheed and if you fasted and gave charity on his behalf, then this would benefit him.”

[Silsilah Saheehah :484][2]

5 –  From Jabir who said the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam –said:

«يعذب ناس من أهل التوحيد في النار، حتى يكونوا فيها حممًا، ثم تدركهم الرحمة، فيخرجون؛ ويطرحون على أبواب الجنة، قال: فيرش عليهم أهل الجنة الماء، فينبتون كما ينبت الغثاء في حمالة السيل، ثم يدخلون الجنة»

 ‘People from amongst the people of Tawheed will be punished in the fire, until they become like charcoal, then mercy will reach them, they will come out and be left at the doors of Paradise. Then the people of Paradise will sprinkle water upon them, they will sprout/grow just like when seeds are carried off in the stream, then they will enter Paradise.’

[Silsilah Saheehah :No. 2451]

6  – From  Abu Huraira from the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam:

«كان رجل ممن كان قبلكم لم يعمل خيرًا قطُّ؛ إلا التوحيد، فلما احتضر قال لأهله: انظروا؛ إذا أنا متُّ أن يحرِّقوه حتى يدعوه حممًا، ثم اطحنوه، ثم اذروه في يوم ريح، ثم اذروا نصفه في البر، ونصفه في البحر، فوالله؛ لئن قدر الله عليه ليعذبنه عذابًا لا يعذبه أحدًا من العالمين، فلما مات فعلوا ذلك به، فأمر الله البر فجمع ما فيه، وأمر البحر فجمع ما فيه، فإذا هو قائم في قبضة الله، فقال الله -عز وجل-: يا ابن آدم! ما حملك على ما فعلت؟ قال: أي ربِّ! من مخافتك -وفي طريق آخر: من خشيتك وأنت أعلم-، قال: فغفر له بها، ولم يعمل خيرًا قطّ؛ إلا التوحيد»

‘There was a man from the people before you, who did not do any good whatsoever except that he had Tawheed. So when death approached him, he said to his family: ‘See to it that when I die, my body is burnt until there only remains ashes, then grind them, then scatter them on a windy day, scatter half of them on the land and half of them in the sea.’

I swear by Allaah, if Allaah punishes me, he will punish me so much, the like of which no-one from the earth has been punished.’

So, when he died they did what he had said. Then Allaah ordered the land to gather what it had, and ordered the sea to gather what it had in it, and there he was standing within Allaah’s Grip.

Allaah –Ta’ala – said: ‘O son of Adam! What made you do what you did?

He answered: ‘Yes, my Lord, from being fearful of You – [in another narration: from being fearful of You and You know best].

The Messenger mentions:  Allaah forgave him due to it, and the man had not done any good what so ever except for that he had Tawheed.’

[Silsilah Saheehah : No. 3048]

The Companions using the Word Tawheed

1 –  From al-Harith bin al-Harith al-Ghamadi  who said

قلت لأبي: ما هذه الجماعة؟ قال: هؤلاء القوم قد اجتمعوا على صابئ لهم، قال: فنزلنا؛ فإذا رسول الله  يدعو الناس إلى توحيد الله -عز وجل- والإيمان به، وهم يردون عليه، ويؤذونه حتى انتصف النهار، وتصدع عنه الناس، وأقبلت امرأة قد بدا نحرها، تحمل قدحًا ومنديلًا، فتناوله منها وشرب وتوضأ، ثم رفع رأسه وقال: «يا بنية خمري عليك نحرك، ولا تخافي على أبيك» قلنا: من هذه؟ قالوا: هذه زينب بنته»، 

I asked my father: ‘Who are this group of people?’
He replied: ‘ they are a people who have gathered upon a person who has left their religion.

He said: So we got down, while the Messenger of Allaah  was calling the people to the Tawheed of Allaah – Azza wa Jal- and to have Eemaan in Him, but they rejected what he would say, harming him up until mid-day, the people went away from him. A woman came to him and her neck could be seen and she was crying, she was carrying a pot of water and a cloth, he took it from her, drank from it and performed Wudu, then raised his head towards her and said:

‘O young daughter! Cover your neck and do not fear for your father that he will be overcome or humiliated.’

I asked: ‘Who is that?’

The people said: this is Zainab his daughter.’

[Collected by Tabrani in ‘al-Mau’jam al-Kabeer’ 1/245/2 & Ibn ‘Aasakir in ‘Tareekh ad-Damishq’  and he said: and this hadeeth is saheeh. From ‘Jilbab al-Marata’ p.79 by Albaani]

2 – From Abu Hurairah:

عن أبي هريرة  أن رسول الله  «كان إذا أراد أن يضحي اشترى كبشين عظيمين أقرنين أملحين موجوءين، فذبح أحدهما عن أمته، لمن شهد لله بالتوحيد، وشهد له بالبلاغ، وذبح الآخر عن محمد وعن آل محمد ».
(أخرجه ابن ماجه (3122)، وانظر: «إرواء الغليل» (1138)).

That if the Messenger of Allaah would want to slaughter for the Eid  he would buy two  large, horned, whiter in colour, castrated  rams (male sheep). He slaughtered one on behalf of his Ummah, for the one who testified that Allaah has Tawheed and testified that the Messenger conveyed the Deen. He slaughtered the other for Muhammad and on behalf of the family of Muhammad.

[Collected by Ibn Majah (3122) see ‘Irwa al-Ghaleel’ by al-Albaani no. 1138]

3  – From Jabir -radhiAllaahu anhu- in a very long Hadeeth describing the Hajj[3] of the Prophet – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam –  in it he mentions:

رسول الله  بين أظهرنا، وعليه ينزل القرآن، وهو يعرف تأويله، وما عمل به من شىء عملنا به، فأهل بالتوحيد: «لبيك اللهم لبيك، لبيك لا شريك لك لبيك، إن الحمد، والنعمة، لك والملك، لا شريك لك». وأهل الناس بهذا الذي يهلون به…»

‘The Messenger of Allaah was amongst us, and the Qur’aan would descend upon him and he would know its explanation. Whatever he would act upon we would do the same, then he raised his voice with Tawheed saying:  Labbaykallaahumma labbaika, labbaika laa shareeka laka labbaika-innal hamda wan ni’mata laka wal mulka-la shareeka lak (Here I am O Allaah, here I am, You have no partner, here I am, Verily all praise is for You, and every bounty is from You, and all dominion is Yours – You have no partner. [1])  The people raised their voices with what the Messenger would say…..’

[Collected by Bukhari & Muslim]

4 – The Messenger – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – said to some women:

(“عليكن بالتسبيح والتهليل والتقديس ، ولا تغفلن فتنسين التوحيد ( وفي رواية : الرحمة ) ، واعقدن بالأنامل ، فإنهن مسؤولات ومستنطقات )

‘You should make  Tasbeeh, Tahleel Taqdees[4] and do not be negligent and forget Tawheed (and in a narration: mercy), and count them on your fingertips since they will be questioned and will respond.’

[This hadeeth is Hasan, narrated by Abu Dawood and other than him, Hakim and Dhahabi authenticated it and an-Nawawi and al-Asqalani graded it as Hasan as is mentioned in ‘Amali al-Adhkaar’ (1/84) and it has supporting evidence on the authority of ‘Aeysha which is Mawqoof (the Isnad only goes back to the Companion), see ‘Saheeh Abu Dawood’ (1345). [Silsilah  Daeefah 1/83]

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وبَحَمْدكَ أشْهدُ أنْ لا إلهَ إلا أنْتَ أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وأتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ

All Praise belongs to Allaah, may His peace

and blessings be upon our final

Prophet Muhammad, his

family, his companions

and all those who

follow his

guidance.

---

[1] Benefit: Breaking the idols, even if it is only holding the intention -when the ability to do so is not present – then this is the aspect of negation of Shirk which is a condition for Tawheed.

[2] Shaykh Albaani said:

‘The origin of this hadeeth is as follows: “al-Aas bin Wa’il took an oath in the days of ignorance – before Islaam – that he would slaughter one hundred camels. His son Hisham bin al-Aas slaughtered fifty camels on behalf of his father.

Umar asked the Prophet–sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam–about this? And he said: … (The above hadeeth).”

This hadeeth is clear evidence that the reward of giving charity and fasting reaches the father, likewise the mother after their death. If they were Muslims, the reward reaches them for giving charity and fasting, even without them bequeathing it.

Since the son is a product from the work of the parents. So this is included in the general saying of Allaah Ta’ala:

<< And that man can have nothing but of what he does (good or bad)>>

There is no need to specify this general meaning of the Ayaah with this hadeeth. Likewise the other hadeeth which has the same meaning in this subject, from what al-Majd Ibn Taymeeyah mentioned in his book ‘al-Muntaqa’ like some of the people who have generalized the texts.

Acknowledge that all the Ahaadeeth that he mentioned regarding this subject are specific to the parents of the son.

As for using these Ahadeeth as evidences that the reward reaches all dead people, like al-Majd ibn Taymeeyah mentions as a heading in his book, by saying: ‘Chapter – Reaching close of the reward gifted to the dead’ then this is not correct, because this claim is more general than the evidence provided. There is no evidence which shows a clear general proof, that the dead benefit from the general good actions which are gifted to them from the living, except for those specific matters which ash-Shawkaani mentions in his book ‘Nail Awwtaar’ (4/78-80), and also this writer in his book ‘Ahkaam al-Janaiz wa bida’iah’.

From those things is doing Dua’ for the dead since it benefits them, if Allaah – Tabaraka wa Ta’ala –accepts it. So, remember this, and it will save you from going beyond the limits or falling short on this issue.

The summary of this is that the son can give charity, fast, perform Hajj and Umrah, and read Qur’aan on behalf of his parents, since this is from their own actions, and he cannot do this for other than his parents, except what has been specified with proof, of what we have indicated before and Allaah knows best. [Silsilah Saheehah :484]

[3] ‘Hajjatul Nabi’

[4] To say ‘SubhanAllaah’ (T.N.)

[4] To say ‘La illaha ill Allaah’ (T.N.)

[4] ‘To say ‘SubhanAllaah al-Malikul Quddoos; or Subooh Quddoos Rabb al-malaikatu war-Ruhu; and it is possible that Taqdees means to say Allaahu Akbar’. (Mishkat al-Masabih (2/9) –Checked by shaykh Albani) (T.N.)