#tawid

🏎️💨 TAWID

"Tawid" (Eng. translation: "To Cross") is a political comic I created for my electives class. It follows an autistic, Filipino formula driver who is struggling to overthrow the Top 3 F1 drivers who have been constantly on the top for years. It intends to be a commentary on capitalism, activism, and ableism.

It may be a bit rushed because I had a lot to do this semester, but I am proud of the end product either way. Feel free to talk to me about it when you finish. :-)

The Status of Tawhīd: Foundations of Islamic Monotheism: Cure for the ailments in society (Part 1)

Lessons from the Noble Qur’an – from the book by Shaykh Sālih al-Fawān Conducted at Al-Masjid As-Salafi Birmingham (Ramadan 1438/2017) – Transcript: Lesson 1 All Praise is due to Allāh, we praise Him, seek His aid and His Forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allāh from the evils of our souls and the evils of our actions. Whomsoever Allāh guides there is none to misguide and whomsoever Allāh misguides…

In the name of Allah:

Without a doubt, Allah revealed this noble Qur’an to clarify every single matter to his creation. And by doing so, he sent us a final Messenger to explain and educate this divine book. Every Messenger was given a miracle, for Moses, it was his Stick and for Jesus, it was his ability to heal and give life to the dead. Our Final Prophet was given the speech of the All Mighty, a book that was revealed in Arabic to a nation of poets. 

We Muslims consider the Qur’an to be a solution to humanity. It has explained every single matter that involves us humans. It has not left anything out.  It answers all questions that you may have, from a psychological point to historical events, from economics to sanitation. Everything has been mentioned! 

“…We have neglected nothing in the Book…” (6:38)

One of the greatest and upmost matters of clarifying from this book is the subject of Tawhid and Shirk. Which is also the most important knowledge for all mankind to know and understand. This is because Tawhid is the origin and foundation of this entire religion. It is that which all actions are built upon! However, Shirk renders and destroys this foundation by corrupting it and making it nonexistent. Since Tawhid and Shirk are two conflicting and opposing matters, they can never come together thus nullifying one another!

“Worship Allah and join none with Him in worship…” (4:36)

If you read and scrutinize the Qur’an, you would notice all over, numerous verses, which clarify the matters of Tawhid and Shirk. You would not find a single chapter from the Qur’an without the mentioning of these two affairs. However, it is the minority who comprehends and recognizes its significance. This is why you would see a lot of people reciting the Qur’an but yet falling into Shirk and mixing it with Tawhid even though these matters are apparent, all over the Book of Allah.

So what is Tawhid and what is Shirk?

Before defining the meaning of Tawhid, I think it would be appropriate to give its types first. Tawhid is categorised into three aspects:

Tawhid in his Lordship

Tawhid in his Worship

Tawhid in his Names and Attributes.

Tawhid is to single out and unify Allah alone in his Worship. And It isn’t to single him out in his Lordship ONLY. Rather what is required is that we unify Allah alone in his Worship! This is because the entire world acknowledges this reality. Even the polytheists recognise that Allah is the Creator, the Sustainer and the Director of all things.

“Say, “Who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? Or who controls hearing and sight and who brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living and who arranges [every] matter?” They will say, ” Allah,” so say, “Then will you not fear Him?” (10:31)

So we can see from this verse that the polytheists at the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) knew Allah by way of his Lordship, but when it came to his Worship, they associated other false deities with him. Consequently, a Messenger was sent to them. Our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) didn’t come to them and say, “recognise Allah because he is the Creator, the Sustainer etc” Rather the Messenger said to them,

"Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him…”(4:36)

Therefore, if you only acknowledge Allah in his Lordship and neglect his Worship, then this would not benefit you in anyway. It didn’t benefit the polytheists at the time of the Messenger, so how would it benefit you at this day and age? Therefore, what is required is that you single out Allah in his Worship alone, associating no partners with him!

The polytheist used to worship Allah! They used to Fast, Pray, Slaughter, fulfill Hajj and many other acts of worship however, they used Idols as an intermediary to worship and to get closer to him. As a result, the Messenger recited the following verses to them,

“Say, “O disbelievers, I do not worship what you worship. Nor are you worshippers of what I worship. Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship. Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship. For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.” (109:1-6)

As for Shirk, it is to associate partners with Allah in those matters specific to him. It is the greatest and most grievous type of sin. If a person dies upon Shirk, then Allah will never forgive that individual. It renders all good deeds as void. We cannot even make Du’a (supplication) for such a person!

“Indeed, Allah does not forgive that anything should be associated with him, and he forgives what is less than that to whosoever he pleases” (4:16)

“Verily, whoever associates (others) with Allah, then Allah has forbidden paradise and his abode is the fire and there shall be no helpers for the unjust” (5:72)

Shirk also has its types. We can categories them into two, the Greater Shirk and Lesser Shirk.

Greater Shirk: committing this type takes a person outside the fold of Islam and makes him a Disbeliever. If a person dies upon it, then Allah will never forgive that individual. But if one repents sincerely during their lifetime then Allah will forgive them, as he is the All Merciful.

There are four subcategories:

Shirk in worship and supplication – like praying to idols or supplicating to the dead.

Shirk in intention, desire and goal – like acts of worship that are not for the sake of Allah but directed towards other false deities.

Shirk in obedience – like to obey scholars in making something unlawful what Allah has made lawful or vice-versa.

Shirk in love – like to love someone or something as Allah should be loved.

Lesser Shirk: committing this type of Shirk does not take a person outside the fold of Islam and make him a disbeliever but it is still a grave sin, which one can be punished for severely.

There are two subcategories:

Apparent Shirk – which is related to sayings, such as swearing an oath in the name of someone or something other than Allah or it can be related to acts such as believing in omens. An omen is when someone predicts that certain evil will befall upon them when seeing certain birds or the like, or when hearing certain names of people, certain places that they perceive being evil etc.

Hidden Shirk – which is like showing off in an act of worship like performing a long prayer so that the people can think high of them or gaining praise for worldly purposes etc.  

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever dies whilst calling upon other than Allah enters the Fire.”

There are several differences between the two forms of Shirk. Among the differences is that the one who commits Greater Shirk is judged to be a disbeliever and will reside in the hellfire forever, whereas the one who commits the Lesser Shirk, is not judged as a disbeliever and will not reside in the hellfire forever. Another difference is that the Greater Shirk renders all good deeds worthless, whereas the Lesser Shirk renders only that particular deed worthless.  Lastly, the Greater Shirk makes ones blood and wealth lawful, whereas the Lesser Shirk does not make these things lawful.

Ibn Qayyim said:

‘‘Allah the Exalted informed that the purpose and affair of creation was to know His Names and to worship Him alone, without associates so that the people could become trustworthy (qist), and that is the justice (’adl) by which the heavens and the earth are established, as Allah the Exalted said:

‘We have already sent our messengers with clear evidences and sent down with them the Book and the balance that the people may maintain their affairs in justice.’’ (57:25)

So Allah the Glorified informed that he sent Messengers and revealed Books to establish the people upon fairness (qist) and that is justice (’adl).  And from the greatest fairness is Tawhid, and it is the head of justice, and its maintainer, and Shirk is injustice, as Allah the Exalted said:

‘‘Verily Shirk is a great injustice.’’ (31:13)

So Shirk is the greatest injustice and Tawhid is the best form of justice. Therefore, it is upon every Muslim to know what Tawhid is, to know its importance and to stay steadfast upon it. And likewise, it is upon every Muslim to know what Shirk is, to know its consequences and to avoid falling into it.  

“And whosoever seeks other than Islam as a religion, then it will never be accepted from him.  And in the Hereafter, he will be from amongst the losers.” (3:85)