The Excellence of Tawhid

1) Allaah the Most High says: Those who believe and do not mix their belief with dhulm, they are those upon whom is security and they are the rightly guided. [6:82]

From 'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood, who said: When this verse was revealed, some Muslims began to grieve, and said: 'Which of us does not do dhulm (oppression) to his soul?' The Messenger of Allaah said: "It is not that, verily it is shirk, have you not heard the saying of Luqmaan to his son: Oh my Son! Do not make shirk with Allaah. Verily, shirk is a great dhulm.[31:13] [Bukhari & Muslim] 

This verse gives glad tidings to the believers, those who single out Allaah alone for worship, those who do not mix their belief with shirk. Rather, they are far from it, they have complete security from the punishment of Allaah in the Hereafter and they are the rightly guided in this world.

2) The Prophet said: "Imaan consists of sixty something branches, the highest of them is the saying 'Laa ilaaha illa Allaah; and the lowest of them is to remove something harmful from the road." [Muslim]

3) Shaikh 'Abdullaah Khayaat mentions in his book entitled Daleel ul-Muslim Fil I'tiqaad wat-Tat-heer. "Because of the human nature of man and due to his lack of infallibility, his feet slip and he falls into disobedience to Allaah. 

The Importance of Aqeedah

Aqeedah (Matters of Faith) First...If They But Knew

The Messenger informed Mu'adh bin Jabal, when he was going to the land of Yemen, "You are going to a people from the People of the Book. Let the first thing that you call them to be the worship of Allah. If they acknowledge Allah, then inform them that Allah has obligated upon them five prayers during their days and nights." [Al-Bukhari, Muslim]

This hadeeth is clear. It does not require much of an explanation. The Prophet applied this principle in his practical calling to Islam. He stayed in Makkah for thirteen years to teach the people Eemaan and to educate his Companions on this point and to correct the beliefs of the people. That is the pattern upon which the Companions were brought up.

Jundub Ibn Abdullah al-Bajaly said, "We learned Eemaan (faith) and then we learned the Quran and it increased our Eemaan ." Abdullah ibn Umar said, "We lived during an instant of time in which one of us would receive faith first before receiving the Quran and when the surahs were revealed we would learn what they permitted and what they prohibited and what they forbade and what they ordered and what should be the stance towards them. But I have seen many men from whom one is given the Quran before Eemaan and he reads it from the opening of the Book to its closing and he does not know what it orders and what it forbids and what should be his stance towards it. He is like someone who is just throwing out dates [i.e., he does not get any benefit from his recital]."

That is the manner in which the Prophet brought up his companions: Eemaan first and then the Quran. This is similar to what Imaam Abu Hanifah pointed out: Understanding in the religion first (i.e. Tawheed) and then understanding in the science (i.e. the sharee'ah).

The beliefs must be corrected first, then follows all of the other aspects of the religion.

And Imam Ash-Shafi`i said, "That a servant meets Allaah with every sin except Shirk is better say than meeting Him upon any of the innovated beliefs."

Al-Aqeedah linguistically is derived from the term aqada. In Arabic, one states, "Aqada the rope" when the rope is tied firmly. And, "Aqada the sale" or "He settled the sale" when the person ratifies and contracts a sale or agreement. And Allah says in the Quran, "And as for those whom your right hands have made a covenant (Ar., aqadat)" [Al-Nisa 33]. And Allah also says, "But He will take you to task for the oaths which you swear in earnest (Ar., aqadtum) [Al-Maida, 89] which means asserted and adhered to, as proven in the verse, "And break not oaths after the assertion of them" [An-Nahl, 91]. If one says, "Aqadtu such and such," it means his heart is firm upon such and such.

Therefore, al-Aqeedah or al-itiqad according to the scholars of Islam is: The firm creed that one's heart is fixed upon without any wavering or doubt. It excludes any supposition, doubt or suspicion.

Imam Abu Hanifah called this great subject al-Fiqh al-Akbar ("The Greater Understanding") and the understanding of the religion. He called the science of law (Ar., sharee'ah) the understanding of the science. Many scholars of Islam use the word Tawheed for all matters that a person must believe in. This is because the most important of these matters is the basic Tawheed that is contained in the phrase, "There is none worthy of worship except Allah."

Tawheed, according to them, may be divided into two categories: Tawheed of cognition and affirmation and Tawheed of purpose and deeds.

Tawheed of cognition and affirmation is the Tawheed of the Oneness of the Creator and the Tawheed of His Names and Attributes [i.e. He is Unique in His being the only Creator and the only One with His names and attributes]. Tawheed of purpose and deeds is Tawheed of lordship or that none should be worshipped except Allah [i.e., He is the only One worthy of worship].

The scholastic theologians (Ar., kalaamiyoon) - and what will explain to you who the scholastic theologians are - call this great subject "the root of the religion" and they call the law "the branches of the religion". This is their terminology. We also have a dispute with them in this matter but this is not the place to discuss it. All of them give it a name or adjective according to their needs.

But what is the name the Quran gives to this matter?

The Quran gives the grave matter the name iman. Allah says in the Quran, "And thus We inspired in You (Muhammad) a Spirit of Our command. You did not know what the Scripture was, nor what the Faith was. But we have made it a light whereby We guide whom We will of our bondmen..." [Al-Shura, 52].

The general concepts that the heart of the believer must be firm about are the "pillars" of this faith. But one will not be called a believer just by knowing and understanding these pillars but he must come to the level where he submits and implements what is described, in the hadith of Gabriel, as Islam. Iman, in this manner, incorporates Islam.

Best Times to make Dua (Supplication)

There are certain times dua (supplication)

is more likely to be accepted by Allah (SWT)

as mentioned by Prophet (SAW). These

times are as follows:

1. The Last Third Of The Night

Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that Allah’s

Messenger (SAW) said: 'In the last third

of every night our Rabb (Cherisher and

Sustainer) (Allah (SWT)) descends to the

lowermost heaven and says; "Who is

calling Me, so that I may answer him?

Who is asking Me so that may I grant

him? Who is seeking forgiveness from

Me so that I may forgive him?."'

[Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith Qudsi]

Amr ibn Absah narrated that the

Prophet said: 'The closest any

worshipper can be to His Lord is

during the last part of the night,

so if you can be amongst those

who remember Allah at that time,

then do so.'[at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i,

al-Hakim - Sahih]

2. Late at night

When people are sleeping and busy

with worldly pleasures Allah (SWT)

gives the believers an opportunity,

or an answer hour if they can fight

sleep and invoke Allah (SWT) for

whatever they need. The Prophet

(SAW) said: 'There is at night an

hour, no Muslim happens to be

asking Allah any matter of this world

or the Hereafter, except that he will

be given it, and this (occurs) every night.'

[Muslim #757]

3. Between Adhan and Iqamah

Anas (RA) narrated that Allah’s

Messenger (SAW) said: 'A supplication

made between the Adhan and Iqama

is not rejected.'

[Ahmad, abu Dawud #521, at-Tirmidhi

#212, Sahih al-Jami #3408, an-Nasai

and Ibn Hibban graded it sahih (sound)]

4. An Hour On Friday

Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA): Allah’s

Messenger (SAW) talked about Friday

and said: 'There is an hour on Friday

and if a Muslim gets it while offering Salat

(prayer) and asks something from

Allah (SWT), then Allah (SWT) will definitely

meet his demand.' And he (the Prophet (SAW)

pointed out the shortness of that

particular time with his hands.

[Sahih al-Bukhari]

Some have said that this hour is from

the time the Imam (prayer’s leader)

enters the mosque on Friday’s prayer

until the prayer is over (ie between the

two khutbahs), whereas others have

said that it is the last hour of the day

(ie after the Asr prayer until the

Maghrib prayer).

5. While Drinking Zamzam Water

Jaber (RA) narrated that Allah’s

Messenger (SAW) said: 'Zamzam

water is for what it is drunk for.'

[Ahmad 3: 357 and Ibn Majah #3062].

This means that when you drink Zamzam

water you may ask Allah (SWT) for anything

you like to gain or benefit from this water

such as healing from illness.... etc.