Rules of Pure Monotheism

The pure worship and monotheism in Islam, is the worshipping the Almighty Allah alone, and surrendering, obeying and dedicating oneself sincerely to serving Allah SWT and no one else, but Him.

Allah SWT says:

"I have not created jinn and men but to worship Me." [Adh-Dhariyat, 51:56]

Once you know that Allah SWT has created you to serve Him, you will realize that there can be no service except with Pure Monotheism [Arabic: Tawhid]. Just as there is no formal prayer without purity, and there is no purity with unseemliness, so there is no worship of God while worshipping others along with Him [Arabic: Syirik].

By associating others with Allah Almighty, man's worship is spoilt, his deeds are vain and he is doomed to eternal Hellfire. If you are cognizant of all this, you will realize that your most important care should be to have all the knowledge pertinent thereto, that Allah SWT may save you from Hell's terrible abyss.

Allah Almighty Says:

"God will not forgive any the association of anything with Him; but He will forgive any lesser offense to whomsoever He chooses." [An-Nisa, 4:47]

It should be mentioned that Allah Almighty will forgive those who have ascribed partners Him, or worshipped others along with Him, if they repent from doing it before they die. Such pertinent knowledge consists of four basic rules, elaborated in Allah Almighty Holy Book.

First Rule.

The first rule is the knowledge that the unbelieving pagans whom the Prophet Muhammad, peace and grace of God be upon him, opposed, did acknowledge that Almighty God - May He be glorified - is indeed the Creator, Provider and Maker of this world. However, this did not make them Muslims.

Allah Says:

"Ask them: 'Who sends down for you your provision from the sky and grows it out of the earth? Who hears your prayer and sees your condition? Who brings the living out of the dead and the dead out of the living? Who directs the course of the world?' They will answer: 'God.' Answer: 'Would you then not fulfill your duty to Him?'" [Yunus, 10:32]

Second Rule.

The second rule is to know that the unbelievers claim that they do not pray to their objects of worship and call on them except to the end that they may intercede on their behalf with Allah SWT.

Allah Says:

"Those who worshipped others as patrons beside God, claiming that they did so only to come through their intercession nearer to Him, will receive the judgment of God in the matter they contend. God will not guide the ungrateful, the liar." [Az-Zumar, 39:3]

Allah also says:

"They serve beside God beings which can neither benefit nor harm, claiming, 'These are our intercessors with Allah SWT.'" [Yunus, 10:18]

There are two kinds of intercession, one illegitimate and the other legitimate. The former is that which is sought from sources other than God regarding matters where all the power lies in Allah Almighty alone.

Allah Says:

"O men, who believe, spend of that which We have provided for you before the Day when there will be neither sale nor purchase, neither favors nor intercession. The unbelievers are themselves unjust." [Al-Baqarah, 2:254]

The legitimate intercession is that which is asked of Almighty Allah, where the intercessor receives his power from Him, and the interceded for is he whom Allah SWT is pleased to accept as such for his word and deed.

Allah Almighty Says:

"No one may intercede with God except by His permission." [Al-Baqarah, 2:55]

Third Rule.

The third rule is the knowledge that the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and give him peace, appeared among people of many religious traditions. Some worshipped angels; others worshipped the Prophets and saints of God; others worshipped trees and stones, sun and moon. All of these peoples were fought by him, as they must, relentlessly without distinction.

Allah Says:

"And fight them, that there may be no aberration in religion, and all religion belongs to Almighty Allah." [Al-Baqarah, 2:193]

"Day and night, sun and moon, are His creation and sign. Do not worship the sun or the moon, but Allah, their Creator, if you seek the truth." [Fussilat, 41:37]

"Those unto whom they pray [i.e., the saints] themselves seek an avenue to their Lord's mercy, compete in coming close to Allah Almighty, and fear His punishment. Punishment of your Lord is certainly to be shunned." [Al-Isra, 17:57]

Fourth Rule.

The people who associate partners with Allah Almighty, in both belief and worship, in our own day are worse and hence guiltier than those of pre-Islamic times. For, the ancient ones used to only worship others besides Allah in prosperity and return to genuine faith in adversity, whereas the present day associations are constant in their unbelief, regardless of prosperity or adversity.

Allah Says:

"And when they ride in barks [in stormy seas] they addresses their prayers to Allah Almighty in complete sincerity, but relapse into syirik [i.e. associating partners with Him] when they reach the shore." [Al-Ankabut, 29:65)

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See: The Categories Of Tawhid #8