*Explanation of Shaykh Salih Al-Fawzan On The Concise Commentary On The Book of Tawhid.*

*Translated by Arabia for Information Technology, Cairo.*

*Chapter 41: Attributing Equals to Allah.*

*Allah, Exalted be He, says:*

“…So do not attribute to Allah equals while you know (that there is nothing similar to Him).” (Quran: Al-Baqarah: 22)

In his comment on the verse, *Ibn Abbas says*:

“Attributing equals to Allah is an act of polytheism more hidden than the movement of ants on a smooth rock in the darkness of night. One commits that act of polytheism when saying, “By Allah and by your life, O you so-and-so, or ‘By my life’ Moreover, one commits an act polytheism when saying, ‘Had it not been for the little dog of so-and-so, we would have been stolen, or ‘Had it not been for the ducks in the house, we would have been stolen.’ Similarly, an act of polytheism is also committed when a man says to another. ‘By the will of Allah and yours…’ One more example of committing an act of polytheism is when someone says to another, ‘Had it not been for Allah and you…’ So, never associate others with Allah in such utterances as all of the aforesaid is nothing but polytheism.” (Related by Ibn Abu Hatim)

*Relevance of the Chapter to the Book of Tawhid:*

One of the corollaries of monotheism is to avoid utterances that imply associating partners with Allah, even if one does not intend so. As such, the author elaborates in this chapter on some of such prohibited utterances to help people avoid them and the like.

*General Meaning of the Quranic Verse:*

In this verse, Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, prohibits people from setting created beings up as equal to Allah by attributing to them acts which are exclusive to Him, while the knot that Allah is the Only Creator and Provide, and that those equals are helpless and incompetent even to dispose their own affairs as they will. The utterances quoted by Ibn Abbas provide examples of the practice of attributing equals to Allah. Though the aforementioned verse is revealed in regard to major polytheism and though these utterances entail minor polytheism, they are included in the verse, for the Salaf used to provide legal evidences on minor polytheism out of those attesting to major polytheism.

*Lessons Drawn from the Quranic Verse:*

• Muslims are warned against commiting polytheism in acts of worship
• Polytheists acknowledge tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah (The Oneness of Allah’s Lordship)
• Minor polytheism is so hidden that only few can perceive it
• Muslim are enjoined to avoid utterances that entail polytheism, even if polytheism is not Intented.
*Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah salallahu alayhi wa salam said*:
“He who swears by anything besides Allah is guilty of an act of disbelief or polytheism.” (Related by At-Tirmidhi, who graded it hasan, but Al-Hakim graded it sahih)
*General Meaning of the Hadith*:
This hadith implies a prohibition against swearing by anyone other than Allah, and deems that oath to be an act of setting a created being up as a partner to Allah and an act of disbelief in Allah. The reason is that swearing by a being is a means of exalting it while Allah is actually the only One worthy of exaltation. So, swearing must be exclusively by Allah or any of His Sublime Attributes.
*Relavance of the Hadith to the Chapter*:
The hadith indicates that swearing by anyone other than Allah is an act of setting a created being up as a rival to Him
*Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said*:
“To swear falsely by Allah (however forbidden) is better for me than truly swearing by any one other than Him.”
*General Meaning of the Hadith*:
Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) states that he prefers swearing falsely by Allah to swearing truthfully by any one other than Him. Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said so on the basis that swearing by Allah falsely implies the virtue of adhering to monotheism together with the vice of lying, while swearing truthfully by anyone other than Allah implies the merit of telling the truth but the sin of committing polytheism. Needless to say, the virtue of adhering to monotheism is greater than the virtue of telling the truth, and the sin of lying is less than that of committing polytheism.
*Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam said:*

“Do not say, ‘If Allah wills and so-and-so wills,’ but say, ‘If Allah wills and then so-and-so wills” (Related by Abu Dawud with an authentic chain of transmitters)

*Ibrahim An-Nakh’I said:*

“It is detestable for one to say, ‘I seek refuge with Allah and you.’ However, it is permissible to say, ‘I seek refuge with Allah and then you’” He also said, “it is permissible for one to say, ‘Had it not been for Allah and then so-and-so…,’ and impermissible to say, ‘Had it not been for Allah and so-and-so…’”

*General Mening of the Hadith*

In this hadith the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam prohibits Muslims from coupling a name of a creature with that of the Creator by means of the conjunction *‘and’* when talking about Allah’s will and the like. The reason is that using *‘and’* signifies equivalence between the two coupled items, not succession, and thus such an utterance entails polytheism.

However, the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam permits coupling a created being with the Creator by the conjunction *’then’* which signifies succession. The aforementioned tradition given by An’Nakh’I signifies the same meaning of the hadith.

Legally speaking, seeking refuge with a creature is restricted to the living one who can help, not the dead who is helpless, Thus, it is not permissible to invoke dead persons in order to do something.

*Relavance of the Hadith and Tradition to the Chapter*

Both the aforementioned hadith and tradition stress the prohibition of uttering the statement, *“if Allah wills and so-and-so wills”* and suchlike statements as they imply setting a created being up as an equal to Allah. Such a heinous act of polytheism has been warned against in the verse stated at the beginning of this chapter as interpreted by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him).

BaarakaLlaahu feek.

We need more articles on the importance and explanations of Tawheed so also warning against shirk and innovation.

The greatest calamity this ummah is facing now is the ignorance of Tawheed which is the essence of Islam and being a Muslim.

Unfortunately Shaitan has made people see this Tawheed as the most unimportant topic to be discussed anywhere. May Allah save us.

BaarakaLlaahu feek.

We need more articles on the importance and explanations of Tawheed so also warning against shirk and innovation.

The greatest calamity this ummah is facing now is the ignorance of Tawheed which is the essence of Islam and being a Muslim.

Unfortunately Shaitan has made people see this Tawheed as the most unimportant topic to be discussed anywhere.

Can't they see what Allah says?!

Surah Al-Maeda, Verse 72:
لَقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَقَالَ الْمَسِيحُ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ مَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍ

Surely, they have disbelieved who say: "Allah is the Messiah ['Iesa (Jesus)], son of Maryam (Mary)." But the Messiah ['Iesa (Jesus)] said: "O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord." Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers) there are no helpers.
(English - Mohsin Khan)

via iQuran

May Allah save us.

Newnas:
BaarakaLlaahu feek.

We need more articles on the importance and explanations of Tawheed so also warning against shirk and innovation.

The greatest calamity this ummah is facing now is the ignorance of Tawheed which is the essence of Islam and being a Muslim.

Unfortunately Shaitan has made people see this Tawheed as the most unimportant topic to be discussed anywhere. May Allah save us.

And the people that try to give it importance are seen as "bad guys".

lexiconkabir:


And the people that try to give it importance are seen as "bad guys".

Allahul musta'an