TAUHEED

We should recognise Allah Ta'ala in everything that we see. This is Tawheed. Islam, Christianity and Judaism are regarded as the monestetic religions which teach the oneness of Allah Ta'ala. However, the Christians ascribe partners unto Allah Ta'ala. They regard Essa A.S as part of God or the son of God. This means that the true religion of Tawheed is Islam. We must ensure that we attain the pure Tawheed.

The first level of Tawheed is to believe in the being of Allah c (i.e. the Dhaat of Allah Ta'ala) There aren’t two or three gods as the Hindus believe. Some believe in trees, rocks, animals, the sun, etc. Belief in the oneness of Allah is essential for every believer.

We also have to believe in the Sifaat of Allah Ta'ala. Allah Ta'ala provides us with sustenance and is not in need of the shop or job to provide sustenance. Allah is not in need of a doctor or an operation to cure a person. If a person made Dua to Allah c to send down a table laden with food from the heavens and it came then one would easily believe that Allah alone is the provider.

However, Allah Ta'ala has hidden it from us by making us go to work, but we are required to have Yaqeen (conviction) that Allah Ta'ala is our provider. Many of us quote, “Seeing is believing and hearing is deceiving” which is totally incorrect. It is actually vice versa. A person observes that his shop is sustaining him, but this is deceiving. We are required to believe that Allah is Ar-Razzaaq. Allah c is that sustainer that he is not in need of the angels to provide. Further, Allah Ta'ala is not in need of any Nabie to give Hidaayat. Allah Ta'ala tells Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam, “Verily you cannot guide whoever you desire (to guide) but Allah guides whoever he wishes.”

When Allah wishes to give Hidaayat, he even gives Hidaayat in a brothel. On the other hand, if Allah doesn’t desire Hidaayat for a person then Abul Hikam (Abu Jahl) is deprived Hidaayat in the blessed lands of Makkah Sharif, in front of the Ka’aba Sharif, where Jibraeel n frequently visits. So, a person has to believe in the Sifaat of Allah Ta'ala. His qualities are exclusive to Him.

Then a person should have Tauheed in the Af’aal of Allah Ta'ala. When we believe that Allah is Razzaaq then we believe that Allah alone is Razzaaq. Allah is not in need of anyone in sustaining a person.

IKHLAAS

Many people misunderstand Ikhlaas, they think that Ikhlaas means that one should hide his actions. There is no problem in doing so, it is a safety precaution. The reality of Ikhlaas is that an action must be done solely for the pleasure of Allah c. If hiding one’s actions was regarded as Ikhlaas then Namaaz should have been performed at home, not in Jamaat in the Masjid. Haj would be performed in one’s back yard, not in front of the entire world. However, the best Haj is that a person puts on the Ihraam at home and then departs for Haj so that the people can see that this person is on his way for Haj.

TAWAKKUL

Tawakkul does not mean that one should discard all means. Tawakkul means that a person places his trust on Allah alone. Using the means is Sunnat. Allah Ta'ala had blessed our Akaabireen with such knowledge that they taught us that a person should use the means but should not trust the means. To trust the Asbaab and make them gods is Shirk. This is Haraam and Kufr. A person has bought his ticket and departing for Umrah then too he shouldn’t trust the means. It is possible that a person could develop such a sickness that he is unable to even move from his chair to the door and as a result he is deprived of performing his Umrah or a person could slip on a banana peel and end up six months in hospital.

ASBAAB

There were certain Buzurgs that left out Asbaab totally. Adopting such a method is regarded as Ghalaba-e-Haal. They were overpowered by certain conditions and therefore discarded all Asbaab, but generally our Buzurgs had adopted Asbaab. The test is greater when the means are adopted.

If one didn’t adopt any Asbaab and noticed that all his needs were being fulfilled then having Yaqeen in Allah Ta'ala would have been very easy. However, since Allah Ta'ala has put everything in the veil of Asbaab and said that we shouldn’t trust Asbaab as Allah alone is the doer of all things it is a test. The Buzurgs have said that the starting point of Tasawwuf is the ending point of Tasawwuf. The starting point of Tasawwuf is the Kalimah where the Sheikh will put the Mureed on Zikrullah. The end is also the same but at the very beginning it was an empty capsule. Over a period of time, one should fill the capsule. It is up to the individual whether he puts 50mg of La Ilaha Illalah in it or whether he puts 5000mg in it and accordingly it will have an effect.

The kids at Madrasah recite the Kalimah at the top of their voices but it is an empty capsule. They don’t even understand the translation. It is only in the end that one actually acquires the reality of Tauheed. He realises that everything is from Allah Ta'ala. A person will reach a stage where he will say, “O Allah, You had decreed this for me” whether it was a terrible accident or anything else. If a person doesn’t believe that all conditions are from Allah alone then he will take the matter to court, swear, fight, etc. When you have Tauheed, you will realise that it is from Allah Ta'ala alone. May Allah give us the understanding. Ameen!