Ibn Qayyim said, may Allâh show mercy to him, under the topic Shajaratul-Ikhlaas (the Tree of Ikhlaas):

'The year is like a tree and months are its branches, the days are its twigs, hours are its leaves, the breaths (the tree produces) are its fruits. Thus whoever's breath is in (act of) obedience then the fruit produced by his tree is good, and if it is in disobedience, then such is a foul smell. Harvest is going to take place on the Appointed Day (the Day of Resurrection), it is then the sweetness or otherwise of the fruits will come in the open.

Shir'k (associating partners with Allâh), denial and showing-off also constitute a tree in the heart; its fruits in life are fear, gloominess, sadness and darkness over the heart. Also its fruits in the Hereafter are Zaqoom and an everlasting punishment. Allâh mentioned these two trees in Soorah Ibrahim.' [Al-Fawaaid, p. 214].

I (Shaykh Ramadaanee) say: What Ibn Qayyim meant is Allâh's Statement, the Mighty and Sublime:

"See you not How Allâh sets forth a parable? - A goodly word as a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the sky (i.e. very high).

Allâh will keep firm those who believe, with the word that stands firm In this world (i.e. they will keep on worshipping Allâh alone and none else), and in the Hereafter. And Allâh will cause to go astray those who are Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.), and Allâh does what He wills." [Ibrahim: 24-27].

There contained in the foregoing that success begins and ends with ; and between the two (beginning and end) is .

Now that (it is known that) Tauheed is like the foundation of a house and stem of a tree, it is (also) the first thing mankind are confronted with whenever they open the Mus'haf (that is, the Glorious Qur'ân). That is Allâh's Statement – the Mighty and Majestic:

"O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allâh), who created you and those who were before you so that you may become Al-Muttaqûn (the pious)." [Baqarah: 21].

Then immediately after that, a prohibition is issued with respect to what opposes Tauheed which is Shir'k; that is where Allâh says:

"Then do not set up rivals unto Allâh (in worship) while you know (that He alone has the right to be worshipped)." [Baqarah: 22].

There is an immense benefit in this. Allâh did not just only command us to worship Him, He also forbade us from what vitiates the worship which is worshipping others beside Him. Therefore, if you intently peruse the Book of your Lord, you will find that prohibition from Shir'k is a matter well-discussed. Examples include the following:

"And your Ilâh (God) is one Ilâh (God - Allâh), Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (there is none who has the right to be worshipped but He), the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. [Baqarah: 163]

"And verily, we have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allâh (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Tâghût (all false deities, etc. i.e. do not worship Tâghût besides Allâh)." [Nahl: 36].

"And we did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad ) but we inspired him (saying): Lâ ilâha illa Ana [none has the right to be worshipped but I (Allâh)], so worship Me (Alone and none else)." [Anbiyaa: 25].

"Worship Allâh and join none with Him in worship" [Nisaa: 36].

Said Ash-Shaykh Al-Mailiyy – the secretary of the Algerian Council of Muslim Scholars - may Allâh bestow mercy on him:

'(Allâh) did not make the Two Shahaadah alone (that is, Laa-ilaaha-illa-Allaah Muhamadur-Rasulu-Llah), He made plain the prohibition of taking many deities (beside Him – the Mighty and Majestic); and He confined the right of legislation in the person that was sent with the Message (that is the person of the Prophet [sallalahu alahy wa sallam])' [See Risaalatush-Shir'k Wa Madhaahiru-hu, p. 20] .

Shir'k is the number-one prohibition that came from Allâh. That is clear in His Statement – the Mighty and Majestic:

"Say (O Muhammad ): "Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited you from: join not anything in worship with Him..." [An'aam: 151].

And the first testament (Wasiyyah) Luqman made to his son was as regard shunning Shir'k:

"O My son! Join not in worship others with Allâh. Verily! Joining others in worship with Allâh is a great Zhûlm (wrong) indeed." [Luqman: 13].

People's concerns (in life) are different; that often become vivid when they undergo the pang of death, and what they say when making testament (Wasiyyah) to their relatives.

We have among the people those who will counsel their wives with respect to their wealth (which they will be leaving behind), others will counsel their loved ones with respect to their jobs and positions, and some will counsel their children with respect to their friends. And so on.

But the best of the people in this regard is he who counsels Allâh's slaves with respect to their Lord (when he wants to die). This is why Tauheed was what the Prophets of Allâh (alayhim salam) used to counsel their relatives on when they wanted to die. Allâh said:

"And this (submission to Allâh, Islâm) was enjoined by Ibrâhim (Abraham) upon his sons and by Ya'qûb (Jacob), (saying), "O My sons! Allâh has chosen for you the (true) religion, then die not except in the faith of Islâm (as Muslims)."

Or were you witnesses when death approached Ya'qûb (Jacob)? When he said unto his sons, "What will you worship after me?" They said, "We shall worship your Ilâh (God - Allâh), the Ilâh (God) of your fathers, Ibrâhim (Abraham), Ismâ'il (Ishmael), Ishâq (Isaac), one Ilâh (God), and to Him we submit (in Islâm)." [Baqarah: 132-133].

Therefore, it is those who call to Tauheed that are the best and most honourable of the Callers because calling to it is calling to the highest level of Faith.

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (may Allâh be pleased with him), the Prophet (sallalahu alahy wa sallam) said:

"Faith is seventy or more, or sixty or more parts; its highest part is (the statement) 'There is none worthy of worship (in truth) except Allâh;' its least part is removing a harmful object from the path. And modesty is part of Faith.' [Muslim reported it, hadith number: 58].

Said Imam An-Nawawi, may Allâh bestow mercy on him:

'The Messenger of Allâh (sallalahu alahy wa sallam) has indeed informed that the best of the branches of Faith is Tauheed which is binding on everybody; this is what without it other branches of Faith cannot be proper.' [See: Sharh Muslim 1/280].

I say: (Shaykh Ramadaanee): These branches of Faith will not germinate in the heart of a person neither will it produce any fruit on the limbs except and according to what the slave carries out with respect to the implications of this Golden Speech (that is, Laailaha illâ Allaah).

Therefore reforming Tauheed is concomitant to reforming the heart of the body. It has come in the hadith of An-Nu'maan bn Bashir (may Allaah be pleased with both) that the Messenger of Allâh (Sallalahu alahy wa salam) said:

'Nay, indeed there is a flesh in the body; when it is normal the whole body will be normal and when it is abnormal the whole body will be abnormal. Nay that is the heart' [Bukhaari: 52; Muslim: 1599].

There is in that the clear evidence that reforming Tauhheed - whose basis is the heart – is the main act of reformation that must (first) take place; in fact, it is the greatest.

Based on the foregoing therefore, all forms of calls existing (today) which aim at reforming (the people and the society) and which do not make Tauheed as their basis nor neither spring from it; such calls would be affected by obliquity (In'hiraaf) according to their distance from this Great Foundation (At-Tauheed). An example is like those who expend their lifetime towards reforming people's interrelationships among one another while the relationship of the former with their own Creator – upon Whom they rest their thought – is far away from the guidance of Salafus-Saalih (the Pious Predecessors). [Read about the Salafus-Saalih here]

Another example is those people who (also) expend their lifetime towards gaining the control of governance with the aim of using it to reform the people; or those who spend all their time making use of different forms of the political means to gain control while these people show no concern for their own corrupt creed or that of those whom they call!

Therefore why should those people – for bigoted reasons – vilify those who call to Tauheed with the claim that calling to it (at this time) is time-wasting! Now that the Ummah is under the claws of its enemies from all angles (they say). These people also vituperate those who call to Tauheed on the reason that calling to it will split the Muslims; that even if nothing will unite the Muslims except resorting to the worship of idols, (they tend to say that they will adopt that). They dub those who defend the Right of Allâh from being trampled upon with norms that drive people away from them; appellations such as 'incongruent scholasticism' or 'Byzantine discussions.' We seek refuge in Allâh from His anger.

Adopting Tauheed is sufficient for you from the evil creed they call to; and from their vituperation against those who oppose them. There is no room for confrontation with them here because their foundation is upon falsehood.

This is the reason the Prophet (Sallalahu alahy wa salam) used to emphasize to those who call (to Allâh) that they should have utmost concern for Tauheed even from the inception of their call.

An example: On the authority of Ibn Abbaas (may Allâh be pleased with both father and son) who said that the Messenger of Allâh (Sallalahu alahy wa salam) said to Muaadh bn Jabal ((may Allâh be pleased with him) when he (Sallalahu alahy wa salam) was sending him to Yemen:

'Verily you are going to meet a people among the People of the Book. When you get to them, invite them to bear the testimony that Laa ilaaha ill Allaah Wa anna muhamadan rasullullah…'

In another version it reads:

'…let the first thing you will invite them to be the worship of Allâh (alone)…'

In another version it reads:

'… that they should make Allâh One (in their act of worship). If they answer you on that…'

In another narration:

'…when they know Allâh (as One), inform them that Allâh has made Five Prayers obligatory on them day and night. If they answer you on that, inform them that Allâh has made Charity obligatory on them; charity that will be taken from their rich and given to their poor. If they answer you on that, then be wary of their other wealth and be wary of the supplication of the oppressed one because there is no barrier between it and Allâh.' [Bukhâri: 1458, 1496; Muslim: 29, 30].

The above hadith is great; it leaves no other choice (apart from starting with ) for he who calls (to Islam). Allâh the Mighty said:

"It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allâh and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allâh and His Messenger, He has indeed strayed in a plain error." [Ahzâb: 36].

Then why do people show bias to this First Principle? Allâh has more right to be worshipped alone than people have right to perk up their necks and let loose their tongues!

Source: Sittu Durar Min Usuuli Ahlil'Athar [Six Pearls from the Foundations of People of Tradition]

By Ash-Shaykh Abdul-Malik bn Ahmad Al-Mubârak Ramadaanee Al-Jazâirî - hafidha-huLlaah