شرح رسالة أصل دين الإسلام وقاعدته الأمر بعبادة الله والإنذار عن الشرك
The Explanation of the Pamphlet the Essence of the Religion of Islâm and Its Principle Consisting of the Command of Worshipping Allâh and Warning against Shirk2
Abd'ur Rahmân bin Hasan bin Muhammad bin Abd'il Wahhâb Rahimahullâh3
In the name of Allâh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Shaykh (Muhammad bin Abd'il Wahhâb) Rahimahullâhu Taâlâ's statement,Quote"The essence of the Religion of Islâm and its principles consist of two directives:
1. The command of worshipping Allâhu Taâlâ alone without associating partners, encouraging this, basing the Muwâlât (collaboration) on it, and declaring Takfîr upon the one who forsakes it."
I (Abd'ur Rahmân bin Hasan) say: Its evidences in the Qur'ân are more than to be counted. Like the statement by Allâhu Taâlâ,
"Say: O People of the Scripture, come to a word common between us and you - that we will not worship except Allâh and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of Allâh." (Âl-i Imrân, 3/64)
Allâhu Taâlâ commanded His Nabî Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam to call the People of the Scripture (the Jews and the Christians) to the meaning of La Ilâha Illallâh (there is no -true- deity -worthy of worship- except Allâh) that which the Nabî called the Arabs and others to.
The word mentioned in the verse is La Ilâha Illallâh. Allâhu Taâlâ explained it with His statement, "that we will not worship except Allâh."
Thus, the meaning of La Ilâha is contained in His statement, "that we will not worship." And this is negation of Ibâdah (worship) to other than Allâh.
His statement "except Allâh" (Âl-i Imrân, 3/64) is the exception in Kalimat'ul Ikhlâs (statement of sincerity, La Ilâha Illallâh).
So Allâhu Taâlâ commanded the Nabî Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam to call them to restrict Ibâdah to Him Taâlâ alone and to negate Ibâdah from anyone/thing other than Him Taâlâ. The verses similar to this verse which clarify that adopting as Ilâh is Ibâdah (worship/servitude) and that it is inappropriate to direct anything of Ibâdah to anyone/thing besides Allâhu Taâlâ are many, as Allâhu Taâlâ said,
"And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him." (al-Isrâ, 17/23)
The meaning of "decreed" is that He Taâlâ commanded and recommended, in accordance with the two opinions, and both have the same meaning.
The meaning of Lâ Ilâha is contained in Allâhu Taâlâ's statement, "that you worship none."
The meaning of Illallâh is contained in Allâhu Taâlâ's statement, "but Him."
This is Tawhîd of Ibâdah (worship) which is the call of the messengers when they said to their tribes,
"Worship Allâh; you have no deity -worthy of worship- except Him." (al-A'râf, 7/59 and other verses)
Therefore, it is necessary to immediately negate Shirk in Ibâdah and to be free from it and from those who perform it. Just as Allâhu Taâlâ said regarding His Khalîl (intimate friend) Ibrâhîm Alayh'is Salâm,
"And (remember) when Ibrâhîm said to his father and his people: Verily, I am free of what you worship, except for He who created me." (az-Zukhruf 43/26-27)
So, it is necessary to be free from worshipping that which is worshipped other than Allâh. Allâh also said regarding Ibrâhîm Alayh'is Salâm,
"And I will leave you and those you invoke other than Allâh." (Maryam, 19/48)
Thus it is obligatory to turn away from Shirk and its people by performing Barâ'ah from both of them. Just as He Taâlâ made it evident in His statement,
"Indeed there has been an excellent example for you in Ibrâhîm and those with him, when they said to their people: Verily, we are free from you and whatever you worship besides Allâh, we have rejected you, and there has started between us and you, hostility and hatred for ever, until you believe in Allâh Alone." (al-Mumtahinah, 60/4)
"Those with them," are the Messengers, just as Ibnu Jarîr (at-Tabarî) has mentioned.4
This verse includes all of what our Shaykh (Muhammad bin Abd'il Wahhâb) Rahimahullâh has mentioned from encouraging Tawhîd, negating Shirk, showing Muwâlât towards the people of Tawhîd, and declaring Takfîr upon those who abandon Tawhîd by performing Shirk which negates Tawhîd.
For verily, the one who performs Shirk has abandoned Tawhîd, because both of them are opposites that cannot be united. So whenever Shirk exists then Tawhîd is negated. Allâhu Taâlâ stated the following regarding those who perform Shirk,
"And he sets up rivals to Allâh, in order to mislead others from His Path. Say: Take pleasure in your disbelief for a while: surely, you are (one) of the dwellers of the Fire!" (az-Zumar, 39/8)
Thus, Allâhu Taâlâ declared Takfîr upon him because he takes Andâd (pl. Nidd), which are partners associated in Ibadâh. The likes of these verses are many. So one cannot become a Muwahhid (monotheist) except by negating Shirk, performing Barâ'ah from it, and declaring Takfîr upon whoever performs it.
2- Majmû'at'ut Tawhîd, p. 47-54; ad-Durar'us Saniyyah, 2/202-211. We noted the differences in the copies in brackets when necessary.
3- The Imâm, Âlim, Allâmah, reference of the jurists and theologists, second Mujaddid, Shaykh'ul Islâm Abd'ur Rahmân bin Hasan Rahimahullâh, was born in Dir'iyyah in the year 1196 H. He took knowledge from many scholars, such as his grandfather Shaykh Muhammad bin Abd'il Wahhâb, his uncles Shaykh Abdullâh, Shaykh Alî, and Shaykh Husayn, Shaykh Hamad bin Nâsir bin Mu'ammar, and Shaykh Husayn bin Ghannâm. Many from the Âl'ush Shaykh family, including his offspring and the offspring of his uncles, are among his students, some of which include his sons Shaykh Abd'ul Latîf and Shaykh Ismâ'îl, Shaykh Abdullâh bin Abd'il Latîf, and Shaykh Hasan bin Husayn. He educated many students such as Shaykh Hamad bin Atîq. May Allâh have mercy upon all of them. He authored many books and treatises. The most famous among these are:
Kitâbu Fath'il Majîd Sharh Kitâb'it Tawhîd.
Qurratu Uyûn'il Muwahhidîn Hâshiyatun ala't Tawhîd.
Kashfu mâ Alqâhu Iblîs alâ Dâwûd bin Jirjîs.
Kitâbun fi'r Raddi alâ Uthmân bin Mansûr.
He also is a coauthor of his uncle Abdullâh's book Refutation to the Zaydiyyah.
Verifying Shaykh'ul Islâm Ibnu Taymiyyah's View Regarding the Issues: The Excuse of Ignorance and Mu'ayyan Takfîr.
He has other refutations of Dâwûd bin Jirjîs and Uthmân bin Mansûr.
He also has many treatises and verdicts found in famous compilations such as ad-Durar'us Saniyyah and Majmû'at'ur Rasâ'il wa'l Masâ'il'in Najdiyyah.
He passed away on the 8th of Dhu'l Hijjah, 1285 H. May Allah have abundant mercy on him. Âmîn.
Concisely from ad-Durar'us Saniyyah, 16/404-413.
4- At-Tabarî, Tafsîr, 28/41.