Let us board “the ship of Tawheed” with the beginning of the new year and sail safely from this world of trials and temptations to the eternal world of ultimate bliss and enjoyment. May Allah guide and assist us to achieve this goal with sincerity and we undertake this task solely for the pleasure of Allah, the Almighty. Let us build this ship and move away from the destructive waves of polytheism and innovations by putting up the sails of ‘Kalimatus Ikhlas'. We are well aware of the story of Prophet Nuh and his ship. It was surely the ‘ship of Tawheed' and by the will of Allah it reached its destination with success. To build and board this ship we all have to ask ourselves; why are we here? What is the purpose of our life? What will be our destination? The answer should be as follows: And I have not created the jinn and the men except that they should worship Me. (Qur'an, 51:56) Here the word ‘worship' means to single out Allah in each and every aspect of life. As for the specific meaning of worship, Sheik Al Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “Worship is a comprehensive term covering whatever Allah loves and is pleased with, both words and actions, the apparent or the hidden; such as love, hope, fear, dependence, seeking refuge, having awe, prayer, fasting, zakah and other duties prescribed by Islam.” May Allah have mercy on us to enrich our knowledge. Let us conduct a brief study of our esteemed and beloved Prophet's (peace be upon him) life in Makkah. In the first 13 years of his prophethood, we come to know that he was busy expounding the essentials of monotheism and eradicating the scourge of polytheism. Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) prepared the Sahabiyat (companions) for migration. Their hearts migrated from worldly riches and they desired for the sought world of the hereafter and strove for the pleasure of Allah, The All-Glorious. This lead to building strong ties with Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him). They coveted jannah and continuously sought escape from the torments of the hell fire. What is the first obligation and prohibition that Allah has prescribed for mankind? The first obligation is to single out Allah in all worship, and the first prohibition is not to associate anything with Him as it is clear from many of the verses from the Noble Qur'an. “And your Lord has commanded that you shall not worship (any) but Him, and goodness to your parents. (Qur'an, 17:23) Allah has stated the prohibitions and the obligations with “none has the right to be worshipped but Allah” as it is obvious from the verses below. “And worship Allah and do not associate any thing with Him and be good to the parents and to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the neighbor of (your) kin and the alien neighbor, and the companion in a journey and the wayfarer and those whom your right hands possess; surely Allah does not love him who is proud, boastful. (Qur'an, 4:36) Say, “Come I will recite what your Lord has forbidden to you (remember) that you do not associate anything with Him and show kindness to your parents and do not kill your children for (fear of) poverty. We provide for you and for them and do not draw nigh to indecencies, those of them which are apparent and those which are concealed, and do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden except for the requirements of justice; this He has enjoined you with that you may understand.” (Qur'an, 6:151) What is the right of Allah upon His slaves and what is the right of the slaves upon Allah? The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “O Muadh! Do you know what Allah's right is upon His slave ?” I said, “Allah and His Messenger know better.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “That they worship Him (Allah) Alone and do not associate any partner in worship with Him (Allah). Do you know what their right upon Him is?” I replied, “Allah and His Messenger know better.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “That He will not punish them (if they did so).” [Bukhari] This shows the tremendous importance of the Tawheed (monotheism), and the wisdom behind the creation of the jinn and mankind. It is to worship Allah alone and reject all objects of worship besides Him. May Allah enable us to sail on this ship with guidance and success. (to be continued) __
