The Importance of Da'wah to Tawhid

**The Importance of Da'wah to Tawhid**

From Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sent Mu'adh bin Jabal to the people of Yemen, he said to him:

“You are going to a people from the People of the Book, so let the first thing you call them to be the oneness of Allah. If they come to know Allah, then inform them that Allah has enjoined upon them five prayers in their day and night. If they pray, then inform them that Allah has enjoined upon them Zakat from their wealth, to be taken from their rich and given to their poor. If they acknowledge this, then take it from them, but avoid taking the best of people's wealth.” (Agreed upon)

Sheikh Al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded his companions to start with what he began, which is the call to Tawhid. There is no doubt that there is a significant difference between the polytheistic Arabs of that time, in that they understood what was said to them in their language, and most of the Muslim Arabs today who do not need to be invited to say "La ilaha illallah" because they already say it, regardless of their sects, methods, and beliefs. All of them say "La ilaha illallah," but in reality, they need to understand the meaning of this good word more profoundly. This difference is fundamental between the early Arabs, who, when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) invited them to say "La ilaha illallah," they arrogantly refused, as clearly stated in the Holy Qur'an. Why did they arrogantly refuse? Because they understood that the meaning of this word is not to take rivals alongside Allah and not to worship anyone but Allah, while they worshipped others besides Him. They called upon others besides Allah and sought help from others besides Allah, made vows to others besides Allah, sought intercession from others besides Allah, sacrificed for others besides Allah, and ruled by other than His laws, and so on.

These are all known pagan polytheistic practices that they did, and despite this, they knew that one of the requirements of this good word - "La ilaha illallah" - from the standpoint of the Arabic language was to renounce all these matters because they contradicted the meaning of "La ilaha illallah."

As for most Muslims today who bear witness that "La ilaha illallah," they do not understand its meaning well, and they might even understand its meaning completely upside down; I give an example: some of them wrote a treatise on the meaning of "La ilaha illallah" and interpreted it as: "There is no Lord but Allah!!" This meaning is what the polytheists believed in and held onto, but despite this, their belief did not benefit them, as Allah Almighty said: {If you asked them, 'Who created the heavens and the earth?' They would surely say, 'Allah.'} (Luqman: 25).

So, the polytheists believed that this universe has a Creator with no partner, but they associated others with Allah in His worship. They believed that the Lord is one but thought that the deities are many. Therefore, Allah Almighty rejected this belief, which He called worshipping others besides Him, with His words: {And those who take protectors besides Him say, "We only worship them that they may bring us nearer to Allah in position."} (Az-Zumar: 3).

The polytheists knew that saying "La ilaha illallah" necessitated renouncing worshipping anything other than Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, while most Muslims today interpret this good word "La ilaha illallah" as: "There is no Lord but Allah!!" If a Muslim says "La ilaha illallah" and worships others alongside Allah, then he is the same as the polytheists in belief, even if he outwardly appears as a Muslim because he says the word: "La ilaha illallah," then he is verbally a Muslim outwardly, and this requires all of us—as callers to Islam—to call to Tawhid and establish the proof against those who do not understand the meaning of "La ilaha illallah" and who are contrary to it; unlike the polytheist who refuses to say: "La ilaha illallah," then he is not a Muslim neither outwardly nor inwardly.

As for the majority of Muslims today, they are Muslims (outwardly); because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: «If they say it, they have protected their blood and wealth from me except by its right, and their reckoning is with Allah Almighty.»

[Al-Tawhid Awwalan Ya Du'aat al-Islam, p. 10-13]