Monotheism first by sheikh Ahmed Annajmi

[أبو العرباض عطية السلفي]

In the name of Allah the Most Gracious the Most Merciful
Tawhid First

Praise be to Allah and blessings and peace be upon Allah's Messenger and on his family and companions. To proceed;
Someone phoned and asked me to deliver a speech titled, "Why Tawhid (Monotheism) Comes First?". This shows that the caller has known that Tawhid (monotheism) is the origin of the Islamic doctrine (Aqeedah) and its base and its only condition to be right and acceptable. He suggested such suggestion to make those who don't understand that this is the status of Tawhid in Islam because all Prophets –from Noah to Mohammed(Peace be upon them) –were ordered by Allah to call to the oneness of godhood (Tawhid arroboubiah). Allah says in the Holy Qura'n:

وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَسُولًا أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ هَدَى اللَّهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلَالَةُ فَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ ﴿النحل: 36﴾

{For We assuredly sent amongst every People a messenger, (with the
Command), "Serve Allah, and eschew Evil".} )36( .He ,glorified, also says:

وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَسُولًا أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ هَدَى اللَّهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلَالَةُ فَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ ﴿النحل: 36﴾

{Not a messenger did We send before thee without this inspiration sent by Us to him: that there is no god but I; therefore worship and serve Me.} )25(
Every prophet said to the people whom he was sent to:

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِ فَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ ﴿المؤFromون: 23﴾

{O my people! Serve Allah. You have no other God save Him}. And when Allah sent Prophet Mohammed to his people, he stayed for ten years calling for nothing but Tawhid. Then, after the ten years, prayer was imposed. He remained in Makkah for three years. After that, he immigrated to Madinah. Zakat (obligatory alms giving) and fasting the month of Ramadan were imposed in the second year of Hijrah(Islamic Calender). Thus, Tawhid is the origin of the reigion and the base on which it stands. Therefore, whom who corrupts his Tawhid with calling other gods besides Allah will corrupt his entire religion and get away of Islam. He is,then, considered as an apostate and all his good deeds will be invalid(frustrated). Allah says:

وَلَقَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ ﴿الزمر: 65﴾

But it has already been revealed to thee,- as it was to those before thee,- "If thou wert to join (gods with Allah), truly fruitless will be thy work (in life), and thou wilt surely be in the ranks of those who lose (all spiritual good)". .)65(
Jesus (peace be upon him) said :

لَقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَقَالَ الْمَسِيحُ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ مَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنْصَارٍ ﴿المائدة: 72﴾

"O Children of Israel! worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord." Whoever joins other gods with Allah,- Allah will forbid him the garden, and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help. )72(
The Testimony (Shahadatain) (that there is no god ,deserves worship, but Allah and Mohammed is Allah's Messenger) contains this great origin(Tawhid). This testimony has two parts: "No god "is the first one and it means that no god in the whole universe deserves to be worshipped truly but Allah. The second part "but Allah" proves divinity (Alouhiya) to Allah alone and no one else, that is because He has created this universe; Allah says:

قُلْ أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَكْفُرُونَ بِالَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَرْضَ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ وَتَجْعَلُونَ لَهُ أَنْدَادًا ذَٰلِكَ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿فصلت: 9﴾

[Say: Is it that ye deny Him Who created the earth in two Days? And do ye join
equals with Him? He is the Lord of (all) the Worlds].

اللَّهُ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ قَرَارًا وَالسَّمَاءَ بِنَاءً وَصَوَّرَكُمْ فَأَحْسَنَ صُوَرَكُمْ وَرَزَقَكُمْ مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ ذَٰلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿غافر: 64﴾، هُوَ الْحَيُّ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَادْعُوهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿غافر: 65﴾، قُلْ إِنِّي نُهِيتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ لَمَّا جَاءَنِيَ الْبَيِّنَاتُ مِنْ رَبِّي وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أُسْلِمَ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿غافر: 66﴾

It is Allah Who has made for you the earth as a resting place, and the sky as a canopy, and has given you shape- and made your shapes beautiful,- and has provided for you Sustenance, of things pure and good;- such is Allah your Lord. So Glory to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds! )64(He is the Living (One): There is no god but He: Call upon Him, giving Him sincere devotion. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds! )65( Say: "I have been forbidden to invoke those whom ye invoke besides Allah,- seeing that the Clear Signs have come to me from my Lord; and I have been commanded to bow (in Islam) to the Lord of the Worlds." )66(
There are so many verses in the Holy Qura'n that proves that Allah is the only God. So, he who utters this testimony (That there is no god but Allah, and Muhammed is His messenger) will gain the victory(the Paradise) and get away from loss(the Hill Fire). Allah says:

وَالْعَصْرِ ﴿1﴾ إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ ﴿2﴾ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ ﴿3﴾

"By (the Token of) Time (through the ages), )1(Verily Man is in loss, )2(Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy". )3(

الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمُ الْأَمْنُ وَهُمْ مُهْتَدُونَ ﴿الأنعام: 82﴾

"It is those who believe and confuse not their beliefs with wrong -that are (truly) in
security, for they are on (right) guidance." )82(
He who utters it(the Testimony) believing in its meaning; working according to it, will get the happiness in the two lives(this life and the hereafter). Allah says:

فَلَنَسْأَلَنَّ الَّذِينَ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَنَسْأَلَنَّ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ﴿الأعراف: 6﴾

"Then shall we question those to whom Our message was sent and those by whom We sent it". )6(

وَيَوْمَ يُنَادِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُ مَاذَا أَجَبْتُمُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ﴿القصص: 65﴾ 
(2) يَوْمَ يَجْمَعُ اللَّهُ الرُّسُلَ فَيَقُولُ مَاذَا أُجِبْتُمْ قَالُوا لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ ﴿المائدة: 109﴾

"That Day (Allah) will call to them, and say: "What was the answer ye gave to the messengers?" )65(Then the (whole) story that Day will seem obscure to them (like light to the blind) and they will not be able (even) to question each other. )66(But any that (in this life) had repented, believed, and worked righteousness, will have hopes to be among those who achieve salvation." )67(
Our sheikh(teacher),Hafedh Ahmed Al-Hakami, said in his book(Ma'arej Al Quboul):
"The greatest ne'amah(favor) Allah has given to His slaves(believers) is the
guidance to him, so He mentions it first before other favors in the chapter of AnNahl"the bees" which is the chapter of favors. He says:

يُنَزِّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةَ بِالرُّوحِ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ عَلَىٰ مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ أَنْ أَنْذِرُوا أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاتَّقُونِ ﴿النحل: 2﴾

He doth send down His angels with inspiration of His Command, to such of His servants as He pleaseth, (saying): "Warn (Man) that there is no god but I: so do your duty unto Me." )2(
It is the word of testimony and the key of the home of happiness(the Paradise) and the origin and base of religion and the top of it. The rest pillars and ordinances of religion are branches and supplements of it(Testimony) and they are restricted to adhere its meaning and work according to it. It is the most trustworthy hand-hold that Allah says about it:

لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَدْ تَبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِنْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ لَا انْفِصَامَ لَهَا وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿البقرة: 256﴾

"Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things." )256(
It is the promise that Allah mentions in the Holy Qur'an:

لَا يَمْلِكُونَ الشَّفَاعَةَ إِلَّا مَنِ اتَّخَذَ عِنْدَ الرَّحْمَٰنِ عَهْدًا ﴿مريم: 87﴾

None shall have the power of intercession, but such a one as has received permission (or promise) from (Allah) Most Gracious. )87(
Ibn Abbas(may Allah be pleased with him) explained that the promise is: The Testimony that there is no god but Allah; and that there is no power or might except in Allah. It is also the path to bliss that Allah mentions:

فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَىٰ وَاتَّقَىٰ ﴿5﴾ وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَىٰ ﴿6﴾ فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ ﴿7﴾

So he who gives (in charity) and fears (Allah), )5(And (in all sincerity) testifies to the
best,- )6(We will indeed make smooth for him the path to Bliss. )7(
It is also the word of truth that is mentioned in the Holy Qur'an:

وَلَا يَمْلِكُ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ الشَّفَاعَةَ إِلَّا مَنْ شَهِدَ بِالْحَقِّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿الزخرف: 86﴾

And those whom they invoke besides Allah have no power of intercession;- only he who bears witness to the Truth, and they know (him). )86(
It is the word of piety which is said by Allah:

وَأَلْزَمَهُمْ كَلِمَةَ التَّقْوَىٰ وَكَانُوا أَحَقَّ بِهَا وَأَهْلَهَا وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا ﴿الOpen: 26﴾

While the Unbelievers got up in their hearts heat and cant -the heat and cant of ignorance,- Allah sent down His Tranquillity to his Messenger and to the Believers, and made them stick close to the command of self-restraint; and well were they entitled to it
and worthy of it. And Allah has full knowledge of all things. ")26(end of quotation.
Thus, we know why tawhid is first in adherence and Daawah(calling). It is also the base and origin of the religion, because Islam without tawhid is like a building without a base. We know also that those who call to a caliphate are astray .They claim that they call to renew the lost caliphate. We say: Allah has ordered us with Tawhid which all messengers called to. Allah will ask us about what we were worshipping, and what we answered the messengers. What a loser he who has spent his entire life calling to a caliphate and those who answered him and followed him on that falsehood.

May Allah's blessing and peace be upon our Prophet, Muhammad, and his family and companions.
Written by Ahmad Yahya An-Najmi 17/4/1426H