Thread by @sirnucy

The Essentiality of Tawhīd

The essentiality of Tawhīd to our success here in this world and in the hereafter is reflected in the theme of the questions of the grave. In several authentic ahādīth, the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ mentioned that the deceased shall be asked

only 3 questions, viz:

1/ Who is your Lord (Allāh)?
2/ What is your religion?
3/ What is your faith about this person (Muhammad)?

The above three questions are just a fraction of the basic belief of the Shahādah (testimony of faith) with which one enters into Islām.

On the surface, there’s nothing complex about “ash-hadu allā ilāha illā Allāh wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasūlullāh”. However, to the knowledgeable, this statement has deeper denotation and implication than it actually sounds. It’s the bedrock of everything Islām.

Miss out on one of its conditions and you’re out of Islām.

Allāh is so merciful with us that he limited our questioning in the grave to Tawhīd matters, and, more importantly just three simple questions.

Who is your Lord? Allāh

What is your religion? Islām

What is your faith about Muhammad? He’s a prophet and Messenger of Allāh.

Wai shikenan fa.

Imagine if the angels were to ask us to, “with the aid of a diagram”, or, “using the almighty formula” or go “Obahiagbonated” like many lecturers in Nigerian Universities do, or ask us

to “explain in great detail” or “supply relevant proofs from the Qur’ān, Sunnah and opinions of scholars” provide answers to the above questions???

Indeed Allāh, through the prophet has given us beyond AOC (Area of Concentration). He gave us what is known in the Nigerian

University parlance as ‘expo’. Right before us we have the questions and answers to something that will happen only after we’d die. What greater favour can we expect from our Lord?

Imagine also if Allāh had instructed them to extend the questioning to other aspects of Islamic

sciences, say, fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Tafsīr, Hadīth, Tajwīd, Hifdh al-Qur’ān, Mīrāth, Sīrah, etc? Imagine being asked recite some portions of the Qur’ān or hadīth, or being asked to give explanations to certain verses of the Qur’ān, quoting from Qurtubī or Ibn Kathīr? What about

being asked to give fatwā on certain theological or jurisprudential issues?? Who would have passed in all of that?

But our Lord, in His infinite mercy limited the scope of our questioning to just one aspect of Tawhīd; the Shahādatain. For me, this further lends credence to

the emphasis of scholars on the need for people to learn and take Tawhīd serious- even more serious than fiqh. All matters of fiqh, from Tahārah to Mu’āmalāt begin and end here. The only science that transcends this space is Tawhīd science. Sadly, it’s the most trivialized aspect

of Islām.

As simple as those questions appear, they are the most difficult test for kāfirs and hypocrites and deviants. Memorizing the answers has no benefit. They will be rattled and discombobulated.

Even the believers will be shaken. Little wonder the Prophet ﷺ asked us to seek firmness for our deceased persons right after burying them.

No be play play matter.