Since the beginning of time, Allaah ta’ala sent Prophets to the people to guide them aright, to show them the correct path, and relentlessly call them to it. They all came with the same message, that is, to worship Allaah alone and associate no partners with him.This call to tawheed was at the foundation of their da’wah and still remains to be today, for those who wish to be messengers of the messengers – continuing to propagate their call. We take from their example, wishing to emulate them in this aspect. Shaykh Ibn Baaz also advises us in this regard: “So this [tawheed] is the most fundamental principle, and the greatest understanding. It is the first thing that the writers should write about, and it is what the callers to guidance, and what the supporters of the truth should focus on. It is the most important science that they should grab onto with their molar teeth, and it should be spread amongst all societies, until they know its reality, and until they distance themselves from whatever opposes it.” And this reality of beginning your call with tawheed is something we learn by examining the lives of the Prophets, seeking to inherit the same wisdom today and letting the call live and flourish, in the hearts and [on the] tongues of the people.

The Messengers came to establish justice on the Earth, along with the scriptures and instructions they were sent with. A part of the wisdom of these laws is that they were essentially sent down to protect us from our own ourselves. And how utterly lost is the one who is left to himself receiving no guidance and instruction from his Lord? These books were complete – outlining that which was halaal and haraam, a source of guidance for the people, and essentially a complete way of life. Realize the sheer power of these books of guidance, their message and the prophets that carried them – they change a people, change a civilization – eradicting the baatil therein and replacing it with the haqq. We still continue to benefit from the miracle of Muhammad sal’Allaahu ‘alayhi wasallam today – that is, the pure and unadulterated message of al Qur’aan.

Despite the immense hardships they encountered, they continued to call in the way of Allah ta’ala. Prophet Nuh ‘alahi salaam called his people for 950 years while the majority of them rejected his call; he was, however, relentless, calling them in public and in secret. Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wa sallam was utterly humiliated at Ta’if – the people mocked him and pelted him with stones, such that his entire body was covered in blood. Prophet Musa ‘alayhi salaam faced a formidable foe in Fir’aun with his wealth and status and unbendable will to destroy Islam and its followers.SubhaanAllah, the trials and tribulations they faced were many and they endured them all to bring honor to this deen. Upon examining their struggles and perserverance and looking into their relentless will upon times of harship and the patience exuded therein, then perhaps you will know what is upon you of actions. That time has passed, this present time is what remains; will you be of those who honor their struggles and uphold the haqq or of those who trample upon it so carelessly?

Allaah ta’ala has sent Messengers to every nation – of them were those who responded to the call, of them were those who rejected it, of them were those who believed in their hearts the message to be the truth but did not act upon this belief. A part from them were destroyed – death reached them while they were in a state of denial – and a part from them were saved from this, to live out their life in the ‘ibadah of Allaah – incessantly responding to that call, the legislations, and fulfilling their purpose.

O Muslim! How did you respond to the call of the Messenger?

In the Name of Allaah, the All-Merciful, may His Salaah and Salaam be upon His final Messenger, to proceed... ]

Someone may say, and it actually has been said, “What is it with you that you always focus on tawheed and you talk so much about it?! And you don’t take into consideration the condition of the Muslims in our day and time, those who are being killed and caused to flee all over the earth, those being persecuted by the empires of disbelief in every place?!”

So we say, and with Allaah lies success:

Tawheed is the foundation upon which this upright religion has been built, so focusing on it means to focus on the very core itself. For if we were to reflect over the Noble Qur’aan we would find that it expounds on issues of tawheedrepetitively, so much so that there does not exist a single soorah in the Qur’aan that does not mention tawheed, clarifying it and prohibiting what opposes it. It was Al-Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyim who pointed out that the entire Qur’aan is abouttawheed, since it is only made up of the following:

* Commands to worship Allaah alone with no partners and prohibitions of worshipping other than Him – This is the tawheed that we must put into action, called tawheed al-uloohiyyah.

* Commands to obey Allaah and His Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) and prohibitions of disobeying Allaah and His Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) – These are the ways that tawheed is actualized and completed.

* Information about what Allaah has prepared for the people of tawheed, the delights, success, salvation, and triumphs in this life and the next, and the punishments that are in store for the people of shirk in this life, and the eternal torture prepared for them upon their one-way entrance into the Hellfire – The first is for those who actualize tawheed, the latter is for those who do not. [1]

Therefore the entire Qur’aan is centered around tawheed. If you were to think about the soorahs revealed in Makkah, you would find that most of them focus entirely on tawheed. That is because the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) stayed in Makkah for 13 years calling to tawheed and warning against shirk. The vast majority of the religious obligations like zakaah, fasting, Hajj, the affairs ofhalaal and haraam, business transactions, etc. were not revealed until after theHijrah to Al-Madeenah. The legislation of the prayer is an exception to this, as it was made an obligation while the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) was still in Makkah on the Night of Al-Mi’raaj, when he (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) was taken by night (to Jerusalem) [2], but that was only a short time before theHijrah.

So the majority of the soorahs revealed before the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) made hijrah were focused entirely on tawheed, thus showing how truly important the subject is. Furthermore, the religious obligations were not revealed until tawheed was presented and established within the souls of the people, and the proper ‘aqeedah had taken root. For verily actions can not be correct except with tawheed, nor can they have other than tawheed as their foundation.

The Qur’aan has illustrated that the Messengers (‘alayhim As-Salaatu was-Salaam) all began their missions by inviting the people to tawheed before anything else, as Allaah says [3]:

(And We sent a messenger to every nation (proclaiming): ‘Worship Allaah and shun false deities!’ )

Allaah also says [4]:

(And We never sent any messenger before you, except that we revealed to him that ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Me, so worship Me!’)

And every prophet used to say to his people [5]:

(O my people – Worship Allaah as you have no other deity worthy of worship!)

So this was the affair of the messengers – they began with tawheed.

Similarly the callers and revivalists who followed the messengers used to begin by focusing on tawheed. That is because every single da’wah that is not built upon tawheed is a fruitless call that does not fulfill its purpose, and there is no positive result to it. Every da’wah that does not focus on tawheed is a lost call, with regards to its end results. This is something well known and seen all over.

On the other hand, every da’wah centered around tawheed is a truly successful call, by Allaah’s Permission, a call that benefits the society and bears many fruits. History bears witness to this.

So we are not neglecting the issues of the Muslims, rather we are very concerned about them. We are assisting them and trying to prevent every harm from reaching them using all our resources. It is not something light on us that the Muslims are being killed and exiled, but it is not true concern for the situation of the Muslims that we force ourselves to shed tears insincerely, or that we fill the world with speeches and writings, screaming and wailing… for verily this does not accomplish a thing.

Finding the real solution to the Muslims’ problems requires us to seek out the reasons that have led to the punishments afflicting the Muslims at the hands of their enemies.

What is causing the enemies of the Muslims to gain and hold authority over them?

When we look to the Muslim world, we do not see any serious commitment to Islaam with most of those who ascribe to it, except the few that Allaah has had Mercy on. What we see are Muslims by name only, the ‘aqeedah of most of them is lost. They worship other than Allaah, calling on saints and righteous people, clinging to graves and tombs, not establishing the prayer, not paying zakaah, not fasting, etc. They are not fulfilling the basic obligations Allaah asked of them. This is the case with the majority of those who ascribe themselves to Islaam – they have lost their religion, so Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, caused them to be lost.

The most significant factor that has led them to be subjected to these punishments is their heedlessness regarding affairs of tawheed and their falling into major shirk, to the point that they do not prohibit each other from it, nor do they even show any contempt for it! Those who do not fall into it themselves still condone it or do not consider it shirk. An explanation of this is forthcoming, in shaa’ Allaah. So know that this is the primary reason that the Muslims have been subjected to such punishments.

If they were to hold firmly to their religion, actualizing tawheed and establishing their‘aqeedah upon the Book and the Sunnah, holding together to the Rope of Allaah, shunning division, then verily what has been allowed to befall them will not be allowed to befall them anymore, as Allaah says [6]:

(And verily Allaah will make those who aid His Cause victorious, for verily He is All-Powerful and Mighty. (They are) those who, when given power in the land, establish the prayer, pay zakaah, command what is good, and forbid what is evil, and with Allaah is the end result of all affairs.)

So Allaah has made it clear that victory will not be given to the Muslims unless they focus on what He mentioned – establishing the prayer, paying zakaah, commanding what is good, and forbidding what is evil.

Where are these affairs with the Muslims and their current situations today? Where is the establishment of the prayer by most of the Muslims? Or even more importantly, where is the correct ‘aqeedah for most of those who claim Islaam as their religion?!

Allaah says [7]:

(Allaah has promised those of you who believe and do righteous deeds that He will cause them to rule the earth just as He caused those who came before them to rule it, and He will grant them the ability to practice their religion, the one He chose for them, and He will change their fears into safety…)

But where is the very first condition for this promise? [7]

(…they worship Me without ascribing a single partner to Me)

So He clarified that this gaining of authority and fortification will only come to pass when this condition is fulfilled – that they worship Him alone without any partners, and this is the essence of tawheed. These generously promised things will not be granted except to those who understand and apply tawheed, worshipping Allaah alone with no partners, with acts of worship including prayer, zakaah, Hajj, and all other acts of obedience.

Note that Allaah, Glorified and Exalted, did not say, “They worship Me,” only, rather He followed that up with His Statement [7]:

(…without ascribing a single partner to Me)

That is because worship is of no benefit with the presence of shirk. All forms of shirk must be avoided, no matter what shape, form, or name. Shirk simply means to perform an act of worship for other than Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic.

This is what brings about true salvation, safety, victory, and strength in the land – correcting the ‘aqeedah and then correcting the deeds. Without this, disasters and punishments will continue to befall whoever does not completely fulfill the condition (for Allaah’s Aid). Being conquered by the enemies is only the result of the Muslims not fulfilling this necessary condition, their lack of proper concern for their ‘aqeedah and Religion, and their contentment with carrying Muslim names and nothing more.