Virtue of Tawheed

Sheikh Yahya hafidahullah The successful one is the one who Allāh has granted success, and your Lord does not wrong anyone. Whoever dies upon Tawheed, Allāh has decreed upon Himself that He will not punish those who uphold Tawheed; those who die without associating partners with Him. Those who perfect Tawheed are among the seventy thousand who will enter Paradise without reckoning or punishment. Those who perfect Tawheed are those who do not mix their faith with injustice, and Allāh, the Almighty, preserves such a person in all aspects of their affairs. (Ḥadīth) "Preserve [the limits of] Allāh and He will preseve you." Allāh, the Most High, says (interpreted meaning): "Those who believe and do not mix their faith with injustice—for them is security, and they are rightly guided." (Ḥadīth) "The right of the servants upon Allāh is that He does not punish those who do not associate partners with Him." When Tawheed is firmly established, other righteous deeds become easier for them. Thus, you will find that those with pure Tawheed are the most obedient to Allāh and the furthest from prohibitions, even from doubtful matters. Tawheed serves as a protection, safeguard, and shield against trials, evils, deviations, and corruption of the heart. To the extent one falls short in perfecting Tawheed, they are more likely to fall into sins, major offenses, and crimes. Some Muwahhids may uphold Tawheed but fail to perfect it as Allāh has commanded. As mentioned in the ḥadīth of Ibn Abbas: "Those who neither seek omens nor cauterize themselves and rely upon their Lord entirely." Some people of Tawheed may be purified in the Fire according to Allāh’s will, like coal that is refined, and then eventually enter Paradise. As for those who perfect Tawheed, they are secure from Allāh’s punishment, for the ḥadīth states that "Allāh does not يُعذّب (punish)" - He didn't say يُخلّد (keep them in eternal torment). Thus, Muwahhids are of two categories: 1. Those at the peak of Tawheed–including the Prophets of Allāh, His Messengers, and those believers who perfect their Tawheed. These individuals will neither face reckoning nor punishment, as Allāh has guaranteed that He will not punish them. 2. Muwahhids who fall short—they are among the saved ones, but they mix righteous deeds with wrongful ones. Allāh may punish them for their sins if He wills, yet their final destination will be Paradise. Allāh, the Almighty, combined them in His statement (interpreted meaning): "Then We caused to inherit the Book those We have chosen of Our servants; among them are those who wrong themselves, those who are moderate, and those who are foremost in good deeds by the permission of Allāh. That is the great bounty—Gardens of Eternity, which they will enter. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and pearls, and their garments will be of silk." These three categories are all among those who will enter Paradise. However, there is a distinction between them: the foremost in good deeds is the highest rank, followed by the moderate who adheres to obligations but neglects voluntary acts...and finally, the one who wrongs themselves by committing sins but remains a Muwahhid. Do these groups have the same ranks before Allāh? Certainly not, as each has varying degrees in the sight of Allāh. (Ḥadīth) "The people of Paradise will see those in lofty chambers above them, just as one sees a distant star in the horizon due to the differences in rank." This differentiation even exists among the Prophets and Messengers, as Allāh says (interpreted meaning): "Those Messengers—We have preferred some of them over others." And He further states (interpreted meaning): "See how We have favoured some over others, but the Hereafter is greater in degrees and greater in distinction." And also (interpreted meaning): "We have certainly favoured some Prophets over others, and to Dāwūd We gave the Zabūr."