Tawheed as Understood by the Philosophers

Tawheed as Understood by the Philosophers
Written by Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan
Taken from his book: Duroos min al-Qur’aan al-Kareem, Pgs. 15-17[

In the Name of Allaah, the All-Merciful, may His Salaah and Salaam be upon His final Messenger, and upon all his family members and companions, and those who follow his way, to proceed...]

There are those who say that Tawheed is only one category - Tawheed ar-ruboobiyyah. It is to acknowledge that Allaah is the Creator, the Provider, the Bringer of life and death, etc. They only refer to the actions of Allaah and to His Attributes. Upon this thought the scholars of philosophy and the independent thinkers have built their ‘aqeedah. Their beliefs are found in their books, and if you were to read them, you would surely find that they affirm Tawheed ar-ruboobiyyah only. So as far as they are concerned, whoever proclaims awareness of that is someone of Tawheed to them. They have no understanding of Tawheed al-uloohiyyah, nor of Tawheed al-asmaa' was-sifaat, so they do not consider worshipping a grave or calling on the dead to be shirk. They may only say: “This is making one's intention for other than Allaah, and it is wrong” but they will not say it is shirk.

Some of them say: “Verily these people that call on the dead and seek help from those buried in graveyards are not people of shirk because they do not believe that these dead people or other objects of worship can actually create anything, nor can they provide or control the affairs along with Allaah. Since they have not believed that, they are not mushrikoon. These actions are not considered shirk, they have only taken these things as intercessors and intermediaries between them and Allaah!!”

These are their sayings, and they are identical to the sayings of the polytheists of old, who said:

“We only worship them to get us closer to Allaah.” (39:3) And Allaah says about them:

“And they worship other than Allaah, things that neither harm them nor benefit them, saying: ‘These are our intercessors with Allaah’.” (10:18)

The philosophers say: “Verily it is not shirk to worship graves, nor to call on the dead or seek their help. It is merely tawassul (seeking a means to get close to Allaah), seeking intercession, and making intermediaries between us and Allaah. It is not shirk unless they believe that these things create, provide, or control the affairs along with Allaah!”

This is stated specifically in their books and speeches. The few philosophers who do show any dislike for people falling into this merely say: “This is only a mistake, as these people are ignorant and fell into this mistake due to their ignorance, not intentionally.”

However the majority of them do not show any contempt for it, rather they say: “This is making intermediaries and intercessors with Allaah, it is not shirk.”

I am not attributing things to people that they have not actually said. These statements are present in their books that refute the people of Tawheed and defend the people of shirk.

As for Allaah's Names and Attributes, they believe that affirming them would necessitate making Allaah like His Creation, so they deny them. They, like the Jahmiyyah, Mu'tazilah, Ash'arees, and the Maatureediyyah, negate Tawheed al-asmaa' was-sifaat, thinking to preserve Allaah's Glory by not likening Him to His created things. So Tawheed with them is limited to Tawheed ar-ruboobiyyah only, as they have no understanding of Tawheed al-uloohiyyah, nor any understanding of Tawheed al-asmaa' was-sifaat.

They despise those who divide Tawheed into three categories, so much so that one of their modern day writers wrote: “Dividing Tawheed into three categories is something from the Trinity!” Their shamelessness reached this point, that they called this division an imitation of the Christians, and with Allaah is the Refuge!