Question:

Is there 4 branches of tawheed? 1. there is tawheed-ur-rububiyyah 2. there is tawheed-ul-uluhiyyah 3. there is tawheed-ul-asmaai-was-swifaat, what about Tawheed of legislation?

Fatwa:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

After investigating the texts of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet, we find that Tawheed is divided into three categories:

1- Tahwheed Ar-Ruboobiyyah: which is believing that Allah is the only Creator, Cherisher, Sustainer and it is He Alone Who takes care of all the matters of the worlds. Whoever believes that Allah has a supporter in these matters or that someone other than Allah carries them out, he commits Kufr (disbelief).

2- Tawheed Al-Uloohiyya: which is believing that Allah is one and He is The Only One worthy of being worshipped. Whoever entitles a portion of worship or a form of worship to other than Allah, he commits Shirk (associating partners with Allah). For instance if someone prays to a creature, idol, or tree seeking reward from Allah, or offers sacrifice to them, etc, he performs Shirk in Uloohiyyah since he sets partners in worshipping Allah.

3- Tawheed Al-Asmaa' Was-Sifat: which is approving and believing in all the Names and Attributes that Allah has described Himself with or His Prophet described Him with such as Ar-Rahman, Ar-Raheem, Al-‘Atheem, etc.

No one is allowed to call Him a Name other than the Names and Attributes that He gave to Himself or His Prophet Muhammad, called Him with.

However, some scholars divided Tawheed into two categories only:

1- Tawheed of Knowledge and Confirmation (of the Actions, Names and Attributes of Allah): this category includes Tawheed Ar-Ruboobiyyah and Tawheed Al-Asmaa' Was-Sifat.

2- Tawheed At-Talab Wal-Qasd (of our actions towards Allah): this means to worship Allah Alone without associating with Him any partners, which is Tawheed Al-Uloohiyyah.

The meaning is the same; it is only the names of these categories which differ. From this, people derived Tawheed Al-Hakimiyyah, which means that Allah Alone Has the right to legislate, and they classified it as a separate category for its importance. Nonetheless, in principle it is included in Tawheed Ar-Ruboobiyyah.

Allah Knows best.

Fatwa answered by: The Fatwa Center at Islamweb