Gaining the awareness of tawheed is waajib (obligatory)

Since Tawheed is the very first commandment of Allaah, the very first order of Islaam, this is what the Qur’aan and Sunnah have given the command of the most, and all the Prophets and Messengers were not sent to this world but with the call of Tawheed, therefore, to embrace tawheed, it is also necessary to gain its awareness. That is because until one is not fully aware of the types and forms of Tawheed then it won’t be possible for him to correctly embrace them.

Moreover, the Qur’aan has given the command of acquiring the knowledge of Tawheed in the following words:

فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ

“So be aware that there is no god but Allaah” ([1])

And the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said:

طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ فَرِيضَةٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ

“Seeking knowledge is a duty upon every Muslim.” ([2])

Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) said while narrating from Yahya bin Ammaar (rahimahullah) that one type of knowledge is the one without which a person’s life is incomplete, and that is the knowledge of Tawheed. Indeed, only after the knowledge of Tawheed, can one imagine of a real life and it is not possible for a person to be attributed with real life until he testifies to the Tawheed of Allaah the most High. Hence, Allaah the exalted says:

أَوَمَن كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَاهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِي النَّاسِ

“And is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him light by which to walk among the people” ([3])

Here, the “light” refers to the “light of Tawheed”. Hence it is known that the true owner of a real life is one who has the knowledge of Tawheed and who then spends his life under the light of this Tawheed, whereas, a Kaafir has no such light and roams his whole life in the darkness of Kufr and Misguidance, that is why, he is referred to as ‘dead’ in the Qur’aan. ([4]).

The former grand Mufti of Saudi, Shaykh Ibn Baaz (rahimahullah) said: “The biggest Waajib (obligation) is to gain awareness of Tawheed” ([5])

Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan said: “The knowledge that a Human being requires the most is the knowledge of Tawheed and Aqeedah (Creed), and if someone left it, then indeed he has left a great waajib.” ([6])

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[1] - [Soorah Muhammad (47:19)]

[2] - [Saheeh: Saheeh al-Jaami (3913), Saheeh Ibn Maajah (183), Saheeh al-Targheeb (72)]

[3] - [Soorah An’aam (6:122)]

[4] - [Sharh al-Laamiyah by Ibn Taymiyyah (6/6)]

[5] - [Majmoo Fataawa Ibn Baaz (28/184)]

[6] - [I’aanat al-Mustafeed bi-Sharh Kitaab at-Tawheed (1/100)]