The second type: Then it is what is contained in Soorah al-Kaafiroon and contained
in His - the Most High's - saying: "Say: O people of the Book! Come to a word
that is just and fair between us and you, that we shall worship none but God and that we
shall associate no partner along with Him, and that we shall not take others as lords
besides God. Then if they turn away, say: Bear witness that we are Muslims."17
It is also contained at the beginning of Soorah Tanzeel and at the beginning,
middle and end of Soorah al-Mu'min, and at the beginning and end of Soorah
A'raaf and the greater part of Soorah An'aam. Indeed, every soorah
(chapter) in the Qur'aan comprises these two types of Tawheed, witnesses to
them and calls to them.
Since the Qur'aan
either gives:
[i] information about Almighty
God, His Names, His Attributes, His Actions and His Sayings - which is Tawheed
fil-Ma'rifah wal-lthbaat (the Tawheed of Knowledge and Affirmation); or
[ii] it is a call to worship Almighty God alone without any partner, and a
rejection of whatever is worshipped besides Him - and this is Tawheed al-lraadee
at-Talabee (the Tawheed of Actions and Intentions); or
[iii] it is a command to obey Him and to comply with His orders and prohibitions -
so this is from the rights of Tawheed and is a completion of it; or
[iv] it gives information about the people of Tawheed and how they were
treated in this world and how they will be honoured in the Hereafter - and this is the
reward for Tawheed; or
[v] it gives information about the people of Shirk (associating partners
along with Almighty God) and the punishment they receive in this world and the torment
they shall receive in the Hereafter - so this is the reward for those who abandon Tawheed."18
Tawheed - its Importance in the Qur'aan
Ibn Abil--'Izz - may God have mercy on him - said: "So the Qur'aan - all of it
- is about Tawheed, its rights and its rewards; and about Shirk, its people
and their punishments. Thus: "All praise belongs to God, Lord of the
worlds."19 is Tawheed (of knowledge). "The Most
Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy" is Tawheed (of knowledge). "The
Master of the Day of Judgement" is also Tawheed (of knowledge). "You
alone do we worship and You alone do we seek aid and assistance from" is Tawheed
(of action) . "Guide us to the Straight Path" concerns Tawheed
and asking for guidance to the path of the people of Tawheed, (which is): "The
Path of those whom You have favoured." "Not of those who have
earned Your anger, nor of those who have gone astray" - those who have
separated themselves from Tawheed."20 So Almighty God begins
this soorah by first informing us about Himself - the Most Perfect (i.e. Tawheed
of knowledge). Then after having knowledge of Almighty God - the Most High - God orders us
with the Tawheed of action: "You alone do we worship."
Likewise just as "the great Qu'aan opens with Tawheed it also I ends
with it. So the Qur'aan opens with Soorah al-Faatihah: "All
praise belongs to God, Lord of the Worlds" and the great Qur'aan ends
with the Soorah: "Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind".21"22