Division of Tawheed Into Categories: Principles & Rulings
Notice This is the first part of a multi-part article that discusses the principles mentioned in الأصول التي يقوم عليها تقسيم التوحيد, written by Shaykh Sulṭān al-‘Amīri. It is a section from his to-be-published commentary on Kitāb At-Tawheed called المسلك الرشيد إلى كتاب التوحيد.
Introduction
The subject of dividing Tawheed into categories is among the first topics a student of religious knowledge learns in ʿAqīdah. They are traditionally divided into 3 categories, Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyya, Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat, and Tawheed al-Uloohiyya.
This division is often presented without stating:
- The reason why it is done that way
- What the principles (uṣool) used to make this division are
- Its related rulings (aḥkām)
In this article, I will shed some light on the principles this division adheres to, while in later parts I will discuss some misconceptions surrounding this topic.
Why is such a division made?
Any science or field of knowledge is broken down into the elements and topics it contains when it is studied in depth. This is a common analytical approach we use to digest information and concisely gain knowledge.
Religious knowledge is no different. Our religion was not classified upon its revelation into the many fields we know today; there was nothing officially called Tajwīd or Fiqh ul-Ibādāt for example, yet the application of these sciences is undeniable as the Sahaba would recite the Qur’an and pray the way they were taught. No one considers such division of religious sciences to be an innovation. Religion is still one and these sciences are not independent or contradicting each other.
Another reason why such division is made is to combat the deviant understanding of Tawheed that took place after Islam spread into distant places, as remnants of the pagan beliefs remained and distorted the purity of Tawheed.
The Principles upon which Tawheed is divided
Principle 1: Categories of Tawheed are iṣṭilāḥiyya
Categories of Tawheed are muṣṭalaḥat, which translates to terms used within the context of a field of knowledge and have a specific meaning, like Muṣṭalaḥ al-Ḥadith. The division of Tawheed is within the scope of using terms to bring the meanings contained in Tawheed closer to students and to allow scholars to classify pieces of evidence and rulings to further support such division.
Principle 2: Categorization of Tawheed is not subject to tawqeef
The usage of muṣṭalaḥat (technical terms) is a matter of ijtihād, and matters of ijtihād are not subject to tawqeef but are subject to:
- Not violating the Sharee’a
- The term and its meaning to be correct and upright
Ibn Al-Qayyim said, “Using terms should not be objected if they contain no corruption.”1
Example In Muṣṭalaḥ al-Ḥadith, there are many terms used to describe the Isnaad of the Hadith. There is no reason to disagree on the agreed-upon terms as their wording and meanings are correct.
Principle 3: Dividing Tawheed into categories varies based on the context
The division depends on the context they are presented in, as division into different categories may occur depending on the meaning taken into consideration.
Example Verses of the Qur’an can be divided to 1) Mekkan and Madeenan based on where they are revealed, or divided to 2) dealings between Allah and man, and dealings between man and man based on their content2. Do these divisions contradict each other? Of course not.
Principle 4: On singling out a component of Tawheed
Singling out a component of Tawheed is acceptable if there is such a need, and is not considered a discrepancy or an error in the common divisions of Tawheed.
Example Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat is already included in Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyya, as knowing who The Rabb is attained by knowing His Names and Attributes. Yet, when deviation increased in understanding Allah’s Names & Attributes of Allah, scholars started treating it as a category by itself.
Principle 5: Division of Tawheed is not a legal ruling in itself
There is a difference between 1) the legal articles and their rulings and 2) dividing those legal articles into components. Dividing into categories is considered to be a way to digest information better, and does not translate to adding or subtracting anything from what is revealed in the Sharee’a.
Example Rukoo’ is considered to be a primary part of prayer that it cannot be valid without. Yet, no one claims that singling out the rulings related to rukoo’ in the books of Fiqh to be a problem.
Rulings on dividing Tawheed into components
Based on the previously presented principles, the following rulings can be derived:
Ruling 1: Division of Tawheed is a matter of ijtihād and should not be condemned
Such division made by the scholars falls within the area of ijtihād and it would only be problematic if that division results in conflicting with the Sharee’a. Scholars have been breaking down various articles of the Sharee’a into their components to understand them better.
Example Prayer is broken down into conditions, requirements, sunan and so on. The same goes for Siyaam or Hajj without scholars condemning this. This is considered to be a form of ijmaa’ ‘amali on the permissibility of making such divisions. Does the ruling for rukoo’ differ now that we looked into it separately? No. This emphasizes Principle 5, proving their legal necessity, by categorizing and classifying them after proving their existence.
Breaking down Tawheed into two, three of four components and establishing rulings specific to each category is not an action to be condemned, as it does not conflict with a legal ruling, but is a case of ijtihād.
Ruling 2: Division of Tawheed is not a division of its essence
These components are not stand-alone parts of Tawheed, where they are no longer interconnected. No one with proper belief can fulfill one form of Tawheed and ignore the other forms. Such division is only made to bring closer the meanings. All categories overlap and are inseparable to the degree if one fails to fulfill one of them, he would have failed to complete what Tawheed necessitates.
Example Just like the previous example on prayer, those components (conditions, requirements, …) do not become stand-alone or are considered prayers by themselves. Breaking prayer down allows us to better understand the appropriate rulings of each component.
Recap
- Categories of Tawheed are iṣṭilāḥiyya, not subject to tawqeef.
- Categorization of Tawheed is not an innovation in religion but is an analytical approach to understand Tawheed better.
- Categories of Tawheed are interdependent and one cannot be fulfilled without the other(s).
- Singling out a category of Tawheed is permissible if there is such a need and it does not conflict with the Sharee’a.