Editorial

Tawhid Through Knowledge

The unity in the aqidah of Ahlu’s-Sunnah is the basic foundation of our faith that we take for granted, finding assurance in the knowledge that Islam’s core principles were established fourteen centuries ago and have been preserved with perfect fidelity since their inception. This is in no small part thanks to the selfless endeavors of Muslim scholars, who have been at the forefront of the cause to preserve and spread the message that moves hearts with an unprecedented, unifying force. 

The power of this message is so vast that Arab tribes who pursued vengeful feuds with each other and were staunchly set in their ways became brothers. The preservation of this message, as revealed to and by the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), has always been a monumental task that confers a tremendous sense of duty and an equal measure of responsibility on Muslim scholars.

That being said, with the knowledge they teach to the ummah and enshrine in their lives through practice, Muslim scholars are beacons lighting the way for all and should be treasured and revered as such. They are heirs that convey the words and teachings of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), who himself said, “I was sent as a teacher.”

When we think about the duties of our revered scholars, we see that their first lessons to the people around them have always been about tawhid. However, while the oneness of Allah is the ultimate definition of tawhid, without which one cannot even mention the existence of Islam, the concept itself isn’t restricted to our belief in our Creator. Tawhid is also the mantle that envelops our entire lives. It is the idea of oneness in everything we see, touch, feel, do, and think. In a way, it is the one true way of living, as prescribed by Allah and His Messenger, regardless of which aspect of life we consider. There’s a right way to worship, believe, enjoy our food, earn a living, start a family, and build friendships. Maintaining this all-encompassing method of righteous living is also tawhid. Thus, when Muslim scholars teach tawhid, they give us the perfect building blocks to construct an ideal society from foundation to finish.

Without these teachings and the guidance carried down from the generations that followed Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and his Noble Companions, there would be as many divisions in faith and ways of life as there are opinions. Not only would that annihilate the concept of tawhid, but it would also dissolve the carefully constructed Islamic society until all that’s left is the ruins of a civilization, which would only live for the world and therefore worship it.  The entire Islamic way of life has been handed down to us thanks to those noble souls who dedicated their lives to the learning and teaching of Islam. For that, we should appreciate them and seek their counsel in every part of the Islamic way of life we find ourselves lacking.

I hope to see you in the November issue inshallah.

M. Galip Dönmez