Unity of Lordship

Maintaining the unity of Lordship: This category is based on the fundamental concept that Allah alone caused all things to exist when there was nothing; He sustains and maintains creation without any need from it or for it; and He is the sole (sohl) Lord of the universe and its inhabitants without any real challenge to His sovereignty (sov-rin-tee).

Nothing happens to the creation except what He allows to happen. There is no movement nor power except by Allah’s will. “la hawla wa laa quwwata illa billah”

The basis for the Ruboobiyah concept can be found in many Quranic verses. For example, Allah says:

“Allah created all things and He is the agent on whom all things depend”.

This ayah reminds me of a fetus, an unborn baby. A fetus in a mother’s womb fully depends on his/her mother. An unborn baby breathes and eats from his/her mother’s placenta.  Placenta is an organ; It forms in the mother's womb--inside the uterus, which allows transfer of oxygen and nutrition from the mother directly to the fetus' bloodstream.  SubhanAllah, isn’t that fascinating?  I’m comparing an unborn baby not to a new born baby because at least new born babies cry to let the mother know what he/she needs, but in the womb they don’t even have to do that; everything is taken care of for them. They have no worries what so ever.

An unborn baby depends on the mother completely, vulnerably, and powerlessly. And that’s exactly how we depend on Allah completely, vulnerably and powerlessly.

In another ayah,  Allah said; “No calamity strikes except by Allah’s permission.”  

The Prophet (SAWS) further elaborated on this concept saying. “Be aware that if the whole of mankind gathered together in order to do something to help you, they would only be able to do something for you which Allah had already written for you. Likewise, if the whole of mankind gathered together to harm you, they would only be able to do something to harm you which Allah had already written for you.”

So, what men consider as a good fortune and misfortune are only events predestined by Allah as part of the tests of this life.

Wealth, wives, and children are blessing of Allah. Men feel fortunate and proud to have wealth, mansion houses, a beautiful wife and children. However, they are big tests in men’s lives. And Allah warns men about those pleasures of the present world’s life.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمْ وَأَوْلَادِكُمْ عَدُوًّا لَّكُمْ فَاحْذَرُوهُمْ ...

O you who believe! Verily, among your wives and your children they are enemies for you; therefore beware of them!

Allah is warning us against the fitnah (the test) of spouses and offspring.

Allah also tells us why He warns us about that and He is being specific about it.

Some wives and children are enemies to their husbands and fathers, in that they might be busy with them rather than with performing the good deeds. Allah says: "Let not your properties or you children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whosoever does (divert) that then they are the losers." (63:9)

Allah created everything and He knows the nature of everything. Allah knows the nature of women and children.

So He said: "Women and children might direct the man to sever his relation or disobey his Lord. The man, who loves his wives and children, might obey them in this case.''

How many of us are witnessing this ayah throughout our life?

Let me give you an example,  

Many women make their husband disobey their parents and bring hate between the son and the mother. Those women take the son and his mother or father’s rights away. Mothers are the best thing in everybody’s life. At least they realize it until they get married.  Allah said after believing in Allah, you must obey your parents. So basically for those, the men that obey his wife, is neglecting his parents right and disobeying his creator, Allah.

Now let us see how children being our fitnah. So many parents work so hard to make their children a lawyer, doctor, engineer, etc. Now days some parents send them to a school to become a movie director too. They focus on their children’s future so much so that  they neglect or some parents completely give up their duty upon their Lord.  So now who are they worshiping? It is a test. We need to keep a balance in our life. Mostly we need to fulfill our obligations up on our Lord and our Lord will take care of us and our children. If we look at birds, they go out in the morning with an empty stomach, without knowing what will they eat, and come back to their nest with a full stomach. It’s Allah who sustains all His creations.

 If we see children now days, who think they are so smart just because they are born in the modern era, they simply know the best. So, they are doing whatever they think is right, despite what Islam says. And ironically, parents are okay with it just because they love them. They don’t want to hurt their children’s feelings. Raising children in this time is not an easy task. Sometimes parents have to be the bad cop if they need to be to bring children up right.

Think about it, true loving, caring parents, who have concern for their children’s health and future, they won’t give their children unhealthy junk food all the time no matter how much the kids love to have junk foods. Because they know even though broccoli, spinach or carrots sound yucky to kids, they are good for them. You could put this concept with Islamic upbringing. They way candies, chips, fatty stuff is taste, but not necessarily healthy. And kids will love it just because it looks good and taste good.

Islam is not something so colorful, so they might not feel attractive to the Islam, but it’s for their own good.

Allah's statement,

إِنَّمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَأَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ وَاللَّهُ عِندَهُ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿١٥﴾

“Your wealth and your children are only a Fitnah, whereas Allah! With Him is a great reward.”

Allah said that the wealth and children are a test and trial from Allah, the Exalted, for His creatures, so that He knows those who obey Him and those who disobey Him.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Buraydah said,

"The Messenger of Allah was giving a speech and Al-Hasan and Husayn came in wearing red shirts, walking and tripping. The Messenger descended from the Minbar, held them and placed them in front of them and said,

Allah and His Messenger said the truth,

`Verily, your wealth and your children are a Fitnah.'

I saw these two boys walking and tripping and could not be patient until I stopped my speech and picked them up.''

Look at the hadith, SubhanAllah, “red shirts” a bright color grabs attention; “walking” when some walks we lose focus, “tripping” when someone trips they get full attention, right? You want to help them especially kids. You leave whatever you are doing to pick them up.

Within the good things of this life there are simple tests for the person’s faith in Allah. Likewise in the terrible events of life there is also a test for the person.

Allah said in the Quran:

“Surely we will test you with fear, hunger, loss of wealth and life and the fruits of your work, so give glad tidings to those who are patient”.

Allah informs us that He tests and tries His servants, just as He said in another Ayah:

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ حَتَّى نَعْلَمَ الْمُجَـهِدِينَ مِنكُمْ وَالصَّـبِرِينَ وَنَبْلُوَ أَخْبَـرَكُمْ

And surely, We shall try you till We test those who strive hard (for the cause of Allah) and As-Sabirin (the patient), and We shall test your facts (i.e., the one who is a liar, and the one who is truthful). (47:31)

Hence, He tests them with the bounty sometimes and sometimes with the afflictions of fear and hunger.

In the Ayat above, Allah used the words: with something of fear, hunger, meaning, a little of each.

Then Allah said, loss of wealth,

meaning, some of the wealth will be destroyed, lives,

meaning, losing friends, relatives and loved ones to death, and fruits,

meaning, the gardens and the farms will not produce the usual or expected amounts.

This is why Allah said next: but give glad tidings to As-Sabirin (the patient).

He then explained whom He meant by `the patient' whom He praised:

Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: "Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.''

إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ

meaning, those who recite this statement to comfort themselves in the face of their loss, know that they belong to Allah and that He does what He wills with His servants. They also know that nothing and no deed, even if it was the weight of an atom, will be lost with Allah on the Day of Resurrection. These facts thus compel them to admit that they are Allah's servants and that their return will be to Him in the Hereafter.

This is why Allah said:

أُولَـئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ ...

They are those on whom are the Salawat (i. e., who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His mercy,

However, instead of being patient some people become impatient and frustrated. So, they go to others for help believing that creation can do something beside the Creator. They start believing in charms and omens and believing in charms or omens is a grave sin of shirk (association) in this form of tawheed.

Hadith: Once a group of men approached the prophet (saws) to give their allegiance to him, and he accepted the oath from nice of them but refused to accept it from one. When they asked him why he refused their companion’s oath, he replied, “Verily, he is wearing an amulet.” The man who was wearing the amulet put his hand in his cloak, pulled the amulet off, broke it, and then made the oath. The prophet saws then said, “Whoever wears an amulet had committed shirks”.