The answer is found in his saying, “You have no partner.” To liken Allah to His creation is shirk, and to deny His attributes is likewise shirk, because the one who denies them only does so after believing that affirming them entails likening Allah to His creation. Thus, he first likens Allah to His creation, then denies His attributes. Distortion and asking how are likewise entailed by likening Allah to His creation and by denial. This shows that these great words encompass every category of tawḥīd.

Regrettably, you hear some people during Hajj or ʿumrah reciting them as though they were a chant, without conveying the appropriate meaning. They say: “Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am; You have no partner; here I am. Indeed, all praise and blessing are Yours, and all dominion. You have no partner.”

Yet they pause at, “Indeed, all praise and blessing are Yours,” and then say, “and all dominion; You have no partner.”

Question: May we add anything to the talbiyah reported from the Prophet ﷺ by Jabir?

We say: Yes. Imam Ahmad related in al-Musnad that the Prophet ﷺ would say: “Here I am, O True God.” (1) “The True God” is an expression in which the described noun is annexed to its attribute; that is: “Here I am; You are the True God.”

Ibn ʿUmar would add: “Here I am and at Your service; all good is in Your hands; all hope is directed to You, as is every deed.” (2)