“Section: On the first obligation Allah has imposed upon the accountable servant.

Our fellow scholars hold two views on this:

The first is that the first obligation Allah has imposed upon the servant is to know Him.

The second is that the first obligation Allah has imposed upon the servant is inquiry and inference, which lead to knowledge of Allah Most High.”

He said:

“Some have said that the first obligations Allah has imposed upon the servant are purification, prayer, and other such duties.”

He then said:

“Our proof is that knowledge of Allah must precede worship of Him, for an accountable person cannot worship what he does not know. Once this is established, knowledge must precede worship.”

He said:

“The Creator has called us to this in His words, Most High: ‘Have they not reflected within themselves?’ He also said: ‘Have they not considered the dominion of the heavens and the earth?’”

He said:

“He urged us to inquiry and reflection only so that we might come to know Him by inference.”

He said:

“A second proof: The first message with which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent to the community was the affirmation of Allah’s oneness, knowing Allah Most High as One, and denying divinity to anything besides Him.

For this reason, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘I have been commanded to fight the people