upon which a person’s deeds rest, for any deed is deemed sound and worthy of reward only when two conditions are fulfilled:
- It must be founded upon a sound creed.
- It must conform to what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has prescribed.
Your concern for your creed and your eagerness to learn the categories of tawḥīd are clear signs of goodness; praise be to Allah, they show that you seek the truth and the correct creed—an obligation upon every Muslim.
As for the categories of tawḥīd, they are three:
-
Tawḥīd of lordship (tawḥīd al-rubūbiyya): to affirm that Allah alone performs the acts of creation, provision, giving life and death, causing harm and benefit, and every other act that belongs to Him. The believer holds that He has no partner whatsoever in His lordship.
-
Tawḥīd of godhood in worship (tawḥīd al-ulūhiyya): to single out Allah with every form of worship He has legislated—prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, almsgiving, supplication, vows, aspiration, hope, fear, awe, and all other acts of devotion. Devoting all of these solely to Allah is called tawḥīd al-ulūhiyya, and this is what the created beings are commanded to realize.
People already acknowledge the first category—tawḥīd of lordship—even the idolaters to whom the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sent. They affirmed Allah’s lordship, as He, the Most High, says: “If you were to ask them, ‘Who created them?’ they would surely say, ‘Allah.’” (al-Zukhruf 43:87) and His statement: “Say, ‘Who is the Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the Mighty Throne?’ They will say, ‘They belong to Allah.’” (al-Mu’minūn 23:86–87), along with many other verses that demonstrate that the idolaters