already combined this admission with the oneness of lordship, yet what was demanded of them—once they had acknowledged Allah’s lordship—was to devote all worship exclusively to Him.
All the messengers, therefore, called their peoples to the oneness of worship, as in His statement: “We certainly sent to every nation a messenger [proclaiming], ‘Worship Allah and shun the tāghūt (false deities).’” (al-Naḥl 16:36). Every messenger summons his people to tawḥīd al-ʿubūdiyya (the oneness of worship).
As for tawḥīd al-rubūbiyya (the oneness of lordship), that was already present and acknowledged, yet it is not sufficient on its own.
- Tawḥīd of the divine names and attributes: to affirm for Allah whatever names and attributes He has affirmed for Himself and whatever His Messenger ﷺ affirmed for Him, and to deny of Him whatever He denied for Himself and whatever His Messenger ﷺ denied—any shortcomings or imperfections. These are the three categories of tawḥīd that every Muslim must learn, give due attention to, and apply in practice.
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Categories of Disbelief
Question: Does disbelief have types and levels, some graver than others, or is it a single level? If it does have levels, under which of them falls reviling the religion, or the Lord, or the Messenger—Allah’s protection is sought?
Answer: Yes, disbelief—may Allah protect us—does have levels; some forms are more severe than others. There is disbelief that expels a person from the religion, and there is a lesser form, minor kufr. Reviling the religion, or reviling Allah or His Messenger, is counted among the major disbelief that removes a person from Islam—Allah’s refuge is sought.
Minor disbelief, on the other hand, is exemplified by his ﷺ saying: “Insulting a Muslim is wickedness, and fighting him is disbelief …”