The first category of tawhid
Tawhid of lordship: that you know your Lord by His actions
Tawhid of lordship is belief that Allah alone is the Creator, Provider, Owner and Manager, that creation and command belong to Him, Glorified, and that He has no partner in His lordship.
The brief meaning
Allah alone is the Lord of the worlds
Included in tawhid of lordship is belief that Allah is the Creator of everything, the Provider for His servants, the Owner and Manager of the universe's affairs, and that His power and will are effective.
The evidence
Creation and command belong to Allah alone
﴿ أَلَا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالْأَمْرُ تَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴾“Unquestionably, His is the creation and the command; blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds.”
وقال تعالى: ﴿ اللَّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَكِيلٌ ﴾ [الزمر: ٦٢].And the Most High said: “Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is, over all things, Disposer of affairs” [al-Zumar: 62].
Important note
Acknowledging lordship is not enough alone
Knowing that Allah is the Creator and Provider does not complete the reality of tawhid until He, Glorified, is singled out for worship. For this reason the learner moves from knowing the Lord to sincere worship of Him alone.
A practical effect
Trust in Allah while taking the means
- You are certain that provision is in Allah's hand while striving lawfully.
- You return blessings to the Giver, Glorified.
- You seek Allah's help and do not attach yourself to the means in an attachment that cuts the heart off from the Lord of the means.
Review sources
This page gathers the direct sources and presents the issue in a teaching wording open to review and scrutiny.
- The Noble Qur'anAl-A'raf 54, al-Zumar 62, Fatir 3Original text
- Tawhid of lordshipThe official site of Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn BazSource: the official site of Shaykh Ibn Baz