Section One: The Oneness of Allah (Uluhiyyah) and His of Lordship (Rububiyyah)

 Sub-section One: The call of all the Messengers is the same:

 Allah (SWT) says: “He does send down His angels with inspiration of His Command, to such of His servants as He pleases, (saying): ‘Warn (Man) that there is no god but I: so do your duty unto Me.’” (XVI: 2)

 The expression “La ilaha illa Allah” (There is none deserving worship but Allah) is the word of monotheism that implies both Rububiyyah and Uluhiyyah.

1.     Rububiyyah aspect of monotheism: “the admission that Allah alone is the Creator of everything,”[1] His Command is operative and effectual among His creatures; He alone can benefit or harm, bring to life and cause to die… and other meanings of Rububiyyah.

2.     Uluhiyyah aspect of monotheism: “The fact that He (SWT) deserves to be worshipped Alone without any partner.”[2] “It is the devotion of worship to Allah Alone.”[3]

 Rububiyyah aspect of monotheism by itself is not sufficient, for Allah does not accept it till the Uluhiyyah aspect of monotheism is observed and materialized, for they are complementary aspects. The Uluhiyyah aspect of monotheism is the inevitable outcome of the Rububiyyah aspect of monotheism.

 Since none shares with Allah (SWT) the process of creation and provision, none is entitled to be worshiped along with Him. This is what all the Messengers came to confirm.

 The Rububiyyah aspect of monotheism is innately implanted in the human soul, but the innate nature may be rusted. Allah (SWT) says: “And if you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they will certainly say: Allah. Say: (All) praise is due to Allah; nay! Most of them do not know.” (XXXI: 25) So, the word of  “La ilaha illa Allah” was the first word the Messengers cast on the ears of their peoples, for it is the basis of the doctrine of monotheism they were sent with and came to confirm and implant in the souls. It is the like the stem; if it is deep-rooted, the other branches are fixed firmly on it. It is the Great unquestionable Truth.  Here we see the Messengers (peace be upon them) say to their peoples: “O my people! Worship Allah! You have no other god but Him.” (VII: 59,65,73,85) Then they exerted themselves and presented the evidence and proofs of the truthfulness of their assertions in a way understandable to all people. They drew the attention of their peoples to the kingdom of heavens and earth and called them to ponder on what Allah has created. We see Noah (peace be upon him) say to his people: “Why should you not strive to reverence Allah, seeing that He has created you in diverse stages? See ye not how Allah has created seven heavens in layers, and made the moon a light in their midst, and made the sun as a glowing Lamp? And Allah produced you from the earth like plants. Then He returns you into it, and He will surely bring you out. And Allah has made the earth for you as a carpet (spread out), that you may go about therein, in spacious roads.” (LXXI: 13-20)

Prophet Salih (peace be upon him) says to his people: “Do you suppose you will be left forever, secure in this state in gardens and water springs and corn-fields and date-palms with spathes near breaking (with the weight of fruit) while you carve out of the mountains luxurious mansions. So, fear Allah and obey me.” (XXVI: 146-150) Allah’s Prophet Hud (peace be upon him) exhorts his people, saying: “Now fear Allah, and obey me. Yea, fear Him Who has bestowed on you freely all that you know. He provided you with livestock and children and gardens and water springs. Lo! I fear for you the retribution of an awful day.” (XXVI: 131-135) Shu‘aib (peace be upon him) did the same. He said: “Fear the One who created you and the previous generations.” (XXVI: 184) Moses (peace be upon him) draws the attention of Pharaoh to the Lord of the heavens and the earth and what is in between them: “Pharaoh said: ‘And what is the Lord of the worlds?’ He said: ‘The Lord of the heavens and the earth, and everything between them. You should be certain about this.’” (XXVI: 23-24)

Yusuf (peace be upon him) addresses the intellect gradually with sound logic, saying: “O my prison mates! Are several gods better, or GOD alone, the One, the Supreme?  You do not serve besides Him but names which you have named, you and your fathers; Allah has not sent down any authority for them; judgment is only Allah's; He has commanded that you shall not serve aught but Him; this is the right religion but most people do not know.”  (XII: 39-40)

As to the Father of Prophets, Ibrahim (peace be upon him), he presented the truth of Uluhiyyah in a clear easy-to-understand way, when arguing with the Nimrod. Allah (SWT) says: “Have you not considered him (Nimrod) who disputed with Ibrahim about his Lord, though Allah had given him the kingdom? When Ibrahim said: ‘My Lord is He who gives life and causes death, he said: ‘I give life and cause death.’ Ibrahim said: ‘So surely Allah causes the sun to rise from the east, then make it rise from the west.’ Thus he who disbelieved was confounded; and Allah does not guide rightly the unjust people.” (II: 258)

Ibn al-Qayyim says: “As the key to the Divine Call is to know the Lord (al-Rabb) (SWT), the best and most excellent caller to Allah (i.e. Muhammad, peace be upon him), addressed Mua‘th, whom he sent to Yemen, saying: “You will come upon some of the People of the Scripture; the first thing to invite them to should be to bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. If they learn this, then tell them that Allah has enjoined on them five prayers in the period of one day and one night.”[4],[5]

Thus, the objective of the message of all Messengers was to let people know that there is no god but Allah. But the environmental effects that surround man—such as social teachings and religious customs that Allah has not authorized—influence the fitrah (innate tendency to monotheism) and cause the heart to rust, whereupon the fitrah swerves from its normal course, denies its Creator and rejects the cosmic signs it sees, such as the creativity in the creation of the universe and its system.

Ignorance is another factor that affects the fitrah. Ignorance is a thick opaque film that wraps the heart and contaminates the purity of the light of the sound fitrah with dark smoke that distorts one’s spiritual vision, confuses the features of the truth and twists the paths of security and salvation. The situation changes when the light of knowledge shines in the mind of the individual and when his heart is filled with the light of the faith that is based on the strong pillar of monotheism (La ilaha illa Allah), which is the most substantial and weighty word in the heavens and the earth, and through which those who believe in it and surrender to its requirements secure happiness and admittance to Paradise.