Rationale for Inviting Non-Muslims to Tawhid

There are three categories of Tawhîd (the Oneness of God) that we must
explain very clearly to the non-Muslims. First is Tawhîd Ar-
Ruboobeeyah (Oneness of Allâh's Divinity or Allâh I as the Only God
and Creator). Allâh I is the Only Rabb, the Creator, the Sovereign,
the Sustainer, the Provider, and Manager of the whole mankind in all
affairs. Second is Tawhîd Al-Ulooheeyah or Tawhîd Al-Ibaadah (Allâh I
is the Only One worthy of our worship). No one deserves true worship
but Allâh. Allâh I created the whole mankind and the jinn to worship
Him Alone (51:56). Worship in Islâm is a comprehensive term.
Everything we do in accordance with Allâh's Law is an act of worship.
Such worship must be done sincerely for the pleasure of Allâh I alone.
Third is Tawhîd Al-Asmaa wa As-Sifât (Allâh Alone deserves the most
Magnificent Names and Attributes). All praises belong to Allâh I. No
one shares in any of His beautiful Names and Attributes, which are
found in the Qur'ân and Ahâdîth.

Of the three categories of Tawhîd, we must give emphasis on the Tawhîd
Al-Ulooheeyah or Tawhîd Al-Ibâdah. That is to invite or call people
to worship Allâh I alone. This is to guide them to the Truth so that
they will fulfill their very purpose of existence/creation in this
world 3/4 i.e., to worship Allâh I throughout their lives and
therefore avoid committing the most sinful of all sins, which is Shirk
(associating partners with Allâh I). Allâh the Most High tells us:

"I have created not the jinn and men except that they should worship
Me (Alone). I seek not any provision from them nor do I ask that they
should feed Me. Verily, Allâh is the All-Provider, Owner of Power, the
Most Strong." (51:56-58)

"So glorify the praises of your Rabb and be of those who prostrate
themselves (to Him). And worship your Rabb until there comes unto you
the Hour that is certain (i.e., death)." (15:98-99)

"Allâh forgives not that partners should be set up with Him; but He
forgives anything else, to whom He pleases; to set up partners with
Allâh is to devise a sin most heinous indeed." (4:48)

To guide mankind to Tawhîd Al-Ulooheeyah, Allâh the Most Gracious,
Most Merciful sent prophets and messengers to every nation. We read
in the Qur'ân:

"And verily, We have sent among every nation a messenger
(proclaiming): 'Worship Allâh (alone) and avoid false
deities.'..." (16:36)

"And We did not send any messenger before you (O Muhammad) except that
We inspired him (to proclaim) that none has the right to be worshipped
except Me (Allâh), so worship Me (Alone)." (21:25)

The Prophet r, just like other prophets and messengers of Allâh I
before him [e.g., Noah (7:59 and 23:23); Abraham (2: 257 and 6: 80);
Jesus Christ, the son of Mary (5: 72)] invited people to the worship
of Allâh I. Allâh the Exalted tells us:

"Say (O Muhammad): 'I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the
inspiration has come to me, that your God is One God: whoever expects
to meet His Rabb, let him work righteousness, and in the worship of
his Rabb, admit no one as partner." (18:110)

In line with the above Islâmic injunctions, it is imperative that we
Du'at must invite non-Muslims to Tawhîd. We must call those who
worship false deities as well as those who associate partners with
Allâh I and the atheists to Tawhîd for the following reasons:

1. We must invite or call non-Muslims (e.g., Christians) to worship
Allâh I alone so that they will fulfill their very purpose of
existence/creation in this world 3/4 ito worship Allâh I throughout
their lives. Allâh the Most High says:

"I have created not the jinn and men except that they should worship
Me (Alone). I seek not any provision from them nor do I ask that they
should feed Me. Verily, Allâh is the All-Provider, Owner of Power, the
Most Strong." (51:56-58)

"So glorify the praises of your Rabb and be of those who prostrate
themselves (to Him). And worship your Rabb until there comes unto you
the Hour that is certain (i.e., death)." (15:98-99)

2. To invite non-Muslims to Tawhîd is to guide them to Islâm, the
right religion and therefore refrain themselves from committing the
most sinful of all sins, which is Shirk (associating partners with
Allâh I). Allâh the Almighty tells us in His Book:

"You do not worship besides Him but only names which you have named
(forged), you and your fathers, for which Allâh has sent down no
authority. The Command is for none but for Allâh. He has commanded
that you worship none but Him, that is the right religion, but most
men know not." (12:40)

"Allâh forgives not that partners should be set up with Him; but He
forgives anything else, to whom He pleases; to set up partners with
Allâh is to devise a sin most heinous indeed." (4:48)

3. If the non-Muslims will believe in the Oneness of Allâh I and will
do righteous deeds, they will be in the eternal paradise and hence
attain supreme success. They will be saved from the eternal
chastisement in the Hell-Fire, which Allâh I has prepared for those
who disbelieve in His Oneness. Allâh the Almighty says:

"So those who believed (in the Oneness of Allâh) and did righteous
deeds will be in the Gardens of Delight (Paradise)." (22:56)

"But those who disbelieve and belie our Ayaat (proofs, verses, etc.):
such are the dwellers of the Fire, they shall abide therein
forever." (2:39)

4. We have to invite non-Muslims to Tawhîd especially Tawhîd Al-
Ulooheeyah (to sincerely worship Allâh as the only God worthy to be
worshipped) because it was the message conveyed by all the prophets
and messengers of Allâh I. Allâh the Most Gracious, Most Merciful
sent prophets and messengers to every nation to proclaim that none has
the right to be worshipped except Him. We read in the Qur'ân:

"And verily, We have sent among every nation a messenger
(proclaiming): 'Worship Allâh (alone) and avoid false
deities.'..." (16:36)

"And We did not send any messenger before you (O Muhammad) except that
We inspired him (to proclaim) that none has the right to be worshipped
except Me (Allâh), so worship Me (Alone)." (21:25)

5. Inviting non-Muslims to Tawhîd is a message that is supreme. This
is a commandment from Allâh I to His Messenger r, which we must also
follow as stated in the following Ayât:

"Say (O Muhammad): 'Truly am I a Warner: no god is there but the One
Allâh Supreme and Irresistible, the Rabb (Sustainer) of the heavens
and the earth and all between Exalted in Might Able to enforce His
will forgiving again and again.' Say: 'That is a message supreme
(above all) from which you do turn away!'" (38:65-68)

"Say (O Muhammad): 'I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the
inspiration has come to me, that your God is One God: whoever expects
to meet His Rabb, let him work righteousness, and in the worship of
his Rabb, admit no one as partner.'" (18:110)

It is imperative that we Du'at must invite non-Muslims to Tawhîd as it
is the Sunnah of Allâh's Messenger r. In fact, the first thing he
enjoined one of his Companions, which we must also follow, was to
invite people to worship Allâh I. The following authentic Hadîth
tells us:

Ibn Abbas narrated that when Allâh's Messengerr sent Muadh to
Yemen, he said (to him), "You are going to People of the Book. First
of all invite them to worship Allâh (Alone) and when they come to know
Allâh, inform them that Allâh has enjoined on them, five prayers in
every day and night; and if they start offering these prayers, inform
them that Allâh has enjoined on them, the Zakat. And it is to be taken
from the rich amongst them and given to the poor amongst them; and if
they obey you in that, take Zakat from them and avoid (don't take) the
best property of the people as Zakat." (Bukhari 2/537)

Islâmic History tells us that for ten years, the Prophet r invited the
non-believers in Makkah to Tawhîd (to worship no other God but Allâh
I). While in Makkah, he was raised to Heaven where he was given the
divine commandment to institutionalize the five obligatory daily
prayers (Salaat). He r performed the prayers in Makkah for three
years. Then, he was commanded to migrate to Madinah to build the
first Islâmic State 3/4 to implement Islâm in its complete and purest
way. This shows how the Prophet r stressed the need to give priority
to Tawhîd, which we must also follow in our Da'wah. This means to
explain to non-Muslims the concept and rationality of the absolute
oneness of Allâh and why we need to worship Him, before explaining
other pillars of Islâm as well as the articles and other teachings of
the True and Right Religion.

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