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1. Kitāb al-Tawḥīd: Introduction by the Author

Introduction by the Author


بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم


مقدمة المؤلف (رحمه الله):



الحمد الله العلي العظيم؛ السميع البصير؛ الحكيم الكريم اللطيف الخبير ذى النعم السوابغ؛ والفضل الواسع؛ والحجج البوالغ؛ (تعالى) ربنا عن صفات المحددين؛ وتقدس عن شبه المخلوقين؛ وتنزه عن ما قالة المعطلين؛ علا ربنا فكان فوق سبع سمواتة عاليا؛ ثم على عرشه استوى؛ يعلم السر واخفى؛ ويسمع الكلام والنجوى؛ لا يخفى عليه خافية في الأرض ولا في السماء؛ ولا في لجج البحار؛ ولا في الهواء.
All gratitude is due to Allah the Most High, the Supreme, the Hearer and the Seer, the Wise, the bountiful, and source of the affluent blessings, vast benedictions and conclusive proofs. The Lord is beyond the grasp of and is incomparable to those of limited qualities. He cannot be compared to the created things. He is pure of what the mu‘aṭṭilūn[1] attribute to Him. He transcends high above the seven heavens. He sits firmly on His throne (‘arsh). He knows the hidden secrets. He hears audible speech as well as whispers (in the hearts). Nothing can escape His knowledge be it set on the earth, put in the heavens, buried in the depths of the seas or suspended in the atmosphere.
والحمد لله الذي أنزل القرآن بعلمه؛ وأنشأ خلق الآنسان من تراب بيده؛ ثم كونة بكلمتة واصطفى رسوله إبراهيم ‘ بخلته؛ ونادى كليمه موسى –صلوات الله عليهفقربة نجياً؛ وكلمه تكليماً؛ وأمر نبيه نوحاً ‘ بصنعة الفك على عينه؛ وخبرنا أن أنثى لا تحمل ولا تضع إلا بعلمه؛ كما أعلمنا أن كل شيء هالك إلا وجهه؛ وحذر عباده نفسه التي لا تشبه أنفس المخلوقين.
All gratitude is due to Allah who revealed the Qur’ān in knowledge. He started the creation of man out of clay by His hands and then, by His word (kalimah). He chose the Messenger Ibrāhīm for his friendship. He spoke to his kalīm,[2] Moses, peace be upon him, and granted him His nearness, making him His confidant by speaking to him. He commanded His prophet, Noah, to make the ship under His eyes. He has informed us that He knows what every female carries in her womb and what it bears. Similarly, He has informed us that everything that exists shall perish except His Face. He warned people of Himself, the incomparable to the created things.
(أحمده) على ما منّ عليّ من الإيمان بجميع صفات ربي (عز وجل) التي وصف بها نفسه في الحكم تنزيله وعلى لسان نبيه ‘ حمد شاكر لنعمائه التي لا يحصها أحد سواه.
I praise Allah for blessing me with the belief in all the attributes (ṣifāt) of my Lord, the exalted and the glorified. I believe in all of His attributes which He ascribed to Himself in His firm revelation (the Holy Qur’ān) and through the tongue of his Prophet, belief of a person who is thankful for all the blessings he receives from Allah, blessings which none other than the bestowing Allah can count.
(وأشكره) شكراً مصدقاً بحسن آلاءه، التي لا يقف على كثرتها غيره (جل وعلا) وأؤمن به إيمان معترف بوحدإنيته راغب في جزيل ثوابه وعظيم ذخره بفضل كرمه وجوده، راهب وجل خائف من أليم عقابه من كثرة ذنوبه وخطإياه وحوباته.
I thank Him with such thanks as acknowledge His beautiful blessings, which, being uncountable, cannot be known except by Himself. I believe in Him the belief of the one who acknowledges His Unicity expecting His abundant reward, and great provisions, benevolence, and munificence, while I fear and dread from His painful punishment incurred by frequent sins and errors.
(وأشهد) أن لا إله إلا الله؛ إلها واحداً فرداً صمداً قاهراً رؤوفاً رحيماً؛ لم يتخذ صاحبة ولا ولداً؛ ولا شريكاً له في ملكه؛ العدل في قضائة؛ الحكيم في فعاله؛ القائم بين خلقه بالقسط؛ الممتنّ على المؤمنين بفضله؛ بذل لهم الإحسان؛ وزين في قلوبهم الإيمان؛ وكره إليهم الكفر والفسوق والعصيان؛ وأنزل على نبيه الفرقان؛ علم القرآن؛ فتمت نعماء ربنا (جل وعلا) وعظمت آلاؤه على المطيعين له؛ فربنا (جل ثناؤه) المعبود موجوداً والمحمود ممجداً.
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. He is the only Allah. He is Single, Absolute (al-ṣamad), Almighty, Merciful and Compassionate. He has betaken neither a wife nor a son. Nor did He make a partner in His rule. He is Just in His decisions. He is wise in his actions. He maintains justice and equity among His creations. He bountifully blesses those who have faith and generously favors them. He decorates the faith and makes it attractive for their hearts. He makes them detest disbelief, sinfulness, and rebellion. He revealed to His Prophet the Distinguisher (al-furqān, that is, the holy Qur’ān). He taught (man) the holy Qur’ān. Thus, (with it), the blessings of our Lord have been perfected and His Bounties increased for His obedient servants. Our Lord is the one who is worshipped. He is Omnipresent, the Praised, and the Glorious.
(وأشهد) أن محمداً ‘ المصطفى ونبيه المرتضى اختاره الله لرسالته؛ ومستودع أمانته؛ فجعله خاتم النبيين؛ وخير خلق رب العالمين؛ أرسله بالهدى ودين الحق ليظهره على الذين كله ولو كره المشركون.
I bear witness that Muḥammad is Allah’s chosen Prophet. Allah chose him to communicate His message. He entrusted Muhammad with His trust and made him the last of all the Prophets as well as the best of all the creatures of the Lord of the worlds. He sent him with guidance and true religion so that it prevails over the entire religions however much the disbelievers may detest it.
بعثه بالكتاب المسطور؛ في اللوح المحفوظ؛ فبلغ عن الله (عز وجل) حقائق الرساله؛ وأنقذ به أمته من الردى والضلالة؛ قام بأمر الله (تعالى) بما استرعاه ربه من حقه واستحفظه من تنزيله؛ حتى قبضه الله إلى كرامته ومنزله أهل ولايته؛ الذين رضي أعمالهم حميداً، رضياً سعيداً، كما سبق له من السعادة في اللوح المحفوظ، والإمام المبين، قبل أن ينشئ الله نسمته؛ فعليه صلوات الله وسلامه حياً محموداً؛ وميتاً مفقوداً؛ وأفضل صلاة وأنماها؛ وأزكاها وأطيبها؛ وأبقى الله في العالمين محبته؛ وفي المقربين مودته، وجعل في أعلى عليين درجته؛ صلى الله عليه وعلى آله الطيبين
      Allah sent the Prophet with a written book, originally written and recorded in the guarded tablet (lawḥ-i maḥfūẓ). Thus the Messenger brought the realities of prophethood (risālah). Through these facts of prophethood, he saved his ummah from waywardness and consequent destruction. The Prophet fulfilled the command of Allah regarding the guardianship of His revelation, the Holy Qur’ān. Then Allah gave the Prophet death and [raised] him to the place of honor. His station, [in the afterlife] is that of such friends of Allah whose deeds [in this worldly life] pleased Allah. The Prophet was satisfied [in this journey to the next world] and blessed and prosperous [in his new station] according to the decree concerning his fate recorded in the lawḥ maḥfūẓ and the clear register (imām mubīn). [This decision was ordained] even before the breath of life was blown into him. I invoke Allah’s blessings and peace upon the Prophet while he was alive and praiseworthy and also when he is dead and is not present, the blessings which are best in excellence, growth, pureness, and pleasantness. May Allah let the love for His Prophet live forever in the worlds and increase affection for him in the hearts of the ones who have attained nearness to Allah (the muqarribīn)! May Allāh cause the high status of the Prophet the highest of all in the register of the ‘illiyyīn (a lofty register). Peace be upon him and his true followers and members of his family



[1] Exponents of ta‘ṭīl i.e. emptying and divesting Allah of all attributes.
[2] The addressee.
(Rendered into English by Tariq Mahmood Hashmi)

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