Tawhīd in times of crisis
A reflection inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Undoubtedly Tawhīd, the concept of Allāh’s indivisible oneness and uniqueness, is the foundation of the Islamic faith. In the shari’ah, tawhīd is traditionally divided into three categories:
- Tawhīd al-Rubūbiyyah (‘the unity of lordship’) which is the belief that Allāh (SWT) has dominion over all of creation, and that He is the ultimate cause of all events. He maintains and sustains all of creation without any need or assistance.
- Tawhīd al-Ulūhiyyah (‘the unity of worship’) which is the belief that only Allāh (SWT) is to be worshipped, alone and without partner, associate or intermediary.
- Tawhīd al-Asmā’ was-Sifāt (‘the unity of Allāh’s names and attributes’) which is the belief in all of Allāh’s excellent and perfect names and attributes which He has given to Himself and revealed to us through the Holy Qur’an or through His prophet Muhammad (SAW).
Often, I find that the last category of Tawhīd, that is the belief in Allāh’s names and attributes, is the easiest to understand experientially, especially during times of chaos or crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Crises have a tendency to accelerate flux – of life, of wealth, of the mental condition, of status – which allows for Allāh’s names and attributes (even those that are seemingly contradictory to the limited human mind) to be experienced in their entirety.
There is a tendency to think of God as some pie-in-the-sky fairy who should only perpetuate good things, with what is good being determined by human sentiment and subjectivity. It is not uncommon to hear, as a retort to, or critique of, religious belief the question: “if God exists then why is there evil?” Such statements highlight that one of the biggest misunderstandings between us Muslims and non-religious people (and even some of the other monotheists) is their fundamental misconception, or maybe better-phrased, our disagreement, of Who Allāh/God is. For Muslims who understand the three branches of Tawhīd, questioning the existence of evil does not create a sense of doubt in their īman (‘faith’) because the concepts that are critical to the Islamic faith — man’s free will, belief in a Day of Judgement and Accountability, the use of trials by Allāh (SWT) to measure one’s īman and absolve one of sins, etc—necessitate that life cannot be a series of pleasurable experiences (again, as determined by human sentiment) alone, without trials or tribulation. For even those who appear to not experience any worldly displeasure, there is trial because we understand that an abundance of worldly pleasure is a test in itself.
As Muslims, we know that though Allāh’s perfect names and attributes may differ in function and manifestation, they are ultimately part of an indivisible Perfection. Thus, when Allāh informs us of his ability to give life as Al-Muhyi and to take life as Al-Mumīt, to enrich as Al-Mughni and to impoverish as Al-Mani’, to honour as Al-Mu’izz and to dishonour as Al-Mudhill, to provide sustenance as Ar-Razzaq and to constrict it as Al-Qābid, we should know that what the human experiences as ‘evil’ or ‘negative’ are also manifestations of Allāh’s perfection — and in that realisation, we should not be displeased with any of Allāh’s decrees. Initial discontent at something negative befalling us is only human, but upon the remembrance of the perfection of Allāh’s decree, we should be reassured. Moreover, with the understanding Allāh‘s names of Al-’Adl (“The Just”) and Al-Hakīm (“The Perfectly Wise”), we should believe that all that has occurred — whether good or evil — has only done so because it has been decreed by Al-Fa’alu-l-Lima Yurid (“The Only One Who Does What He Wills”) and thus it holds a divine wisdom that is beyond our understanding. As Muslims, we know that evil befalls us for two reasons which are not mutually exclusive: as punishment for sin or as a trial which gives the opportunity to attain rewards.
And whatever strikes you of disaster — it is for what your hands have earned; but He pardons much. [42:30]
Unfortunately, and ironically, it is the “evil” that is experienced in this world — which should serve as a reminder of Allāh’s dominion and power — that has alienated many people, including many Muslims from Islam. The decades of war, civil unrest, economic stagnation, and sectarian division that has plagued Muslim lands, and now global crises such as the pandemic and ecological collapse have led many religious folks to contemplate whether their beliefs are ‘fit for purpose’ if they are to achieve economic, social and cultural progress that they erroneously believe Western liberalism delivers. In such a sentiment is the deficiency of Tawhīd, even amongst us professed Muslims, most apparent. It reveals that even amongst us adherents to the Islamic faith, we do not comprehend Allāh’s names and attributes in their entirety, which is the way that they need to be understood otherwise they skew our expectations of life. It is only natural to feel upset when tragic events such as the loss of lives or property occur. What is unnatural is to expect that there should be a limit to worldly displeasures when we do not question the seemingly unlimited worldly pleasures, whether we deserve them nor do we seek a limit to them. The premise of morality is that a choice between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ is available to be made, so they both must exist. We have many reminders on the need for trials in the Holy Qur’an:
Do the people think that they will be left to say “We believe” and they will not be tried? But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allāh will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars. [29:2–3]
And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to the patient. [2:155]
And when adversity touches man, he calls upon Us; then when We bestow on him a favour from Us, he says “I have only been given it because of [my] knowledge.” Rather it is a trial, but most of them do not know. [39:49]
Given the above verses of the Holy Qur’an, it is absurd, as a Muslim, to question trial and disaster especially when transgressions against the decrees of Allāh (SWT) abound in the land. The Qur’an is Allāh’s revelation to man and in it, He has repeatedly stated that His promises, enshrined in its verses, are Haqq (‘true’) so the acceptance of trial is part of belief. That is not to say that we should be fatalist and actively seek trials or difficulty, but we should seek Allah’s mercy when trials befall us to ensure that we come out of them greater in faith. An acceptance of trial will also reinforce our Tawhīd because their existence is also a manifestation of Allāh’s names and attributes. How else do we experience that Allāh is:
Shadīdu-l-’Adhāb — the Severe in Punishment [2:165]
Sarī’u-l-’Iqāb — the Swift at Retribution [6:165]
Al-Mudhill — the Abaser of whom He wills [9:2]
Al-Muntaqim — the Avenger for wrongdoing [43:41]
The pandemic, when we think of trial as an opportunity to affirm Tawhīd, is then rid of its seemingly unending gloom. After all, how better to see Allāh’s dominion as The One Who Does What He Wills (Al-Fa’alu-l-Lima Yurid) than in His ability to afflict two physiologically identical individuals with the same disease, yet one dies and the other is unaffected. How better to understand that he is The Giver and The Taker of Life (Al-Muhyi and Al-Mumīt) than in seeing the swiftness in which a healthy individual can leave this world and the swiftness in which newborns are brought into it. How better to experience that Allāh (SWT) is The Provider (Ar-Razzaq) and Constrictor (Al-Qābid) of sustenance than in the way that an unforeseen pandemic has so quickly taken away the livelihoods of many, yet made billionaires of some. How better to comprehend that Allāh (SWT) is the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible (Ālimu-l-Ghaybi wa-sh-Shahādah) than in our still-persisting disbelief that world could change so much, so quickly.
So we Muslims should say Alhamdulillāh for the opportunity to reaffirm our faith in a world that appears bent on destroying it. We must acknowledge that the evil actions and sins that we commit as an Ummah have contributed to the afflictions (‘fitnah’) that are all around us. We sometimes are guilty of thinking of sin in only the most explicit terms, that is actions that are immediately evidently wrong such as the social ills of drugs, alcohol, etc. that plague our societies. However, there are far more insidious sins that we engage in — such as the perpetuation of economic, political and social ideologies that have contributed to widening economic inequality in our societies, accelerated ecological decay, and destroyed the family and community as social units — that are more impactful in being drivers of fitnah in our societies. It is important for us to take a step back and reassess our engagements with our environment and each other in light of the teachings of the Qur’an and the ways of our prophet Muhammad (SAW) through (his Sunnah). May Allāh (SWT), the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful, guide us towards His path. Amīn.
*SWT – Subhanahu wa Ta’ala (‘The Most Exalted, The Most High’)
*SAW – Sallallāhu alayhi wa sallam (‘May the peace and blessings of Allāh be upon Him’)
