The Exclusive Rights of Allah: The Core of the Religion

Lā 'ilāha 'illā -llāh.

What is the meaning of the Exclusive Rights of Allah?

1. It means the rights in which no creature has any part, even in a secondary way, such as: praying to Him, asserting His oneness, repenting to Him, trusting in Him, glorifying Him, sanctifying Him, making the pilgrimage to His House; and so on with these meanings. If we look into them, we will find them clearly without any part for creatures in them.

2. We find it as something that is specific to religious people; a purely religious process that is specific to the religious, and some of it is specific to the people of Islam in particular. And there are rights of Allah subhanahu-wa-ta'ala that are not exclusive; because Allah subhanahu-wa-ta'ala included in them creatures as subordinate to Him and not in an equal form to Him, such as: honoring your parents, being kind to your neighbor, being kind to your spouse, justice between your children, justice in ruling among people, helping the poor and needy:

   ﴿وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ ﴿٢٤﴾ لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ ﴿٢٥﴾ ﴾

   And those who give the rightful share of their wealth, to the beggar and the poor.

   Allah made it a right for them: “to the beggar and the poor.”

Today, under the influence of modern culture, if you were to ask people: “Which is greater: the exclusive right of Allah or the right in which the creation has a part?” They might pay lip service and say that the exclusive right of Allah is greater, but many of them consider the right in which the creation has a part to be the most important, and that it’s the criteria for praise, and that it’s the basis of their walā' & barā', of their loyalty and disavowal. So if you make a mistake against the exclusive right of Allah, your mistake is not considered as important as the mistake against the right in which the creation has a part. So now, if you asked someone: “Which of these two people do you find better: A Jewish person, but he is good to Muslims, and supports the Palestinian cause, for example. Or an extremist Muslim who blows himself up among Muslims?” He might excommunicate that last one! But let’s say : “A sharp-tongued, extremist Muslim, who has many flaws (traitor, deceiver, etc.)” Many of them will say to you: “The Jew is better!” And some of them will take comfort and say: “Brother, religion is behavior!” This is the hadith that has spread in our time based on this concept… religion is behavior, and it is not even a hadith - it is fabricated!

Some of them may establish it for you in terms of principles or of jurisprudential rules, saying to you: “The right of Allah is based on forgiveness, and rights between creatures are based on greediness.” This is said by some scholars and students of knowledge. And some of them go and bring you a hadith to prove that the right in which the creation has a part is greater, saying to you: “My brother, the Prophet peace & blessings be upon him said: ‘I would rather walk to fulfill the need of my Muslim brother than to seclude myself in the mosque for a month’.” In reality, the authenticity of this hadith is disputed, but they like to focus on these meanings.

Such hadiths and sayings are very widespread among people, to the point that some preachers had a video about religiosity, and he brought an athar (narration) from some of the predecessors that when he was asked about the uprightness of so-and-so and he said: “I know so-and-so,” so the other said to him: “Have you dealt with him in dinars and dirhams? Do not be deceived by his prayer in the mosque and other things, for you must deal with him in dinars and dirhams so that you know his uprightness or lack thereof.” You find videos like this very widespread among people. “Why?” You might ask. Because on the surface - in what they see - it presents the rights in which they have a part as more important than the exclusive rights of Allah! And if you contemplate our reality, you will find that people’s words revolve around this, such as the famous saying: “Feeding the hungry is better than building a mosque,” and so on... Ponder this meaning.

Even today, if we talk about the merits of religion, we see that the greatest thing that brings people closer to Islam is talking about the rights in which the creation has a part. So, we see that we should talk to them about justice in Islam, about civilization in Islam, about zakat and helping the poor and needy... There is no doubt that Islam has actually taken care of all these rights in a way that is not found in any other religion. There is no doubt that what comes from Allah is not like what comes from created beings. There is no doubt about this. But in reality, the greatest thing that indicates that this religion is from Allah is the exclusive rights of Allah. “Why?” You might ask. Because if I wanted to lie to people and tell them that I am a messenger from Allah, what would I do? I would lay down a religion that is entirely in our interest, and I would have a reformist vision, proposing that society should be reformed in a certain way. I would therefore either be very wicked, or I would be a proponent of the noble lie - to deceive people, but to reform them. Of course, what would all of these interests be? All of these interests are worldly interests, and even if I were to mention acts of worship of Allah, then naturally I would give them a lower status than human interests. Therefore, if the religion that I have brought presents the exclusive right of Allah as greater than everything else, then this - for anyone who contemplates - indicates that this religion is from Allah.

That is why I consider this verse to be the greatest evidence of prophethood:

﴿إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِۦ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ﴾

Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating others with Him [in worship], but forgives anything else of whoever He wills.

Abu Talib, the uncle of the Prophet peace & blessings be upon him, did huge favors to the Prophet peace & blessings be upon him, and to his noble companions, and he is in Hell, as stated in the hadith. And Wahshi, who killed the Prophet’s uncle Hamza, comes and announces that he embraces Islam, and it is accepted from him!

﴿إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِۦ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ﴾

Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating others with Him [in worship], but forgives anything else of whoever He wills.

Whoever comes as a Muslim, we forgive him in all rights, even if he has killed our closest relatives. The religion of Islam is distinguished by the fact that the right of Allah is above all rights, and the evidence is this verse… It is clear:

﴿وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ ﴾

But He forgives anything else.

“Anything else” meaning all other sins, including those that have an impact on the rights of the creation, and those that have no impact! You see what I mean? Think about it!

Rather, I will tell you something clearer: People are divided into four categories:

1. Those who fulfill the exclusive rights of Allah and the rights of the creation for the sake of Allah, and this is the most perfect of people;
2. Those who fulfill the exclusive rights of Allah and fall short in the rights of the creation. They will be held accountable on the Day of Resurrection, but - without dispute - their eventual destination is Paradise. And while we do have the hadith of the bankrupt, and other than that, but this is a temporary punishment (contrary to what the Khawarij say);
3. Those who fulfill the rights of creation but do not fulfill the exclusive right of Allah. And there are multiple degrees to the exclusive rights of Allah, but this is worse than the second category. If he does not fulfill the greatest exclusive right of Allah - which is monotheism, i.e. to worship Him alone - then he will remain in Hell forever, no matter how good he is! Rather, we have the terrifying hadith about the one who gives in charity, the fighter and the reciter, and especially the one who gives in charity because it is related to our topic. Allah will say to him: “Rather, you wanted it to be said that so-and-so is so generous, and that was said.” Allah has an exclusive right in every right of the creation; the right of purity of intention and sincerity to Him! It will be said to him: “You did not fulfill the exclusive right of Allah. Yes, you fulfilled the right of the creation that we commanded you to do as it is, but where is the right of Allah? You go to Hell!” See, subhan-Allah?
4. Those who do not fulfill the rights of Allah nor the rights of the creation. These are pure evil.

The root of the calamity in the nation of Muhammad peace & blessings be upon him, whether by means of exaggeration or trivialization, is in overestimating the rights in which the creation has a part, to the level of the exclusive right of Allah in its highest degree. In the past, the Khawarij considered the ruler who oppresses people as the same as the one who worships other than Allah, even if he is a Muslim in general. “Why?” You might ask. Because they raised their rights to the level of the exclusive right of Allah subhanahu-wa-ta'ala! These people brought calamities upon the nation of Muhammad, and they would constantly go out and kill Muslims under the pretext of enjoining good and forbidding evil. And a person among them would see something wrong and fall into something even worse. Then one thing lead to another, until the line of reasoning lead them to excommunicate all those who commit sins and transgressions! And today, in our time, this idea has returned but with a humanistic rebranding.
One of the exclusive rights of Allah, for example, is the preservation of His religion. If you were to tell people today about innovations, which are an infringement on the right of legislation of Allah subhanahu-wa-ta'ala:

﴿أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَـٰٓؤُا۟ شَرَعُوا۟ لَهُم مِّنَ ٱلدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَنۢ بِهِ ٱللَّهُ ﴾

How can they believe in others who ordain for them things which Allah has not authorized in the practice of their religion?

He comes and says to you: “Brother, these are people who misinterpreted it unintendedly!” But, if you compare these innovations to someone who harms him, or anyone else, in any way, whether directly or indirectly, you will find that he overemphasizes this harm!

This is not to be understood as an extreme reaction; that is, to not denounce evil and say: “The only thing that matters is the exclusive rights of Allah.” No one has said this, and whoever claims that that’s what we’re saying is lying! Rather, the exclusive rights of Allah lead to the fulfillment of the rights of people, and cultivate people in their favor:

﴿إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ ۗ ﴾

Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing.

Also, Allah linked prayer with charity in many verses in the Quran, and legislated fasting the month of Ramadan along with charity at the end of it, and so on… But these acts of mere worship came before the acts of charity; “Why?” You might ask. Because kindness to the creation also includes the right of Allah; part of the exclusive rights of Allah, which is sincerity to Allah, and purity of intention. So you perform an act of worship, then at the end of it, you act kind towards the creation. “Why?” You might ask. So that you are fully prepared to be sincere to Allah in your actions.

That is why prayer always comes before charity, because prayer teaches sincerity, reminds us of the afterlife, and reminds us of the purpose of creation. So when you give zakat and charity, you do not do so out of pure instinctive generosity, or seeking fame, or seeking to show off, or even just out of natural compassion. Rather, you give charity seeking the pleasure of Allah subhanahu-wa-ta'ala, and remembering and thanking Allah subhanahu-wa-ta'ala for His blessings upon you. You therefore achieve the true nature of servitude. This is the core of Islam... the core of the religion!

Today people are looking for something that is compatible with the disbelievers; Everyone, including Muslims, disbelievers, even atheists - despite themselves - praises morals, praises benevolence, and praises these matters that exist in Islam, but they did not exist in Islam in isolation, rather they exist in Islam linked to a finality, linked to a teleology, and linked to the exclusive rights of Allah; that Allah subhanahu-wa-ta'ala originally created you for a purpose, and you are His property, glory be to Him.

Nowadays, many people are afraid of the punishment of abandoning prayer, and they say: “Why is a person punished for abandoning prayer?” Because prayer is the exclusive right of Allah, but if you told him: “I want to apply the death penalty to harassers,” he might find it acceptable and normal! If you told him: “I want to apply the death penalty to the harasser or I want to flog the harasser a hundred lashes,” he would have no problem! But if you tell them, not that the one who abandons prayer should be given a chance to repent or he gets a death penalty, but simply tell them that the one who abandons prayer should be flogged a hundred lashes. They might also find this ruling too harsh. “Why?” You might ask. Because they got used to hearing that the exclusive right of Allah is an easy matter! And this has become a gateway to doubts! Because we have deified ourselves, and we thought that it is part of Allah’s transcendence that He does not have exclusive rights. But no! It is part of Allah’s perfection that He has exclusive rights over people, and He holds them accountable for them, rewards them for fulfilling them, and punishes them for neglecting them.

This is like the disbelievers of Quraish when they declared Allah to be above sending a messenger. This is truly a denial of the Creator! Rather, what did they do? They made the creation above the Creator; they made the creation have a right over Allah to do things for them, while Allah has no rights over the creation! They claim it is the creation’s right over the Creator to reward the obedient and to take the right of the oppressed on the Day of Judgment, etc. This is a right over Allah. Okay, where is Allah’s right over the creation? Nope. Well, if you have a right over a person and the person has no right over you; what does this mean? It means that you are the one who bestowed the favor and you are above him! So these people - I seek refuge in Allah from this - have placed the Lord of the worlds in the position of the broken-hearted needy beneficiary! A person whom you came and bestowed a favor upon, so you have a right over him and he has no right over you, so he is only striving to fulfill your right and you -that's it- you have done him the greatest favor!

So what do they do? They claim to exalt Allah from having rights! They say “No! I believe Allah to be exalted from having any right…” Some of them apostatized and made Allah subhanahu-wa-ta'ala as if He did not exist! They became deists and said: “He created us, but we have no right over Him and He has no right over us!” Some of them denied Allah’s existence altogether, and therefore denied the logical necessity. And all of these are corrupt doctrines and -subhan-Allah- these sophistries affect many Muslims today and cast doubts into their hearts!

In fact, the topic of the exclusive rights of Allah should be focused on by preachers, especially if they are teaching exegesis of the Quran and explaining the hadith! And even in our scholarly environment, we should focus on this; when someone comes to you and says: “Our problem in every group is with those who are fanatical about it, otherwise let them believe whatever they like to choose.” Subhan-Allah! The exclusive right of Allah to protect His religion from innovations, misguidance, and polytheism is not considered by these people! Rather, what is considered by them is only one thing: that you do not offend me; I am the only one who has rights. Subhan-Allah!

And I say this word on the occasion of the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah and what was mentioned about them of virtue in the hadith, and that the fighter who goes out and returns with spoils is not equal to the one doing good deeds and worship in these ten days! Even though this fighter is beneficial to the ummah in religious and worldly benefits! The fighter defends them from their enemy and brings them spoils, and also empowers their religion; even if the people who are being fought do not necessarily convert to Islam; they may be enslaved and remain in their religion; or they may be reconciled on the basis of the jizya and remain in their religion; after which point it is the responsibility of the preachers to do their job.

And subhan-Allah, the fighter is also mentioned in that hadith: “Rather, you wanted it be said that so-and-so is brave, and that was said.” See, despite the greatness of fighting and struggling, the exclusive right of Allah within it cannot be neglected! The exclusive right of Allah cannot be neglected! Even though this is an act that has clear religious and worldly benefits! Basically, all nations have armies and they fight because they cannot do without it, and yet the Prophet, peace & blessings be upon him, said what he said in that hadith.

And pay attention: These comparisons do not mean that the second thing should not be done! When we say that the exclusive right of Allah is above everything, it does not mean that the other rights should be neglected, because Allah will hold us accountable for them. And what indicates that the right of Allah is greater, contrary to the rule they came up with about forgiveness vs greediness: The woman who came to the Prophet, peace & blessings be upon him, and said: “My mother vowed to perform the pilgrimage, she vowed to perform Hajj, but she died before fulfilling her vow. Should I perform Hajj on her behalf?” The Prophet peace & blessings be upon him said: “Yes, perform Hajj on her behalf. Had there been a debt on your mother, would you have paid it or not? So, pay off her debt to Allah, for He is most deserving of settlement of His debt.” The right of Allah is greater!

Today, they attempt to nullify this right of Allah under the pretext of exalting Him and that He does not need it. But, in reality, the right of Allah does not entail need; that only applies to the rights of the created beings who are in need! Just as His existence does not entail need, just as His knowledge does not entail forgetfulness, and His power does not entail weakness; however, all the qualities of the created beings are accompanied by these flaws! In reality, this is an instance of Jahmism; just as the Jahmites denied the attributes of Allah, that are established in the Quran and Sunnah, under the pretext that they’re seen in created beings accompanied by deficiency! But the created being is that way because it is a created being, because the fact that it has a beginning, itself, is a deficiency; but Allah has no beginning, subhanahu-wa-ta'ala. He is the First and He created everything, and He is the Owner of perfection and He is the most deserving of it!

Today, this is an instance of Jahmism -this is a word for students of knowledge- and this should be pointed out in the lessons of aqidah; the Jahmism of denying the rights of Allah under the pretext of exalting Allah, and then what do they do after that? The rights of people are put above the right of Allah, and then after that they make people have a right over Allah while Allah has no right over people! That’s how we ended up deifying people!

Sometimes some people put forward this whole argument and say: “This is my understanding of Allah’s governorship” or “This is my understanding for the issues of the ummah.” This is a corrupt understanding! The issues of the ummah should not be like this, and the concept of governance and governorship is not like this in the Sharia! You brought philosophies coming from the disbelievers who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day and you read the Sharia through their lens. La-hawla-wala-quwwata-illa-bi-Allah!

One last thing, some of the names of Allah that have the most positive impact on people are Al-Afuww (The Pardoner), Al-Ghafur (The Forgiving), Al-Raheem (The Merciful), and Al-Rahman (The Compassionate), right? Well, these names cannot be imagined to have any impact unless there are exclusive rights for Allah subhanahu-wa-ta'ala, because He forgives and pardons when His servants neglect His rights; so He forgives and pardons. But if there were only the rights of people, then He would be forgiving and pardoning with regard to the rights of others!

Therefore, it is a fallacy to say to you: “How can your religion be merciful when it contains punishments?” In reality, it is inconceivable that mercy exists without rights, it cannot have any meaning without the possibility of punishment! This is one of the fallacies of the atheists, that they deny religion because religion affirms rights for Allah subhanahu-wa-ta'ala! If there are no rights, then there is no effect for the name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and the Most Forgiving, and there is no effect for the name of Allah the Almighty; that He is able to do to those who violate His rights what they deserve. They deny Allah’s perfect attributes and then after that they say: “Why are there traces of His attributes in His religion?” If they were to think, they would find out that what they’re saying contradicts reason and is inconceivable in a true religion.

So pay attention to this meaning: every punishment you see is a logical consequence of the existence of the exclusive rights of Allah, and without the existence of the exclusive rights of Allah, mercy, forgiveness and pardon would not exist... They only come together; all of them! Think about this, it is very important in refuting many doubts!

Allah-al-musta’an.