Bayan al-Tawhid alladhi baatha Allah bihi al-rusul jami'an wa baatha bihi khatamahum Muhammadan

Bayan al-Tawhid alladhi ba‘atha Allah bihi al-rusul jami‘an wa ba‘atha bihi khatamahum Muhammadan (Clarification of the Monotheism with Which Allah Sent All the Messengers and Sent Their Seal Muhammad) is a theological treatise by the Saudi Arabian scholar Ibn Baz (d. 1420 AH / 1999 CE) addressing Islamic monotheism (tawhid) and polytheism (shirk) Bayan al-Tawhid alladhi b…+1.

Origin and Purpose

The treatise compiles three separate essays and discourses on tawhid that were originally published in Ibn Baz's multi-volume work Majmu‘ Fatawa wa Maqalat Mutanawwi‘ah (Collected Fatwas and Miscellaneous Articles) Bayan al-Tawhid alladhi b…. Ibn Baz brought these three discourses together into a standalone book as an effort to clarify the foundational creed of monotheism and warn against practices that violate it Bayan al-Tawhid alladhi b…. He specifically highlighted practices widespread in parts of the Muslim world, such as supplicating to saints and righteous figures (du‘a al-awliya’ wa-l-salihin), invoking them after their death, erecting structures over graves, making vows (nadhr) to them, and circumambulating (tawaf) around burial sites Bayan al-Tawhid alladhi b….

Structure and Core Themes

The work is organized around three primary sections Bayan al-Tawhid alladhi b…:

1. The Reality of Monotheism and Polytheism (Haqiqat al-tawhid wa-l-shirk): A presentation of the purpose of human creation and the fundamental reality of dedicating all worship exclusively to Allah Bayan al-Tawhid alladhi b…+1.
2. The Monotheism of the Messengers and Its Opposites of Disbelief and Polytheism (Tawhid al-mursalin wa ma yudadduh min al-kufr wa-l-shirk): An explanation of how all prophets, from Noah to Muhammad ﷺ, shared the identical foundation of tawhid, even though their specific legal codes (shara'i‘) differed Bayan al-Tawhid alladhi b…+1.
3. Clarifying the Meaning of Associating Partners with Allah (Tawdih ma‘na al-shirk billah): A focused examination of what constitutes shirk in worship, lordship, and belief Bayan al-Tawhid alladhi b…+1.

Across these sections, the author emphasizes that devotion to Allah must be paired with belief in His prophets, asserting that claiming monotheism while denying or mocking any messenger invalidates a person's faith Bayan al-Tawhid alladhi b…+1. The text relies heavily on Quranic citations, including verses outlining the purpose of creation and the unified mission of the messengers, such as وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ (And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me) [al-Dhariyat: 56] and وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَسُولًا أَنِ اُعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ (And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship Allah and avoid false deities") [al-Nahl: 36] Bayan al-Tawhid alladhi b….