There is a reason why Allah created everything that exists: angels, jinn, humans, the heavens, the earth, animals, etc. Allah created everything solely so that He alone would be worshipped. He said:
{Do you not see that those in the heavens and on the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the animals, and many human beings prostrate before Allah? But many others deserve punishment. Whom Allah humbles; there is no one who can honour him. Allah does what He wills} [Qur’an 22:18].
Pathways to the Divine: What is the Spiritual Journey to God?
Allah says about the angels: {[The angels] who are with your Lord have no pride that prevents them from worshipping Him. They glorify Him and prostrate before Him [Quran 7:206].
Allah also says: {The seven heavens, the earth, and everything in them glorify Him. There is nothing that does not glorify Him with praise, though you cannot perceive His glorifications. And He is ever Forgiving and Merciful} [Quran 17:44].
Embarking on the Divine Quest: The Spiritual Journey to God
“Way to God” by Sahib Zada is an inspiring guidebook on a spiritual journey to God for anyone yearning to ignite their soul’s connection with the Divine. This book is more than just a guide—it is an invitation to embark on a transformative journey, illuminated by timeless wisdom and the radiant light of revelation.
Rediscovering Purpose and Spiritual Fulfillment
With poetic reflections and soul-stirring insights, the author calls readers to rediscover their spiritual journey to God, their purpose, align with sacred guidance, and embark wholeheartedly on a heartfelt journey towards Allah. The book gently guides you through the inner struggle with the nafs (ego), celebrates the transformative power of prophetic love, and offers practical, accessible pathways rooted in the teachings of the Qur’an and the Prophet. The author’s objective is to demonstrate to Muslims the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad on various aspects of Islamic principles, dispelling myths built around superstitions and misunderstandings that stem from ignorance and the introduction of concepts foreign to Islam and its Tawheed.
Tawheed: The Heartbeat of the Way to God
All praise is due to Allah, who created us to worship Him alone, and has blessed us with the grace to glorify and praise Him. I praise Him and am grateful to Him, for He has promised to increase His favours to those who are grateful to Him.
I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, without partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, the best of the Prophets and the most favoured. May Allah grant him His blessings and peace, as well as his family, his companions, and whoever follows him in his guidance until the Last Day.
I advise you, and myself, to revere Him. Fear Allah, who created you, and use all that He has provided for you to worship Him, for He has placed everything at your service, and He did not create it without purpose, nor did He leave any of your affairs in this life without objective. However, He created life and death to test who among you does the best deeds.
When people stray from the religion of Allah, they fall victim to innovations in religion and stumble into the traps of polytheism, associating with others, and ignorance.
In this context, Allah the Exalted says:
“Allah does not forgive associating with Him, but He forgives everything else whom He wills. Whoever associates with Allah is profoundly misguided.” (Women 166).
The human intellect is limited in its ability to understand the path to righteousness on its own, just as it is incapable of knowing everything that benefits or harms it. Affliction does not disappear, nor do doubts leave the mind, nor does anxiety depart from the heart until the soul and mind have complete certainty that Allah is the One God, the Sublime, the Mighty, the Extraordinary, to whom everything belongs, who orders all that happens, and to whom every matter returns.
The Most High has said:
“Indeed, whoever submits to Allah and does good will have his reward with his Lord. He will not fear, nor will he grieve.” (Al-Baqarah: 112)
“Who is better in religion than one who submits to Allah, does good, and follows the religion of Abraham, who was righteous? Allah took Abraham as a friend.” (An-Nisa: 125)
The Transformative Power of Tawheed
Indeed, submission to Allah and the worship of the One God elevate the character and intellect of humankind, protecting them from the diseases of the heart and the deviations of the ego, and shielding them from the darkness of ignorance, the fallacies of superstition, and the tricks of demons and treacherous individuals who traffic in the verses of Allah for fleeting, circumstantial gain. It is undoubtedly pure and faithful Tawheed that protects humanity from engaging in actions without cause or restraint.
Tawheed is worshipping Allah solely by embodying the meaning of the saying: LA ILAH ALLAH, MUHAMMAD RASUL ALLAH. That is, by repeating this remembrance and acting according to its meaning, building upon it every action, prayer, act of devotion, life, and death.
The concept of Tawheed must be adopted in belief, worship, and legislation. Tawheed in belief means associating Allah in His divinity; Tawheed in worship means that worship must be directed exclusively and sincerely to Allah; and Tawheed in legislation implies that Allah is the one who legislates and commands.
Tawheed is the beginning and the end, the evident and the hidden aspects of the religion of Islam. It is the highest point and the cornerstone of Islam. It has been established by proofs, demonstrated by evidence, and explained by verses. Islam is built upon Tawheed, and the Qiblah, toward which Muslims turn in prayer, is based on the concept of Tawheed. Obedience to the dictates of Tawheed is a shield to protect life, and through it, the nation of Islam is distinguished from the nation of skepticism and disbelief, and people are divided into happy and unhappy, pious and deviant.
The glorious Qur’an has given great attention to the principle of Tawheed, as this is the great message of Islam and the mission of every prophet. In the Qur’an, Allah the Exalted says,
“We sent to every community a messenger, saying, ‘Worship Allah and avoid the Taghuts.’” (An-Nahl: 36)
“Ask the messengers We sent before you if We have appointed gods to worship besides the Most Merciful.” (Az-Zukhuruf: 45)
Threads of Divine Love and Remembrance
Siddique masterfully weaves together the Oneness of God (Tawheed), a deep and passionate love for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and the life-changing practice of dhikr (remembrance of God), making each page resonate with purpose and hope.
