Surah Ar-Rum, Ayah 31

The Command to adhere to Tawhid

Allah says: `so set your face and persevere in the religion which Allah has prescribed for you, the worship of Allah Alone, the religion of Ibrahim, to which Allah has guided you and which He has perfected for you with the utmost perfection. In this manner, you will also adhere to the sound Fitrah with which He created His creation.' Allah created His creation to recognize Him and know His Tawhid, and that there is no God except Him, as we have already seen when discussing the Ayah,

وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتَ بِرَبِّكُمْ قَالُواْ بَلَى

(and made them testify as to themselves (saying): "Am I not your Lord" They said: "Yes!...") (7:172). And according to a Hadith, Allah said,

وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَلَا تَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُشْرِ‌كِينَ (And establish Salah, and do not be among those who associate partners with Allah - 30:31). In the previous verse it was mentioned that the human nature is designed in a manner that it has an inherent capability to accept the Truth. Now in this verse it is emphasized that establishment of prayer is the first requisite for the acceptance of Truth, because it is the manifestation of submission to Truth and practical affirmation of Faith in Islam. After that, it is said وَلَا تَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُشْرِ‌كِينَ (30:31), that is, ` Do not join those indulging in shirk (associating others with Allah), because they did not avail of their natural capability to accept the Truth. Their misdeeds are mentioned in the next verse which says,

If there is common property, all those who share it have a right to it, and every partner has to think of the other partners. But, God’s position is not of this kind. God alone is the Lord of the entire Universe. The relation between God and His creatures is the same as that between master and servant on a larger scale, and not that of sharers of a property. Nobody gives his servant a status equal to that of himself. Similarly there is no one in the entire universe who enjoys a status equal to that of God. Lordship is for God, while for all other creatures there is only subjection. Apart from this, any other equation propounded will be based only on supposition and not on any real ground.