The Foremost Obligatory Duties | A Comprehensive Guide to Islamic Obligations

The Foremost Obligatory Duties is a valuable Islamic resource dedicated to explaining the most important obligations that every Muslim must recognize and uphold. At the heart of the book is the principle of Tawheed—the worship of Allah alone—which serves as the cornerstone of Islamic belief and practice.

Drawing upon authentic evidence from the Qur’an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the book outlines the duties that take precedence in a believer’s life. It emphasizes the importance of correct faith, sincere worship, obedience to Allah, and adherence to the teachings of Islam in all aspects of life.

The author presents these foundational concepts in a clear and accessible manner, making the book suitable for both new learners and students of Islamic knowledge. Readers will gain a deeper understanding of the priorities established by Islam and learn how to build their religious life upon sound principles.

From Author:

American Publishers

• Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab

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Page 01
The
Foremost Obligatory Duties
about which
every Muslim and Muslimah must have Knowledge
from the words of
Muhammed ibn Abd al-Wahhab
Page 02
The Three Fundamental Principles1
The foremost principles about which every Muslim and Muslimah must have knowledge are three: the knowledge of his Rabb (Lord),2 the knowledge of his deen (religion),3 and the knowledge of his nabi (prophet).
If you are asked: "Who is your Rabb (Lord)?" then reply: "Rabbi (my Lord) is Allah, who has created, sustained and nurtured me and all the creatures of the universe by His Grace and Bounty. Allah is my only object of worship, and I have no other object of worship besides Him."
If you are asked: "What is your deen (religion)?" then reply: "My deen is Islam, which is submission to Allah in tauheed' (sincerely making Allah the one and only God), yielding to Him (and His Law) in obedience, and absolving and disassociating myself entirely from shirk (idolatry) and the people of shirk.
If you are asked: "Who is your nabi (prophet)?" then reply: "Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim. Hashim was from Quraish and Quraish was an Arab. Arabs are the descendents of Isma'il son of Ibrahim the Khalil, the chosen beloved one (of Allah), may the excellent blessings and peace be upon them both and upon our Prophet.
These three principles (al-usul ath-thalathah) are the subject of a treatise Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab wrote in response to a request from Amir 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Saud for him to write a creed for the general public. Usul ath- thalathah consequently became recognized as a creed worthy for all Muslims to render by heart due to its powerful simplicity and precision, and has been expounded upon and translated into many languages. The excellent explanation of Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaimeen, may Allah have mercy on him, has been translated into English by Dawood Burbank (Al-Hidaayah Publishing & Distribution). 2 Rabb and Rububiyyah encompass the meanings of creation, sovereignty, dominion, ownership, mastery, sustenance, providing, nurturing, raising and bringing up, and when attributed to Allah, Most Exalted, of Absolute Lordship and Divinity, all of the above. The word ilah (=ilaah) means deity or god (with a small g), denoting false worship of that which has no right to be worshipped. Allah is the proper name of the one and only God. There are "gods" in the practical sense that men worship false gods they have created for themselves and as partners and
Page 03
Introduction
The following creed of faith and moral imperatives central to Islam' has been taken and pieced together from some treatises and letters of Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab ibn Sulaiman at-Tamimi an-Najdi, the renowned reformer who was born in the 1115th year of the Prophet's Hijrah, or Emigration (1703 CE), peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, and died in the month of Dhu al-Qi'dah, 1206 H (1792 CE). Meant to be a precise summary of those primary principles which every Muslim and Muslimah holds nearest and dearest, it is to be memorized after complete comprehension and then put into everyday practice.
The power, vitality and universality of the Islamic revitalization movement which Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab began and which remains in force today (a statement inherently correct about all truly Islamic revitalization movements) can be traced to the profound clarity and simplicity of the following principles, easily within the grasp of all, and to the fact that they were comprehended, memorized and practiced in spirit and letter by his sincere followers. Volumes can and have been written in explanation and further clarification.
Islam (=Islaam) is the name of the religion which Allah has revealed and which has been practiced by all of the Prophets and Messengers of Allah sent to mankind. Even the name stands out unique among religions in that it means a state of being and does not refer to any particular person like Christianity, Buddhism or Zoroastrianism, or tribe like Judaism, or group like Hinduism, or book like Taoism. The root arabic word "s-l-m" from which Islam is derived implies peace, safety, salutation, protection, blamelessness, wholesomeness, submission, acceptance, surrender and salvation. Islam specifically means being in the state of submission to Allah, worshipping Him alone, reverently accepting and obeying His Law, and the peace, security and wholesome well-being which follow: hence a Muslim or Muslimah is a person (male or female) in that state, whether completely or with some imperfections which do not nullify Islam. Sins, ignorance and wrongdoings weaken Islam and iman (=eemaan, faith and belief) proportionally, whereas shirk (idolatry) and kufr (disbelief) nullify and destroy Islam completely. The five arkan (=arkaan, sing. rukn), or pillars, of Islam are: shahadah (the testimony that LA ILAHA ILLA-L-LAH MUHAMMAD-AR-RASULU-L-LAH), salah (prayer), zakah (alms), saum (fasting) and hajj (pilgrimage). This booklet relates only to the first pillar (shahadah), explaining its foremost obligations.
Page 04
About this Book
One of the most influential Islamic scholars of the modern era, Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab ibn Sulaiman at-Tamimi an-Najdi is credited with revitalizing the beliefs and practices of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the way of as-Salaf as-Salih (the Pious Predecessors). This book introduces to the English language a highly popular distillation of his teachings on the fundamental duties of Muslims with respect to their faith. A short and direct guide, it identifies the meanings and categories of tauheed (Islamic monotheism), shirk (idolatry) and taghut (false objects of worship). It also elaborates on the meaning of the shahadah (testimony of faith), its conditions and implementation, and the causes of its nullification. An indispensable resource for Muslims and students of knowledge, it is as valuable in our time as it was in the author's.