Types of Shirk

When he ( Prophet Muhammad saw) was entrusted with the Divine mission at
that time, people were following different creeds,were divided into numerous
sects and had multitudinous schools of thought. These diverse creeds and
religions were mostly divided into three main classes.

1. Some of them compared Allah to His creatures and thus tried to personify Him;
2. some others tired to impart His attributes to others and this gave way to infidelity,
3. while others had no faith in His attributes or His being.Through our holy Prophet,

Allah made these people check their ways of thought and worship and He thus wished to bring them out of their ignorance.

Nahjul Balagha, Sermon 2, pg 147.

The chain of Prophets and the Last Link.

Cont from previous post.....

None of them( The Prophets of Allah) left this world without indicating and
pointing out the one who was to take up his place after his demise and carry
the
Divine Mission; Thus everyone of them was predicted by the Prophet who
passed away before him and in turn was testified by him. (Therefore it was not
difficult for for human beings to recgnize the true Prophet and distinguish him
from the pretender)

This ages succeeded ages, till Allah desired to bring the teachings of His
(Allah) religion to the final stage of perfection. As He had promised in the
beginning, He appointed the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) as His Last
Prophet.

Nahjul Balagha, Sermon 2, pg 147.

to be continued...

Prophethood Explained

Allah selected His Prophets from the descendants of Adam, took covenants
from them to faithfully act according to His Revelations and to propagate His
Message...

Allah sent His Prophets continously one after the other so that they might
remind human beings of the duties, which nature had laid upon them as a part of
the plan of their existence and as the fulfilment of the made by their spirits
on the day of creation.

These Prophets were to draw the attention of humanity towards the inherent
covenant and the blessings and bounties bestowed upon them by Him, to convey His
message to them, to teach them, to wisely use the treasures hidden in their
minds and intellects...

Allah Almighty has never left His creation without guidence and education
through His Prophets, without a Divine Book, without conclusive and effective
proof and without a clear path to salvation.

Nahjul Balagha: Sermon 1: pg 146

Tauheed ~ Oneness of God

The first step of religion is to accept, unerstand and realize Him(Allah) as the
Lord,thorough understanding lies in conviction and confirmation, and the right
conviction is to sincerely believe that there is no god but He. The true belied
in His Oneness is to realize that He is so absolutely Pure and above nature,
that nothing can be added to or substracted from Him; because one should realize
that there is no difference between His Person and His Attributes

Sermon1: Page 137 - 138:Peak of Eloquence:Islamic Seminary Publication:2001