Introducing the book: The Meaning of “There Is No God but God”

Book title: The Meaning of “There Is No God but God”

Author: Shaykh Umar ibn Ahmad al-Malibari, may God have mercy on him

Editing and annotations: Shaykh Abd al-Haqq al-Turkmani

Publisher: Center for Studies in the Interpretation of Islam, Britain

Year of publication: 1437 AH/2016 CE

Paperback; number of pages: 151

The treatises included in the book:

1) “A Successful Attempt, by God’s Grace, to Distinguish the Truth from What People Say about the Meaning of ‘There Is No God but God’”, by the Salafi scholar and Indian preacher Umar ibn Ahmad al-Malibari, may God have mercy on him, written in 1412 AH/1992 CE.

2) “The Meaning of ‘There Is No God but God’ and the Disagreement Concerning It”, also by al-Malibari, a short work published in 1406 AH/1985 CE.

3) “A Statement on the Meaning of ‘There Is No God but God’ by His Eminence the Scholar Shaykh Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd Allah ibn Baz, May God Have Mercy on Him”, published in 1408 AH/1986 CE.

3) “From My Answer to the Esteemed Shaykh Abu al-A‘la al-Mawdudi Concerning the Difference between Worship and Obedience”, also by Shaykh Ibn Baz, written in 1392 AH/1972 CE.

5) “Lecture: Muslims in Kerala”, delivered by Shaykh al-Malibari in Ras al-Khaimah in 1406 AH/1986 CE.

6) “An Introductory Study”, written by Shaykh Abd al-Haqq al-Turkmani.

The subject of the book:

This treatise was written by an Indian scholar, Umar ibn Ahmad al-Malibari, may God have mercy on him, in response to al-Mawdudi’s interpretation of worship as obedience. He explained the error in claiming that the two are synonymous and its effect on distorting the understanding of the declaration of monotheism. The scholar Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd Allah ibn Baz, may God have mercy on him, agreed with him, affirmed his position and wrote advice to al-Mawdudi to correct this error.

Publication of this treatise places the subject in relation to the theory of the political interpretation of Islam, because interpreting worship as obedience is one of the foundations of that theory.