All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.

Tawhid is a clear Islamic belief, and for this reason, the Shahada (testimony of faith) is summarized in the word of Tawhid. The meaning of Tawhid is to affirm the attribute of oneness for Allah, the Exalted. By affirming this, the believing servant affirms that Allah alone is worthy of worship, is the Lord of all, and possesses all perfect attributes and names of glory. The Qur'an has made Tawhid the distinguishing mark of a person's life, for the believer in the divinity of Allah and His oneness in creation, provision, and perfection, finds his heart free to embrace faith without restraint. Allah says {what means}: 'And this Quran has been revealed to Me that I may warn you thereby, and whomsoever it reaches. Indeed, you will be questioned, "Do you [truly] assert that there are other gods besides Allah?" Say, "I do not assert [that]. I say, 'He is but one God, and indeed, I am free from what you associate [with Him].'" [Al-An'am, 19].

As for the concept of belief in Divinity, Lordship, and the Names and Attributes, 'Divinity' is derived from the word 'Ilah' (God), and belief in it is to affirm that Allah alone is worthy of the worship of His creation. 'Lordship' is derived from the word 'Rab' (Lord), and belief in it is to affirm that Allah is the Lord, the manager, who disposes of all things with His power and will. Moreover, the unity of His Names and Attributes is to affirm that Allah alone is worthy of the perfections indicated by His beautiful names and exalted attributes.

The texts of the Holy Qur’an demonstrate the interconnectedness of belief in Rububiyyah (Lordship) and Uluhiyyah (Divinity). Allah says {what means} in illustrating their connection: "The Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, so worship Him and be steadfast in His worship. Do you know of anyone who is His namesake?" [Maryam, 65]. Whoever believes in the Lordship of Allah will naturally affirm His Divinity, and whoever affirms His Divinity will inevitably affirm His Lordship. Allah says {what means}: "There is no deity except Him; He gives life and causes death—your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers of old." [Ad-Dukhan, 8]. Ibn Ashur, commenting on this verse, states in his Tafsir: "Since His exclusivity in giving life and causing death is a clear proof evident to the addressees and observable in their surroundings—manifested daily in the birth of the living and the death of the deceased—it is of a nature that cannot be ignored or denied. Despite this, they worship idols that neither give life nor cause death. Thus, the affirmation of His Lordship over the addressees follows, exposing their denial of clear evidence and their ingratitude for the blessings." 

Categorizing the types of Tawhid and dividing them based on their concepts is neither objectionable from a religious nor a scholarly perspective. In fact, Tawhid can be classified into even more categories, such as Tawhid of the Divine Essence, Tawhid of Attributes, and Tawhid of Actions.

However, the error lies in assuming that belief in Rububiyyah (Lordship) is already achieved by the disbelievers. This is a false and invalid claim, as evidenced by the Islamic texts mentioned earlier. Furthermore, no recognized Islamic scholar has transmitted a distinction between belief in Rububiyyah and Uluhiyyah (Divinity). Advocating for this separation leads to numerous false conclusions, including the claim that disbelievers possess faith in Rububiyyah. This contradicts Allah’s description of them as polytheists and disbelievers. The confusion of those who support this claim stems from the superficial acknowledgment by some polytheists that Allah is the Creator, as seen in Allah’s statement {which means}: "And if you ask them who created them, they will surely say, ‘Allah.’ So how are they deluded?" (Az-Zukhruf, 87). This verse, along with similar ones, highlights their outward admission, but this acknowledgment does not constitute true faith.

The underlying reason behind the disbelievers' response in such verses is explained by scholars of theology and interpretation as follows: this acknowledgment from the disbelievers is similar to the acknowledgment of one who is forced to admit something due to the overwhelming evidence, and it is not a genuine belief on their part. No one can deny that Allah is the Creator, the Provider, and the Lord, given the clear signs and evidence in the universe and within ourselves. Therefore, Allah the Exalted denied their deviation from this clear truth by believing that there is a partner for Him. In fact, Allah described them as liars and disbelievers after their apparent acknowledgment, saying: "Indeed, Allah does not guide one who is a liar, a disbeliever" (Az-Zumar, 3). Al-Baydawi said in his commentary : "And if you ask them, 'Who created the heavens and the earth?' they will surely say, 'Allah.' This is due to the clarity of the evidence that prevents attributing creation to anyone else, so much so that they were compelled to admit it."

In addition, the Quran contains what invalidates the claim that the disbelievers were believers in Lordship, rather it proves the opposite. They were polytheists in Lordship because they believed in many lords alongside Allah. Allah has narrated on the tongue of Yusuf (Joseph), peace be upon him: "O my two companions of the prison, are [many] separate lords better or one Allah, the Exalted in Power?" [Yusuf 12:39]. Moreover, the Exalted said: "And He does not command you to take the angels and the prophets as lords. Does He command you to disbelief after you have been Muslims?" [Al-Imran, 80]. Furthermore, the Exalted said: "They have taken their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah, and [also] the Messiah, the son of Mary. And they were not commanded except to worship one God; there is no deity except Him. Exalted is He above what they associate [with Him]" [At-Tawbah, 31].

Therefore, dividing Tawhid for the purpose of teaching, understanding, and clarifying meanings is permissible. However, dividing it in a way that attributes belief in Lordship to polytheists is contrary to what is clearly established in the Quran. This becomes even more dangerous if it is used as a basis for declaring certain Muslims as disbelievers on the grounds of denying Lordship, through subsidiary Fiqh issues such as seeking intercession, invoking help, and seeking blessings from the righteous, and other issues where differences of opinion fall within the framework of Islamic jurisprudence that unites rather than divides. And Allah The Almighty knows best.