Tawḥīd: Islamic Monotheism – The Oneness of God

In the Name of Allāh, The Beneficent, The Merciful

Verily all praise is due to Allāh. We praise Him, we seek His Help and ask for His Forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allāh from all the evils in our souls and from our sinful deeds. Whoever Allāh guides, no one can mislead and whoever Allāh leaves stray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no one worthy of worship except Allāh. He is one and has no partners. And I bear witness that Muḥammad is His servant and last Messenger. O believers have fear and consciousness of Allāh according to His right and die not except as Muslims. O mankind, have fear and consciousness of your Lord, the One who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and from them spread many men and women. And fear Allāh from whom you demand your mutual rights and do not cut off family relations. Surely Allāh is Ever an All-Watcher over you. O believers, have fear and consciousness of Allāh and always speak the truth. He will direct you to do righteous deeds and will forgive you your sins. Whosoever obeys Allāh and His Messenger has indeed achieved a great reward.

Allāh, The Exalted said: “Say you (O Muḥammad): “This is my way; I invite unto Allāh (i.e. to the Oneness of Allāh – Islamic Monotheism) (with sure knowledge), I and whosoever follows me (also must invite others to Allāh i.e. the Oneness of Allāh -Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge. And Glorified and Exalted is Allāh (above all they associate as partners with Him), and I am not of the polytheists.” (Qur’an 12:108)

Ibn Abbass (a companion of the Messenger of Allāh narrated: When Allāh’s Messenger sent Mu’aadh (his Companion) to Yemen, he said, “You will come upon the people of the book (Christians and Jews), let your first act be to call them to testify that – There is nothing worthy of worship in truth but Allāh.” (Al Bukhari #1389)

All the prophets of God including; Adam, Noah, Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and the tribes, Jesus, and Muḥammad (peace be upon them), invited the people to the same thing, to worship The One God without any partners, son or associates. In order to understand why must worship Allāh (The One God,) we must first accept the Oneness of the Lordship of Allāh i.e. Tawḥīdur-Ruboobiyyah. This means to believe that there is only One Lord for everything that exist, its Creator, Organizer, Originator, Planner, Sustainer, Authority, Giver of Security, etc. and this is Allāh (One God). The belief in the Lordship of One God cannot be separated by the act of worshipping the One God i.e. Tawḥīdul-Uloohiyyah. This means to believe that none has right to be worshipped (e.g. praying, invoking, asking for help from the unseen, swearing, sacrificing, pilgrimage, fasting, giving charity, etc.) but Allāh. The final aspect of Tawḥīd is the Oneness of the Names and Attributes of Allāh. This means:

1) We must not name or attribute anything to Allāh except with what Allāh or His Messenger has named or attributed to Him.

2) None can be named or attributed with the Names or Attributes of Allāh. E.g. The Mighty (Al Azeez).

3) We must confirm all of Allāh’s Names and Attributes stated in His book (The Qur’an) or mentioned through His Messenger (Muḥammad without changing them or ignoring them completely or twisting the meanings or giving them resemblance to any of the created things. These three aspects of Tauhid are included in the meaning of Laa ilaaha illullaah (None has the right to be worshipped except Allāh). It is essential to follow Allāh’s Messenger, Muḥammad and it is part of the worship of the One God (Tawḥīdul-Uloohiyyah). This is included in the meaning of “I testify that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allāh,” and this means, “None has the right to be followed after Allāh’s Book (The Qur’an), but Allāh’s Messenger,” Allāh said: “And whatsoever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain from it”. (Qur’an 59:7)

Laa illaaha illullaah is the foundation of Tawḥīd (Islamic Monotheism) and Islām. It is a complete system of life, through which, all forms of worship (of Allāh) are realized. That happens when a Muslim submits himself to Allāh, and calls upon Him alone, and refers all issues (of right and wrong) to His Law, to the exclusion of all other systems of law. “The word ilah (i.e. God), means the One who is obeyed and not defied, out of one sense of awe and reference, love, fear, and hope, placing one’s trust in Him, asking Him and supplicating Him alone. Whoever directs any of these matters (which are the rights of Allāh) to a created being, has detract from the sincerity of his statement La ilaha illa- Allāh. And he has worshipped that created being to the extent he directed those matters toward it”.

The Prophet said: “Whoever says Laa illaaha illullaah sincerely will enter Paradise”. (Reported by Bazzar and declared authentic by Imaam al-Albaanee in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jami)

The sincere person is the one who understand, acts according to its requirements, invites others to it, and gives it presidents over all other issues, because it is the concise formula of Tawḥīd (Islamic Monotheism) for which human beings are created.

The statement ‘Laa illaaha illullaah’ will benefit the one who says it if he confirms to its meaning in his life, and doesn’t nullify it by associating partners with Allāh, such as supplicating to the dead or calling upon the living who are absent.

The Prophet said: “Whoever says La illaha illa-Allāh, it will be his salvation someday, no matter befalls him before that.” (This was reported by Baihaqi, declared authentic by Albaanee in Ahaadeeth as-Ṣaḥīḥah #1932)

In conclusion, it is from this understanding of Tawḥīd [Islamic Monotheism] that confirms what Muslims already know i.e. Islām is the only Monotheistic Religion and way of life in the universe. Therefore, we invite you to this understanding and we invite you to this way of life.

All excerpts of the Qur’an are taken from the ” Interpretation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur’an in the English Language” by Dr. Muḥammad Muhsin Khan (Islamic University, Al Madina Al-Munawwara) and Dr. Muḥammad Takiud-deen Al-Hilali (Islamic University, Al Madina Al-Munawwara) which is the most authentic translation of the Qur’an (according to the scholars of Islām) available in English today.