Tawhid is to believe that there is no other god but only one God, Allah SWT, and to believe in all His Attributes and all His Beautiful Divine Names as mentioned in the al-Qur’an, and also believing that Prophet Muhammad SAW is His Messenger.
It is the essence of Islam, the heart of Islam. The message that has been revealed to our Prophet Muhammad SAW and to all the other Prophets before him.
Tawhid is the opposite of kufr (unbelief) and if we associate Allah SWT with other gods then this is considered as shirk(polytheism, idolatry).
Tawhid is usually described into three parts: Unity of Lordship (توحيد الربوبية ), Unity of worship (توحيد الألوهية ), Unity of His Names and Attributes (توحيد الأسماء والصفات ).
Unity of Lordship: It means we believe certainly and accept that there is only one God, who is the Creator of everything in this world. He is also the Sustainer and Manager of the affairs of the whole universe. He is the one who gives life and takes it away. He knows all the affairs of His creation and He is Merciful in creating and sustaining them since everything in the seen and unseen world dependent on Him.
“Allah is Creator of all things, and He is Guardian over all things,” (39:62).
“And if thou wert to ask them: Who created the heavens and the earth, and constrained the sun and the moon (to their appointed work)? They would say: Allah. How then are they turned away?” (29:61).
“And if thou wert to ask them: Who causeth water to come down from the sky, and therewith reviveth the earth after its death? They verily would say: Allah. Say: Praise be to Allah! But most of them have no sense.” (29:63)
Unity of worship: It means we believe certainly that God is the legislator and the one who sent revelation and messengers. He is the one who deserves to be worshipped. He is the one, who deserve to be thanked, prayed and feared. He is the one who set the way on how to worship Him, and we should follow His instruction and the Shari’ah as He ordered and instructed us to do.
According to Muslim scholars, “The difference between a Muslim and a kafeer is in unity of worship. A Muslim acknowledges the unity of worship; he accepts that God has given him many gifts including his best creation, the creation of the universe with all its beauty and source, and the sending of guidance and revelation. He is thankful and grateful to Allah by worshipping Him and follows His instructions. A kafeer accepts only the gifts of Allah, but in return, he is not thankful to Allah. He denies and rejects the unity of worship. He doesn’t want to show that He is the servant of Allah.”
“Surely pure religion is for Allah only. And those who choose protecting friends beside Him (say): We worship them only that they may bring us near into unto Allah. Lo! Allah will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. Lo! Allah guideth not him who is a liar, an ingrate,” 39:3.
“Yet of mankind are some who take unto themselves objects of worship which they set as rivals to Allah, loving them with a love like (that which is the due) of Allah (only). Those who believe are stauncher in their love for Allah, that those who do evil had but known, (on the day) when they behold the doom, that power belongeth wholly to Allah, and that Allah is severe in punishment!” (2:165).
“Whoever follows the revelation which has just come from Allah is rightly guided. This will be reckoned for him. Whoever goes astray does so at his own cost. I [Muhammad] was not sent to compel you to follow me [but to persuade and warn],” (10:108).
Unity of His Names and Attributes: It means we should believe in all His Attributes and Beautiful Names as mentioned in the al-Qur’an. We should worship Him and do supplication to Him using His Beautiful Names and Attributes.
We should only know Allah as He has referred to Himself in the al-Qur’an and as mentioned by Prophet Muhammad SAW.
There is no similarities between His Attributes and ours, and the knowledge of these Names and Attributes are hidden from us except what He has revealed in the al-Qur’an and to our Prophet Muhammad SAW.
“The Creator of the heavens and the earth. He hath made for you pairs of yourselves, and of the cattle also pairs, whereby He multiplieth you. Naught is as His likeness; and He is the Hearer, the Seer.” (49:13)
Implication of Tawhid on human life (Individual and collective level):
- It gives meaning and purpose to our life.
- It produces strong degree of patient and determination.
- It is generate in man sense of modesty and humbleness.
- It makes man virtuous and upright.
- The believer of tawhid does not broken heart under different circumstances of life.
- It produces in man highest degree of self-respect.
- It creates an attitude of peace and harmony in the community.
- It makes man deals peacefully and effectively with nature.
Kufr (كفر )
Means to cover, to hide, not to believe in Allah, to become an infidel, to be ungrateful.
It is the opposite of Iman and gratitude (شكر ). Faith is nothing but a form of gratitude, and gratitude is a form of faith.
Iman begins with the recognition of the truth in the heart. Hence kufr begins with denial of the truth in the heart.
Kufr is the rejection of the Truth and refusal to abide by them.
A kafeer is a truth-concealer and a person who is ungrateful. Someone who is ungrateful, conceal the good that has been done to them by not mentioning it.
Shirk (شرك)
Shirk means “to share, to be a partner, to make someone share in, to give someone a partner, to associate someone with someone else.”
Shirk means to give Allah SWT partners, and worshiping them along with Him.
“Worship God, and do not associate any others with Him” (4:36)
“Do not associate others with God; to associate others is a mighty wrong.” (31:13)
“God forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with God is to devise a sin most heinous indeed,” (4:48).
Shirk in Lordship: It means any acts or deeds that attempt to associate Allah SWT with other partners. It is the act of accepting and acknowledging that there are many gods, or accepting that Allah SWT is not perfect and cannot do any act by Himself and He needs someone to assist Him, or share with Him His power, knowledge or mercy.
For example, the concept of trinity is a form of shirk. Saying that Jesus AS is the son of God is shirk. Worshipping many gods in Hinduism is a form of shirk.
Accepting that other creatures, either human or jinn or shaytan can cause harm or benefit to you without the Will of Allah SWT isshirk.
Believing in all kind of superstition and attributing power and ability to certain objects can cause harm or benefit to people is another form of shirk.
Shirk in worship: It means to worship any other god or gods except Allah SWT is a form of shirk.
Worshipping Allah SWT and practicing rituals other than those mentioned in the Syari’ah and accepted by Allah SWT is shirk.
Rendering obedience to any authority against the Will of Allah SWT is a form of shirk:
“They take their priests and their anchorites to be their lords in derogation of God, and (they take as their Lord) Christ the son of Mary; yet they were commanded to worship but One God: there is no god but He. Praise and glory to Him: (far is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him)” (9:31).
“Have you seen the one who has taken his own vain desire as his god? Knowing that, Allah left him astray and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight. Now who will guide him after Allah (has withdrawn His guidance)?” (45:23)
Shirk in Allah’s Names and Attributes: It means to deny any Names and Attributes of Allah SWT or to give Him any other Names that have not been authorized by the Syari’ah.
To make similarity between the Names and Attributes of Allah SWT and those of His creatures is an act of shirk.
To describe Allah SWT with many human qualities such as eating, drinking, marriage, having children, being jealous of one another is a form of shirk.
Other forms of shirk:
Ash-shirk al-asghar or riya’ : It means any acts of worship or good deeds being done in order to gain praise, fame, or it is intended not for Him but for other things.
A companion of the Prophet SAW reported as follows: “The Prophet came out to us from his house while we were discussing the Antichrist. He said, “Shall I tell you about something that is more frightening to me than the Antichrist?” The people replied that he should. He said, “Hidden shirk. In other words, that a man should perform the salat and do it beautifully for the sake of someone who is watching.”
Ash-shirk al-khafi (The inconspicuous shirk): This type implies being inwardly dissatisfied with the inevitable condition that has been ordained for one by Allah SWT; conscientiously lamenting that had you done or not done such and such or had you approached such and such you would have had a better condition.
Prophet Muhammad SAW said: “Ash-shirk al-khafi in the Muslim nation is more inconspicuous than the creeping of black ant on black rock in the pitch-darkness of the night.”
Hence, we asked from Allah SWT to protect us from these two great sins, kufr and shirk, by saying “O Allah! I take Your refuge from that I should ascribe anything as partner in Your worship, being conscious of that, and I beg Your pardon for that sin which I am not aware of.”
Allah SWT is the most Merciful, the most Compassionate, “With My punishment I visit whom I will; but My Mercy extendeth to all things. That (Mercy) I shall ordain for those who do right, and practice regular charity, and those who believe in our Signs,” (7:156)
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