08 May, 2024

29 Shawwal, 1445 H

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"Silence saves you from regret"

- Imam Ali (as) -

Learning
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Core Curriculum
Section 1 - God, Religion and Islam: An Introduction

  • Topic 1.1 - God, Allah and Religion

  • Topic 1.2 - What is “Religion” and What’s the Point of it Anyways?

  • Topic 1.3 - Introduction to Islam

  • Topic 1.4 - A Brief Introduction to the Prophet Muhammad (s), the Prophet of Islam

Section 2 - Foundations of Islam - Theology

  • Topic 2.1 - Satan, Jinns and Angels: Their Influence in the World

  • Topic 2.2 - The Islamic Concept of the Nafs: Battling the Human Ego

  • Topic 2.3 - The Sharīʿa: Purpose and Practice

  • Topic 2.4 - Nubuwwa: The Purpose of Prophethood in Islam

  • Topic 2.5 - Tawhīd: The Unity and Oneness of God in Islam

  • Topic 2.6 - The Usūl al-Dīn: The Fundamental Beliefs of Islam

  • Topic 2.7 - Adala: Divine Justice in Islam

  • Topic 2.8 - Entering Islam: The Shahada

  • Topic 2.9 - Maʿād: The Day of Judgment in Islam

  • Topic 2.10 - Imāmah or divinely guided leadership in Islam after the Prophet Muhammad.

Section 3 - Foundations of Islam - Obligatory Acts

  • Topic 3.1 - Accepting Islam: Putting Faith into Action

  • Topic 3.2 - The Furūʿ al-Dīn: The Fundamental Practices of Islam

  • Topic 3.3 - Salāt: Obligatory Ritual Prayers in Islam

  • Topic 3.4 - Fasting in Islam, its Purpose, Dos and Don’ts

  • Topic 3.5 - The Hajj Pilgrimage

  • Topic 3.6 - The Purpose of Zakat and Khums in Islamic Law

  • Topic 3.7 - Jihād in Islamic Law and Spirituality

  • Topic 3.8 - Commanding the Good and Forbidding Evil in Islam

  • Topic 3.9 - Tawalla and Tabarra, its Basics and Purpose

  • Topic 3.10 - The Five Categories of Islamic Law

  • Topic 3.11 - Niyya: Religious Intention as the Foundation of Islamic Practice

  • Topic 3.12 - Ritual Purity in Islamic Law: Understanding Tahāra and Najāsa

  • Topic 3.13 - Other Obligatory and Forbidden Acts in Islam

Section 4 - Prophethood in Islam

  • Topic 4.1 - A Brief Biography of the Prophet Muhammad (s): The Prophet’s Childhood (PART I of III)

  • Topic 4.2 - Bio: The Prophet Muhammad as a Prophet of God (PART II of III)

  • Topic 4.3 - A Brief Biography of the Prophet Muhammad (s): The Prophet’s Character (PART III of III)

  • Topic 4.4 - The Prophet Muhammad (s) as Messenger and Teacher

  • Topic 4.5 - The Prophet and his Relationships

  • Topic 4.6 - The Prophet’s Sunnah and Hadith

  • Topic 4.7 - Ghadīr and Arafah: The Two Last Sermons of the Prophet

  • Topic 4.8 - Jesus and Mary in Islam

Section 5 - The Qur'an and Hadith

  • Topic 5.1 - Islam and Other Religions

  • Topic 5.2 - What is the Qur’an? A Short Introduction to Islam’s Holy Book

  • Topic 5.3 - The Structure of the Holy Qur’an

  • Topic 5.4 - The Quran and Islamic law

  • Topic 5.5 - The Qur’an, Allah and Humankind

  • Topic 5.6 - Hadith and Sunnah, difference and variations

  • Topic 5.7 - The Reliability of Hadiths

  • Topic 5.8 - A Reflection on Verses of the Holy Qur’an

  • Topic 5.9 - Hadith al-Thaqalayn

  • Topic 5.10 - Imam Ali (as) and Nahj al-Balagha.

  • Topic 5.11 - Taqlid and Tawḍih Al Masail Genre of Literature

Section 6 - Measuring Good and Bad in Islam

  • Topic 6.1 - Guidance According to Islam

  • Topic 6.2 - Life and Death in Islam

  • Topic 6.3 - Heaven and Hell in Islam

  • Topic 6.4 - The Effects of Our Actions in this World

  • Topic 6.5 - The Gray Areas of Islamic Law and Morality

  • Topic 6.6 - Benefits of Islamic Law in this World

  • Topic 6.7 - Good and Bad Deeds: The Spiritual Consequences of our Choices

  • Topic 6.8 - The Effect of Culture and Environment in Shaping our Religious Choices

  • Topic 6.9 - Fate and the Consequences of our Choices in Islam

  • Topic 6.10 - Trivializing the Harām

  • Topic 6.11 - Sinning Against Others and their Delayed Punishment

  • Topic 6.12 - The Three Kinds of Rights in Islam

  • Topic 6.13 - Major Sins in Islam

  • Topic 6.14 - Repentance and Forgiveness of Sins in Islam

  • Topic 6.15 - Kufr in Islam

  • Topic 6.16 - Why Allah Allows People to Sin

Section 7 - The Legacy of the Prophet Muhammad (s) and his Ahl al-Bayt (as)

  • Topic 7.1 - Islam and Knowledge: the Importance of Islamic Education

  • Topic 7.2 - The Ahl al-Kisa

  • Topic 7.3 - Imamah in the Qur’an

  • Topic 7.4 - Fatima al-Zahrah (as)

  • Topic 7.5 - A Brief Look at the Lives of the Imams (Imam al-Hasan until Imam Muhammad al-Baqir)

  • Topic 7.6 - A Brief Look at the Lives of the Imams (Imam Jafar al-Sadiq until Imam Hasan al-Askari)

  • Topic 7.7 - A Brief Look at the Life and Importance of Imam al-Mahdi (aj)

  • Topic 7.8 - Salawat and Atonement in Islam

  • Topic 7.9 - The Companions (Sahaba) of the Prophet According to the Qur’an

  • Topic 7.10 - Clerical Hierarchies in Muslim Communities

  • Topic 7.11 - Mosques in Islam

  • Topic 7.12 - The Philosophy of Karbala and Majalis

  • Topic 7.13 - A Brief Biography of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as)

  • Topic 7.14 - The Battle of Karbala: A Brief History

Section 8 - Islamic Relationships, Sects and Conflicts

  • Topic 8.1 - Islam and Rights

  • Topic 8.2 - Islam and Religious Conflicts

  • Topic 8.3 - Major Sects of Islam

  • Topic 8.4 - Sunnism and Shi’ism, beginnings and historical developments.

  • Topic 8.5 - Misconceptions about Shi’ism

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Special Topics
Section 9 - Independent Topics

  • Topic 9.1 - Muslim Converts – Welcome to Islam!

  • Topic 9.2 - Basic Dos and Don’ts of Being a Muslim

  • Topic 9.3 - Halal Food and Zabiha

  • Topic 9.4 - Modesty in Islam

  • Topic 9.5 - Family, Parents and Marriage in Islam

  • Topic 9.6 - Marriage in Islam

  • Topic 9.7 - Islam and Sex

  • Topic 9.8 - Women’s Menstruation in Islam

  • Topic 9.9 - Music, Alcohol, Drugs and Pork in Islam

  • Topic 9.10 - Islam and Science

  • Topic 9.11 - A Reading List of Islamic Knowledge

  • Topic 9.12 - Islam and Sufism

  • Topic 9.13 - Ritual Prayers and Supplications in Islam

  • Topic 9.14 - Death & Burial Rituals in Islam

  • Topic 9.15 - The Battle of Armageddon: An Islamic View

  • Topic 9.16 - The Muslim Calendar

  • Topic 9.17 - Muslims and non-Muslims in the Shariah

  • Topic 9.18 - A Timeline of Major Events in Islamic History

  • Topic 9.19 - Introducing the Qur’an: Why it is the way it is

  • Topic 9.20 - The School of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq

  • Topic 9.21 - Major Fields in Islamic Studies

  • Topic 9.22 - The Caliphate in Sunni and Shia Islam

  • Topic 9.23 - The Spread of Islam: After the Prophet until the Ottoman Empire

  • Topic 9.24 - Islam, Racism and Anti-Semitism

Section 10 - Islam, Religion, and Modern Controversies

  • Topic 10.1 - Modern Fallacies about God: where Theists and Atheists Agree

  • Topic 10.2 - Tawhīd: The Muslim God according to the Prophet Muhammad and the Ahl al-Bayt (as)

  • Topic 10.3 - God’s Existence: The Argument From Being (Wujūd)

  • Topic 10.4 - God’s Existence: The Kalam Cosmological Argument

  • Topic 10.5 - God’s Existence: The Argument From Design

  • Topic 10.6 - The Problem of Evil, Suffering and Pain

  • Topic 10.7 - Why did God Create Us? The Purpose of our Creation

  • Topic 10.8 - Why Humans Need Religion according to Islam

  • Topic 10.9 - Jahl and Spiritual Ignorance in Islam

  • Topic 10.10 - Faith in Islam: Belief without Evidence?

  • Topic 10.11 - Do Non-Muslims Go to Hell?

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Tawhīd: The Unity and Oneness of God in Islam

Abstract

Tawhīd is the Absolute Oneness and Unity of God. It is the foundation of Islam and its most important doctrine. Without it, none of Islam makes sense since all beliefs are predicated upon it.

INTRODUCTION 

 

Bismillāhir Rahmānir Rahīm, As-salāmu ʿAlaykum wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh. Peace be upon you brothers and sisters. 

 

Thank you for tuning back to our Channel. In our previous lesson, we covered the concept of the uṣūl al-dīn in Islam. The usūl al-dīn, as you recall, refer to the fundamental articles or principles of the Islamic faith.  We learned that they are necessary for proper guidance. 

 

The most important of these principals is the principal of Tawhīd. Tawhīd refers to the absolute Oneness and Unity of God. It is the most important and fundamental aspect of all of Islam. Without Tawhīd, none of Islam or any other of the uṣūl al-dīn make any sense. We say this as all beliefs in Islam are predicated on the idea of a One and Indivisible God.  

 

In this lesson, we will outline the major implications of tawhīd regarding the nature of God in Islam, and regarding our behavior with ourselves and God. 

 

BODY OF TEXT 

 

And verily, We have sent among every community a Messenger [proclaiming]: “Worship Allah [Alone], and shun false deities” Then among them were some whom Allah guided and of them were some who were deserving of error. So travel through the earth and see what was the end of those who denied [the truth.] (Chapter 16, verse 36 of the Holy Qur’an) 

 

Say He is Allah, the One, the Eternal, He does not beget nor is He begotten, and there is none like Him (Chapter 112 of the Holy Qur’an) 

 

Tawhīd is the Absolute Oneness and Unity of God. Tawhīd is shahāda summed up in one word. It denies the existence of any deity or god except for the God who brought forth all of existence. It holds that God is of one essence only and is incompatible with any form of polytheism. 

 

Tawhīd also means that God has no partners in any action He does, either in creating the world or in sustaining it. Yes, He does have angels and other beings who perform tasks, but they do so as His servants and not His partners. He is in no need of them and can manage existence without them. 

 

Tawhīd is not just an abstract belief about the nature of God, it has direct implications in terms of how we are supposed to live, worship and relate to others. First, it means that only God alone can be worshipped. Worshiping other imaginary deities and idols is futile.  

As discussed earlier when we covered the subject of shahāda, worship is not only outward worship of gods and idols. The Arabic word for worship is ʿibāda, which literally means to “enslave oneself to something” as ʿibāda comes from the root word ʿabd, meaning slave or servant.   

 

When we say “worship,” in Islam, it means to enslave or submit one’s heart and soul to something to the point that it takes full priority in our thoughts and in our goals in life. One may, for example, submit and enslave one’s heart to a particular person, to one’s own ego, or material objects like money. Tawhīd implies that one’s heart and mind must submit and serve Allah only and must hold priority over any other thing. 

 

With that said, tawhīd is the antithesis of shirk. Shirk is a term that may refer to polytheism, idol worship or ascribing partners to God. Although many people may deny the most apparent form of shirk, there is a second form of shirk that is more common.  

 

This form of shirk is where a person ascribes particular attributes of Allah to creation. Sometimes people deify their Prophets and religious leaders, which is a form of shirk. At other times, they believe that particular human beings, like their bosses, are their sustainers in this world, whereas in reality, only Allah is the true Sustainer.  

 

From an Islamic point of view, God is the only provider and sustainer and hence His name al-Razzāq, meaning the Sustainer. If a human being happens to give you paychecks, know that they do so by the will of Allah (swt). Whatever comes to you via the creation, it is originally from Allah. No one can reduce or raise your salary without the will of Allah. 

 

There is an even subtler form of shirk that many people are guilty of. The Qur’an says: 

 

And most of them believe not in Allah except that they associate others with him (Chapter 12 of the Qur’an, verse 106) 

 

The 6th Imām of the Prophet’s Holy Household, Jaʿfar as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) remarked on this verse: it is because people often say “if it weren’t for such and such person I would have been ruined” 

 

We often attribute actions to God’s creation whether it is nature or other human beings. We think that they are the reason for our success or failure in life. Although our own choices do play a role, everything is ultimately in the hands of God.  

 

According to Imām as-Sādiq, tawhīd implies that Allah is the one who controls and sustains everything, and to ascribe control to someone else is a form of shirk. This does not mean that we are not responsible for things. To the contrary, we are responsible for our efforts. The final results that come about, however, are in the hands of Allah. Without effort, Allah will not give us results. 

 

This then, should make us think about the events that happen in our lives. We often get sad that we didn’t reach a certain goal that we wanted, or lost someone we loved. Tawhīd means that whatever happens in this world is through the will of God.  

 

God always has morally sufficient reasons for letting the things that happen in the world happen even if we don't understand or know them at that moment. Put differently, although we may interpret things as “going the wrong way,” a person who adopts the worldview of tawhīd will never be disappointed, for he knows all is under the control of Allah. Everything therefore moves towards the ultimate good. 

 

What we often interpret as Allah being “unfair” to us is our own shortsightedness. The only way we could ever make such a judgment is if we know the beginning and end of all things. Since our knowledge is very limited, we can never make such a judgment. As responsible and mature Muslims, we must therefore trust Allah only for only He knows the beginning and end of all things and knows what is best for us. 

 

Remember earlier we said that without tawhīd, none of Islam or the uṣūl al-dīn makes sense. We have Prophets and Imāms because they are sent by the One God to guide mankind.  

 

We have objective notions of good, bad, justice and corruption because we can attribute them to a source outside of human opinions. The Day of Judgment only makes sense if there is One God who judges our actions in accordance with the scale of justice and mercy.  

 

Shirk

Polytheism, idol worship, associating partners with Allah 

Tawhīd

Absolute Oneness and Unity of the Muslim God

Ibāda

worship, lit. means “to enslave oneself to something” 

uṣūl al-dīn

the five foundational beliefs of Islam 

Q1

Why is tawhīd the most important part of the uṣūl al-dīn?

Without tawhīd, none of Islam, let alone the uṣūl al-dīn, would make sense for all of Islam depends on the concept of the Absolute Oneness and Unity of God. 

Q2

Are idols statues only?

No, our desires and egos can be idols as well for idols are simply entities which we enslave ourselves to.

Q3

What is worship in Islam?

Worship in Arabic is ʿibāda, meaning to “enslave oneself to something.” From an Islamic perspective, we may worship objects like money, or people like our bosses if our hearts and minds are totally submitted to them.

Q4

What is shirk?

Shirk is associating partners with Allah, either in creation, or in His attributes. For example, thinking that your parents are your sole providers is shirk since only Allah holds the attribute of sole Provider and Sustainer (al-Razzāq).

Q5

Is tawhīd compatible with the Christian notion of the Trinity?

No, tawhīd means that God is absolutely one where He is not only one in essence, but is one person only and not three persons. 

tauheed
tauhid
Muslim religion
faith
shirk
polytheism
idol worship
Islamic monotheism
Muslim faith
testimony
shahāda
principles of faith
principles of religion
usul al-dīn
usool-e deen
usul-e-deen
usul din
tawhid
imāma
imāmat
principles of the Islamic faith
Muslim God
Islamic God
fundamental beliefs of Islam
tawhīd
tawheed
belief & creed
god/allah
kalmia/shahadat
usool deen
tauheed

Allah: The Concept of God in Islam by Yasin T. al-Jibouri

Fundamentals of Knowing God by Reza Berenjkar  

God and His Attributes by Mujtaba Musawi Lari  

God in Islamic Traditions: A Glance at Al-Tawhid by Shaykh al-Saduq, by Karim Aghili  

God of Islam Sayyed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi 

God in the Quran by Muhammad Hosseini Beheshti