TAWHEED: Islaamic Monotheism - The Oneness of God

By The Reign of Islaamic Da'wah Centre

In the Name of Allaah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

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

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

Ibn Abas (a companion of the Messenger of Allaah narrated: When Allaah’s Messenger sent Mu’adh 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 Allaah." (Al Bukhari #1389)

All the prophets of God including; Adam, Noah, Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and the tribes, Jesus, and Muhammad (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 Allaah (The One God,) we must first accept the Oneness of the Lordship of Allaah i.e. Tauhid-ar-Rubiyah. 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 Allaah (One God). The belief in the Lordship of One God cannot be separated by the act of worshipping the One God i.e. Tauhid-al-Uluhiyah. 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 Allaah. The final aspect of Tauhid is the Oneness of the Names and Attributes of Allaah. This means: 1) We must not name or attribute anything to Allaah except with what Allaah or His Messenger has named or attributed to Him. 2) None can be named or attributed with the Names or Attributes of Allaah. E.g. The Mighty (Al Aziz). 3) We must confirm all of Allaah’s Names and Attributes stated in His book (The Qur’an) or mentioned through His Messenger (Muhammad [S.A.W.]) 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 La ilaha il-Allaah (None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah). It is essential to follow Allaah’s Messenger, Muhammad (S.A.W.) and it is part of the worship of the One God (Tauhid-al-Uluhiyah). This is included in the meaning of " I testify that Muhammad (S.A.W.) is the Messenger of Allaah," and this means, "None has the right to be followed after Allaah’s Book (The Qur’an), but Allaah’s Messenger," Allaah said: "And whatsoever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain from it". (Qur’an 59:7)

La ilaha illa Allaah is the foundation of Tauhid (Islamic Monotheism) and Islam. It is a complete system of life, through which, all forms of worship (of Allaah) are realized. That happens when a Muslim submits himself to Allaah, 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 Allaah) to a created being, has detract from the sincerity of his statement La ilaha illa- Allaah. And he has worshipped that created being to the extent he directed those matters toward it".

The Prophet (S.A.W.) said: "Whoever says La ilaha illa-Allaah sincerely will enter Paradise". ( Reported by Bazzar and declared authentic by Albani in Sahih 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 Tauhid (Islamic Monotheism) for which human beings are created.

The La ilaha illa-Allaah 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 Allaah, such as supplicating to the dead or calling upon the living who are absent.

The Prophet (S.A.W.) said: "Whoever says La illaha illa-Allaah, it will be his salvation someday, no matter befalls him before that." (This was reported by Baihaqi, declared authentic by Albani in Ahadith Sahiha-#1932)

In conclusion, it is from this understanding of Tauhid [Islamic Monotheism] that confirms what Muslims already know i.e. Islam 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. Muhammad Muhsin Khan (Islamic University, Al Madina Al-Munawwara) and Dr. Muhammad 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 Islam) available in English today.