Tawheed: Oneness of Allah

Tawheed is the most important belief in Islam. It means that Allah is One, Supreme and there is nothing like Him. Allah says in Surat al-lkhlaas, He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Everlasting Sustainer of all, He has not given birth and was not born; And no one is comparable to Him. Tawheed means Allah alone is the Creator. He is the only power behind the universe and the sole source of its guidance. He knows everything, sees everything and has power over everything. He is Eternal and is beyond human knowledge and reasoning. This does not mean that Allah is so far away that He cannot possibly know or care about what He created. On the contrary, He is close to all of us. He listens to our prayer when we call on to Him. It is Allah Who created us and so He knows everything about us. In fact, He is nearer to us than our jugular veins. Everything in the universe belongs to Allah. Allah knows everything. If a calamity strikes, it is for a reason He knows, even if we do not understand why it has happened. When someone likens anyone or anything to Allah, suggests in anyway that other people or things share Allah’s creative power with Him or have the knowledge or ability to guide or to forgive – this then is the sin of shirk. If someone worships others besides Allah, he has also committed the sin of shirk. A prophet cannot be god. In fact, no prophet of Allah ever claimed he was a god. ‘Iesa () was a prophet. It is true that he worked miracles but he did so by the command of Allah. Allah has no equal or partner. Allah is the Giver of life. He keeps things alive and provides for their needs. He was not created by anyone or anything. He has always been and will always be. He is the First and the Last. He creates what He likes, and He is never tired of creating. He is the Creator. There is no one and nothing that can be compared with Him. He was not born, and He has no father or mother. He is not in need of children to live after Him or help Him. He has no wife. He is One and without a partner. Therefore, we should not worship any of the following because it is shirk to do so: (1) Any created beings such as men, angels, animals or the dead in their graves! (2) Any created objects such as trees, mountains, stones, rivers, statues, idols or pictures. (3) Man-made gods and goddesses. Shirk means associating others with Allah in worship. It is the opposite of Tawheed. If someone associates anyone or anything with his Creator in worship, he becomes a mushrik. Tawheed rejects all kinds of shirk. A mushrik worries and relies on material things. Shirk makes a person believe in superstitions. Tawheed is the Key to Paradise Allah has forbidden Paradise to those who commit the sin of shirk. Shirk is the worst kind of injustice. Anyone who associates partners with Allah will never enter Paradise. The people of Tawheed will be admitted into Paradise because Tawheed is the key to it. The gates of Paradise will not open for anyone without this key, or for anyone who has a key that lacks teeth. The teeth of this key are shahadah, salah, zakah, sawm and hajj. Anyone who acquires the right key in this life, the key of Tawheed along with its teeth, by following Allah’s commands, will come on the Day of Judgement to the door of Paradise with the only key that opens it. He will not be kept out, unless the burden of his sins remains with him. Paradise is the home of the pure. Hell is the home of impurities. Allah is One. He commands and forbids. He creates and provides. He causes death and gives life. He decrees and delivers. He elevates and lowers. He changes night into day. He alternates the days of people and nations, replacing one with another. What Allah wills comes into being in the manner He wills it. His orders and His decrees are fulfilled in the heavens, in the farther corners of the earth, beneath it, in the seas and every other part of the universe. He originates what He wills. His knowledge encompasses all things. He keeps account of everything. His Mercy and Wisdom envelops all things. Allah’s power is limitless. Allah’s hearing encompasses all voices. Yet they do not mix with each other. Rather, He hears everything very clearly. Allah’s sight envelops all visible things. He sees everything. The hidden for Him is visible and the secret for Him is public. He knows what is secret. He even knows what is in a person’s mind and heart! Allah is extremely Great Allah forgives sins. He alleviates sufferings and hardships. He teaches the ignorant and guides those who are astray. He directs the confused and helps the desperate. He feeds the hungry and clothes the naked. He cures the sick and forgives sins. He accepts the repentance of the sinners and rewards the righteous. He helps the oppressed, humbles the arrogant and steadies those who stumble. He covers our faults and gives us safety from fear. He gives generously and that does not lessen in the least what He possesses. He is All-Powerful; the whole earth will be in His grip on the Day of Judgement, and the heavens will be folded in His Right Hand. No sin is too great for Him to forgive. No need is too great for Him to fulfil. However, He never forgives the sin of shirk. Everything perishes except His Face. Every kingdom fades except His Kingdom. Every shade will be withdrawn except by His permission and Mercy. When He is obeyed, He appreciates. When He is disobeyed, and sought for forgiveness He overlooks and forgives. If all the trees on earth were pens and all the seas with seven others added to them were ink, and those pens were to write with that ink, both the pens and ink would be exhausted, but the words of Allah’s unlimited knowledge or those describing His attributes and His grandeur or praise of Him would not. Allah has the Most Beautiful Names and the perfect Attributes. We must believe in their great underlying meanings and describe Allah the Almighty in a manner that suits His Majesty without likening His Attributes to any of those of His creatures. All acts of worship, such as invocation, trust, fear and sacrifice, should be directed to Him alone. We should invoke none but Allah, rely on none except Allah, seek no one’s help except Allah’s help and seek no one’s refuge but Allah’s refuge. Exercises A. Fill in the blanks with suitable words. 1 . Tawheed means of Allah. 2 . Allah has not given birth and was not 3. was a prophet. 4. is a sin that Allah will never forgive 5. Allah’s encompasses all voices. B. Are these statements true or false? In the box provided, write T if the statement is true or F if it is false. 1 . Allah knows all the secrets we keep in our hearts. 2. Since Almighty Allah was not born, He has no father or mother. 3. The teeth of the key of Tawheed are shahaadah, salah, zakah, sawm and hajj. 4. Our needs are too much for Allah to fulfil. C. Answer the following questions. 1. What is Tawheed? 2. What is shirk? 3. Name some attributes of Allah you studied in this chapter. 4. Are we allowed to worship rivers, statues, graves etc.? Whom should we worship, and why?