Islam Guidance

1. Tawhīd: Monotheism

Tawhīd & Sifāt

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 1. TawhÄ«d: Monotheism

 The corner-stone of Islamic beliefs is tawhÄ«d, the belief in Unity or Oneness of God which is also known as monotheism. TawhÄ«d is the first part of the  kalimah—the formula of faith in Islam. It says:

Lā ilāha il-lal lāh

There is no god but Allāh.

 “Allāh” is the proper name of God in Islam. The word “Allāh” means “One who deserves to be loved” and “in Whom everyone seeks refuge.” This word, grammatically speaking is unique. It has no plural and no feminine. So this name itself reflects light upon the fact that God is one and only one; He has neither any partner nor any equal. The name cannot be adequately translated by the word “God” because God can be transformed into “gods” and “goddess”.

The Message of Tawhīd:

 The first part of the kalimah consists of two statements: A negative statement (“There is no god”) and a positive (“but Allāh”).

 The negative statement leads a Muslim throughout his life not only in religious matters but also in social affairs. “There is no god” shows a Muslim that nothing in the universe is superior to him. It is observed in the Qur'ān that He is the One who created for you all that is in the earth. So a Muslim knows that nothing in this world is to be worshipped. Neither stone nor trees, neither animals nor human beings, neither the Sun, the Moon, nor the stars can be worshipped, because everything is created for his benefit.

 When a Muslim thus rejects every falsehood and every idea of nature-worship, idol-worship and human-worship, he is ready to believe in the positive truth of tawhÄ«d. Believing in a Supreme Being gives an aim to our life and provides a purpose for our actions. Had man been left with the wrong impression that there was no God at all, his life would have been aimless, and an aimless life is dangerous. So it is added that there is no god “but Allāh”.

 The kalimah of tawhÄ«d has a negative and a positive aspect. Both are instrumental in creating the belief that every person is equal to every other person. When nobody is superior, nobody is inferior. Thus, the belief in tawhÄ«d promotes the sense of brotherhood and equality and equity which is another feature of Islam.

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