The concept of “One of God / Monotheism” is the most fundamental concept in the Islam. It holds that God (Allah) is One (Al-ʾAḥad) and Single (Al-Wāḥid). The Arabic word “Tawhid” is from “Wahdah”, which means “Oneness”, and is used for someone who is alone and distinguished in his entity and qualities. According to the Islamic concept of Tawhid, there is no one like God and neither is there anyone that shares with Him, anything, from His entity and qualities. Monotheism constitutes the foremost article of the Muslim profession.
Classification of Tawhid
- Tawhid in reference to God’s Entity
- Tawhid in reference to God’s Worship
- Tawhid in reference to God’s Qualities
Tawhid in Reference to God’s Entity
This means that God should be considered alone in His entity and no one is to be associated with Him. God does not have a family; He has no wife, no children, no father and no mother. He is not part of anything nor is anything a part of His entity. Islam condemns attributing someone as a son or a daughter of God.
“But they have attributed to Allah partners – the jinn, while He has created them – and have fabricated for Him sons and daughters. Exalted is He and high above what they describe.” [Qur’an 6:100]
When Allah’s Apostle presented this concept before the polytheists, they started questioning him about Allah. The following verses were then revealed:
“Say, He, Allah, is One. Allah is He on Whom all depend. He begets not, nor is He begotten. And none is like Him.” [Qur’an 112:1-4]
God is not part of His creation or this world. He is not present everywhere. His Throne of Power is high above this world. It is only by His Knowledge and His Power that he is everywhere. His knowledge and His Power encircles everything in this world. Qur’an clearly mentions this:
“It is Allah who created the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them in six days; then He established Himself above the Throne. You have not besides Him any protector or any intercessor; so will you not be reminded? He arranges (each) matter from the heaven to the earth; then it will ascend to Him in a Day, the extent of which is a thousand years of those which you count.” [Qur’an 32:4-5]
A saying of the Prophet also indicates that God is not part of this world:
“Our Lord, The Blessed and the Exalted, descends every night to the lowest heaven when one third of the latter part of the night is left, and says; Who supplicates Me so that I may answer him? Who asks Me so that I may give to him? Who asks Me forgiveness so that I may forgive him?” [Ref: Bukhari]
Tawhid in Reference to God’s Worship
This means that all sorts of prayers and obedience should be directed towards Allah alone and no one else should be associated with Him.
“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him..” [Qur’an 17:23]
“And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Prostrate not to the sun, nor to the moon, but prostrate to Allah Who created them, if you (really) worship Him.” [Qur’an 41:37]
“Did I not ordain for you, O Children of Adam, that you should not worship Satan. Verily, he is a plain enemy to you.” [Qur’an 36:60]
So all sorts of praying forms like Salah, Qayam (standing straight without motion), bowing, prostrating, sacrificing of animals, supplication, calling for help, seeking refuge, hoping for good and fear etc is only and purely for Allah alone. If some one in his worship associates anyone with Allah then it will be considered as Shirk (polytheism).
As far as obedience is concerned, in all aspects of life one has to obey the laws and orders of Allah. Giving preference to any other law over the law of Allah is also considered against monotheism.
“Have you seen the one who takes as his god, his own desire? Then would you be responsible for him?” [Qur’an 25:43]
This verse shows that polytheism is not simply worshiping idols. Giving preference to one’s desires against the laws of Allah is also considered against monotheism. Many who consider themselves the servant of the One God bow in submission before the greatest of their idols, i.e. their “Desire”.
As an example see the following verse:
“Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which Allah’s Name has not been pronounced (at the time of the slaughtering of the animal), for sure it is a sin and disobedience of Allah. And certainly, the devils do inspire their friends (from mankind) to dispute with you, and if you obey them (by making a dead animal legal by eating it), then you would indeed be polytheists.” [Qur’an 6:121]
Why this is polytheism is because the devils and their friends made lawful to eat something that Allah had made unlawful to eat, and to obey them by considering it lawful to eat is equivalent to worshipping them instead of Allah, and to worship others besides Allah is polytheism.
“And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed – then it is those who are the disbelievers-wrongdoers-defiantly disobedient” [Qur’an 5:44-47]
Tawhid in Reference to God’s Qualities
This means that all the qualities of God should be attributed to God alone and no one else should be considered equal to Him regarding His qualities.
“There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.” [Qur’an 42:11]
To understand this lets take an example considering the listening/hearing quality (which is just one out of innumerable qualities) of Allah as mentioned in the above verse. Allah is listening not just for some days or weeks or years, but its been thousands and thousands of years and He is listening to prayers, supplications, secrets etc of not only for some but millions and billions of people at the same time without any limitation!
Think of the time when millions of pilgrims gather together and invoke Allah. Allah is listening to them all at the same time. He knows what each one of them needs, He knows what is inside their hearts and then according to His Knowledge and Wisdom He decides for each of them. Its not only these pilgrims that He is only listening to, He is also listening to the rest of the world at the same time.
And then humans are just a fraction of His creation. Other creations exists too who pray to the same God i.e. Allah and He listens to them too.
“And none can know the hosts (forces/armies) of your Lord but He.” [Qur’an 74:31]
All of God’s creation is glorifying Him and He is listening to them all, at the same time.
“The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein, glorify Him and there is not a thing but glorifies His Praise. But you understand not their glorification. Truly, He is Ever Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving.” [Qur’an 17:44]
Now compare human listening with God’s listening. No human is capable of listening to two different sources at the same time. There are some people who take the dead pious people as intercessors to God and claim that they listen to people and convey their prayers and requests to God. To them the only question would be that; how can a dead person listen to millions of people calling him, while he could not even listen to just two of them, when he was alive?
Therefore to attribute a quality equivalent to the quality of God, to some one other than God is against the concept of Islamic monotheism and is considered polytheism.