Tawhid

Tawhid: Faith in the Unity of God The meaning of Tawhid Kinds of Tawhid Shirk Kinds of shirk Effects of Tawhid on Human life

Tawhid: Faith in the Unity of God

The most fundamental and the most important teaching of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) is faith in the unity of God. This is expressed in the primary Kalimah of Islam as "There is no deity but Allah" (La ilaha illallah). This beautiful phrase is the bedrock of Islam,

The meaning of Tawheed

Tawheed means oneness and uniqueness Tawheed means that there is absolutely no one worthy of worship other than Allah. The comprehensive concept of Tawheed is given in the surah Al-Ikhlas say :He is Allah, the One and the Only: Allah, the Eternal, Absolute. He begets not nor is He begotten. And there is none comparable to him (112:1-4)

Kinds of Tawheed
There are three main types of tawhid, 1.Tawhid ar-Rububiyah (oneness of the Lordship of Allah) 2.Tawhid al-Asmaa was-Sifaat, (oneness of the Names and Qualities of Allah) 3.Tawhid al-' Auluhiyyah (oneness in Worship of Allah.

Tawhid ar-Rububiyah (oneness of the Lordship of Allah)

To believe that there is One Lord for all the universe Who is its creator, the organizer, the supreme planner, the sustainer, the Law giver, the designer, and the giver of the security etc. that is Allah. He is neither the father nor son of the anyone. Quran says, Say, he is Allah the one and only, Allah the Eternal absolute (112:1) He begets not is He begotten (112:3) again it says, And your Allah is one Allah, there is no got but He the most Gracious, most Merciful (2:163) Allaah says: "Allaah created all things and He Is the agent on which all things depend

Tawhid al-' Auluhiyyah (oneness in Worship of Allah.

Allah is the creator, He is only one worthy of worship. it is mans primary duty and obligation to worship none, but Allah. Man is reminded of his duty persistently in Quran. O you people! Worship your Lord (Allah) who created you and those who were before you so that you may become the pious. (2:21) again says I have only created jinns and men that they may serve Me (51:56) To believe that none has the right to be worshipped (e.g. praying invoking, asking for help from the unseen, swearing sacrifices, giving charity, fasting, pilgrimage) but Allah. Quran says, you alone we worship and you alone we ask help from (1:5)

Tawhid al-Asmaa was-Sifaat

The belief includes: We must not name or qualify Allah except with what He and His messenger has named or Qualified him. None can be named or Qualified with the names or Qualification of Allah e.g., Karim.and there is none like unto Him (112:5) We must believe in all the qualities of Allah which he has stated in His Book or mentioned through His messenger Muhammad (S.A.W) without changing their meaning and ignoring them completely or twisting the meanings Muslim believes in the divine attributes of Allah these qualities are only inherent in Allah and this belie is integral part of the faith. Quran says: Some of attributes of Allah are;Al-Khaiq, Al-Qadim, Al-Qadir, Al-Malik, As-Samad "There is nothing like Him and He is hearer and seer of all. (42:11)

Shirk
Shirk literally means partnership or sharing or associating. In terminology of Islam it refers to assigning partners to Allah, or ascribing divine attribute to others beside Allah and believing that the source of power. It is opposite of Tauhid. Allah says:

Kinds of shirk
a. Shirk is also divided into three main categories: Shirk in the existence of Allah: To associate partner in oneness of Allah, to think that there is more than one creator or declare that he is father or son to anyone. This is a denial of Tawhid ar-Rububiyah by means of associating equal or lesser partners to Allah. For example, Hindus worship one creator of the universe named Brahman, but they join him in a trinity with a preserver god named Vishnu, and a destroyer god named Shiva. Another example can be found in christianity, where Allah is joined with the Prophet Isa (AS) and the 'holy spirit' (who is said to exercise Allah's will on earth).

Kinds of shirk (contd.)

2. Shirk in worship: To associate partner in worship with Allah. This is a denial of Tawhid al-'Ibadah in which acts of worship are directed towards others instead of Allah - this can be praying to prophets, saints, celestial objects, idols etc. This is the worst sin anyone can commit is it denies the very reason of our existance

Kinds of shirk
3 .shirk in attributes: To ascribe of the unique qualities of Allah to any other being. To claim or believe that any other being posses the same knowledge divine power, will or determination of Allah. This is a denial of Tawhid al-Asmaa was-Sifaat by means of giving divine names or attributes to any of Allah's creations. In his book,

Everyday Examples of Shirk

there are many hidden examples of shirk Astrology and Horoscopes
The art of telling the future by means of comparing the relative positions of a number of star constellations and other celestial bodies in conjunction with the time of year that a person was born. As I mentioned before, only Allah knows what is in the future, and it is therefore impossible to gain an inkling of future events by studying the stars. This is a form of Shirk by Deification in two ways: believing in astrology gives mankind the ability to see into the future, and gives created objects the ability to give good or bad fortune, both attributes which belong to Allah alone.

Everyday Examples of Shirk

Fortune-Telling
Attempting to tell the future by any means (such as reading palms, looking into a crystal ball, etc) are forms of Shirk for the same reasons given above. Muhammad (SAW) took this matter very seriously and warned his followers against this on a number of occasions. It is clear that both performing fortune-telling yourself or visiting a fortuneteller are haram and must be avoided

Everyday Examples of Shirk

The Number 13
Stemming from the belief that the number thirteen is an unlucky number is a common example of shirk, especially in the US where it is not uncommon for tall buildings not to have a thirteenth floor. This is shirk because it is assigning the ability to bring bad fortune to a mere object

Everyday Examples of Shirk

Lucky or Unlucky Creatures
It has been a common custom for certain animals to be associated with good or bad luck for many centuries in many parts of the world. For example, black cats have been considered unlucky because of their supposed association with witches. one is supposed to either greet it or spit at it in order to avert any misfortune. Likewise, rabbits feet and horseshoes are thought to bring good luck. All of these examples are shirk because the ability to bring good or bad luck is being assigned to Allah's creation.

Effects of Tawhid on Human Life

1.Universal Outlook A believer in this Kalimah can never be narrow in outlook. He believes in a God Who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Master of the East and the West and Sustainer of the entire universe. 2. self-respect and self esteem This belief produces in man the highest degree of self-respect and self esteem. The believer knows that Allah alone is the Possessor of all power

Effects of Tawhid on Human Life (contd.)

3. Modesty and humbleness Along with self-respect this belief also generates in man a sense of modesty and humbleness. It makes him unostentatious and unpretending. A believer never becomes proud, haughty or arrogant. 4. virtuous and upright This belief makes man virtuous and upright. He has the conviction that there is no other means of success and salvation for him except purity of soul and righteousness of behavior. He has perfect faith in God Who is above all need, is related to none and is absolutely just.

Effects of Tawhid on Human Life (contd.)

5. Patience and Trust: The believer never becomes despondent. He has a firm faith in God Who is Master of all the treasures of the earth and the heavens, Whose grace and bounty have no limit and Whose powers are infinite. 6. Determination and perseverance This belief produces in man a very strong degree of determination, patient perseverance and trust in God. When he makes up his mind and devotes his resources to fulfilling the Divine Commands in order to secure God's pleasure, he is sure that he has the support and backing of the Lord of the universe

Effects of Tawhid on Human Life (contd.)

7. Bravery in man This declaration inspires bravery in man. There are two things which make a man cowardly (i) fear of death and love of safety, and (ii) the idea that there is someone else besides God who can take away life and that man, by adopting certain devices, can ward off death. 8. peace and contentment The belief in La ilaha illallah creates an attitude of peace and contentment, purges the mind of jealousy, envy and greed and keeps away the temptations of resorting to base and unfair means for achieving success.

Effects of Tawhid on Human Life (contd.)

9. Obey and observe God's Law The most important effect of La ilaha illallah is that it makes man obey and observe God's Law. One who has belief in it is sure that God knows everything hidden or open and is nearer to him than his own jugular vein .