Belief in God/Tawheed
The term 'Articles of Faith' is generally used for the six essential elements of faith
propounded by Islam. These six 'Articles of Faith' are essential for a person to be
considered a Muslim. These Articles of Faith include:
1) The belief in One God;
2) The belief in Prophet hood;
3) The belief in the Day of Judgment;
4) The belief in Angels;
5) The belief in Revealed Books;
6) The belief in Predestination.
As for 'Pillars of Islam', the term has been used for five observable features that
distinguish Islam from all other religions of the world. These 'Pillars of Islam'
include:
1) To testify that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad (BPUH)
is a true Prophet of Allah;
2) To offer five prayers during the day;
3) To pay Zaka'h according to the directives of the Shari`ah;
4) To fast during the month of Ramadan; and
5) To undertake Hajj of the Ka`bah, if one has the ability to do so.
To testify the oneness of Allah is called Tawheed in technical Islamic
terminology.
Literal and Literary Meaning of Tawhid:
Literal meaning: The word tawheed is derived from the root word ‫ وحد‬which
means one, it directs towards the Oneness of Allah or Monotheism. Tawhid is the
concept of monotheism in Islam. Its opposite word is shirk ‫ شرک‬, polytheism.
Literary Meaning:To believe in the Oneness of Lordship, Worship, Names and
Attributes of Allah is called tawheed ‫توحید‬. The Qu'ran asserts the existence of a
unique, independent and indivisible being, who is independent of the entire
creation. God according to Islam is a universal God, rather than a local or tribal.
Types of Tawheed
There are following three types of Tawheed
1. Tawhid al-Rububiyyah:‫توحید ربوبیت‬
2. Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah:‫توحید الوہیت‬
3. Tawhid al-Asmawaal-Sifaat‫توحی االسما و الصفات‬
4. Tawhid al-Rububiyyah:‫توحید ربوبیت‬
Belief in the Oneness of the Lordship of Allah, where it is to believe that
there is only one Lord for all the universe, its Creator, Organizer, Planner,
Sustainer, and the Giver of security and so on that is Allah.
The Rational Evidences of the Sole Lordship of Allah Almighty
1. The Creation, Organization & the Sustainability of the Universe:
One thing can be said to those unaware people who deny the existence of the
Generous Lord: no rational person can accept an impact without an effect, or
an action without a doer or a creation without a Creator.Moreover, it is quite
obvious that if you see a needle, you would certainly be assured that it has a
Maker. So what can be said about this marvelous bright universe. Has it
been created without a Creator? And much more, have it been organized
without an organizer, and all what exists in this universe: so it is stated
clearly in the holy Qur’an:
ِ َّ ‫اَّلل الَّ ِذي َخلَ َق‬
‫ض ِِف ِست َِّة أَ ََّّيٍم‬
َ ‫الس َم َاوات َو أاْل أَر‬
َُّ ‫إِ َّن َربَّ ُك ُم‬
Allah created the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, in six days
(7:54)
2. The Systematic Harmony of the Universe:
It is logical that if there were more than one God,
they would dispute with one another in each and
every matter, each would try to fulfill his will
against the will of the other gods. If there were
more than one God it would surely lead to
confusion, disorder, chaos and destruction in the
universe. But the universe is in complete harmony
because it is organized and sustained by the Sole Supreme Authority:
ِ ‫لَو َكا َن فِي ِهما‬
َّ ‫آِلَةٌ إََِّّل‬
‫س َد َت‬
‫أ‬
َ
َ ‫اَّللُ لََف‬
If there were, in the heavens And the earth, other gods. Besides Allah, there would
Have been confusion in both. (22:21)
It is also stated in the holy Qur’an:
ِ
ٍ َ‫َّها ِر وُكل ِِف فَ ل‬
ِ
َّ
َّ ‫ََّل‬
‫ك يَ أسبَ ُحو َن‬
َ َ ‫س يَ أن بَغي َِلَا أَ أن تُ أد ِر َك الأ َق َم َر َوََّل الل أي ُل َساب ُق الن‬
ُ ‫الش أم‬
It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day (36:40)
3. Presence of Wisdom in the Universal System
The universal system is not only working smoothly but also intelligently. There is
the display of immense wisdom in all of the creations and phenomenon and nothing
is created purposeless, for example the shape of the earth, the distance of sun from
earth, the creation of living and non-living things etc.
5. Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah:‫توحی الوہیت‬
It is called also Tawhîdal-Ibadah (Oneness of the Worship), which means to perform
Monotheism for Allâh in worship because He only deserves to be worshipped not
anybody else, no matter how noble and how
honorable he is. According to the holy Qur’an
It is extremely illogical to worship man-made
idols or products or those creatures which are
themselves created:
‫ال أَتَ أعبُ ُدو َن َما تَ أن ِحتُو َن‬
َ َ‫ق‬
Do you worship what you have carved yourself?" (37:95)
Belief in the Oneness of the Worship of Allah, where it is to believe in total
obedience to Allah, that none has the right to be worshiped (praying, invoking,
swearing, slaughtering sacrifices, giving charity, fasting, pilgrimage and so on)
except Allah. In addition to declaring Allah as the Only God to who all acts of
worship must be dedicated, such as Salah (prayers), Zakah (almsgiving), Saum
(fasting), Du’aa (supplications), vowing and so on. This also includes emotions like
love, trust, and fear all of which have degrees which should only be directed to
Allah.
3 -Tawhid al-Asmawaal-Sifaat:
Belief in the Oneness of the Names and the
Attributes of Allah, being affirmation of all
the Divine Names and Attributes of Allah
in a manner that suits His Majesty, as
mentioned in the Qu’ran."There is nothing
like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the
All-Seer."(Qur'an:42:11).
Tawhîdal-Asma’ Wa al-Sifat (Islâmic Monotheism of Allâh’s Names and
Qualities)
is
to
perform
Monotheism
for
Allâh
in
His
Names
and
Descriptions, and this should happen by confirming what He has confirmed
among Names and Descriptions for Himself in His Book, or what His
Messenger has confirmed to Him as well; without any Tahrif (distortion) or
Ta’til (suspension), or Takyif (adaptation), or Tamthil (likening).
Shirk
The literarl meaning of ‫ شرک‬is to establish partner/partners. In Islam, this word
refers to the biggest and unforgivable sin of practicing idolatry or polytheism or the
worship of anyone or anything other than Allah almighty. It is opposed to the virtue
of tawheed, monotheism.
Types of Shirk
There are two types of Shirk;
1. Greater shirk open and apparent i.e. Shirk e Akbar
2. Lesser shirk concealed or hidden i.e. Shirk e Asghar
1. Greater shirk
Greater shirk or Shirk-e-Akbar means open polytheism. The Holy Prophet
Muhammad PBUH describes major shirk in two forms;
 To associate anyone with Allah Ta’ala as His part
 To associate Allah's attributes with someone else
Allah said about this kind of Shirk {Allâh forgives not (the sin of) joining
other gods with Him; but He forgives whom He pleases other sins than
shirk}. And He said, {Whoever joins other gods with Allâh, Allâh will
forbid the Paradise to him, and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the
wrongdoers be no one to help} because:
ِ ‫الشر َك لَظُل‬
ِ
‫يم‬
ٌ ‫أم َعظ‬
ٌ
‫إِ َّن أ‬
2. Lesser shirk:
Lesser shirk or Shirk e Asghar means hidden polytheism. A person commits
hidden polytheism when he says tawhid, there is no god except Allah, but
his thoughts and action does not reflect his belief. For example the Holy
Prophet Muhammad PBUH said; "One who offers the ritual prayers in an
pretentious way is a polytheist. One who keeps the fast, or gives alms, or
performs the Hajj to show the public his righteousness or to earn good name
is a polytheist."
Different Forms of Shirk:
Atheism:‫ال دینیت‬
The term atheism originated from the Greek word atheos, meaning "without
god(s)". it is based on the rejection of belief in the existence of God . In a
narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there is no god. The
first individuals to identify themselves using the word "atheist" lived in the
18th century. New Atheism is the name given to a movement among some
early-21st-century
atheist
writers
who
have
advocated
the
view
that
"religion should not simply be tolerated but should be countered, criticized,
and exposed. So their view is to critically operate the religion with the tools
of rationality and to deny the non-scientific realities.
Agnosticism:
Thomas Henry Huxley, an English biologist, coined the word agnostic in 1869. An
agnostic is someone who neither believes nor disbelieves in the existence of
Divinity, whereas a theist and an atheist believe and disbelieve, respectively. The
basic philosophy of this doctrine is the view that humanity does not currently
possess the necessary knowledge and the reason to provide sufficient rational
grounds to justify the belief that God either do or do not exist. It is another form of
Atheism.
Polytheism:
Polytheism is the belief of multiple deities. Polytheism is a type of theism. Within
theism, it contrasts with monotheism, the belief in a singular God. Polytheists do not
always worship all the gods equally, but can be Henotheists (to worship a
single God while accepting the existence or possible existence of
other deities that may also be worshipped), specializing in the worship of one
particular deity. Other polytheists can be Kathenotheists (the worship of one god
at a time as supreme without denying the existence of other gods,
worshipping different deities at different times). Hinduism, doctrine of trinity in
Christianity and dualism of Zoroasteriamism are the examples of polytheism.
Pantheism:‫وحدت الوجود‬
Everything is One
Pantheism is a word derived from the Greek (pan) meaning "all" and the Greek
(theos) meaning "God". It is the view that every single thing is a part of one Being
("God") and that all forms of reality are modes of that Being. Pantheists thus do not
believe in a personal god.
Incarnation:‫عقیدہ حلول‬
Incarnation literally means embodied in flesh or taking on flesh. The word is used to
mean the descent of divine being in human/animal form on Earth for example
according to the hindu believe the second god of the trinity ‘Vishnu’ is said to have
reincarnated itself for 9 times into different humans and animals which are called the
avatars of Vishnu.
Satanism:
Satanism is the worship of Satan. It is actually a
group of social movement who has symbolic
association with or admiration for Satan.
Conclusion:
In the light of the above discussion it can be concluded that that existence
of one Almighty Allah is obvious from the universe and all of His
creations. Tawheed is the part of human nature, the only need is to pay
heed to this fact impartially in order to be guided towards the true concept
of God.