|
Tawheed
The term is derived from the three consonants
root w-h-d, which serves as the vehicle for the basic concept
of ‘oneness,’ or ‘unity,” along with the
closely related ideas of ‘singularity’ and ‘uniqueness.’
These root letters are clearly apparent in the numerical adjective
wahid [one]. In the words of the Qur`an:
Your
God is surely One. (37:4) inna Ilaaha-kum-la-Wahid
The
term Tawheed demands a lengthier translation, namely: “the
realization-and-affirmation-of-Oneness. The Unity of God, the
Divine Unity, Unity in its most profound sense. Allah is The Real,
The Absolute. Allah is One in His Essence, His Attributes and
His Acts. Before the existence of the universe there was nothing
but The Creator.
The
Qur`an declares that “Nothing is like Him” (42:11).
Allah is omniscient and all-powerful. All of Allah’s attributes
belong to Him exclusively. He is the first and there is no last
but His oneness. He is the First without anything before Him.
He is the Last without anything after Him. The end is with Him
alone, and He is the End. He is All-Existing: with him there is
no end. Allah is now as He was before. He is Eternal.
Tawheed
can be viewed from the perspectives of:
Tawheed
al-Rububiyah – Unity of Lordship
Tawheed
al- Uluhiyah – Unity of Worship
Tawheed
al- Asma wa Sifaat – Unity of His Names and
His Attributes and
Tawheed
al Itabaa – Unity in the following the Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH)
Tawheed
undoubtedly is the central theme and message of the Qur`an, the
Book of Allah and it is repeated in many other verses.
The
Arabs in Mecca and later the Jews in Medina inquired from Allah’s
Rasul (SAW), who is Allah? Allah revealed in Surah Ikhlas (S112)
as follows:
In
the name Of Allah, The most Gracious, The Most Merciful.
Say,
Allah is One,
Allah The Everlasting, The Eternal,
He has not given birth and was not born,
And no one is comparable to Him
In another verse,
S 24:35, an image of spiritual discernment of Allah is mentioned,
Allah is the Light of the heavens and
the earth……….. Light upon Light! And Allah guides
to His Light whom He will.
These verses confirm
the Unitary belief, which is the mainspring of Islam and the core
of The Qur`an.
Further, only in
total acquiescence in Allah’s good pleasure, renunciation
of one’s own will, and surrender to His will and guidance
is Tawheed made perfect. Allah’s absolute unity is the beginning
and the end of the spiritual life for Muslims.
The
Unity of Allah is a magnificent and a beautiful concept, and Muslims
reaffirm their adherence to it many times a day. To acknowledge
the fact of the “affirmation-of-Oneness” renew your
faith by frequent invocation of “La ilaha illa llah”
[there is non worthy of worship
accept Allah] will be the means to eradicate Shirk
[polytheism].
It is a powerful
and effective concept for focusing and organising one’s
worldview and epitomising a religious and psychological orientation
and authentically expressive of an important facet of the spirit
of Islam.
Shirk
– Polytheism
The opposite of Tawhid is expressed by the Arabic term Shirk (polytheism),
derived from the root Sh-r-k which conveys the notion of “sharing”
or “partnerships.” The word Sharik (plural shurakaa)
means “partner” or “associate.” It encompasses
far more than the more blatant forms of idolatry and denial of
Allah’s Unity. The term Shirk means associating partners
with Allah, and the related term mushrik is applied to someone
guilty of such polytheistic association.
Forms
of Shirk:
Major forms of Shirk:
Shirk ad Du’a – invoking or supplicating to a false
deity besides Allah.
Shirk al-Niyah
wa Iraada wal Qasd – having the intention and determination
to deliberately worship a deity other then Allah.
Shirk at- Ta’a
– obeying any created being against the command of Allah.
Shirk al-Muhabbah
– loving a created being or an object more than Allah.
Hidden
Shirk as:
Shirk al- khafi means the hidden, or covert, association of partners
with Allah, the One and Only God. This is an insidious form of
Shirk.
Minor
forms of Shirk as:
Shirk ar- rea – carrying out religious acts for worldly
gain, e.g. showing off.
Shirk at- Tasmee
– swearing by other then Allah.
Allah says in the
Noble Qur`an that Shirk is the greatest sin. (S 31: 14)
He also says that
He will forgive all other sins if He wishes, except Shirk (S 4:
49)
Muslims
must understand the term Shirk (polytheism) and be conceptually
and practically clear that it is diametrically opposed to, Tawheed,
the affirmation to the Oneness of Allah.
|
