Tawhid

Tawhīd (also Tawhid or Tauhid or Tawheed; Arabic توحيد) is the Islamic concept of monotheism, derived from Ahad. In Arabic, Tawhīd means 'unification', i.e. to unify or to keep something unified. In Islam, Tawhīd means to assert the unity of God. The opposite of Tawhīd is shirk, which means "division" in Arabic. Muslims view polytheism and idolatry as shirk.

Definition

Muslims believe that Allah cannot be held equal in any way to other beings or concepts. He is unique and supreme. It is for this reason that Muslims reject the concept of the Trinity held by most Christians, which describes God as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. These persons are considered to be both one, and separate. Muslims consider this belief to be shirk.

Verses from the Qur'ān

Many passages of the Muslim sacred text, the Qur'an, refer to Tawhīd, passages such as:

"In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficient, the Most Merciful,

Say: He is Allah, the One,

Allah is He on whom all depend,

He does not beget, nor is He begotten,

And (there is) none like Him." (Qur'an, 112:1-4)

This passage is commonly recited as part of the five daily prayers or salat.

Nullification of Tawheed

The nullification of Tawhīd is shirk, which means "division" in Arabic. Acts of shirk can be classified as major and minor. Acts of shirk vary depending on methodology.

Muslim view

Both Shi'a and Sunni Muslims agree that the most fundamental aspect of Islam revolves around the total acceptance of the Absolute and Perfect Creator. The Muslim profession of faith, or Shahadah (Lā 'ilāha 'illā llāha -- There is no god except Allah) is an expression of Tawhīd.

Sunni View

Sunni Muslims regard Tawhīd as one of seven aspects of Aqidah or the Islamic creed.

Salafi view

For some Muslims, such as the Salafis, the following acts may be considered as shirk:

• Sufi pilgrimage , such as pilgrimage to the tombs of revered early Muslims and Sufi saints.
• Celebration of Mawlid, Muhammad's birthday.
• And many other practices.

Shi'a view

Tawhīd is among the five Shia Roots of Religion.

One of the most respected Shi'a collection, the Nahj al-Balagha, contains a sermon where Ali is quoted as giving a long and detailed account of Tawhid, part of it being:

Whoever attaches attributes to Allah recognises His like, and who recognises His like regards Him two; and who regards Him two recognises parts for Him; and who recognises parts for Him mistook Him; and who mistook Him pointed at Him; and who pointed at Him admitted limitations for Him; and who admitted limitations for Him numbered Him. ^{Nahj al-Balagha sermon 1}

In that sermon, all thoughts of God having attributes, parts and limitations is rejected, echoed by Shaykh Saduq, one of the most distinguished of Shia scholars:

"Verily, Allah is One, Unique, nothing is like Him, He is Eternal; Hearing, Seeing, Omniscient, Living, Omnipotent, above every need. He cannot be described in terms of substance, nor body, nor form, nor accident, nor line, nor surface, nor heaviness, nor lightness, nor color, nor movement, nor rest, nor time, nor space. He is above all the descriptions which can be applied to His creatures. He is away from both extremes: Neither He is just a non-entity (as atheists and in a lesser degree Mutazilites implied), nor He is just like other things. He is Existent, not like other existing things." ^{Shi'ite Creed (al-Itqadat al-Imamiyyah), by Shaykh Saduq [1]}

Muslim critiques of some Tawhīd views

Critique of the Sunni view

Shi'a critizice the Sunni for regarding as authentic hadith where God is given body parts:

...Then the Almighty will come to them in a shape other than the one which they saw the first time, and He will say, 'I am your Lord,' and they will say, 'You are not our Lord.' And none will speak: to Him then but the Prophets, and then it will be said to them, "Do you know any sign by which you can recognize Him?" They will say. "The Shin", and so Allah will then uncover His Shin whereupon every believer will prostrate before Him... ^{Sahih Bukhari 009.093.532s}

or is said to move:

...Allah waits till when one-third of the first part of the night is over; He descends to the lowest heaven and says: It there any supplicator of forgiveness?... ^{Sahih Muslim 004.1657-004.1660}

Shi'a view this as a deviation from Islam, occuring due to acceptance of the teaching of other than the Ahl al-Bayt.

Critique of the Shi'a view

Among the Misconceptions about the Shi'a, there is the claim that Shi'a breach Tawhīd by deifying Ali, while it is the Alawis that do so.

Salafi also claim that Shi'a breach Tawhīd when using expresion as Ya Muhammad, Ya Ali and such.

Critique of the Salafi view

Some, Shi'a in particular, are known to accuse Salafis to have abandoned many parts of Islam, and using threats of Shirk as motivation. For example, Shi'a use the Mawlid as a great festivity, used to commemorate what they perceive as the greatest prophet of God, and belive that the Salafi ban of the festivity for fear of deifying Muhammad is not only exaggerated, but also robs people of a occasion to bond with Muhammad.

Non-Muslim uses

Refer to Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

See also

• Allah
• Ahl al-Tawhid
• Quranic literalism
• Six Kalimas
• Monotheism
• Islamic concept of God
• A raised index finger gesture symbolizing Tawhid was used as a Bosniak salute during the Bosnian war, contrasting with the Serbian three-finger salute and the Croat V-sign.

External links

Sunni links:

Shi'a links:

• Shi'a Sunni difference

Other links:

• Encyclopaedia of Turkey tawhid -tevhid article