All Divine religions hinge on the very theme of Oneness of God. Although, there have been digression and varied views on the Oneness of God, yet the truth remains that there is no god but God and He has no associates. In Islam, the concept of Oneness of God, we call Allah, is called "Tawḥīd (توحيد)" which in fact is the heart of Islam: believing in Allah’s absolute Oneness and directing all worship, reliance, and obedience to Him alone. It is the purpose of creation, the message of all prophets, the first call of Islam, the condition for salvation, and the source of true human freedom. Without Tawḥīd, religion becomes ritual; with it, life gains meaning, clarity, and peace.
This post is our reference page on the subject and we will add links to all our posts (past/future) fro better understanding the concept of Tawḥīd in Islam. Since it is a reference page, only passing references are made to understand the basic concept of Tawḥīd.
What is Tawḥīd
Tawḥīd (توحيد) means affirming the absolute Oneness and uniqueness of Allah—in His being, attributes, and right to be worshipped. It is the foundation of Islam, the reason revelation was sent, and the core message of every prophet.
In other words, Tawḥīd means the absolute oneness of God (Allah) and is the most fundamental concept in Islam, asserting that there is only one God who is unique and has no partners. This belief in monotheism is the core of the Islamic faith, signifying that God is the sole creator and sustainer of the universe and that all worship should be directed to Him alone.
At its heart, Tawḥīd declares: Allah is One, alone, without partners—the only Creator, Sustainer, and the only One deserving worship.
The Qur’an summarizes this perfectly in just one verse: “Say: He is Allah, One.” (112:1)
Why Tawḥīd is so Important
- It Is the Purpose of Creation: Allah says, “I did not create jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (51:56). That is worship without Tawḥīd misses the purpose of existence.
- It Is the Core Message of All Prophets: Every prophet called to the same truth, “Worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him.” (7:59, 11:50, 23:32). This means Islam did not invent Tawḥīd—it restored it.
- It Is the First Call of the Prophet ﷺ: The Prophet ﷺ said, “Let the first thing you call them to be the oneness of Allah.” - (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī) That is Tawḥīd takes precedence over laws, rituals, or politics—Tawḥīd.
- It Is the Condition for Salvation: Allah states clearly in Al Qur'an: “Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.” (4:48) - That means, without Tawḥīd, deeds lose their ultimate value.
- It Liberates the Human Being:
- Tawḥīd frees a person from: (1) Fear of people, (2) Slavery to wealth or status, (3) Dependence on intermediaries, (4) Conflicting authorities.
- The Qur’an illustrates this powerfully: “Are many lords better, or Allah—the One, the Overwhelming?” (12:39)
The Three Dimensions of Tawḥīd (Classical Explanation)
Scholars explain Tawḥīd in three inseparable aspects. These are given herein under. However, this is only an academic explanation to better understand the concept and should be taken as such:
- Tawḥīd ar-Rubūbiyyah (Oneness of Lordship)
- Believing that Allah alone Who (1) Creates, (2) Sustains, (3) Gives life and death, and (4) Controls the universe.
- “Allah is the Creator of all things.” (39:62)
- Even many pagans accepted this—but it is not enough on its own.
- Tawḥīd al-Ulūhiyyah (Oneness of Worship)
- Dedicating all acts of worship—prayer, supplication, reliance, sacrifice—to Allah alone.
- “So worship Allah, making the religion sincere for Him.” (39:2)
- This is where most deviation occurs: worshipping Allah alongside others, or seeking intermediaries.
- Tawḥīd al-Asmā’ waṣ-Ṣifāt (Oneness of Names & Attributes)
- Affirming Allah’s names and attributes as He described Himself, without: (1) Distortion, (2) Denial, (3) Comparison, and (4) Humanization.
- “There is nothing like Him.” (42:11)
- To know many attributes of Allah, please refer to our refference page: 99 Attributes of Allah.
What does Tawḥīd teach us:
- Oneness of being: Allah is uniquely one in His being, not composed of parts.
- Oneness of attributes: Allah's divine attributes, such as knowledge, hearing, and power, are unique and not shared with anyone.
- Oneness of actions: Allah has no partner or helper in His divine actions, such as creation and control of the universe.
- Pillar of faith: Tawheed is the first and most important pillar of Islam and is essential for a person to be considered a Muslim.
- Avoidance of Shirk: The practical application of Tawheed involves avoiding Shirk (associating partners with God), which is considered the greatest sin in Islam. This includes avoiding both major forms of shirk (like worshipping idols) and minor forms (like showing off in worship).
- That is Tawhid means belief in absolute Oneness of Allah and avoidance of Shirk in all its forms.
What Opposes Tawḥīd
Opposite to Tawhid is Shirk - that is is associating partners with Allah—openly or subtly. Shirk includes: (1) Worshipping others besides Allah, (2) Seeking divine help from created beings, (3) Showing off worship (minor shirk), and (4) Giving ultimate authority to anything besides Allah
The Qur’an calls it the greatest injustice: “Indeed, associating partners with Allah is a great injustice.” (31:13)
To understand Shirk, please refer to our exclusive reference page: Understanding Shirk - Grave sin of Associating Partners with Allah
To help understand the concept of Tawḥīd, we share some of the posts already published as given below:
- One of the most comprehensive verses of the Quran on doctrine of Tawhid
- A verse from Al Qur’an that Reinforces Tawhid (Absolute Oneness of God) and breaks reliance on idols
- A Parable in Al Qur’an depicting Tug of War between Shirk and Tawḥīd
- Understanding Islam: Responsibility of Man towards His Actions vs Doctrine of Substitutionary Atonement
In time we will add more verses from Al Qur'an and Hadiths attributed to Prophet Muhammad on the subject of Tawḥīd, In sha Allah.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
For verses on Selected Subjects, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects. You may also refer to our Reference Pages and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
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