ISLAMIC THEOLOGY

Belief in Allah & the

Necessity of Tawheed
Topic Outline

• Introduction to Tawheed
• Types of Tawheed
• Link Between Tawheed Ar-Rububiyah and Tawheed al-
Uluhiyah
• Shirk : Opposite of Tawheed
• Necessity of Tawheed
• Belief in Tawheed
• Statements, actions or beliefs that negate Tawheed
Learning Outcomes

• To be acquainted with the basic idea, definition,

importance, and types of Tawheed in Shari’ah.
• To be able to differentiate between three types of
Tawheed.
• To understand how one type necessitates other types
of Tawheed.
• To know what belief in Tawheed entails, and the
actions, affirmations or beliefs that negate Tawheed.
 Introduction to Tawheed
• Tawheed ( ‫ )توحید‬originates form the word wa’hd ( )‫ )وحد‬which means
“one”.
• Literally, Tawheed means ‘to make something or someone one and
unique’.
• From an Islamic law (Shari’ah) perspective, Tawheed means “the belief
of singling out Allah in Lordship, sincerely worshipping Him and
affirming His Names and Attributes”.
• The opposite of Tawheed is ‘Shirk’ )‫ )شرک‬which means ‘attributing
partners to something or someone’.

Belief in Allah & the necessity of tawhid

 Types of Tawheed
There are three categories of Tawheed:
1. Tawheed Ar-Rububiyah:
• It is to single out Allah in His Actions and believe that He Alone is the Creator of all
the creation: 'Allah created all things.' [Surah az-Zumar (39): 62] He is the Provider of
all animals, humans and everything else, 'And no (moving) living creature is there on
earth but its provision is due from Allah.' [Surah Hud (11): 6].
• Tawheed ar-Rububiyah is a door to Tawheed al-Uluhiyah (the second kind).
• Even the Mushrikeen (polytheists: those who do believe in multiple deities) used to
proclaim Allah's Oneness in Rububiyah, but they believed that He had partners, or
other ‘Gods’ that helped Him to accomplish different tasks) and therefore did not
qualify to enter Islam.
“And if you ask them who created them, they will surely say, 'Allah’.''
[Surah az-Zukhruf (43): 87]
Belief in Allah & the necessity of tawhid
 Types of Tawheed
2. Tawheed al-Uluhiyah:
• [Uluhiyah is worship] Tawheed al-Uluhiyah is to single out Allah (in worship) through
the slave's actions, which he performs in order to get closer to Allah in the manner
prescribed by the Shari'ah, through supplication, sacrifice, hope, fear, reliance, love,
reverence, and turning in repentance. It is also called, 'Tawheed al-Ibadah’.
• This was the main objective of the invitation of all Prophets to Allah.
Allah says, 'And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a
Messenger (proclaiming): 'Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from)
Taghoot (placing someone or something in a higher position than Allah).' [Surah an-
Nahl (16): 36]
• It is termed as such (i.e. Tawheed al-Uluhiyah) because Uluhiyah is a characteristic of
Allah, which indicates His Name, 'Allah'. So, Allah means the One Who deserves
Uluhiyah, or the only One Who deserves to be worshipped.

Belief in Allah & the necessity of tawhid

 Types of Tawheed
3. Tawheed al-Asma was-Sifat (Allah’s Names and Attributes):
• It is to single out Allah’s Names and Attributes as described in the
Qur'an and Sunnah without comparing, explaining, negating, or
distorting any of His Names or Attributes.
• Tawheed al-Asma was-Sifat helps to better understand the Attributes of
Allah, which will may make one closer to Allah.
• As mentioned in the Qur'an : 'And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to
Allah, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of those who belie or deny
(or utter impious speech against) His Names. They will be requited for what they
used to do.' [Surah al Aa'raf (7): 180]

Belief in Allah & the necessity of tawhid

 Link Between Tawheed Ar-Rububiyah and Tawheed al-Uluhiyah

• Tawheed ar-Rububiyah necessities Tawheed al-Uluhiyah which means that the

one who declares Tawheed ar-Rububiyah and affirms that there is no Creator,
Provider or Administrator of the Universe except Allah - then he is required to
proclaim that none deserves all forms of worship except Allah, known as
Tawheed al-Uluhiyah.
• Uluhiyah means, 'worship', and the meaning of ilah is 'ma'bood' (one who is
worshipped).Therefore,
➢ none is to be invoked and sought help from except Allah,
➢ none is to be relied upon except Allah,
➢ none is to be offered sacrifices and avowed to except Allah and
➢ no worship is performed except to Allah alone.

Belief in Allah & the necessity of tawhid

 Shirk : Opposite of Tawheed
• Shirk is ascribing a partner to Allah in terms of His Rububiyyah and Uluhiyyah
(worship).
• The common type of Shirk is the Shirk in Uluhiyyah, which entails
supplicating to others along with Allah, or dedicating to them offerings, vows,
reverence, fear, hope, and devotional love beyond what is for humans.
• Shirk is the gravest of all sins, because:
➢ It is resembling the creatures with the Creator in terms of the attributes of Divinity.
➢ Allah has stated that He does not forgive the one who does not disavow Shirk.
➢ Allah has stated that a Mushrik (one who commits Shirk) shall be banned from Jannah
(Paradise) and that he shall be of the unsuccessful in the hereafter.
➢ Shirk nullifies all good deeds.

Belief in Allah & the necessity of tawhid

Necessity of Tawheed
 Tawheed: Fundamental Islamic Belief
• Muslims believe that Denial of the Creator and rejection of Him in intellect
and instinct is like denying and rejecting knowledge, because correct and
beneficial knowledge proves the existence of the Creator.
• Affirmation of the Rububiyah of Allah and turning to Him is considered
instinctive, while Shirk is extrinsic and a deliberate, unconventional
affirmation that is fraught with impossibility. Logically, a belief in multiple
Gods give rise to potential conflict. The seamless and incomprehensible design
of the universe and creation would require single divine Creator and
partnering Allah with others is considered a weakness of rational intellect.
• Therefore, shirk in Rububiyah or considering more than one creator with
similar attributes and actions is rejected in Islam.

Belief in Allah & the necessity of tawhid

 Tawheed: Fundamental Islamic Belief
• Tawheed is the considered fundamental to Islamic belief, and if one belelives in
the Qur’an then the it negates the worship of idols [Surah an-Najm (53): 19-20],
refutes worshipping stars, sun and moon [Surah al-A'raf (7): 54], and negates
those who revered the Angels and Messiah upon the assumption that they are
the children of Allah, in His Saying, 'No son (or offspring or children) did
Allah beget.' [Surah Mu’minoon (23): 91]
• It is the very first faith in the list of faiths that are compulsory to become a
Muslim. Moreover, every action or faith is annulled if Aqeedah of Tawheed in
missing.

Belief in Allah & the necessity of tawhid

Belief in Tawheed
 Believing in Tawheed
• The worshipper cannot be a muwahhid (one who believes in Tawheed in the
correct manner) by affirming Tawheed ar-Rububiyah alone, until he declares
Tawheed al-Uluhiyah and establishes it. The polytheists used to proclaim
Allah's Oneness in Rububiyah but it did not qualify them to enter Islam.
• Tawheed is one of Shahadatain (two testimonies);
• First testimony is Tawheed:
• Second Testimony is Risalat (belief in the last and final messenger):
• Belief in Tawheed requires a declaration and belief in the first testimony;
however, to become a Muslim, both testimonies are required.
• Declaration or Testimony of Tawheed is to say “La ilaha illAllah” (There is no
God but Allah)

Belief in Allah & the necessity of tawhid

 How to commit Tawheed?
• The meaning of the testimony “La ilaha illAllah” is to believe and
affirm that no one deserves worship except Allah, holding on to it
and acting in accordance with it.
• 'La ilaha' is negating that anybody has the right to be worshipped
except Allah, whoever it might be.
• 'IllAllah' is affirming the Right of Allah Alone to be worshipped.
• So, the complete meaning of the statement is 'La Ma'bood BiHaqqin
illAllah', 'there is no deity truly worthy of being worshipped except
Allah.’
Belief in Allah & the necessity of tawhid
Statements, Actions or Beliefs
that Negate Tawheed
 Statements, actions or beliefs that negate Tawheed
Some of the statements, actions or beliefs either defect or negate the
Aqeedah of Tawheed include:
• Claiming the knowledge of the unseen, palm-reading and cup
reading, etc.
• Prohibited satanic practices (i.e. Sorcery: turning a thing from its
proper manner of being to another, Divination and Soothsaying:
presumptuous claim of having access to the knowledge of the
unseen world) impede or oppose the Aqeedah and can be
accomplished only through polytheistic practices.
• Making offerings of vows, gifts, etc. to graves with reverence

Belief in Allah & the necessity of tawhid

Recap of Topic

• Tawheed vs Shirk: definition, importance, and

implications.
• Three types of Tawheed.
• How Tawheed ar-Rububiyah necessitates Tawheed al-
Uluhiyah.
• Belief in Tawheed.
• Statements, actions or beliefs that negate Tawheed.
ISLAMIC THEOLOGY
Belief in Allah & the
necessity of tawhid