Bismillahi Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدُونِ
“And We did not send any Messenger before you (O’ Muhammad) but We inspired him (saying): La ilāha illa Ana [none has the right to be worshipped but I (Allāh)], so worship Me (Alone and none else).” Surat Anbiya [21:25]
The first pillar of Islam and that by which one enters the religion of Islam is the testimony that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah. The first part of this testimony is what constitutes Tawheed, or the absolute monotheism taught by Islam.
Tawheed is a form of monotheism that is not found in any other religion or way of life, and is what sets apart Islam from other religions. In fact, other so-called “monotheistic” religions are considered by Islam to be polytheistic. There is no word in English that fully conveys the meaning of Tawheed and its implications. Tawheed in Arabic is derived from the root word “wahhada”, or “to make into one”.
Religiously speaking, Tawheed has its conditions of acceptance which ensure that no form of polytheism (Shirk in Arabic) remains. In Islam, Shirk is the worst sin and the only one that is never forgiven if one dies without having repented from it and become Muslim. Every non-Muslim is considered to be a Mushrik (one that associates partners with Allah) in one way or another, that has not declared the oneness of Allah.
These few words are meant as a mere pointer. Anyone seeking the truth is invited to learn about Tawheed as it is the key to anything else that needs to be known about Islam. One should not become sidetracked with secondary issues until he has understood and believed in Tawheed.
Stay tuned for more information on this critical topic, in sha Allah.
COMING UP NEXT, IN SHA ALLAH: The way of the Salaf, by Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid
