TAWHEED Literally Tawheed means "unification" (making something one) or "asserting oneness", and it comes from the Arabic

verb (wahhada) which itself means to unite, unify or consolidate. However, when the term Tawheed is used in reference to Allaah (i.e. Tawheedullaah), it means the realizing and maintaining of Allaah's unity in all of man's actions which directly or indirectly relate to Him. It is the belief that Allaah is One, without partner in His dominion and His actions . TAWHEED ACCORDING TO QURAN The Qur'an is the main information source for understanding the oneness of God in Islam. All Muslim authorities maintain that a true understanding of God is impossible unless He introduces Himself due to the fact that God is beyond the range of human vision and senses[citation needed]. Therefore God tells people who He is by speaking through the prophet. According to this view the fundamental message of all of the prophets is "There is no God worthy of worship but God." The Qur'an asserts the existence of a single, absolute truth that transcends the world; a unique being who is independent of the creation; a real being indivisible into hypostatic entities or incarnated manifestation. According to the Qur'an: "Say (O Muhammad): "He is God, (the) One, The Self-Sufficient Master, He begets not, nor was He begotten; And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him." (Sura 112:1-4) "Thy Lord is self-sufficient, full of Mercy: if it were His will, He could destroy you, and in your place appoint whom He will as your successors, even as He raised you up from the posterity of other people."(Sura 6:133) According to Vincent J. Cornall, the Qur'an also provides a monist image of God by describing the reality as a unified whole, with God being a single concept that would describe or ascribe all existing things:"He is the First and the Last, the Evident and the Immanent: and He has full knowledge of all things."(Sura 57:3)" Some Muslims have however vigorously criticized interpretations that would lead to a monist view of God for what they see as blurring the distinction between the creator and the creature, and its incompatibility with the genuine and absolute monotheism of Islam. The Qur'anic passages Sura 34:20-24, Sura 35:40 and Sura 46:4 provide a basic understanding of the serious nature and consequences of assigning partners or equals to God, a sin known in Islam as Shirk. God will forgive any sin except a person who dies while committing Shirk. The verse 34:20-24

rejects the idea of duality of God by arguing that both good and evil generate from God's creative act and that the evil forces have no creative power. The Qur'an relates the story of Abraham in order to provide an example of an intellectual quest for understanding God as the Cause of Causes: Related in verses 6:75-79, Abraham moves progressively from worshipping the stars, the moon, and the sun to acknowledging God as the sole cause of the heavenly phenomena. Main article: 99 Names of God In order to explain the complexity of unity of God and of the divine nature, the Qur'an uses 99 terms referred to as "Excellent Names of God" (Sura 7:180). Aside from the supreme name "Allah" and the neologism al-Rahman (referring to the divine beneficence that creates and maintains the universe), other names may be shared by both God and human beings. According to the Islamic teachings, the latter is meant to serve as a reminder of God's immanence rather than being a sign of one's divinity or alternatively imposing a limitation on God's transcendent nature. Attribution of divinity to a created entity, shirk, is considered as a denial of the truth of God and thus a major sin. TAWEED ACORDING TO HADEES Volume 9, Book 93, Number 470: Narrated Mu'adh bin Jabal: The Prophet said, "O Mu'adh! Do you know what Allah's Right upon His slaves is?" I said, "Allah and His Apostle know best." The Prophet said, "To worship Him (Allah) Alone and to join none in worship with Him (Allah). Do you know what their right upon Him is?" I replied, "Allah and His Apostle know best." The Prophet said, "Not to punish them (if they do so)." Volume 9, Book 93, Number 471: Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri: A man heard another man reciting (in the prayers): 'Say (O Muhammad): "He is Allah, the One." (112.1) And he recited it repeatedly. When it was morning, he went to the Prophet and informed him about that as if he considered that the recitation of that Sura by itself was not enough. Allah's Apostle said, "By Him in Whose Hand my life is, it is equal to one-third of the Quran." Volume 9, Book 93, Number 472: Narrated 'Aisha:

The Prophet sent (an army unit) under the command of a man who used to lead his companions in the prayers and would finish his recitation with (the Sura 112): 'Say (O Muhammad): "He is Allah, the One." ' (112.1) When they returned (from the battle), they mentioned that to the Prophet. He said (to them), "Ask him why he does so." They asked him and he said, "I do so because it mentions the qualities of the Beneficent and I love to recite it (in my prayer)." The Prophet; said (to them), "Tell him that Allah loves him" Volume 9, Book 93, Number 473: Narrated Jarir bin 'Abdullah: Allah's Apostle said, "Allah will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to mankind." Volume 9, Book 93, Number 475: Narrated Abu Musa Al-Ashari: The Prophet said, "None is more patient than Allah against the harmful and annoying words He hears (from the people): They ascribe children to Him, yet He bestows upon them health and provision . Volume 9, Book 93, Number 479: Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "On the Day of Resurrection Allah will hold the whole earth and fold the heaven with His right hand and say, 'I am the King: where are the kings of the earth?" ' Volume 9, Book 93, Number 480: Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: The Prophet used to say, "I seek refuge (with YOU) by Your 'Izzat, None has the right to be worshipped but You Who does not die while the Jinns and the human beings die."

THE IMPORTANCE OF TAWHEED

1.It is the pillar upon which Islam is built. The Prophet said "Islaam is built upon five : the tawheed of Allah..(Related by Muslim no. 19)

2. The greatest need for mankind, since there is no life for the hearts nor delight nor tranquility except through knowing their Lord , the one to be worshipped, the creator. 3. It was the key and essence of the call of the messengers "Verily we have sent to every nation a messenger saying worship Allah and avoid the worship of false gods" (16:36) 4. Because Allah has created us to worship Him, "I have not created the jinn and mankind but to worship me" then how can we worship Allah, if we don't know who He is? It is only through knowledge of His names and attributes we can learn about Allah. 5. Firmness upon the Deen, excellence in this world and salvation in the Hereafter is built upon this. a) because when you know Allah, His names, attributes and Actions this necessitates loving Him, fearing Him, placing reliance upon Him etc. b) when you know what Allaah loves and is pleased with or angered and displeased with, you will rush to fulfill what He loves and avoid what He hates. 6. Its great emphasis in the Quran. The Quran begins with tawheed (al fatihah) and ends with Tawheed (al Ikhlas) likewise the greatest ayat in the Quran describes tawheed (of knowledge) 7. The prophet began his day with tawheed by reciting surah al kafiroon and ikhlas in the sunan of fajr and end with reciting these two surahs in the witr prayer. (related by Muslim) 8. The prophet mentioned it during his last illness (shows its importance) when he said "the curse of Allah be upon the Jews and the Christians for they took the graves of their prophets as places of worship." (Bukhari) 9. It's the first thing the prophet invited to and preached to for thirteen years. "say, none has the right to be worshipped and thus be successful." (Ahmad 4/63) 10. And he ordered his companions to preach Tawheed when sending them to various communities. He sent Muadh ibn jabal to Yemen saying "Indeed you are going to the people of the book so let the first thing that you invite them to be the tawheed of Allah" (Bukhari 1/3) 11. When you believe in the three aspects of tawheed. i.e. Ruboobiyah- you will negate any source of harm, blessing, power from any other than Allah. Uloohiyyah- this will stop you from committing shirk. Asma was sifaat - to have the correct knowledge of this will prevent you from distorting any of Allah's Names and Attributes, or explaining them, or denying them or asking how they

are. 12. If a person dies upon this he will enter Paradise. When the Jewish boy accepted Islam, the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said, "All praise is for Allah who saved this boy from the fire." Although this person had no good deeds. (Bukhari) 13.Tawheed is a condition for an action to be accepted, because for a deed to be accepted it requires two conditions. a) The intention is purely for Allah (tawheed al ibaadah) b) It must be in accordance with the sharee'ah of Muhammad (saws) 14. It strengthens ones heart and makes one firmer and well rooted. Then as a result ones deeds will multiply and likewise his worship of Allah will be greater. For it was only after Tawheed was understood by the companions and had settled in their hearts that Allah began to order them with various commands. IMPACT OF TAWEED ON HUMAN LIFE A believer in this Kalimah can never be narrow in outlook. He believes in a God Who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Master of the East and the West and Sustainer of the entire universe. After this belief he does not regard anything in the world as a stranger to himself. He looks on everything in the universe as belonging to the same Lord he himself belongs to. His sympathy, love and service are not confined to any particular sphere or group. This belief produces in man the highest degree of self-respect and self esteem. The believer knows that Allah alone is the Possessor of all power, and that none besides Him can benefit or harm a person, or provide for his needs, or give and take away life or wield authority or influence. This conviction makes him indifferent to, and independent and fearless of, all powers other than those of God. He never bows his head in homage to any of God's creatures, nor does he stretch out his hand before anyone else. He is not overawed by anybody's greatness. This attitude of mind cannot be produced by any other belief. For it is necessary that those who associate other beings with God, or who deny God, should bow in homage to some creatures, regard them able to benefit or harm them, fear them and place their hopes in them. Along with self-respect this belief also generates in man a sense of modesty and humbleness. It makes him unostentatious and unpretending. A believer never becomes proud, haughty or arrogant. The boisterous pride of power, wealth and worth can have no room in his heart, because he knows that whatever he possesses has been given to him by God, and that God can take away just as He can give.

The believer never becomes despondent. He has a firm faith in God Who is Master of all the treasures of the earth and the heavens, Whose grace and bounty have no limit and Whose powers are infinite. This faith imparts to his heart extraordinary consolation, fills it with satisfaction and keeps it filled with hope. Although he may meet with rejection from all sides in this world, faith in and dependence on God never leave him, and on their strength he goes on struggling. Such profound confidence can result from no other belief than belief in one God. Mushriks, kafirs and atheists have small hearts; they depend on limited powers; therefore in times of trouble they are soon overwhelmed by despair and, frequently, they commit suicide. This belief produces in man a very strong degree of determination, patient perseverance and trust in God. When he makes up his mind and devotes his resources to fulfilling the Divine Commands in order to secure God's pleasure, he is sure that he has the support and backing of the Lord of the universe. This certainty makes him firm and strong like a mountain, and no amount of difficulties, impediments and opposition can make him give up his resolution. Shirk, kufr and atheism have no such effect. The most important effect of La ilaha illallah is that it makes man obey and observe God's Law. One who has belief in it is sure that God knows everything hidden or open and is nearer to him than his own jugular vein. If he commits a sin in a secluded corner and in the darkness of night, He knows it; He even knows our thoughts and intentions, bad or good. We can hide from everyone, but we cannot hide anything from God; we can evade everyone, but it is impossible to evade God's grip. The firmer a man's belief in this respect, the more observant will he be of God's commands; he will shun what God has forbidden and he will carry out His behests even in solitude and in darkness, because he knows that God's 'police' never leaves him alone, and he dreads the Court whose warrant he can never avoid. It is for this reason that the first and the most important conditions for being a Muslim is to have faith in La ilaha illallah. 'Muslim', as you have already been told, means one 'obedient to God' and obedience to God is impossible unless one firmly believes in La ilaha illallah. THE BENIFITS OF TAWHEED 1) Liberation of mankind from worship and submission to other than Allaah. The creation cannot create anything, rather they themselves are created. They are not capable of harming nor benefiting their souls. They are not capable of causing death nor giving life nor are they able to resurrect the dead.So tawheed liberates man from every worship, except to his Lord, the One Who created him and then proportioned him. It liberates his intelligence from deviation and delusions.

It liberates his mind from obedience, humility and submission to other than Allaah. It liberates his life from the mastery of the rulers, the soothsayers and those who deem themselves divinely appointed over the slaves of Allaah. Due to this, the leaders of shirk and oppression in the times of ignorance rose up against the call of the Prophets in general and particularly against the call of the Messenger, because of the fact that they understood the meaning of "La ilaaha lila Allaah" to be a universal pronouncement for the liberation of mankind, and the overthrowing of the tyrants from their false thrones, and the elevation of the faces of believers, those who do not prostrate except to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds. 2) The personality remains balanced. Tawheed aids the formation of a balanced personality, the preferred aim and direction of this life, and it unifies and consolidates its purpose. So the personality does not turn except to the only One worthy of worship, and it turns to Him in private and in open and it calls to him in private and in open, and it calls upon Him in ease and in adversity. As opposed to the Mushrik (pagan) who shares his heart between those who are worshipped besides Allaah, at times he turns to the living and at times he turns to the dead, and Yusuf said: Oh my two companions of the prison, are many different lords better, or Allaah, the One, the Irresistible? [12:39] So, the believer worships One Lord, he knows what is pleasing to Him and what is displeasing to Him, lie stops at whatever pleases Him and his heart becomes calm. As for the Mushrik, lie worships numerous deities, one he takes from here and another he takes from there and he is divided between them and he has no comfort. 3) Tawheed is the source of security for the people, because it fills the soul of the individual with peace and satisfaction. He does not fear anyone except Allaah and tawheed blocks the ways to fear of loss in provisions, the soul and the family, fear from mankind, inn, death and other than that from those things which are feared. The believer who worships Allaah alone. does not fear anyone except Him and because of this he feels secure whilst the rest of mankind fear and he feels satisfaction whilst the people are restless. This is the meaning that is indicated in the Qur'aan in His saying: Those who believe and do not mix their belief with dhulm, they are those upon whom is security and they are the rightly guided. [6:82]

This security emerges from the innermost depths of the soul and not from any police guard which is the security of this world. As for the security of the Hereafter, then it is greater and more lasting for those who are sincere to Allaah and do not mix their tawheed with shirk, because shirk is a great dhulm. 4) Tawheed is the source for the strengthening of the soul, because it gives an individual a strong and formidable mental attitude, by which he fills his soul with hope in Allaah, confidence in Allaah and reliance upon Allaah, pleasure with His Decree, gives him patience upon His Tests and freedom from reliance upon the creation. This individual is firmly established, like the mountains, and when a calamity befalls him he asks his Lord to remove it and not the dead. The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) indicated this in his saying: "When you ask, then ask Allaah and when you seek help, then seek help from Allaah alone. " [Hasan Sahih Tirmidhi] If Allaah touches you with harm, none can remove it except Him." [6:17] 5) Tawheed is the foundation of brotherhood and equality, because it does not permit following those who take others as lords besides Allaah, since worship is for Allaah alone and worship to Allaah alone must be from all of mankind, and the head of them is Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) His Messenger and His chosen one.

CONCLUSION Laa illaaha illullaah is the foundation of Tawheed (Islamic Monotheism) and Islam. It is a complete system of life, through which, all forms of worship (of Allaah) are realized. That happens when a Muslim submits himself to Allah, and calls upon Him alone, and refers all issues (of right and wrong) to His Law, to the exclusion of all other systems of law. "The word ilah (i.e. God), means the One who is obeyed and not defied, out of one sense of awe and reference, love, fear, and hope, placing ones trust in Him, asking Him and supplicating Him alone. Whoever directs any of these matters (which are the rights of Allaah) to a created being, has detract from the sincerity of his statement La ilaha illa- Allaah. And he has worshipped that created being to the extent he directed those matters toward it" The Prophet said: "Whoever says Laa illaaha illullaah sincerely will enter Paradise". (Reported by Bazzar and declared authentic by Imaam al-Albaanee in Saheeh al-Jami)

The sincere person is the one who understand, acts according to its requirements, invites others to it, and gives it presidents over all other issues,

because it is the concise formula of Tawheed (Islamic Monotheism) for which human beings are created. The statement 'Laa illaaha illnullify it by associating partners with Allaah, such as supplicating to the dead or calling upon the living who are absent. The Prophet said: "Whoever says La illaha illa-Allaah, it will be his salvation someday, no matter befalls him before that." (This was reported by Baihaqi, declared authentic by Albaanee in Ahaadeeth asSaheehah #1932) In conclusion, it is from this understanding of Tawheed [Islamic Monotheism] that confirms what Muslims already know i.e. Islam is the only Monotheistic Religion and way of life in the universe. Therefore, we invite you to this understanding and we invite you to this way of life.