Back to the basics 003: Tawheed
Now that the Shahadah and its conditions are known and understood, it helps to apply those principles with the concept of Tawheed.
Tawheed is the most important component of Islam, without it one can not claim that they are Muslim or that they are followers of Islam. That is because Tawheed {Oneness of Allah} is the essence and epitome of Monotheism, which Islam stands upon.
The word ‘Islam’ is defined as submission to Allah, humbling oneself to Him, worshiping Him, and obeying His commands. How can one submit, humble, worship, and obey Allah’s commands? By incorporating Tawheed. This is the means by which one can become completely devoted and submitted to Allah (may He be Exalted).
It only makes sense that there is ONE Creator and ONE deserving to be served and worshiped. Had there been more than One God, surely there would be competition between the two [or more]. & it’s almost demeaning to state that the Creator has a Creator who may also have a Creator, it takes out the purpose of serving the One true God by acts of worship.
For example, one would have to ask one god for something, and another god for something, and another god for something. In essence, that takes out the fundamentals of the Oneness of God.
The true Muslim, who understands Tawheed, is the one who submits himself to Allah, devotes his deeds solely to Him, and directs his heart to Allah in secret and open, in fear andhope, in sayings, deeds, and in everything.
Tawheed means to worship Allah alone [applying all the conditions of the shahada]. Basically this means that whatever you do, you do it to God alone. You don’t do it to please your friends, you don’t do it to please your teachers, you don’t do it to please anyone. Because if you’re doing it to please others, it takes the sincerity out of your actions. Do everything for Allah, for your Creator.
This was the reason that there were Prophets and Messengers; Tawheed. They were sent to spread the message of God being alone with NO partners. They all came at times where idol worshipping was at its prime, when people worshipped trees, people worshipped the moon, people worshiped OTHER people.
So these Messengers and Prophets were sent down to remind the people that all these things they are worshiping are only temporary and fallible. They must worship the One true God who is worthy of being worshiped, and for there to be NO partners when they worship Him.
The opposite of Tawheed is Shirk which is basically saying that there is not just one god, but more than one.
Fab Vocab:
*Shahada: Testimony of faith.
*Tawheed: Oneness of Allah, Allah has no Partners. He is the Creator, and the ONLY creator. He does not give birth to another nor was He conceived.
*Epitome: example (perfect) of.
*Prophet: Person chosen by God to speak for God to the people.
*Messenger: A Prophet with a message; Book (i.e Moses: Torah, Jesus: Bible, Muhammad: Qur’an)
*All messengers were Prophets, but not all prophets were Messengers. Prophet Muhammad was the ONLY to be both Messenger and Prophet.
*Allah: Arabic word for God, Lord.
*Shirk: Polytheism
*Polytheism: belief of multiple gods
*Monotheism: Belief in ONE God.
