Tawhid & the Arguments

Staff Writer


Table of Contents

Tawhid in the Islamic religion is the belief that there is only one unique God. The concept of Tawhid appeals to Islamic monotheism, which is essentially and absolutely summarized in the Shahadah (the profession of faith). Briefly, an attempt will be made to describe the Shahadah as the cornerstone of Islamic monotheism. 

The Shahadah

The Shahadah is made up of two professions: “There is no god but God” and “Muhammad is the Messenger of God” (La ilaha illa’Llah, Muhammad-ur-Rasul-Allah). The first section of the Shahadah centres on the oneness and indivisibility of God, and the second section is on the prophethood of Muhammad. Nasr opined about the importance of the Shahadah:

The most fundamental formula of the Qur’an is the Shahadah, that is, witness or testimony, La ilaha illa’Llah, that there is only one God. “The first pillar of Islam is the “The Shahadah” … It comes from the Arabic word “الشَهَادة” which means “The Testimony”, the testimony that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah (SWT) and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (SWT).”[i] 

First Part

According to some Muslims, the first part of the Shahadah has no special attachment to the Islamic religion. They tend to suggest that it is a clarion call to all humanity to acknowledge the Oneness of God. According to Murata and Chittick:

For Muslims, the first Shahadah has no special connection with the religion brought by Muhammad. Rather, it expresses Islam in the widest sense – it explains why everything in the heavens and the earth is submitted to God. It also expresses Islam in the narrower sense of the religion of all the prophets. The most explicit Koranic verse here is, “And We never sent a messenger before thee save that We revealed to him, saying, ‘There is no god but I, so worship Me’” (21:25). All prophets have come with the message of tawhid.[ii] 

Norcliffe asserts that the concept of Tawhid (oneness, unity) of God “is applied in general to the Muslim community in the belief in one worldwide Islamic umma or community... God is one, an indivisible unity.”[iii] 

In the Qur’an, many verses reiterate the concept of Tawhid. Surah (Al-Ikhlas 112) profusely reflects on this oneness of God and some Islamic scholars hinge on their analyses of it. According to Qutb, Surah (Al-Ikhlas 112) is declared as “equivalent to one-third of the Qur’an.”[iv] Writing further on this, Qutb noted that there is nothing out of place in saying that “He is Allah, the one and only God...”[v] hence:

For the unity of Allah which the Messenger was ordered to declare to the whole world is a belief to be ingrained in our beings, an explanation of human existence, and a way of life. From this standpoint, the surah can be said to have embraced the principal and utmost fundamental ideas of the great truth of Islam in the clearest terms.[vi]

Further, he argued that Surah (Al-Ikhlas 112) was the reason for the call of Islam:

For the sake of all this, the first call to Islam was devoted to the establishment of the reality of the unity of Allah in the hearts and minds of men... It is life in its entirety and religion in its totality and whatever results follow it are no more than the natural fruits of its establishment in the hearts and minds of mankind.[vii]

Second Part

The second part is the prophetic role of Muhammad to teach pagan Arabia about the oneness of Allah. Tawhid strongly opposes the polytheism that was rampant in Makkah in seventh-century Arabia. 

In this writing, an effort will be made to examine different Surahs that emphasized the import of monotheism. Besides, some comparisons would be made in terms of the way different authors’ translations and understanding of the term, Tawhid. Some of these translators of the Qur’an considered here include Al-Hilali and Khan 1996;[viii] Yusuf ‘Ali 2008[ix] and Rodwell 1994.[x]

We will begin by examining the Surahs about the warnings from the Prophets about the worship of God.

Al-A’raf 7:59

Al-Hilali and Khan

Yusuf ‘Ali

Rodwell

“Indeed, We sent Nuh (Noah) to his people and he said: “O my people! Worship Allah! You have no other llah (God) but Him...”

“We sent Noah to his people. He said: ‘O my people, worship Allah! Ye have no other god but Him....”

“Of old, We sent Noah to his people, and he said, ‘O my people! Worship God. Ye have no God but Him:”

The three above-mentioned translations could be communicating the same message however, they raise another problem especially when examining their syntagmatic relations. For example, Al-Hilali and Khan 1996 translated the said verse as: “You have no other llah (God) but Him”; Yusuf ‘Ali has it as: “Ye have no other god but Him”; and for Rodwell: “Ye have no God but Him.” This is a bit confusing especially when the Shahadah says: ‘There is no god but God.’ Switching god with God, that is, interchanging the upper and lower cases of the letter (g) changes the meaning of the first section of the Shahadah.

The issue of how humankind began the worship of different gods and why God sent Noah (Nuh) as a Messenger is quite revealing. Ibn Kathir’s commentary on Surah (Al-A‘raf 7: 59) claims that:

‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas and several other scholars of Tafsir said that the first idol worship began when some righteous people died and their people built places of worship over their graves. They made images of them so they could remember their righteousness and devotion and thus imitate them. When time passed, they made statues of them and later on worshipped these idols, naming them after the righteous people: Wadd, Suwa‘, Yaghuth, Ya‘uq, and Nasr. After this practice became popular, Allah sent Nuh as a Messenger, all thanks are due to Him. Nuh commanded his people to worship Allah alone without partners...[xi]

An-Nahl 16:36

Al-Hilali and Khan

Yusuf ‘Ali

Rodwell

“And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): “Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Taghut (all false deities, i.e. do not worship Taghut besides Allah).”

“For We assuredly sent amongst every People a Messenger, (with the Command), ‘Serve Allah, and eschew Evil.’”

“And to every people have we sent an apostle saying: - Worship God and turn away from Taghut.”

Examining the syntagmatic relations of the translations, it appears different meanings have been given to the above-mentioned verse.

Commenting on this same (An-Nahl 16:36), Ibn Kathir argues that: “The legislative will of Allah is clear and cannot be taken as an excuse by them, because He had forbidden them to do that upon the tongue of His Messengers, but by His universal will...He allowed them to do that as it was decreed for them.”[xii]

Adh-Dhariyat 51:56

Al-Hilali and Khan

Yusuf ‘Ali

Rodwell 

“And I (Allah) created not jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone).”

“I have only created jinns and men, that they may serve me.”

“I have not created Djinn and men, but that they should worship me.”

 

The above citations and translations directly emphasize the reason why God created mankind. According to Ibn Kathir, the meaning of Surah (Adh-Dhariyat 51: 56) is:

Allah the Exalted, the Blessed created the creatures so that they may worship Him alone without partners. Those who obey Him will be rewarded with the best rewards, while those who disobey Him will receive the worst punishment from Him. Allah stated that He does not need creatures, but rather, they need Him in all conditions. He is alone their Creator and Provider.[xiii]

Al-Anbiya 21:25

Al-Hilali and Khan

Yusuf ‘Ali

Rodwell

“And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad...) but We revealed to him (saying): La ilaha illa Ana [none has the right to be worshipped but I (Allah), so worship Me (Alone and no one else).”

“Not a messenger did We send before thee without this inspiration sent by Us to him: that there is no god but I; therefore, worship and serve me.”

“No apostle have we sent before thee to whom we did not reveal that ‘Verily there is no God beside me: therefore, worship me.”

The above spell out the Islamic unparalleled profession of the oneness and uniqueness of God. For Ibn Kathir “Every Prophet who was sent by Allah called people to worship Allah Alone, with no partner or associate. The natural inclination of man (Al-Fitrah) also bears witness to that. The idolators have no proof and their dispute is of no use before their Lord; on them is wrath, and for them will be a severe torment.”[xiv]

Ibn Kathir explained further the importance of divine worship to God alone by pointing readers to the narration of Ibn ‘Abbas:

(You alone do we worship) means it is You alone, O our Lord, whom we worship, fear and supplicate, none other than you. (To you alone do we pray for help) means we seek your assistance in obeying You and in the management of our daily lives. These two statements were mentioned in this order because worship (ibadah) is the objective we all seek and seeking assistance is our means of achieving it.[xv]

Conclusion

It is pertinent to state that there is an unrivalled presentation of the idea of God as one and indivisible in the Qur'an. Though we pointed out the problem about the syntagmatic relations as a result of translations, the meanings may change, the underpinning statement is that the Tawhid is the distinctive force of Islamic monotheism. To understand Islam is to understand the Shahadah and to understand the Shahadah is to acknowledge its monotheism. 

[i] The Shahadah: The First Pillar of Islam. In Quran Ayat Institute. https://quranayat.com/the-shahadah-the-first-pillar-of-islam/ (accessed 30 April 2021).

[ii] Murata, S, & Chittick, WC 1996, The Vision of Islam: The Foundations of Muslim Faith and Practice, IB Tauris, London. Pp 45-46.

[iii] Norcliffe, D 1999, Islam, Faith and Practice, Sussex Academic Press, Brighton.

[iv] Qutb, S 1981, In the shade of the Qur’an, vol. 30, translated by M. Adil Salahi & Ashur A. Shamis, MWH London Publishers, England. P. 350

[v] Ibid.

[vi] Ibid.

[vii] Ibid. pp 352-353

[viii] The Noble Quran: Interpretation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an in the English Language. Muhammand Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali & Muhammad Muhsin Khan. Dar-us-Salam Publications. 1996

[ix]  The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an. Abdullah Yusuf Ali. English Edition. 2008

[x] The Koran, translated by J.M. Rodwell. Everyman Library London. 1994

[xi] Ibn Kathir, 2000a, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, abridged vol. 4, (Surat Al-A‘raf to the end of Surah Yunus), abridged by a group of scholars under the supervision of Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri, Darussalam Publishers & Distributors, Riyadh. P. 87

[xii] Ibn Kathir, 2000b, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, abridged vol. 5, (Surah Hud to Surat Al-Isra’, verse 38), abridged & supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri, Darussalam Publishers & Distributors, Riyadh. P. 462

[xiii] Ibn Kathir, 2000c, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, abridged vol.9, (Surat Al-Jathiyah to the end of Surat Al-Munafiqun), abridged & supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri, Darussalam Publishers & Distributors, Riyadh. P. 277

[xiv] Ibn Kathir, 2000d, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, abridged vol. 6, (Surat Al-Isra’, Verse 39 to the end of Surat Al-Mu’minun), abridged & supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri, Darussalam Publishers & Distributors, Riyadh. P. 437

[xv] Ibn Kathir 1998, Surah Al-Fatihah Surah-Al-Baqarah, ayat 1 to 141, Part 1, abridged by Sheikh Muhammad Nasib Ar-Rafa ‘i, Al-Firdous Ltd, London. P. 43

  

Popular posts from this blog

Early Contacts between Christianity and Islam

Staff Writer
Table of Contents Early Contacts between Christianity and Islam Monk Bahira The Migration to Axum Kingdom Christianity and Islam have always been two noxious bedfellows and yet always proclaim and wish peace on earth. It would not be a crass assumption to state that the two religions have over the centuries crossed paths and re-crossed paths many times. Crossing paths might have been in their ideologies, conflicts, doctrinal interpretations and even sharing some physical spaces. Therefore, in this brief writing, we will explore the early contacts between Christianity and Islam and see how they have influenced each other. Early Contacts between Christianity and Islam The early contacts between Christianity and Islam were not short of frames.  According to Kaufman et al., “frames are cognitive shortcuts that people use to help make sense of complex information.” They are means of interpreting our world and perhaps, the world of other people around us.  Such interpretations helped them to
Read more

The Connection between a Personal Name and Name Groups in Shawnee Social Organisation

Staff Writer
Table of Contents Shawnee People The Divisions The Name Groups and Personal Names I’m always attracted to and interested in the culturally distinct and characteristic elements of different traditions or societies. Reading about the Shawnee people of Native American tribes is no different. I immediately fell in love with the linkage between Shawnee name groups and personal names. The name groups seem to present the Shawnee as a one-descent group with five major divisions. To examine this connection between a personal name and name group, a brief description of Shawnee will help in understanding the Shawnee social organisation. Shawnee People The term ‘Shawnee’ written in different forms ( Shaawanwaki, Shaawanowi lenaweeki, and Shawano ) is Algonquian like the archaic term ‘ shaawanwa ’ meaning ‘south.’ Thus, the term ‘Shawnee’ is (pronounced shaw-nee ) meaning the ‘southern people.’ The Shawnees are categorised as Algonquian-speaking North American Indian people whose pristine ho
Read more

The Akamba – Concept of the Supreme Being & Totems

Staff Writer
Table of Contents Supreme Being (Worships and Venerations) Mulungu   Mumbi  Mwatuangi  Ngai  Asa  Ancestors Totems Here is a brief account of the religious beliefs of the Akamba. Spanning through Central Bantu, the Akamba ethnic group is estimated to be about 4.4 million people and occupies Southeastern Kenya in areas, such as Kangundo, Kibwezi, Kitui, Machakos, Makueni and Mwingi Districts and the Ukamba. A swathe of the Akamba population can also be found in the Mazeras and Kwale Districts of the Coast Province in Shiba Hills. The Akamba languages are Kikamba and Swahili. Globally, the Akamba are not exclusively a Kenyan or African tribe. They can be found in Uganda, Tanzania, and Paraguay, which makes it partly an indigenous group and partly an autochthonal group. Argument from migration theory suggests that Akamba came from Kilimanjaro (a word that means ‘mountain of whiteness’), basing their arguments on the similarity of certain cultural features with the Wachagga people of Kili
Read more

Begrudging & Infightings: Aztec’s Theogony & Cosmogony

Staff Writer
Table of Contents Tezcatlipoca Quetzalcoatl Tlaloc Chalchiuhtlicue Nanauatzin Cosmic Order – The Balance Aztec is a name used to describe the Nahuatl-speaking people who thrived in central Mexico circa the 14 th  and 16 th  centuries as an empire and dominated large parts of Mesoamerica. Variously, the Aztecs had different names. They are known as Aztlan (which means ‘White Land’), the Tenochca (a name adopted from one of their ancestors called Tenoch), and the Mexica, which was a derivative from Metzliapan (which stands for ‘Moon Lake’). Ancient Aztec religious beliefs and practices were tied to their understanding of the world; the people were deeply amazed by the thought of the unknown, the universe and the end of time. These thoughts arouse some curiosity and awareness to understand better their world and how it came about. I used the term ‘theogony’ to describe the Aztecs’ generations of gods however, not in the context of Greek mythology where the ‘primordial deities’ were the fi
Read more

Nigeria’s Pledge Vs the President’s Mandate: An Antithesis of Patriotism

Staff Writer
Table of Contents Nigeria’s Pledge The President’s Mandate Loyalty to the President or the Constitution? In recent years, the Nigerian polity has been bedeviled by one general term, ‘mandate.’ As years passed, the term mandate gained more ground and replaced the allegiance or any public or private declaration of loyalty to Nigeria, as a country. The contract the people signed with the country was gradually torn into bits by the politicians (or leaders) and by extension, the citizens, (and foreigners living in Nigeria). The current political and economic climate of Nigeria is the main reason for this article. The people have openly rejected Nigeria’s Pledge and have taken recourse to different political mandates of some politicians. The aim here is to bring to the fore the salient points of Nigeria’s Pledge against the mandate of the president. Nigeria’s Pledge The clear and concise words of Professor Felicia Adebola Adedoyin in 1976 describing the terms of the Nigerian oath of
Read more

The Aesir Vs the Vanir – The gods at War

Staff Writer
Image
Audio – The Aesir vs the Vanir – The gods at war Table of Contents Introduction Norse Mythology The different deities under the Aesir Family The different deities under the Vanir Family Other deities Ullr Loki Conclusion Introduction ‘The gods at war’ is a phrase or statement I have chosen as a theme that will help me understand the claim about the many conflicts between the Aesir and the Vanir gods and goddesses. The Aesir gods and goddesses are Odin, Frigg, Höðr, Thor, Baldr, and Tyr. Then, the Vanir gods and goddesses are Njörðr, Nerthus, Freyja, Freyr, Óðr, Hnoss, Gersemi, Skírnir, Kvasir, Gullveig. There is Jotnar, the giant gods who are constantly warring with the Aesir gods and goddesses and they are seen as chaotic and destructive. Then comes Kvasir. According to Norse mythology, Kvasir is a creation borne from the mixture of the saliva of the Aesir and Vanir gods and goddesses at the end of their wars. Kvasir is considered a wise god and he went up and down their sovereig
Read more

Nigeria’s 2023 Presidential Election - from preparation to verdicts

Staff Writer
Table of Contents Before the February 25, 2023, General Election During the Election – 2023 After the Election – 2023 The Verdicts – 2023 Moving Forward The insouciant and nonchalant comportment of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the face of angst that has inbuilt despair among Nigerians is the reason for writing about Nigeria’s February 25, 2023, presidential election, and the outcome. Yes, it’s seven months after the election was conducted by INEC and the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) verdicts in Abuja on September 6, 2023. Some argued that the entire election was marred with violence, rigging, and corrupt practices and some others argued that it was the freest election ever held in Nigeria, by Nigerians (not ‘Nigeriens’) and for Nigerians. After the results were announced and Mr Ahmed Bola Tinubu was declared winner, his opponents filed petitions alleging that it was a rigged system. In this writing, an attempt will be made to describe
Read more

The Weyekin in Nez Percé Tribe and Catholic Angels

Staff Writer
Table of Contents The Nez Percé People Catholic Teachings on Angels The Spirit, Weyekin in Nez Percé Tribe This writing is to briefly identify and recognize some cultural values of the Nez Percé tribe, especially their belief in Weyekin, often described as a personal guiding angel. The concept of a guiding angel provokes Catholic teachings about angels and comparison with the Nez Percé Weyekin, as the guiding spirit. But that will be a new piece of writing for the future. There can be a cross-cultural gleaning of ideas from nature, beliefs, and interactions.     The Nez Percé People The term Nez Percé, meaning “pierced nose” is the French coinage to describe the Nimiipuu tribe. The term Nimiipuu, meaning “we, the people” is a name the tribe used for themselves and their language, a part of the Sahaptin family. Early contacts with the Europeans, especially French explorers made the name Nez Percé popular because they unfairly adopted the name Nez Percé and used it for the Nimiipuu and n
Read more

The Conflict between the Deities (Igwe and Amadioha) in Igbo Mythology over a Heat Wave

Staff Writer
Table of Contents Introduction The Deity – Igwe The Deity – Amadioha The Conflict between Igwe and Amadioha Introduction The current heat wave reminds me of the conflict between two Igbo deities, namely: Igwe and Amadioha. Just as it was noted somewhere in this blog: Nigeria's Diversity and the South-East/South-South Peripheral Inclusions: Biafra's Raison d'etre , November 15, 2021, the Igbo people are the third-largest ethnic group who live in southeastern Nigeria. They have a very rich culture and tradition among which is their concept of God which varies from one community to another but essentially, they believe that the gods guide and control their life and affairs in many ways. The Igbo concept of God stems from the idea of a chief god who creates everything. This god is supreme. The Igbo variously call this god Olisa bu uwa (the god who carries the world), Olisa bini Igwe , (the god who lives in the sky), Chukwu (the great god), or Chineke (the god who creates
Read more