Tawheed, also spelled Tawhid, is the foundation of the religion of Islam and refers to the oneness of God in all respects
. The term comes from the Arabic language and means "making something one"
. In Islam, Tawheed is the central and most important concept, and it is the basis of the religion's beliefs and practices
. The opposite of Tawheed is Shirk, which refers to the belief in multiple gods or idolatry
. There are two aspects of Tawheed in Islamic theology: Tawheed fi az-Zat (oneness of being) and Tawheed fi as-Sifat (oneness of attributes)
. The first aspect emphasizes that there is only one Being who enjoys the status of being God, while the second aspect highlights that no one else can have a share in or lay claim to God's attributes, such as power, wisdom, and mercy
. Tawheed can be further divided into three categories
:
- Tawhid al-Rububiyyah : Oneness of Divine Lordship, which refers to the belief that Allah is the only Lord and Master, deserving of worship and obedience.
- Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah : Oneness of Divinity, which refers to the belief that Allah is the only true God, possessing all attributes of divinity and lordship.
- Tawhid al-Asma wa'l-Sifat : Oneness of the Divine Names and Attributes, which refers to the belief that Allah's names and attributes are unique and exclusive to Him, and that nothing can be likened to Him in any way.
Understanding the meaning of Tawheed is one of the most controversial issues among Muslims, with various Islamic scholars having different approaches to interpreting it, such as textualistic, theological, philosophical, and Sufi approaches
. However, the core concept of Tawheed remains the belief in the oneness of God and the rejection of polytheism and idolatry
