التوحيد

Tawhid is the heart of Islam: Allah is One, with no partner. The Qur'an says: "Say: He is Allah, the One, Allah the Eternal Refuge; He neither begets nor is born; and there is none comparable to Him" (112:1-4).

Scholars explain tawhid in three aspects. Tawhid ar-rububiyya: Allah alone is the Lord, Creator, Sustainer and Master of everything (39:62). Tawhid al-uluhiyya: He alone deserves worship, prayer and supplication (1:5, 17:23). Tawhid al-asma wa as-sifat: affirming His names and attributes as He described Himself, without likening Him to creation (42:11).

The opposite is shirk, associating partners with Allah, which can be obvious (idols) or hidden (riya, seeking to please people in worship). Allah forgives all sins for the repentant, but not dying upon shirk (4:48). Tawhid frees the heart from fear and dependence on anyone but Allah. The mainstream Sunni schools of creed (Athari, Ash'ari, Maturidi) agree on these foundations and differ on some points of method and detail, which this lesson signals without settling. Study further with a qualified teacher.