الْإِيمَانُ بِاللَّهِ

In the very first course, "Allah, my Creator, and my Prophet ﷺ", you learned that Allah created everything, that He sees you and hears you, and three of His names: Ar-Raḥmaan, Al-Khaaliq, As-Samii'. Here, we go further.

Believing in Allah means believing four things:

1. That Allah exists. The sky, the earth, your body, the order of the universe: none of it made itself. "Were they created from nothing, or are they themselves the creators?" (meaning of verse 52:35). Every human being is born with a natural disposition (fiṭra) to recognise their Creator (Bukhari 1385, Muslim 2658).

2. That He is the only Lord (Rabb). He creates, He owns everything, He runs everything, He gives life and death, He provides. "Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds" (1:2).

3. That He alone deserves worship (ilaah). Prayer, supplication, complete trust, sacrifice: all of it is for Him alone. That is the meaning of laa ilaaha illa Allaah. "I created the jinn and humankind only to worship Me" (meaning of verse 51:56).

4. That He has the most beautiful names and perfect attributes. "To Allah belong the most beautiful names, so call on Him by them" (meaning of verse 7:180). We believe in what Allah says about Himself and what the Prophet ﷺ said about Him, without picturing Him like a creature: "There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing" (meaning of verse 42:11). A few names to live by: Al-'Aliim (the All-Knowing), Al-Ghafuur (the Forgiving), Ar-Razzaaq (the Provider), Al-Ḥakiim (the Wise), Al-Waduud (the Loving, the Beloved). The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah has ninety-nine names, and that whoever knows and preserves them will enter Paradise (Bukhari 2736, Muslim 2677).

Tawḥiid (التَّوْحِيد) is recognising and living this oneness. Its opposite is shirk: associating something with Allah, for example worshipping something other than Him, or asking a creature for what only Allah can give. It is the gravest sin (4:48), but the door of repentance stays open as long as we are alive.

Surah Al-Ikhlaaṣ (112) sums all this up in four verses; the Prophet ﷺ said it is equal to a third of the Qur'an (Bukhari 5013). Listen to it in the recitation block.

Challenge: choose one name of Allah this week. Write down its meaning, then note three moments in your day where you saw it at work.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation Many scholars present tawḥiid in three aspects, to teach it clearly: the oneness of lordship (Allah alone creates and runs everything), the oneness of worship (we worship Him alone) and the oneness of names and attributes (His names and attributes are perfect and have no equal). Other Sunni schools set out the same truths differently; the imam can present the one the centre teaches. [À VÉRIFIER : présentation du tawḥîd suivie au centre] For the attributes, the rule given by verse 42:11 has two sides: we affirm what Allah says about Himself (He hears, He sees, He knows, He loves…), and we refuse to compare Him to anything. We do not try to "picture" Allah: our mind is created, and He resembles nothing created. The idolaters of Makkah often recognised that Allah is the Creator (meaning of verse 31:25), but they worshipped others besides Him: so believing in Allah is not only knowing that He exists, it is also keeping worship for Him alone. Common misunderstandings: thinking you need an intermediary to speak to Allah, when He says: "I am near, I answer the call of the one who calls on Me" (meaning of verse 2:186); believing that lucky charms or horoscopes can decide anything; reducing faith to debates, without love or trust.

Lessons to draw from it • Speak to Allah directly, in your own language, at any time: that is living tawḥiid. • Watch out for the small everyday forms of shirk: lucky charms, fortune-telling, "doing things to be seen". • Knowing the names of Allah makes love, hope and respectful awe grow. • When a question about Allah bothers you, ask a trusted teacher rather than a forum.

Key points to remember • Belief in Allah: His existence, His lordship, His right to worship, His names and attributes. • Tawḥiid = oneness; its opposite: shirk (4:48). • "There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing" (42:11). • Al-Ikhlaaṣ (112) sums up tawḥiid.

The main message Believing in Allah means knowing that He is the only Creator, keeping all worship for Him, and learning to love Him through His most beautiful names.