Tauheed-the first pillar of Islam: -

Tauheed is the central point of Islam. In order to be called a Muslim, you must believe in the concept of Tauheed. It means believing that there is no God but Allah. He is the only One who is worthy of worship. Allah has no partners and associates. The concept of Tawhid is emphasized in many places in the Holy Quran. Surah al-Ikhlaas is dedicated completely to explain the Oneness of Allah: - “Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; None is born of Him, nor is He born; And there is none like Him.”

Categories of Tauheed: -

The concept of Tauheed is very vast. To understand it better, we have divided it into the following categories.

• Tauheed al-Ruboobiyyah: -

This category of Tawhid affirms that Allah is the Divine and Sole Lord of the worlds. He is the Sole Creator, Sustainer, and Controller of everything. Allah is the only one who is responsible for giving and taking away life. He is the only one who sustains life on Earth and beyond. Not even a leaf can move without Allah’s will. Allah’s divine authority is elaborated in ayat-ul-Kursi in Surah al-Baqarah.

• Tawhid al-Uloohiyyah: -

Tauheed al-Uloohiyyah means believing that Allah is the only one worthy of worship. It means all the acts, words and deeds of worship should be directed towards Allah alone. This is a very vast concept. It signifies that one should submit himself to the will of Allah alone. He should adopt everything that Allah orders. Likewise, he should refrain from everything that Allah has forbidden. Nobody and nothing is superior to Allah’s command. No matter how difficult the situation is, a believer must remain steadfast in his Tauheed al-Uloohiyyah and firmly adhere to the teachings of Allah. Mainly people go astray with this aspect of Tauheed. When they start considering people or things as worthy of worship. This is the reason why Allah sent his prophets and messengers to the world to guide people when they started worshipping winds, sun, and rulers of their times.

• Tauheed al-asma wal-sifaat: -

This part of Tawhid means believing that the unique names of Allah are the attributes that solely belong to Him. It is very important to believe that these attributes belong to Allah alone without any distortion in their truest essence. Likewise, it is an integral part of Tauheed al-asma wal-sifaat that a believer must accept as true that Allah is the One and Only who is Perfect. He is free from errors and shortcomings. As Allah says in the Holy Quran: - “There is nothing like Him, and He is the All‑Hearer, the All‑Seer” [al-Shoora 42:11]

• Muhammad (PBUH) Allah’s Last Prophet and Messenger: -

The last component of Tauheed is the belief that Muhammad (PBUH) is Allah’s last Prophet and Messenger sent to this world for the guidance of people. When Allah created the world, He sent prophets and messengers from time to time for the guidance of people whenever they crossed limits and went astray. He revealed holy scriptures and books as well to his prophets to assist them in spreading and understanding the divine message of Allah. This process of sending messenger ended at Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He is also known as the Seal of Prophets. Anyone who denies this fact cannot be called a Muslim.

• The impact of Tauheed on a believer: -

When a person completely understands the concept of Tauheed, it can have a great impact on his perspective of things in life. First and foremost, when a person believes that Allah is the only one worthy of worship it makes his life very simple as he knows that he has to ask for blessings from a single source that is Allah. This also helps make a person identify his dignity and self-esteem as he must not bow before anyone other than Allah. Tawhid makes a person believe that everything happens according to the will of Allah. This is very important especially during times of hardships and suffering. When a person is devastated health-wise, financially or socially, he must believe that the problems are from Allah and only He can resolve them. Similarly, during good times, a person must not forget that even good times are Allah’s blessings. One must not get arrogant rather the belief in Tauheed makes a person humble and meek. Hence, Tauheed is the foremost governing principle in the life of a Muslim.