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Tauhid (Islamic Monotheism) has three aspects:
-
Oneness of the Lordship of Allah; Tauhid-ar-Rububiya: To
believe that there is only one Lord for all the universe, its
Creator, Organizer, Planner, Sustainer, and the Giver of Security,
etc. and that is Allah.
-
Oneness of the worship of Allah; Tauhid-al-Uluhiya: To
believe that none has the right to be worshipped [e.g. praying,
invoking, asking for help (from the unseen), swearing, slaughtering
sacrifices, giving charity, fasting, pilgrimage, etc.] but Allah.
-
Oneness of the Names and the Qualities of Allah: Tauhid-al-Asma
was-Sifat: To believe that:
-
We must not name or qualify Allah except with what He or His
Messenger ﷺ
has name or qualified Him;
-
None can be named or qualified with the Names or
Qualifications of Allah; e.g. Al-Karim;
-
We must confirm all of Allah's Qualifications which Allah has
stated in His Book (The Quran) or mentioned through His
Messenger ﷺ
without changing them or ignoring them completely or twisting
the meanings or giving resemblance to any of the created things
[e.g. Allah is present over His Throne as mentioned in the Quran
(V. 20:5):-
"The Most Beneficent (Allah) Istawa (rose over)
the (Might) Throne," over the seventh heaven; and He only
comes down over the first (nearest) heaven to us on the day of
'Arafat (Hajj, i.e the 9th of Dhul-Hijja), and also
during the last third part of the night as mentioned by the
Prophet ﷺ,
but He is with us by His Knowledge only, not by His
Personal-Self (Bi-Dhatihi).
Also Allah said:
"There is nothing like unto Him and He is All-Hearer,
the All-Seer" (V. 42:11)
This holy Verse confirms the qualify of hearing and the quality
of sight for Allah without resemblance to others, and likewise
He 
also said:
"To one whom I have created with Both My Hands,"
(V. 38:75)
and He also said:
"The Hand of Allah is over their hands." (V.
48:10).
This confirms two Hands for Allah, but there is no similarity
for them. This is the Faith of all true believers, and was
the Faith of all the Prophets of Allah, from Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim
(Abraham), Musa (Moses) and 'Iesa (Christ) till the last of the
Prophets, Muhammad ﷺ.
[It is not like as some people think that Allah is present
everywhere -- here, there and even inside the breasts of men].
These three aspects of Tauhid are included in the meaning of La
ilaha ill-Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah).
It is also essential to follow Allah's Messenger, Muhammad ﷺ:
Wajub-al-Itteba' and it is part of Tauhid-al-Uluhiya.
This is included in the meaning, "I testify that Muhammad ﷺ
is Allah's Messenger," and this means, "None has the right to
be followed after Allah's Book (the Quran), but Allah's Messenger ﷺ
".
Allah said:
"And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ)
gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from
it)." (V. 59:7)
And also Allah said:
"Say (O Muhammad ﷺ
to mankind), 'If you (really) love Allah then follow me [i.e. accept
Islamic Monotheism, follow the Quran and the Sunnah (legal ways
of the Prophet ﷺ)],
Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins." (V. 3:31)
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