He Is One: Truly Knowing Allah

One of the many beautiful things about Islam is the simplicity of our creed. In Surat Al-Ikhlas (the Chapter of Sincerity), Allah says:

Say, “He is Allah, the Uniquely One (Aḥad)

Allah, the Indivisible.

He begot no one nor was He begotten,

and never has there been to Him anyone equivalent.” [Surah Al-Ikhlas: 112;1-4]

Allah is Uniquely One, Indivisible, and Incomparable. He is al-Wāḥid (the One) and al-Aḥad (the Unique) – nothing is equal or can be compared to Him. There is something incredibly comforting about how uncomplicated our beliefs are. The concept of tawḥīd – oneness of God – can be explained to anyone, whether a child or an elderly person, an intellectual or someone without any basic education. There are no mental gymnastics required, no ‘leap of faith’ to avoid hard questions; rather there is complete congruence between the intellect, heart, and soul. Indeed, Allah is al-Ḥaqq – The Truth – and the soul recognizes and is liberated by the Truth. Thus, it finds tranquility in it.

Moreover, Allah being al-Wāḥid and al-Aḥad means that all perfection is united in Allah ; He is completely unique in His Essence, His Names, and His Attributes, and He is utterly distinctive in His Lordship over creation.¹Maher Muqaddim, Asmāʾ Allāh Al-Ḥusnā: Jalālahā Wa Laṭāif Iqtirānihā Wa Thamarātihā Fī Ḍawʾ Al-Kitāb Wal-Sunnah. 3rd Ed. Kuwait: Al-Imam al-Thahabi (2014), p. 78-79 When we talk about Allah being al-Raḥmān (the Completely Merciful) or al-Wadūd (the Affectionate) or al-Ḥakīm (the Most Wise), for example, we have to know that His Mercy, Love, and Wisdom, are unique in their perfection, and there is truly no equivalent. Hence, there is no love like the love of Allah , and no good like the good that comes from Allah .

The Importance of Knowing that God is One

The opposite of tawḥīd is shirk – taking other idols with Allah . Committing shirk contradicts the Truth and Divine Reality.²Zohair Abdul-Rahman, Why is Shirk the Greatest Sin of All?, Yaqeen Institute, 2022 Indeed, since our purpose in this world is to worship and know God, taking other idols – in the literal or symbolic sense – contradicts our purpose³Ibid, and it stands in the way of truly knowing Allah . If we do not know Allah , we do not have the proper foundation for worshiping Him and for doing good holistically in this world.

Perhaps some of our ailments – those that we cannot point to specifically – are as a result of this disturbance in our soul. We understand that constantly and consistently eating ultra-processed food has gradual (sometimes immediate) adverse effects on our physical health. We may still be able to function, sometimes even appear healthy, but our body has to fight to counteract the negative effects of pseudo foods, and we develop ailments that even affect our mental health.⁴Lachance and Ramsey, Food, Mood, and Brain Health: Implications for the Modern Clinician, Mo Med, April 2015 When we live in opposition to the Truth and to our purpose, and when we starve our heart and soul of what they need, it is natural that we suffer underlying unease that is not cured by the perfect diet, spin class, and yoga.

And hence, as Muslims, all our actions spring from the conviction that Allah is al-Wāḥid al-Aḥad, and we are vigilant against anything that has elements of polytheism, as this impacts the state of our souls.

The Effects

Allah says in the Qur’an:

“Have you not considered how Allāh presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky?

It produces its fruit all the time, by permission of its Lord. And Allāh presents examples for the people that perhaps they will be reminded.” (Surah Ibrahim: 14;24-25]

The ‘good word’ here is the profession of faith: lā ilāha illā Allāh – there is no god but Allah .⁵Tafsīr Ibn al-Qayyim, https://tafsir.app/ibn-alqayyim/14/24 It is the foundation for all good that comes after: it produces fruit all the time.

Truly internalizing the meanings of al-Wāḥid and al-Aḥad does not only result in a tranquil soul, and in being and doing good. It goes to the root of what we give our hearts to. Allah being Uniquely One negates any other false idol in our hearts. Allah is One and Incomparable, and thus nothing should stand equal to Him in our hearts. Knowing that He is al-Aḥad reminds us that anything we put above Him is a false idol. Hence, true sincerity is of utmost importance, and our actions and intentions should be directed towards His pleasure and love, and not be tainted by ulterior motives.

Negating other deities

Bilal, may Allah be pleased with him, understood the power of sincere belief and submission to Allah al-Aḥad. Considered to be lowly in society because he was enslaved, Bilal accepted Islam, and he was tortured severely for what was perceived to be a defiant act. Famously, Bilal repeated one word in the face of his tormentors: Aḥad. This infuriated them even more, but Bilal would not desist. He was negating that he worshiped, indeed that anything existed that was worthy of worship, except Allah . He would not submit to anything other than Allah, al-Aḥad. This single belief inspired strength and conviction which the polytheists could not stand. Indeed, they revealed their weakness in not being able to counter this simple truth and resorting to force, while Bilal was strengthened by the truth.

When we say that Allah is al-Wāḥid and al-Aḥad, we are negating the worship and the intercession of any other so-called deities. Allah condemns those who said about their idols that,

“Indeed, sincere devotion is due ˹only˺ to Allah. As for those who take other lords besides Him, ˹saying,˺ We worship them only so they may bring us closer to Allah, surely Allah will judge between all regarding what they differed about. Allah certainly does not guide whoever persists in lying and disbelief.” [Surah Az-Zumar: 39;3]

There is only Allah, and only He deserves to be worshiped – there are no intermediaries.

Shirk thus includes the belief in other deities, whether worshiped for their own sake, or as a means to Allah . Shirk is ‘dividing’ God and making Him into multiple parts. The lesser shirk includes those things that we essentially worship in our lives by submitting to them in heart and deed. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Wretched is the slave (Ꜥabd) of gold, silver, fine clothes, and garments.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī) When we pursue these things – wealth, status, power – and choose them above God and what He loves, we are essentially enslaved to them. These are the things we have submitted our hearts to.

Knowing this forces us to confront what we have raised to the status of something to be worshiped and submitted to, even if this is subtle. Allah points out in the Qur’an,

“Have you not seen the one who takes his own desires as a god?” (Surah Al Furqan: 25:43).

And it thus compels us to ask ourselves, is there really no other ‘god’ in my heart? What drives and motivates my actions – is it the unadulterated Oneness of Allah , or is it for worldly gain? Am I willing to violate Allah’s laws in pursuit of my desires?

Knowing He is al-Wāḥid and al-Aḥad also encompasses the symbolic actions that express those beliefs.

Symbolism

There may be some practices, whether traditional or contemporary, that we think are harmless, but they contain elements of shirk. The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Whoever hangs an amulet around his neck has committed an act of idolatry.’ (Aḥmad)

In this context, one of the people who had come to pledge allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ was wearing an amulet, and it was generally worn for protection. However, it is interesting that the Prophet ﷺ did not specify the purpose of wearing the amulet. He did not say, “whoever wears it for x reason”. While it was generally known that protection was the purpose of wearing the amulet – it was not simply decorative – the Prophet ﷺ made a blanket prohibition against it. It would be akin to someone wearing a cross today because it is fashionable. Even if their intentions are not religious, it would still be considered prohibited.

Indeed, many religious practices nowadays are watered-down, their previous rituals reduced to heart-warming celebrations that everyone can take part in and enjoy. This includes, for example, Christmas, Easter, Diwali, and others. However, they are not only rooted in ideas that are in contradiction to Allah’s Oneness – the belief which is so fundamental for Muslims and is an essential truth – but these ideals are still associated with these festivals and have a deep significance for followers of these faiths. One might be forgiven for wondering what the big deal is, as the symbols seem to be largely divorced from their religious underpinnings, and the celebrations are something one can partake in as a society or just to bring family together. Yet, this goes to the heart of the matter. Allah reminds us in the Qur’an:

“And That is so. And whoever honors the rituals of Allah, it is best for them in the sight of their Lord.The ˹meat of˺ cattle has been made lawful for you, except what has ˹already˺ been recited to you. So shun the impurity of idolatry, and shun words of falsehood.whoever honors the rituals (ḥurumāt) of Allah, it is best for them in the sight of their Lord.” [Surah Al-Haj: 22;30]

As well as:

 “And whoever honors the symbols (shaꜤā’ir) of Allah, it is certainly out of the piety of the heart.” [Surah Al-Haj: 22;32]

These two verses are specifically talking about the rites and rituals of Hajj, as well as the places, times, and states Allah has made inviolable.⁶ Ibn ꜤAshūr, Al-Taḥrīr wal-Tanwīr, available at: https://tafsir.app/ibn-aashoor/22/30 and https://tafsir.app/ibn-aashoor/22/32 But the ḥurumāt as a general term are those matters that must be respected.⁷Ibn ꜤAshūr, Al-Taḥrīr wal-Tanwīr, available at: https://tafsir.app/ibn-aashoor/22/30 The veneration of the ḥurumāt of Allah – the boundaries that Allah has set – is best in the sight of Allah .⁸Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbī, Al-Tas-hīl liꜤulūm al-Tanzīl, available at: https://tafsir.app/altasheel/22/30 It stems from a deep belief in the heart that leads to outward action – this is taqwā. What is seemingly minor is not so when we connect it to the foundation of the act. The intense conviction in Allah being al-Wāḥid al-Aḥad, and that this is a fundamental truth, should cause us to venerate and honor that which Allah has deemed important, while eschewing completely anything that contradicts His Oneness. Of course, there are nuances in how we interact with non-Muslim family members and their religious celebrations, as well as society, in a sensitive, kind, and humane way. But it is an altogether different matter to adopt anything ourselves which is rooted in that which goes against the Oneness of God.⁹John Yahya Ederer, American Customs: What is Permissible?, VirtualMosque.com, 2015 Indeed, the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” [Abu Dawud] While this can describe a general reality, it is a “condemnation if in fact a Muslim is imitating other religions in their religiously symbolic dress, worship or festivities.”¹⁰John Yahya Ederer, The Holiday Season in a Multi-Faith Environment, VirtualMosque.com, 2010

One in Our Hearts

This brings us back to Allah , al-Wāḥid al-Aḥad. The Prophet ﷺ told his Companions: ‘Renew your faith.’ They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, how can we renew our faith?’ The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Say often, “there is no god but Allah (lā ilāha illa Allāh).”’ [Aḥmad]

Regularly reminding ourselves that there is no god but God Himself – essentially, that He is al-Wāḥid al-Aḥad –  helps to renew our faith as we become conscious of removing from our hearts anything that we have made equal to Him. One of the companions loved Surat al-Ikhlas so much that he would recite it in every prayer, saying ‘It is because this chapter describes the Most Merciful, and therefore I love to recite it.’ We can pause here to reflect: He loved to recite this chapter not because it was a short one, nor because it was the only one that he had memorized, but rather because it was a description of Allah , the Most Merciful. The companion recited it out of love. The Prophet ﷺ heard this and said: ‘Tell that man that Allah loves him.’ [Bukhārī and Muslim].

As believers in His Oneness, we affirm Allah’s unity in directing all our love, fears, hopes, supplications, and all our worship, outwardly and inwardly, towards Him.¹¹Maher Muqaddim, p. 81 May we find strength in this conviction to withstand the tests of life, like Bilal and all the righteous believers did; may we find comfort and serenity in this Truth, and live in accordance with it.

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The author would like to thank Hala Akram for her feedback on the draft of this article.

Related reading:

– Tawhid: Asserting God’s Unity

Tawhid: Asserting God’s Unity

– A Strengthened Heart: Connection To Allah During Difficulty

A Strengthened Heart: Connection To Allah During Difficulty