1 Belief in AllahTawhid Objective Understand the significance

1. Belief in Allah-Tawhid Objective • Understand the significance of belief in the oneness of Allah (Tawhid) and the nature of God. • Read about the first belief in the handout • What do you think the nature of God is described?

What does it mean? “There is no god but God”.

The Qur’an Surah -112 “Say, He is God the One and Only, God the Eternal, Absolute. He begetteth not nor He begotten; and there is none like unto Him. ” Surah 112 highlights…………… Allah as Alone and Unique in the following; 1. The One in Essence 2. In Attributes 3. In Actions 4. In Worship 5. God has always been in existence and will always be in existence. Task Summarise the above surah into 3 facts.

Trinity- the Christian doctrine • They do blaspheme who say, “God is Christ the Son of Mary”…. Whoever joins other gods with God- God will forbid him the Garden. (Qur’an, s 5 v 75) • What do you think has been explained in the above verse of the Qur’an?

‘Allah is first and before everything else One, and it is the Oneness of God that lies at the centre of the both the Qur’anic doctrine of God and Islamic spirituality…Islamic mystical treatises as well as theological ones based on the text of the Qur’an and hadith are essentially one long commentary on the divine oneness and its meaning. ’ Task Explain the quote. S H Nasr

Implications of God’s Oneness in Muslim Life • Shirk; (associating other beings with God) • Surrender to God alone…. . • The Oneness of God also means the oneness of creation. There must be a unity in creation • The concept of vice-regency to seek and put into operation the concept of ummah (worldwide single community). • Western capitalism may lead Muslims to worship their material possessions

What is 'Shirk’?

The Creator • No helpers or associates: “It is He who created for you all things that are on earth; moreover His design comprehended the heavens. ” (Qur’an, sura 2 v 29) • Total creative power: - ‘To Him is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth: he decreeth a matter, He said to it, “be” and it is’ (sura 2 v 117) • Modern Muslim views: Science shows the universe working according to laws there is unity about the universe… so the universe was created by One ‘Absolute’ power- Allah • Same as Biblical book of Genesis: ‘ Verily your Lord is God, who created the heavens and earth in six days’ (s 10 v 3)

The nature of God • All Powerful the ‘Absolute’; - To submit to God’s will, the phrase ‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is the Greatest) repeated in Salah… ‘Blessed be He in whose hands dominion; and He over all things hath power’ (s 67 v 1) • God’s control of the End of the World God is ‘Master of the Day of Judgement’. (s 1 v 1) • God is Self-Subsistent……. . • God is Omniscient……………

The nature of God Problem for Muslim theologians: - God’s characteristics are described in human physical term, e. g God sees and hears, which to some Muslims God has eyes and ears. - Mu’tazilites reject…. . God is purely spiritual with no human characteristics. Impossible to see God who is beyond our comprehension, which lead to debate and most common modern view. - Possible to faithful Muslims to see God face to face on the Day of Judgement. - Debate on physical characteristics among Sufis • The transcendence of God (i. e. God is far beyond our understanding). The Immanence of God (God is the part of the universe He created’. (Qur’an)). • The Ninety nine Names of God - These names sum up the nature of God - Meditating on the names can take closer to God

Further research on the 99 names of God. How they interpret the attributes of God? How do you think that Muslim theologians are in problem on the Nature of God?

The great mystery ‘Yet God is also immanent in the light of His transcendence… that is why the Prophet taught that the highest form of Tawhid is to see God before, in, and after all things. ’ (S H Nasr)

Exam question Q. 2. Explore the importance of belief in Allah as One (Tawhid). [8 marks - AO 1] • Assess the claim “There is no god but God”.

Homework • Flipped learning • Read the belief. . . . and ………… in the handout and highlight or annotate the key information.

1. Belief in Allah-Tawhid Objective • Understand the significance of belief in the oneness of Allah (Tawhid) and the nature of God.