What Kind of Monotheism?

“la ʾilaha ʾillallah” means “There is no god but Allah” and it is the basis to embrace Islam. Every Muslim repeats these words on countless occasions throughout his life, thereby refreshing his faith that there is no god besides Allah.

Monotheism is also defined with the phrase “Allahu Akbar” which means “Allah is the greatest” or “There is nothing greater than Allah”. A Muslim repeats these words hundred times in a day: during prayer, during supplication after prayer, while the adhan (call to prayer) is made and on the days of ‘Eid (Islamic holiday). Thus monotheism enters the hearts of people and becomes embedded into their beings.

Both “la ʾilaha ʾillallah”/There is no god but Allah” and “Allahu akbar/There is no one greater than Allah” statements should be understood well, because the two phrases describe monotheism and form the basis of Islam. Happiness in both this world and the Hereafter is only possible if one lives as the two phrases require. What is it then that we deny and accept? What is the effect of it on our lives? Now we can explains these questions in detail:

With regards to the oneness of Allah, the Qur’an gives us these principles:

“Say, “He is Allah, who is One Allah, Who is in need of none and of Whom all are in need. He neither begets nor is born. Nor is there to Him any equivalent” (Ikhlas, 112/1-4)

“There is nothing like unto Him.” (Shuraa, 42/11)

These verses explicitly state that Allah is one and unique. Allah is one in His essence. There is no god but Him. The Qur’an poses a few questions to the ones claiming otherwise:

“Is He not best who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil and makes you inheritors of the earth? Is there a deity with Allah? Little do you remember!” (Naml, 27/62)

“Is He not best who begins creation and then repeats it and who provides for you from the heaven and earth? Is there a deity with Allah? Say, “Produce your proof, if you should be truthful.” (Naml, 27/64)

To believe in Allah as the only deity requires one to disassociate any partners to Him in His attributes. Allah has attributes like life, knowledge, hearing and seeing.  Humans too have these attributes. However, the attributes of Allah are substantially and qualitatively unique to Him and cannot be accepted as equal with the seemingly same attributes of humans.

All aforementioned beliefs and topics with regards to belief are required by monotheism. A believer should keep in line with monotheism even in his deeds, this means to love Allah with his heart and prove it through his actions. His actions are his worship rituals.  A believer should show love for his Lord through worship. If a person does not worship Allah in his life, then that person is in a conflict with monotheism itself.

Muslims recite the Surah al-Fatihah of the Qur’an in the prayers about forty times a day, thereby repeating the following verse: “It is You we worship” which means: “O my Lord, You are the only one who is worthy to worship, to submit to, to obey in all ways and love wholeheartedly.”

Such is the belief of a Muslim and he repeats these phrases voluntarily, performing the rituals solely to gain Allah’s content. He does everything he can to be truthful and sincere.

A believer does not get carried away by insincere thoughts like gaining the content of other people and praise, and he will show great effort as to not fall into such situations and keep his heart pure.

He knows that such feelings and thoughts could bring a great sin and even lead him to shirk (polytheism) and nullify all his actions.

A Muslim will love –since it’s a human trait - his partner, mother, father, spiritual guide, leader and friend. Loving and respecting them. However, a Muslim cannot love anyone as he loves Allah. Because he is Al-Wadud: the One loving his creation and the one loved by all of creation. The Qur’an explains this reality as follows: “And yet, among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals to Him. They love them as they should love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah” (Baqarah, 2/165)