Tawheed (Islaamic Monotheism)
Tawheed means in the English asserting unity or oneness, this is the basic fundamental principle of Al Islaam asserting the unity of The God who's proper name in the Arabiyyah is Allaah, according to the Arabi, no matter what strange ideas north American Christian's who can not even pronounce the letter ayn have.
Tawheed has been historically understood to comprise of three categories according to the majority of the Ulamah (Scholars) of Ahlus Sunnah (People of the Sunnah).
Tawheed Ar Rububiyah (Oneness in Lordship)
Tawheed Uluhiyah (Oneness in worship)
Tawheed Al Asma' was Sifat (Tawheed in names and attributes)
As for Tawheed Ar Rububiyah (Oneness in Lordship):Then what it means is that there is but One Being who has created and sustains the entire creation alone without an partner of any kind, That One Deity alone has mastery and rulership over the creation and that the right of subjecting the creation to laws belongs to The Deity Alone.
And the proofs in the Qur'aan and Sunnah are many like
The Praise is for Allaah , Lord of the worlds
Surah Faatihah 1:2
Unquestionably, His is the creation and the command; blessed is Allaah, Lord of the worlds
Surah A'raaf 7:54
Tawheed Uluhiyah (Oneness in Worship): The affirmation that Lordship is the sole property of The Deity leads to the affirmation that that Being alone among all the things that are worshiped as gods and lords is the only one worthy of worship in truth. This aspect of Tawheed requires a negation of everything that is worshiped except the One who is worthy of that ..Thy Creator of the Heavens and Earths. Since Almighty God Allaah is the All knowing, The All seeing, The Most Merciful, The Most Powerful then it is obvious that The Greatest who possess these lofty attributes is the only being that is worshiped in truth, even if there are other gods who are deficit in these attributes who defecate and urinate, who are born and who die that are worshiped on the earth.
and the proofs from the Qur'aan and Sunnah are
It is You alone that we worship and it is You alone that we ask for help
Surah Faatihah 1:5
Tawheed Al Asma' was Sifat (Tawheed in names and attributes): Consists of two principles, those being that The Deity is not like His creation or that the creation doesn't share in His lofty names and attributes, and that His Names and attributes are to be understood as they come to us in the Qur'aan and Sunnah without negation of the apparent meaning(In Arabic), asking how or asking about there exact nature, distorting the meaning, or liking them to anything of the creation.
Allaah, there is no deity besides Him, To him belong the best Names
Surah TaaHaa 20:8
There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All Hearing the All Seeing
Surah Shooraa 42:11
And all of this is included in the Islaamic statement of Faith...
La Ilaha illallah
Which Shari'ah meaning in English is "There is nothing worthy of worship in truth but Allaah”, this statement includes a negation La illaha i.e a negation of all worshiped beings, no matter if they are angels, demons, Prophets, dead saints, object of gold, sliver,wood or bodies in space. And the second half is a affirmation illallah that Allaah The Deity is the only being worthy of rendering worship to.
And the opposite of all of this is Shirk or what means Polytheism. And Shirk(polytheism) in the Islaamic creed has two categories.
1. Shirk Al Akbar ( Major Polytheism ): Which is the unforgivable sin for the person who dies apon it. Shirk Al Akbar is to negate the absolute Unity of Deity and render worship to other beings. And simply affirming the existence of God or affirming that there is One God doesn't cause the person to escape the filth of Shirk until they negate the worship which includes invocation, reverential fear, hope, and dependence of any other being but Allaah The Most High because the Pagan Meccans during he time of The Messenger of Allaah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam affirmed Rububiyah/Lordship but denied Uluhiyah/Oneness of worship.
2. Shirk Al Asghar ( Minor Polytheism ): Which is invisible Polytheism or performing acts of worship with the intention of gaining something form the creation - for example praying in the Mosque hoping to be seen by the people, so they will think you are pious.
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