Tawhid, the Nature of Allah & Angels
Tawhid — The Oneness of God
Tawhid is the single most important belief in Islam. It means the absolute oneness of Allah — there is no God but Allah, and nothing can be compared to Him. Tawhid is the foundation of everything a Muslim believes and does. It is the first part of the Shahadah (declaration of faith): “There is no God but Allah.”
Surah 112 (Al-Ikhlas) is the key Qur’anic text on Tawhid. It declares: “Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.” This short surah makes clear that Allah is unique, has always existed, was never created and cannot be compared to anything in creation.
Surah 112:1–4 is essential for the exam. It states that Allah is One, Eternal and Absolute, was not born and did not give birth, and nothing is comparable to Him. This surah is recited daily by Muslims and summarises the entire concept of Tawhid.
The opposite of Tawhid is Shirk — associating partners with Allah or giving God-like qualities to anything else. Shirk is considered the worst sin in Islam and the only sin Allah will not forgive. This is why Muslims do not create images of Allah or Muhammad, and why Islamic art uses geometric patterns and calligraphy rather than depictions of God.
The Nature and Qualities of Allah
Muslims believe Allah has many qualities, described throughout the Qur’an. You need to know five key attributes:
Omnipotence (Al-Qadir): Allah is all-powerful. He created the universe from nothing and sustains all life. Nothing is beyond His ability. Qur'an 2:284 states: “To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth.… And Allah is over all things competent.”
Beneficence (Ar-Rahman): Allah is all-good and provides for His creation. Every surah of the Qur’an except one opens with: “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.” Allah provides food, water, shelter and guidance for all people.
Mercy (Ar-Rahim): Allah is the Most Merciful. He forgives those who sincerely repent. Surah 39:53 says: “Do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.” Muslims believe Allah’s mercy outweighs His wrath.
Fairness and Justice (Al-Adl): Allah treats all people fairly and never acts unjustly. Every person will be judged equally on the Day of Judgement. This quality is especially emphasised in Shi’a Islam as Adalat, one of the Five Roots of Usul ad-Din.
Justice (Adalat in Shi’a Islam): While both Sunni and Shi’a Muslims agree that Allah is just, Shi’a Islam elevates this quality to one of its core beliefs. Surah 16:90 states: “Indeed, Allah commands justice, grace, as well as generosity to close relatives.” This means Allah will hold everyone accountable and will never punish the innocent.
Immanence and Transcendence
The spec asks about two contrasting ideas regarding Allah’s relationship with the world:
Transcendence means Allah is beyond and above creation. He exists outside of time, space and the physical world. Muslims emphasise that Allah is utterly different from anything humans can imagine — this is why Surah 112 says “There is none like unto Him.” Allah cannot be fully understood by the human mind.
Immanence means Allah is present and involved in the world. Despite being beyond creation, Allah is closer to every person than their own jugular vein (Surah 50:16). He hears prayers, guides individuals and intervenes in the world. Muslims experience Allah’s immanence through prayer, the Qur’an and the natural world.
Muslims believe Allah is both transcendent (above and beyond creation) and immanent (close and involved in the world). These ideas are not contradictory — Allah is so powerful that He can be beyond the universe and yet closer to a person than their own jugular vein (Surah 50:16).
Angels (Malaikah)
Belief in angels is the second article of Sunni faith. Malaikah are beings created by Allah from divine light (Nur). Unlike humans, angels have no free will — they obey Allah’s commands without question. Surah 35:1 describes them as “messengers with two, three, four pairs of wings.”
Jibril (Gabriel) is the most important angel. He delivered the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad over a period of 23 years, beginning in 610 CE during the Night of Power (Laylat al-Qadr). Without Jibril, Muhammad would not have received Allah’s revelation, and the Qur’an would not exist. Jibril also appeared to Ibrahim and Maryam (Mary), making him the chief messenger between Allah and humanity.
Mika’il (Michael) is the angel of mercy and provision. He is responsible for providing nourishment to human bodies and souls, and controls the natural world — rain, weather and harvest. Muslims believe Mika’il distributes Allah’s blessings throughout creation.
Angels perform several roles: they deliver revelations from Allah to prophets, they record every person’s good and bad deeds (the recording angels sit on each shoulder), they welcome the righteous into paradise, and they will be present at the Day of Judgement. The angel Israfil will blow the trumpet to announce the Day of Judgement, and Azra’il (the Angel of Death) takes souls at the moment of death.
Belief in angels influences Muslims today because it reminds them that their actions are always being recorded. This encourages moral behaviour, honesty and mindfulness in daily life. If a Muslim is tempted to do wrong, the knowledge that an angel is recording the deed acts as a powerful deterrent.
Angels are central to Islam because they connect Allah to humanity. Without Jibril, the Qur’an would not have been revealed. Without the recording angels, there would be no account of human deeds for the Day of Judgement. Belief in Malaikah therefore reinforces belief in the Qur’an, prophethood and the afterlife — linking multiple articles of faith together.