The Nature of Allah, Tawhid and the Qur'an
Tawhid: The Oneness of Allah
The most fundamental belief in Islam is tawhid — the absolute oneness of Allah. The Qur’an declares tawhid in Qur’an 3:18: “Allah witnesses that there is no deity except Him, and so do the angels and those of knowledge.” This is not merely a statement about numbers (that there is one God rather than many) but about the unique nature of Allah: nothing in creation can be compared to or associated with Allah. Everything else that exists — humans, angels, the universe itself — is created and dependent; Allah alone is self-sufficient and eternal.
Tawhid has three dimensions in Islamic theology: tawhid al-rububiyya (the oneness of Allah’s lordship — he alone governs all creation), tawhid al-uluhiyya (the oneness of Allah’s right to worship — he alone deserves devotion), and tawhid al-asma wa-l-sifat (the oneness of Allah’s names and attributes — his qualities are unique and unlike any creature’s). Understanding tawhid shapes every aspect of Muslim life: prayer, ethics, family, and society are all oriented towards this one reality.
Tawhid — the absolute oneness of Allah — is confirmed in Qur’an 3:18. The greatest sin in Islam is shirk (associating partners with Allah), which directly violates tawhid. Shirk is the one sin that the Qur’an indicates cannot be forgiven if not repented.
The Qualities of Allah and the 99 Names
Islam teaches that Allah possesses qualities that are perfect and beyond human comprehension. The Qur’an describes Allah as immanent (closer to a person than their own jugular vein, Qur’an 50:16) and transcendent (above all creation). Qur’an 46:33 points to Allah’s power: the one who created the heavens and the earth without weariness is surely able to give life to the dead. Other key qualities include Allah as the All-Knowing (Al-‘Alim), the Most Merciful (Al-Rahman), the Most Compassionate (Al-Rahim), the All-Seeing (Al-Basir), and the All-Hearing (Al-Sami’).
The Islamic tradition recognises 99 beautiful names of Allah (Asma’ Allah al-Husna), drawn from the Qur’an and the Hadith. These names describe Allah’s attributes and are used in Muslim worship and prayer. Many Muslims use a set of prayer beads (subha) to count through the 99 names as a form of devotion. The names remind worshippers that Allah is both awe-inspiring in power (Al-Qahhar, the Subduer; Al-Aziz, the All-Mighty) and deeply personal in care (Al-Wadud, the Most Loving; Al-Latif, the Subtle and Kind).
Islam as Submission
The word “Islam” comes from the Arabic root s-l-m, meaning peace, safety, and submission. A Muslim is one who submits to Allah — living every dimension of life in accordance with Allah’s will as revealed in the Qur’an and the example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This submission is not passive resignation but an active, willing alignment of one’s whole life — prayer, work, family, commerce, justice — with the divine will.
The concept of Greater Jihad (al-jihad al-akbar) is the internal struggle to overcome one’s own ego, desires, and moral failures in order to submit to Allah. This is distinguished from the Lesser Jihad, which refers to external forms of struggle including, under strict conditions, armed conflict. Many Muslims and Islamic scholars emphasise that the Greater Jihad — the daily interior battle to be a better person — is the more fundamental challenge facing every believer.
The Shahadah is the first of the Five Pillars of Sunni Islam and the gateway to the faith. It declares: “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah” (La ilaha illallah, Muhammadun rasulullah). The Shahadah is whispered into the ear of a newborn child at birth, via the Adhan (the aqiqah on the seventh day is a separate naming ceremony), recited in the call to prayer, spoken by converts upon entering Islam, and ideally the last words a Muslim utters before death. It is both a statement of belief and a commitment of allegiance.
Islam prohibits images of Allah or of any human figure in acts of worship. This prohibition, rooted in the concept of tawhid, prevents any material object from becoming associated with Allah and guards against idolatry (shirk). As a result, Islamic art channels creative energy into calligraphy (beautiful script of Qur’anic verses), geometric patterns, and arabesque decoration rather than figurative painting or sculpture. Mosque interiors are adorned with intricate tilework and the Arabic script of Qur’anic verses rather than statues or paintings of sacred figures.
The Qur’an: Revelation and Sacred Text
Muslims believe the Qur’an is the direct, uncreated word of Allah, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) through the Angel Jibril (Gabriel). Qur’an 2:97–98 confirms this: “Say: Whoever is an enemy to Jibril — it is he who has brought it (the revelation) down upon your heart by permission of Allah.” Revelation came to Muhammad over approximately 23 years (from 610 CE until his death in 632 CE), beginning in the Cave of Hira near Mecca.
The Qur’an is divided into 114 chapters (surahs) of varying length. The longest surah (Al-Baqarah) deals with law, theology, and ethics; the shortest (Al-Kawthar) is just three verses. Muslims regard the Qur’an as the final, perfect, and unalterable word of Allah, superseding all previous scriptures. It is treated with great physical respect: many Muslims perform ritual washing (wudu) before touching it, it is stored on the highest shelf in the home, and it is never placed on the floor.
The Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through the Angel Jibril over approximately 23 years (confirmed in Qur’an 2:97–98). It consists of 114 surahs. Muslims treat it with great physical reverence, performing wudu before touching it and never placing it on the floor.
Alongside the Qur’an, two further sources guide Muslim life. The Hadith are individual reports (narrations) recording what the Prophet Muhammad said, did, or approved of. The Sunnah is the Prophet’s example as a whole — the pattern of his life that provides a practical model for Muslims. Together, the Qur’an, Hadith, and Sunnah form the foundation of Islamic law (sharia). The Hadith were collected and authenticated by scholars in the centuries after Muhammad’s death, and the six major Hadith collections are widely accepted across Sunni Islam.