The following often recited chapter in the Quran focuses on the same message:

Say, "He is Allah , [who is] One, Allah , the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, Nor is there to Him any equivalent." [Quran 112]

Tawheed is not a new idea that came with Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), its roots can be found upon the lips of numerous prophets, messengers and righteous followers throughout our history, be it Adam, Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), 'Isa (Jesus), etc, peace be upon all of them.

And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship Allah and avoid Taghut [worshiping false deities]."... [Quran 16:36]

The Oneness of Allah is an important principle because it is the key to understanding our Lord, having the correct relationship with Him, and which in turn keeps the whispers of Satan at bay. It has changed the worst of people, like the idol-worshipers of Quraysh, into the noble and god-fearing companions of Prophet that are revered to this day and will be till time to come. Through Tawheed we have Muslims across the globe who bow to their Creator, recognizing the ‘Oneness of Allah’ and submitting to only Him.

Tawheed, ‘Oneness of Allah’ can be understood in three categories:

1TAWHEED OF LORDSHIP: There is only one Supreme Being, Allah. He is alone and nothing else can legitimately claim to be a deity, because there is only one God.

2TAWHEED OF WORSHIP: The only one who deserves any form of worship is Allah. Worshiping anyone or anything apart from Allah is raising its status to a God, and thereby going against the first principle.

3TAWHEED OF NAMES AND ATTRIBUTES: The names and attributes of Allah only belong to Him and cannot be given or assigned to anyone else. For example, He is the Creator who constructed the universe; no one else can rightfully claim that. There are numerous benefits to understanding Tawheed, one mentioned briefly was that it helps us to understand our Lord; another is it explains the reason for our existence. Allah the Almighty said:

And I (Allah) created not the Jinns and men except they should worship Me (Alone). [Quran 51:56]

Allah honored the first man by fashioning him out of clay with His own hands, and then giving Adam life. Likewise by His will He continues to create the progeny of Adam, breathing souls into each one of us.

Who perfected everything which He created and began the creation of man from clay. Then He made his progeny out of the extract of a liquid disdained. Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His [created] soul and made for you hearing and vision and hearts; little are you grateful. [Quran 32:7-9]

This example can help us to appreciate the Oneness of Allah’s Names and Attributes by partially illustrating the attribute ‘Creator’. And since Allah is our Creator it would be wise to understand from Him why we were created in the first place, what our purpose in this life is.

As simple the message of Tawheed is, it seamlessly translates to our reason for existence: To worship Him, alone. The essence behind Tawheed is to understand that Allah is our Lord, and only He deserves to be worshiped. It helps us to build a connection with Him, to appreciate our life as a gift that has meaning and purpose, and by applying Tawheed practically in our lives we are one step closer to achieving our goal in the hereafter.