Muslim Understanding of Tawhid

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Analyse the Muslim understanding of Tawhid and how it is expressed in the Five Pillars Tawhid is a key principle belief in the religion of Islam which can be put into practise through the five pillars of faith. Although there are two different denominations or Islam, Sunni and Shi’a, Tawhid is the central monotheistic belief that there is only one God, Allah. The belief of Tawhid is lived out in the everyday life of Muslims through each of the five pillars of faith, Shahada, Salat, Zakat, Sawm, and Hajj, all acts of worship which show obedience and submission to Allah. Through these expressions of faith, the Islamic community, Umma, is able to connect to Allah closely and more deeply and truly live out the key beliefs of Islam in their everyday lives. ‘There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet’, is the declaration of faith stated in the Shahada. The Shahada constitutes the first major requirement for being a Muslim and directly recognises the belief and understanding of Allah being the only God. To become a Muslim, one need only repeat the Shahada three times before witnesses. This proclamation deepens Muslim understanding of Tawhid, encountering three different parts to the belief. These three parts are, ‘Tawhid Ar-Ruboobiyah’, Allah is the creator of everything and controls and rules over everything, ‘Tawhid Asmaa wa Sifaat’, Allah has the best names and qualities. No one else has these qualities, and, ‘Tawhid Al-Ibaadah’, Allah is the only one who has the right to be worshipped. These three parts can be reaffirmed in the quote, ‘He is Allah, the One, Allah is eternal and Absolute’ (Sura 112), which outlines the main attributes of Tawhid. The first pillar, Shahada is significant to the Adherent as it shows that they personally accept the belief of Tawhid and this expression of faith, whilst allowing them to become part of the global Umma. Through
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