Tawhid (God's Oneness)

Tawhid (Arabic: توحيد) is Islamic monotheism — the belief that Allah is One, Unique, without partner, equal, or counterpart. Tawhid is the most fundamental principle of Islam and the core of every prayer. The first pillar of Islam — the shahadah (testimony of faith) — is an expression of tawhid: "La ilaha illallah" (There is no god except Allah).

In Shia theology, tawhid is the first of the usul al-din (five fundamental beliefs): Tawhid (God's oneness), Adalah (God's justice), Nubuwwah (prophethood), Imamat (divine leadership), and Ma'ad (resurrection). Tawhid is the foundation upon which all other articles of faith are built.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him) gave the most profound explanation of tawhid in Islamic history in his famous Khutbah al-Tawhid in Nahj al-Balagha: "The first in religion is to know Him. And the perfection of knowing Him is to affirm Him. And the perfection of affirming Him is tawhid. And the perfection of tawhid is ikhlas (sincerity) toward Him. And the perfection of ikhlas is to deny Him all attributes."

Tawhid permeates prayer: takbir (Allahu Akbar) declares Allah's greatness, Al-Fatiha praises Him as Lord of the worlds, Surah Al-Ikhlas (the Tawhid chapter) declares His absolute oneness, and the tashahhud testifies: "Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah" (I testify that there is no god except Allah). For Shia Muslims, tawhid is not merely an intellectual conviction, but a living reality experienced most deeply in prayer — in the moment when the believer stands alone before their Creator.