Allah’s names Al-Wahed and Al-Ahad are the cornerstone of monotheistic religions.  These two names of Allah nullify any partners with Him including His Self and His Attributes. He is the Only One without any equal. The combination of the two names when referring to Allah as Al-Wahed Al-Ahad means that:

1. He is singular that has no double
2. He is One who can neither be divided nor duplicated
3. He is unique that nothing can be like Him
4. His names and attributes are limitless, and no one can fully comprehend their majesty and glory except Him.

Allah’s name Al-Ahad came only once in the Quran, in Surat Al-Ikhlas (The Sincerity)

قُلۡ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ (١) ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ (٢) لَمۡ يَلِدۡ وَلَمۡ يُولَدۡ (٣) وَلَمۡ يَكُن لَّهُ ۥ ڪُفُوًا أَحَدٌ (٤)

“Say: He is Allah the Only One; (1) Allah, the Besought of all, needing none; (2) He neither begot nor was He begotten; (3) And there is none like unto Him”. (Al-Ikhlas 112:1-4)

Allah’s name Al-Wahed (الواحد) (The One) is mentioned in the Quran 6 times, and always associated with Allah’s name Al-Qahar (الْقَهَّارُ‎) (The Dominant, The Subduer, The All-Prevailing One, The Irresistible, the One who holds absolute sway over all that exists).   As examples:

قُلِ ٱللَّهُ خَـٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ وَهُوَ ٱلۡوَٲحِدُ ٱلۡقَهَّـٰرُ (١٦)

“Say, Allah is the Creator of everything, He is the One, the All-Dominant”. (Al-Rad 13;16)

 قُلۡ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۟ مُنذِرٌ۬‌ۖ وَمَا مِنۡ إِلَـٰهٍ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡوَٲحِدُ ٱلۡقَهَّارُ (٦٥) رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا بَيۡنَہُمَا ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡغَفَّـٰرُ

“Say: “I am only a Warner: there is no god but Allah, the One, the All-Dominant.  (65) “The Lord of the heavens and the earth, and what is between them, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.” (Sad 38:65-65)

 لَّوۡ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ أَن يَتَّخِذَ وَلَدً۬ا لَّٱصۡطَفَىٰ مِمَّا يَخۡلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ‌ۚ سُبۡحَـٰنَهُ ۥ‌ۖ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡوَٲحِدُ ٱلۡقَهَّارُ (٤)

“If Allah had willed to choose a son, He could have chosen anyone He wanted out of what He has created. Glorified is He, He is Allah, the One, the All-Dominant.” (Al-Zumur 39:4)

 The associating of the Al-Qahar with Allah’s name Al-Wahed suggests that Allah is giving an ultimatum to all those who do not acknowledge His oneness and associate any other with Him.  This is noted in several verses where Allah’s attribute Wahed (One) is used as in the following examples:

يَـٰٓأَهۡلَ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبِ لَا تَغۡلُواْ فِى دِينِڪُمۡ وَلَا تَقُولُواْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلۡحَقَّ‌ۚ إِنَّمَا ٱلۡمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ٱبۡنُ مَرۡيَمَ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ وَڪَلِمَتُهُ ۥۤ أَلۡقَٮٰهَآ إِلَىٰ مَرۡيَمَ وَرُوحٌ۬ مِّنۡهُ‌ۖ فَـَٔامِنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ‌ۖ وَلَا تَقُولُواْ ثَلَـٰثَةٌ‌ۚ ٱنتَهُواْ خَيۡرً۬ا لَّڪُمۡ‌ۚ إِنَّمَا ٱللَّهُ إِلَـٰهٌ۬ وَٲحِدٌ۬‌ۖ سُبۡحَـٰنَهُ ۥۤ أَن يَكُونَ لَهُ ۥ وَلَدٌ۬‌ۘ لَّهُ ۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ وَڪِيلاً۬ (١٧١)

“O People of the Book do not exaggerate in your religion and do not say about Allah anything but the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, is only a messenger of Allah, and His word that He delivered to Mary, and a spirit from Him. So, believe in Allah and His messengers, and do not say “Three” – stop it, that is better for you! – Allah is only One God.  He is far pure to have a son.  To Him belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as a Disposer of affairs.” (Al-Nisa 4:171)

 لَّقَدۡ ڪَفَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ثَالِثُ ثَلَـٰثَةٍ۬‌ۘ وَمَا مِنۡ إِلَـٰهٍ إِلَّآ إِلَـٰهٌ۬ وَٲحِدٌ۬‌ۚ وَإِن لَّمۡ يَنتَهُواْ عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ لَيَمَسَّنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنۡهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ (٧٣)

“Surely, the disbelievers are those who say: “Allah is the third of the three.” But there is no god but One God. If they do not desist from what they say, a painful punishment shall certainly befall all disbelievers” (Al-Maeda 5:73)

 The concept of believing in the Oneness of Allah is so critical because Allah makes it clear in the Quran that rejecting it is the gravest sin that man can ever commit, and it is the only sin that Allah will never forgive for any person who dies while committing it. Allah says:

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَغۡفِرُ أَن يُشۡرَكَ بِهِۦ وَيَغۡفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٲلِكَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ‌ۚ وَمَن يُشۡرِكۡ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰٓ إِثۡمًا عَظِيمًا (٤٨)

“Surely, Allah does not forgive that a partner is ascribed to Him, and He forgives anything short of that to whomsoever He wills, whoever ascribes a partner to Allah has indeed invented a tremendous sin.”. (Al-Nisa 4:48)

 مَن يُشۡرِكۡ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدۡ حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ وَمَأۡوَٮٰهُ ٱلنَّارُ‌ۖ وَمَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ مِنۡ أَنصَارٍ۬

“Whoever ascribes ant partner to Allah, Allah has forbidden paradise for him. His abode is the Fire and there is no supporters for the unjust.” (Al-Maeda 5:72)

 Believing in the Oneness of Allah is the most liberating because it removes from our heart all fears from anyone and eliminates our undue reliance on anyone.  Believing in the Oneness of Allah is a source of peace and security, after all everything is under His control and no one else.  Allah says:

وَلِلَّهِ غَيۡبُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَإِلَيۡهِ يُرۡجَعُ ٱلۡأَمۡرُ كُلُّهُ ۥ فَٱعۡبُدۡهُ وَتَوَڪَّلۡ عَلَيۡهِ‌ۚ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعۡمَلُونَ [هود:123] .

“To Allah belong the secrets of the heavens and the earth, and to Him the whole matter (decision, affair) is returned. So, worship Him and put thy trust in Hi.  Your Lord is not unaware of what you do.” (Hud 11:123)

The lack of belief in the oneness of God is the source of insecurity, suffering and loss in this life and in the hereafter.  Allah says:

فَلَا تَدۡعُ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَـٰهًا ءَاخَرَ فَتَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُعَذَّبِينَ (الشُّعَرَاء)

“Therefor do not invoke with Allah another god, otherwise you will be among those who are doomed.” (Al-Shuara 26:213)

Elements to Adopt in our Character

1/ Allah created you unique and has gifted you with special talents and capabilities to complement others, do not squander your unique talents. You should strive to develop your uniqueness, to be recognized for your knowledge, morality, spirituality, human brotherhood, generosity, kindness, and honesty.

2/ Examine your belief in Allah regularly to ensure that you do not unintentionally ascribing partners to Him by acting as if your future and your livelihood are in the hands of others and by compromising your faith for the sake of pleasing others. Allah warns the believers to beware of shirk, He said:

وَمَا يُؤۡمِنُ أَڪۡثَرُهُم بِٱللَّهِ إِلَّا وَهُم مُّشۡرِكُونَ (١٠٦)

“And most of them do not believe in Allah without associating partners with Him” (Yusuf 106)

 The Prophet (PBUH) warned us by saying:

(عن محمود بن لبيد أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: إن أخوف ما أخاف عليكم الشرك الأصغر. قالوا: وما الشرك الأصغر يا رسول الله؟ قال: الرياء. (رواه أحمد

“The one I most fear about you is falling in the minor shirk”. The companions asked: What is the minor shirk, He (PBUH) said: “Al-Riyaa” Showing off, insincerity.

 

3/ Realize that maintaining a state of pure monotheism requires serious study of both the Quran and Allah’s creations until you reach the point of visualizing Allah’s power and authority.  You realize the power and authority of people by your physical eye, but You will only be realizing the power and authority of Allah by investing serious efforts to visualize them by the eyes and heart, Allah says regarding the disbelievers:

فَإِنَّہَا لَا تَعۡمَى ٱلۡأَبۡصَـٰرُ وَلَـٰكِن تَعۡمَى ٱلۡقُلُوبُ ٱلَّتِى فِى ٱلصُّدُورِ (٤٦)

“Verily, it is not the eyes that turn blind, but it is the hearts that are in the chests that turns blind.” (Al-Hajj 22:46)

4/ Since initiating discussion on religion with non-Muslims is not easy, it is important that you should, if asked, be very honest about your belief regarding the oneness of God and the rejection of any form of  having partners with Him.

5/ Because the criticality of believing in One God, Muslim scholars have argued that the belief of a Muslim cannot be based on imitation (إن عقيدة المسلم لا تقبل تقليداً) because imitating others and blindly following anyone can only lead to misguidance.  The belief of Muslims must be based on verification and confirmation (لا تقبل العقيدة إلا تحقيقاً) as Allah said:

فَٱعۡلَمۡ أَنَّهُ ۥ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لِذَنۢبِكَ

“So, know that there is no God but Allah, and ask forgiveness for your sin.” (Muhammad 47:19)

The verse implies that if you know that there is no God but Allah and if something annoyed you, know that you must be the cause of it.

Also, Allah considers blind obedience to anyone is an act of worship and thus a form of associating other gods with Allah (i.e. shirk), Allah says:

ٱتَّخَذُوٓاْ أَحۡبَارَهُمۡ وَرُهۡبَـٰنَهُمۡ أَرۡبَابً۬ا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡمَسِيحَ ٱبۡنَ مَرۡيَمَ وَمَآ أُمِرُوٓاْ إِلَّا لِيَعۡبُدُوٓاْ إِلَـٰهً۬ا وَٲحِدً۬ا‌ۖ لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ‌ۚ سُبۡحَـٰنَهُ ۥ عَمَّا يُشۡرِڪُونَ (٣١)

“They have taken their rabbis and their monks as gods besides Allah, and (have also taken) the Messiah, son of Mary (as god). And they were not commanded but to worship only One God, there is no god but He. Pure is He from what they associate with Him.” (Al-Tawba 9:31)

 When Uday Ibn Hatim (عَدِيّ بْن حَاتِم ) who was a Christian at that time, heard the Prophet (PBUH) reciting this verse, he said: They do not worship them (إِنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَعْبُدُوهُمْ).  The Prophet (PBUH) replied: (بَلَى إِنَّهُمْ حَرَّمُوا عَلَيْهِمْ الْحَلَال وَأَحَلُّوا لَهُمْ الْحَرَام فَاتَّبَعُوهُمْ فَذَلِكَ عِبَادَتهمْ إِيَّاهُمْ) No, they do because they designate for them what is Hallal and what is Haram, and they blindly follow them and this is their worship of them.

Imam Ibn Hazm emphasized that blind imitation (التقليد) without understanding is not acceptable in Islam:

فقيه قوي الحجة كابن حزم حيث قال: (إن التقليد حرام، ولا يحل لأحد أن يأخذ قول أحد غير رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- بلا برهان)

“It is prohibited follow the opinion of anyone without a proof except the Prophet (PBUH)”

Allah praises those who think and only follow what they consider best by saying:

(فبشر عباد. الذين يستمعون القول فيتبعون أحسنه أولئك الذين هداهم الله وأولئك هم أولو الألباب) (الزمر: 17، 18).

“Announce the Good News to My Servants who listen to the Word, and follow the best in it: those are the ones whom Allah has guided, and those are the ones endued with understanding” (Al-Zumur 39:17-18)

 Allah also, wanted the Muslims to be thinkers and not just followers without thinking because the role of the Prophet is to mainly explain the message and everyone has to think about it, as Allah sys in Surat Al-Nahl:

وَأَنزَلۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ ٱلذِّڪۡرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيۡہِمۡ وَلَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

“And We have also sent down the reminder (the Quran) to you (O Muhammad) to explain to the people what is sent down to them, and that they may give it their thought” (Al-Nahl 16:44)

Imam Al-Shafie said:

فقال الشافعي: “مثل الذي يطلب العلم بلا حجة، كمثل حاطب ليل، يحمل حزمة حطب وفيه أفعى، تلدغه وهو لا يدري”.

The example of the one who accepts knowledge without proof is just as one who gathers wood at night and carries the bundle of wood while there is a snake in it and it will bite him without his knowledge.”

6/ You need to strive to read Surat Al-Ikhlas (The Sincerity), the Prophet (PBUH) assessed it to be equivalent to 1/3 of the Quran.

قُلۡ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ (١) ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ (٢) لَمۡ يَلِدۡ وَلَمۡ يُولَدۡ (٣) وَلَمۡ يَكُن لَّهُ ۥ ڪُفُوًا أَحَدٌ (٤)

“Say: He is Allah the Only One; (1) Allah, the Besought of all, needing none; (2) He neither begot nor was He begotten; (3) And there is none like unto Him”. (Al-Ikhlas 112:1-4)

 Ibn Saeed Al-Khudry (أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ) said the Prophet (PBUH) asked: his companions:

عن ‌أبي سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه قال: «قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لأصحابه: أيعجز أحدكم أن يقرأ ثلث القرآن في ليلة، فشق ذلك عليهم وقالوا: أينا يطيق ذلك يا رسول الله؟ فقال: الله الواحد الصمد ثلث القرآن»..) البخاري(

“Is any of you unable to read a third of the Qur’an in a single night.

This considered that this is difficult for them, so they said:  “Who of us can do this, O messenger of Allah.”

The Prophet (PBUH) replied: “Allah is the One, the Besought of all, needing none” is third the Quran.  (Bukhari)

A similar hadith is reported by Abu Al-Darda (أبي الدرداء) who said that the Prophet (PBUH) said to his companions:

حديث أبي الدرداء عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: أيعجز أحدكم أن يقرأ في ليلة ثلث القرآن؟ قالوا: كيف يقرأ ثلث القرآن؟ قال: (قل هو الله أحد) تعدل ثلث القرآن. )مسلم(

“Is any of you unable to read a third of the Qur’an in a single night?

They said: How can we read the third of the Quran?

He (PBUH) said: “Say: He is Allah the Only One” is equivalent to third the Quran. (Muslim)

The content of the Quran can be classified in three categorifies: Jurisprudence (أحكامٌ), News (أخبار) and Monotheism (تَوحيدٌ).  Surat Al-Ikhals (112) summarizes all elements of monotheism.  So, whoever reads this Surat with full conviction and sincerity three rimes will receive from Allah the reward of reading the whole Quran.

Anas ibn Malik (أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ) said that the Prophet (PBUH) said:

 قَالَ أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ , أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ , قَالَ:: ” أسست السماوات السبع والأرضون السبع على قل هو الله أحد “

“The seven heavens and the seven earth are founded upon (قُلۡ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ) – Say, He is Allah, the Only One”.

 The hadith implies that as long as there are inhabitants of the heavens and the earths who are declaring the Oneness of Allah, the heavens and Earths are to continue in existence, otherwise they all will be destroyed because this sole reason for the creations of people and the Jinn as Allah says:

وَمَا خَلَقۡتُ ٱلۡجِنَّ وَٱلۡإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعۡبُدُونِ (الذّاریَات(

“I did not create the Jinns and the Humans except that they worship Me.” (Al-Dhariat 51:56)

 

7/ While Surat Al-Ikhlas summarizes the concept of monotheism, you need to keep in your mind the two key elements of the message of the Quran and these are no associating anything with Allah and doing righteous deeds as Allah says:

قُلۡ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۟ بَشَرٌ۬ مِّثۡلُكُمۡ يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمۡ إِلَـٰهٌ۬ وَٲحِدٌ۬‌ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرۡجُواْ لِقَآءَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلۡيَعۡمَلۡ عَمَلاً۬ صَـٰلِحً۬ا وَلَا يُشۡرِكۡ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِۦۤ أَحَدَۢا [الكهف:110]

Say (O Mohammad): I am, indeed, just a human being like you. It is revealed to me that your God is only One God. So, however hopes to meet his Lord must do righteous deeds and must not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord. (Al-Kahf 18:110)