The Concept of Tawhid in Islam: An Overview of the Perspectives of Some Prominent Muslim Scholars

Abstract

The concept of tawhid excludes man’s commitment to anyone other than Allah (SWT). Also a rejection of all sources of value other than will of Allah (SWT), all authority but His, and a refusal to accept any idea, command, or injunction from anyone, as man does from Allah (SWT), on the basis of its having not come from Him. Love or reverence, worship or submission, and a sense of obligation, all are directed towards Allah (SWT) alone and no one else deserves them in the ultimate, full sense of these attitudes. In the human context it means emancipation and restoration of man’s essential freedom from all human bondages before the commitment to Allah (SWT). Man is under no obligation to submit to any authority or commit to anyone’s will. He owes nothing to any being other than Allah (SWT). He has no superiors except Him. A lot has been written on the topic of tawhid by different scholars but a concise paper which would analyze different perspectives of different scholars on the issue of tawhid has been long awaited. To fill the gap this paper attempts to provide the reader with such information; highlightens the richness in thought and contents with respect to the concept of tawhid and the distinctiveviews on the same by some prominent Muslim scholars both from the classical andmodern era.