Definition of monotheism and its types
Contents
1 Definition of monotheism
2 Sections of Monotheism
3 The importance of monotheism
4 References
1 Definition of monotheism
The meaning of monotheism in the language : It is taken from the word “wahada” which means to make something one. [1] The legal meaning of monotheism is : singling out God Almighty for what is specific to Him in terms of divinity , lordship, names, and attributes.
[1] Imam Ibn al-Qayyim - may God have mercy on him - defines monotheism by saying : “Monotheism is not merely the servant’s acknowledgment that there is no creator but God, and that God is the Lord and King of all things, as idol worshippers acknowledged while they were polytheists. Rather, monotheism includes loving God, submitting to Him, humbling oneself at His door, perfect obedience to His obedience, sincere worship of Him, and desiring His highest face in all words and deeds, withholding and giving, love and hatred, which prevents its possessor from the causes that lead to sins and persistence in them.”
[1] Monotheism of the heart includes true knowledge of the meaning of monotheism, including negation and affirmation. The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “Whoever says: There is no god but God and disbelieves in what is worshipped besides God, his wealth and blood are forbidden and his reckoning is with God .
2 Sections of monotheism
The scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah divided monotheism into three sections through research and consideration of the verses of the Holy Qur’an and the hadiths of the Prophet. The earlier scholars had previously addressed this division, including Abu Ja’far al-Tabari and Ibn Abd al-Barr. This refutes what some innovators have claimed about Ibn Taymiyyah inventing this division. These sections are :
Monotheism of Lordship
Lordship is derived from the word “Lord,” and it means singling out God Almighty for creation, ownership, and management. There is no creator in existence except God Almighty, and there is no owner of the universe except Him, and there is no manager of the affairs of creation and the universe except Him. He is the divider of provisions, and He is the giver of life and death. It is worth noting that the infidels acknowledged this type of monotheism. God Almighty said: “And if you ask them, ‘Who created the heavens and the earth and subjected the sun and the moon?’ they will surely say, ‘God.’”
[4] The unbeliever acknowledges that God Almighty is the Creator and Owner of the universe, but this acknowledgement is not considered a reason for salvation from Hell, nor does it make him a Muslim if this acknowledgement is coupled with the word of monotheism: There is no god but God, and there is no true deity but God. This type of monotheism is related to cosmic matters.
Monotheism
Divinity is derived from God, and this type of monotheism is achieved by singling out God Almighty alone, with no partner, through supplication, trust , seeking help, and other acts of worship. This is the type with which God Almighty sent His messengers and which the infidels denied in every age. God Almighty said: (And We have certainly sent to every nation a messenger, [saying], “Worship God and avoid false gods.” And among them were those whom God guided, and among them were those upon whom error was justified. So travel throughout the land and see what was the end of those who denied.) [ 5] This type is connected to the commands and prohibitions of the Sharia.
Unification of names and attributes
It is by believing in all that is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet regarding the names of God , or His attributes with which He was described or with which His Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, described Him. This belief includes affirming the perfection of God in all of these attributes. Among the names that have been proven for God Almighty in the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet : The name of God, the Strong, which includes the attribute of strength. And the name of God, Al-Aziz, which includes the attribute of glory. And the name of God, the Generous, which includes the attribute of generosity , the Almighty said: (Creator of the heavens and the earth. He has made for you mates from among yourselves and mates from the livestock. He multiplies you therein. There is nothing like Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing .
The relationship between the three sections of monotheism
These three sections constitute belief in God Almighty, and the relationship between these sections is complementary, and belief in some of them does not replace the others. It is not correct to unify Lordship without unifying Divinity, just as it is not correct to unify Divinity without unifying Lordship. [7] Any defect in any of these sections leads to a defect in the entire monotheism. Whoever believes in the oneness of Lordship, and that God is One and is free from having a partner or a son, this belief requires him to single out God Almighty alone in worship. As long as He is God, it is not right to worship anyone other than Him ever. [7] God Almighty said: “O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous. He who has made the earth a bed for you and the sky a canopy and sent down from the sky water and brought forth thereby fruits as provision for you. So do not make…” To God are equals, and you know. [8]
As for the unification of names and attributes, it includes the unification of Lordship and Divinity, and is based on singling out God with His names and attributes that are not appropriate for anyone other than Him. [7]
3 The importance of monotheism
God Almighty commanded His servants to believe in monotheism in the verses of the Holy Qur’an , and the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, continued to call his people to believe in the oneness of God for twenty-three years. Monotheism is one of the rights of God Almighty over His servants, and all people must fulfill this right by turning to God Almighty alone with supplication, fear, hope, seeking help, and all other acts of worship .
[9] And they should be very careful not to commune with the people of graves or the saints and prophets, for worship is a comprehensive name for all that God Almighty loves and is pleased with, from apparent and hidden words and actions. God Almighty sent the messengers from Noah, peace be upon him, to Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, with the call to monotheism.
[9] And for this reason, Allah, the Most High, created His servants. The more the servant’s knowledge of Allah increases, the more perfect his worship will be. Worship cannot be without monotheism, for monotheism is the nature of Allah, the Most High, upon which He created people. No one contradicts this nature except someone whose nature is affected by something that corrupts it. The Prophet, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: “Every child is born in a state of fitrah, then his parents make him a Jew, a Christian, or a Zoroastrian, like an animal that produces another animal . Do you see any among them with a mutilated tail?” [10]
The temptation of Satan may divert human nature from monotheism, but monotheism is a fundamental part of nature, and polytheism is an intrusion upon it and is clearly invalid according to sound nature and sound reason. Monotheism is a condition for victory , empowerment, security, and guidance, and people are divided through it into believers and disbelievers, and it is a condition for entering Paradise and escaping the torment of Hell. [11]