Tawxiid

Tawxiid (Arabic: التوحيد) is an Islamic term meaning the acknowledgment that God is one and has no partner. It forms the foundation of Muslim belief and underpins the declaration of faith (shahada): "There is no god worthy of worship except God." The word derives from the Arabic root w-ḥ-d, relating to unity.

Tawxiid is defined in opposition to shirk, which is the attribution of partners to God in worship or attributes. Islamic scholars have discussed tawxiid in two aspects: a doctrinal one concerning the heart, and a practical one evident in worship and daily conduct.

Scriptural foundation

The Quran addresses God's oneness in many places. Sura Al-Ikhlas is often cited as a concise summary of this doctrine: God is one, does not beget and is not begotten, and there is nothing like unto Him. Similarly, the Throne Verse (Al-Baqara 255) speaks of God's power and knowledge. Hadith and the biography of the Prophet Muhammad show that the early call in Mecca was grounded in the proclamation of tawxiid and the rejection of idol worship.

Divisions of tawxiid

In the tradition of Islamic theology, particularly among later scholars, it is customary to divide tawxiid into three categories: tawxiid al-rubuubiyya (the affirmation that God alone is creator, sustainer, and provider), tawxiid al-uluuhiyya or al-cibaada (the affirmation that worship is owed to God alone), and tawxiid al-asmaa' wa al-sifaat (the affirmation of God's names and attributes as He has described Himself). This threefold division was popularized by Hanbali tradition and later scholars, though other scholarly schools employ different frameworks.

Theological and jurisprudential debate

Schools of Islamic theology—such as the Mutazila, Ash'ari, and Maturidi schools—have disagreed on how to understand God's attributes while preserving tawxiid. The Mutazila rejected the notion that attributes are distinct from God's essence, fearing this would imply plurality. The Ash'ari school affirmed the attributes while denying that God resembles creation. The Salafi tradition chose to accept the attributes as presented in the texts without speculating on their nature.