The oneness of God is one of the root beliefs of Islam. The general foundation of the faith is based on two easy groups of concepts – the Roots and the Branches of faith.
The Roots of Religion (Usool-e-Deen)
These are the articles of faith that are essential to true and sincere belief. All actions performed in the way of worship and devotion loose meaning without having the origins of their performing.
They are five in number. The beliefs in:
- the Oneness of God
- His Justice
- His Prophets
- His (divinely appointed) Imams and
- a Final Day of Accounting and Judgment
Islam allows and even encourages a person to question these aspects because blind faith is considered weak. A person must be convinced in what he or she believes completely and without an iota of doubt.
The Branches of Religion
These are the actions that are compulsory for each and every Muslim to perform. They complement faith, giving physical weight to verbal declarations. Most of the common Islamic actions – prayers, fasting, giving charity, Hajj - fall under this category.
WHAT IS GOD?
This is a question that occurs to many people along the journey towards enlightenment. We tend to ask ‘What?’ instead of ‘Who?’ because from the beginning of time, God has been the definition of an entity different and unique from other creations. For example, God created man and therefore is not man because if it were otherwise, man would know how to create himself again.
Humans have tended in the past to account all unexplainable things and circumstances to a higher, more powerful being. It allowed them to feel helpless without guilt and also to have an answer to the many questions that filled their minds.
In recent times, with the advent of science, philosophy and free-thinking, many of us have gone to the other extreme and declared that no such thing as God exists. We may still have many questions but we are confident that one of the modern sciences will give us an answer in time.
The true Muslim has never taken either of these stances.
Allah in Islam is the origin of all things. He is neither added, to by their existence or subtracted from, by their absence. He is unique and absolute. He resembles none of His creations and has no form or shape.
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