Tawhid and Risalah (1RA0)

One belief holds up the rest

You have met Tawhid already, as one item in the Six Beliefs and one of the Five Roots. This module is about why it is not really one item among several. Tawhid is the belief in the absolute oneness of Allah, and almost everything else in Islamic belief and practice follows from it: what may be worshipped, what counts as the gravest sin, even what Islamic art does not show. Get Tawhid and a great deal of the rest stops needing to be memorised separately. The specification names Surah 112 here.

How Muslims describe Allah

These are the attributes the specification names. Each one is what Muslims believe about Allah, and the specification names Surah 16:35-36 alongside them:

Match each attribute to what it means

Beyond creation, and close to you

Learners often assume these two must contradict each other, and write about one as if the other were not also held. Muslims hold both together, and an answer that shows that is stronger than one that picks a side.

Two things that follow, and one thing to get right

Shirk is associating anything or anyone with Allah, and in Islam it is the gravest sin. It is not a separate rule to memorise: it is Tawhid stated the other way round. The same belief is why Allah is never depicted in Islamic art, and why calligraphy and geometric pattern do work that figurative images do elsewhere. And one thing candidates get wrong. Divine justice, 'Adl or Adalat, is one of the Five Roots in Shi'a Islam. That does not mean Sunni Muslims think Allah is unjust. All Muslims hold that Allah is just. The difference is in the framework: Shi'a Islam gives divine justice the status of a foundational root, where Sunni theology treats it as one attribute among many. Say it that way and you are both accurate and fair.

Why is Allah not depicted?

Islamic art does not depict Allah. Which explanation would an examiner credit?

• Because of Tawhid: depicting Allah would risk associating Him with something created, which is shirk
• Because figurative art was not developed in those regions
• Because geometric patterns were simply preferred by artists
• Because Islam forbids all art of any kind

Which sentence is written the right way?

Below are three sentences from an invented student answer, written for this module. Tap the one that presents a belief the way a Religious Studies answer should.

• Allah is transcendent and beyond all human understanding.
• Muslims believe that Allah is both transcendent, beyond creation, and immanent, close to every person.
• I find this a very interesting topic to study.

Which sentence would be marked wrong?

Three more sentences from the same invented answer. Tap the one that would be marked wrong because it attributes a belief to the wrong tradition.

• Shi'a Muslims believe Allah is just, whereas Sunni Muslims do not.
• All Muslims hold that Allah is just, and Shi'a Islam names divine justice among the Five Roots.
• Tawhid means the oneness of Allah.

Risalah: the prophets

Risalah is prophethood: Muslims believe Allah has sent prophets throughout history to guide people. The specification names Surah 2:136, in which believers affirm the prophets without distinguishing between them, and it names these seven:

Order the prophets

Put the seven prophets the specification names into the order Islamic tradition places them.

• Adam
• Ibrahim
• Isma'il
• Musa
• Dawud
• Isa
• Muhammad

Which are true of Risalah?

Select the TWO statements that accurately describe what Muslims believe about prophethood.

• Prophets have been sent throughout history to guide people back to the worship of Allah
• Muhammad is the last of the prophets, the Seal of the Prophets
• Muhammad is the only prophet Muslims believe in
• Isa is believed to be the son of God

Three decisions

Three moments in an exam answer. Choose what you would do.

• A question asks about the nature of Allah, and you have written "Allah is merciful." What is missing?
• You have written that Shi'a Muslims believe Allah is just, but Sunni Muslims do not. What should you do?
• A question asks you to explain the importance of Risalah. Where would you start?

Tawhid, then Risalah

_____ is the belief in the absolute oneness of Allah, and it is the foundation the rest is built on. Associating anything with Allah is called _____, the gravest sin in Islam. Muslims believe Allah is both transcendent and _____, and hold the two together rather than choosing between them. _____ means prophethood, and Muslims believe prophets were sent throughout history, with Muhammad the _____ of them.

Why Tawhid shapes everything

Explain the importance of Tawhid for Muslims, and how it shapes belief and practice.

• Define Tawhid, and write throughout in terms of what Muslims believe
• Explain how shirk follows directly from it, and why it is regarded so seriously
• Give one way Tawhid shapes practice or art, and explain the link rather than just naming it
• Refer to at least one named source, and be clear about which tradition any specific belief belongs to