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Tawḥīd

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Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Indian Religions ((EIR))

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Synonyms

Al-tawḥīd; Islamic monotheism; Oneness of God; Oneness; Shahādah; Tauhid; Tawheed; Unity of God

Definition

Tawḥīd or al-tawḥīd (also spelled touḥīd or tawḥeed) is an Arabic word, which literally means “unification” or “asserting oneness.” At the heart of Islam lies this cardinal principle based on shahādah (witness), lā ʾilāha ʾill’Allāh, meaning “there is no god, but God.” Tawḥīd, grounded in absolute monotheism, refers to the most salient principle of Islam, that is, the unity of God, that God is One, Unique, Absolute – a belief system that markedly distinguishes Islam from other monotheistic religions. In Arabic, God is called “Allāh” who has 99 Divine Names (Asma’ al-Husna) – the most Beautiful Names (Q. VII:180) delineating His attributes. The Qur’ānic expression “nothing like unto Him” (Q. XLII:11) clearly shows God’s Oneness and His Uniqueness, the antithesis of which is in Arabic called shirk(polytheism), which implies associating someone or something with Allāh, or...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1Department of Philosophy, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Prof. Golam Dastagir

  2. Centre for Civilisational Dialogue, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Prof. Golam Dastagir & Dr. Ismath Ramzy

Authors
  1. Prof. Golam Dastagir
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  2. Dr. Ismath Ramzy
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Golam Dastagir .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Pomona College Religious Studies, Claremont, CA, USA

    Zayn R. Kassam

  2. Rollins College Jewish Studies Program, Winter Park, FL, USA

    Yudit Kornberg Greenberg

  3. World Zoroastrian Organization, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Jehan Bagli

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Dastagir, G., Ramzy, I. (2018). Tawḥīd . In: Kassam, Z.R., Greenberg, Y.K., Bagli, J. (eds) Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1267-3_2015

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