Source: Fatāwā al-Dīn al-Khāliṣ, Vol. 1, Page 216❖ Objection Addressed:
A person claimed that since the word "Tawḥīd" does not appear explicitly in the Qur’an or Sunnah, its usage is a bidʿah (innovation). He further accused those who use this term of hypocrisy for forbidding innovations while practicing one.
Scholarly Response
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
Both the word and the meaning of Tawḥīd are proven through numerous verses and authentic ḥadīths, and the Muslim Ummah has a consensus on its legitimacy. Denying its concept is disbelief (kufr), and rejecting the term amounts to denying established ḥadīths.
◈ Qur’ānic Proofs for the Concept of Tawḥīd
Though the exact term "Tawḥīd" is not explicitly mentioned in the Qur’an, its meaning is affirmed repeatedly using words such as:
➤ وَحْدَهُ
➤ الأحد
➤ الواحد
Here are a few verses:
① Sūrah al-Isrā’ (17:46):
"And when you mention your Lord alone in the Qur’ān, they turn away in aversion."
② Sūrah al-Zumar (39:45):
"When Allah alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter shrink with aversion..."
③ Sūrah Ghāfir (40:12):
"This is because, when Allah alone was called upon, you disbelieved..."
④ Sūrah Ghāfir (40:84):
"We believed in Allah alone, and rejected what we used to associate with Him."
⑤ Sūrah al-Raʿd (13:16):
"Say: Allah is the Creator of all things. He is the One, the All-Dominant."
⑥ Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ (112:1):
"Say: He is Allah, the One."
Note: The Qur’an contains numerous other verses emphasizing the Oneness of Allah, but brevity restricts listing all of them here.◈ Ḥadīths That Explicitly Mention the Word "Tawḥīd" or Its Derivatives
Here are 15 narrations proving the usage of the word Tawḥīd or its core concept in the Sunnah:
1. Muslim & Musnad Aḥmad
From Abū Mālik al-Ashjaʿī:
"Whoever affirms the Tawḥīd of Allah and denies what is worshipped besides Him, his life and wealth are protected..."
Muslim 1/37; Aḥmad 3/472; 6/394-395 2. Muslim, Abū Dāwūd, Mishkāt
Narration from Jābir رضي الله عنه:
"He magnified Allah and affirmed His Oneness (وحده)."
Muslim 1/395; Abū Dāwūd 1/357; Mishkāt 1/224 3. Musnad Aḥmad
From Khuffāf bin Imā’:
"He raised his index finger affirming the Oneness of Allah (يُوحِّدُ الله).”
Aḥmad 4/57 4. Muslim
From Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنه:
"Islam is built on five: Tawḥīd of Allah, prayer, zakāt, fasting, and ḥajj."
Muslim 1/57 5. Musnad Aḥmad
From ʿAmr bin ʿAbasah رضي الله عنه:
"To affirm the Oneness of Allah, demolish idols, and maintain family ties..."
Aḥmad 6/112 6. Muslim
Also from ʿAmr bin ʿAbasah رضي الله عنه:
"To affirm the Oneness of Allah without associating partners with Him."
Muslim 1/276 7. Bukhārī
Narration from Muʿādh رضي الله عنه:
"The first thing you call them to is the Tawḥīd of Allah."
Bukhārī 2/1096 8. Musnad Aḥmad
Jaʿfar ibn Abī Ṭālib’s address to Najāshī:
"He called us to the Oneness of Allah and to worship Him alone."
Aḥmad 1/202; 5/219 9. Tirmidhī & Aḥmad
Narrations describing the torment and salvation of Ahl al-Tawḥīd.
Tirmidhī 1/233; Aḥmad 3/391 10. Tirmidhī
"When the people of Tawḥīd are taken out of the Fire…”
Tirmidhī 2/233 11. Abū Dāwūd
Jābir رضي الله عنه:
"So the people of Tawḥīd..."
Abū Dāwūd 1/359 12. Musnad Aḥmad
From Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنه:
"If your father had affirmed Tawḥīd, fasted, and given in charity, it would have benefitted him."
Aḥmad 2/182 13. Ibn Mājah, Musnad Aḥmad
From ʿĀ’ishah and Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنهما:
"The sacrifice was on behalf of the one who bore witness to Tawḥīd and your Prophethood."
Ibn Mājah 2/199; Aḥmad 3/8; 3/220; 3/225; 3/391 14. Musnad Aḥmad
Jābir رضي الله عنه:
"Reciting Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ (Tawḥīd of recitation)..."
Aḥmad 3/320 Conclusion
✦ The concept of Tawḥīd is thoroughly established in the Qur’ān through numerous verses.
✦ The term "Tawḥīd" itself is used in authentic ḥadīths repeatedly, especially in the form of وَحَّدَ, يُوَحِّدُ, etc.
✦ The objection is therefore baseless, and arises from either ignorance or hatred toward the core of Islām—the Oneness of Allāh.
ھٰذا ما عندي، واللّٰه أعلم بالصواب
