Define Tauheed, what is its impact on individual life and the

society? Elaborate.
Definition:
Tauheed means believing in Allah alone as God and Lord and attributing to
Him alone all the attributes of Lordship and divinity .
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say (O Muhammad):
1. He is Allaah, (the) One [Ahad].
2. Allah-us-Samad [Allah — the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures
need, (He neither eats nor drinks)].
3. He begets not, nor was He begotten.
4. And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him.”
[Al-Ikhlaas 112:1-4]

Explanation
The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Verily, al-Islam is founded on five (pillars):
testifying the fact that there is no god but Allah, the establishment of prayer,
payment of Zakat, fast of Ramadan and Pilgrimage to the House.” (Sahih
Muslim). Shahadah is, therefore, the first pillar of Islam. Belief in Allah,
i.e., Tauheed, is the first article of faith.

Tauheed is the crux of Islam. Without it, one cannot claim to be a Muslim.

A person who believes in Tauheed and expresses the Shahadah (Ash
hadu an laa ilaaha ill Allah wa ash hadu anna Muhammadan Rasool Ullah)
is known as a believer, a Muslim.

Associating partners with Allah is the only unpardonable sin. “Indeed, Allah
does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that
for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allah has certainly
gone far astray.” (Quran 4:116)
It is not only the utterance of Shahadah that determines how much one is
affected by it. The effects of Tauheed are determined by a Muslim’s level of
adherence to the belief in Allah. Ideally, belief in Allah should be
accompanied by obeying His teachings.

It is also vital for a Muslim to understand the implications of Tauheed. If we

truly believe in the Oneness of Allah and realize the grave consequences of
disbelief, we will restrain ourselves from committing all harmful and sinful
deeds.
The ultimate benefit of realizing Tauheed and implementing Allah’s
commands is that it brings us close to Allah. The Prophet (PBUH) is the
perfect example for all of us to aim to emulate. He was the closest one to
being a “perfect” human being on the face of this Earth.
Tauheed impact on individual life and the society

Tauheed sets us free:

There is a common misconception that belief in Allah restricts a human
being. In fact, it is the opposite. When a human believes in the concept of
Tauheed wholeheartedly, he stops being enslaved to this world. This is a
very important aspect, especially from the modern-day outlook.
Humans are prone to imitating each other. We see that a lot when it
comes to Muslims imitating the disbelievers in their actions and deeds.
Tauheed helps one to focus on pleasing Allah alone and not to be
concerned about this world. Things such as materialism and greed are
side-effects of being enslaved by this Dunya.

Tauheed helps us to be content and see the bigger picture:

Once a person truly believes in Allah, he looks at life from a broadened
perspective. Whenever anything goes “wrong,” a believer realizes that it
can’t be taken at face value. Things aren’t always as they seem. Allah is
the Best of Planners, and everything happens for a reason.
“But perhaps you hate a thing, and it is good for you, and perhaps you love
a thing, and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.” (Quran
2:216). Hence, we should always be content with Allah’s decree and
know there is some betterment in store for us.
Tauheed helps a person to be dignified:
Once we are aware that Allah is in control of everything in the universe, we
realize that we need to rely on Him alone. No one else can harm us or
benefit us, except by His will. No person, no matter how great, can
compare with Allah.
Thus, we do not need to bow our heads before anyone. We do not rely on
anyone else directly; they are simply a means of our rizq (sustenance).
This has already been defined by Allah. “And there is no creature on earth,
but that upon Allah is its provision, and He knows its place of dwelling and
place of storage. All is in a clear register.” (Quran 11:6)

Tauheed removes arrogance, promotes humility and modesty:

“And do not turn your cheek [in contempt] toward people and do not walk
through the earth exultantly. Indeed, Allah does not like everyone self-
deluded and boastful.” (Quran 31:18). Proper belief in Tauheed humbles a
person and enables them to realize the reality of this world.
Arrogance is removed when we realize that we are simply a small speck in
a massive universe. Allah is the one who provides for us. Without Him, we
are nothing. We must be humble and realize that we are completely
dependent on Him.

Tauheed makes us tolerant and open-minded:

Proper belief in the Oneness of Allah enables us to be more accepting of
other people. It allows us to give up our prejudices and preconceived
notions. We realize that we are not superior to anyone on the basis of
color, race, ethnicity, etc. Piety is the only true measure of success.
“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made
you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most
noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah
is Knowing and Acquainted.” (Quran 49:13)

Tauheed helps us to be positive about the future:

Belief in Allah being the All-Powerful entity helps us remain content. If we
believe in Allah and rely on Him alone, then we don’t bother with
distractions such as materialism. Despite doing our best and working hard,
we realize that everything is a gift from Allah and that we should be
satisfied with our situation.
We also learn never to despair, no matter how desperate the situation
seems. Allah says, “Do the people think that they will be left to say, ‘We
believe’ and they will not be tried?” (Quran 29:2). Hardships are a test from
Allah, and we must trust in His wisdom.

Tauheed inspires bravery in man:

A simple example of this was when 313 Muslims with the ultimate faith
defeated the disbelievers at the Battle of Badr. They had no fear of their
opponents, and they entirely relied on Allah. They didn’t fear death;
instead, they welcomed martyrdom if it helped to further Allah’s cause.
Hence, belief in Allah helps us to realize that nothing can harm us without
His approval. Cowardly traits are minimized in man when he doesn’t fear
anyone besides his Lord.

Tauheed develops a believer’s morals:

When we believe in Allah and obey His commands, we stay away from evil
deeds. We know that there is nothing that can help us attain success
besides following His commands. We have to be righteous in order to earn
His reward. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Piety is good manners, and sin is
that which creates doubt, and you do not like people to know of it.” (Sahih
Muslim)
Since we know Allah has knowledge of everything that happens, we
become mindful of our actions. Whether in public or private, we
remember Him and fear the consequences of doing wrong. We cannot
attain success through any underhanded means.

Tauheed instils qualities of determination in humans:

Belief in Tauheed empowers us to give our best in all situations. We don’t
get discouraged by setbacks, knowing that in everything that happens,
there is some benefit for us. When we set our mind to achieving something
positive, we keep trying, no matter how much opposition we face.
“O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed
and fear Allah that you may be successful.” (Quran 3:200)

Tauheed assists humans to live life peacefully:

As we move away from negative traits such as jealousy and greed, we
become content. Contentment is what helps a person to live a peaceful
life. It makes us refrain from becoming angry and upset, as is the norm
when we are stressed. We understand that Allah is in control of
everything.
This is also a side-effect of staying away from temptations. We avoid
sinning and resorting to devious means to attain success. We recognize
that our sole aim in life is to struggle in the way of Allah and to do our
utmost.

Conclusion: Tauheed makes us better human beings

Tauheed is the most noble branch of knowledge, as stated by Abu Haifa.
It was the essence of every Prophet’s message to mankind. Allah says,
“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (Quran
51:56)
Being the crux of Islam, belief in the Oneness of Allah helps us to develop
all praiseworthy qualities. These are the qualities that can help us to
attain Paradise in the Hereafter.
Better human beings, in general, also means a better society. Humans
are the species that adapt to their surroundings the most. Muslims are even
instructed to help further this cause. “And let there be [arising] from you a
nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding
what is wrong, and those will be the successful.” (Quran 3:104)

The stronger a person’s faith is, the closer he draws to Allah, and the
better position he is in to attain Allah’s rewards. Hence, Tauheed
has multiple benefits for mankind. It serves to improve many aspects of
our worldly lives, improving us as human beings and making us better
members of society. At the same time, stronger faith helps us to raise our
stature in Allah’s eyes.

Thus, Muslims should always strive towards improving their belief in

Allah. Faith is not like an on and off switch, that you either have, or you
don’t. Some people have a weaker belief, while others have a stronger one.
Muslims must always strive to have the highest levels of faith in Allah.
The stronger our belief, the closer we are to attaining success in both this
world and the Hereafter.