INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC THEOLOGY.pdf - CUEA

9In Régis Blachère's periodization of the Qur'ân, we find that, among the themes developed in thethree Meccan periods, the preaching of God's oneness is emphasized implicitly or explicitlyeverywhere (cf. sûras 112, 52, 73, 70). The oneness of God is also stressed in the Medinanperiod. 25 For instance, in referring to Judaism and Christianity, the Qur'ân denounces their sinagainst the belief in one, unique and transcendental God. The Qur'ânic preaching hinges on theoneness of God; so it is very imperative for us to point out its meaning.The meaning of Islamic monotheismIt is evident that Islam is a monotheistic religion. Some scholars may even say that Muslimspractice a strict monotheism. Indeed Islam is one of the three great monotheistic religions besideJudaism and Christianity. A Rahman I. Doi says:Islam teaches and preaches monotheism the belief in one God. This belief is known as the unity ofGod-head. The belief is the foundation stone of Islam. It governs the religious faith, designs the socialpattern and gives life to the oral codes. 26We can imagine that monotheism is the central feature of Islam. The statement quoted aboveshows how it governs the internal and external expression of Islam. Robert Caspar expresses thisas follows:Belief in the one transcendent God is undoubtedly the specific feature of Islam in two senses. First, itdistinguishes it from the other great monotheistic religions: If Israel is rooted in hope andChristianity vowed to charity, Islam is centred on faith... Secondly, belief in the one transcendent God is theaxis around which all Islam's doctrine and practice is organized. 27By emphasizing the importance of the Qur'ân and how it expresses monotheism, Robert Casparadds:The whole Koran is nothing other than an urgent and reiterated repetition of that faith, of its history inhumanity and its consequences in personal and social life. It could be called the one, sufficient dogma. 28One dogma, one God: the Qur'ân repeats this in many places. Thus, in the following sub-sections,we shall point out two main factors that clarify the meaning of Islamic belief in one God.The unity of God (tawîd)"Lâ ilâha illâ llâh, there is no god save Allâh" is the digest of Islamic unity. This is the first article ofthe Islamic creed, which describes the God in whom Muhammad believed. It is called theshahâda. As Muhammad was to challenge the the beliefs of his contemporaries, he was to definethe God in whom he believed by differentiating his conception of God from that of hiscontemporaries, thus giving the real meaning of his call. Kenneth Graff reports:25 Cf. Régis Blachère, Le Coran (Paris: P.U.F, 1966), pp. 32-62.26 Rahman Doi, The cardinal principles of Islam, (Lagos: Islamic Publication Bureau,1972), p. 38.27 Robert Caspar, "The permanent significance of Islam's monotheism," in Concilium,(Edinburgh: T and T. Clark Ltd., 1985), pp. 67-68.28 Ibid., p. 68.