The foundation, essence, and ultimate goal of the religion is the oneness of Allah (Tawheed) and devoting all worship to Him. This begins with the declaration of the two testimonies of faith (Shahadatan): the testimony that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Through these, a person enters Islam. However, fulfilling these testimonies and acting in accordance with their requirements is a condition for maintaining one’s status as a Muslim. This Islam is the religion of Tawheed with which Allah sent all His prophets, despite the differences in their specific laws. Allah, the Exalted, says: “And We sent not before you any messenger except that We revealed to him that, ‘There is no deity except Me, so worship Me.” [Quran 21:25] The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one.” [Al-Bukhari]

Through Islam, a Muslim fulfills the oneness of Allah, believes in all of Allah’s prophets and in the messages with which they were sent, including Tawheed and other teachings. The testimony of Tawheed is the key to Paradise and salvation from Hellfire. The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah. No one meets Allah with these two testimonies, without doubting them, except that he will enter Paradise.” [Muslim] He also stated, “No one testifies that there is no deity except Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, except that Allah will forbid the Fire from touching him.” [Muslim]

A crucial aspect Muslims must understand is that these two testimonies require not merely verbal utterance but also the actualization of their meaning, both outwardly and inwardly, without contradiction. Al-Mundhiri quoted a group of scholars as saying, “All the pillars of the religion and the obligations of Islam are necessitated by the acknowledgment of the two testimonies and are their completions. If someone acknowledges them but refuses to fulfill any of the obligations, whether out of denial or negligence—depending on the details of the differing opinions—we would judge them as disbelievers and that they would not enter Paradise.”

Therefore, a Muslim must understand the true nature of the religion to fulfill the oneness of Allah, which is the requirement of the testimony La ilaha illa Allah (there is no deity except Allah), and to understand the obligation of adhering to the Shariah (Islamic law), which is the requirement of the testimony Muhammadun Rasul Allah (Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah).

The core meaning of the testimony La ilaha illa Allah (there is no deity except Allah) is that no one is rightfully worshipped except Allah. The comprehensive meaning of divinity (uluhiyyah) in Arabic encompasses the heart’s turning to Allah, finding peace in Him, and directing itself toward Him out of profound love and dependence. Ibn Al-Qayyim explained, “The name of Allah signifies His being the One Who is worshipped and adored, toward whom creation turns in love, reverence, submission, and in seeking refuge in their needs and adversities.” This turning of the heart to Allah and loving Him represents the sincerity of intention and will in directing oneself exclusively to Him.

The human soul is never without will. This will must have an object and a purpose. The human soul is inherently inclined to have no object of desire but Allah. In this, it is either sincere in its direction toward Him or deviates, following its own desires and whims. Ibn Taymiyyah stated, “The soul is never devoid of awareness and will, for their absence is impossible. Awareness and will are intrinsic to its reality. It is inconceivable for the soul to exist without being aware or willing. It is incorrect to say that the soul could lack awareness of the existence or nonexistence of the Creator or of love or lack of love for Him. Since a human must have an object of desire, that is the deity to which the heart is devoted. It is inconceivable for a human to be innately disposed to worship anyone other than Allah.”

Because humans are innately inclined toward this, the command was given to direct oneself to Allah with sincere intention and will. This objective is the foundation and essence of the religion, and deviation from it constitutes associating partners with Allah (shirk).

The relationship between a believer and his Lord is one of will and intention, driven by love, reverence, and glorification, alongside the acknowledgment of Allah’s Lordship and the servant’s absolute servitude. The believer must prioritize love for Allah above all other loves and direct his will away from any object of desire other than Allah. This is the pure monotheism (hanifiyyah) for which Allah created all of creation. Ibn Al-Qayyim explained, “There is no relationship between Allah and the servant except absolute servitude from the servant and absolute Lordship from the Lord. There is no Lordship within the servant, nor any servitude within the Lord. The servant is a servant in every respect, and Allah is the true deity in every respect. The foundation of the relationship of servitude lies in love. Servitude is tied to it such that when love dissolves, servitude also dissolves.”

If a servant’s relationship with their Lord is based on a will driven by love and dependence, this cannot be a mere claim without evidence. One must act according to the requirements and obligations of that relationship to achieve sincere devotion to the oneness of Allah (Tawheed). These obligations encompass both inward and outward actions. The inward obligations of Tawheed are the actions of the heart, such as fear, hope, reliance, and sincerity, among other actions that, when genuine, affirm the servant’s love for their Lord. The absence of these actions of the heart indicates that love for Allah is neither present nor genuine. Ibn Taymiyyah stated, “One of the early generations said, ‘Whoever worships Allah with love alone is a heretic (zindiq); whoever worships Him with hope alone is a Murji‘ite; whoever worships Him with fear alone is a Kharijite, but whoever worships Him with love, fear, and hope is a believer and a monotheist.’”

The outward obligations of Tawheed are following Allah’s commands, avoiding His prohibitions, and inviting others to His religion. This means that whoever loves Allah must align their will with the will and love of Allah. What Allah loves and commands, the servant must also love and practice, and what Allah forbids, the servant must avoid and dislike. This is achieved by following the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and adhering to his Shariah (Islamic law). Allah, the Almighty, says: “Say [O Muhammad], ‘If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.’” [Quran 3:31] Therefore, whoever follows the Messenger of Allah and adheres to his Shariah loves Allah, and whoever does not follow him and his Shariah does not love Allah. The extent of a servant’s love for Allah is reflected in their adherence to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). In this, people vary greatly, and this is the true meaning of the increase and decrease of faith. If adherence is entirely absent, then love for Allah is also entirely absent.

Many verses and hadiths indicate that adherence through actions is a sign of love for Allah. For example, Allah says regarding striving in His cause: “O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion—Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic.” [Quran 5:54] The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “There are three qualities; whoever possesses them will taste the sweetness of faith: to love Allah and His Messenger more than anything else, to love a person only for the sake of Allah, and to hate to return to disbelief as much as one would hate to be thrown into the fire.” [Al-Bukhari] Many other verses and hadiths emphasize this point.

Thus, it becomes clear that the essence of Tawheed and servitude to Allah is a love that necessitates obedience to Allah and adherence to His Shariah.