“I always believed in my heart that there is only one God, and, after listening to the concept of God in Islam, I came to realize that I can connect with Islam; it makes sense,” comments Peter. Peter contacted GainPeace to request a visit to a mosque and to complete an assignment he was given in his diversity class he was studying at a university. Alhamdulillah, after hearing the explanation of Islam, centered on Tauheed, the oneness of God, he closed his assignment book and said, “I have now completed my assignment for which I came to the mosque, but let me fulfil my assignment for which my Lord sent me to this world. I want to embrace Islam.” Uttering these words, Peter recited the shahada and embraced Islam. Tauheed, the oneness of God, is what attracted Peter to Islam.
Nick came to a lecture on Islam, arranged by the Muslim Students association in Chicago. The topic of the lecture was “Misconceptions about Islam” and was presented by Dr. Sabeel Ahmed of GainPeace. Nick asked many questions during the presentation and after the presentation spent 45 minutes discussing the concept of God with the presenter. Alhamdulillah, he mentioned that the oneness of God in Islam resonates with him, and he embraced Islam a day after the presentation. Tauheed, the oneness of God, is what attracted Nick to Islam.
Erica attended the Islamic Awareness Week at Wayne State University, MI. The topic was “Prophet Muhammad, Role Model for Humanity.” The presenter focused on oneness of God and the continuity of the same message of oneness of God brought by all the Prophets. Alhamdulillah, two days after the presentation, Erica also embraced Islam. Tauheed, the oneness of God, is what attracted Erica to Islam.
Alhamdulillah, of the 2,800 individuals who embraced Islam through GainPeace, the majority of them gave the reason for their embracement of Islam: Tauheed, the oneness of God, is what attracted them to Islam.
Of the nearly 15,000 Americans who convert to Islam each year in the USA, the number one reason they cite which attracted them to Islam: Tauheed, the oneness of God in Islam.
The oneness of God, Tauheed, is the number one attractive feature of Islam. Oneness of God resonates from every surah of the Qur’an, is simple to comprehend and easy to explain. Oneness of God was the same message preached by all the Prophets and Messengers of Allah (SWT). The oneness of God was the message that the Prophet was preaching for 13 long years in Makkah. Most of the commandments of Islam came later in the Madinah period, after the oneness of God was firmly engrained in the hearts and minds of the first recipients of the Qur’an. “And your god is one God. There is no deity [worthy of worship] except Him, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful” (Qur’an 2: 163).
Oneness of God is also the basic message which resonates from the teachings of the Torah and in the Christian Bibles (in both the Old and the New Testaments) and, according to some, even from the Hindu scriptures! Here are a few passages:
- “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20: 2-3, Torah and Christian Old Testament).
- “That all the peoples of the earth may know that Yahweh is God; there is no other” (I Kings 8: 60, Nevi’im and Christian Old Testament).
- “The most important commandment,’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Mark 12: 29, Christian New Testament)
- “O friends, do not worship anybody but Him, the Divine One. Praise Him alone” (Rigveda 8: 1:1, 10, a Hindu Scripture).
Important lessons in Sharing Islam
- Each person is born with the innate nature, a spiritual chip, to know and recognize the true concept of one God. Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) said, “No baby is born but upon Fitra (as a Muslim). It is his parents who make him a Jew or a Christian or a Polytheist” (Sahih Muslim).
- When explaining Islam, stay focused on the concept of Tauheed, the oneness of God, and connect with this innate nature, the hidden pure fitra.
- Connect every answer with Tauheed, oneness of God.
- Don’t bring up or deviate too much into topics like the current Middle East situation or multiple marriages, hijab, Bible, etc. These are important topics, but stay focused on Tauheed and provide a crystal clear explanation of it. A good place to start is Surah Al-Ikhlas (surah 112 of the Qur’an). Answer questions on other topics respectfully and quickly before refocusing on the concept of Tauheed.
- The simple concept of “no one is worthy of worship besides Allah” (La Ilaha illallah), and properly explaining it is more potent and priceless than the billions of dollars that the Christian missionaries are spending to share Trinity or the millions invested by the Islamophobes to fight Islam.
Dr. Sabeel Ahmed is the president of ICNA-Chicago and Director of the GainPeace Project, an outreach project of Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA).