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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books A Study of Polytheism and Idolatry in the Qur’an Chapter 10: What is Tawhīd (Monotheism)? It is now proper for us to briefly discuss monotheism so that we may understand what the term monotheist, which is contrasted with polytheist, means and who is called a monotheist.

In “ Nahj al-Balāghah ”, Imām ‘Alī ( ‘a ) said, “Monotheism denotes not conjecturing about Him and justice means not accusing Him.”[^1] It can be deduced from this statement that monotheism is the opposite of polytheism, which denotes conjecturing about Allah. This hadīth alludes to the root of idolatry and polytheism, which derive from conjecture and fantasy. A polytheist imagines that Allah has partners.

This is confirmed by a hadīth transmitted from Imām al-Sādiq ( ‘a ) that, “Every person who imagines that Allah is like any one of His creatures is a polytheist, because neither is Allah like a thing [from among His creatures] nor is a thing [from among His creatures] like Him. Allah is other than whatever is imagined [in the mind].”[^2] It is said that an ant imagines that Allah, just like itself, has two feelers (antennae). That is to say, it imagines Allah according to its mental perception.

We too [as] human beings do not have the right to liken Allah to creatures as conceived by our minds. Allah is contrary to whatever we may imagine and what He is other than what we conjure up. With respect to Allah, we only have to say that He is Pre-eternal, Everlasting, All-mighty and nothing is like Him. In this regard, it is befitting to recount what Shaykh Mufīd has transmitted from Shaykh Sadūq: “Know that our Shi‘ite conviction is that Allah is One, who is not like any creature.

He is Pre-eternal and Everlasting. He hears, sees, and knows. He is Wise and Alive, and He rules over everything. He is an Invincible Power. He is Immaculate and Impeccable. He is Needless. He cannot be described, and He has no body or substance. He has no length, breadth and surface. He is neither heavy nor light. He is neither stationary nor mobile. He has neither time nor place. “He is not affected by qualities of creatures and none is like Him. He is a thing that is not like other things.

He is absolutely needless. He neither has an off-spring nor is He someone’s offspring. He neither has an equal nor a partner. Eyes and minds cannot conceive Him, but He conceives eyes and minds. Sleep and slumber do not overcome Him, and He knows every delicate thing.