Allah is the word to define one God in Islam. It is genderless and means The God Who deserves all praise and devotion

There is no God but Allah, goes the testimony in Islam, confirming that that was the message of all prophets and messengers in the past

The testimony to the Oneness of God is not only a testimony borne by His creatures but borne by the Creator as well. The Quran says in the chapter ‘the family of Imran’: “Allah bears witness that there is no God but He, and so do the angels and those who possess knowledge, standing firm on justice, there is no God but He, the Almighty, the All-Wise”.

In the Chapter 6, the Quran says: “Say: whose testimony is the greatest? Say: God is witness between me and you, and this Quran has been revealed to me, that with it I may warn you and whosoever it may reach. So is it that you bear witness that there are other gods with God? Say: I do not so bear witness. Say: He is One God alone, and I am free of that which you associate with Him.

But the question is: is the God of Islam different from others’? The answer in yes will by entirely in contradiction to the Islamic teachings. So the answer is no. there is no God but One God.

The Quran is a Message confirming the eternal divine messages to all Prophets and Messengers to whom revelation came in past to guide their people. It says in the chapter ‘the family of Imran’: “Allah! There is no God but He, the Ever-Living, the Eternal Being. Allah has revealed to you theBook in Truth, confirming the scriptures before it. Allah revealed the torah and the Injeel before as guidance for the people and He revealed the Criterion.” 

In the chapter ‘the women’ the Quran says: “Indeed, We have revealed to you as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him, and we revealed to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob and the tribes, and to jesus, Job, jonah and aaron, and Solomon and we gave David the Zabur. And some messenger We have narrated to you before, and some messengers We have not narrated of to you, and Allah spoke to Moses directly. Messengers bearing glad tidings and warnings, so that the people no excuse before God, after the messengers have conveyed His message to them, and God is Almighty, All-Wise.But Allah bears witness to that which He has revealed to you, He has sent it down with His knowledge and the angels bear witness, and God suffices for a witness.”

The Quran says No. In the chapter ‘The prophets’ it says: “and We never sent a Messenger before you but We revealed to him saying: ‘The is no God but I, so worship Me”.

Indeed the Quran mentions the first revelation to the prophet Moses on the mount Sinai, saying: “and I have chosen you, so listen to what is revealed: Indeed I am Allah, there is no God but I, therefore, worship Me and establish prayers for My Remembrance”.

Prophet Ibrahim stands as one of the greatest symbol of the revealed message of divine Oneness. The Quran, in numerous places, refers to him as the greatest monotheist, the father of all biblical prophets and Mohammad. It describes the universal nature of Islam so beautifully in these verses of the chapter 6: “Say: Surely my Lord has guided me to a straight Path, the ever true Faith, the religion of Abraham, a man of pure faith, he was never of the polytheists. Say: Surely my prayer and my devotion, my life and my death are all for God, the Lord of the Worlds. No partner has He, and this is what I have been commanded and I am first of those who submit to it”.

The Quran does not want to make the belief in the Oneness of God as only a matter of faith. It provides all the rational argument for that.

In the chapter ‘The prophets’ the Quran says: “If there had been in the heavens and the earth other gods besides Allah, there would have been ruin in both, but glory to God! The Lord of The Throne, above what they attribute to Him. He cannot be questioned for His acts, but they will be questioned for theirs. Or have they taken other gods besides Him? Say: bring your proof, this is the message of those with me, and of those before me, but most of them do not know the truth and so they turn away.”

The Quran further tries to bring some logic to the belief in the Oneness of God, saying that even if there existed subsidiary gods as the polytheists claim, they would yet have had to submit to the Throne of the Supreme God and worship Him. In the chapter 17, the Quran says: “Say: if there were with Him other gods as they say, they would have sought a way to bring them closer to the Lord of the Throne. Glory be to Him! High Exalted is He above that they say. The seven heavens and the earth, and whoever in them, praise His glory; nothing exists that does not celebrate His praise, but you do not understand their praising, surely He is All-Forbearing, All-Forgiving.”  

The argument progresses further in the chapter 23 ‘The believers’: “Allah has not begotten any son, nor is there any god with Him; if there had been, each god would have taken away what he had created, and some of them would have lorded over others; Glory be to god, High Exalted is He above what they attribute; the knower of the unseen and seen, High exalted is He above that they associate with Him”.

So the multiplicity of gods is intellectually indefensible, from the Quranic points of view, considering the unity of Design and purpose in His wonderful universe.

Indeed, the greatest sin in Islam is the act of polytheism, which stands unforgiven.

The Quran commands the prophet Mohammad to proclaim his faith, saying: “Say: O you people! If you are in doubt regarding my religion, I do not worship those you worship other than God, but I worship God who ordains your death, and I am commanded to be of the believers. And turn your face entirely in sincerity towards the religion and be not of polytheists. And do not invoke any other than Allah, such will neither benefit you nor harm you, for if you do, then you will surely be of the evildoers.” 

Belief in One God does not, in any sense, means to a Muslim to antagonist to those who are disbelievers in God, or indeed polytheists or any thing else. The Quran is very unequivocal in this, saying in the chapter 2: “There is no compulsion in religion…”

Indeed it advocates in the chapter 23,saying: “and surely, this community of yours is a single community, and I am your Lord, so fear Me. But people have cut off their affairs (of unity) into sects between themselves, each party rejoicing in what it has.”

In Muslim minds and Islamic message there exists an absolute testimony to the divine oneness, God the Creator, besides whom there is no gods, the God of all humanity, all prophets and messengers, who is the God in people’s conscience and instinct, with no place for any superstition and false deities. No one will be a Muslim if Shahadah or the testimony, is not proclaimed, which is the testimony to the Oneness of God. The message of the Quran is clear in the chapter 114: “Proclaim O prophet! He is Allah, the One and Only, Allah the Absolute (the eternal cause of all being), He did not beget, nor was He begotten, and there is none comparable to Him.

Imam Rashad Azami