Tawhid, Worship and Moral Conduct

Islamic Religious Studies · WAEC and JAMB · SS2 and SS3

Tawhid is the foundation of everything else in Islam, and the conduct required of a Muslim flows directly from it. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said he was sent to perfect noble character, and WAEC examines this area through questions on shirk, sincerity in worship, and named virtues and vices with their application to Nigerian society.

What you need to know

Tawhid means affirming that Allah is one and unique, with no partner, equal or rival. Scholars commonly explain it under three headings: His oneness in lordship as Creator and Sustainer, His oneness in the right to be worshipped, and His oneness in His names and attributes.
The opposite of tawhid is shirk, associating partners with Allah. Major shirk takes a person outside Islam and includes worshipping idols, calling on the dead or on jinn for help, offering sacrifice to other than Allah, and believing that any created thing can independently benefit or harm.
Minor shirk includes riya, performing acts of worship so that people may see and praise them, and swearing by other than Allah. The Qur'an states that Allah does not forgive that partners be associated with Him but forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.
Ibadah in Islam is wider than ritual. The Qur'an states that jinn and mankind were created only to worship Allah, and the Sunnah shows that honest work, kindness to a parent, removing harm from the road and even a smile become acts of worship when done for Allah's sake.
Two conditions make an act acceptable: ikhlas, that it is done sincerely for Allah alone, and conformity to what the Prophet taught. The hadith that deeds are judged by intentions establishes the first, and the instruction to pray as the Prophet prayed establishes the second.
The required virtues include sidq, truthfulness in speech and dealing; amanah, trustworthiness with property, secrets and office; sabr, patience in hardship and in obedience; shukr, gratitude for blessings; haya, modesty; adl, justice even against one's own interest; and tawadu, humility in place of arrogance.
Kindness to parents, birr al-walidayn, is placed in the Qur'an immediately after the command to worship Allah alone, with the instruction not even to say a word of irritation to them in old age but to lower the wing of humility and to pray for them.
The rights of neighbours are repeatedly stressed. The Prophet said that Jibril kept urging him concerning the neighbour until he thought the neighbour would be made an heir, and he said that a man whose neighbour is not safe from his harm has not truly believed.
Care for orphans, widows, the poor and travellers is a standing obligation, and the Prophet said that he and the one who cares for an orphan will be in Paradise like two adjoining fingers. Kindness extends to animals, and he taught that a woman was punished over a cat she confined and that giving water to a thirsty animal brings forgiveness.
The forbidden conduct includes lying, breaking promises, betraying trust, ghibah which is speaking of an absent person in a way he would dislike, buhtan which is saying what is untrue about him, namimah which is carrying tales to set people against each other, hasad which is envy, and kibr which is arrogance.
Islam forbids every form of dishonest gain: cheating in weights and measures, adulterating goods, concealing defects in what is sold, bribery, and taking what belongs to the public, and the Prophet said that whoever deceives is not of us, while the reports record the curse of Allah on both the giver and the receiver of a bribe. Riba, that is usury or interest, maysir, gambling, khamr, intoxicants, and zina, unlawful sexual relations, are prohibited outright, and the prohibition of intoxicants came in stages, which is the standard example of gradual legislation in the Qur'an.
Taqwa, the consciousness of Allah that makes a person avoid what He forbids, is presented in the Qur'an as the only measure of honour between people, since the most honoured in the sight of Allah is the most mindful of Him, not the richest or the best connected.
Tawbah, repentance, is open to anyone who has fallen short. Its conditions are to stop the sin at once, to feel genuine regret, to resolve firmly not to return to it, and, where the sin involved a wrong to another person, to restore what was taken or seek that person's pardon.
In practical Nigerian terms this body of teaching rules out examination malpractice, forged certificates, inflated contracts, bribery at checkpoints and offices, short-changing customers, and spreading unverified reports on social media, all of which are covered by the prohibitions on dishonesty, betrayal of trust and tale-bearing.

Key terms

Tawhid: The affirmation of Allah's oneness in His lordship, in His exclusive right to worship, and in His names and attributes.
Shirk: Associating any partner with Allah in His lordship, worship or attributes; the gravest sin in Islam.
Ikhlas: Sincerity; performing an act purely for the sake of Allah and not for the praise of people.
Taqwa: God-consciousness that leads a person to carry out what Allah commands and avoid what He forbids.
Amanah: Trustworthiness; faithful handling of property, secrets, duties and public office entrusted to one.
Ghibah: Backbiting; mentioning something about an absent person that he would dislike, even if it is true.
Tawbah: Sincere repentance, requiring abandonment of the sin, regret, resolve not to repeat it, and restitution where another person's right was violated.

Worked examples

What is shirk? Mention its types, give examples of each, and state its consequences.

Define shirk against the background of tawhid so the contrast is clear.
Divide it into major and minor, defining each before giving examples.
Give at least three concrete examples under each type, including examples familiar in everyday life.
State the consequences, both the religious ruling and the practical effects on a person's life.

Answer: Shirk is the association of a partner with Allah in what belongs to Him alone, whether in His lordship as Creator and Sustainer, in His right to be worshipped, or in His names and attributes. It is the opposite of tawhid and is the gravest sin in Islam. It is divided into two types. Major shirk, shirk akbar, takes a person outside the fold of Islam. Its examples include the worship of idols and images; directing prayer, sacrifice or vows to the dead, to saints, to graves or to jinn; believing that a charm, a marabout or any created thing can independently grant children, wealth or protection; and claiming for any creature the knowledge of the unseen that belongs to Allah alone. Minor shirk, shirk asghar, does not remove a person from Islam but is a serious sin that spoils deeds. Its examples include riya, performing prayer, giving charity or reciting the Qur'an so that people will see and praise it; swearing by other than Allah, such as by one's father or one's head; and saying that something happened because of a person or a cause as though Allah had no part in it. The consequences are: (i) the Qur'an states that Allah does not forgive that a partner be associated with Him, while He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills, so a person who dies upon major shirk without repenting is outside forgiveness; (ii) shirk nullifies the deeds it attaches to, so that worship mixed with showing off earns no reward; (iii) it degrades the human being, who is honoured by Allah, into dependence on created things that can neither hear nor help; (iv) it opens the door to exploitation by those who sell charms and false promises; and (v) it destroys the confidence and dignity that come from relying directly on Allah.

Explain the Islamic teaching on honesty and trustworthiness and show how it addresses corruption in Nigeria.

Set out sidq and amanah as named Islamic virtues with their meaning.
Bring in the Prophet's own example, including the title Al-Amin, and the relevant hadiths on deception and bribery.
State what is forbidden: cheating in trade, bribery, betrayal of public office, false testimony.
Apply directly to named Nigerian situations, and close with the standard of accountability before Allah.

Answer: Islam makes sidq, truthfulness, and amanah, trustworthiness, central to the character of a Muslim. Truthfulness means that a person's speech matches reality in his dealings, his testimony and his promises, and the Prophet taught that truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness to Paradise, while lying leads to wickedness and wickedness to the Fire. Trustworthiness means handling faithfully whatever is entrusted to one, whether property, a secret, a duty or a public office, and the Qur'an commands that trusts be rendered to those to whom they are due and that judgement between people be with justice. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was called Al-Amin, the trustworthy, by the Makkans before his prophethood, and even those who opposed his message left their valuables in his keeping. He condemned deception in trade, saying that whoever deceives is not of us, and he passed his hand into a heap of grain, found it wet underneath, and rebuked the seller for hiding the defect. The reports also record the curse of Allah upon the one who gives a bribe and the one who takes it. Islam therefore forbids cheating in weights and measures, concealing defects in goods, adulterating products, false testimony, forgery and the misuse of public funds. Applied to Nigeria: inflating contract figures, demanding settlement before performing a duty that is already paid for, examination malpractice and the buying of certificates, selling expired or diluted goods, and diverting money meant for schools, roads or hospitals are all covered by these prohibitions, whether the person doing them prays and fasts or not. A Muslim holding public office holds an amanah for which he will answer, and the Prophet warned that whoever is appointed over any affair of the Muslims and takes anything beyond his due is taking unlawfully. The deciding standard is that Allah sees what no auditor sees, so taqwa, not the fear of being caught, is what keeps a believer honest.

The mistake to avoid

Candidates define shirk only as idol worship and lose the marks for minor shirk, especially riya, which is the type most relevant to practising Muslims. In conduct questions, many write a list of virtues with no explanation and no application; the examiner wants the meaning, a supporting text or hadith, and a concrete situation. Do not attribute a hadith to a specific collection unless you are sure of it; writing 'the Prophet taught that' is safer than naming the wrong book.

In the exam

Expect either a tawhid and shirk question or a named-virtue question, and sometimes both in one paper. Structure a virtue answer in four moves: define the virtue, cite the Qur'anic or prophetic basis, state what the opposite vice is, and apply it to a named modern situation. Where the question says 'with relevant examples', give Nigerian examples, because concrete application is what separates an average script from a strong one.