Calling Islam

See also: Oneness of God (Islam) and Allah

Islam's fundamental theological concept is tawhīd—the belief that there is only one god. The Arabic term for God is Allāh; most scholars believe it was derived from a contraction of the words al- (the) and ʾilāh (deity, masculine form), meaning "the god" (al-ilāh), but others trace its origin to the Aramaic Alāhā.[23] The first of the Five Pillars of Islam, tawhīd is expressed in the shahadah (testification), which declares that there is no god but God, and that Muhammad is God's messenger. In traditional Islamic theology, God is beyond all comprehension; Muslims are not expected to visualize God but to worship and adore him as a protector. Although Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet, they reject the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, comparing it to polytheism. In Islamic theology, Jesus was just a man and not the son of God;[24] God is described in a chapter (sura) of the Qur'an as "…God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him."[25]

1. ^ See:
   • "Islam and Christianity", Encyclopedia of Christianity (2001): Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews also refer to God as Allāh.
   • L. Gardet "Allah". Encyclopaedia of Islam Online. Retrieved on 2007-05-02.
2. ^ David Thomas "Tathlith, Trinity". Encyclopaedia of the Qur'an Online. Retrieved on 2007-05-11. : Contrary to Muslim understanding, some scholars have suggested that the Qur'an only opposes certain deviant forms of Trinitarian belief.
3. ^ See:

• Qur'an 112:1–4
• Esposito (2002b), pp.74–76
• Esposito (2004), p.22
• Griffith (2006), p.248
• D. Gimaret "Allah, Tawhid". Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Retrieved on 2007-05-02.