ISLAM 281
shirk, which is the violation of
tawhid. Literally meaning “to share,”
the sin of shirk is committed when
a partner is attributed to God.
This is because it suggests either
a belief in many gods, or a belief
that God is less than perfect and
therefore requires a partner.
A creed of unity
Throughout the history of Islam,
Muslims have reflected on the
notion of divine unity. In the
12th century, this gave rise to a
movement whose followers were
known as Al-Muwahhidun (“those
who emphasize unity”), or the
Almohads. Founded by Muhammad
ibn Tumart, this movement was
based on its conception of divine
unity, which came to be expressed
in the Almohad ‘aqida, or creed.
The Almohad creed combined
elements of kalam—theological
speculation on God’s nature—with
direct interpretation of the Qur’an
and the Sunna (the sayings and
actions of Muhammad). One of its
most significant characteristics is
that it was meant to appeal not
just to scholars, but to a wide
audience that would be able to test
its assertions against their own
logic and personal experience.Cause and effect
The Almohad creed begins with
certain sayings of Muhammad that
suggest the notion of divine unity
was, to him, the most significant
part of Islam. The creed then
offers the unique assertion,
largely derived from Aristotelian
philosophy: that reason and logic—
rather than faith—demand the
truth of God’s existence. As a
result, those with reason can
deduce whether or not God exists.
The Almohad creed uses
deductive reasoning to argue for
God’s unity, building each of its
assertions on the one before it. It
argues that everything has a maker
—something has caused each
thing in the world to be made
(whether that was a human making
a tool, or an acorn growing into a
tree). Humans themselves are
creations of extraordinary
complexity. And if everything in
the world was made by something,
there must be a being at the
beginning of that chain of cause
and effect that was not brought
about by something before it—
the initial cause of everything else.
This being is God—who is unique
and absolute (without a beginning
or an end). If we acknowledge his
absolute existence, then we must
also acknowledge that no other god
can share his power, and therefore,
God alone is one and unequaled. ■High in the Atlas Mountains of
Morocco, the Tin mal Mosque became
the spiritual center of the Almohad
creed in the 12th century.See also: Defining the indefinable 184–85 ■ A divine trinity 212–19 ■ The
central professions of faith 262–69 ■ Theological speculation in Islam 276–77
Muhammad
ibn TumartMuhammad ibn Tumart
was a Berber born in the
Atlas Mountains of modern-
day Morocco in around 1082.
He traveled to the East to
study Islamic theology and,
growing in religious fervor,
he formed a movement based
on a desire to reform Islam
along the lines of his vision
of the oneness of God.
Ibn Tumart returned to
Morocco around 1118; here his
movement grew in strength
and numbers. In 1121, he
proclaimed himself the Mahdi
(Guided One, or redeemer)
who would restore purity to
Islam. He died in around 1130,
before his followers came to
reign over large portions of
northwestern Africa and
parts of Spain.
Ibn Tumart’s movement
receded in the 13th century.
None of his texts survive,
although writings about him
and his followers (including
those of the Almohad creed)
are preserved in Le livre de
Mohammed ibn Toumert
(The Life of Muhammad
ibn Tumart).It is by the necessity
of reason that the
existence of God,
Praise to Him, is known.
Almohad ‘aqida