The Belief of Tawheed (Monotheism) is the original religion of humanity and the Fitrah (i.e., sound disposition and innate inclination) with which Allah has imbued all human beings. He Says (interpretation of meaning): So direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. Adhere to the Fitrah of Allah upon which He has created all people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know. Quran 30:30 In this context, Ibn Katheer said: (Allah, Exalted be He, embedded in His creation the Fitrah to know Him and believe in His unique Oneness and that none is worthy of worship except Him). [6]   See: ((Tafseer Ibn Katheer)) (6/313).

Allah, Exalted be He, created Adam, the father of humankind, and infused in him the sound creed (of Tawheed); he was a monotheist who believed in the due veneration and obedience to Allah, The Almighty.

Ibn Taymiyyah said: (Shirk was never the default faith among mankind, rather Adam and those who followed his religion, from among his descendants, were monotheists who complied with the guidance of prophethood. Allah, Most High, says (interpretation of meaning): And mankind was not but one community united in religion, but then they differed. Quran 10:19 [7] See: ((Majmoo’ Al-Fataawa)) (20/106) and ((Mabaahith Fee ‘Aqeedat Ahlu-Sunnah Wal-Jamaa‘ah)) by Naasir Al-‘Aql (p. 19).

Allah has taken from all the descendants of Adam a pledge and made with them a covenant that He is their Lord and made them witness to it upon themselves. Allah, Most High, says (interpretation of meaning): And mention when your Lord took from the children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants and made them testify against themselves, saying to them, "Am I not your Lord?" They said, "Yes, we have testified." This - lest you should say on the day of Resurrection, "Indeed, we were of this unaware.” Or lest you say, "It was only that our fathers associated others in worship with Allah before, and we were but descendants after them. Then would You destroy us for what the falsifiers have done?" Quran 7:172-173

Ibn Juzayy said: “When Allah created Adam, He drew forth from him (his loins) all his descendants (who shall be born unto the Last Day) like dust specks and made a covenant with them that He is their Lord, and they acknowledged His Lordship and committed themselves to such covenant. This meaning was reported in a Hadeeth attributable to the Prophet ? … and a group of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and others related it as well.” [8] See Al-Tasheel Li-‘Uloom Al-Tanzeel, (1\312)  It was narrated on the authority of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ? said: “Allah will say to that person who shall be subjected to the least punishment on the Day of Judgment, ‘If you had everything on the earth, would you give it as a ransom to free yourself (i.e., save yourself from Hellfire)?’ He will say, ‘Yes.’ Then Allah will say, ‘While you were still the backbone of Adam, I asked you for what is easier than this: not to associate partners with Me in worship, but you insisted except to associate others besides Me in worship.’” [9] Narrated by Al-Bukhaaree (no. 6557), and Muslim (no. 2805)

Ibn Hajar said: “This?? covenant was made with the children of Adam while still being in his loins, so whoever fulfils it after (s)he is brought into existence in this worldly life is a believer, and whoever fails to fulfil it is a disbeliever.” [10] See Fat-h Al-Baari, 11\403

All people are born imbued with the sound Fitrah and develop upon it, as long as evil urges and temptations do not distract them away from it.

‘Iyaad ibn Himaar (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet ? reported from his Lord that He, Exalted be He, said: “Verily, I have created all My slaves as Hunafaa’ (i.e., following the religion of Tawheed), then the devils lured them out of their true religion, and declared unlawful to them what I deemed lawful to them, and commanded them to associate with Me that for which I have not sent down any authority.” [11] Narrated by Muslim (no. 2865)

In his explanation of His saying, “all My slaves as Hunafaa’”, Al-Nawawee said: “It means ‘Muslims (adherents to Tawheed)’ … As for His saying, ‘then the devil lured them out of their true religion,’ it means that they fooled them into disbelief, led them astray, and ushered them into falsehood.” [12] See Sharh Al-Nawawee ‘ala Muslim, 17\197

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ? said: “Everyone is born imbued with the sound Fitrah (i.e., born as a Muslim), but his parents make him a Jew, a Christian, or a Magian (Zoroastrian).” [13] Narrated by Al-Bukhaaree (no. 1359) and Muslim ()

Aboo Al-‘Abbaas Al-Qurtubee said: “The Hadeeth means that Allah created the hearts of the children of Adam preconditioned to accept the truth, just like He created their eyes and ears with the infused ability to see and hear, so as long as it remains upon that condition and with that innate inclination it will recognize (and accept) the truth, and Islam is the true religion of Allah.” [14] See Al-Mufhm Lima-Ushkila min Kitaab Talkhees Muslim 6\676