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THE
MEANING AND IMPLICATIONS OF GOD’S UNITY (TAWHID) IN A
GENERAL SENSE
Today
in the world, where more than five billion people are living,
Islam is the only religion which is based solely on the Divine
Unity (Tawhid). All other religions, whether of God-revealed
origin like Judaism and Christianity, or esentially
polytheistic, have been darkened somehow by a cloud of
polytheism or paganism.
Islam
and other religions in respect with the concept of deity
All
religion, as stated before, which had been revealed to the
Prophets of various nations was the same in essence, but in
the course of time its message had been misinterpreted and it
had become mixed up with superstitions and had degenerated
into magical practices and meaningless rituals. The conception
of God, the very core of religion, had become debased by (a)
the anthromorphic tendency of turning God into a being with
human shape and passions, (b) by deification of the angels,
(c) by the association of other personalities with Godhead of
the one and only God (as in Hinduism and Christianity), (d) by
making the Prophets or some godly persons into incarnations of
God (e.g., Jesus Christ in Christianity, the Buddha in
Mahayana Buddhism, Krishna and Rama in Hinduism), and (e) by
the personification of the attributes of God into separate
Divine persons (e.g., the Christian Trinity of the Father, the
Son and the Holy Ghost and the Hindu Trimutri of Brahma,
Vishnu and Shiva). The Holy Prophet of Islam Muhammad (God’s
peace and blessing be upon him and his household) rejected all
such theological trends and restored the conception of God to
its pristine purity as the only Creator, Sustainer and Master
of all the creation (Rabbu’l-alamin ve ilahuhum ve malikuhum).
Thus, as John Davenpurt puts it,
Among
many excellencies of which the Quran may justly boast
are two eminently conspicuous: the one being the tone of
awe and reverence which it always observes when speaking
of, or referring to, the Deity, to Whom it never
attributes human frailties and passions; the other the
total absence throughout it of all impure, immoral and
indecent ideas, expressions, narratives, etc.,
blemishes, which, it is much to be regretted, of too
frequent occurrence in the Jewish scriptures.
Man is
not, in essence, an omnipotent being
Although
we, the people of the scientific age, have been blinded to
some fundamental human limitations by great advances in
technology, man is not, in essence, an omnipotent being.
Neither he is self-sufficient and self-existing nor are his
powers without limitations. He is, in fact, weak, frail, needy
and destitute. He cannot create even a leaf or a gnat, of an
insect, nor can he form a molecule of water without much
expenditure, a fact which modern man does not wish to confess
under the spell of modern technology. All natural events from
the rising and setting of the sun to the movements of atoms,
which he seems satisfied to ascribe to natural laws although
they nominally, but not really and externally, exist, take
place without his intervention. Furthermore, his own body
works independently of him so that he cannot prevent himself
from sleeping and becoming hungry or thirsty, and a
microscopic creature can cause his death. He is always
accompanied by sorrows arising from the misfortunes of the
past, and by worries about the future. Fear, love and
expectations are inseparable from his earthly existence, while
such things as youth and beauty, of which he is very fond,
leave him without saying “good-bye”. Things such as
misfortunes, old age and death, however greatly he fears them,
overwhelm him unexpectedly. There are countless requirements
which he needs to maintain his existence, but none of them are
essentially and totally under his control. He may be injured
by many other events; accidents may bring his hopes to a
sudden end; diseases and calamities always threaten him and
mar his way to happiness. He experiences earthquakes, storms,
floods, fires, and other natural catastrophies. The vast
variety of phenomena, on the one hand, and the consciousness
of his own frailty on the other, impress him with a deep sense
of his own weakness and helplessness.
Modern
man actually needs religion more than the ‘primitive man’
In
spite of his claims to have complete dominance over nature,
and of the great advances in his ‘conquering’ space so
that he seems no longer to have need of divinity or religion,
modern man actually needs religion more than the ‘primitive
man’. He may not be worshipping fetishes of the ‘primitive’
man such as trees, animals, rivers, fire, rain, and heavenly
bodies, but, as Erich Fromm puts it, fetishism has not ceased
to be the religion of millions of people. The number of
fetishes worshipped by modern man today is much greater;
national heroes, film stars, politicians, football players,
and musicians are the fetishes of modern man. Furthermore,
such modern religions as ‘transcendental meditation,
necromancy, and the worship of Satan and genies’ are being
practiced by millions, who cannot be satisfied with scientific
and technological advancements and what they have brought to
the human life. Besides this, stadiums, night clubs, casinos,
trade unions’ buildings, and even factories and some
institutions become places where the devotion of the masses is
engaged instead of worship. This they substitute since they
have not been able to suppress their need for worship. It is
inevitable for one who does not believe in and worship the One
God to be the slave of numerous deities.
Tawhid
in the universe and as the highest conception of deity
It is
Tawhid, that is the Principle of Divine Unity and Oneness,
which is clearly observed throughout the universe. Whoever
takes a look at himself and his environment can easily discern
that everything depends upon this basic principle of
God-revealed Religion. Parts of the human body, for example,
are in close cooperation with one another, and each cell of it
is so connected with the whole body that it is impossible not
to conclude that He Who has created the single cell is also He
Who created the whole body. Likewise, the elements comprising
the universe are interrelated and in harmony with each other
and the universe as a whole. One cannot help believing that
the entire universe from particles to the galaxies has been
brought into existence by the same Creator, and further that
the motion of particles observed in an atom is the same as
that is observed in the solar system. Everything originates
from ‘one’ and eventually will return to ‘one’, as
stated in the Quran: “We originated the first creation,
so We shall bring it back (to its former state) again.”
(21:104) A tree, for instance, grows out of a seed or a stone
to result finally in a seed or stone. These visible evidences
explain why an orderliness and harmony are observed in the
whole universe because it operates in strict obedience to the
One Who has established that order; in other words, it is
directly operated by the Creator, the One, the All-omnipotent
and the All-knowing. Otherwise, as pointed out in the Quran
“each god would have taken off what he created and some of
them would have risen up over others; had there been gods in
earth and heaven other than God, they both had been in
disorder.” (21:22)
Tawhid
is the highest conception of deity, the knowledge of which God
has sent to mankind in all ages through His Prophets. It was
this same knowledge which all the Prophets including Moses,
Jesus and the Prophet Muhammad (God’s blessings be upon them
all) brought to mankind. Men became guilty of polytheism or
idol-worship after the demise of their Prophets only because
they deviated from the pure teachings of the Prophets. They
relied upon their own faulty reasoning, false perceptions and
biased interpretations in order to satisfy their lusts, which
they would be unable to do with a Tawhid-based system where
they would have to obey the commandments of the One Supreme
God.
“The
foremost in religion”, Ali Ibn Abi Talib, the Fourth Caliph,
is reported to have said, “is God’s knowledge, the
perfection of His knowledge is to testify to Him, the
perfection of testifying to Him is to believe in His Oneness,
the perfection of believing in His Oneness is to regard Him as
pure and the perfection of His purity is to deny all kinds of
negative attributes about Him.” He is infinite and eternal;
He is self-existent and self-sufficient. As stated in the Qur’an,
“He is God, One, needy of nothing and Everlasting Refuge; He
begets not, nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto
Him. Vision perceives Him not, and He perceives all vision.
Nothing whatsoever (is there) like the like of Him; and He
(alone) is the All-Hearing and All-Seeing.” In the words of
Ali again, “He is Being but not through the phenomenon of
coming into being. He exists but not from non-existence. He is
with everything but not by physical nearness. He is different
from everything but not by physical separation. He acts but
without the accompaniment of movements and instruments. He is
the One, only such that there is none with whom He keeps
company or whom He misses in his absence.”
God’s
Attributes cannot be transferred nor could they be present in
another since they are infinite. A being who is incapable of
remaining alive by himself cannot give life to others. The one
who cannot protect his own power is definitely unsuited to
govern the vast universe. The more one reflects upon the
matter, the firmer would be one’s conviction that all the
divine powers and attributes must exist in one and the same
being alone.
The
implications of Tawhid in individual and social lives of
people
One who
believes in Tawhid can never be narrow-minded in his outlook.
His belief in One God, the Creator of the heavens and the
earth, the Master of the east and the west and Sustainer of
the entire universe, leads him to look upon everything as
belonging to the same Lord, to Whom he himself belongs, so
that he does not regard anything in the universe as an alien.
His sympathy, love, and service do not remain confined to any
particular race, color or group, and he comes to comprehend
the significance of the Prophetic saying: “O servants of
God, be brethren!”
Belief
in Tawhid produces highest degree of self-respect and
self-esteem in man. The believer knows that God alone is the
Possessor of all power, and that none besides Him can benefit
or harm a person, or provide for his needs, or give or take
away life or wield authority and influence. This conviction
makes him indifferent to, and independent and fearless of, all
powers other than those of God. He never bows his head in
homage to any of God’s creatures, nor does he hold out his
hand to anyone else.
The
follower of polytheism is one who, even though he be a
despotic king or president, will abase himself and bow his
head before whomsoever he finds it of advantage to do so. The
follower of Tawhid, however, is one who never debases himself
to worship any created being no matter how powerful and rich
he might be, and never would take anything, even if it were
Paradise, other than by God’s pleasure and approval. The
follower of polytheism is one, who, even though he is harsh
and unyielding, prostrates himself before him from whom he
expects an atom of benefit, while the follower of Tawhid,
although humble and mild, never bows down to anyone without
the approval of his Creator. The follower of polytheism is
proud of himself but, in essence, he is absolutely impotent
since he has nothing to rely upon other than himself, whereas
the follower of Tawhid, although he is naturally weak and
powerless as a human being, is powerful enough to resist the
whole world by the power of his Lord. While the follower of
polytheism is selfish and arrogant since his purpose in life
is to satisfy his worldly desires, the follower of Tawhid is
virtuous and altruistic because his purpose is to gain God’s
approval by working for His pleasure. The boisterous pride of
power and wealth can have no room in the heart of one who
believes in Tawhid, because he knows that whatever he
possesses has been bestowed upon him by God, and that God can
take away just as easily as He can give.
The
follower of Tawhid has the conviction that there is no other
means of success and salvation for him except purity of soul
and righteousness of behavior. He has perfect faith in God,
Who is above all need, is related to none, is absolutely just,
and none has any hand or influence on the exercise of His
Divine power. This belief creates in him the consciousness
that, unless he lives rightly and acts justly, he cannot
succeed. No influence or underhand activity can save him from
ruin. As against this, the followers of polytheism always live
on false hopes. Some of them believe that Jesus, whom they
regard as the son of God, has atoned for their sins; some
think that they are God’s favorites, and accordingly will
not be punished; others believe that their ‘idols or saints’
will intercede with God on their behalf; while others make
offerings to their deities and believe that by so bribing them
they have acquired a license for all frivolities and ill-deeds
and can do whatever they like. Such false beliefs keep them
always entangled in the meshes of sin and evil deeds, and
depending on their deities they neglect to purify their souls
and live pure and good lives.
The
believer in the Divine Unity does not become hopeless and
disappointed under any circumstances. His firm faith in God,
Who is the Master of all the treasures of the earth and the
heavens, and Whose grace and bounty have no limit and powers
are infinite, imparts to his heart extraordinary consolation,
fills it with satisfaction and keeps it filled with hope. In
this world he might meet with rejection at all doors, nothing
herein might serve his ends, all means might, one after
another, desert him; but faith in, and dependence on, God
never leave him, and upon their strength he goes on
struggling. Such a profound confidence can result from no
other belief than belief in One God. This belief produces in
man a very strong degree of determination, patient
perseverance, and trust in God. When he makes up his mind and
devotes his resources to fulfill the Divine Commands in order
to secure God’s pleasure, he is sure that he has the support
and backing of the Lord of the Universe. As to polytheists and
atheists, they have small hearts; they depend on limited
powers; therefore in hours of trouble they are soon
overwhelmed by despair and, frequently, they commit suicide.
The testimony of Professor Joad is very explicit on this
point. He wrote about the West in 1950s.
For
the first time in history there is coming to maturity a
generation of men and women who have no religion, and
feel no need for one. They are content to ignore it.
Also they are very unhappy, the suicide rate is
abnormally high. (The Present and Future of the Religion)
As
opposed to this, what a non-Muslim historian, not in any way
sympathetic to the creed of Islam, writes about the Islamic
conception of Tawhid is worth mentioning:
In
this uncompromising monotheism, with its simple,
enthusiastic faith in the supreme rule of a
transcendental being, lies the chief strength of Islam.
Its adherents enjoy a consciousness of contentment and
resignation unknown among followers of most creeds.
Suicide is rare in Muslim lands. (Phillip K. Hitti,
History of the Arabs, 1951, p:129)
Belief
in Tawhid inspires bravery in man. There are two things which
make a man cowardly: (i) fear of death and love of safety, and
(ii) the idea that there is someone else besides God who can
take away life, and that man, by adopting certain devices, can
ward off death. Belief in there is no deity but God purges the
mind of both these ideas. The first idea goes from his mind
because he knows that his life, and his property, and
everything else really belong to God, and he becomes ready to
sacrifice his all for God’s approval. He gets rid of the
second idea since he knows that no weapon, no man or no power
can take away his life; God alone has the power to do so. A
time has been ordained for him, and all the forces of the
world combined cannot take away anyone’s life a moment
before the appointed time, nor can they delay his death an
instant. It is because of this firm belief in one God and
dependence upon Him only that no one is braver than a
believer.
Belief
in the Oneness of God creates an attitude of peace and
contentment, purges the mind of subtle passions and jealousy,
envy and greed, and keeps away the ideas of resorting to base
and unfair means for achieving success. The believer
understands that wealth is in God’s hands, that honor,
power, reputation and authority are subjected to His Will, and
that He bestows them as He wishes; and that man’s duty is
only to endeavor and struggle fairly. He knows that success
and failure depend upon God’s grace; if He wills to give, no
power in the world can prevent Him from doing so; and if He
does not will it, no power can force Him but the believer
never forgets that it is incumbent upon him to try his hardest
to deserve God’s grace. On the other hand, the polytheists
and atheists consider success and failure to come solely from
their own efforts or by the help of earthly powers without
taking God’s grace and Will into consideration. Therefore
they always remain slaves to cupidity and envy. To achieve
success, they never hesitate to have recourse to bribery,
flattery, conspiracy, and other kinds of base and unfair
means.
The
belief in the Divine Unity makes man obey and observe the
Divine Law. One who has belief in it is certain that God knows
everything hidden or open, and is nearer to him than his own
jugular vein. If he commits a sin in a secluded corner and in
the darkness of night, God knows it; He even knows our
unformed thoughts and intentions, bad or good, of which we may
not ourselves be aware. We can hide things from everyone, but
we cannot hide anything from God; we can evade everyone, but
it is impossible to evade God’s grasp. The firmer a man’s
belief is in this respect, the more observant will he be of
God’s commands. It is for this reason that the first and the
most important condition for being a Muslim is to have firm
and sincere faith in the Oneness of God.
Faith
in One God is the most important and fundamental principle in
the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and God’s
blessings be upon him). It is the bedrock of Islam and the
mainspring of its power. All other beliefs, commands and laws
of Islam stand firm on this foundation.
Lastly,
it is of much significance to quote the remarks of a famous
Italian orientalist, Dr. Laura Veccia Vaglieri, concerning the
universal spirit of the Islamic Tawhid (Apologia dell
Islamismo, translated into English as ‘An Interpretation of
Islam’ by Dr. Caselli, pp. 30-33):
The
Prophet, with a voice which was inspired by a deep
communion with his Maker, preached the purest monotheism
to the worshippers of fetish and the followers of a
corrupted Christianity and Judaism. He put himself in
open conflict with those regressive tendencies of
mankind which lead to the association of other beings
with the Creator.
In
order to lead men to a belief in one God, he did not
delude them with happenings which deviate from the
normal course of nature. Rather, he simply invited them,
without asking them to leave the realm of reality, to
consider the Universe and its laws. Being confident of
the resultant belief in the one and indispensable God,
he simply let men read in the book of life.
Thanks
to Islam, paganism in its various forms was defeated.
The concept of the Universe, the practices of religion,
and the customs of social life were each liberated from
all the monstrosities which had degraded them, and human
minds were made free of prejudice. Man finally realized
his dignity.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Said Nursi, Sozler, (The
Words 1, The Words 2), Istanbul, 1958
- Abu’l-A‘la al-Mawdudi,
Towards Understanding Islam, 1970
- Abu’l-Fadl Izzeti, The
Revolutionary Islam, 1980
- Sayyid Qutb, Fi Dhilal al-Qur’an,
(Turkish trans.) Istanbul, 1979
- Yoldaki Isaretler (Arabic
original, ‘Ma‘alim fi't-Tariq’),1974
- U. Aziz as-Samad, Islam and
Christianity, 1977
- M. Mahdi Poya, Fundamentals
of Islam, Karachi
- M. Jafar Hussain, Nahj
ul-Balagha, Kum, 1975
- Erich Fromm, Psikanaliz ve
Din (Turkish trans.), Istanbul, 1982
- Hurriyetten Kacis, (Turkish
trans.), Istanbul, 1982
- Giovanni Scognamillo,
Batinin Inanc Temelleri
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