THE ONENESS OF GOD
There is a Creator of the universe. It is He who created the universe according to His plan, and it is He who is running it. Just as the rest of the universe obeys God, humans must also obey God, but of their own free will. The right attitude for man is that he should lead his life in obedience to God. It was to convey this message to human beings that all the prophets came into the world throughout human history. And the universe, at every moment, is giving out this same lesson to man. This is what the Islamic concept of the Oneness of God is about. The Quran says:
“Is there any doubt about God, the Originator of the heavens and earth?” (14:10)
This statement of the Quran appears to be a question, but it is the answer to it. In this verse, the word ‘fatir’ or Originator is a definite and specific proof in support of God’s existence, which the Quran expresses elsewhere in this way:
“Do not those who deny the truth see that the heavens and the earth were joined together and that We then split them asunder?” (21:30)
An estimate based on research conducted in 2019 suggests that the radius of the universe is approximately 46.5 billion light years. This indicates that the universe is not confined to a single state but continuously expands uniformly in all directions. This implies that the universe was once in a compressed state in the past.
According to astronomers, in the beginning, the entire universe existed as a super-atom, with all its components drawn inward by immense force. Approximately 13.8 billion years ago, there was an event of a release of energy akin to an explosion in this primordial matter. Consequently, the components of the super-atom shattered from its centre and began to disperse in all directions, giving rise to the present universe.
The above Quranic verse refers to the heavens and the earth being ‘joined together’ (Ratq) in an inward motion and then being ‘split asunder’ (Fatq) in an outward motion. The words used in the Quran in the 7th century about the universe’s beginning are exactly what scientists discovered in the 20th century in the form of the ‘Big Bang’ that occurred in space 13.8 billion years ago. Science confirms that at that time, the forces within the super-atom were only working to contract and compress everything inward. However, initiating the outward journey for its components went against its inherent law and necessitated the intervention of external energy. The fact that the outward journey of the particles within the primordial atom did occur after the explosion also compels us to acknowledge the existence of an Intervener or a Supreme Power beyond the universe itself, as it caused an extraordinary motion within the initial matter through a conscious act. Another name for this Intervener is God.
In one place in the Quran, the order in the universe is described as follows:
“If there had been in the heavens and on the earth, other deities besides God, both the heavens and earth would be ruined.” (21:22)
The above words of the Quran point to natural phenomena that provide evidence of a higher power at work, thereby confirming the existence of a single supreme authority rather than multiple ones. All branches of natural science astonishingly affirm that the universe operates under a single law. The laws governing the earth function flawlessly in celestial bodies as well. This certainty in the universe’s physical laws has driven man to invest billions of dollars and develop spacecraft capable of landing on the moon and Mars based on precise calculations.
These words of the Quran indicate that the power that controls the universe is God, and He is One. All physical sciences amazingly testify that a single law binds the functioning of the entire universe. If the whole universe were not to function according to a single law and with total accuracy, the telescopes installed on the Earth would not be able to ‘see’ up to 8000 million light-years in the vast universe. Our physical sciences would suddenly lose all their importance. For the universe to be in a state of unity with such order and precision tells us that it is in the control of only One God. Had several ‘gods controlled it,’ chaos would have erupted. In the internecine conflict of various ‘gods,’ the universe would have been devastated and destroyed.
Referring to the management of the universe, the Quran says:
“It is He who has created all things and measured them out precisely.” (25:2)
Physical observation tells us that there is one law for everything. This has been established in the universe with perfect precision, predictability, and regularity. In the ‘Encyclopedia of Ignorance,’ Dr. Ian Rexborough, Professor of Applied Mathematics Queen Mary College, London, writes:
“The universe is astonishingly uniform to a remarkable degree. However, when one looks at it, the composition of the elements in the universe is in the same proportion. The natural laws discovered on Earth are based on arbitrary numbers. For example, the ratio of the amount of matter in an electron to the amount of matter (mass) in a proton is approximately 1/1840. This ratio is found everywhere and at all times. Why is this so? Has a creator arbitrarily chosen these numbers? Is the same proportion necessary in these numbers for the existence of the universe that we observe?” (Sunday Times, London, December 4, 1977)
This clearly indicates that an omnipotent force controls all entities. This force is the Creator of the universe and also its Sustainer. In this sequence, people ask, ‘If God exists, then why can’t we see Him?’ The answer to this question is that in the age of science, we are in a world where we have no choice but to believe in things without seeing them. It is not just a question of belief in God. In the universe we inhabit, there are countless things we cannot see and perceive. Yet, despite this, we are compelled to believe in them. Just as we cannot comprehend the existence of God, we cannot understand the existence of all the entities in the universe without accepting faith in the unseen. For example, we accept the existence of the various particles in an atom. One of them is the neutrino. It is said that this particle has no electric charge. Nor does it have any mass. It seems to be nothing. In the words of a scientist:
‘Neutrino is a tiny bundle of nothing.’
Why is the existence of nothingness acknowledged? Its reason is that in atoms, some properties manifest themselves, whose explanation requires recognizing the existence of a non-particle within the structure of the atom. This assumption also includes one of the strange properties of neutrinos: they can pass through any material body without obstruction. They can even pass through the entire Earth in their journey. Experiments are being conducted in the United States to utilize this property of neutrinos for human applications. Scientists believe that if this property of neutrinos can be harnessed, it will revolutionize communication worldwide. Seeing anything in the universe is purely scientifically so impossible that it has led to disagreement among scientific philosophers about whether to consider the universe as an external (objective) event or merely something perceived mentally or internally (subjective).
Just as we believe in sub-atomic particles, although unseen, through their effect, we also have to believe in the unseen God.
The Concept of God
Believing in God is not as difficult for humans as arriving at a correct understanding of God. Throughout the ages, humans have continued to acknowledge the existence of God, and even today, a significant majority of the earth’s population recognizes the existence of God as the Creator. However, the real challenge lies in that, despite believing in God, people associate beliefs with Him that make acceptance and rejection equivalent.
While believing in God, some express such attributes for Him that His separate and independent existence becomes doubtful. Others, having believed in God, associate with Him such partners or close associates that, after that, the divinity of God becomes meaningless.
The reason for man to deviate from the proper understanding of God has always been only one—that is, applying to their concept of God, features or attributes that they observe in the world of human beings. For instance, in this world, people have sons and daughters, and on this basis, it was assumed that God must also have sons and daughters, and this led to the creation of a sacred divine family.
Similarly, since the emperors of the world had some close associates and courtiers to whom he had given powers and listened, it was assumed that some people were very close to God, too, to whom He had given powers and whose views He heard. In this way, belief in the intermediaries to God came into existence. In this world, many forces are seen to be at work—for example, the sun and various stars—and so, it was assumed that these are all beings that partake of Divinity and are running the universe in conjunction with the Great God. In this way, the idea of co-functionaries to God came into being. And so on.
Similarly, the concept of monism was accepted. Monism was the philosophic concept of the singularity of existence in which God and creation have the same existence. It is the belief that God manifests Himself through His creation. Philosophers initially accepted this concept as the unity of existence or the unity of being, which later came to be accepted in religions.
This concept was developed when people saw the one universe filled with innumerable diverse things, from man to the stars, and they wanted to find unity in this diversity. And so, they said that the one Absolute God manifests Himself in different forms. In this way, the concept of God became like an abstract idea, a mere imagination devoid of any independent existence. It was accepted that everything emanates from it and, ultimately, after ending, merges back into it. It is this notion that produced the belief in ‘human gods.’
Salvation, in this concept, was that the creation merges with the Creator, usually after one’s death. However, there was also a belief that if one negates their worldly status through some spiritual practices, they could unite with God while still alive; this produced the concept of saints.
However, all these concepts of God are mere hypothetical speculations. They have nothing to do with reality. Islam has kept the concept of God pure from all these hypothetical speculations. According to Islam, every such addition negates the pure concept of God.
According to Islam, God is the One who possesses uniqueness in every aspect and is entirely pure from all forms of participation in His essence and attributes. This is the concept of tawheed or monotheism in Islam. In the Quran, this is stated thus:
“Say, ‘He is God, the One God, the Self-sufficient One. He does not give birth, nor was He born, and there is nothing like Him.’” (112:1-4)
Practical Significance of Monotheism
In Islam, the doctrine of the Oneness of God, tawheed, or monotheism, is not an abstract idea or a formless spirit. Islam believes in the duality of existence. Both the Creator and creation have a separate existence. The Oneness of God means that just as the Creator of the universe is One, its Lord and Master is also One.
God is not some impersonal God. God has a profound and practical connection with man’s life. According to Islam, only that person is a true monotheist whose faith in, and devotion to, the One God is reflected in his thinking and character.
God is that Being to whom man is answerable and from whom man will receive punishment or reward in the world Hereafter according to his actions in this world. In this way, the concept of the Hereafter also becomes part of the Islamic concept of Tawheed.
Belief in God is meaningless without accepting His role as the Creator. In the same way, without acknowledging God as a Reckoner and worthy of trust, the concept of God remains incomplete. The universe manifests the One God’s Absolute Omnipotence with no partners. The
present world is the unseen manifestation of Divine Oneness, while the world of the Hereafter will be its observable manifestation.
In the current realm, monotheism appears to be a subject of contemplation. The world of the Hereafter will be a place where monotheism becomes an established reality. On that day, the Oneness of God will be an accepted and known reality, just as today, the sun is an accepted and well-known reality for all to see at the level of observation. If a person considers God one but does not accept that His unity will manifest in the Hereafter, then his concept of monotheism is flawed. He can be a philosophical monotheist, but it would not be correct in any way to call him an Islamic monotheist.
‘God is one’ is not just a matter of numerical unity; it is related to explaining all the realities of the universe, be they known or unknown.
Be it the material world, the spiritual world, or the issues concerning this world or the other world in the Hereafter, all these things are incomprehensible until we find their relation to the Oneness of God. The discovery of God’s Oneness is the central unity behind all realities. Only through pure monotheism can the eternal meaning of all realities be explained. From the Islamic point of view, an ideology that does not explain the eternal meaningfulness of realities as one whole cannot be called ‘monotheism.’
Attaining the Oneness of God is complete only when it becomes synonymous with achieving the unity of humanity and the universe. This means that only one essence controls and governs the universe and humanity: the unparalleled God alone. All contradictions dissolve at this level, and only Oneness remains the ultimate reality.
Even a person like Darwin accepted the existence of the Creator. But he could not discover the relationship between the Creator and man. As a result, the most extreme forms of atheism emerged from the womb of Darwin’s theory.
The concept of the Oneness of God is also like this. The issue of the Oneness of God should be studied so that it can lead us to discover the relationship between God and man. Without this, not only would this study be incomplete, but there is also the possibility that it might lead the seekers of Truth in the reverse direction to some other destination.
It is essential, therefore, that the study of monotheism be conducted in a way that can explain the relationship between the concept of monotheism in relation to man. Without this, the study of monotheism will remain incomplete; hence, it might lead the truth-seeker in the wrong direction rather than the One true God.
