THE CONCEPT OF MONOTHEISM

Our universe is the work of a Creator. It was fashioned by Him according to a plan and, in its functioning, all instrumentality is His alone. Just as every atom of the universe is obedient to the will of God, so also does it behove human beings to lead their lives in submission to His wishes. All of God’s prophets, without exception, were sent to exhort human beings to follow this course. This, indeed, is the message unremittingly conveyed to us by the entire universe. And this, in fact, is what is meant by monotheism, a concept which will be further elucidated in the following pages.

‘Is there any doubt about God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth?’ (The Quran, 14:10). Here the Quran appears to be posing a question, but it is, of course, a rhetorical one. It indicates that the very existence of the heavens and the earth are concrete evidence of God’s creativity, thus proving His existence beyond any shadow of a doubt. This idea is further elaborated upon in the Quran. ‘Do not those, who disbelieve, see that the heavens and the earth were one piece joined together, then we cleaved them asunder?’ (The Quran, 21:30).

It has been estimated that the present radius of the universe is at least ten thousand million light years. Cosmology has revealed that the universe is not static but is expanding at an even speed on all sides in an ever-continuing process. It has been deduced from this that the universe must at some stage in the past have been in an embryonic stage. According to certain cosmologists, the entire universe was initially in the form of a ‘super atom’, all of whose elements were pulled inwards by irresistible forces. About fifteen billion years ago, this primary matter under-went an explosion, or ‘energy release,’ as a result of which the particles of the ‘super atom’ broke away from their centre and started expanding on all sides in such a way that the present universe was brought into being. The forces operating inside the super atom before the ‘energy release were consistently those of pulling and shrinking inwards. The outward journey of the particles, in contravention of their own principles, could only be the result of interference by an outside force or agency. This extraordinary occurrence compels one - to accept the existence of an independent power, extraneous to the universe, which is the source of all powers and which, by deliberate design, caused this otherwise inexplicable movement of primary matter. ‘Had there been in them (the heavens and earth) gods beside the One God, there would have been disorder in both of them.’ (The Quran, 21:22).

These Quranic words would appear to refer to this particular occurrence in the universe and prove that this supernal power, although multiple in form, is one in essence. For those who have never made a study of this subject, it may seem a matter of astonishment that all of the physical sciences confirm the universe’s being subject to a single law. It follows that the laws that operate on this earth also hold good for all of the heavenly bodies. It was this basic assumption, which gave human beings the impetus to spend billions and billions on the construction of space machines, and also gave them the courage to land them on the Moon and Mars according to an organized and well thought-out plan. If there had been no such single law operative in the entire universe with such perfect exactitude, the telescopes on earth would not have been able to scan a distance of eight thousand million light years. Without this law, our physical sciences would suddenly lose all relevance. The fact of the universe being governed by such a unified law points unmistakably to the conclusion that it has been designed, and is controlled, by one God alone. Had it been controlled by several gods (or ‘forces’), it would surely have been plagued by disorder, it would have been disorganized by the inevitable conflicts between several ‘gods’. There would have been one law operating on this earth and quite different laws on other planets. But our physical observation confirms that a single law governs all objects, and that the entire universe adheres strictly to this principle. The Quran expresses it thus: ‘It is He (God) who has created everything and has determined the due proportion of everything’ (25:2).

Ian Roxburgh, Professor of Applied Mathematics, Queen Mary College, London, observes: ‘The universe is astonishingly uniform. No matter which way we look, the universe has the same constituents in the same proportions. The laws of physics discovered on earth contain arbitrary numbers, like the ratio of an electron to the mass of a proton, which is roughly 1840 to one. But these turn out to be the same in all places at all times. Did a creator arbitrarily choose these numbers? Or must these numbers have the particular uniform value we observe for the universe to exist?’¹

This fact clearly indicates that the universe is forever under the control of a supreme being—its Creator and Sovereign: God.

‘If there is a God, why is He not visible to us?’ This is a question often put by atheists and nihilists, because they feel that there being no possible answers to this question within the framework of the physical sciences, this in itself is a kind of proof that there is no God. But they forget that we are living in a world where we have no choice but to believe in many things, which are quite beyond observation. The neutrino is a case in point. This particle, which is one of the group of particles making up an atom, is believed to have no electric charge in it, and to have no mass. As a scientist would put it, ‘The neutrino is a tiny bundle of nothing.’ Why do we feel compelled to accept the existence of a particle that is a ‘bundle of nothing?’ The reason is that the atom has certain properties, which cannot be accounted for in any other way except by that of presuming that a non-particle is contained in the fabric of each atom. One of the amazing properties of the supposed neutrino is its capacity to penetrate any body of mass unhindered. It is claimed that it can pass through the whole of the globe in its progress. In the U.S. experiments are under way to harness this property of the neutrino for the benefit of mankind. Scientists believe that if this property of the neutrino can be used, the world of communications will be revolutionized.

‘Seeing’ things in the universe, in a purely optical sense, is so impossible scientifically that scientific philosophers are divided in their opinions as to whether the universe should be regarded as an objective reality or just a subjective phenomenon.

Mere belief in God has never been as difficult for human beings as forming a correct view of Him. Human beings have believed in God from time immemorial, and even today the vast majority of the population on this globe affirms its faith in the existence of God. But the main error committed by human beings is the adulteration of their belief in God to such a degree that it becomes indistinguishable from disbelief. Some who profess faith in God apprehend Him in such a way that even His independent existence becomes suspect. Others attribute ‘companions’, ‘associates’ and even ‘attorneys’ to Him, which render His godhead inconsequential.

The reason that human beings have often erred in forming a true concept of God is simply that they have tried to comprehend God through analogies based on the facts of the universe as understood by them. Human beings, for instance, have sons and daughters. They, therefore, presumed God in like manner to have offspring. In this way, they proceeded to invent a whole divine family for God.

Earthly kings have courtiers and intermediaries, and so God was also presumed to have attorneys to consult and delegate His powers to. In this way the whole gamut of an imaginary divine elite was invented. The many splendid and powerful objects—the sun, the stars, the rivers etc. observed to exist in the universe, were all presumed to be associates of God and to be ‘running’ the ‘empire’ jointly with Him. God’s administration of the world was thus reduced to a sort of ‘corporate business.’ It was this tendency to be influenced by outward manifestations that led to the formulation and acceptance of pantheistic philosophies. The way they were arrived at was through human observation of a universe teeming with innumerable objects, from the human beings below to the stars above: where was the unity in this scattered and awesome diversity? It was concluded that a single, absolute God made Himself manifest in these proliferating forms, and this God consequently became an abstract idea, with no objective existence, from whom flowed all things and with whom they finally commingled. This view also gave birth to the concept of ‘human gods’; it was presumed that certain individuals, through sustained meditation, could achieve negation of their worldly existence and become a living part of God in this life: a distinction others would achieve only after death!

With the advent of Islam, all these unnatural growths, distortions of and additions to the concept of God were rooted out, and all ideas concerning God were rectified and placed in the correct perspective. It was made plain by Islam that previous human conjectures which had led to the invention of a whole panoply of state for God had been, in fact, a negation of true faith. God is He who is in every way unique, who is free of all associations with His Being and attributes. ‘Say: God is one and Only. God is the Eternal and Absolute. He begets not, nor is He begotten. Nor is there anyone like of Him’ (The Quran, 112:1-4).

THE PRACTICAL RELEVANCE OF MONOTHEISM

Unlike Hegel’s philosophy, belief in the oneness of God (tawhid) is not just an abstract idea in Islam. It is of profound practical relevance for humanity. According to Islam, only those who combine in themselves unity of belief and action are the true unitarians, or believers in One God. Belief in One God means accepting the fact that there is just one Being who is the Creator and Master of the universe. To this Creator-Master alone are human beings accountable for their deeds and misdeeds, and it is from Him alone that reward or punishment will emanate.

Faith in the Hereafter becomes an inalienable part of faith in One God. Just as faith in One God has no meaning unless we also believe in His attribute of ‘Creator,’ faith in the oneness of God will be incomplete if we do not at the same time, recognize Him as the all-powerful Master and Final Arbiter. The present universe with all its mysterious pur-poses, is but a manifestation of the omnipotence of God.

Our understanding of this in this life is necessarily limited by human imperfection, but in the Hereafter, no human failing will obscure the oneness of God, which will be made manifest in all its superb perfection. In this world, it is often suggested that the oneness of God is debatable, and that it is an idea, which needs much further scrutiny. But in the Hereafter, the oneness of God will be an established fact, to be seen and believed in, in the same way as one believes in the existence of the sun in our planetary system. Human belief in the oneness of God will be sadly deficient if, claiming faith in Him, it stops short of belief in the Hereafter, the most consummate manifestation of God’s oneness. Adherents of this belief can be unitarians from the philosophic standpoint but cannot be unitarians in Islam.

The fact that God is one is not just a matter of numbers; it is, in fact, the basis for an explanation of all known and unknown facts. All things; whether material or spiritual, of the present, past or future, of this world or the next, will defy comprehension unless we see in them a conceptual unity and discover in what way they relate to the unity of God. Discovery of the oneness of God is the discovery of the central unity of all things. Only that monotheism will be worth its name, which enlightens human beings as to the eternal significance of things and beings in this world, and in the world to come. Any philosophy or faith, which fails to uncover the significance of all things as one single whole, will not be true monotheism. Discovery of the oneness of God will only become absolute when synonymous with the discovery of unity between human beings and the universe, when a stage in thought is reached where contradictions cease to exist, yielding pride of place to unity as the final reality. It is true that Darwin did recognize the existence of a Creator, but he failed to determine the relationship between the Creator and His creatures. His theory, in consequence, gave birth to the most dangerous brand of atheism. Belief in the oneness of God must likewise be studied in depth so that its relevance to human beings may be properly understood. Without such an understanding, any such study will not only be incomplete, but will also lead the seeker after truth in just the opposite direction.

MONOTHEISM AND HUMAN BEINGS

As parts of the universe, human beings are insignificant. And just as the universe functions in complete obedience to its Master, so human beings are required to emulate its example. The only right course for human beings is to recognize this fact and place themselves in complete co-ordination with the rest of the universe by offering total obedience to God. The way God manages the affairs of the universe is a pointer to the fact that human beings can also achieve perfection if they entrust themselves entirely to God. The universe owes its unfailing precision to the fact that it works in complete consonance with God’s plans. Human beings can likewise achieve moral exactitude in their affairs by becoming ethically attuned to the divine scheme of things, for, after all, what is monotheism but the fountainhead of all good: all evil in the world stems from hampering the prevalence of monotheism in the affairs of the world.

Of the many arguments put forward in modern times against the existence of God, one of the most important is what its advocates call ‘the problem of evil.’ They claim that there are such evils in the universe as make it impossible to believe that it was fashioned by a master designer. It has been argued, in this context, that the force of gravity is far in excess of actual need and that, as a consequence, one runs the risk, for example, of breaking one’s leg should one fall from a height of just a few meters. Had this force been less—so the argument goes—this would not have been the case. But all such argumentation is the result of inadequacy of reflection. The critic has obviously overlooked the fact that a fall is an accident and, therefore, exceptional. If the force of the earth’s gravity were less, life on earth would become disorganized and would disintegrate: human beings would not be able to stand firmly on the ground, but would find themselves tending to float upwards into space, trains would have difficulty in remaining on their rails, houses and factories would collapse, water would not remain on the earth, and so on. In actual fact, what some people may regard as a flaw in the natural system is actually evidence of its harmony and equilibrium. The following words of the Quran express an incontrovertible truth:

       He is who created the seven heavens, one above another. No want of proportion will you see in the creation of (God) the most Gracious. So turn your vision again: do you see any flaw? Again turn your vision a second time: your vision will come back to you dull and weary. (The Quran, 67:3-4)

The universe is without flaw or failure because it is under the direct control of God. It is in reality an outward manifestation of His attributes. The same cannot be said for the world of human beings. Chekov has rightly remarked: ‘The world is extremely beautiful; the only thing not beautiful is man.’ Indeed, the human being is the only creature in the entire universe who, to our knowledge, harbours ill-will towards his fellowmen.

How do we account for this difference between the two worlds? This difference exists because, while the rest of the universe is operating under the direct control of God and is, therefore, bound to function as God pleases, human beings have been vested with the freedom of choice. That is, they have the power to choose a right or a wrong path for themselves, hence the prevalence of evil in the world.

The universe external to human beings is bound by the will of God. Hence its order and harmony—as long as human beings are unable to interfere with it as they are doing with the systems of the earth! Human beings, on the other hand, are slaves to their own passions. Their affairs are, therefore, most often fraught with disharmony and disorder. All evil on earth springs from this misuse of freedom by human beings, who have thus proved how genuine were the apprehensions expressed by the Angels before God at the time of the creation of the first human being:

       Are you going to place therein (earth) someone who will make mischief therein and shed blood? (The Quran, 2:30)

The freedom enjoyed by human beings is not absolute, but transitory, and exists solely for the purpose of putting man on trial (The Quran, 67:2). The Lord of the universe is eternally vigilant, and sees who makes the right, and who makes the wrong use of the freedom given to him, so that in the next phase of our lives (the Hereafter), He knows on whom to shower His blessings, and on whom to wreak His divine vengeance. Our planetary system will last only as long as this trial proceeds, and when it has finally run its course, the Lord of the universe will bring the affairs of this planet under his direct control as He has done with the rest of the universe? (The Quran, 19:40). ‘Then the good will be separated from the evil.’ (The Quran, 3:179). The good will then enjoy eternal life in heaven, and the evil will be condemned to everlasting hell. In other words, this world is a domain where citizens of the next world of God are in the process of being selected. Only those who, notwithstanding the freedom granted to them, lead their lives in obedience to God and willingly allow His will to prevail in their lives, will be given the right by God to become the citizens of the next world. All manner of men inhabit the earth during this period of probation, but at the end of it, only the righteous will inherit God’s beautiful earth (The Quran, 21:105): the rest will be ejected from it as aliens.

THE QURAN AND THE UNIVERSE

What are the virtues one needs to have in order to become a citizen of the next world—of heaven? There is nothing vague or ambiguous about this, God having made the answer abundantly clear. The universe may spin on in silence, making nothing explicit, but on the subject of preparedness for heaven, the Quran is nothing if not eloquent: ‘Do they want some other code than God’s though each and every thing in heaven or earth is under His sway? And all will be led back towards God’ (The Quran, 3:83). This indicates that the universe is subject to the code of monotheism—a plain affirmation that the One God is the Creator and sustainer of the universe, and that in Him alone are vested all powers. None besides Him has any sway over the universe. The entire cosmos, from the particles of dust to the galaxies of stars, is under the direct domination of the One God who, alone, is the Master of all beings. This is the reason that the entire universe, with all its vast expanse, is exactly as it should be. No flaw in its functioning has ever been detected and its speed has not faltered even by a second during the thousands of millions of years of its existence. This is the model that man is asked to follow, for it is a practical demonstration of the creed of monotheism. The code that we ‘read’ in the Quran, we can ‘see’ physically in action in the vastness of the universe.

The scheme of things evolved in the universe, in essence, the latter’s adherence to the code of monotheism, is explained in the following paragraphs.

TOTAL SUBMISSION

The greatest and most salient characteristic of the universe is that it is fully obedient to its sustainer. (The Quran, 41:12). Even after hundreds of millions of years have elapsed, the sun, the earth, the stars, moving at incredible speeds in their orbits, have not wavered even by a fraction of a second in their course, each one faithfully carrying out the duty assigned to it. Man is likewise required to demonstrate that same total submission and is called upon to make even his most fervent personal desires subservient to the will of God. At all times, he must unfailingly do as the Lord desires. His hands and feet, his eyes and tongue, his heart and mind, all must bow in supplication to God, so that no part of him, whether mental or physical, should in any way flout His will.

WORSHIP OF GOD

The Quran tells us that all things in the universe worship and glorify God (The Quran, 24:41). The very birds chirping in the green boughs of the trees seem to sing songs in praise of their Creator and Sustainer. The trees, when they cast their shadows on the earth, seem to have lain prostrate before their Creator. The sun, when it sends down its beautiful rays to earth after the darkness of night, seems to express the thought: ‘Glorified be the One who is the source of all light. Should He choose to extinguish it, darkness would engulf the entire universe.’ It is this very same formula which man is called upon to follow. Overwhelmed with gratitude for God’s munificence, he must also give expression to his devotion by singing the glories of his Lord; remembrance of God should become the richest treasure of his life, and devotion to Him should become a life-long vocation.

STABILITY OF CHARACTER

One important characteristic of the universe is that it moves on its course with such exactitude that coming events can be forecast with one hundred percent certainty (The Quran, 10:5). The same kind of predictability is essential in man. So methodical and so responsible should his conduct be that his probable reaction in any given situation should be plainly foreseeable. Even at the most preliminary stage of any transaction with him, we should feel that we know for certain what his attitude and plan of action will be. His world should, indeed, be as dependable as the rising and the setting of the sun.

HARMONY

Another compelling aspect of the universe is that all its parts work in complete harmony with each other (The Quran, 36:40). It has never been the case that the sun and moon have worked at cross purposes. The stars never collide. Air and water, sun and soil, all work in consonance with each other. Nearly one hundred elements, the components of all the known matter in the universe, work in perfect accord, and no clash of purpose has ever been detected in them. It behoves man also to emulate their example and, in the carrying out of whatever his tasks may be, avoid any confrontations with others.

RESULT ORIENTATION

An inestimable virtue of the universe is that all its activities bear fruit (The Quran, 13:17). As far as our world is concerned, the rotation of the earth, the alternation between day and night, the rains, the changes of the seasons, etc., are all, as it were, result oriented. Natural activity, if allowed to go on unhindered, will never culminate infructuously, and man would do well to adapt himself to this principle. All his activities should be engaged in with their final outcome in mind. And things which are likely to prove fruitless or produce unwholesome results should be sedulously avoided.

THE EVOLUTIONARY METHOD

Yet another characteristic of the universe is that it does not function by leaps and bounds; it goes on its way, in a steady fashion, bringing things and occurrences into being through a gradual process of evolution. The tree, for instance, does not suddenly shoot up to a hundred feet as if by magic; it grows up slowly, stage by stage, in due course of time. This is true of each and every organism. And man should also go through this process. He should avoid trying to proceed by gargantuan steps and should plan to achieve his objectives in a gradual and evolutionary manner.

CORRESPONDENCE

Throughout the universe, appearance and reality are one and the same at all points of the compass. The sun and the moon appear to people exactly as they are. They never have appeared in any other guise and certainly never will. With them as his models, man must cultivate this same quality in himself by bringing about complete harmony between his words and deeds. His words should always be borne out by his actions, and there should be no double-dealing in his transactions, or hypocrisy in his relationships. Sincerity should be the keynote in all his dealings with his fellowmen.

DIVINE MORALS AS REFLECTED IN THE UNIVERSE

The purpose and wisdom which manifest themselves in the wider universe under the direct control of God have to be adopted by man of his own accord in his personal life. What God has established on a physical plane, man has to establish on a moral plane. With the same strength as is possessed by the iron which is found everywhere in the cosmos, man must have real staunchness of character. But kind-heartedness must spring from him too, in the way that the springs gush forth from the rocks. Just as fragrance and colour are to be found in abundance in the cosmos, so should man’s life be enhanced by the fairness and honesty of his dealings. He should be like the tree which breathes out oxygen in return for the carbon dioxide which it breathes in: that is, he should return good for evil; he should be kind to those who wrong him. He should learn too, from the fact that nothing in the cosmos ever encroaches upon anything else. Each physical entity concentrates solely upon playing its own part in the order of the universe. Man must also engage in the same positive struggle, avoiding all negative activities. He should consider the principle of decomposition and recycling which is at work in the universe—refuse being converted into gas, and leaves falling from trees and turning into humus which will enrich the soil—to name but a few examples—and he should pattern his behaviour on this, so that whatever his activities, and whatever he expends should ultimately benefit mankind.

Innumerable activities are going on throughout the cosmos on the grandest of scales, but without any recompense. In like manner, man should keep on discharging his responsibilities without any hope of reward. He should reflect upon how the lofty mountains and the trees cast their shadows upon the earth, with no thought for what anyone can do for them in return, and should emulate this act in all humility, for, as the Prophet has enjoined, no one should be proud; no one should consider himself superior to others.

The prayers prescribed for the faithful, to be said five times a day, are a symbolic representation of such a life.

The activities going on in the world at every moment proclaim who are the worthy and who are the unworthy. Those who are motivated solely by the superficial interests of money, honour or fame are little better than miserable misfits in this selfless world of God. They are not true to the standards set in this universe, which is a living manifestation of divine ethics. Only those who can be motivated by the truth, pure and simple, who can rise above personal interests, freeing themselves from complexes and obsessions, shall be deserving of honour and glory from God. In the heavenly world to come, all those who have been activated solely by their immediate worldly interests, will be marked down as unworthy, and cast out from it. This beautiful and blissful world will be inherited only by those who, actuated by unworldly interests, lifted their eyes from immediate, material things in order to be able to see things distant and ‘unseen’:

       They have not estimated God as was His due. On the Day of Resurrection the entire world will he in His grasp and the heavens will he rolled up in His right hand Glory be to Him! Exalted is He above all that they associate with Him. The Trumpet shall be blown and all who are in heaven and earth shall fall down fainting, except those whom God will spare. Then the Trumpet will he blown again and behold, they shall he standing and looking around. The earth will shine with the light of the Lord, and the Book (of records) will he laid open. The Prophet and witnesses shall be brought in, and all shall be judged with fairness; none shall be wronged. Every soul shall be paid back according to its deeds, for God knows well what they have been doing. The unbelievers shall he driven in hordes, towards Hell. When they draw near, its gates will be opened, and its wardens will say to them: ‘Did there not come Messengers from amongst yourselves who recited before you the verses of your Lord and forewarned you of this day?’

       ‘Yes,’ they will answer, ‘but the punishment promised to the’ unbelievers has been proved true.’ It will be said to them: ‘Enter the gates of Hell and stay there forever. Evil is the abode of the arrogant.’

       But- those, who fear their Lord, shall be led in groups to Paradise. When they draw near and the gates of Paradise are opened, its keepers will say to them: ‘Peace be upon you, well you have done. Enter Paradise and live therein forever.’ They will say: ‘Praise be to God who has made good to us His promise and given us the earth to inherit, that we may live in Paradise wherever we please. Excellent is the reward of the righteous.’

       And you shall see the angels circling round the Sublime Seat glorifying their Lord. Mankind shall be judged in perfect justice and all shall say, ‘All the praise is for God, Lord of the worlds’ (The Quran, 39:75).

The universe demonstrates at all points in time and on a vast scale what kind of citizens are required by God to inherit the ideal world of tomorrow—Paradise. He desires men who will be true to His morals, and who will practise the religion that is enshrined, in theory, in His Book and, in practice, in His universe. Those who refuse to learn their lesson and persist in following the path of selfish passion are wrongdoers of the worst kind. Any ‘religion,’ other than the divine, which is pursued by them, will be without consequence in the Hereafter, for they have disbelieved the signs of God. Those who refuse to see God’s signs, although they have eyes, and refuse to hear God’s voice, although they have ears, are, in the eyes of God, ‘the worst animals’ (The Quran, 8:22). The fate, which will be theirs in the world of tomorrow, is summed up in the Book of God thus:

      He that gives no heed to My warning shall have a woeful living (in the Hereafter), and will come to Us blind on the Day of Resurrection. ‘Lord,’ he will say, ‘Why have you brought me blind before You, while I was blessed with sight during my life-time?’ We will answer, ‘In like manner, Our signs came to you but you forgot them. Likewise, this day you will yourself be forgotten.’

      Thus do We reward the transgressor who disbelieves the signs of his Lord. And surely the punishment of the life to come is more terrible and more lasting (The Quran, 20: 124-127).