THE UNITY OF ALLAH (SwT) and SOUND LOGICAL REASONING

وَإِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ ۖ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الرَّحْمَٰنُ الرَّحِيمُ {2:163}

[Q2:163] Wa ilaahukum illaahunw waahid, laaa ilaaha illaa Huwar Rahmaanur Raheem.

[Q2:163] And your ALLAH (SWT) is one ALLAH (SWT)! There is no ALLAH (SWT) but He; He is the Beneficent, the Merciful.

[Q2:163] Dan Tuhan kamu ialah Tuhan yang Maha Esa; tiada Tuhan (Yang berhak disembah) selain dari ALLAH (SwT), yang Maha Pemurah, lagi Maha Mengasihani.

THERE IS NO ALLAH (SWT) BUT ALLAH (SWT). THERE IS ONLY ONE ALLAH (SWT), AND ALL ATTRIBUTES BELONG TO HIM. HIS MAIN ATTRIBUTE IS AN ALL-ENCOMPASSING BENEFICENCE AND MERCY. The "unity of ALLAH (SWT)" is the main and single fundamental upon which the whole structure of the religion of Islam rests, through which all guidance and enlightenment emerge.

Ø  The word wahid (one) is not used [1] in any numerical sense, nor [2] in the sense of order (the first of any second), nor [3] in the sense of the oneness of a genus or a specie, nor [4] in any other general term, BUT IT IS USED IN THE SENSE that *He is indivisible, *unanalysable organically, *chemically, *geometrically, *logically, *mentally or *physically, or in any sense whatsoever.

THIS UNITY, IN ESSENCE, DOES NOT CORRESPOND TO ANY LIMITATION. SINCE HE IS UNLIMITED, A SECOND, AN EQUAL, OR AN OPPOSITE TO HIM IS NOT CONCEIVABLE.

r  Ibna Babwah writes in the book of Tawhid:

In the battle of Jamal a Bedouin asked Ali:

"Do you say that ALLAH (SWT) is One?"

Some companions did not like the idea of asking such a question at a time when Ali was fighting a war, and they rebuked him. But Ali ibne Abi Talib said:

"Do not disapprove his question, because what he asks is the very object of this battle. We are demanding the true answer to this question (same faith in the unity of ALLAH (SWT)) from our enemy." Then Ali gave the above-noted description of Tawhid.

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إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَالْفُلْكِ الَّتِي تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنْفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مِنْ مَاءٍ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ دَابَّةٍ وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ وَالسَّحَابِ الْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ {2:164}

[Q2:164] Inna fee khalqis samaawaati wal ardi wakhtilaafil laili wannahaari walfulkil latee tajree fil hahri bimaa yanfa'unnaasa wa maaa anzalal laahu minas samaaa'i mim maaa'in fa ahyaa bihil arda ba'da mawtihaa wa bas sa feehaa min kulli daaabbatinw wa tasreefir riyaahi wassahaabil musakhkhari bainas samaaa'i wal ardi la aayaatil liqawminy ya'qiloon.
[Q2:164] Most surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day, and the ships that run in the sea with that which profits men, and the water that ALLAH (SwT) sends down from the cloud, then gives life with it to the earth after its death and spreads in it all (kinds of) animals, and the changing of the winds and the clouds made subservient between the heaven and the earth, there are signs for a people who understand.

[Q2:164] Sesungguhnya pada kejadian langit dan bumi; dan (pada) pertukaran malam dan siang; dan (pada) kapal-kapal yang belayar di laut dengan membawa benda-benda yang bermanfaat kepada manusia; demikian juga (pada) air hujan yang ALLAH (SwT) turunkan dari langit lalu ALLAH (SwT) hidupkan dengannya tumbuh-tumbuhan di bumi sesudah matinya, serta Ia biakkan padanya dari berbagai-bagai jenis binatang; demikian juga (pada) peredaran angin dan awan yang tunduk (kepada kuasa ALLAH (SwT)) terapung-apung di antara langit dengan bumi; sesungguhnya (pada semuanya itu) ada tanda-tanda (yang membuktikan keesaan ALLAH (SwT) kekuasaanNya, kebijaksanaanNya, dan keluasan rahmatNya) bagi kaum yang (mahu) menggunakan akal fikiran.

HAVING SAID THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE ALLAH (SwT), the creation and its duality is described. NATURE'S DIVERSITY IS CAUSED BY ONE SOURCE AND IT WILL REVERT TO THE SAME SOURCE. There are *heavens and earth, *day and night, *land and sea, *dryness and wetness, *life and death; AND MAN, WHO IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF CREATION, is given the consciousness to experience all of these, to explore the meaning behind them.

r  WHOEVER contemplates on the nature of creation, will reach the conclusion that it is one divine power that activates and enlivens all the diverse manifestations.

THE HARMONY IN THE WORKING OF THE UNIVERSE IS REFERRED TO IN THE QUR’AN AS A SIGN OF THE UNITY OF THE MAKER. Man is asked to reflect over this creation and realise the divine unity in the midst of diversity and amongst the various forces of nature that work in perfect harmony. (See quotation from Nahj al Balagha on page 20).

As has been pointed out by

v  Imam Musa bin Jafar al Kazim to his disciple, Hisham bin Hakam:

Verily ALLAH (SwT) perfected His arguments with reasoning, assisted His messengers with miracles, and proved His rububiyat with His signs.

v  Imam Jafar bin Muhammad al Sadiq has explained the part reasoning plays in determining the relationship between man and ALLAH (SwT) and its limitations. *Reasoning (the internal) and *the prophet (the external) are the two proofs ALLAH (SwT) puts forward to let the people, who understand, have unshakeable faith in ALLAH (SwT). There is no use of the external proof (the prophet) if the heart and mind are not convinced through the internal proof (the reasoning).

There may be religious doctrines beyond the grasp of limited human intellect BUT THERE SHOULD be no religious assertion contradictory to rational thinking. THIS SHOWS THAT THE ONLY MEDIUM FOR UNDERSTANDING THE ABSOLUTE AND SECURING NEARNESS TO ALLAH (SwT) IS SOUND LOGICAL REASONING. After reaching the final stage of the realisation of His existence and unity, the medium between him and the absolute becomes the divine revelation.