Monotheism

Monotheism

Monotheism is the base on which all the Islamic creeds and lores are built. The One God is the Sender of the prophets and the messengers. He is the Just Who pays everyone his due. And He is the Rewarder and the Punisher of the good doer and the evil doer on the Day of Judgment.

To this base, the first part of the two testimonies “There is no god but God” points out. Beside confirming the existence of a God who is The Most High God, this testimony denies the existence of any partner to Him in godhood.

The Levels and Evidences for Monotheism

1- The Monotheism in the Self

We mean by this that The Most Glorified God is One who has no peer, One who has no like. Even more, it is impossible that there be someone who is like Him, and this is pointed out in the following Saying of The Most High God: ﴾The Creator of the heavens and the earth. He hath made for you pairs of yourselves, and of the cattle also pairs, whereby He multiplieth you. Naught is as His Likeness, and He is The All- Hearing, The All- Seeing﴿1

* The Evidences for the Monotheism in the Self

The evidence is implied in what is related from The Prince of the Believers’ (God’s peace bestowed upon him) recommendation to his son Imam Al-Hassan (God’s peace bestowed upon him); he (God’s peace bestowed upon him) said, “Bear in mind that had your God had a partner, his messengers would have come to you; you would have seen the traces of his kingdom and sovereignty; and you would have known his characteristics and deeds. However, He is One God as He described Himself, with no one contradicting or arguing Him; and He is the Creator of everything.”2

This means that had there been any other god, he would have appeared through his traces and creatures. Consequently, he would have sent his prophets to his creatures, so that the farmers would tell the letters who their god had been. However, we do not figure this god’s traces, such as: the creatures and sending of the prophets to guide them and to show them their path towards him. Still, all the prophets and the messengers who are mentioned in the divine messages and in the historiographies give credit to each other and thus call for the worship of the One God Who has no partner. Then, how can this pretended God be present while there is no trace indicating him?!

The following Saying of The Most High God guides to the monotheism in the Self: ﴾He who crieth unto any other God along with Allah hath no proof thereof. His reckoning is only with his Lord. Lo! Disbelievers will not be successful﴿3

In another verse, The Most Glorified God says, ﴾Is not He Who produceth creation, then reproduceth it, and Who provideth for you from the heaven and the earth? Is there any Allah beside Allah? Say, “Bring your proof if ye are truthful!”﴿4

2- The Monotheism in Creation

We mean by this that in the whole existence there is no Creator save The Most Glorified and High God, and no Independent Doer save Him, The Most Glorious, The Most Reverent. All this universe and everything that is in it, and the sky and the galaxies and stars and planets which are in it, and the earth and all the seas and rivers and mountains that are in it are creatures created by Him, The Most Glorified, The Most High. The Most Glorious and Reverent God says, ﴾…Say, “Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Almighty.﴿5

* The Evidence for the Monotheism in Creation

The monotheism in the creation is an obvious and conceded issue even for the pagans, as The Most High God tells us in His Saying, ﴾If thou shouldst ask them, “Who created the heavens and the earth?” they would answer, “Allah.” Say, “Praise be to Allah!” But most of them know not.﴿6

Had there been another creator, he would have introduced himself and his creatures as is stated in the previously mentioned narrative which is ascribed to The Prince of the Believers Imam Ali bin Abi Taleb (God’s peace bestowed upon him): “…and you would have seen the traces of his kingdom and sovereignty…”

The Noble Qur'an points out to this level of monotheism in the following Saying of The Most High God: ﴾Allah is Creator of all things, and He is Guardian over all things﴿. Moreover, The Most Glorified God says, ﴾Such is Allah, your Lord, the Creator of all things; there is no Allah save Him﴿. Besides, The Most Glorious and Reverent God says, ﴾Such is Allah, your Lord. There is no Allah save Him, the Creator of all things, so worship him…﴿

3- The Monotheism in Godhood

We mean by the monotheism in godhood that this universe has one Arranger who is The Most Glorious and Reverent God Whom no one shares in His arrangement, management, and handling of this universe: The angels, the sun, the moon, and all the creatures are going on according to The Most Glorified and High God’s Will and under His Control. The Most High God says in his Noble Qur’an, ﴾Allah it is Who raised up the heavens without visible supports, then mounted the Throne, and compelled the sun and the moon to be of service, each runneth unto an appointed term: He ordered the course; He detaileth the revelations, that haply ye may be certain of the meeting with your Lord.﴿7

* The Evidence for the Monotheism in the Godhood

When we think about this wide universe, we recognize that it is established according to a correlated order, harmonious laws, and extreme exactness. Had any default, contradiction, or difference been detected in any part of this wide universe, whether in its skies, earth, sun, moon, stars, galaxies, seas, rivers, night, or day, this world would have reached destruction and spoil. This extreme exactness, harmonious order, and coordinated creation are found in everything, starting with the smallest thing, the atom and the electrons and neutrons and protons which it contains, and ending with the order governing the entire solar system and the other galaxies. All of these, therefore, follow one harmonious order in which there is no difference or contradiction which may lead to corruption. This leads us to believe that the arranger and manager of this universe is One.

Suppose that there are two managers who are arranging this universe. Then, they will differ as regards its management and handling; and the impact of this difference will be clearly and obviously manifested in the management and handling of the senses. Still, such differences and contradictions have not appeared since it is one order. Consequently, the oneness of the order and the management signify that the manager and arranger is in turn one.

This is what is pointed out in The Noble Qur'an in the Saying of The Most High God: ﴾…Thou (Mohammad) canst see no fault in the Beneficent One’s Creation…﴿8 And this is pointed out in another verse: ﴾If there were therein gods beside Allah, then verily both (the heavens and the earth) had been disordered﴿9

4- The Monotheism in Worship

We mean by the monotheism in worship that the only one who is deserving to be worshiped and obeyed is The Most Glorious and Reverent God, for He is the Creator; and he who worships someone else is astray from the path of monotheism. The Most High God says in His Noble Book, ﴾And verily We have raised in every nation a messenger, (proclaiming), “Serve Allah and shun false gods. Then some of them (there were) whom Allah guided, and some of them (there were) upon whom error just held. Do but travel in land and see the nature of the consequence for the deniers!﴿10 And in another verse, The Most Glorious and Reverent God says, ﴾And We sent no messenger before thee but We inspired him (saying), “There is no Allah save Me, so worship Me﴿11

* The Evidence for the Monotheism in Worship

Having known that The Most Glorious and Reverent God is One with no partner, the Creator Who needs nobody else, and the Lord of this universe, then we come to deduce that He is the Real Owner of this universe and the human beings, animals, inanimates, skies, earth, planets, and galaxies in it, and that He is its Arranger and Manager.

When we, accordingly, receive the program of the Real Owner of this universe- the program which includes all the divine legislations and values among which there are obligatory rules which aim at achieving our perfection and happiness in our life for always, then the sound mind recognizes and decides the necessity of obeying and worshiping this Owner and no one else. He is the Lord, the Creator, and the Arranger. Thus, we will have no commitment to anybody save to the Real Owner of this universe and to the one whom He orders us to refer to.

The Noble Qur'an emphasizes the necessity of monotheism in worship through several verses. The Most Glorious and Reverent God says, ?And verily We have raised in every nation a messenger, (proclaiming), “Serve Allah and shun false gods.” Then some of them (there were) who Allah gained, and some of them (there were) upon whom error had just held. Do you travel in the land and see the nature of the consequences for the deniers!?12

It is related that as regards the following Saying of The Most High God: ﴾They have taken as lords besides Allah their rabbis and their monks and…﴿, Imam Ja'far Al-Sadik (God’s peace bestowed upon him) said, “By God! They [wanting the rabbis and the monks] did not call them [the people] to worship them; and had they done so, they would not have complied with them. However, they permitted them to do what was forbidden and forbade them from what was permitted, so they [the people] worshiped them without even knowing [that they were doing so].”13

In another verse, The Most High God says, ﴾They have taken as lords besides Allah their rabbis and their monks and the Messiah son of Mary, when they were bidden to worship only One Allah. There is no Allah save Him. Be He Glorified from all they ascribe as partner (unto him)!﴿14

For Reading

It is related in Tawheed Al-Moufaddel book that Imam Al-Sadik (God’s peace bestowed upon him) said to him, “O Moufaddal, the first evidences and indications of the existence of The Most Reverent Creator is the organization of this world and the composition and arrangement of its parts in the way they are. When we think about this world, we recognize it to be like the constructed house which is prepared with everything His mankind needs: The sky is raised up as the roof is. The earth is laid as the carpet is. The stars are lit as the lamps are. The jewels are stored as the provisions are. And everything is prepared for his welfare. And the human being is like the owner of that house; he is given authority over everything in it, with the sorts of plants being prepared for his need and the species of animals being employed for his benefits and welfares.”

“This, therefore, obviously indicates that the world is accordingly, wisely, and appropriately created; that its creator is One; that He, The Most Reverent, The Most High, The Most Generous, is Who composed and arranged it all; that there is no god but He: He is far above what the deniers say, and glorious and reverent over what the atheists pretend.

1- The Noble Qur’an/ Al-Shoura [The Consultation] Chapter/ Verse 11
2- Bihar Al-Anwar [The Seas of Lights]/ The Scholar Al-Majlisi/ Part Three/ Page 234
3- The Noble Qur'an/ Al-Mo’minoun [The Believers] Chapter/ Verse 117
4- The Noble Qur'an/ Al-Namel [The Ants] Chapter/ Verse 64
5- The Noble Qur'an/ Al-Ra’ed [The Thunder] Chapter/ Verse 16
6- The Noble Qur'an/ Luqman Chapter/ Verse 25
7- The Noble Qur'an/ Al-Ra’ed [The Thunder] Chapter/ Verse 2
8- The Noble Qur'an/ Al-Molk [Dominion] Chapter/ Verse 3
9- The Noble Qur'an/ Al-Anbeeyaa [The Prophets] Chapter/ Verse 22
10- The Noble Qur'an/ Al-Nahel [The Bees] Chapter/ Verse 36
11- The Noble Qur'an/ Al-Anbeeyaa [The Prophets] Chapter/ Verse 25
12- The Noble Qur'an/ Al-Nahel Chapter/ Verse 36
13- Al-Kafi [The Sufficient]/ Sheikh Al-Koulayni/ Part One/ Page 53
14- The Noble Qur'an/ Al-Tawba [The Repentance] Chapter/ Verse 31