Tuesday, June 3, 2014

The Islamic Doctrine of Wahdat-ul-Wujud (Unity of Being) Is an All-Embracing View of Tawhid (Oneness of God) - Part 1



By Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi, New Age Islam
03 June, 2014
While the doctrine of Wahdat-ul-Wujud (unity of existence) has been an apple of discord among the hardcore and retrogressive viewers of Islam, it is given paramount importance in the mystical interpretation of Islamic doctrines. It is so vital to Sufism that it could be well considered the core of all Sufi precepts and practices.
The Essence of Wahdat-ul-Wujud or Unity of Being
Wahdat-ul-Wujud is a universal Islamic doctrine that sees everything in the universe as a reflection of Divine Unity. It illustrates that whatever exists in the universe is one or the other aspect of Divine Reality diffused through different things. But this esoteric mystical concept does not imply that God, the Absolute Being, can be reduced to anything relating to this world of matter and sense. In fact, God remains Himself, i.e. the transcendent Supreme Being, but everything else that exists in the universe resembles His unity as well as beauty. The Islamic doctrine of Wahdat-ul-Wujud asserts that only God is omnipresent and all-beautiful and the rest of universal existence is a dim reflection of His eternal beauty.
Going by this, Sufis believe that the face of God could be seen anywhere, provided one has the innate passion to see Him and exuberant capacity to encounter His infinite divine light, which has been beautifully enunciated in the Holy Quran:
“God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly (white) star lit from (the oil of) a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. God guides to His light whom He wills.” (24:35).
The concept of Wahdat-ul-Wujud has deep roots in the holy Qur’an and Hadiths, the two primary sources of Islam. Those who declare the adherents of Wahdat-ul-Wujud heretics or Mushriks (polytheists) should reconsider their view of point delving deeper into the following substantial evidences.
Wahdat Ul Wujud in the Holy Quran
 

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