Tawhid

إن "التوحيد" جوهر الإيمان الذي أرسى القرآن دعائمه، وشاد أركانه وبنيانه، وهو أعلى قيم القرآن المجيد وقمة مقاصده. ولكي يحيا، ‏ويكون فاعلا، وليحقق كل ما أنيط به، لا بد أن يوجد في الأمة، ويتحرك وينشط بالدعوة ويحيا الثلاثة -  التوحيد والأمة والدعوة - معا ‏بالقرآن وفيه.‏‎  ‎فكتاب "التوحيد" كان أول كتاب من كتب خمسة كانت باكورة إنتاج " المعهد العالمي للفكر الإسلامي " عند التأسيس، ‏وذلك لأن "الجمع بين القرائتين" هو جوهر "إسلامية المعرفة" ومنطلقها، و"الجمع بين القرائتين" لا يمكن ان يقوم إلا على التوحيد ‏الخالص، ولذلك فقد سارع شهيدنا الفاروقي الى إصدار كتابه مع الإصدارة الأولى ل "إسلامية المعرفة" ليوحي بذلك الى أن "إسلامية ‏المعرفة" (منطلقها وغايتها وهدفها) لا يمكن تحقيق شيء منها الا بإرساء دعائم التوحيد والانطلاق من حقائقه.‏‎  ‎فكتاب "التوحيد" الذي ‏نقدمه ليس مجرد كتاب في الإيمان أو العقيدة وعلم الكلام، بل هو كتاب يؤسس لحضارة ويقيم عمرانا، ويرسي دعائم تجديد خير أمة ‏أخرجت للناس. ‏

p. 1 from several criticisms. First, proofs of God have been severely critiqued over the centuries. Second, the notion of finding a discernable God of biblical witness within creation alone has proved challenging. Pannenberg adds to this critique with his own concern that the biblical texts should not be turned into "documents with supernatural authority" 2 but as important historical data. Instead of starting with God's unity, Pannenberg reverses the traditional approach and starts with the revelation of the Trinity of God and then argues for the unity of God.

İslâmî edebiyatın sacayağı Besmele-Hamdele-Salvele olarak özetlenebilir. Bir edebî tür olarak
tevhîdde Allah‟ın birliği meselesi, Cemâl ve Celâl yönleriyle beraber bazen şer„î merkezde bazen
de tasavvufî merkezde işlenmiş ve neredeyse bütün şairler yakın ve uzak anlamlarıyla beraber
tevhîd çizgisinde takip edilebilecek eserler vücuda getirmişlerdir. Batılılaşma macerası hala
devam eden bir süreç olmakla birlikte, bu çizgi boyunca tevhîd türü zamanla yerini daha karmaşık
yapıdaki serzenişlere, daha farklı söyleyiş biçimlerine terk etmiştir. Bu noktada Tanzimat‟tan
Cumhuriyet‟e uzanan siyasî ve sosyolojik grafikte Muallim Nâcî‟nin klasik çizgiyi devam ettiren
tevhîdi başlı başına önem arz etmektedir.

Fitrah: the Islamic Concept of Human Nature explores what such luminaries as Ibn Abd al-Barr, the great scholar of Spain, ar-Raghib al-Isfahani and Ibn Taymiyyah have said about this pivotal term from the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Yasien Mohamed tackles the work of writers closer to our own day, Ali Shariati and Sayyid Qutb, the dualism of whose views the author exposes with great courtesy and honesty. He contrasts fitrah with other views of human nature such as those of Freud, and B.F. Skinner and opens up the exciting possibility of Muslim thinkers throwing an entirely new light on the workings of the human soul.

If the concept of tawhid is central to Islam and everything Islamic, it is because of its centrality to ‎existence and everything that exists. Indeed, Islamic science, whether religious, moral or natural is ‎essentially a quest to discover the order underlying the variegated world of multiplicity.‎
The work of al shahid, Dr. Ismail Raji al-Faruqi on the subject of tawhid affords the reader not only a ‎look on the axial doctrine of Islam, but also allows the reader to understand that doctrine from a ‎number of different perspectives. In the endeavor to explain the simple truths of the doctrine of unity, ‎Dr. al-Faruqi touches upon a broad spectrum of subjects, drawing elements from history, comparative ‎religion, anthropology, philosophy, ethics, epistemology, archaeology, and other disciplines.  As such, ‎his concept of tawhid is rich in the depth of its erudition, abundant in its perception, and direct in its ‎implications for life and thought. Indeed, it is perhaps this work more than any other that reflects the ‎profound and original thought of Dr. al-Faruqi.‎

My first reaction to this eminent book of collected articles and lectures given by Professor Ismail ‎Raji al-Faruqi is one of frustration that I was not able to meet the man. He died in 1986. I would ‎have loved to have known him, for I found in reading this book that so many of his thoughts and ‎ideas coincided with my own hopes concerning the future of Islam and its relationship with the ‎other peoples of the Book, especially the Christians. I was a Christian theolegian and teacher until ‎my conversion to Islam in 1986.‎
Professor Ismail's book provides a good cross-section of his contribution to the study of ‎comparative religion and covers a wide spectrum of interreligious issues, spanning more than two ‎decades of his work. Essays which deal directly with other faiths, Christianity and Judaism in ‎particular, were specifically selected but they should be seen against the background of his huge ‎contribution to the study of religions through his many other eminent publications. Here, the ‎volume concentrates on those aspects of Islam which the Ahl al-Kitab (the People of the Book) ‎have in common rather than their differences.‎

Dara Shikoh (1615-1659) was reknowed Sufi, author, poet, and translator of Hindu Religious Testimonies. He is the eldest son of Shahjahan and designated crown prince. He occupied a unique position among all Mughal princes because of his comparative study of Islamic mysticism and classical Hindu philosophy. Dara Shikoh greatly worked for the Indo- Islamic mysticism by highlighting the similarities between ancient Hindu and Islamic Sufi teachings. He not only followed the liberal religious attitude of his grandfather Akbar but gave a new dimension to Indo-Islamic Mysticism in India and it spread all over the world through his mystical works. Dara Shikoh being a disciple of Mian Mir Qadari and a great follower of Qadari order of Sufism devoted his much time for the search of truth. And during his study and research he felt that the search for God (truth) was same at all the times and all over the world. He preached the mingling of classical Hindu philosophy and Islamic Mysticism and always tried to find the common grounds between these two thoughts so that a healthier tradition could be produced, that will lead to universal brotherhood among the followers of different religions, which is outmost need of the present world. This was crux of Indo-Islamic Mysticism produced by the Dara Shikoh. He was executed by his younger brother Aurangzeb on political and religious basis. Aurangzeb was a stanch Sunnie Muslim, who followed the policy of intolerance with Hindus and spiritual persons like Dara Shikoh and the great Sufi sage and Persian poet Sarmad.

This article presents a study of an 18/19th-century Kabyle Berber manuscript from the Lmuhub Ulahbib library (Béjaïa, Algeria) dealing with theology (the Sanusi Creed). First, the manuscript is placed in its historical and religious context. The structure of the Berber text is presented and compared briefly with the Arabic sources. Palaeographic, orthographic, and linguistic features of the document are discussed and illustrated by means of a passage from the manuscript.

This article problematizes Western biases and practices in the current system and structure of mass communication as they relate to the Islamic world. It calls for the need of a professional association of Muslim journalists that aims to set ethical criteria for news reporting, protect the rights of individual local journalists, and promote education and training of young people who represent a major source of human resources for Islamic culture and civilization. The article then discusses five cardinal concepts of the Islamic worldview that could serve as the fundamental principles of communication ethics for such a network of Muslim journalists: (1) tawhid, (2) amr bi al-ma'ruf wa nahy'an al munkar, (3) ummah, (4) taqwa, and (5) amanat. By and large, Muslim societies have not responded positively to communication ethics coming from outside their own culture. Nor in the post-colonial Muslim world has the communication system acquired from the West gained a broad popular base. Throughout the Islamic history, information has been not a commodity but a moral imperative. From an Islamic perspective, therefore, this article concludes that linguistic and political vocabularies and concepts, now at the center of global politics, both celebrate the arrival of a new communication age and hold the key to ultimate information control.

There can be no doubt that the essence of Islamic civilization is Islam; or that the essence of Islam is ‎tawhid, the act of affirming Allah to be the One, absolute, transcendent Creator, Lord and Master of all ‎that is. These two fundamental premises are self-evident. They have never been in doubt by those ‎belonging to this civilization or participating in it. Only in recent times have missionaries, Orientalists, ‎and other interpreters of Islam subjected these premises to doubt. Whatever their level of education, ‎Muslims are apodictically certain that Islamic civilization does have an essence, that this essence is ‎knowable and capable of analysis or description, that it is tawhid. Analysis of tawhid as essence, as first ‎determining principle of Islamic civilization, is the object of this Occasional Paper.‎

Terdapat pelbagai teori kecerdasan telah dikemukakan di Barat termasuk mutakhir ini kecerdasanspiritual atau kecerdasan rohani (SQ atau SI). Teori kecerdasan spiritual yang terawal telahdikemukakan oleh Emmons (2000) dan dipopularkan oleh pasangan Zohar dan Marshall (2000).Kertas ini dikemukakan sebagai satu perbandingan antara teori kecerdasan spiritual oleh ilmuwanBarat dan juga dari sarjana-sarjana Islam. Pemikiran semula terhadap teori kecerdasan spiritualamat diperlukan kerana belum ada satu teori yang konkrit terhadap konstruk psikologi ini. Penyelidikmerasa terpanggil untuk mengutarakan isu ini kerana terdapat dalam kalangan penyelidik- penyelidik Muslim telah mengambil konsep, dimensi-dimensi dan alat pengukuran kecerdasanspiritual dari Barat yang didapati asas epistemologi teori yang digunakan adalah tidak bersesuaiandengan tasawur Islam. Penyelidik mendapati terdapat dua dilema utama yang wujud dalam teorikecerdasan spiritual dari Barat iaitu terdapat elemen-elemen sekularisme dan pluralisme beragamayang boleh menggugat keutuhan akidah Islam. Justeru itu, telah muncul beberapa konsepkecerdasan spiritual yang telah dikemukakan oleh sarjana dan ilmuwan Islam untuk mengatasidilema ini. Hanya segelintir sahaja teori kecerdasan spiritual dari perspektif Islam ini dapatmengambil tempat dalam perbincangan ilmiah disebabkan oleh kekangan tertentu. Walaubagaimana pun, telah wujud usaha yang dilakukan oleh sarjana dalam bidang psikologi Islam danagama yang boleh dijadikan sandaran kepada kerangka teori yang bersesuaian dengan tasawurIslam. Konsep-konsep utama psikologi Islam seperti paradigma tauhid, fitrah kejadian manusia,entiti spiritual seperti roh (ru
h), kalbu, (qalb), jiwa (nafs) dan akal (‘aql) dapat menjadi wadah untukmenzahirkan konsep kecerdasan spiritual dari perspektif Islam. Cadangan dan saranan terhadapkarya-karya ilmiah hasil penulisan sarjana silam dan sarjana moden juga turut dikemukakan agarkonstruk kecerdasan spiritual dapat diterima dan digunakan secara ilmiah oleh penyelidik yang akan datang.

Reconciliation of Divine omnipotence with human responsibility seems impossible for many.  The aim of this paper is to investigate whether this is really the case by analyzing how concept of kasb was understood in a major “orthodox” school of thought in Islam, the Ash‘arite School.  I will examine whether the concept can provide a meaningful reconciliation of God’s all encompassing power with human free will. The approach of the paper will be systematic in that I will analyze the issue in terms of internal consistency and logical validity.  In what follows I will first give a historical background on the issue of human freewill since the Ash‘arite concept of kasb was formulated within this background.  Next, I will analyze the Ash‘arite concept of kasb organizing it under three main critical questions. First question is on the need for the notion of kasb or acquisition: why does Ash‘arite school insist that human being is “acquirer” of the act? Second, we will analyze whether the notion of kasb can accommodate a genuine human free will.  Lastly, we need to pay attention to a more specific question that is related to theodicy, can this “orthodox” notion of kasb avoid imputing evil onto God, a concern so dear –justifiably so- to the opponents of kasb?

Written as part of a class assignment, this paper starts off by listing the types of Tawassul which are allowed by all Muslims, the one's declared impermissible by all Muslims and the ones which are a matter of debate between Muslims and the Wahhabis. It goes on to show the difference between Tawassul and Istighatha. Finally, It compares each of the side's arguments for and criticisms against their positions with regards to Istighatha

Traduction introduite et annotée d’Ibn Taymiyya, « Bayān Talbīs al-Jahmiyya », édition M. b. ‘A. R. Bin Qāsim, t. I, p. 446-459. Réfutation en douze points de vue d’une thèse empruntée par Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī à l’astrologue Abū Ma‘shar al-Balkhī selon laquelle l’idolâtrie aurait pour origine l’assimilationnisme, c’est-à-dire une théologie anthropomorphiste.

Bassam Zawadi has responded to our second article, 1 which deals with Sh. ʿUmayrī's conceptualisation and definition of ʿibāda. We do not think a page by page refutation from us is merited. We would like to draw attention however to an important point. It is clear by now that there are fundamental and irreconcilable differences between the concept and definition of ʿibada laid out in Sh. ʿUmayrī's book and the English rendition of them by Zawadi. In the following, citations from Zawadi are in green, and from Sh. ʿUmayrī in purple, with emphasis in red from us. LOCATING THE ESSENCE OF ʿIBĀDA Zawadi's view seems to be that ʿibāda can be dissociated from internal feelings of utmost humility/submission in the heart, although they are "typically" present in most cases. This means that for Zawadi, the operative factor in an act, which determines whether the act is (or has become) ʿibāda, is no longer the threshold of utmost humility/submission in the heart. However, this conceptualisation of ʿibāda is Note that he makes no differentiation here between one category of ʿibāda and another. And while explaining the different clauses of his first definition, Sh. ʿUmayrī says: 4 Taḥqīq al Ifāda, p. 36 (translation adapted from Bassam Zawadi's). 5 Idem, p. 49. 6 This is probably why Zawadi referred to "utmost humility and ultimate submission" as "feelings" in his own translation of the definition, i.e. because of their relation to the heart: It is that intentional state which combines feelings of utmost humility and submission with an ultimate feeling of love which stirs the individual to cling unto his object of Ibadah, submit to its will, stay in continuous connection with it, and perform actions to please it. 7 Idem, p. 14

This dissertation is an inquiry into the nature of the Deity in view of human relationships. Human relationships exist and are definitive of what it means to exist as a human. In this sense, human relating is an inherent aspect of the experience of humanity, i.e., they are inescapable. Does the Christian doctrine of Trinity or Islam's doctrine of Tawhidic (monadic) Allah more adequately account for the existence of human relationships and their inescapability? This question is analyzed by comparing the Tawhidic nature of Allah with the Trinitarian nature of God in order to evaluate and clarify which doctrine is the best explanation for human relationships. Thus, this is an abductive argument, inferring from the evidence to the best explanation. By first reflecting on how humanity exists in terms of oneness, distinctness, and relatedness, the doctrine of Tawhidic Allah is investigated to observe how well it grounds these aspects of human relationships. Then, the same is done concerning the Trinity's ability to ground these. The conclusion compares and contrasts the Trinity and Allah to explain which one better accounts for human relationships. Following this conclusion, there are a number of ramifications that are discussed.

Tawhīd is expressed as unity and singularity of God. The common understating of Tawhīd as Oneness of Allah and describing him as unique with no partners, has often come in conflict with the monistic understanding held by some Sufis through generations. Sufis developed a doctrine of gnosis (marifah) of an inner experiential knowledge which became the vehicle to experience tawhīd in its highest state. Within the classical Sufis there were two strands which offered differing or at times countering understanding of Tawhīd. Abu Yazid's complete union with God is not shared by al-Junayd, who understood true tawhīd as reaching a stage of profound nearness (qurb) to God. The sober interpretation of the Baghdad Sufis exercised a restraint while experiencing tawhīd even in its highest state. One could attain the highest maqam (station) while experiencing the tawhīd of elect, yet this maqam was not union with God. On the other hand, tawhīd, for the drunken Sufis could be experienced through complete union of God and Mankind both in soul and in existence. One could attain the highest maqam (station) while experiencing the tawhīd of elect, yet this maqam was not union with God. The sober Sufis, while affirming God's manifestation through his creation maintained that God was clearly distinct from his creation. For them, God's transcendence was inviolable; his immanence was manifested through His transcendence. Contrary to the sober Sufis, for the drunken Sufis God's immanence was through his perpetual presence around His creation. His transcendence was not unreachable and unbridgeable.

Öz
Bu makalede öncelikli olarak tevhid hakikati kavramsal olarak incelenecek. Ardından ezeli kelamda tevhidin dört hakikat unsurundan ilki olması üzerinde durulacak. Daha sonra başta Resul-i Ekrem (asm) olmak üzere tüm peygamberlerin en birinci davalarının tevhid esasına dayandığı gerçeğine işaret edilecek. İslam düşüncesinde tevhide dair tartışmalara ve karşılaşılan aşırılıklara değinildikten sonra dua ve ibadetlerde halis bir tevhid hakikatinin olması meselesine odaklanılacak. Ayrıca makalede Bediüzzaman'ın tevhid-i zahiri ve tevhid-i hakiki ayrımı üzerinde de durulacak. Son olarak ise Risale-i Nur Külliyatı'nda yer alan tevhid risaleleri hakkında bazı bilgilere yer verilecek ve birbirinden çok farklı muhtevalara sahip bu risalelerin tevhid açısından önemi kısaca vurgulanacak.

Abstract
In this article, first of all, the concept of tawhid will be conceptually examined. Then, the emphasis will be on the relation of the four elements of truth to the eternal words. Later, it will be pointed out that the first cases of all the prophets, firstly Hz. Muhammed are based on the principle of tawhid. After discussing the tawhid in the thought of Islam and the excesses encountered, the focus will be on the fact that there is a tawhid truth in prayer and worship. In addition, Bediuzzaman's distinction between tevhid-i zahiri tevhid-i hakiki be emphasized. Finally, some information about the tahwid epistles in the Risale-i Nur Collection will be given, and the significance of these consequens in term of tevhid, which are very different from each other,

Samuel Bendeck Sotillos: You have authored numerous books about spiritual traditions of the world, including sacred science or sciencia sacra, and spiritual psychology; one sees an underlying gestalt. Could you elucidate on your theoretical orientation?

«We are standing up for our rights as women in Islam. We will no longer accept the back door or the shadows, at the end of the day, we'll be leaders in the Muslim world. We are ushering Islam into the 21st century, reclaiming the voice that the Prophet gave us 1400 years ago»
18 marzo 2005, Asra Nomani organizza la prima preghiera pubblica negli Stati Uniti.

A Booklet on a range of issues related to tawhid; its nullifiers; its categories; its conditions; its foundations; kufr bit-taghut; al-wala wal-bara; the subject of labels of the shari‘ah; Islam and shirk; the clear and hidden matters; the application of the rulings and labels and (establishing) the hujjah concerning it; and he ended it with the topic of dar al-Islam.

This paper will explore the similarities between the unity of Allah and that of the Triune God of the Bible. The concept of the unity of the Triune God of the Bible will be shown to be internally consistent within its own theological system thereby revealing its superiority over the unity of Allah.

Bu bilgi notlarına geçmeden önce, doğrusu din ile özellikle İslam ile ilgili gerçek verileri toplayan ve yorumlayan bir bilim adamı olarak bir şeyler yazmak istediğimde zorlanıyorum. Çünkü:

a) Dindarlar ve özellikle Müslümanlar dinlerini bilmedikleri için onların yaşadığı bütün eksikliklerin faturası bana da çıkartılıyor.

b) Onun için bazen bana Yahudi diyorlar, bazen Hıristiyan diyorlar, bazen mürteci diyorlar, bazen sapık bir dinsiz olarak değerlendiriliyorum.

c) Ve bunun sonucu olarak gerçek bir şekilde terk ediliyorum. Bana ve kitaplarıma ambargo uygulanıyor. Ve daha düne kadar ağabey ve babam kadar kendime yakın bildiğim bazı cemaat liderlerinin “Bırakın unutulsun!”, “Ona cevap vermeyin!” gibi ilkel su-i kastlarına mahkûm ediliyorum.

Fakat yine de insanlığa hizmet için ve doğruluk daima kârlı çıkar prensibiyle bu gibi uğraşlardan vazgeçemiyorum. Ve doğrusu güzel de yaptığıma inanıyorum. Çünkü benim gece-gündüz tam 40 yılım bu uğurda harcanmıştır. Artık güzel ilmî ve manevi meyveleri almam lazım. Yoksa israf olur. Hâlbuki tabiatta asla israf yoktur.

Geçmişe baktıkça ve insanın kadîm mirasını inceledikçe görüyorum ki, en az anlaşılan Hz. Muhammed’dir. Çünkü Onun dini, inancı, hukuk kültürü denge idi. Ve dengeye dayanıyordu. Fakat genellikle insanlar aşırı uçları tercih ettiklerinden onu anlamadılar. Yani insanlar genellikle terazinin bir kefesi oluyorlar, terazi olamıyorlar; hâlbuki tarihte başta Hz. İbrahim de Hz. Muhammed de terazi idiler. Ve bu asrın bütün başarıları diyalektik süreci dengelemesindendir. Ve bütün eksiklikleri insanların bu doğal veya sosyal dengeyi kaybetmelerindendir.

A tawḥīd-centric worldview is imperative for a life of inner peace according to Nursi. The prime focus of a tawḥīd-centric worldview is how life and events are interpreted and the meaning given to those events. This worldview could be pinned down to the Qur'ānic verse: "Who has created everything in the best way" (32:7). According to Nursi, this verse expresses how the world should be viewed as an abode of goodness and beauty. Nursi elaborates on this worldview, by emphasising the need to look at life as other indicative (mānā-yīharfī). Nursi explains that, according to the Qur'ānic view, everything in the universe is mānā-yīharfī; it is a mirror to make known the Divine names and attributes of God so that the tawḥīd concept is better realised in one's life. This perspective of life and events transforms one's worldview. Such a positive transformation, leads to a state of inner peace as the individual is now able to give meaning to life and events in a way that satisfies the heart and mind.

Objective – The objective of the study is to formulate a concept of transcendental and social accountability in the management of waqf assets as a trustworthiness from God (Triyuwono, 2004). The concept is expected to be an Islamic accountability which is religious and social in nature (Hameed, 2000) Methodology/Technique – The study uses tawhidic post-phenomenology, a modified post-phenomenology based on the basic tenet of Islam, as an instrument to analyze data. The method is actually the development and combination of philosophy of technology (Ihde, 1993) and Ibn Arabi's philosophy of being (Dobie, 2007). Financial statements of waqf institutions, in this study, are regarded as a technology and additional are collected by interviewing four informants in the Regional Board of Muhammadiyah in Gresik. Findings – The study finds a da'i (preacher) metaphor as a form of accountability. This metaphor indicates that waqf assets functioned, firstly, as an instrument for doing Islamic missionary efforts with good practices (dakwah bi al-hikmah) such as helping orphans, the poor and the needy, and overcoming natural disaster; secondly, as a spot for Islamic missionary efforts with good advices (dakwah bi al-mau'ihatul hasanah) for patients, employees, and people at large; and thirdly as an instrument for taking care of environmental health. Novelty – The study suggests transcendental and social accountability in the management of waqf assets as a trustworthiness from God.

لا شك أن جوهر الحضارة الإسلامية هو الإسلام، وأن جوهر الإسلام هو التوحيد؛ أي أن الله هو الخالق الواحد المطلق المتعال، رب ‏الكائنات جميعاً وسيدها. هذان المبدآن الأساسيان باديا الوضوح، ولم يتطرق الشك بهما قط إلى من كان ينتمي إلى هذه الحضارة ‏أوساهم فيها. ولم يتعرضا للشك إلا عند المنصرين أو المستشرقين وغيرهم ممن فسر الإسلام في الماضي القريب. والمسلمون، مهما يكن ‏مستوى ثقافتهم، هم على ثقة مطلقة بأن الحضارة الإسلامية تنطوي على جوهر، وأن هذا الجوهر قابل للمعرفة والتحليل والوصف، ‏وذلك هو التوحيد. وتحليل التوحيد بوصفة جوهراً ومبدأ رئيساً في الحضارة الإسلامية هو موضوع هذا الكراس، والذي استل من كتاب" ‏أطلس الحضارة الإسلامية"، والتوحيد هو ذلك المبدأ الذي يمنح الحضارة الإسلامية هويتها، ويربط جميع مكوناتها معا ليجعل منها كياناً ‏عصوياً متكاملاً نسميه حضارة.‏

The phenomenon of not believing in a higher power, commonly known as atheism, although popular amongst some of the millennials of the modern West, has since its existence never claimed a significant enough spot to be mentioned as a worldwide movement in the history of humans and their religious beliefs. Atheists do not use the word 'God' in explanation of the universe and everything that encompasses creation. This brief article aims to highlight the fact that true atheists have always been an extremely small percentage of the human population at any given time in history and that, as a matter of fact, religion never came to debate the existence/non-existence of a higher power, but to affirm the oneness of God-called Tawheed as polytheism was much more widespread and common deviation from the correct belief than atheism and its offsets.

Nusayrī-Alawīsm, a sect of Shi’ite Islam with an esoteric character, developed in the 3rd/9th century around the views and teachings of Abu Shuayb Muhammad ibn Nusayr an-Namirī’s (d. 270/883), but was only systematized in the 10th century under the leadership of al- Husayn ibn Hamdān al-Khasībī (d. 358/969). al-Khasībī appointed Muhammad ibn Alī al-Jillī (d. 384/994) as his successor. al-Jillī played an important role in the development of the sect in Aleppo. In this study, al-Risāla al-Numāniyya, in which al-Jillī discusses the Nusayrī belief as a monotheistic belief, will be discussed. In al-Risāla al-Numāniyya, al-Jillī declares that the principle of tawhīd (the existence and unity of Allah) is the most fundamental doctrine in the Nusayrī sect and evaluates manā-ism-bāb accordingly. al-Jillī disclaims any link of Nusayrī belief in God to the Christianity. He also rejects the principle of hulūl (incarnation). al- Jillī states that the manā-ism-bāb inNusayrī belief are a different form of belief from the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in Christianity. With this research, our main aim is to understand and evaluate how the "manā-ism-bāb" doctrine, which forms the backbone of the Nusayrī belief, is explained by al-Jillī in line with the principle of tawhīd.

How do conceptions of Allah's being in Islam in relate to conceptions of God's being in Christianity? Two Qur'anic passages that describe Allah's being, Surah 112 and Surah 24:35, lead to the claims Allah is unity and Allah is the light. Drawing on Islamic theology and a breadth of tafsir (commentary) literature, I study these two claims pertaining to Allah's being (tawhid). Then I examine a Christian understanding of God's unity, and the meaning of 'God is light' in 1 John 1:5, drawing on trinitarian theologians and biblical commentaries. Next the implications of these studies for Islamic and Christian doctrines of creation will also be analysed. The conclusion addresses whether the Islamic and Christian conceptions of the divine being studied are comparable, compatible, contrasting, or contradictory. The goal is to contribute toward the wider discussion of the inter-relation between the Islamic Allah and Biblical God.

ملخص
قدم‎ ‎إسماعيل‎ ‎الفاروقي‎ ‎نظريته‎ ‎للفن‎ ‎الإسلامي‎ ‎التي‎ ‎تقوم‎ ‎على‎ ‎الكشف‎ ‎عن‎ ‎العلاقة‎ ‎القيمية‎ ‎الحميمة‎ ‎بين‎ ‎التوحيد‎ ‎والجمال، والنظر‎ ‎إلى‎ ‎القرآن‎ ‎الكريم‎ ‎بوصفه‎ ‎المأثرة‎ ‎الفنية‎ ‎الأولى‎. ‎وهذا‎ ‎البحث‎ ‎هو‎ ‎مراجعة‎ ‎نقدية‎ ‎لمشروع‎ ‎الفاروقي‎ ‎المعرفي‎ ‎في‎ ‎بناء‎ ‎هذه‎ ‎النظرية‎ ‎الفن،‎ ‎وإثارة‎ ‎بعض‎ ‎الملحوظات‎ ‎حول‎ ‎جهد‎ ‎الفاروقي‎ ‎في‎ ‎بيان‎ ‎مفهوم‎ ‎الفن‎ ‎الإسلامي،‎ ‎وتعزيز‎ ‎هذا‎ ‎الجهد‎ ‎في‎ ‎دراسة‎ ‎الفن‎ ‎في‎ ‎الفكر‎ ‎الاسلامي‎ ‎وآفاقه‎ ‎الفلسفية‎ ‎والتاريخية،‎ ‎بقصد‎ ‎التوصل‎ ‎الى‎ ‎إطار‎ ‎معرفي‎ ‎لنظرية‎ ‎الفن‎ ‎الإسلامي‎ ‎يتسم‎ ‎بالوضوح‎.‎

The Theory of Islamic Art in the Thought of Ismail al-Faruqi

This paper presents Ismail al-Faruqi's theory of Islamic art, which is based on ‎the exposition of the special value-based relationship between Tawhid and ‎aesthetics and considering the Holy Qur'an as the prime artistic feat. This paper is a ‎critical review of al-Faruqi's epistemological project in building his theory on art, ‎and raises some observations on al-Faruqi's effort in expounding on the concept of ‎Islamic art, and promoting efforts to study art from the perspective of Islamic ‎thought in its philosophical and historical prospects, with the aim of reaching a ‎clear and coherent epistemological framework for the theory of Islamic art.‎

This article seeks to identify the driving factors, features, and significance of the transformation of Salafism in contemporary Muslim societies, a development labeled ‘post-Salafism’. Throughout the 20th century, Salafism grew into a global religious movement, with distinctive local characteristics. Its post-Salafi transformations have likewise been diverse and reflect local conditions. ‘Post-Salafism’ is a term employed congruently to point at the fragmentation of Salafi religious authority; the emergence of Salafi alliances with other Muslim groups, which challenge Salafi conceptions of doctrinal superiority; in Salafi softening of sectarian rhetoric as a way of distancing from militant groups; in Salafi “indigenization”; and in social and political transformations that overlap with post-Islamism. Post-Salafism refers additionally to debates within Salafi circles, reflective of emerging internal doctrinal contradictions. Since the founding of Saudi Arabia in 1932, the kingdom ha...

Given contemporary discussion on two apparently opposed yet fundamental principles--Christianity's Trinity and Islam's tawhid, it might be worthwhile reflecting upon the nature of Divine Oneness and Unity and how this touches upon the subject of religious unity. Among God's many attributes--God is One! God is Three! God is Infinite! God is Indivisible!--Christianity confesses that God is "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." Meanwhile the Qur'an reports: "He is Allah, the One and Only! Allah, the Eternal, Absolute" (112:1-2). In Islam the doctrine of God's Oneness and Unity is called tawhid. The entire Islamic tradition rests on this principle. Among Islam's ninety-nine Divine Names are Al-Wahid, The One, The Unique (2:163, 5:73, 9:31, 18:110), and Al-'Ahad, The Unity, The Indivisible (112:1). Christianity does not question this teaching; however, the Qur'an also states: "They do blaspheme who say: Allah is one of three in a trinity" (5:73). This ayah (verse) is the grounds for Muslims' rejecting the Christian Trinity. The issue is, however, not that simple. The Islamic Viewpoint Islam's confession begins with the statement: "la ilaha illallah" ("There is no god but God"). From this unfolds the entire doctrine of tawhid--the importance of which is beyond exaggeration in the Islamic tradition. In the Muslim's mind tawhid is no merely theoretical concept. It is not just a theological or philosophical postulate but the very foundation upon which all creation is unified and sustained with and by its source. Islam's God is totally other, totally separate from all creation, incomparable, and unattainable--a totally transcendent divine Being, Simple and Unique. This God is a pure spirit in which there is no separation or differentiation. The Qur'an specifically stipulates that God is inconceivable as either "father" or "son" and is not reducible to any anthropomorphism. Obviously, this kind of belief in the Oneness of God implies the rejection of Jesus Christ's divinity--or does it? A Christian Response The Trinity does not pose any risk to Christianity's monotheism. The real problem for Muslims is the Christians' claim that Jesus Christ is divine. Although this belief requires Muslims to reject all trinitarian theology, it is only when a Muslim's understanding of the Trinity does not coincide with a Christian's understanding of it that problems arise, if the same knowledge of the Trinity were to be shared between Christians and Muslims--a task that requires no assent of faith whatsoever--then both would agree that each religion recognizes the Divine Unity and Oneness of God. Christians do and must, by virtue of their claims to monotheism, share Islam's vision of tawhid. Christianity holds that all creation is unified and orderly (see Wis. 11:20). Like Islam, it views humanity as one single creation made up of different societies, cultures, races, and languages. It asserts that all men and women are equal before God because they partake of one body regardless of race, color, or economic background. The foundation of Christianity's creation theory and its doctrinal development are deeply rooted in the fundamental notion of Divine Oneness and Unity. In fact, most of the Christian symbols of faith expressly aff'u'm the Oneness of God. The Nicene-Constantinople Creed declares: Credo in unum Deum ("I believe in one God"). The Fourth Lateran Council professes: Unus solus est verus Deus ("The true God is one alone"). Israel's "Shema'--"Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord" (Dt. 6:4)--is the core teaching of Christianity (see Mk. 12:29). The church Fathers based God's Oneness on God's absolute perfection and the unity of the universe. Thomas Aquinas derived the Oneness and Unity of God from God's simplicity, the infinity of God's perfections, and the unity of all creation (Summa theol. 1, 2, 3). Tertullian wrote against Marcion: "If God is not One then there is no God" (Adv. …

إنَّ‎ ‎التعامل‎ ‎مع‎ ‎أيِّ جانب من جوانب‎ ‎الحضارة الإسلامية،‎ ‎سوف يؤكِّد لنا أنَّ العامل الأكبر في وجودها والقاعدة الأساس في إبداعاتها ‏إنما هو القرآن الكريم. فالثقافة الإسلامية في الحقيقة هي ثقافة قرآنية؛ فمفاهيمها، وتكويناتها، وأهدافها،  وأساليب إنجازها... ما لها أن ‏تكو‎ ‎ن إلا بالاستمداد من الوحي الإلهي المنزّل على النبي محمد ‏(صلى الله عليه وسلم‎‏). فمن دون هذا الوحي، ما كان يمكن أن يكون ثَمَّة دين إسلامي، ولا ‏دولة إسلامية، ولا فلسفة إسلامية، ولا شريعة إسلامية، ولا مجتمع إسلامي، ولا مؤسسة إسلامية.‏‎ ‎وكما أنَّ هذه الجوانب من الثقافة ‏الإسلامية يُنظر إليها بحقٍّ على أنَّها ثقافة قرآنية في أساسها ودافعها وغايتها، فكذلك ينبغي أن يُنظر إلى الفنون في الحضارة الإسلامية ‏بوصفها تعبيراً جمالياً  مماثلاً في أساسه وتجلياته. أجل! إنَّ الفنون الإسلامية هي في الحقيقة فنون قرآنية. فكيف إذن يمكن النظر إلى ‏الفنون الإسلامية على أنها تعبيرات قرآنية في: اللون، والخط، والحركة، والشكل، والصوت؟

مقدمة:‏
لباب هذه المقاربة المعرفية هو: إطلالة خاطفة على خارطة النواة التوحيدية للنظام ‏المعرفي الإسلامي كما بينها العلامة الراحل إسماعيل راجي الفاروقي. ويمكن القول بأنَّ ‏جوهر مشروعه الفكري متضمن في كتابه الذي صدر بالإنجليزية، ومنَّ الله تعالى ‏عليّ بتعريبه، تحت عنوان: "التوحيد: مضامينه في الفكر والحياة"، وما مؤلفاته الأخرى ‏إلا روافد شارحة له. ‏
ولا تعدو هذه الدراسة أن تكون مقاربة أولية غايتها توسيع دائرة الوعي بمضمون ‏هذا المرجع المعرفي الثقيل الوزن. ونحن فيها نلقي الضوء منه على المعالم الكبرى لتلك ‏النواة التوحيدية، مع التنبيه على عقدها منه، ومن روافدها بمؤلفات الفاروقي الأخرى. ‏وهذا المرجع في تقديري نسيج وحده، جدير بأن تحوله الجماعة العلمية الإسلامية من ‏مجرد ناظم لفكر مؤلفه، إلى دليل عمل إرشادي ناظم لجدول أعمالها البحثي الآني ‏والمستقبلي، على صعيدي: وصف حالة الأمة، وتحديد وصفة تعافيها. ذلك أنّ كتاب ‏‏"التوحيد" يحفر في أسئلة معرفية كبرى، في طليعتها: ما علَّة تحوّل أمتنا باطّراد على مدى ‏القرون الخمسة الأخيرة من وضعية الأمة الشاهدة، صاحبة الريادة في العطاء الحضاري ‏على المستوى الإنساني العالمي، إلى وضعية الأمة المتكالب عليها، السائرة على خط ‏التراجع في إسهامها الحضاري؟ وما سرُّ إخفاق مساع كثيرة بذلتها الأمة من أجل ‏استعادة عافيتها؟ وما المخرج من تلك العلة في ضوء الوقوف على ذلك السر؟ وزبدة ‏الإجابة أنَّ موقف الأمة من التوحيد الخالص هو المتغير المستقل، وما عداه هو المتغير ‏التابع على الدوام، بالنسبة لحالتها ولمصير مساعي الإصلاح فيها، في مجالات الحياة ‏والفكر كافة، وأن إرادة السبق الحضاري مرهونة بتعميق الإيمان. ‏
والفرضية المعرفية الأمُّ التي يسبر الفاروقي أغوارَها في إجابته المؤسسية البديعة على ‏تلك الأسئلة هي: أنّ إخفاق مساعي الإصلاح في الأمة يردّ إلى ابتلائها بآفة ماثلة في ‏تعلية البعد المادي والمعايير المستعارة، على البعد الروحي، والغفلة عن أنَّ شرط التعافي ‏وسبيله الوحيد هو استعادة قابلية تغيير ما بنفسها باتجاه التوحيد الخالص، بشقيه: ‏التخلية المحررة لعقلها ولحياتها من دواعي الفساد والخلل كافة، والتحلية المؤسسة ‏لاستعادة رسالتها في الصلاح والإصلاح.‏
ويقيم الفاروقي عبر اللجوء المباشر المكثف للقرآن الكريم، والتحليل المقارن بين ‏النموذج المعرفي التوحيدي الإسلامي والنماذج المعرفية المقابلة، واستقراء الماضي، وتحليل ‏الحاضر، واستشراف المستقبل، الحجة الدامغة على أنَّ التوحيد هو النواة الوحيدة ‏الصالحة لأن تكون ناظماً لخلافة الإنسان ولحمله الأمانة في الأرض. ويبرهن على أنَّ ‏تلك النواة هي: جوهر الخبرة الدينية، وهي لباب الإسلام، وهي مبدأ كل من: ‏الحضارة، والتاريخ، والمعرفة، والغيب، والأخلاق، والنظام الاجتماعي، والأمة، والأسرة، ‏والنظام السياسي، والنظام الاقتصادي، والنظام العالمي، والنظام الجمالي. ‏
ولن تتعدى حدود هذه الدراسة تقديم وصف بالغ الإيجاز لخيوط النسيج التوحيدي ‏الثلاثة عشرة سالفة الذكر، كما نسجها منوال العلامة الفاروقي، ثم نقفِّي عليها بخاتمة ‏تؤكد أن تأليف الكتاب الذي قمنا بمرجعته إنما هو خطوة عملية في جهود الإصلاح ‏التربوي والتعليمي؛ إذ كان الهدف من الكتاب تقديم بديل للكتابات والممارسات ‏القائمة في تدريس العقيدة الإسلامية بصورة لا تقيم بنياناً للفكر الإسلامي ولا للحياة ‏الإسلامية.‏

My first reaction to this eminent book of collected articles and lectures given by Professor Ismail Raji al-Faruqi is one of frustration that I was not able to meet the man. He died in 1986. I would have loved to have known him, for I found in reading this book that so many of his thoughts and ideas coincided with my own hopes concerning the future of Islam and its relationship with the other peoples of the Book, especially the Christians. I was a Christian theole gian and teacher until my conversion to Islam in 1986. Professor Ismail's book provides a good cross-section of his contribution to the study of comparative religion and covers a wide spectrum of interreligious issues, spanning more than two decades of his work. Essays which deal directly with other faiths, Christianity and Judaism in particular, were specifically selected but they should be seen against the background of his huge contribu

İslâm dininde Allah’ın birliği, “tevhid” olarak tanımlanmıştır. Bu doğrultuda Kur’an’da Yahudilerin tevhide aykırı anlayışları benimseyip, bu inançtan saptıklarına dikkat çekilmiştir. Kur’an’ın bu yaklaşımı, Müslümanların Yahudiliğe dair bakış açılarının temelini oluşturmuştur. Bu bakımdan Müslümanların, eleştirdikleri konuların başında Yahudilerin ulûhiyet anlayışları gelmektedir. Bu eleştirilerin temel hareket noktası İslam’daki Allah tasavvurudur. Çünkü Kur’an’da hiçbir şeyin Allah’ın dengi ve benzeri olamayacağı, beşerî vasıflarla nitelendirilemeyeceği açıkça belirtilmiştir (İhlâs 112/4). İmam Mâtürîdî’nin (ö. 333/944) Yahudilik eleştirisinin merkezinde de bu ayetler bulunmaktadır. Mâtürîdî’ye göre beşeriyetin gerçek ve tek dini, tevhid dinidir. Ancak bu dine inanan kimi topluluklar çeşitli sebeplerle tevhid inancını bozmuşlardır. Bunların arasında Yahudiler de bulunmaktadır. Onların yaptığı tahrifin en önemli göstergesi de antropomorfik Tanrı anlayışlarıdır. Buna göre Yahudilik, öz itibariyle tevhid inancına dayalı bir din iken zamanla tahrife uğrayarak, bu özden uzaklaşmıştır. Bu bakımdan Allah, tevhid dinini aslına döndürmek için peygamberler göndermiştir. Bütün peygamberler, insanları sadece Allah’ı birlemeye ve ibadeti sadece O’na has kılmaya çağırmışlardır. Bu inancı aslına uygun şekilde koruyan tek toplum ise Müslümanlardır. Bu nedenle Mâtürîdî, tevhid inancını tahrif eden Yahudileri tenkid edip, ulûhiyet anlayışlarındaki sapmalarını ispata çalışmıştır.
Abstract
The unity of God in the Islam is defined as “tawhīd”. In this respect, the god perception of Jews was criticized in the Qurʾān that they perceive which are contrary to the monotheism. This approach of the Quran has formed the basis of Muslims’ perspectives on Judaism. In that regard, the main issue that Muslims criticize is the The Jews’ perception of god. Of course the main point of these criticisms is the blief of Allah as one and only true God in Islam. It is clearly stated some Qur’anic verse that nothing is equal to Him. The same verses consists of the centre of Māturīdī’s criticism on Judaism. According to Māturīdī, the the true and only religion of humanity is the religion of tawhīd. However, some communities that were the followers of this belief distorted the belief of tawhīd for various reasons. Among these distorters are Jews. Māturīdī criticized the Jews who distorted the tawhīd in their religion od and he tried to prove deviations in Jews' perception of god.

There can be no doubt that the essence of Islamic civilization is Islam; or that the essence of Islam is ‎tawhid, the act of affirming Allah to be the One, absolute, transcendent Creator, Lord and Master of all ‎that is. These two fundamental premises are self-evident. They have never been in doubt by those ‎belonging to this civilization or participating in it. Only in recent times have missionaries, Orientalists, ‎and other interpreters of Islam subjected these premises to doubt. Whatever their level of education, ‎Muslims are apodictically certain that Islamic civilization does have an essence, that this essence is ‎knowable and capable of analysis or description, that it is tawhid. Analysis of tawhid as essence, as first ‎determining principle of Islamic civilization, is the object of this Occasional Paper.‎