THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WAHDAT AL WUJUD(UNITY OF BEING) AND PANTHEISM
SCOPE:
Ibn Arabi(K.S)’s works are confused a lot with Pantheist philosophy as some people do not understand his books. That is why it is quite common to see even some muslims attacking to his works by introducing him as a disbeliever to the world. In fact the ones who know his work will know that Wahdat Al-Wujud imputed to Ibn Arabi(K.S) in his works, is nothing to do with Pantheism[1]. I would like to share this translation work here showing the difference between Wahdat al Wujud of Ibn Arabi and Pantheism.
“Translated from Turkish Tafseer(Commentary) of Quran written by Elmalili Hamdi Yazir, Surah(Chapter) Al-Bakara (2/165). This translation document sheds light on the matters related to Wahdat al Wujud and pantheist philosophies. Elmalili Hamdi Yazir explains the difference of Wahdat al Wujud and the Pantheist opinions. Elmalili is saying the atheists are hiding themselves behind Wahdat al Wujud by distorting the meaning of Wahdat al Wujud. However, real Wahdat al Wujud is not what atheists market to the public. I give Turkish version of the document above the paragraphs for the researchers as well.
TRANSLATION WORK:
Fakat ilâhlık felsefesi ve vahdet-i vücud adı altında gizlenen bir metrût (ateist) felsefe vardır ki, din ve ahlâk adına ilmî ve hikemî şekilde en büyük zarar bundan doğagelmiştir. Her nerede bir şirk varsa bununla az çok bir alakası vardır.
There is an atheist philosophy which is hiding it’s self behind the Uluhiyya(Divinity) and Wahdat al Wujud. The worst damage in the name of religion and morality has been done because of this philosophy.
Önce şunu kaydedelim ki, “Sizin ilâhınız bir tek ilâhtır. Ondan başka hiçbir ilâh yoktur.” (Bakara, 2/163) âyetinde de açıkça belirtildiği üzere İslam dininde emredilen genel iman konusu: “Allah’tan başka hiçbir ilâh yoktur.” tevhidi, yani Allah’ı bir bilmektir. Yoksa “Allah”tan başka hiçbir mevcud yoktur.” diye ifade edilen mevcudu, varlığı bir bilmek değildir. Bu olsa olsa marifet yolunda merhaleler katetmiş olan seçkin şahıslar için bahis konusu olabilir.
Firstly we should record this here that,”Your God is One God; there is no God save Him, the Beneficent, the Merciful..”(Qur’an Al-Bakara-[2/163]) [2] states this clearly that subject of general faith(iman) in the religion of islam: tawheed(Oneness of ALLAH . It is also called Unity),”La ilahe illallah” means “knowing that Allah is the One”. It does not mean like saying“There is no mawjud(existence [3]) other than Allah” then accepting the mawjud (existence) as one . This(there is no mevjuud other than Allah) can be valid only for some elite people(people with wisdom) who passes some levels in the path of marifat(gnosis).
Bizim nazarımızda vücud birliği genel olarak olumsuz değil, belki keşif yoluyla olumludur. Fakat “Allah’tan başka mevcud yoktur.” demekle “Her mevcud Allah’tır.” demek arasında pek büyük fark vardır. Birincisi sırf tevhid olabilir, fakat ikincisi sırf şirktir.
In our opinion , wahdat al wujud is not negative in general, but it is positive with the way of Kashf(divine knowledge and discovery). However,there is a very big difference between saying“There is no mawjud(existence) other than Allah” and saying “Every mawjud(existence) is Allah”. First one can be Tawheed but the second one is pure SHIRK(associating partnership to ALLAH [GOD]).
“Allah’tan başka mevcud yoktur.” dendiği zaman, Allah’tan başkasına isnad edilen varlığın gerçek olmayıp hayalde ve vehme bağlı, şuura akseden bir gölge işi olduğu ve gerçek varlığın ancak Allah’a mahsus bulunduğu ikrar edilmiş; âlemin zatı ile ve zatı için gerçek varlığı yok sayılmış olur ki bu vahdet-i vücuddur. Çünkü keşif yoluyla sabit olduğu üzere biz âlem adına ne biliyorsak hepsi, hissettiklerimizden, hayâlimizden, zihnimizdeki şekillerden ve ruhî izlenimlerimizden ibarettir.
When it is stated “There is no mawjud(existence) other than Allah”, the reality of any existence shown other than Allah is accepted as not real and it is like a shadow reflecting on the conscious with Hayal(phantom) and Wahm(illusory), and the real existence belongs to Allah only. The essence of the universe compared to the existence of ALLAH is regarded as nothing, and this is called Wahdat al Wujud. Because with the way of Kashf(discovering with divine knowledge) we know that whatever we know under the name of Alam(universe) , everything is the impression of our Rooh(spirit), what we get with our senses, our imagination and our conscious.
Bu bakımdan vahdet-i vücud, varlık tevhidi; âlemdeki benzer şeylerin gölge ve hayal olduğunu görmek ve onları silip arkasındaki açık gerçeğin varlığına iman etmekle mümkün olur.
In this way, Wahdat Al Wujud, unity(tawheed) of being; is possible only by seeing the similar things in the universe/world(Alam) as shadow and illusion then believing the existence of clear reality behind(beyond) them.
Nitekim “Allah’tan başka hiçbir ilâh yoktur.” dediğimiz zaman da birtakım putların, birçok kimseler tarafından mabud edinildiğini inkar etmiş olmuyoruz da bunların hak olmadıklarını ilan ve ancak bir Allah’ı ispat ve kabul etmiş oluyoruz. Fakat “Her mevcud Allah’tır.” dendiği zaman varlıkta gerçek bir çokluk, kabul edilmiş ve hepsinin Allah olduğu iddia edilmiş oluyor ki, bunda tevhid yoktur. Tersine Allah’ı çoğaltma ve ona ortak koşma vardır. Bu bir vahdet-i vücud değil, varlığın birleştirilmesi veya hulûl teorisidir. Yahut da Allah’ı inkar etmek suretiyle yalnız âlemi ispattır, “Bir”e “her” demektir.
Hence, when we say “There is no God but Allah : La ilahe illallah”, we will not have denied that some idols were accepted as mabud(the one who is worshipped to) by some people, but we will have stated that those idols are not Haqq(Truth), and will have proved and accepted “Allah” , Who is the One and only, instead.
But when said “Every mawjud(existence) is Allah”, manyness(plurality) is accepted in reality and everything is claimed to be “Allah”, then there is no tawheed(unity) on this. In contrast, there is a multiplying Allah and Shirk in that saying. This is not Wahdat al Wujud but the theory of Hulul(getting inside of something e.g painter getting in to the paint) or ittihad(joining to each other e.g painter and paint join together). Or proving the reality of Alam(universe) by denying the reality of Allah and calling “the One” ,“every/any/omni”.
Ortağı ve benzeri olmayan Allah’a sonsuz ortaklar isnad etmek, hayalî varlıkları, gerçek varlık saymaktır. Buna daha çok “panteizm” yani “birleşmiş ilâhcılık” denir ki, bu teoride Allah ve varlık gerçekten her şeyle birleşmiştir veya her şeyin içine girmiştir. Haşâ Ali ilâh, Veli ilâh, Firavun ilâh, Nemrud ilâh ilâh… her şey ilâhtır. Bunda âlemin isbatı, onu yapanın yokluğu vardır.
Or associating infinite partners with Allah who has no partner or equivalence and accepting illusory existence as real existence. This is more like “Pantheism” or “joined godship or divinity”. In this theory, Allah and existence are joined to each other or entered in to everything. Godforbid, it is like saying Ali is God, Wali is God, Pharoh is God, Nimrud is God,…everything is God. There is a proof of alam(universe) and nonexistence of the One who made it, in this statement.
İşte birtakım cahiller veya inkarcılar, Allah’ın hikmeti adıyla imkansız olan bu birleşmeyi veya hulûl ya da ta’tıl (ateizm, ilâhsızlık) teorisini vahdet-i vücud ve sırf tevhid diye ele alarak “O’ndan başka ilâh yoktur.” demek “O’ndan başka mevcud yoktur.” demek olduğunda ısrar ederler. Bunu da: “Her mevcud O’dur.” mânâsıyla açıklarlar.
Her şeyden ötede Allah’ı görecek yerde, her şeyde ve hatta her şeyi Allah görmek isterler.
That is why some illiterates(jaheels) and deniers insist on accepting the theory of Hulul or Atheism, which is impossible by the name of Allah’s hiqmat(Divine Wisdom), as Wahdat Al-Wujud. They explain the meaning of “Wahdat Al-Wujud” as “Every mawjud(existent) is HIM”.
Instead of seeing Allah beyond everything, they want to see Allah in everything or even seeing everything as Allah. ”
Translated by Barbaros Sert
www.muhammedinur.com/En
3rd of June 2009
Basildon
UK
GLOSSARY:
[1] Pantheism (Greek: πάν (pan) = all and θεός (theos) = God, literally “God is all” -ism) is the view that everything is part of an all-encompassing immanent God. In pantheism the Universe (Nature) and God are equivalent. More detailed definitions tend to emphasize the idea that God is better understood as an abstract principle representing natural law, existence, and the Universe (the sum total of all that is, was, and shall be) than an anthropomorphic entity.
[2] Qur’an [Al-Baqara 2/163]:
وَإِلَـهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ لاَّ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُ
Wa ‘Ilahukum ‘Ilahun Wāĥidun Lā ‘Ilāha ‘Illā Huwa Ar-Raĥmānu Ar-Raĥīmu
And your God is One God: there is no god but He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
[3] Wujud and Mawjud: “Jud” means generosity or the offer(iqram; karam ) . There is a difference between the terms “Wujud” and “Mawjud” which takes important in reading documents interpreted from Arabic to English. Both wujud and mawjud are translated as being or existence. Wujud is the essential (wujub)being of Jawwad(very generous one who bestows and grants). Noorullah(Light of ALLAH) being an adjective from that Wujud(essential being) manifests through the manifestation point of “Light of Mim”, then this wujud (essential being) finds a temporary grace (rahmad) and manifests/discloses/reveals Himself as mawjud “existence”. Letter “mim=M” in Arabic is added to wujud and the term “wujud” becomes “mawjud”. In English language, the term “existence”is coming from the verb “to exist”. If you look at the “ex” , this two letters are from Latin and “ex” means “-forth”. That is why there is a meaning of coming forth in the terms e.g “Exit”, “Exhaust”. This means the term “existence” in English is like “manifested”,”revealed” ,“disclosed”,”comed forth”. Now lets come to another point here, Mawjud was manifested from Wujud. But we are still perceiving mawjud by our senses and mind. When I asked my Master Latif Ekrem Yildiz in Turkey about wahdat al wujud. I got the following answer from him:
My dear, that is too early to learn about these things . Even Ibn Arabi could not entirely figure out what wahdat al wujud is. That knowledge is about the level of Ahadiyyat(the unique oneness). We can go as far as Ahmadiyyat and stop there. May God forbid! Saying “ I will pass through the point of Ahmadiyyat and thinking that someone will surround Ahadiyyat” is not vulgarity but it is stupidity. We could not figure out what wahdat al mawjud is, and yet you are asking about wahdat al wujud. How can we put the unity of Allah in our bag without even understanding the light of ALLAH mentioned in the verse :
Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a shining star. (This lamp is) kindled from a blessed tree, an olive neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself) though no fire touched it. Light upon light, Allah guideth unto His light whom He will. And Allah speaketh to mankind in allegories, for Allah is Knower of all things. [Qur’an Al-Noor 84/35].
Early my dear it is very early to talk about these.
LAST FEW THINGS TO SAY:
Dear Reader,
there are so many terms used in tasawwuf e.g. Ahadiyyat, Ahmadiyyat, we can not explain every term one by one in tasawwuf here. It is very difficult to translate some terms to English. Please forgive me and seek more meanings through the terms used in Arabic. People who are reading Qur’an from English translations will stay on a certain level of knowledge. To progress more in religious knowledge which will help you to know your nafs(soul) and to learn more about the TRUTH(HAQQ), requires you to learn the meanings of the Arabic terms much more, practice the religion of islam, to be sincere and loyal to ALLAH and HIS RASUL(Messenger) and to show inner patience. The peace will follow this inshaallah(with the will of ALLAH). Seek for a real master(guide) who knows Qur’an well. There will always be people who have the knowledge in this world until the doom day. But do not blindly submit yourselves to the fake shaikhs.
The religion is not learned from the lines on the books, the religion is learned from the hearts. The book is only a tool in learning process. This does not mean that you should not read the books. It is obligation upon every muslim to read Qur’an. Religion(DEEN) is alive (HAYY) and flows from alive to alive like a current. If you can open the Qur’an within you, then Rasulullah (SAW) within you reads inner Qur’an to your mind, then you will understand how the knowledge is flowing through. That is why Prophet Muhammad (SAW )did not attempt to compile the verses of Qur’an in to book during his life time. The verses were being written but the book binding was made after He passed away. The verses were being learned off and practiced directly. The conversation(Sohbat) was essential in learning islam in the prophet’s time and it is still like this. That is why the knowledge comes from alive to alive.
Please avoid the knowledge coming from the illiterate brains generating new age information over the internet by reading various theories combined from the books in spirituality and science. Religion and Science should go parallel but the direct comparison by using only science and mind and directing your belief will get you in to dark abyss. Some people steals the words of the saints (auliaullah) and combine them with the physics and philosophy and generate data from their own minds and follow this blindly with no manner. For them, there are no rules to follow but their own rules which they feel sympathy towards. The permissible and impermissible and the boundaries(Haram and Halal) put by ALLAH and HIS RASUL come difficult to them and they will critisize them or keep away from them. They will adorn their lips with the terms e.g. unconditional love, love of all people, compassion, mercy, helping the others, but will not understand or do these in reality.
The Owner of this system (Sunnatullah) , GOD, “ALLAHU ZUL JALAL” operates this system and knows who is generating what data and what is passing through the heart and mind of each individual. It must be known clearly that NO ONE trying to approach the TRUTH(HAQIQAT) with insincerity and infidelity to the OWNER of this system , “ALLAH”, will find the TRUTH within his essence. He will be veiled from the TRUTH and will die in blindness if ALLAH does not show mercy to save him in his/her life term.
If the TRUTH (Haqiqat) was to be found by the raw minds only, there would be no necessity to send 124,000 prophets and many holy books to human beings throughout the aeons. The individuals saying “we are free thinkers and we do not need ALLAH and HIS RASUL, and will not follow the religion”, will fail. Because they will be drowned within the philosophies, theories, illusions of their own minds and the minds of others who they respect and choose as intelligent people for themselves to follow. GOD does not deal with the theories and hypotheses, GOD speaks the TRUTH from the blessed lips of HIS PROPHETS …
Qur’an Al-Asr [103/1-3]
وَالْعَصْرِ
1. By (the Token of) time (through the Ages),
إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ
2. Lo! man is in a state of loss,
إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ
3. Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy.
Allah knows best…
If you would like to read more about wahdat al wujud discussions follow the links below:
May Allah bless you all and bestow His boundless rahmad(mercy) upon you.
Barbaros Sert
Basildon –UK
www.muhammedinur.com/En
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