Allama Talib Johri (d. 2020)’s sermon continues as the basis for this post, centered on the truth that the people of God have known without intermediaries or obstacles. Their witnessing is an indication of them being great models for us to aspire toward, considering that we are human beings with the obstacles of low desires and temperaments and emotions.
Every person’s fitrat (nature) has been told “Look at the creation, and recognize the creator thereby.” Look at the flow of water, recognize the creator. Look at the coming and going of day and night, recognize the creator. Look at the earth, the rain, the cosmos, and recognize the creator.
Look at the entire Quran. The sole way to recognize the creator is to look at the cosmos, and by it, know the creator. We are thus told about the one that was created before all else:
أول ما خلق الله نوري “The first thing that God created was my light (Muhammad’s).”
When there was no moon, no sun, no earth, and Muhammad was. When there was nothing, how would he have recognized God, the creator? He recognized God’s jalwa (brilliance/manifestation) directly, not through any intermediary or medium.
In Dua Sabah Imam Ali says يَا مَنْ دَلَّ عَلَىٰ ذَاتِهِ بِذَاتِهِ “O He Who demonstrates His Essence by His Essence.”
In Dua Arafah Imam Husayn says أَيَكُونُ لِغَيْرِكَ مِنَ ٱلظُّهُورِ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ يَكُونَ هُوَ ٱلْمُظْهِرَ لَكَ؟ “Can anything other than You hold a (kind of) manifestation that You lack, and thus it may act as an appearance for You?”
In this world, we get to know things we don’t know through the things that we know. They, the infallibles, would know God directly. In Dua Abu Hamza Thumali which is recited at Sahr in Ramadan, Imam Zaynul Abidin says يَا رَبِّ بِكَ عَرَفْتُكَ وَأَنْتَ دَلَلْتَنِي عَلَيْكَ “O Lord, Through You have I known You. You showed me the way to You.”
There was not someone in between them and God. Let me say something so that this discussion can be completed. Look at the cosmos, and know God. Muhammad knew him directly. Thus, when Muhammad came to the world, he did not come to acquaint himself with God, but to acquaint others with Him. He did not sit in a school, or college, or have a teacher.
There are five usul al din (essentials of the religion), the first being tawhid (monotheism), to believe in God as one, to know Him as one, to establish Him as one. The cosmos have shown that God is. Our fitrat told us that He is, and our din will tell us there is one due to tawhid. This is why din begins with tawhid. If someone pulled your clothes from behind, would you look for who did it behind you? Yes. If I said to you that no one pulled it, would you believe me? No. You have enough knowledge in yourself to know that someone must have pulled it. You don’t know whether it was one or multiple that pulled, you just know it was someone. That is known by nature. But to know who that is, until Muhammad does not tell us, we will not figure it out or understand.
Surah Ikhlas is also called Surah Tawhid. قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ “Say: He is Allah, the One! Allah, the eternally Besought of all! He begetteth not nor was begotten. And there is none comparable unto Him.” (112:1-4)
Muhammad is being addressed by God with “Say.” It is a statement that God is one. Why is there the pronoun of huwa (He)?
Remember this point, the Quran does not have a single word that is necessary and omitted or unnecessary and added. The verse is saying “That Allah is one.” Where is the indication being made toward? If I tell you “Remember that thing,” it means there is something determined from before between me and you. The indication is toward that which our nature has told us that He is one, and not more than one.
Ahad is not one, it is alone. Wahid is one. One is that which could be split in half, or be made into two, and God cannot be split in half or duplicated with a partner. For this reason, the term Ahad was used and not Wahid. He has no similarity, partner, composition and is not in the realm of time or space. If I have been able to bring my point here, I will take it forward. If in this way, someone asked you what the entire religion of Islam is about in one word, that would be tawhid (divine oneness/monotheism). If a believer bows his head toward one God, then he will not worship material things or status or fame or any power in the world.
References
Tawhid by Allama Talib Johri - Lecture
Dua Sabah - duas.org
Dua Arafah - duas.org
Dua Abu Hamza Thumali - duas.org
