 |
| LIBRARY > An Essay on Tauheed |
Acceptance or denial of Tauheed produces a world of differences between man and man. However, this difference between the believers and disbelievers does not result from the mere chanting of a few words. Mere repetition of the word ‘food’ cannot dull hunger; mere chanting of a medical prescription cannot heal the disease. The difference lies in the conscious acceptance of this creed and complete adherence to it in daily life. If the Shahaadah is repeated without understanding it cannot work the transformation it is meant to bring about. We avoid fire because we know that it burns; we keep away from poison because we know it can kill. Similarly, if the real meanings of Tauheed are fully grasped, we will shun, in belief as well as in action, every form and manifestation of Kufr and Shirk. This is the natural consequence of belief in Tauheed. Man’s Journey from the Darkness of Shirk to the Light of Tauheed: 1. In the most primitive stage of ignorance, man thinks that great objects of nature whose grandeur and glory are visible, appearing injurious or beneficent to him hold in themselves real power and authority and are therefore divine. Thus he worships trees, animals, rivers, mountains, fire, wind, rain, heavenly bodies and so on. This is the worst form of ignorance. 2. When ignorance dissipates and some glimmers of light and knowledge appear on his intellectual horizon, he realizes these great and powerful objects are themselves helpless and dependent. The biggest and strongest beast dies like a tiny germ and loses power. Mighty rivers rise and fall and dry up. The highest mountains are blasted and shattered by quakes – natural and artificial. Heavenly objects are bound by laws outside whose dictates they cannot make the slightest movement. The mind turns to the possibility of mysterious divine powers controlling these phenomena – innumerable gods governing various parts and aspects of nature. Material forms and symbols are constructed to represent them which are then worshipped – another form of ignorance, the truth remaining hidden even at this stage of man’s intellectual pilgrimage. 3. As man reflects more and more deeply, he discovers an all powerful law and all encompassing control in the universe – complete regularity in sunrise and sunset, motion of stars and planets, change of seasons…countless forces working jointly in harmony, an effective and supremely wise law making all various causes in the universe work together at an appointed time to produce an appointed event! He discovers uniformity, regularity and complete obedience to one great law in all fields of nature which obliges belief in one deity greater than the rest, exercising supreme authority. He calls this deity by various names but as ignorance still persists, continues worshipping minor deities along with Him, imaging His Kingdom not different from earthly kingdoms – like a ruler with ministers, trusted associates, governors, secretaries and so on. So are minor deities under God, Who cannot be approached without winning the favor of officers under Him. They are worshipped, appealed to for help, and should not be offended – agents through whom approach can be made to God. 4. Man’s increase in knowledge results in dissatisfaction with minor deities – so their number begins to decrease. More enlightened men bring each one of them under the searchlight of scrutiny and ultimately find that none of these manmade deities has any divine character but themselves are creatures like men. They are thus eliminated until one God remains but the concept of God still contains remnants of the elements of ignorance – imagining He has a body like men, comes down to earth in human form, after settling the affairs of the universe is retired and now resting, necessary to approach through the media of saints and spirits and that nothing can be achieved without their intercession or less chances of achieving without it, He has a certain form and image and that it is necessary to keep the image before oneself for the purpose of worship. Distorted notions of godhead persist, linger and are still prevalent. 5. Tauheed – the highest conception of godhead, knowledge which He sent mankind in all ages through prophets, knowledge – pure and absolute without the least shade of ignorance. Tauheed dispels all clouds of ignorance and illuminates the horizon with the light of truth and reality. Shirk and Kufr rise again – man turns from prophetic teachings and depends on his own faulty reasoning, false perceptions, biased interpretations and limited conceptions and thinking. |
 |