Is It Possible to Come to Belief in One God (Tawhid) on Our Own?
No matter how indifferent or uninterested we may appear toward religious matters, we cannot remain unconcerned about who created us and how our relationship with Him is defined. Whether we like it or not, the belief in one God is a fundamental principle that shapes our worldview and influences our perspective on various topics, and this principle casts a shadow on all our choices, relationships, decisions, and lifestyle. In fact, the belief in one God is the foundation that gives meaning to every aspect of our lives, goals, and activities. Without having a proper understanding of it, life becomes a series of meaningless and insignificant pursuits.
Without understanding the concept of the oneness of God or tawhid, we remain unaware of the gym-like characteristics of this world and fail to understand the reasons behind the hardships and afflictions we face. As a result, we easily fall into the trap of comparison and competition or sink into despair and depression. Additionally, lacking a relationship with our Creator, who is the Absolute Perfection and Infinite Being existing in everything, we may view our creation as useless and spend our whole lives in confusion and lack of motivation.
Achieving the goal of creation and attaining similarity to Allah begins with acknowledging Allah as the Absolute Being, Existence, and Perfection. This acknowledgment inevitably imposes a specific framework and lifestyle upon us. Allah is the Creator who created us and is fully aware of all the aspects of our existence, and we, as believers in Him, cannot be indifferent to the world that he has created, with us as the center of creation, and the plan that he has set for us to reach bliss. In reality, tawhid means reaching the Unity of Existence, understanding that everything in existence constitutes a singular, cohesive existence. Comprehending and moving toward this Unity of Being means progressing toward the purpose of our creation, entering the path of Tawhid, and ultimately embracing the belief in one God.
Our Greatest Need
The challenge is that we are incapable of coming to belief in one God or comprehending the Infinite Being, i.e., Allah, on our own. Until this Infinite Being manifests Himself to us, we cannot truly know Him. We need a role model, an example, that serves as a perfect manifestation of God, displaying His names and attributes in a comprehensible way and in a human form. As previously discussed, this most perfect example is the infallible expert.
Allah has provided us with a perfect example of Himself and everything we need to become similar to His names and attributes. He has also appointed an infallible expert to guide us in attaining this similarity. This expert, apart from being fully aware of the path to Tawhid or oneness of God and its trials, possesses a human body and, most importantly, does not make mistakes in carrying out this mission and responsibility.
Coming to belief in one God and fulfilling the purpose of creation is only possible by navigating through the material world. Becoming similar to Allah requires prerequisites and knowledge that our limited and material existence cannot understand. An infallible expert means someone who is responsible for guiding us and serves as the deputy of Allah on earth. Thus, he has access to specialized knowledge about our existence that is exclusively under Allah’s control, as our Creator. This includes knowledge about the pre-worldly stages, our body and soul, the relationship between our body and soul, the material world, the relationship between the material world and our body and soul, and the world we are destined to return to after this world. Therefore, to connect with Allah, become similar to Him, and come to belief in one God, there is no alternative but to seek help from and follow the infallible expert.
The Path to Understanding Belief in One God
In previous lessons, we learned that human beings are the most comprehensive being, inherently possessing all the names and attributes of Allah in potential form. Therefore, by understanding the characteristics of our own existence, knowing God also becomes possible. However, knowing God and attaining similarity to Him are two different matters. While we may know God on an intellective level, becoming like Him is the result of loving Him. We must acknowledge that we cannot fall in love with a god whose existence we accept solely on an intellective level. Love is rooted in the heart, and without a human example who fully embodies all the attributes of God in an actualized form, meaning someone with whom we can form a loving connection, we will never truly reach the stage of loving God.
Without such an example or role model to help us understand the attributes, names, and characteristics of Allah, we fall into ambiguity. This is because we are attempting to bridge the gap between our own potential and unknown characteristics and the infinite and unknown attributes of God, and this is impossible. There can be no connection between two unknowns, and any perception we might form in this regard is nothing but our own illusion and imagination. Therefore, the existence of an intermediary who can both connect with us and serve as the most perfect manifestation of Allah’s names and attributes is essential. In reality, we need someone who represents the most complete manifestation of Allah’s attributes, and this perfect manifestation is none other than the Most Perfect Example, or the Infallible Expert.
Therefore, the Infallible Expert is the one who regulates our relationship with God. Allah has created the main and human dimension of our being from His infinite Spirit and has placed our ultimate goal and perfection in becoming similar to His most perfect manifestation, namely the Infallible Expert. Thus, the only one who can lead us toward becoming similar to Allah and facilitate our journey toward belief in one God and alignment with it is the individual who is most similar to God, referred to as the Infallible Expert. Belief in one God without the Infallible Expert is an illusory and imaginary belief because anyone who does not know the representative and manifestation of God will not have a proper understanding of God’s names and attributes. In reality, a god who lacks manifestation and exists solely as an infinite and unknown being in our minds is worlds apart from the true God, the Absolute Perfection.
In this lesson, we explored the path to attaining belief in one God. We stated that knowing Allah or the Absolute Infinity that exists in everything cannot be achieved without referring to a perfect manifestation of His names and attributes. To attain Tawhid and align ourselves with it, we need the Infallible Expert, who serves as a perfect mirror of God’s names and attributes, and the best role model and guide for us on this journey.
How essential do you consider the role of the Infallible Expert to be in understanding Allah? Do you believe coming to belief in One God and Unity of Existence is possible without the Infallible Expert?