A Critique of the Validity of the Personal Unity of Being
Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 PhD student at the Shia Studies Center, full member of the Islamic Theology Association of Qom Seminary
2 Assistant Professor, Institute of Islamic Sciences and Culture and a full member of the Islamic Theology Association of Qom Seminary
3 PechoheshQh hoze and daneshQah
Abstract
The theory of unity of existence is one of the fundamental ideas of Islamic mysticism, and its various interpretations are accepted by most mystics and Sufis. One of the interpretations of this theory is the personal unity of existence, according to which the only true being in the world that fills all existence is God, and all others are considered manifestations and shadows of the Almighty; as a result, the plurality that exists in the world is a plurality of manifestations, not a plurality of truths. In order to find a solid basis for expressing their point of view, the defenders of this theory have relied on some verses and narrations, and sometimes have considered those narrations to be the best evidence or witness to their claim. This article examines the narrations that have been put forward in support of this theory in a documentary manner and with the method of content analysis, and shows that these narrations either do not have a clear implication for this theory or are plagued by weak chain of transmission and have not been quoted in reliable narrative books. Finally, it was concluded that the theory of unity of existence is not acceptable according to the system of Shiite narrations.
- Receive Date: 05 February 2025
- Revise Date: 03 June 2025
- Accept Date: 03 June 2025
- Publish Date: 08 September 2025