Home Journal List Al-Hikmat: A Journal of Philosophy Volume 33 Article Details

وحدت الوجود، وحدت الشہود اور وحدتِ شاہدین

Abstract

A great majority of Muslims have believed Islamic spirituality since early centuries to be in accordance with the spirit of Islam. There have also been great many people in every epoch who have believed otherwise. Whatever stand point one takes, if it is based on authority it will enlighten people’s minds; otherwise it will give rise to confusion. To talk with reference to the Qurān is to talk on the basis of authority for Allah has held His revealed Word to be al-Haqq (i.e., the standard of truth). At present the Qurān alone entertains this status for it confirms that texts of Allah’s Word revealed in the past have been tempered. The term ‘sufism’ is prevalent for various forms of spirituality found in Muslims. It is a fact that neither the word ‘sufism’ nor the word ‘sufi’ occurs in the Qurān nor can it be drawn thereof. Some scholars have tried to trace the origin of Islamic spirituality in the Qurānic word ‘Ihsan’ holding it as a level of believing. In our view the word ‘Ihsan’ nowhere in the Qurān occurs as a level of believing. Tafseer-e-Fazli (herein after refered to as TF) authored by Hazrat Fazal Shah and Muhammad Ashraf Fazli traces the origin of Islamic spirituality (commonly called sufism) in the Qurānic word ‘shahid’ (i.e., the certified witness/the devout). Keeping in view the Qurānic diction, Triqat-eShahideen (The Way of Shahideen) seems to be the most appropriate epithet for rendering TF’s standpoint. According to TF ‘the way of shahideen’ is the discipline for granting purification and then its verification. Sufism since centuries is divided into wahdat al-wujud and wahdat ash-shahud schools. Both these schools base their views on their respective mystic experiences instead of presenting them with reference to authority. TF does not agree with it. Keeping in view TF’s approach of tracing everything Islamic from the Qurān, it seems appropriate to render the view presented by TF as wahdat-ishahideen (the oneness of shihdeeen). This study works out in detail the stand point of TF mentioned above and examines the questions and objections likely to be raised about it.

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