Divine oneness: beyond number, likeness, and possession

Thou art the One, O my God, not in the numerical sense wherein nine attains before ten, and verily Thou, O my God, art the Single, not in the numerical sense wherein three attains after ten.

Consider the relation between the craftsman and his handiwork, between the painter and his painting.

Can it ever be maintained that the work their hands have produced is the same as themselves? By Him Who is the Lord of the Throne above and of earth below! They can be regarded in no other light except as evidences that proclaim the excellence and perfection of their author.

Although it transcends our realization, its lights, bestowals, traces and virtues have become manifest in the realities of the Prophets, even as the sun becomes resplendent in various mirrors. These holy realities are as reflectors, and the reality of Divinity is as the sun, which, although it is reflected from the mirrors, and its virtues and perfections become resplendent therein, does not stoop from its own station of majesty and glory and seek abode in the mirrors; it remains in its heaven of sanctity. At most it is this: that its lights become manifest and evident in its mirrors or manifestations. Therefore, its bounty proceeding from them is one bounty, but the recipients of that bounty are many. This is the unity of God; this is oneness -- unity of Divinity, holy above ascent or descent, embodiment, comprehension or idealization -- divine unity.

But the oneness and singleness of God is even for heavenly minds upon earth, a most difficult spiritual truth to comprehend.

From eternity Thou hast, in Thy transcendent oneness, been immeasurably exalted above Thy servants' conception of Thy unity, and wilt to eternity remain, in Thine unapproachable singleness, far above the praise of Thy creatures. No words that any one beside Thee may utter can ever beseem Thee, and no man's description except Thine own description can befit Thy nature. All who adore Thy unity have been sore perplexed to fathom the mystery of Thy oneness, and all have confessed their powerlessness to attain unto the comprehension of Thine essence and to scale the pinnacle of Thy knowledge.

True belief in the unity of God [tawhid-i-haqiqi] consists in acknowledging and confessing the unity of God, exalted be His glory, sanctifying His Essence from all likeness and purifying His Being from all similitudes. This has ever been and shall ever be the case.

The Beloved of the worlds declares: O servants! The first matter that leads to faith, certitude, sanctification and detachment is My oneness, free from all peer and equal.

Thou art One, no partner hast Thou; Thou art One, no peer hast Thou; Thou art One, no equal hast Thou; Thou art One, no likeness hast Thou! Thou art unique in Thy oneness and sanctified in Thy singleness.

Say:

He is God, the One! God, the Eternal! He begetteth not, nor was begotten, and there is none comparable unto Him.

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The Founder of monotheism was Abraham; it is to Him that this concept can be traced, and the belief was current among the Children of Israel, even in the days of Socrates.

Know, O Salman, that We bear witness, in the station of the unity of the Divine Essence, that He is One in His Essence, and hath ever been seated upon the throne of unity and the seat of singleness. There was none with Him, nor shall any be mentioned before Him. He is the Everlasting, the Self-Subsisting, the Mighty, the Gracious. He hath ever existed in the sovereignty of His Essence, and with Him there was neither mention of aught, nor knowledge of any soul, nor unity of any being.

His Essence hath no attribute or name besides His Essence. He is the Truth, there is no God but Him. Thee do we worship and Thine aid we seek.

All else besides Him are brought into being through His creation and origination. There is neither connection nor separation between Him and contingent beings.

He knoweth all things as they are, whether universals or particulars, substances or accidents, after their creation just as on the day He had not created them. He knoweth them because knowledge is life, and just as God, glory be to Him, is Ever-Living in the eternity of eternities, and needeth not the existence of any living thing to prove His life, He was All-Knowing of all things without there being any object of knowledge.

For example, consider the dot (or point); how letters and words are folded up and hidden within the essence (huwiyyat , ipseity) and reality of a dot with perfect effacement and annihilation so that no trace can be discerned of the existence of these letters and words nor is there any differentiation between them. Rather they are completely obliterated and utterly annihilated and have no existence except in the essence (dhat) of the point. In the same way the Names and Attributes of God and the Essential Dispositions [shu'unat dhatiyya] are completely and utterly annihilated in the station of Primary Oneness so that not a whiff can be inhaled from them of substantial or intellectual existence. This original point is the "Hidden Treasure" of these letters and words and they were incorporated and immersed within it and from it they appeared.

… And similarly consider the Unitary Concept [ahad]; how all the numbers appear from it and it is in no number since it is the point of origin of all numbers. And the first to be specified and to appear from it is the number "one" [wahid] and from "one" all other numbers come into being. So all these numbers are contained in the unitary concept in the most perfect simplicity and oneness. And so it is the "Hidden Treasure" of all numbers and from it do they appear.

For existence is either identical with quiddity or other than it. If other than it, is it inseparable from it and among its requirements without suspension or detachment, or is suspension and detachment possible?

The first is the reality of the Essence from the perspective of its oneness - its existence is identical with its quiddity and its quiddity identical with its existence. The second is the station of necessity, where existence is distinct from quiddity but inseparable from it in a way that neither detachment nor separation can be conceived, for it is among its requirements. The third is the station of contingency - that is, existence derived from another and acquired from what is other than itself. Here its existence is other than its quiddity and its quiddity other than its existence, with the possibility of detachment and separation.

Al-'Ama' in the language means a very light and subtle cloud that is seen and unseen. If you gaze with utmost care you find something, but as soon as you look, it cannot be seen. That is why, in the tradition of the investigators, by Al-'Ama' they mean the Universal Reality with no specifications, for specifications exist in the mode of simplicity and unity and are not distinguished from the essence. So it is both specified and unspecified, and this station is described as Divine Oneness and Al-'Ama', and it is the station of the Hidden Treasure mentioned in the Hadith.

And there is no doubt that those universal meanings which are known to God were, in the world of Oneness, identical with the Truth, for in the world of Truth there is pure unity.

Therefore strive and sacrifice yourself, make every effort despite distress, so that your speaking reality and your eternal archetype may turn from the station of unity toward the heart-expanding wilderness of oneness.

O namesake of 'Abdu'l-Baha! If thou seekest the essence of numbers, lay hold of the hem of the True One, for all numbers are powerless and wanting, but the True One is effective, mighty and penetrating. As far as thou art able, make manifest among the peoples the mysteries of the True One, which is the eternal bounty, that thou mayest obtain the greatest talisman and seek the most honored square, and in that moment thou shalt gain mastery over the world of contingent being.

Again, in al-Kafi, from Abu 'Abdu'llah -- peace be upon him -- He said: Verily God, blessed and exalted, created a Name -- of letters, yet unvocalized; of utterance, yet unpronounced; of person, yet unembodied; by likeness, yet undescribed; of colour, yet untinged. Denied of it are the confines of direction; far removed from the senses of all who sense -- hidden, yet not concealed. He made it a steadfast Word upon four parts together -- none preceding another. Of these He manifested three as a Name, by reason of the creatures' need for them, and He veiled one thereof -- and that is the Hidden, Treasured Name.

Among them is the station of the Throne of Hahut, the Paradise of Oneness. None can interpret a single letter of that verse in that Paradise, for this is the station of the mystery of the Divine Eternality, the edifices of Unity, the Israel of Singleness, and the essence of Luminosity. Its outward is identical with its inward, and its inward identical with its outward. It behooveth no one to comprehend a single letter thereof, but God shall reveal it, when He willeth, to whom He willeth.

God hath desired naught from the expression of unity save the word of glorification, and from it naught save the word of praise, and from it naught save the word of His oneness, and from it naught save the word of His greatness. For the unity of the Divine Essence, as established in the beginning and end of the Command, is impossible for any created thing to attain, nor can any claim "I am capable of this," for such a statement would be pure falsehood and manifest untruth, and can only operate within its own rank.

If it be said "He is He," the Oneness itself pointeth to its own essence, yet is severed from Thee in its origination from naught. And if it be said "Thou art Thou," like resembleth like, yet indicateth Thee not as Thou art in the glory of Oneness save through what the symbol signifieth in its counterpart.

And if I say "He is He," then Oneness would indicate the Essence of Thy Will and the Sovereignty of the Being of Thy Purpose, which in itself is cut off from nearness to Thy Presence and barred from knowing the station of Thy might.

And if I say "He is Thou," in that moment the face of Thy revelation speaketh forth in the presence of unity that there is no God but Him, Lord of the Command in the inmost mysteries of the Divine Realm and Creator of creation in the depths of the signs of geometry and the verses of command in the Countenance of Power.

Thou art I. Glorified art Thou, O my God! There is no god but Thee to be worshipped, none besides Thee to be adored, none except Thee to be sought, and none but Thee to be praised. Verily Thou art the God of gods. Verily, Thou art I.

Glorified be He Who is the Ever-Living and dieth not.

O seeker! Though a name indicates that which is named, this applies only to the realm of creation. But the Truth is sanctified above all names - all names end in His Most Exalted Word and all attributes return to His Primal Will. Whoever attains unto Him has attained unto all names, both now and forever.

The explicit text of the Qur'an confirms this in His exalted words, after refuting the Christians' "third of three," that "He is but one God." For he who claims the Simple Reality removes numbers from the realm of limitations, and this is false like the Christians' claim, for in the Essence of the One nothing else is mentioned nor is there any other with Him.

For the Pure and Primordial Essence hath ever been, and shall ever be, unassociated with Its creation, nor is Its creation mentioned in Its rank. Rather, It created the temple of all existence through the Will itself, not from anything, through Its own causation, Its own acceptance, the manifestation of Its own essence, and the ultimate expression of Its identity.

He has ever dwelt in the treasury of His mystery in the identity of His Essence, and will ever continue to be, not as He was before but rather He was and will be sanctified above all that has been or will be created, and above all that was or will be.

There is no God but Thee! Thou hast ever been as Thou wert. Attributes have gone astray, names have been cut off, and traces have returned. And now Thou art as Thou hast ever been in might and oneness.

Thou hast ever been one in Thy Essence and one in Thy attributes, sanctified above every wondrous mention and every beauteous praise, and Thou wilt ever continue to be what Thou hast been from time immemorial.

The Wronged One testifies that there is none other God but Him. He has ever been One in His Essence and One in His attributes.

Say: He was One in His Essence and One in His dominion. He hath taken unto Himself neither partner nor minister. He, verily, is the Single, the One, the All-Informed.

He hath ever been One in His Essence, having taken neither partner nor peer unto Himself.

Find sufficiency in Him rather than in aught else, and associate not any partner with Him, for verily He is One in His essence and then in His actions, were ye of them that know.

From everlasting Thou wert alone, with none to describe Thee, and wilt abide for ever the same with no one else to equal or rival Thee. Were the existence of any co-equal with Thee to be recognized, how could it then be maintained that Thou art the Incomparable, or that Thy Godhead is immeasurably exalted above all peers or likeness?

And thy Lord hath taken unto Himself no partner, nor any peer, nor any minister, nor any likeness, nor any equal, nor any opposite, nor any similitude.

Beware lest thou ascribe partners unto Him Who hath ever been One in His Essence and hath taken neither peer nor likeness unto Himself. To this beareth witness all that hath been sent down aforetime from the presence of the Mighty, the Bestower.

Say: O people, associate not partners with God, for such association is a grievous wrong. Bear witness unto that which God Himself witnessed before the creation of all things, that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Most Great.

And this recognition is not complete except through acknowledging His oneness and confessing His singleness, in such wise that no likeness, peer, similitude or equal be seen for Him.

Praise be to God, it spoke of divine unity and the sanctification of His holy Being from any likeness or peer.

He hath ever existed, sanctified from all peers and likenesses, and exalted above all that hath been said or shall be said. He hath been, and is, the One, the Single, the Unique, the Self-Subsisting, the Eternal--He unto Whose oneness and singleness the tongues of all created things have testified, and through Whose remembrance and praise all things have spoken.

God testifieth to the unity of His Godhood and to the singleness of His own Being. On the throne of eternity, from the inaccessible heights of His station, His tongue proclaimeth that there is none other God but Him. He Himself, independently of all else, hath ever been a witness unto His own oneness, the revealer of His own nature, the glorifier of His own essence.

Glorified be He Who hath revealed Himself by His Own Self unto His Own Self, and hath manifested Himself unto His creation through His signs, His revelations and His evidences.

Bear thou witness in thine inmost heart unto this testimony which God hath Himself and for Himself pronounced, that there is none other God but Him, that all else besides Him have been created by His behest, have been fashioned by His leave, are subject to His law, are as a thing forgotten when compared to the glorious evidences of His oneness, and are as nothing when brought face to face with the mighty revelations of His unity.

I bear witness, O my God, to that whereunto Thou hast testified for Thine own Self before all things: that there is none other God but Thee, alone, without peer or partner. Thou hast caused all to know Thy Self through the knowledge of Thy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and hast ordained that all that is attributed unto God be likewise attributed unto Thyself, lest anything be deprived of the radiance of Thy Essence, or fail to manifest the revelation of Thy Being.

Thy unity is inscrutable, O my God, to all except them that have recognized Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy singleness and the Day-Spring of Thy oneness. Whoso assigneth a rival unto Him hath assigned a rival unto Thee, and whoso hath set up a peer for Him hath set up a peer for Thyself. No, no, none can withstand Thee in the whole of creation. Thou hast everlastingly been exalted far above all comparison and likeness. Thy oneness hath been demonstrated by the oneness of Him Who is the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation.

And God addresseth therein all who are in the heavens and on earth, and all that hath been and shall be, saying: "There is no God but Me, Who created all contingent things from nothing through My Will, and brought all beings into existence from naught through My Purpose. I am the One with power over whatsoever I desire, and I am the All-Encompassing, the Self-Subsisting.

He hath sent the Messengers and revealed the Books, and made them the manifestations of His signs and the dawning-places of His names and attributes, that all might bear witness to that which He hath testified of His own Self, by His own Self, before the creation of His heaven and His earth: that there is none other God but Him, and that He hath ever been one God, Single, Individual, Alone, Everlasting, Eternal, Self-Subsisting.

I testify that Thou didst create me for the recognition of the Dayspring of Thy Revelation and the Dawning-place of Thy signs and the Manifestation of Thy Self, and Thou hast revealed unto Thy servants that which draweth them nigh unto the court of Thy glory, and taught them the oneness of Thy Being and Thy sanctification from all peers and likenesses, and made them to know Thy straight path and Thy firm and mighty command.

Say: By belief in divine unity is meant the recognition of My self that is sanctified above all who are in the world and exalted beyond the conditions of created things. Verily He is the One besides Whom there can be no numbers, and through Whom all existence hath appeared, if ye be of them that know.

Say: Through this Revelation the decree of origination is established and the Nightingale of the All-Merciful hath sung upon the branches of the Tree of Utterance that "There is none other God beside Me, the Single, the All-Informed." Say: Whosoever affirmeth a likeness hath indeed associated partners with God - to this doth the Ancient Beauty testify from His exalted station.

And in another station it referreth to this Breast wherein the Tree uttereth: "There is none other God but Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise."

For verily it is as a single Sun, and all else are but mirrors wherein is reflected the image of its revelation, each according to its capacity.

However, the reality of the question of Unity is thus:---

The Sun of Truth hath shone forth from the Horizon of Unity upon all the regions. All contingent things are clad with the garment of existence through the rays of the sun.

From the beginning that has no beginning, the lights of the glory of divine unity have shone forth without pause or delay, and the radiant gleams of the divine Sun have ever appeared and will continue to appear without concealment or diminution.

The morn of Divine Unity has dawned from the orient of the soul, and the lights of the radiance of the Sinai of Oneness have appeared from the dawning-place of contingent being.

And therein did the Sun of Thy oneness shine forth from the horizon of the House upon all who dwell in the unseen and the visible realms.

This is a day wherein grace hath encompassed all religions, and the Divine Lott Tree hath called out from the Most Exalted Horizon: 'Verily, there is none other God but Him, the One, the Single, the All-Knowing.'

O people of earth! Hearken to the call of the Leaf of Identity, sprouting from the Tree of Eternity, planted in the soil of eternality, warbling with verses of divine rapture, that verily He is the Truth, there is none other God but Him, and He is God Who hath been independent of all worlds.

O people of the earth! Have you not reflected upon the creation of the heavens and the earth? If there were two gates in them from the Remembrance, they would have corrupted. And verily God has arranged the kingdom through His Gate of Truth, and God is indeed knowing of all things.

O Lord! All things testify to Thy oneness, and whatsoever can be described as having existence, whether seen or unseen, beareth witness to Thy singleness.

The atoms bear witness to Thy oneness, and all created things to Thy unity.

All created things have borne witness to Thy unity, and every dweller in Thy kingdom hath confessed Thy oneness.

All created things bear witness to Thy singleness, and all existing things to Thy oneness.

All appearances and realities indicate the oneness of Thine Essence, and all evidences and signs reflect the truth that Thou art God and there is no peer or partner for Thee throughout the kingdoms of heaven and earth.

Thou art He to Whose oneness and singleness all have testified.

Every possessor of a tongue hath testified to Thy oneness and every possessor of understanding to Thy singleness.

Verily He speaketh in all things: "There is none other God but Me!"

O Lord! The lamp, with the tongue of its inner reality, declares:

"O my God! Thou seest me and knowest what lies within my secret being. I have not revealed myself in all regions except that Thy creation and Thy creatures might be illumined by me, as all those possessed of insight witness the manifestations of my light.

O peoples of the heavens and of the earth! Were ye to sanctify your ears ye would hear My hair proclaim that there is none other God except Him, and that He is One in His Essence and in everything that beareth relationship unto Him.

My pen and my tongue and my fingers and my inner self and my outer self and my hidden being and my heart and my liver and my spirit and my soul and my limbs and my faculties and my knowledge and my understanding and my hearing and my sight and my inmost heart testify to the oneness of God and His singleness and to His grandeur and His sovereignty and His might and His power and His glory.

My tongue, my heart, my pen, my limbs and my very hairs bear witness to the oneness of God, His singleness, His grandeur and His sovereignty.

O my Lord! The tongue of my inner being and my outer being and my limbs testify to Thy oneness and singleness, and that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee. Thou hast created all beings through a word from Thee and brought forth all existence through a will from Thy presence. Thou art He Whom the manifestations of power and might cannot frustrate, nor can the objections of creation prevent Thee.

When you attain unto My Tablet and find the fragrance of your Lord's verses, say: "My God, my God! My outer and inner tongue, my limbs and members, my veins and the very hairs of my body bear witness to Your unity and oneness, and that You are the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden.

Say: My God, my God! My outward and inward tongue, my limbs and members all bear witness to Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the All-Compelling, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O my Lord! My tongue, my pen, my outward being and my inmost reality all testify to Thy oneness and singleness, and that Thou hast no partner in the realm of dominion and sovereignty.

My outward and inward tongue both testify that Thou hast ever been One God, Single, Sole, Self-Subsisting, and wilt ever continue to be even as Thou hast been. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Dominant, the Powerful, the Omnipotent.

Praise be to God, Who hath exalted Himself in His transcendence above all contingent things, Who hath manifested His sovereignty above all created things, Who hath demonstrated His dominion above all things that have being, Who hath shown His might above all atoms, and Who hath revealed His grandeur above all who dwell in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. He is the One beside Whom there is no equal, the Most Exalted above all likeness and duration, and the Most Holy, sanctified beyond every attribute and number. He hath created what He willeth by His command and ordained what He desireth by His sovereignty. Every created thing beareth witness that there is none other God but Him - a testimony purified from the ways of associating partners with God and from all veils, sanctified from the paths of remoteness and separation.

And in every night and day, say nineteen times "There is no God but God" in truth, in very truth, for even if thou shouldst say it unto infinity, there hath been and shall be but one Divine Unity, for in names there appeareth naught but the Named One Himself, even as thou sayest there is no sun but the true Sun, shouldst thou observe. Yet consider thou the degrees of unity in relation to the degrees of names and attributes, for in the presence of every true soul that which is contrary to it hath been and shall be negated, and unto God is the journey's end.

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him. Say: All stand before His presence. God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him. Say: All glorify Him. God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him. Say: All proclaim His oneness. God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him. Say: All magnify Him. God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him. Say: All extol His greatness.

Thou hast ever been one God, Single, Unique, Independent, Self-Subsisting, Self-Sufficient. Thou hast taken neither consort nor offspring, nor hath there been any partner with Thee, neither before nor after.

… I testify to Thy independence of me and of all things, and I acknowledge Thy oneness before all things and after all things and above all things and beneath all things and to the right of all things and to the left of all things, that Thou hast ever been and wilt ever be free from the praise of any besides Thee and sanctified from that which Thy creation may acclaim.

It hath been ordained in the first Gate---the mention of His own Self---that there is none other God but Him. His are the sovereign Names: all who are in the heavens and on the earth and whatsoever lieth between them glorify Him; and all who are in the kingdom of command and of creation, and whatsoever is beneath them, prostrate themselves before Him. All are His servants, and all bow down before Him for ever---an eternity like unto eternity [al-abad, = 7].

Then say ten times: And He is Allah; there is no God save Him. His is all praise in the former and the latter, His is the command, and unto Him ye will be brought back. And cry not unto any other god along with Allah. There is no God save Him. Everything will perish save His countenance. His is the command, and unto Him ye will be brought back.

I bear witness that there is no God but God, alone with no partner, even as His Essence hath testified unto His Essence, and those endowed with knowledge among His creation in His realm of origination that He is a God, Living, Self-Subsisting, All-Knowing, All-Powerful, All-Choosing, from Whose knowledge nothing in the heavens or earth escapeth, and nothing in the worlds of command and creation overwhelmeth Him, having no attribute apart from His Essence and no quality apart from His attributes.

Thou hast ever been one God, single, eternal, self-subsisting, living, enduring, sovereign, all-pervading, holy, everlasting, forever, inaccessible, possessing, ruling, manifest, powerful. Thou hast taken neither consort nor son, and Thou hast no partner in what Thou hast created, nor any helper in what Thou hast fashioned.

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! Thou art He Who begetteth not, nor wast begotten, and there is none like unto Thee, nor equal unto Thee, nor comparable unto Thee, nor peer unto Thee. Thou hast ever been supreme over all Thy servants and manifest above all that Thou hast created in the kingdom of Thy earth and heaven.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Verily Thou hast ever been the One God, Single, Eternal, Self-Subsistent, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining, the Everlasting, the Ever-Enduring. Thou hast taken unto Thyself neither consort nor son. There hath been no equal unto Thee, no peer, no likeness, no companion, and no similitude.

Thou hast ever been one God, Single, Alone, Self-Subsisting, Ever-Living, Self-Subsisting, All-Wise, Just, Holy, Eternal, Self-Dependent. Thou hast taken unto Thyself neither consort nor son, and Thou hast no partner in what Thou hast fashioned, nor any helper in what Thou hast decreed. Thou hast ordained the measures of all things by Thy power with true ordainment, and formed the principles of all things by Thy will with true formation.

Thou hast taken neither consort nor son, nor hath there been any partner in what Thou hast created, nor any protector in what Thou hast fashioned. Thou hast created all things by Thy power with precision, and formed all things by Thy will with perfection.

Thou art He Who hath no equal, no peer, no likeness, no companion, no similitude, and Thou art He Who begetteth not, nor wast Thou begotten, Who cannot be limited or described by any similitude.

Thou hast created all things by Thy power, in due measure, and hast fashioned the creation of all things by Thy will, with perfect form. Thou art He before Whom all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth and whatsoever lieth between them prostrate themselves; and all who are in the realms of command and creation and whatsoever is beneath them are humble and submissive.

Thou hast ever been one God, single, eternal, self-subsisting, living, unchanging, sovereign, supreme, holy, everlasting, endless, inaccessible, exalted, ruling, possessing, glorified, powerful. Thou hast taken neither consort nor son, and Thou hast no partner in what Thou hast created, nor any protector in what Thou hast fashioned.

Thou wert one God, Single, Eternal, Individual, Ever-living, Self-subsisting, Sovereign, All-pervading, Holy, Everlasting, Eternal, Self-dependent, All-powerful, All-glorious, All-mighty. Thou hast taken neither consort nor son, and Thou hast no partner in what Thou hast created, nor any helper in what Thou hast fashioned.

Thou hast ever been one God, single, unique, ever-living, self-subsisting, eternal, everlasting.

Thou hast ever been one God, Single, Eternal, Self-Subsisting, Living, Self-Sustaining, All-Wise, Just, Holy, Everlasting, Eternal, Who hath taken neither consort nor son.

And say: Praise be to God Who hath taken unto Himself neither consort nor son, and all are submissive unto Him.

Glorified art Thou, O Lord! Thou hast ever been one God, single, eternal, self-subsisting, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining. Thou hast taken neither consort nor offspring, and Thou hast created nothing except that Thou hast made it bear witness to Thy oneness and that Thou hast no partner in sovereignty nor any protector on earth save by Thy leave.

Thou hast ever been one God, Single, Unique, Eternal, Self-Subsisting, the Ever-Abiding, the Ever-Enduring, the Self-Dependent. Thou hast taken neither consort nor son, and Thou hast no partner in what Thou hast created, nor any protector in what Thou hast fashioned.

Thou hast ever been alone in the heights of oneness, sanctified in the exaltation of Thy unity, inaccessible in Thine own sovereignty, and elevated in the sublimity of Thy holy dominion. How exalted is Thy remembrance, O my God, in the depths of names and attributes, and how hallowed is Thy praise and glorification, O my Beloved, in the kingdom of beginning and end! Thou hast ever been one God, single, individual, ever-living, self-subsisting. Thou hast taken neither consort nor son, and Thou hast had no partner in dominion nor any helper in command.

Then upon Thee, O Light of the Divine Identity, and Garment of the Countenance of Oneness, and Mystery of Eternality, and the Divine Grandeur, and the Glory of the Divine Essence, and the Sublimity of the Realm of Might, and [...] praise be upon my father and what is in my Lord's knowledge!

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When you enter the Blessed Shrine, pray in the small chamber near the abandoned well, then turn towards the Kaaba and say: I bear witness that there is no God but God, alone, with no partner, just as His Essence has testified to His Essence that there is no God but He, the Mighty, the Wise.

I bear witness before God, from my station amidst these mountains, that there is no God but Him, alone without partner, even as His Essence hath testified to His Essence in the loftiness of His Being.

O my God! I bear witness before Thee and before those who bear witness in Thy presence that in this Book I testify that there is no God but God, alone without partner, even as He hath testified of His Own Self unto His Own Self, and sanctified His Own Being above any likeness to aught else beside Him. He is as He is in the glory of His Being, the majesty of His Essence, the beauty of His Self, and the sanctity of His Identity.

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and the angels and those endowed with knowledge, standing firm on justice, bear witness that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the All-Wise.

I bear witness, and all things bear such witness as would purify him who beareth similar witness from all hints of aught else but His oneness, and would cause him who ascendeth through it to reach the horizon of what His grace hath caused to shine forth in creation, that there is no God but Him, alone with no partner.

I glorify Thee beyond all wherewith contingent things have glorified Thee or can glorify Thee, and I sanctify Thee beyond all wherewith contingent things have sanctified Thee or can sanctify Thee, and I testify to Thy oneness as Thou hast testified to Thine own oneness, that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, and all else besides Thee is Thy creation and within Thy grasp.

Thou didst not create that creation save that all things might attain, to the extent possible, unto that which is manifested at the revelation of Thy power and the exaltation of Thy Will. Perished be the essence that glorifieth not Thy Being, and annihilated be the reality that praiseth not Thine Essence. Extinguished be the spirits that recognize not the Sovereign of Thy holy Oneness, and abolished be the bodies that prostrate not before the Monarch of Thy Unity.

O my God! I beseech Thee by the most resplendent of Thy Oneness, though all Thy Oneness is resplendent with Thee, then in the Mother Book, O my God! I beseech Thee by all Thy Oneness.

… We shall assuredly cause to descend, O God, Thy light upon the Tree of Oneness and that which Thy knowledge hath encompassed therein, as befits the sublimity of Thy generosity, the exaltation of Thy grace, the elevation of Thy bounty, the inaccessibility of Thy tenderness and the independence of Thy loving-kindness; and upon all save the Tree of Thy love that which it deserves before Thy justice, the sovereignty of Thy omnipotence, Thy power, the dominion of Thy might, Thy glory and the court of Thy supreme grandeur.

O God! I beseech Thee by the sovereignty wherein Thou art unique, O Most Merciful, to grant permission unto me and unto them that have believed in Thee and in Thy signs, to enter Thy paradise through Thy bounty and Thy mercy.

… O God! I beseech Thee, O First One in Thy uniqueness, O Last One, to grant permission unto me and unto them that have believed in Thee and in Thy signs, to enter Thy paradise through Thy bounty and Thy mercy.

… O God! I beseech Thee, O Most Glorious in Thy uniqueness, O Hidden One, to grant permission unto me and unto them that have believed in Thee and in Thy signs, to enter Thy paradise through Thy bounty and Thy mercy.

Praise that inspireth all with His unity, attracteth souls unto the station of His uniqueness, and strengtheneth hearts through His remembrance and glorification.

Say: O servants, take heed! There is none other God but God.

… God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, before and hereafter, and all shall return unto Him.

Enable them then, O my God, to bear witness to Thy unity and to testify to Thy oneness in such wise that they may behold naught save Thee and shut their eyes to all else.

With devotion to the Kingdom of the Unseen and the Supreme Realm of Power and the Most Exalted Companion - may my spirit and all that God has bestowed upon me be a sacrifice for His steadfast and firm loved ones - recite this prayer:

O Pure One! O Peerless One! O Incomparable One! O Lord! Thou art One, with no partner, no equal, no likeness, no similitude. Thou art unique in Thy Godhead and Thy Lordship, and exalted in Thy Oneness and Thy Singleness.

I testify to Thine omnipotence and Thy might, Thy sovereignty and Thy loving-kindness, Thy grace and Thy power, the oneness of Thy Being and the unity of Thine Essence, Thy sanctity and exaltation above the world of being and all that is therein.

Say: O my God, my God! I testify to Thy oneness and Thy singleness. Thou hast no likeness in creation nor any equal in invention.

O Lord! I testify to Thy oneness and singleness, and that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O my God, my Beloved, my Lord, my Support, and my Hope! I testify that Thou hast ever been One, Single, Self-Subsisting, Alone, and wilt continue to be what Thou hast always been.

When thou hearest the cooing of the Dove of My utterance upon the branches of the Tree of My knowledge, say: "My God, my God! I testify to Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and that Thou hast no partner in Thy dominion nor any equal in Thy kingdom.

My God, my God! All praise be to Thee for having caused me to acknowledge Thy oneness and confess Thy singleness, and to submit to that which Thou hast sent down in Thy Book, whereby Thou didst distinguish between truth and falsehood through Thy command and Thy power.

Praise be to God Who hath guided His servants unto His straight path and His mighty announcement, and hath sent down upon them from the heaven of His bounty the signs of His oneness, and hath made known unto them that which, through His generosity, shall exalt them, and hath taught them that which shall draw them nigh unto the court of His might and the precincts of His nearness.

Say: My God, my God! Unto Thee be praise and unto Thee be thanksgiving, unto Thee be bounty and generosity, for having honored me with Thy days and caused me to recognize the Dawning-Place of Thy Cause, the Manifestation of Thy Self, and the Dayspring of Thy signs, and for having aided me to turn toward Thy most exalted horizon, to hearken unto Thy sweetest call, and to turn toward the lights of Thy countenance, O Lord of all names and Creator of the heavens! O my Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thee and turning away from all else, acknowledging that which the tongue of Thy grandeur hath spoken when Thou didst establish Thyself upon the throne by Thy command and will, that verily Thou art God, Who hath ever been One, Single, Alone, and Self-Subsisting, and wilt ever remain as Thou hast been.

When thou hast received My Tablet and been blessed with the Kawthar of My utterance, say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me when mankind was in manifest error, and for having caused me to turn toward Thee when the people were in grievous rejection, and for having enabled me to acknowledge the oneness of Thy Being when humanity was in severe denial.

O My handmaiden! Hearken thou unto My call, then bear witness to that whereunto God did bear witness before the creation of earth and heaven, that there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Bestower.

O my Lord! Thou seest him who hath turned toward Thee and hearest his confession of Thy oneness and singleness.

Verily, thou hast attained thereto, for thou hast acknowledged the Oneness of God and His Singleness, and turned unto His Face, the lights of which are shining from the horizon of the unseen, upon all regions!

O you who are guided by the light of guidance! I have read your missive with its wonderful contents and eloquent meanings, indicating your recognition of the oneness of God and your acknowledgment of His singleness, and the enlightenment of your insight and the purity of your inner being and the intensity of your love for the Beauty of God.

At that moment I attained joy and gladness, for from your words wafted the fragrance of the oneness of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

We testify that he has testified to the oneness of God, His singleness, His might, His greatness and His sovereignty.

Blessed art thou for having drunk of the Sealed Wine when every heedless one turned away from it veiled, and for having acknowledged the oneness and singleness of God when every rejected learned one denied Him.

We have read it and respond to thee with this clear Book, each letter of which beareth witness to the oneness of God and His singleness, and to the Most Great Announcement. It testifieth to that which the Tongue of Grandeur testified before the creation of His heaven and His earth - that there is none other God but Him.

I testify that Thou art God, there is none other God but Thee.

… Thou beholdest me, O my God, standing in this station, acknowledging Thy oneness and confessing Thy singleness, and I acknowledge that which the tongue of Thy grandeur hath spoken and that which Thy chosen ones have acknowledged.

When thou hearest My most sweet call and the rustling of My Most Exalted Pen, say: O Lord of all beings and Sovereign of the hereafter and of former times! I testify to Thy oneness and Thy singleness and to Thy power, Thy might and Thy dominion.

Bear thou witness to that whereunto God did testify before the creation of earth and heaven: that there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

We bear witness to that which God hath witnessed, that there is none other God but Him, in acknowledgment of His oneness and in recognition of His singleness, His grandeur and His sovereignty.

We bear witness at the beginning of this Book to the oneness and singleness of God, and that He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden.

This is a mention from the Wronged One to him who hath acknowledged the oneness of God and His singleness, and that He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden. There is no God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The Wronged One beareth witness to that which God hath witnessed in the Kingdom of Utterance: There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Gracious.

The Wronged One testifieth to God's unity and oneness, to His might and grandeur and sovereignty.

Give thanks unto God for having turned unto thee the face of Him Who hath been wronged, from the direction of His sorrowful prison, and Who speaketh and saith: There is none other God but He, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him. … He, verily, is the Single One, the One, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, and He Who speaketh is indeed the Single One, the All-Informed.

I bear witness to Thy power and Thy majesty and Thy sovereignty, and that Thou art God and there is none other God but Thee. … There is none other God but Thee, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him. … Verily, there is none other God but Him.

This is the Day wherein the Mystery of Divine Unity hath proclaimed: The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the One, the All-Powerful, the Unconstrained. With Him did the Day begin and with Him shall it end, and from Him have the lights appeared and unto Him have they returned.

Through them were revealed the mysteries of divine unity, and through them was raised aloft the word of detachment, and through them was hoisted upon the highest standard the banner of "There is none other God but Him."

Praise that is sanctified above the comprehension of all created things and the understanding of all beings befits and is worthy of the Lord of names and attributes, Who, to the dismay of the ungodly, has raised aloft the banner of divine unity upon the highest standards and planted the ensign of "Verily He is God" upon the most elevated station.

In His Name through Whom was raised the Banner of Divine Unity upon the world!

I am he who hath acknowledged Thy oneness before the existence of created things, and Thy unity before the appearance of contingent beings, and who hath entered the school of divine unity at the time which Thou hadst sanctified from all times and seasons.

And none knoweth how this is save him whom Thou hast acquainted with the repositories of Thy Oneness and the treasuries of Thine eternity.

O Rajab! In the tradition it is stated: "All wonder, complete wonder, between Jumadi and Rajab!" Thou art Rajab, and God willing, a First Jumadi, which is the First Spring, shall also appear. At that time "All wonder, complete wonder" - which is the witness of the delicate mystery of oneness and singleness - shall be made manifest and become the cause of the appearance of the sign of unity.

The veils of glory have not prevented him from beholding the beauty of Thy oneness, nor have the shrouds of allusion obscured his vision from witnessing the signs of Thy unity and the evidences of Thy singleness.

I beseech Thee to inscribe me, by Thy Most Exalted Pen, among those who have acknowledged Divine Unity and detached themselves from idle fancies and from that which befitteth not Thy days.

Blessed is the soul whose heart is free and detached from the world and all that is therein. Such a one is worthy to make mention of the blessed Word of Unity.

Praise be to God that the favored community has attained to this station and acknowledges and confesses the oneness of God.

Write Thou for them that which Thou hast written for Thy chosen ones and Thy trusted ones - they who, O my God, have acknowledged Thy unity and Thy oneness and have confessed that which Thou didst send down to them from the heaven of Thy will.

I beseech Thee by the yearning of the hearts of the lovers and the sighs of the hearts of the longing ones, and by Thy Name through which the pavilion of misbelief was destroyed and the canopy of divine unity was raised up, to preserve him who hath believed in Thee and in Thy signs, and hath held fast unto the cord of Thy bounty, and hath turned toward the direction of Thy mercy and Thy good-pleasure.

This is Thy servant who hath bowed down before the King of Thy oneness, who hath humbled himself before the presence of Thy singleness, who hath believed in the Beauty of Thy uniqueness, and who hath supplicated the Kingdom of Thy self-subsistence.

O our Lord! Send down upon this one who seeketh refuge at the gate of Thy oneness, from the outpourings of the heaven of Thy glorious unity, and attract him through the holy fragrances of Thy singleness.

O Thou peerless Lord! Make Thou this bird of the Realms above that winged its flight unto the kingdom of Thy sanctity and hath sought refuge at the Threshold of Thy Divine Unity, an angel in the garden of forgiveness, and let it sing the tender melodies of Thy Oneness in the meadow of Truth, in the paradise of Thy Singleness, and in the rose-bush of Thy mercy.

May Jinab-i-Haji Muhammad Ibrahim have hope in the grace of the Lord of Oneness.

Thus do I acknowledge Thy oneness and confess Thy singleness, submitting to Thy grandeur and Thy sovereignty, and standing before the gate of Thy mercy, turning toward Thy countenance after the passing of the people of Thy kingdom.

I beseech Thee by Thy most exalted Self, and by Thy Most Great Sign, and by Thy Most Beautiful Names, to number me among the people of Thy paradise who have acknowledged Thy oneness and confessed Thy singleness and turned toward the direction of Thy mercy and remained steadfast in Thy remembrance until they were martyred in Thy path and sacrificed themselves in Thy love and good-pleasure.

I call upon Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst raise up the heavens upon the thread of Thine eternity and didst elevate the pavilions of the Cause upon the throne of the glory of Thine oneness, that Thou mayest send down upon those who have mentioned Thy Most Exalted Name and who have followed the path of Thy love in the realm below, and then raise them up, O my God, unto the stations of holiness in Thy presence, that they may dwell in Thy habitations and drink from the cup of Thy good-pleasure.

I beseech Thee by the beauty of Thy countenance, through which the lights of Thy sun of pre-existence and the splendors of Thy moon of oneness have shone forth upon all created things, that Thou make Thy servant who hath believed in Thee one of the temples of Thy divine unity, and raise him to such a station that he may dwell in the precincts of Thy mercy and rest beneath the shade of Thy loving-kindness.

O Lord! Aid Thy sincere servants to be endowed with the signs of Thy Divine nature and to be inflamed with the fire kindled in the Tree of Thy Oneness.

Stand firm in the Cause, then kindle the fire of oneness in the hearts of all creatures that it may purify them from the defilement of idle fancy and draw them nigh unto God, the Lord of the former and latter generations.

My Pen and My tongue bear witness that thou didst acknowledge the unity of God and His justice when the banner of tyranny was raised in the world and every idolatrous betrayer raised his cry, and thou didst arise to serve the Cause in days wherein feet did stumble.

O my God, direct and keep Thy Servants to accomplish any deeds acceptable before Thee in the Cause of Thy unity. Verily Thou art the Generous, the Merciful.

Then remove hatred from among them that they may unite upon the word of Thy singleness within the temple of Thy oneness, such that they dwell only in Thy remembrance, turn only to Thy face, draw near only through Thy good-pleasure, and speak only by Thy leave, that they may become as one soul and one name and one form in the earth.

I beseech Thee by the dawn of Thy unity which has risen, appeared, shone forth and proclaimed the light of Thy oneness and the mystery of Thy detachment from all peers and likenesses, to unite the scattered members of this gathering beneath the shade of the tree of Thy oneness and to bring together the dispersed of this company under the word of Thy singleness, and make them a sign of Thy oneness, a token of Thy sovereignty, and a flame of Thy light, and a gleaming that has shone forth in the horizons of Thy kingdom.

The ocean of oneness hath surged, and the Ark hath sailed, and the fragrance of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, hath been wafted.

O youth! Bear thou witness unto that whereunto God hath testified in this most exalted Station, this most sublime Summit, and this most glorious Horizon, that there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling over what hath been and what shall be.

The hearts of lovers burst into ardent flame, and the eyes of them that longed for Him wept for joy. The rose-garden of divine unity was adorned, the flower-bed of detachment was arrayed, the festival of heavenly outpourings was ordained, and the banquet of "Am I not?" was made ready.

Praise be to God that the King of power and might is seated upon the throne of glory, and the Sovereign of eternity is established in the realm of meeting, and the sweet-scented breezes of eternity are stirred from the left side of the Beloved's locks, and the fragrant musk of faithfulness wafts from the right side of the Intended One's hair, and the Bird of Light warbles upon the branches of the Tree of Sinai, and the Cock of Glorification sings in the gardens of Divine Unity.

I beseech Thee by the oneness which Thou hast made the garment of Thy Self, and by the eternity which Thou hast made the ornament of Thy temple, that Thou mayest, through Thy Name the All-Giving, take up a chalice of the water of life and, through Thy Name the All-Bountiful, pass it round among all contingent beings.

O Muhammad! The spiritual wine of oneness is prepared and the Bearer of the eternal countenance is the Cup-Bearer - take and drink, and give to drink!

Concerning the Divine Spirit or Soul (Ilahiyyih), it is the Supreme Reality comprising all the divine and heavenly realities manifested by the Ancient Light. It is hidden behind the great mysteries, and it is the Point of Unity (al-nuqtatu'l-ahadiyyah) from which all things are made manifest, the Origin and end of all things, one in its essence (ahadiyyatu'l-dhat) and one in its attributes (wahidiyyatu'l-sifat).

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...that which is of the Divine Unity (al-ahadiyah) none participate in it, for one cannot designate aspects to it; it is not subject to distinction. The Unity of God integrates the totality (of the Names or the Qualities) in the principle indifferentiation.

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Ahadiyah [is the level where] all the modes contained within Oneness are eliminated, whereas within wahidiyah they are established. God may correctly be called the principle and source of a thing or things only in respect of wahidiyah.... Wahidiyah follows ahadiyah and is the origin of the Names and Attributes, which possess relative manyness.

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From the particular viewpoint of the Divine self-manifestation (tajalli) ... the Absolute in the state of unconditional transcendence is said to be at the level of 'unity' (ahadiyah). There is as yet no tajalli.... The tajalli of the Absolute begins to occur only at the next stage, that of the 'oneness' (wahidiyah) which means Unity of the Many. (Izutsu, Sufism and Taoism, pp. 23-24) [See also Izutsu's comparison of dhat and ahadiyah:] I follow the tradition of those who completely identify the metaphysical stage of dhat with that of ahadiyah, like Qashani and Qaysari. It is to be remarked that there are others (like Jili) who distinguish between dhat and ahadiyah. For them, dhat is the absolute Absolute while ahadiyah is the next metaphysical stage at which the Absolute discloses itself as the ultimate source of tajalli.

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The creative movement, or, to use the technical terminology of wahdat al-wujud philosophy, the self-manifestation (tajalli) of the Absolute which is activated by the principle of love, emerges for the first time at the stage of ahadiyah and is called the 'most sacred Emanation' (Fayd-i-Aqdas). As the result of this Emanation, the stage of wahidiyah becomes established. The wahidiyah, is the ontological state at which the original absolute Oneness of the reality of existence appears with inner articulations. These inner articulations are called, in accordance with the traditional terminology of theology, divine Names and Attributes. … The essential Perfections of God that are thus established in divine Consciousness with clear demarcations are called the 'eternal Archetypes' (a`yan thabitah).

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...'we' are third in order counting from God, being made, Plato says, 'from the undivided,' that which is above, 'and from that which is divided in bodies'...

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...the ascent must be made to a one, and this means truly one, but not one like all other things which are multiple and one by participation in a one--the One must be grasped that is not one by participation and is not as much many as one...

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'One' must be understood in a larger sense than that in which a unity and a point are unified.... For when you think of him as Intellect or God, he is more; and when you unify him in your thought, here also the degree of unity by which he transcends your thought is more than you imagined it to be; for he is by himself without any incidental attributes.

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Two stations can be observed in the Divine Unity (tawhid): Existential Oneness (tawhid-i-wujudi), and this is that [station] wherein they negate everything with a 'no' and affirm the Absolute Reality. This means that they do not acknowledge the existence of anything other than the Absolute Reality, in the sense that all things, when placed next to the manifestation and remembrance of It, have been and will continue to be absolute nothingness (fana-yi mahd).... [The second station in Divine Unity,] Manifestational Oneness (tawhid-i shuhudi), is that [station] where the signs of the Primal Divine Unity, the manifestations of Eternity, and the effulgences of the light of Singleness can be observed in all things.

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