Monism Vs Monotheism

• Ancient Greek philosophical schools such as Neoplatonism and Stoicism reflected monistic ideas.

  • Logos: In Stoic thought, Logos was seen as a rational principle that pervades the universe, almost like an immanent divine force.
  • Neoplatonism: Developed by Plotinus, it presented the idea of “The One” (Hen) as the ultimate reality from which everything emanates.

• Language Influence:

  • To Hen (τὸ ἕν): Refers to “The One,” suggesting a monistic source.
  • The Greek term theos (θεός) refers to “god” but lacks the precision of Allah (unique and without partners).

• Greek-speaking Jews during the Hellenistic period adopted terms like Kyrios (Κύριος, meaning “Lord”) for God, often reflecting the Hebrew concept of Yahweh (One God).
• Early Christians used ho theos (ὁ θεός) to describe “God the Father” but gradually leaned toward Trinitarian concepts, diverging from monotheism.

Quranic Correction:
The Quran refutes monistic emanationism:

لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ
“He neither begets nor is born.” [Quran 112:3]

God is distinct from creation, and everything depends on Him.

• Taoism (Daoism), rooted in the Chinese language and culture, presents a monistic view where everything arises from Tao (道)—the Way or the underlying principle of existence.

• Tao (道): Seen as an impersonal, immanent force that gives rise to yin (passive) and yang (active), embodying duality within monism.

• Confusion of Creator-Creation:

  • Tao is not a “personal Creator” but an abstract source, leading to pantheistic or naturalistic interpretations.
  • Example Phrase: Tian dao (天道) – “The way of heaven,” blending nature and spirituality without clear transcendence.

Quranic Correction:
Islam identifies Allah as both transcendent and involved in creation without being part of it:

وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ
“And He is with you wherever you are.” [Quran 57:4]

Unlike Tao, Allah’s presence does not compromise His uniqueness.

• Hebrew, as the language of the Torah and Judaism, strongly affirms monotheism (Shema):

  שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד
  “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One.” [Deuteronomy 6:4]

• However, linguistic expressions in Hebrew sometimes use anthropomorphic imagery for God, such as “the hand of God” or “the anger of God.”

• Elohim (אֱלֹהִים): Grammatically plural but theologically singular, potentially leading to misunderstandings.

Risk: Such anthropomorphic terms, if misinterpreted, can obscure divine transcendence.

Quranic Clarification:

لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ
“There is nothing like Him.” [Quran 42:11]

• The Persian religion of Zoroastrianism introduced a dualistic worldview:

  • Ahura Mazda: The “Wise Lord” and supreme god, hinting at monotheism.
  • Angra Mainyu: The destructive spirit opposing Ahura Mazda.

• Language Influence:

  • Persian terms like Yazdan (god) and Ahura reflect a monotheistic core but coexist with dualistic language.
  • Over time, Persian poetry (e.g., Rumi and Hafez) expressed Sufi ideas that flirted with monism (wahdat-ul-wujud).

Islamic Correction:

وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَقَدَّرَهُ تَقْدِيرًا
“And He created all things and determined them with precise determination.” [Quran 25:2]

Allah is the sole Creator, and evil arises as part of the test of creation, not as an independent opposing force.

• As discussed earlier, Sanskrit reflects the monistic philosophy of Advaita Vedanta:

  • Brahman: The impersonal ultimate reality.
  • Atman: The self or soul, identical to Brahman in monism.

• Terms like “Tat Tvam Asi” (तत्त्वमसि): “You are That,” blurring Creator-creation distinctions.

Islamic Clarification:
The Quran rejects any merging between the Creator and creation:

وَلِلَّهِ الْمَثَلُ الْأَعْلَىٰ
“To Allah belongs the highest example.” [Quran 16:60]

• Japanese Shinto language expresses a fragmented divinity through kami (神), where spirits and forces are worshipped.

• Language Blurring:

  • Shizen (自然): Nature as sacred.
  • Tamashii (魂): The human soul intertwined with the natural order.

• Buddhism in Japan added layers of monistic nihilism (mu, nothingness).

Islamic Correction:
Allah is separate from nature:

اللَّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ
“Allah is the Creator of all things.” [Quran 39:62]

• Latin and Germanic Influence: Words like Deus (Latin) and Gott (German) once reflected monotheism but became diluted as secular philosophy emerged.

• “Nature” as a Substitute for God: Secular humanism and scientific materialism replaced divine agency with impersonal “forces of nature.”

• Risk: A shift from monotheism to deism, pantheism, or outright atheism.

Quranic Correction:

هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ
“He is Allah, other than whom there is no deity.” [Quran 59:22]

Languages like Greek, Sanskrit, Chinese, Persian, Hebrew, Japanese, and European languages each carry remnants of monotheistic concepts but are often corrupted by monistic, polytheistic, or secular drift. These linguistic and philosophical systems reveal humankind’s innate longing for the Divine, yet they ultimately fall short of recognizing Allah’s absolute oneness (tawhid) and transcendence.

• Monotheistic Roots: Many of these languages originally carried traces of monotheism through terms like Logos, Tian, Ahura Mazda, and Elohim.
• Philosophical Corruption: Over time, these terms became intertwined with pantheistic, dualistic, or anthropomorphic ideas, leading to blurred Creator-creation boundaries.
• Secular Dilution: Modern European languages, influenced by the Enlightenment, drifted further into secularism, replacing divine agency with nature, reason, or materialism.

1. How do linguistic ambiguities in other languages contribute to philosophical and theological errors?
2. In what ways does Quranic Arabic restore theological clarity that is missing in other religious or cultural frameworks?
3. How can Muslims introduce tawhid to those trapped in monistic or polytheistic thought systems by using comparative dialogue?
4. Why is it essential for divine revelation to be preserved in a precise and unchanged language like Arabic?