6/10/2017 DivineSingularity:TheOnenessofGod|HamzaAndreasTzortzis

DIVINESINGULARITY:THEONENESSOFGOD

Imagineyouareanexplorerwhotookaspaceshiptoanotherplanettovisithumanlikecreatures.Onceyoulandonthe
planet,youmeetyourguide.HetellsyouthatyourspaceshiplandedonSphinga,theplanetsborderlesscountry.Youare

confusedandaskyourguideifthereareanyothercountriesontheplanet.Helaughsandreplies,Yes,therearetwo.You
retort,Well,howdoyouknowwhenyoureinanothercountryiftheresnothingtodifferentiatethem?Yourguidesighs

andsays,Yeah,wehavethesameproblem.Therearenobordersandthefeaturesofonecountryarethesameasthe

other.Youfinallyendthediscussionbysaying,Youshouldhavejustmadethemintoonecountrythen,becausethatis
whatitlooksliketome.

Youbothcontinueyourjourneytomeetagroupofofficialsforlunch.Duringthemealoneoftheofficialspraisesthe

kingsofthecountry.Uponhearingthis,youpolitelyask,Youmean,thereismorethanoneking?Theofficialreplies,

Yes,wehavetwokings.Youseemperplexedandaskhowthecountrycanfunctionwithtwokings.Howdoyouhave
harmonyinyourlaws,andorderinyoursociety?Theofficialreplies,Well,theyalwaysagree.Theirwillsareone.You

cannotholdyourselfbackandyourespond,Well,youdonotreallyhavetwokings,then.Becausetheyareactingin

accordancewithonewill.

ThisstorycontainsthreeofthefiveargumentsIwillpresentforthefactthattherecanonlybeoneGod.Thefirstpartof
thestorysummarisesanargumentthatIcallconceptualdifferentiation.Itpostulatesthatinorderformultiplicitytoexist,

theremustbesomeconceptsthatdifferentiateonethingfromanother.Forexample,ifIsaidthattherearetwobananason

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thetable,youwouldbeabletoverifythatstatementbyobservingthem.Thereasonyoucanseetwobananasisbecause
thereexistconceptsthatdifferentiatethemforexample,theirsize,shape,andlocationonthetable.However,iftherewas

nothingtodifferentiatethemyoucouldnotdistinguishbetweenthem.Similarly,sincethisbooksofarhasarguedthatthere
isanecessaryuncreatedcreatorwhoispowerful,knowing,AllAwareandtranscendent,thentoclaimthattherearetwo

wouldrequireaconceptthatdifferentiatesthem.ButinorderfortheCreatortobeacreator,Hemusthavetheseattributes,

sosayingtherearetwowithoutonebeingdifferentfromanotherisbasicallysayingthatthereisonlyonecreator.If
whateveristrueofonecreatoristrueofanother,thenwehavejustdefinedonecreatorandnottwo.

Thesecondpartofthestorysummarisesboththeargumentfromexclusionandtheargumentfromdefinition.The
argumentfromexclusionmaintainsthattherecanonlybeoneDivinewill.Ifthereweretwocreatorsandonewantedto

createatree,onlythreeoptionswouldbepossible.Thefirstisthattheybothcanceleachotheroutthisisnotarational
possibilitysincecreationexists,andiftheycancelledeachotherout,therewouldbenocreationatall.Thesecondisthat

onecreatoroverpowerstheotherbyensuringhistreeiscreated.Thethirdoptionisthattheybothagreetocreatethesame

treeinthesameway.Bothoftheseoptionsimplythatthereisonlyonewill,andonewillinthecontextofourdiscussions

meansonecreator.

Theargumentfromdefinitionassertsthattherecannotbemorethanonecreator.Ifthereweremorethanonecreatorthe

cosmoswouldnotdisplaytheharmonythatitdoes.Aswellpresentingargumentsforacreator,thisbookhasalso
warrantedthetraditionalconceptionofGod.SincethetraditionalconceptionreferstoGodhashavinganimposingwill

thatcannotbelimitedbyanythingexternaltoHim,thenitlogicallyfollowstherecannotbetwounlimitedDivinewills.

Thisessaywillelaborateontheseargumentsandpresentanothertwotoshowthatthiscreatormustbeone:

Theargumentfromexclusion

Conceptualdifferentiation

Occamsrazor

Theargumentfromdefinition

Theargumentfromrevelation.

Argumentfromexclusion

Thisargumentmaintainsthattheexistenceofmultiplecreatorsisimpossiblebecausetherecanonlybeonewill.Sincethe

Creatoriseternalandbroughtintoexistencetheuniversewhichbeganatapointintime,itmeansthattheCreatorchosethe

universetocomeintoexistencechoiceimpliesawill.Questioninghowmanywillscanexistleadsusnicelytodiscussthis

argumentindetail.

Forthesakeofargument,letssaythereweretwocreators.CreatorAwantedtomovearock,andcreatorBalsowantedto

movethesamerock.Therearethreepossiblescenariosthatcanarise:

1.Oneofthecreatorsoverpowerstheotherbymovingtherockinadifferentdirectionfromtheother.

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2.Theybothcanceleachotherout,andtherockdoesnotmove.

3.Theybothmovetherockinthesamedirection.

Thefirstscenarioimpliesonlyonewillmanifestsitself.Thesecondscenariomeansthatthereisnowillinaction.Thisis

notpossiblebecausetheremustbeawillactedupon,aswehavecreationinexistence.Thethirdscenarioultimately

describesonlyonewill.Therefore,itismorerationaltoconcludethatthereisonlyonecreatorbecausethereisonlyone
will.

Ifsomeonearguesthatyoucanhavemorethanoneentityandstillhaveonewill,Iwouldrespondbyasking:howdoyou
knowthereismorethanoneentity?Itsoundslikeanargumentfromignorance,becausethereisnoevidencewhatsoeverfor

suchaclaim.Thisleadsustothenextargument.

Conceptualdifferentiation

Fortwocreatorstoexist,theymustbedifferentinsomeway.Forexample,ifyouhavetwotrees,theywilldifferinsize,

shape,colourandage.Eveniftheyhadidenticalphysicalattributes,therewouldbeatleastonethingthatallowsusto

distinguishthattheyareinfacttwotrees.Thiscanincludetheirplacementorposition.Youcanalsoapplythistotwinswe

knowtherearetwopeoplebecausesomethingmakesthemdifferent.Thiscouldevenbethemerefactthattheycannot

occupythesameplaceatthesametime.

Ifthereweremorethanonecreator,thentheremustbesomethingtodifferentiatebetweenthem.However,iftheyarethe

sameineverypossibleaspect,thenhowcanwesaytherearetwo?Ifsomethingisidenticaltoanother,thenwhatistrueof
oneisalsotruefortheother.Saywehadtwothings,AandB.Iftheyarethesameineveryway,andnothingallowsusto

differentiatebetweenthem,thentheyarethesamething.Wecanturnthisintoahypotheticalproposition:Ifwhateveris

trueofAistrueofB,thenAisidenticaltoB.

NowletusapplythistotheCreator.Imaginethattwocreatorsexist,calledcreatorXandcreatorY,andthatwhateveris
trueofcreatorXisalsotrueofcreatorY.Forinstance,creatorXisAllPowerfulandAllWiseso,creatorYisAll

PowerfulandAllWise.Howmanycreatorsarethereinreality?Onlyone,duetothefactthatthereisnothingto
differentiatebetweenthem.Ifsomeoneweretoarguethattheyaredifferent,thentheywouldnotbedescribinganother

creatorbutsomethingthatiscreated,asitwouldnothavethesameattributesbefittingtheCreator.

Ifsomeoneisadamantinclaimingthattherecanbetwocreatorsandtheyaredifferentfromeachother,thenIsimplyask,
Howaretheydifferent?Iftheyattempttoanswerthequestion,theyentertherealmofarguingfromignorance,because
theywillhavetomakeupevidencetojustifytheirfalseconclusion.

Occamsrazor

Inlightoftheabove,wemightfindafewirrationalandstubbornpeoplewhostillpositapluralityofcreatorsorcauses.In
lightofOccamsrazor,thisisnotasoundargument.Occamsrazorisaphilosophicalprincipleattributedtothe

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14thcenturylogicianandFranciscanfriarWilliamofOccam.Thisprincipleenjoins:Pluralitasnonestponendasine
necessitateinEnglishPluralityshouldnotbepositedwithoutnecessity.Inotherwords,thesimplestandmost

comprehensiveexplanationisthebestone.

Inthiscase,wehavenoevidencethattheCreatoroftheuniverseisactuallyacombinationoftwo,threeorevenone
thousandcreators,sothesimplestexplanationisthattheCreatorisone.Postulatingapluralityofcreatorsdoesnotaddto

thecomprehensivenessoftheargumenteither.Inotherwords,toaddmorecreatorswouldnotenhancethearguments
explanatorypowerorscope.ToclaimthatanAllPowerfulcreatorcreatedtheuniverseisjustascomprehensiveas
claimingthattwoAllPowerfulcreatorscreatedit.Onecreatorisallthatisrequired,simplybecauseitisAllPowerful.I

wouldarguethatpostulatingmultiplecreatorsactuallyhasreducedexplanatorypowerandscopethisisbecauseitraisesfar
moreproblemsthanitsolves.Forexample,thefollowingquestionsexposetheirrationalityofthisformofpolytheism

howdomanyexternalbeingscoexist?Whataboutthepotentialofanyconflictingwills?Howdotheyinteract?

ApopularobjectiontothisargumentisthatifweweretoapplythisprincipletothepyramidsinEgypt,wewouldabsurdly
adopttheviewthattheyweremadebyoneperson,becauseitseemstobethesimplestexplanation.Thisisamisapplication
oftheprinciple,becauseitignoresthepointaboutcomprehensiveness.Takingtheviewthatthepyramidswerebuiltbyone

personisnotthesimplestandmostcomprehensiveexplanation,asitraisesfarmorequestionsthanitanswers.Forinstance,
howcouldonemanhavebuiltthepyramids?Itisfarmorecomprehensivetopostulatethatitwasbuiltbymanymen.In

lightofthis,someonecansaythattheuniverseissocomplexthatitwouldbeabsurdtopostulatethatonlyonecreator
createdit.Thiscontention,althoughvalid,ismisplaced.ApowerfulBeingcreatingthewholeuniverseisafarmore
coherentandsimpleexplanationthanapluralityofcreators,becauseapluralityofcreatorsraisestheunanswerable

questionsstatedinthepreviousparagraph.Nevertheless,thecriticmaycontinuetoarguethatitwasntonepersonthat
createdthePyramids,butanAllPowerfulcreator.TheproblemwiththisisthatnothingwithintheuniverseisanAll

PowerfulBeing,andsincethePyramidsarebuildings,andbuildingsarebuiltbyanefficientcause(apersonorpersons
thatact),thenthePyramidsmusthavebeencreatedbythesametypeofcause.Thisleadsusbacktotheoriginalpoint,that
morethanoneofthesecauseswasrequiredtobuildthePyramids.

Theargumentfromdefinition

Reasonnecessitatesthatifthereweremorethanonecreator,theuniversewouldbeinchaos.Therewouldalsonotbethe
leveloforderwefindinthecosmos.TheQuranhasasimilarargument:HadtherebeenwithintheheavensandEarth

godsbesidesGod,theybothwouldhavebeenruined.[1]

TheclassicalcommentaryknownasTafsiralJalalaynstates:HeavenandtheEarthwouldhavelosttheirnormal

orderednesssincetherewouldhaveinevitablybeeninternaldiscord,asisnormalwhenthereareseveralrulers:theyoppose

oneanotherinthingsanddonotagreewithoneanother.[2]

However,onemightpointoutthatsincemorethanonepersonmadeyourcaronepersonfittedthewheels,andsomeone

elseinstalledtheengineandanotherpersoninstalledthecomputersystemmaybetheuniversewascreatedinthesame

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way.Thisexampleindicatesthatacomplexobjectcanbecreatedbymorethanonecreator.

Inordertorespondtothiscontention,whathastobeunderstoodisthatthemostrationalexplanationfortheoriginsofthe
universeistheconceptofGodandnotjustacreator.Theremaybeanabstractconceptualpossibilityofmultiplecreators,

ashighlightedbythecarexample,buttherecannotbemorethanoneGod.ThisisbecauseGodbydefinitionistheBeing
thathasanimposingwillthatcannotbelimitedbyanythingexternaltoHim.IfthereweretwoormoreGods,theywould
haveacompetitionofwills,whichwouldresultinchaosanddisorder.Theuniverseweobserveisgovernedby

mathematicallawsandorderthereforeitmakessensethatitistheresultofoneimposingwill.Interestingly,theobjection
aboveactuallysupportsDivineoneness.Inorderforthecartowork,thedifferentpeoplewhowereresponsibleformaking

ithadtoconformtotheoverallwillofthedesigner.Thedesignlimitedthewillsofthoseresponsibleformakingthecar.
SinceGod,bydefinition,cannothaveHiswilllimitedbyanythingoutsideofHimself,itfollowsthattherecannotbemore
thanoneDivinewill.

However,onemayarguethatmultipleGodscanagreetohavethesamewillortheycaneachhavetheirowndomain.This

wouldmeanthattheirwillsarenowlimitedandpassive,whichwouldmeantheyarenotGodsanymorebydefinition.

The12thcenturyMuslimthinkerandphilosopherIbnRushd,alsoknownasAverroesinthewesterntradition,summarises
thisargument:

Themeaningoftheverseisimplantedintheinstincts[ofman]bynature.Itisselfevidentthatiftherearetwokings,

theactionsofeachonebeingthesameasthoseoftheother,itwouldnotbepossible[forthem]tomanagethesamecity,
fortherecannotresultfromtwoagentsofthesamekindoneandthesameaction.Itfollowsnecessarilythatiftheyacted

together,thecitywouldberuined,unlessoneofthemactedwhiletheotherremainedinactiveandthisisincompatible
withtheattributeofDivinity.Whentwoactionsofthesamekindconvergeononesubstratum,thatsubstratumiscorrupted

necessarily.[3]

Theargumentfromrevelation

AsimplerwayofprovidingevidenceforGodsonenessistorefertorevelation.ThisargumentpostulatesthatifGodhas

announcedhimselftohumanity,andthisrevelationcanbeproventobefromHim,thenwhatHesaysaboutHimselfis
true.However,ascepticmayquestionsomeoftheassumptionsbehindthisargument.TheseassumptionsincludethatGod

hasannouncedHimselftohumankindandthattherevelationisintheformofabook.

Letsfirsttacklethelastassumption.IfGodhasannouncedHimselftohumankind,thereareonlytwopossiblewaystofind
out:internallyandexternally.WhatImeanbyinternallyisthatyoucanfindoutwhoGodissolelybyintrospectionand
internalisation,andwhatImeanbyexternallyisthatyoucanfindoutwhoGodisviacommunicationfromoutsideof

yourselfinotherwords,itisinstantiatedintherealworld.FindingoutaboutGodinternallyisimplausibleforthe
followingreasons:

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1.Humanbeingsaredifferenttheyhavewhatpsychologistscallindividualdifferences.TheseincludeDNA,
experiences,socialcontexts,intellectualandemotionalcapacities,genderdifferences,andmanymore.These
differencesplayaroleinourabilitytointernaliseviaintrospectionorintuition.Therefore,theresultsofthinking

willdiffer.IftheseprocessesweresolelyusedtofindoutaboutGod,inevitablydifferencesinourconceptionof
Himwouldarise.Thisistruefromahistoricalpointofview.Fromtheancientworldof6000BCEtothepresent,

therearerecordsofapproximately3,700differentnamesandconceptsforGod.

2.SincethemethodusedtoconcludethatGoddoesexistisacommonsensemethod,orwhatphilosopherscall
rationalthoughtandwhatMuslimtheologianscallinnatethinking,thentryingtofindoutaboutwhoGodis,

ratherthanjustaffirmHisexistence,wouldbefallacious.Therearelimitstoourreasoning.Abstractthinkingand
reflectionsonthephysicalworldcanonlyleadustotheconclusionthatacreatorexists,andHeispowerful,

knowing,etc.Togobeyondthoseconclusionswouldbespeculative.TheQuranaptlyasks,Doyousayabout

Godthatwhichyoudonotknow?[4]TryingtofindoutwhoGodisviaintrospectionwouldbelikeamouse
tryingtoconceptualiseagalaxy.Thehumanbeingisnoteternal,uniqueandpowerful.Thereforethehumanbeing

cannotconceptualisewhoGodis.Godwouldhavetotellyouviaexternalrevelation.

Takethefollowingexampleintoconsideration.YourknowledgethatGodexistsisliketheknockingofthedooryousafely
assumethatsomethingisthere,butdoyouknowwhoitis?Youwerentexpectinganyone,sotheonlywaytofindwhois

behindthedoorisifthepersontellsyou.ThereforeyoucanconcludethatifGodhassaidorannouncedanything,itmust

beexternaltothehumanbeing.Anythingelsewouldbemerespeculation.

FromanIslamicperspectivethisexternalcommunicationistheQuran,asitistheonlytexttoclaimtohavecomefrom

GodthatfitsthecriteriaforaDivinetext.Thesecriteriainclude:

1.ItmustbeconsistentwiththerationalandintuitiveconclusionofGodexistence.Forexample,ifabooksaysGod
isanelephantwith40legs,youcouldsafelyassumethatthisbookisnotfromGod,asGodmustbeexternaltothe

universeandindependent.Anelephant,regardlessofform,isadependentbeing.Thisisbecauseithaslimited

physicalqualities,suchsize,shapeandcolour.Allthingswithlimitedphysicalqualitiesaredependentbecause
thereareexternalfactorsthatgaverisetotheirlimitations.Godisnotphysicalandisindependent.Therefore,

nothingwithlimitedphysicalqualitiescanbeGod.

2.Itmustbeinternallyandexternallyconsistent.Inotherwords,ifitsaysonpage20thatGodisoneandthenon
page340itssaysGodisthree,thatwouldbeaninternal,irreconcilableinconsistency.Additionally,ifthebook

saysthattheuniverseisonly6,000yearsold,thenthatwouldbeanexternalinconsistencyasrealityasweknowit

affirmsthattheuniverseisolderthanthat.

3.Itmusthavesignpoststothetranscendent.TherevelationmustcontainmaterialthatindicatesitisfromtheDivine
andthatitcannotbeadequatelyexplainednaturalistically.Insimpleterms,itmusthaveevidencetoshowthatitis

fromGod.

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TheQuranhassignpoststhatindicateitisaDivinetext.Thebookcannotbeexplainednaturalisticallytherefore,

supernaturalexplanationsarethebestexplanation.Someofthesesignpostsinclude:

1.TheQuranslinguisticandliteraryinimitability

2.SomeofthehistoricalaccountsintheQurancouldnothavebeenknowntomanatthetimeofrevelation

3.Itsuniquearrangementandstructure. [5]

Toconclude,sincetheonlywaytoknowwhatGodhasannouncedtohumankindisviaexternalrevelation,andthis
revelationcanbeproventobetheQuranthenwhatissaysaboutGodistrue.TheQuranisexplicitlyclearconcerning

Hisoneness:AnddonotarguewiththepeopleoftheScriptureexceptinawaythatisbest,exceptforthosewhocommit

injusticeamongthem,andsay,Webelieveinthatwhichhasbeenrevealedtousandrevealedtoyou.AndourGodand

yourGodisoneandweareMuslims[insubmission]toHim.[6]

ThesearesomeoftheargumentsthatcanbeusedtoshowthatGodisonehoweverthistopiconcetrulyunderstood
willhavesomeprofoundeffectsonthehumanconscience.IfoneGodhascreatedus,itfollowsthatwemustsee

everythingviaHisonenessandnotourabstractedperspectivesofdisunityanddivision.Weareahumanfamily,andifwe

seeourselvesthisway,itcanhaveprofoundeffectsonoursociety.IfweloveandbelieveinGod,thenweshouldshow
compassionandmercytowhatHehascreated.JustlikewhattheProphetMuhammadsaid:

ThosewhoaremercifulwillbeshownmercybytheMostMerciful.BemercifultothoseontheEarthandtheOneinthe

heavenswillhavemercyuponyou.[7]

Lastupdated16January2017.TakenandadaptedfrommybookTheDivineReality:God,Islam&TheMirageof

Atheism.Youcanpurchasethebookhere.

References

[1]TheQuran,Chapter21,Verse22.

[2]AlMahalli,J.andAsSuyuti,J.(2007)TafsirAlJalalayn.TranslatedbyAishaBewley.London:DarAlTaqwa,p.

690Mahali,J.andAsSuyutiJ.(2001)TafsiralJalalayn.3rdEdition.Cairo:DaralHadith,p.422.Youcanaccessa

copyonlineat:https://ia800205.us.archive.org/1/items/FP158160/158160.pdf[Accessed1stOctober2016].

[3]Avveroes.(2001)FaithandReasoninIslam.Translatedwithfootnotes,indexandbibliographybyIbrahimY.Najjar.

Oxford:OneWorld,p.40.

[4]TheQuran,Chapter7,Verse28.

[5]FormoreontheDivinenatureoftheQuranpleaseread:Khan,N.A.andRandhawa,S.(2016)DivineSpeech:

ExploringtheQuranasLiterature.Texas:BayyinahInstituteandZakariya,A.(2015)TheEternalChallenge:AJourney
ThroughTheMiraculousQuran.London:OneReason.
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