RAYS OF TAWHID

In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate
Know, then, [O human being,] that there is no deity save God. (Q. 47:19)

“I swear by the One in whose hands is Muhammad’s being…” (an oath used by the Prophet, mentioned in various authentic hadiths)

When the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, used to make an oath so as to emphasize a point, he repeatedly and most frequently used the phrase: “[I swear] by the One in whose hands is Muhammad’s being.” … This oath of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is very meaningful. It is an incredible and comprehensive expression of the oneness [tawhid] of “sustainership” [rubūbiyya]. Here we shall briefly present just three of the very lovely, precious and bright ‘fruits’ of the truth of tawhid…

First Fruit: Tawhid Reveals the Divine Beauty and Perfection

Divine beauty and perfection are revealed through oneness (tawhid) and unity (wahda). If there is no unity, then the eternal treasure becomes hidden.
Indeed, only tawhid discloses the limitless beauty and perfection of God, the endless splendor of the Sustainer, the incredible gifts of the Merciful, and the infinite beauty of the Unique One [kamal al-jamal al-samadaniyya] on whom everyone depends. For, tawhid is like a focal point that combines various reflections of beautiful names of God [asma al ḥusna] that shine on the ‘faces’ of particular creatures.

For instance, let us look at the particular event of creation of milk. A helpless and unaware infant receives what he needs in the form of pure and wholesome milk. And this milk is sent from an unexpected place, amidst blood and excrement. When you look at this particular event from the perspective of tawhid, it will suddenly connect with a comprehensive and universal reality: the utterly wonderful and compassionate feeding of all infants and all the mothers being made to care about and serve these infants. Perceiving this universal context enables you to perceive the eternal beauty of the mercy of the Compassionate One [Rahman] with all its brightness. If you were to look at the same event without the perspective of tawhid, that incredible beauty would become hidden. And, that particular event would be explained away by invoking natural causes and chance. [In other words, since these unconscious causes, such as hormones and brain, are incapable of having mercy and purpose, you will disregard the incredible mercy and purposefulness manifested in each case.] The event will thus completely lose its value. In fact, its reality will be completely distorted.

Another example is being healed from a serious illness. If you look at it from the
perspective of tawhid, you will suddenly see how it is part of a bigger reality that encompasses the entire earth. You will notice all those who are being healed throughout the earth, with the remedies and medicines extracted from the “pharmacy” of the world. Thus, the beautiful compassion of the Absolutely Merciful One [Raḥīm al-muṭlaq] and the beauty of Divine mercy become visible with its splendor and comprehensiveness. In contrast, if you do not look at that particular instance of someone getting well from the perspective of tawhid, you will overlook that it is created knowingly, intentionally, and with wisdom. Instead, you will explain away that particular instance of healing by referring to the lifeless medicines and to the blind and unconscious nature. You will thus distort its reality, wisdom and value…

-Excerpted from, Said Nursi, Rays, Second Ray.