Appearance
Imam Ali (a.s.) on Tawhid: an Analysis
Imām ʿAlī’s teachings on tawḥīd in Nahjul Balagha represent one of the most profound and philosophical expositions of God’s Oneness. These discourses offer a framework for understanding Divine unity that is not limited to theological abstraction but expands into a reality that transcends all categories of thought, language, and existence. ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī, in Tafsīr al-Mīzān, explores these teachings with meticulous precision, showing how Imām ʿAlī’s insights push human understanding beyond the bounds of the finite, breaking misconceptions about God’s essence, attributes, and unity.
Imām ʿAlī (a.s.), in one of his discourses on tawḥīd, lays down an important principle: “The statement that ‘God is One’ is of four kinds, two of which are inapplicable to Him, while two are correct.” This statement sets the foundation for his clarification of true Divine unity. The first two incorrect interpretations are rooted in the human tendency to compare God to created beings, while the correct interpretations reflect the absolute uniqueness of God, free from all comparison, limitation, or multiplicity.
The first erroneous interpretation considers God as numerically “one,” implying that He is countable among other possible entities. In this sense, “one” becomes relative, defined in comparison to “two” or “many.” Imām ʿAlī (a.s.) categorically rejects this interpretation, for to enumerate God would subject Him to the same limitations that govern created things. Numerical oneness implies finitude and the possibility of division, contradicting the absolute infinity of God.
The second incorrect interpretation regards God as “one” in the sense of a species or type. For example, humans are one species with individual variations, such as gender, race, or personality. This understanding similarly fails because it suggests that God could have counterparts or a shared category of existence, which undermines His uniqueness. God’s unity is not that of a species containing many individuals; rather, it is an indivisible and incomparable unity that allows for no partners or likeness.
Imām ʿAlī (a.s.) then identifies the two correct interpretations of tawḥīd. First, God is one in the sense that He has no likeness or equal. His essence is unique and cannot be compared to anything within creation. The Qur’an affirms this truth unequivocally: “Nothing is like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing” (). God’s oneness is exclusive and absolute, free from any form of similarity, whether in essence, attributes, or actions.
Second, God is one in that He is indivisible. This means that He cannot be partitioned into parts, components, or qualities. While created beings are composed of various aspects—such as physical parts, attributes, and contingent existence—God’s essence is simple, indivisible, and free from composition. For Imām ʿAlī (a.s.), this indivisibility signifies that God’s attributes, such as knowledge, power, and life, are not separate from His essence. Unlike created beings, where attributes are external to the subject and may be gained or lost, God’s attributes are identical to His essence. He is not “possessing” knowledge or power; rather, His essence is knowledge, power, and life.
Imām ʿAlī (a.s.) declares:
“The foremost in religion is the knowledge of Him, the perfection of knowing Him is to testify Him, the perfection of testifying Him is to believe in His Oneness, the perfection of believing in His Oneness is to adhere to Him purely, and the perfection of adhering to Him purely is to deny Him attributes, because every attribute testifies that it is different from that to which it is attributed and everything to which something is attributed testifies that it is different from the attribute.
“Thus whoever attaches attributes to God joins Him (to another thing) and who joins Him (to another thing) regards Him two; and who regards Him two recognizes parts for Him; and who recognizes parts for Him is ignorant of Him; and who is ignorant of Him pointed at Him; and who pointed at Him admitted limitations for Him; and who admitted limitations for Him numbered Him.”
At first glance, the statement “the perfection of adhering to Him purely is to deny Him attributes” may seem paradoxical, as God’s attributes are widely mentioned in the Qur’an. However, ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī explains that Imām ʿAlī (a.s.) is not denying God’s attributes but rejecting any notion that they are distinct from His essence. Human language, bound by duality, distinguishes between subjects and their qualities—knowledge from the knower, power from the powerful. If applied to God, this distinction would imply limitation, as though God’s essence required attributes to complete it. Such an implication would contradict the absolute perfection and self-sufficiency of God.
To affirm God’s unity, Imām ʿAlī (a.s.) cautions against anthropomorphic descriptions of the Divine. He states: “Whoever attaches attributes to Him joins Him (to another thing).” By ascribing qualities to God in the same way that one describes created beings, one unwittingly reduces God to a composite entity. Such descriptions place limits on the Divine and detract from His transcendent nature. For ʿAllāmah, this rejection of anthropomorphism is essential to avoid theological error. God is not bound by human categories of thought, and His perfection transcends all human conceptions of attributes.
Imām ʿAlī (a.s.) further clarifies the unique nature of God’s unity by emphasizing the term ʾAḥad, used in the Qur’an, particularly in Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ: “Say: He, God, is Unique (ʾAḥad).” Unlike the term wāḥid (one), which can imply numerical unity, ʾAḥad denotes an absolute and incomparable oneness. This oneness does not admit the possibility of plurality, composition, or contingency. God’s existence is singular and all-encompassing, such that no aspect of reality can escape His dominion, yet nothing within creation can fully reflect His essence.
Imām ʿAlī (a.s.) also addresses the eternity of God, stating: “His primality has no beginning, nor has His eternity any end.” Here, he highlights that God exists beyond the constraints of time, which are features of created beings. Time, as ʿAllāmah explains, is a measure of change, motion, and contingency—all of which are foreign to God’s essence. To attribute temporality to God is to impose finitude upon Him. God’s existence is timeless, perpetual, and immutable, standing outside the framework of beginnings and endings. This eternal nature further reinforces His oneness, as no external factor influences or defines Him.
The culmination of Imām ʿAlī’s discourse lies in his declaration: “He who describes Him puts limits on Him, and he who puts limits on Him counts Him, and he who counts Him rejects His eternity.” ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī explains that any attempt to define God inherently imposes a limitation, as definitions rely on boundaries and distinctions. To “count” God, or to place Him within the realm of numbers, is to reduce Him to a finite being, denying His eternal and infinite nature. For Imām ʿAlī (a.s.), true belief in tawḥīd requires transcending these limitations and recognizing that God’s reality defies all human attempts at categorization.
The Imām (a.s.) concludes his discourse with a profound paradox: “God is near yet distant, manifest yet hidden.” This is not a contradiction but a reflection of God’s transcendence and immanence. He is closer to creation than creation is to itself, as the Qur’an states: “We are nearer to him than his jugular vein” (). Yet, He remains hidden beyond the grasp of finite perception. For ʿAllāmah, this paradox invites humility and awe in the face of God’s unity. The true understanding of tawḥīd does not lie in defining or containing God but in acknowledging His inaccessibility to human thought while remaining ever-present in the fabric of existence.
In conclusion, Imām ʿAlī’s teachings on tawḥīd, as expounded by ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī, elevate the concept of Divine unity to a level beyond human comprehension. God’s oneness is not numerical or divisible but absolute, eternal, and incomparable. It transcends attributes, descriptions, and limitations, affirming a reality that encompasses all creation while remaining distinct from it. For the believer, the realization of tawḥīd is not merely intellectual but transformative, leading to reverence, submission, and an ever-deepening connection to the Divine. Through Imām ʿAlī’s insights, one discovers that tawḥīd is the ultimate truth that defines existence and anchors faith in its purest form.
Narrated by al-Ṣadūq through his chain of narrators: al-Tawḥīd, al-Khiṣāl and also in Maʾāni al-akhbār. ↩︎
Imām ʿAlī’s caution against attributing human-like qualities to God addresses a recurring error in theological discourse. Anthropomorphism arises from projecting human experiences and qualities onto the Divine. Such attributions undermine tawḥīd by limiting God’s transcendence. This rejection is crucial to preserve the purity of Islamic monotheism. ↩︎
To complement ʿAllāmah’s analysis of this statement which follows, Imām ʿAlī (a.s.) emphasizes that God’s attributes (e.g., knowledge, power, life) are not distinct from His essence. This profound point resolves a common theological misunderstanding. Human language, which separates attributes from essence, cannot adequately describe God’s indivisible nature. This distinction is pivotal to avoid anthropomorphic views of God. ↩︎
Nahj al-balāgha; part of Sermon 1. ↩︎
The Qur’an’s use of the term ʾAḥad in Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ emphasizes God’s absolute uniqueness, surpassing numerical oneness implied by wāḥid. ʾAḥad denotes an indivisible, incomparable unity, free of multiplicity or limitations. This distinction is critical in understanding why God’s oneness cannot be quantified. ↩︎
Nahj al-balāgha, part of Sermon 163. Imām ʿAlī’s description of God as having “no beginning and no end” highlights His existence beyond time. Time, tied to motion and change, is an attribute of creation. God’s timeless nature affirms His immutability, reinforcing the argument against associating Him with temporal or finite characteristics. ↩︎
Nahj al-balāgha, part of Sermon 152. ↩︎
If one looks with critical eyes and meditates deeply, one cannot fail to be astonished by the blunder committed by some scholars who have claimed that these Sermons of ʿAlī, which are included in Nahj al-balāghah, are spurious and not genuine; some have said that they were forged by al-Sharīf al-Raḍī (may God have mercy on him!). (ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī) ↩︎
For Imām ʿAlī (a.s.), tawḥīd is not merely an abstract belief but a reality that transforms the believer’s worldview. Recognizing God’s unity fosters submission, reverence, and a detachment from worldly distractions, as all existence is seen as interconnected through the Divine. This perspective enhances the spiritual practice of tawḥīd as a lived experience. ↩︎
For more of Imām ʿAlī’s teachings on tawḥīd, refer to al-Mīzān Eng. Vol. 11 under the section “Narrations on Tawḥīd.” ↩︎