Unity of acts (tawhid al-af'al)
Unity of acts (Arabic: التوحيد الأفعالي) is the doctrine according to which all actions in the world are the actions of God and done by His power and will. Muslim scholars have presented rational arguments and evidence from the Qur'an and Hadith for this doctrine, including the verses which describe God as the Creator of all things.
Muslim theologians disagree as to whether this doctrine is true even in the case of human actions. Ash'arites believe that it encompasses human actions as well, and therefore humans are not the creators of their acts. The Mu'tazila hold that the doctrine does not apply to what humans do by their free will.
Twelver Shiite theologians do not see any contradiction between the attribution of human actions to themselves and to God at the same time. They maintain that human causation of acts is dependent on divine causation, and therefore human actions are attributable both to humans and to God.
Trust in God (tawakkul) and the unity of worship are counted among the fruits of the unity of actions.
The Meaning
Muslim theologians classify tawhid (unity of God) into the subcategories of unity of essence, unity of attributes, and unity of acts[1] According to Mutahhari, unity of acts means the belief that all causes and effects and whatever occurs in the world are God's actions, that no being can do anything independently, and that every cause is dependent in its action on God's action and will[2].
According to this doctrine, just as God does not have any partner similar to Him in his essence, he does not have any partner in actions[3]; that is, anything that a creature does is also God's action. Like the unity of essence and the unity of attributes, the unity of acts is a category of theoretical tawhid and related to beliefs—in contrast to the unity of worship, which is related to practices[4].
Categories of the Unity of Acts
In some theological works, the terms "the unity of creatorship" and "the unity of lordship" are used to refer to the unity of acts[5]. The unity of creatorship indicates that all beings are created by God[6], even those beings that are made by other beings[7] . The unity of lordship means that God is the lord and in control of the universe; He directs all creatures towards the purpose for which they are created[8].
According to Rabbani Golpaygani, among the verses that illustrate the unity of creatorship are Qur'an 13:16; Qur'an 39:62; and Qur'an 40:62, in which God is described as "the Creator of all things"[9]. Some of the verses that indicate the unity of lordship are Qur'an 7:54 ("All creation and command belong to Him") and Qur'an 20:50 ("Our Lord is He who gave everything its creation and then guided it")[10]. The latter two verses point to the unity of creatorship as well[11].
Rational Arguments for the Unity of Acts
One of the arguments of Muslim philosophers for the unity of acts is that, on the one hand, all beings are directly or indirectly created by God, and, on the other hand, the cause of the cause of something is the cause of that thing as well. Therefore, God is the cause of all creatures in the world[12].
According to Misbah Yazdi, based on Mulla Sadra's philosophy, stronger arguments can be provided for this doctrine, since in that philosophical system all causes or effects are merely God's manifestations and absolutely dependent on Him in all aspects. Therefore, no being can do anything independently of God. Therefore, all actions are God’s actions[13].
Quranic Evidence
To demonstrate the unity of acts, a number of Qur'anic verses and hadiths are adduced. For instance, Mutahhari cites Qur'an 17:111[14]. : "All praise belongs to Allah, who has neither taken any son, nor has He any partner in sovereignty, nor has He [taken] any ally out of weakness." According to him, the famous formula la hawl wa-la quwwa illa billah ("there is no power or might except by God") indicates the unity of acts[15]. .
Misbah Yazdi also maintains that Qur'an 21:22 ("Had there been gods in them other than Allah, they would surely have fallen apart. Clear is Allah") contains an argument for the unity of acts[16]. .
Two Outcomes of the Belief in the Unity of Acts
In some theological sources, a number of outcomes are mentioned for the belief in the unity of acts, including the unity of worship and trust in God. Misbah Yazdi explains that one who believes in the unity of acts does not find anything worthy of worship except God, because He is the only Creator and Lord[17]. Moreover, since God is the only one who independently controls the universe and everything else is dependent on Him, one should trust in Him only[18].: "You [alone] do we worship, and to You [alone] do we turn for help" (Qur'an 1:4).
The Relation between the Unity of Acts and Human Free Will
Although Muslim sects and denominations adhere to the unity of acts, they disagree as to its relation with human free will[19]. Ash'arites maintain that since there is no creator other than God, God is the real creator of human actions[20]. Mu'tazilites believed that God has made humans autonomous in their actions, so human actions are not created by God[21].. Twelver Shiites hold that humans have free will and what they do is really their actions. However, they are not independent, and God is the only independent cause of all actions[22]..
Shiite theologians hold that the Ash'arite viewpoint entails negation of human free will, which renders God's commandments and prohibitions meaningless and His reward and punishment in the hereafter unjust[23]. Moreover, the Mu'tazilite viewpoint does not accord with the unity of creatorship and the unlimited power of God[24]. Shiite theologians maintain that there is no contradiction between the unity of acts and human free will, because human causation of actions is dependent on God's causation, not independent or separate from it[25].
Notes
- ↑ Subḥānī, ʿAqā'id-i islāmī dar partuw-i Qurʾān wa ḥadīth, p. 151.
- ↑ Mutahharī, Majmuʿa āthar, p. 103.
- ↑ Mutahharī, Majmuʿa āthar, p. 104.
- ↑ Mutahharī, Majmuʿa āthar, p. 104.
- ↑ Misbāḥ Yazdī, Āmuzish-i ʿaqāʾid, vol. 2, p. 387;Rabbānī Gulpaygānī, ʿAqāʾid-i istidlālī, vol. 1, pp. 77,85.
- ↑ See: Rabbānī Gulpaygānī, ʿAqāʾid-i istidlālī, vol. 1, p. 77.
- ↑ Misbāḥ Yazdī, Āmuzish-i ʿaqāʾid, vol. 2, pp. 387-88.
- ↑ See: Rabbānī Gulpaygānī, ʿAqāʾid-i istidlālī, vol. 1, p. 87.
- ↑ See: Rabbānī Gulpaygānī, ʿAqāʾid-i istidlālī, vol. 1, p. 78.
- ↑ See: Rabbānī Gulpaygānī, ʿAqāʾid-i istidlālī, vol. 1, p. 87.
- ↑ See: Rabbānī Gulpaygānī, ʿAqāʾid-i istidlālī, vol. 1, p. 87.
- ↑ Misbāḥ Yazdī, Āmuzish-i falsafa, vol. 2, pp.388-89.
- ↑ Misbāḥ Yazdī, Āmuzish-i falsafa, vol. 2, pp.388.
- ↑ Mutahharī, Majmuʿa āthar, vol.2, p. 103.
- ↑ Mutahharī, Majmuʿa āthar, vol. 2, p. 103.
- ↑ Mutahharī, Majmuʿa āthar, vol. 2, p. 388.
- ↑ Misbāḥ Yazdī, Āmuzish-i ʿaqāʾid, vol. 1, p. 134.
- ↑ Misbāḥ Yazdī, Āmuzish-i ʿaqāʾid, vol. 1, p. 134.
- ↑ Rabbānī Gulpaygānī, ʿAqāʾid-i istidlālī, p. 79.
- ↑ Rabbānī Gulpaygānī, ʿAqāʾid-i istidlālī, p. 79.
- ↑ Rabbānī Gulpaygānī, ʿAqāʾid-i istidlālī, p. 79.
- ↑ Rabbānī Gulpaygānī, ʿAqāʾid-i istidlālī, p. 79.
- ↑ See: Rabbānī Gulpaygānī, ʿAqāʾid-i istidlālī, p. 80.
- ↑ See: Rabbānī Gulpaygānī, ʿAqāʾid-i istidlālī, p. 80.
- ↑ Rabbānī Gulpaygānī, ʿAqāʾid-i istidlālī, p. 80.
References
- Irtiqāʾī, Mahdī, Safāʾī Asl, Mahdī. Tawhīd afʿālī dar āthar-i sadiqayn (a). Tehran: Intishārāt-i Mirāth-i Farhangiyān, 1397 Sh.
- Turkāshwand, Ḥasan. Tawhīd-i afʿālī az nigāh-i madhāhib wa firaq-i islāmī. First edition. Tehran: Intishārāt-i Mashʿar, 1394 Sh.
- Rabbānī Gulpaygānī, ʿAlī. ʿAqāʾid-i istidlālī. Sixth edition. Qom: Markaz-i Nashr-i Hajar, 1393 Sh.
- Subḥānī, Jaʿfar. ʿAqā'id-i islāmī dar partuw-i Qurʾān wa ḥadīth. Second edition. Qom: Bustān-i Kitab, 1386 Sh.
- Misbāḥ Yazdī, Muḥammad Taqī. Āmuzish-i ʿaqāʾid. Second edition. Tehran: Shirkat-i Chāp wa Nashr-i Bayn al-Milal (affiliated with Islamic Development Organization), 1378 Sh.
- Misbāḥ Yazdī, Muḥammad Taqi. Āmuzish-i falsafa. Tehran: Shirkat-i Chāp wa Nashr-i Bayn al-Milal (affiliated with Islamic Development Organization), 1379 Sh.
- Mutahharī, Murtaḍā. Majmuʿa āthar. Seventh edition. Tehran: Sadra, 1377 Sh.