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COSMOS THE BODY OF GOD: ISA PURUSHA TATVA<br />
M.M.NINAN<br />
Islam's most fundamental concept is tawhīd (meaning "oneness" or "uniqueness"). <strong>God</strong> is described in<br />
the Qur'an as:<br />
"Say:<br />
He is <strong>God</strong>, the One and Only;<br />
<strong>God</strong>, the Eternal, Absolute;<br />
He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;<br />
And there is none like unto Him."<br />
Qur'an, Sura 112 (Al-Ikhlas), ayat 1-4<br />
Muslims repudiate the Christian doctrine <strong>of</strong> the Trinity and divinity <strong>of</strong> Jesus, comparing it to<br />
polytheism. In Islam, <strong>God</strong> is beyond all comprehension or equal and does not resemble any <strong>of</strong> his<br />
creations in any way. Thus, Muslims are not iconodules, and are forbidden to visualize <strong>God</strong>. The only<br />
permitted visualization is through the word.<br />
According to Vincent J. Cornall, the Qur'an also provides a monist image <strong>of</strong> <strong>God</strong> by describing the<br />
reality as a unified whole, with <strong>God</strong> being a single concept that would describe or ascribe all existing<br />
things:"He is the First and the Last, the Evident and the Immanent: and He has full knowledge <strong>of</strong> all<br />
things."(Sura 57:3)" However some Muslims object to this interpretations as it lead to a blurring the<br />
distinction between the creator and the creature. In Islam the created is totally outside <strong>of</strong> the creator<br />
and shares none <strong>of</strong> his essence or attributes. The Qu'ran asserts the existence <strong>of</strong> a single and absolute<br />
truth that transcends the world; a unique, independent and indivisible being, who is independent <strong>of</strong> the<br />
entire creation.<br />
Indivisibility <strong>of</strong> <strong>God</strong>'s sovereignty - internal conflict <strong>of</strong> interest.<br />
The Qur'an argues that there can be no multiple sources <strong>of</strong> divine sovereignty since as opposed<br />
to the Trinity concept <strong>of</strong> Christianity.<br />
The reason for this single monadic argument is "behold, each god would have taken away what [each]<br />
had created, And some would have Lorded it over others!" It evidently assumes a fallen nature not<br />
only to the creation but also for <strong>God</strong>. Thus only a monarchic absolute dictatorial <strong>God</strong> is necessary to<br />
avoid the schism. Even if there are a galaxy <strong>of</strong> gods, it would then eventually arrive at this situation as<br />
has happened over and over again in human history. It happens even today in the Islamic world order.<br />
The Qur'an in verse 21:22 states: "If there were numerous gods instead <strong>of</strong> one, [the heavens and the<br />
earth] would be in a sorry state".<br />
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