Din ve Bilim Muş Alparslan Üniversitesi İslami İlimler Fakültesi Dergisi (Dec 2024)
The Problem of Unity and Plurality in Teftâzânî
Abstract
In the religious texts of Muslims, some commands praise all forms of wisdom and emphasize the necessity of acquiring wisdom wherever it is found. For this reason, from the early periods, the Islamic intellectual movement made great efforts to become acquainted with and benefit from the intellectual heritage of ancient civilizations that preceded it. Consequently, it is not surprising to observe the influence of the ideas of earlier philosophers on the thoughts of Muslim philosophers and theologians. This is because they valued the quality of what was being said rather than who was saying it. Undoubtedly, the Islamic philosophical tradition’s approach to the problem of existence reflects the historical development that began with Parmenides and became systematized with Aristotle. It can be said that starting with the Muslim philosopher Avicenna (Ibn Sina), who was deeply influenced by Aristotelian philosophy, the understanding of existence became more fundamental in the Islamic intellectual tradition, with God’s necessity being determined through the understanding of existence. The relationship between God and other beings, as well as the distinction between them, is defined through the concept of contingency, and unity and multiplicity are examined accordingly. The primary reason both philosophers and later theologians (Muta’akhkhirun) debated the concepts of “unity” and “multiplicity” is their relevance to topics such as existence-becoming, essence-existence, emanation theory, universal-particular, necessary-possible, absolute-relative, causality, and the relationship between God and the universe. Thus, since humanity has sought to understand existence, it has also sought to understand the issue of unity and multiplicity. By analyzing these concepts, philosophers and theologians have arrived at the Creator of the universe. Therefore, this study aims to explore the meanings attributed by Teftazani, a prominent theologian of the Muta’akhkhirun period, to the concepts of unity and multiplicity within their historical context. Teftazani focuses on how the concepts of “one” and “many” should be defined and how unity can be derived from multiplicity when discussing the relationship between God and the universe. The issue of unity and multiplicity was not considered merely a numerical problem. When Teftazani uses the term “one” for God, he emphasizes that God possesses an indivisible unity, without any counterpart or component. While unity implies completeness and perfection, multiplicity suggests deficiency and neediness. In Teftazani’s works, it is seen that the relative unity observed in objects and beings derives from something external and contingent and must have a cause, which constitutes the focal point of this discussion. According to Teftazani, although every being possesses unity, unity is not identical to essence or existence. This is because one can conclude, through inquiry, that the Creator of the universe is God but still requires further evidence and research to comprehend His unity. The proofs for God’s existence and the proofs for His unity may differ. Teftazani states that God’s “oneness” signifies His being the Necessary Being (Wajib al-Wujud), the principle of existence, the cause of the existence of all beings, the owner of the determination of all existence, and the necessary and self-sufficient being. He is the First One. The oneness of the Necessary Being (Wajib al-Wujud) implies an indivisible wholeness that does not admit division or parts and affirms His uniqueness without any counterpart or equal.
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