The Idea of the Unity of Existence in the Thought of Sayyed Haydar Amoli (Mystical Monotheism) and Its Comparison with the Views of Allama Majlisi Theologians (Theological Monotheism)

Abstract

The issue of the unity of existence is one of the key topics in Islamic theology, mysticism, and philosophy. It is the central subject in mystical thought and one of the most controversial issues in the history of Islamic theology and mysticism, even among Western scholars. Almost all other discussions around mysticism and theology in some way return to this issue. Some theologians, such as Mohammad Taher Qomi and Mirlohi, were fundamentally opposed to the ideas of mystics. On the other hand, scholars like Sayyed Haydar Amoli, Feyz Kashani, and Mulla Sadra sought to use mystical theories in interpreting religious texts. The late Allameh Mohammad Baqir Majlisi adopted a middle-ground approach between these two groups of scholars. In his engagement with the leading figures of mysticism, he accepted their mystical interpretations based on the school of the Shiite Imams. This article compares the mystical monotheism of Sayyed Haydar Amoli with the theological monotheism of Allameh Majlisi and attempts to present a coherent and comprehensible understanding of the unity of existence theory.