Principle of Unity from the Perspective of the Holy Quran (An Investigation and Critique of Some Views)

The philosophical principle of 'unity', applying this principle to God as one of its referents, and the first creature emanated from God, are among the issues that have a special status in Islamic philosophy and numerous philosophers have concerned themselves, widely and deeply, with these issues. An important question here is whether this principle and other issues relevant to it, particularly the way the universe is emanated from God, have any origin in the Quran and narrations or not. This paper investigates and assesses the views of some Islamic hakims (sages) and mystics (‘ārifs), particularly the views of the contemporary hakim, Mirzā Mehdi Modarres Āshtiani (RIP) about a number of Quranic verses which are concerned with this issue as well as the ideas of the author of the paper.