By Saiful Islam
The Paradox of Pluralism
In this modern age of globalization, where diverse beliefs coexist in every society, a profound question arises: Can the One God of Islam be universally recognized amidst countless conceptions of divinity? This is no longer merely a theological curiosity—it is a spiritual crisis for humanity adrift in confusion. From the abstract Nirguna Brahman of Hinduism, to the personal Yahweh of Judaism, from the Triune deity of Christianity to the Tao of Chinese philosophy—concepts of God differ not just in name, but in essence.
Yet the Holy Qur’an, in Surah Al-Hajj (22:67–70), firmly declares:
> “Surely, We have appointed for every people a way of worship which they observe; so let them not dispute with thee in the matter of religion; and call thou (them) to thy Lord, for surely, thou art on the right guidance. And if they contend with thee, say, ‘Allah knows best what you do.’” (22:68–69)
Here lies the divine solution: a path of dialogue, not dominance; of proof, not polemics.
The Core Claim of Islam: Not Just Monotheism, but Tauheed-e-Haqiqi
Islam’s claim is not limited to saying “There is One God,” for this can be echoed by many faiths. Rather, Islam asserts “There is One Living God Who speaks, listens, manifests signs, and reveals Himself in every age.” It is this living experience of the Divine, not merely intellectual arguments, that sets the One God of Islam apart. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, founded by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), reawakens this forgotten truth by presenting a God Who answers prayers, grants visions, and governs history.
Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (rh) often emphasized: “A dead god needs no rejection. The world already rejects what it cannot see. But the Living God must be introduced through Living Proof.”
Tafsir Insights: Universality and Divine Sovereignty
In Tafsir-e-Kabir, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad (ra) beautifully explains this passage of Surah Al-Hajj as indicating a progressive, pluralistic unfolding of divine guidance across civilizations. Allah says:
> “And surely, Allah will judge between you on the Day of Resurrection concerning that wherein you differ.” (22:70)
This does not imply that all religions are equal in truth. Rather, it recognizes the divinely orchestrated evolution of spiritual understanding, culminating in Islam as the final and universal message—not as a colonial imposition, but as a spiritual unification.
Key Tafsir points include:
Every nation was given its own Shariah according to its capacity (Tafsir-e-Kabir, 22:68).
God’s purpose is not religious competition but recognition of a higher moral order.
The Holy Prophet (sa) is commanded to invite all to the Living God without compulsion.
Anthropology and Sociology: Humanity’s Innate Yearning
Anthropologists have long identified a universal religious instinct across tribes and civilizations. Émile Durkheim called religion “a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things,” while Mircea Eliade identified recurring archetypes of the divine across cultures.
But modern sociology warns us: When religion is reduced to ritual and symbol, God becomes a metaphor.
Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (rh), in his book “Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth”, notes how secularism and formalized theology have suffocated the personal God. He writes:
> “Man has advanced in technology, but regressed in spiritual encounter.”
The solution is not to homogenize all gods into one, but to revive the true God through encounter and transformation—as experienced by the prophets and saints.
Psychology: The Human God-Spot
Modern neuroscience identifies a “God spot”—regions of the brain activated during spiritual experience. But psychology also teaches us that false belief systems can be shaped by trauma, tradition, and fear.
The Islamic concept of “Fitrah”—that every soul is born with the innate recognition of One God—suggests that spiritual clarity can be clouded but never erased. The Living God, through His signs, clears this fog.
The Ahmadiyya Proof: Not Doctrines, but Divine Signs
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) did not preach a new god, nor merely reform doctrines. He revived the Living God of Islam by demonstrating:
Acceptance of prayers in thousands of documented cases.
Prophetic revelations fulfilled with astounding precision.
Spiritual transformation of hearts, uniting people across races and nations.
Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (rh) declared at countless platforms: “We invite the world not just to read about God, but to meet Him.”
This is the divine experiment of Ahmadiyyat. No need for dogma or coercion—just an open-hearted challenge: “Seek the Living God sincerely and He will reveal Himself to you.”
From Pluralism to Unity, Not Uniformity
In this age of religious pluralism, the One God of Islam can be universally recognized not by conquest of beliefs but by conquest of hearts. The path is not comparison, but invitation; not condemnation, but experience.
As the Holy Qur’an says:
> “Call unto the way of thy Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation…” (16:126)
Islam, through the revival brought by Ahmadiyyat, offers the world a Living God Who can be known, loved, and followed—beyond books and beyond borders.
And that is how the One God becomes universal: not through argument, but through living proof, living experience, and living transformation.
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