Tenth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

The author argues that one of the deep theories that can help man in the domain of cosmic knowledge (cosmology or knowledge of world), and provide man with a dependable understanding of the world is the principle of the gradational unity of existence. Transcendental Unity of Existence is the most important doctrine of Islamic Mysticism which has been discussed by Muslim thinkers based on deep philosophical analyses. The general content of the theory of gradational unity consists of the fact that existence is a graded unity all the levels of which – inanimate beings, plants, animals, humans and the world of immateriality (incorporeal entities) – are the manifestations and dimensions of the same One Truth, i.e. God. The present research has been conducted based on the descriptive-analytic method, and contains the following results: according to this principle, all levels of existence are manifestations of God. In other words, nature and environment are like the manifestation of Divinity and are sacred entities. In this theory, plant, animal and even the inanimate entities are no longer creatures in the service of man; rather, they are all of essential value and not mere tools. Then, the rights that have been allocated for the environment are real and true rights not artificial rights which are merely adopted for the protection of environment for future generations.