Religion though under estimated in our times has always been the great modifier of human behavior. Religion generally may be found responsible for two types of thinking: credulous or imitative or parochial based on memorization and reflective/universalistic based on reflection and reason. History of religions from their distant past to the present shows that the former type may be found associated with the religions either polytheistic or failing to implement their claim of monotheism. Whereas, the later type—reflective thinking was the result of all those epochs in which humanity was able to truly practice the monotheism spirit of their religions. To this effect, furthermore, we see that only those religions (if they are seriously taken as religions and thus are practiced) which linked themselves to monotheism in one way or other are able to survive to this day. So Chinese Confucianism and Japanese Taoism in this sense can be marked as moral orders that specifically aimed at spiritually rejuvenating their followers. Similarly, Hinduism is openly polytheistic but it has the traces of monotheism still attached with it. The secret of the gradual but victorious rise of monotheism is that the truly creative thinking order associated with monotheism was the outcome of welldefined norms and values centering on unshakable faith in one God and thereby was able to produce a highest level of co-ordination between heart-specific and brainspecific behaviors. The growth and utilization of this creative reasoning gradually become the source of knowledge and truth in life.
Important here is the need to understand that how does this knowledge and truth is the direct outcome of monotheism which at the same time helps to understand the value and impact of monotheism in passing good life? So one relevant question is that what made Islam and Christianity claiming themselves to be monotheist to be responsible for defining the main currents of humanity for a long stretch of time that is as far as the last 1500 years continuing to this day?
The issue is this that this monotheism, if one claims to believe in it and also to practice it must be the source of followings in all conditions
This is observable due to its intimate link with Noor or light of Allah spreading in the universe
This is intellectual and rational since it is based on proofs and evidence and arguments
This is This is practical since it is able to check one’s desires, lust and greed in everyday situations of life
This is truly spiritual since it sprouts from one’s heart, brain and mind and thus satisfies some of their core-urges.
So monotheism is knowledge and truth necessary to finally enabling a person to be an enlightened self.
Exercise
Shut down all the doors of longings and hopes in your life except those linked with Allah or allowed by God.
Does this help you to anchor each of your hope and expectation with Allah or what is given by God—what is dascribed by God as valid?
Let the knowledge have its strong grip in yourself that there is no friend, no supporter or intercessor except God
This occurs when monotheism is learned in the course of everyday behavior i.e., by means of controlling the desires and the unruly behaviors in everyday life.
