Wahdat Al-Wajood

Wahdat Al-Wajood

Major ideas in Sufi metaphysics have surrounded the concept of wahdat (meaning "unity"). Two main Sufi philosophies prevail on this controversial topic. Wahdat al-Wujud literally means the "Unity of Existence". On the other hand, Wahdat al-Shuhud, meaning "Apparentism" or "Unity of Witness", holds that God and his creation are entirely separate. Some Islamic reformers have claimed that the difference between the two philosophies differ only in semantics and that the entire debate is merely a collection of "verbal controversies" which have come about because of ambiguous language. However, the concept of the relationship between God and the universe is still actively debated both among Sufis and between Sufis and non-Sufi Muslims.