Liberation from a Thousand Tyrants: Monotheism as True Freedom
How recognizing one single Sovereign liberates the human heart from the exhausting servitude of appeasing endless secondary causes.
— Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, The Flashes (Lem'alar), The Seventeenth Flash — First NoteThe illusion of attributing power to secondary causes and polytheism makes the human being a beggar and slave before countless petty masters. One begins to fear everything, pleading before every circumstance and tremble before blind chance. However, through the mystery of Divine Unity (Tawhid), human beings attach themselves exclusively to One Sovereign. Relying on His supreme majesty and infinite power, and knowing that the reins of all things are held firmly in His hand, one fears no created thing unnecessarily and begs before no earthly power. Thus, genuine psychological freedom, noble dignity, and serene courage are achieved only through belonging to the One...
Key Philosophical Insight
When you serve the Master of the universe, you become free from the tyranny of everything within it.
Q&A Analysis & Recap
Q How does this philosophical monotheism cure modern anxiety?
A Modern anxiety stems from feeling that your fate is at the mercy of chaotic, competing forces—the economy, diseases, critics, bad luck. Knowing that all events flow under single intentional wisdom gives the heart an unshakeable anchor.