Arabic · noun · Being & Non-Being

Wahdat-ush-Shuhood

वहदत-उश-शुहूद
said vah-dat-ush-shu-hood
also written: Wahdat-ul-Shuhud, wahdat al-shuhud, wahdat-ush-shuhud, unity of witness
Meaning

The doctrine of the Unity of Witnessing, that the unity perceived is one of consciousness, not of being, leaving God and creation distinct.

Literally: the unity of witnessing / of appearance

Usage & notes

The doctrine, developed by Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi against wahdat-ul-wujud, that the unity the mystic experiences is a unity of witnessing — a subjective state in which the seer sees only God — not an actual identity of all being with God. Creation remains real and distinct from its Creator. Iqbal inclined toward this position because it safeguards the reality of the world and the abiding individuality of the self while still affirming intense nearness to God.