Transcendental Unity of Religions?

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim,
Alhamdulillah,
Assalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah,

Have you heard of this (Transcendental Unity of Religions)?
Perhaps we all have heard of this, maybe not as the term itself, but at the very least; its core idea/message is the content being conveyed and use by those who support Religious Pluralism.

Religious Pluralism is the idea that all religions are equal, they have equal validity in their respective claims to Truth, so much so that it does not really matter what religion you abide to in this world.

Okay, just let me try my very best in explaining Transcendental Unity of Religion based on what information of it that I have.

All religions, have an inner core and an outer shell. (Sounds like atomic chemistry huh?? Hehe)

The inner core is the Esoteric. The outer shell is the Exoteric.

And that there are two levels of Realities, namely the higher Transcendental Level, and the lower, physical Material Level.

The existence of the many different religions (Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Shinto, Hinduism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, etc) is only at the Physical Material Level.

Proponents of Transcendental Unity of Religions claims that all religions at the Transcendental Level are one. They say, though the External, the Exoteric of any religion may differ, their Inner Cores, the Esoteric, all unite at the Transcendental Level.

Examples of Esotericism in several religions: Sufism in Islam, Kabbalah In Judaism, Mystical Traditions in Christianity among others.

In a nutshell, I guess, at least to me, that is what Transcendental Unity of Religions is all about. In all likelihood, I may have done a very pathetic job at describing Transcendental Unity of Religions; I seek your pardon.

SO HOW? Can we accept this?

I have never, prior to just very recently, come across a specific academic work that handles this issue from the perspective of Islam.

Even so, I have come across emphasis by scholars who highlight the point that Islam is the only Religion that has validity in claiming the Truth.

Quotes are many: innad deena ‘indallahil Islam(the religion with Allah is Islam, al islam ya’lu walaa yu’la alaih (Islam is High and nothing is higher that Islam),

Those who share experiences with me will know that at least Shaykh Faiz is very firm in emphasizing on strict following of Islam, he even brings ayat about Islam in his Zikir!

So I can’t conceive how the traditional scholars of Islam from whom I have heard them speak, can support the idea of Transcendental Unity of Religions. Honestly, I don’t know how. What I know is they will say “innad deena ‘indallahil Islam”

My point is, even when I have not come across a proper academic refutation of Transcendental Unity of Religions, what I have learnt thus far really does not seem to ever support Transcendental Unity of Religions.

Religious Pluralists, will almost always subscribe to the idea of Transcendental Unity of Religions when they promote religious pluralism. And I guess it is rather well-known that they will end up quoting cryptic messages written by sages, Sufi Shaykhs and other religious figures to validate their claims. Perhaps what they do not notice is how these religious figures really firmly stick to their respective religions. In Islam, two figures commonly abused by Religious Pluralists are Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi and Maulana Jalaludin Rumi, may Allah sanctify their secrets! “MAY ALLAH SANCTIFY THEIR SECRETS” suddenly seems very apt when mentioned after Awliyaullah, so that their secrets are not abused by people.

Transcendental Unity of Religions was also used to account for ‘genuine’ religious experiences by members of other religions. Such ‘genuine’ experiences, they say, cannot just come to be if it is not true at least at the Transcendental Level. So visions by people of other religions, the Glossolalia (speaking in tongues) by the Christians, they say, must surely have some validity, if not how can we account for them? This is also compounded by the brain experiments/scans showing high brain activity in certain regions especially during these high moments of spirituality.

I say, what is so difficult, I may be simplistic in my thinking, but are we not to attribute these deceptions to the works of Iblis and his gang?
Once this is accepted, do we even have to find a source of truth to account such experiences by other religions? No lah!

Satan has vowed before God to delude Mankind, and God even allowed! (There is a reason for this in His Greater Wisdom). Even God said that Satan will be able to fool Man from all directions except the top and the bottom. (there is a Quranic verse narrating something like that, though I am not too sure exactly which verse)

My concern was this, while we respect differences of opinion in academia, how is it that there can be a vast separation of ideas with regards to this issue about validity of religions? I mean, this issue, is as central to the religion as it can get. From what I see, this really is a Masalah Usul in our religion, and not Masalah Furu’ like whether or not we need to recite Qunut in Solat Fardhu Fajar.

So, to me, the existence of Muslim scholars who support Transcendental Unity of Religions is really hard to digest.

With all due respect, I realize my own standing, I am just like a pitiful fly compared to them when it comes to their learning in Islam, so what I say may not carry any weight at all.

But such a central issue? Especially when many other Traditional Orthodox Scholars of Islam has made it so clear that we are not to subscribe to Transcendental Unity of Religions???

Really perplexes me, honestly I say.

Prof Syed Naquib presented an academic rebuttal as to Transcendental Unity of Religions is not true, and from what I see, the points used by Prof al Attas are really the points always emphasized by Traditional Orthodox Scholars. I even asked for clarification which position is more accurate of reflecting the stand of these orthodox scholars of Islam in this issue regarding Transcendental Unity of Religions; the answer I got was the position of Prof Syed Naquib.

Prof Syed Naquib presented a beautiful case, that if Realities unite only at the Transcendental level, and that at the Material Physical Level they are parts and pieces, then no religion in this world is complete in and of itself! How can this be when religion is meant to be Man’s ultimate guide to living in this world!

Again, I am a nobody in the academia of Islam; and in the world of Islamic Scholarship, there are big names that support the idea of Transcendental Unity of Religions…

Wallahu ‘Alam.

We really seek the guidance of Allah, in all affairs
May Allah forgive us all, and guide us all, amin amin amin