doctrine is denounced repeatedly,9 even in the earliest revelations, which shows that from the very first the Holy Qur’ān set before itself the correction of this great error. It will be observed that a mention of the doctrine of sonship is often followed by the word subḥāna-hū, which word is used to indicate the purity of God from all defects. The reason for this is that the doctrine of sonship is due to the supposition that God cannot forgive sins unless He receives some satisfaction therefor, and this satisfaction is supposed to have been afforded by the crucifixion of the Son of God, who alone is said to be sinless. The doctrine of sonship is thus practically a denial of the quality of forgiveness in God, and this amounts to attributing a defect to Him. It is for this reason also that a most forcible denunciation of the doctrine of sonship is followed by the words: “It is not worthy of the Beneficent God (Raḥmān) that He should take to Himself a son” (19:92). the word Raḥmān signifies originally the Lord of immeasurable mercy Who requires no satisfaction or compensation for a display of the quality of mercy which is inherent in Him, and the attribute of being Raḥmān negates the doctrine of sonship.

Significance underlying the doctrine of Unity

That various kinds of shirk mentioned in the Holy Qur’ān show that, in the doctrine of Unity, it gives to the world an ennobling message of advancement all round, physical as well as moral and spiritual. Man is freed not only from slavery to animate and inanimate objects, but also from subservience to the great and wondrous forces of nature which, he is told, he can subdue for his benefit. It goes further and delivers man from that greatest of slaveries, slavery to man. It does not allow to any mortal the dignity of Godhead, or of being more than a mortal; for the greatest of mortals is commanded to say: “I am only a mortal like you; it is revealed to me that your God is One God” (18:110). Thus all the bonds which fettered the mind of man were broken, and he was set on the road to progress. A slave mind, as the Holy Qur’ān plainly says, is incapable of doing anything good and great,10 and hence the first condition for the advancement of man was that his mind should be set free from the trammels of all kinds of slavery, which was accomplished in the message of Divine Unity.