THE CONCEPT OF 'WAHDAT-UL-WUJUD': IDEOLOGICAL SHARING BETWEEN THE BHAGAVAD GITA AND MUSLIM SUFISM

Abstract

The article analyzes and gauges the common ideologies between the Bhagavad Gita on Muslim spiritual thought of ‘Wahdat-ul-Wujud’. The Bhagavad Gita is a sacred book of Sanātana Dharma. It contains thoughts about God, human being, the universe, life and the afterlife. The main and central idea is the reality of God that later influenced many philosophies and spiritual disciplines. There is also ‘Wahdat-ul-Wujud’ in these spiritual streams which the Muslim Sufis presented in a coherent system of thought. Surprisingly, there seems to be a deep resemblance between the ideas presented in the Bhagavad Gita and the Sufi intellectual tradition of ‘Wahdat-ul-Wujud’, which is not only in terms of thought, but also in terms of transmission, words, and terminology. Some scholars have pointed out this intellectual similarity. In addition, the translators and interpreters of the Bhagavad Gita have also presented the views of Sufis in their interpretations. This article gives a comprehensive overview of the effects of the Bhagavad Gita on the Sufi idea of ‘Wahdat-ul-Wujud’ and identifies aspects that are important in terms of intellectual sharing.