I do.”’” Abū al-Husayn al-Nūrī said, “Affirming Allah’s oneness is every thought that points to Allah, provided that no thoughts likening Him to creation intrude upon it.”

I say: The statements of al-Wāsitī and al-Junayd cited here concern Allah’s oneness in lordship: that Allah is the Lord, Sovereign, and Creator of everything. They refute the Qadariyyah, who place human actions outside His power, creation, and dominion. Accordingly, al-Wāsitī identified in them a resemblance to Pharaoh. Pharaoh openly displayed his disbelief and said, “I am your lord, most high,” thus publicly claiming lordship. The Qadariyyah claim that they are lords of their actions and whatever results from them. They have thus claimed lordship, but covertly—a lordship over the actions of individual beings.

However, what those of true spiritual understanding, such as al-Junayd and others, intend is that this affirmation of Allah’s oneness should become an abiding disposition and spiritual station for the servant, bringing him to complete reliance upon Allah Most High, entrusting his affairs to Him, patiently accepting His judgement, and being content with His decree—provided that this does not lead him to discard commands and prohibitions, reward and punishment, or promises and threats, as some Sufis fall into doing in certain respects.

As for Dhū al-Nūn’s statement, “If, in the knowledge of the unseen, you have been aided in sincerely affirming Allah’s oneness,” it does not mean merely acknowledging His universal lordship. The polytheists themselves affirmed His oneness in this sense, as Allah Most High says:

“If you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they will surely say, ‘Allah.’”
[Surah al-Zumar 38]

And Allah Most High says:

“And most of them believe not in Allah except while they associate others with Him.”
[Surah Yūsuf 106]