Men Become God
From the perspective of Jesus' humanity, the Christian belief that he is God could be perceived as elevating a single human being to the status of Godhood. There is, however, another body of beliefs among many of the followers of Islam, which, like Hinduism and Buddhism, offer human beings the opportunity to become God.
The origin of their beliefs can be found in mysticism whose roots are in ancient Greek mystery religions. Mysticism is defined as an experience of union with God and the belief that man's main goal in life lies in seeking that union. The Greek philosopher Plato proposed this concept in his writings, particularly in his Symposium. In it he describes how the human soul can climb the spiritual ladder until it finally becomes one again with God.8 The basis of this belief is the teaching that human beings are, in fact, parts of God that have become trapped in this material world. The physical body cloaks the human soul. Consequently, the soul in their view is divine. The trapped part of God in this world must free itself from the material world and reunite with God.
There arose among Muslim people, a sect, which promoted this very same idea. Its followers are traditionally called "Sufis" and their system of beliefs is called "Sufism". This term is usually translated into English as "mysticism" or "Islamic mysticism." It is based on the same concept as that of the Greek mystics – that the human soul is divine and that the way that it becomes reunited with God is through certain spiritual exercises. Various groups of Sufis evolved into cults called "Tareeqahs" (ways or paths). Each cult was named after its actual or supposed founder, and each had its own set of special spiritual exercises which members had to strictly adhere to. Most taught that after the followers performed the prescribed spiritual, emotional and physical exercises, they would become one with God. This oneness was given the Arabic title fanaa, meaning "dissolution" 9 or wusool, meaning "arrival." The concept of "unity with God" was rejected by mainstream Muslim scholars but was embraced by the masses. In the tenth century, a sufi devotee, al-Hallaaj (858 -922), publicly announced that he was God and wrote poems and a book called Kitaab at-Tawaseen to that effect. In it he wrote, "If you do not recognize God, at least recognize his sign; I am the ultimate absolute truth because though the truth I am eternal truth. My friends an teachers are Iblees10, and Pharaoh. Iblees was threatened by the Hellfire, yet he did not acknowledge anything between himself and God, and although I am killed and crucified, though my hands and feet are cut off, I do not recant."11
Ibn 'Arabee (d.1240) took the unity with God belief a step further by claiming that only God exists. He wrote the following in one of his works, "Glory be to He, who made all things appear while being their essence."12 And in another he wrote, "He is the essence of whatever appears, and He is the essence of what is hidden while He appears. The one who sees Him is none other than Him and no one is hidden from Him because He appears to Himself while being hidden." 13 His concept is called Wahdatul-wujood (unity of existence) and became popular in the Sufi circles throughout the Muslim world.
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8Colliers Encyclopedia, vol.17, p.114
9Ihyaa' Uloom ad-Deen, vol.4, p.212.
10The proper name of Satan according to Muslim belief.
11Idea of Personality, p.32.
12Al-Furoohaat al-Makkiyyah, vol.2, p.604.
13Fusoos al-Hikma, vol.1, p.77.