Ma`rifat Kalami

Monotheism, meaning belief in the oneness of God and not ascribing partners to Him, is the basis of all divine religions. Intellectuals studying religion with the conventional approach of the contemporary West have distorted religion and reduced it to something worldly, materialistic, and humanistic. One of these figures is Hassan Hanafi, a contemporary Egyptian intellectual. The present study examines and criticizes his view on the subject of monotheism. In his works, especially the book "From Creed to Revolution," Hanafi offers a modern reading of theological topics and challenges all the principles of religion - even the Sunni readings. In his approach, monotheism should not be interpreted as an attribute of a true, infinite and perfect being, but as a human matter with contemporary social, historical, and cultural considerations. According to him, an interpretation appropriate to the needs of today's world should be presented. He considers theology to be the opposite of humanism, which in a new reading must be changed from a theological aspect to a human and worldly one. His reading has no relevance to monotheism in any of the divine religions; rather, it is a negation of monotheism and its implications. This article attempts to review his ideas by referring to his thoughts in the aforementioned book.