Comparative Study Between Islam And Hinduism Part -1

PRESENTING ISLAM TO HINDUS

Arabic Recitation (3:64)

I. Introduction

A. Introduction of Hinduism

1. Definition of a Hindu

The word Hindu has geographical significance and was used originally for those people who lived beyond the river Sindhu or the region watered by the river Indus. Some historians say that it was first used by the Persians who came to India through the north western passes of the Himalayas. The word Hindu is no where mentioned in Indian literature or scriptures before the advent of Muslims to India, according to the Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics. According to Jawaharlal Nehru in the book Discovery of India on page 74-75, he writes that the earliest reference to the word Hindu can be traced to a tantrik of the 8^th Century CE, where it means a people and not a follower of a particular religion. The use of the word Hindu in connection with a particular religion is of late occurrence.

In short Hindu is a geographical definition used for the people living beyond the river Indus or those living in India

2. Definition of Hinduism

a) Hinduism has been derived from the word Hindu. Hinduism was a name given in English language in the Nineteenth Century by the English people to the multiplicity of the beliefs and faith of the people of the Indus land. According to New Encyclopedia Britannica 20:581. The British writers in 1830 gave the word Hinduism to be used as the common name for all the beliefs of the people of India excluding the Muslims and converted Christians.

b) The term Hinduism is misleading because though it suggests the unified system of beliefs and ideas, it is certainly not the case. Hinduism is too broad a phenomenon to be confined to a usual definitions of religions. It does not owe its origin, formation or finalization to any historical person or a prophet since there is no uniformly accepted belief sacraments, rituals and practices in Hinduism, there are no criteria for establishing rules in Hinduism. In short a person who calls himself a Hindu becomes a true practicing Hindu irrespective who he worships and what ever may be his beliefs and practice.

c) According to the Hindu scholars Hinduism is a misnomer and it should be referred a Sanatana Dharma, meaning eternal religion or Vedic Dharma meaning religion of the Veda. According to Swami Vivekananda the followers of this religion is referred as Vedantist.

B. Introduction of Islam

1. Definition of Islam

Islam is an Arabic word which comes from the word ‘Salaam’ which means ‘Peace’. It also means submitting your will to Allah - the Almighty God. In short Islam means peace acquired by submitting your will to Allah (SWT).

2. Definition of a Muslim

A Muslim is a person who submits his will to Allah - the Almighty God.

3. Misconception about Islam

Many people have a misconception that Islam is a new religion which came into existence 1400 years ago and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the founder of the religion of Islam. Infact Islam is there since time immemorial, since man set foot on the earth. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is not the founder of the religion of Islam but he is the last and final messenger of Islam.

II. Pillars of Faith (Imaan) - Pillars of Hinduism

Pillars of Faith in Hinduism are not defined. As mentioned earlier that Hinduism does not have a set of unified or codified beliefs. Neither does it have any fixed pillars or principles which are obligatory for its followers to practice. A Hindu has a freedom to practice whatever he pleases, there is no such thing as compulsory or prohibited for him thus no act committed by a person can make him a non-Hindu. Neither omission of any act can make him a non-Hindu. However there are certain beliefs which are common to most of the Hindus. Even though it may not be agreed upon 100% by all the Hindus, we shall discuss some of them while discussing the pillars of Islam.

CONCEPT OF GOD IN HINDUISM

The most popular amongst the Aryan religion is Hinduism

1. Common concept of God in Hinduism:

If you ask a common Hindu that how many Gods he believe in, some may say three some may say thirty three, some may say a thousand while some may say thirty three crore i.e. 330 millions. But if you ask this question to a Hindu learned man who is well Versed with the Hindu scriptures, he will reply that the Hindu should actually believe and worship only one God.

2. Difference between Islam and Hinduism is ‘s’

(Everything is ‘God’s’ - everything is ‘God’):

The major difference between the Hindu and the Muslim is that the common Hindu believes in philosophy of Pantheism i.e. everything is God, the tree is God, the sun is God, the moon is God, the snake is God, the monkey is God, the human being is God.

The Muslims believe that everything is God’s. God with and apostrophe ‘s’. Everything belongs to God, the tree belongs to God, the sun belongs to God, the moon belongs to God, monkey belongs to God, the human being belongs to God.

Thus the major difference between the Hindus and the Muslims is the apostrophe ‘s’. The Hindu says everything is God. The Muslim says everything is God’s, God with an apostrophe ‘s’. If we can solve the difference of the apostrophe ‘s’, the Hindus and the Muslims will be united.

The Holy Qur’an says, “Come to common terms as between us and you”, which is the first term? “That we worship none but Allah”, so lets come to common terms by analyzing the scripture of the Hindus and the Muslim.

3. Bhagwad Geeta 7:20

The most popular amongst all the Hindu scriptures is the Bhagwad Geeta. Bhagwad Geeta mentions in Chapter 7, Verse 20, “Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires worship demigods” that is “Those who are materialistic, they worship demigods” i.e. besides the true God.

4. Upanishad

Upanishad are also one of the sacred scriptures of the Hindus.

(i) Chandogya Upanishad, Chapter 6, Section 2, Verse 1

It is mentioned in the Chandogya Upanishad, Prapathaka(Chapter) 6, Khanda(Section)2, Shloka(Verse) “Ekam evaditiyam”, “He is one only without a second”.

The principal Upanishad by S. Radhakrishnan, page 447 and 448(sacred books of the east Volume 1 the Upanishads, part I, page 93)

a) (ii) Similar to what is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an in Surah Ikhlas, Chapter 112, Verse 1, “Say he is Allah one and only”.

b) (i) Svetasvatara Upanishad, Chapter 6, Verse 9

It is mentioned in the Svetasvatara Upanishad, Adhyaya(Chapter) 6, Shloka(Verse) 9, “Na casya kascij janita na cadhipah” “Of him there is neither parents nor lord”.

“na tasya kascit patir asti loke, na cesita naiva ca tasya lingam, na karanam karanadhipadhipo na casya kascij janita na cadhipah”.

“Of him there is no master in the world, no ruler, nor is there any mark of him. He is the cause, the lord of the lords of the sense organs; of him there is neither progenitor nor lord”.

(The principal Upanishad by S. Radhakrishnan page 745 and in sacred books of the east Volume 15, the Upanishads, part II, page 263)

(ii) Similar message is given in Holy Qur’an in Surah Ikhlas, Chapter 112, Verse 3,

“He begets not, nor is he begotten”.

(i) In Svetasvatara Upanishad, Chapter 4, Verse 19

It is mentioned in Svetasvatara Upanishad, Adhyaya(Chapter) 4, Shloka(Verse) 19,

“Na tasya pratima asti” “There is no likeness of him”.

“nainam urdhvam na tiryancam na madhye na parijagrabhat na tasya pratima asti yasya nama mahad yasah” “There is no likeness of him whose name is great glory”.

(The principal Upanishad by S. Radhakrishnan page 736 & 737 and in sacred books of the east Volume 15, the Upanishad, part II, page 253)

c) (ii) Similar message is given in the Holy Qur’an in Surah Ikhlas, Chapter 112, Verse 4,

“And there is none like unto him”.

c) (iii) Surah Shura, Chapter 42, Verse 11 and also in Surah Shura, Chapter 42, Verse 11,

“There is nothing whatever like unto him”.

d) (i) In Svetasvatara Upanishad, Chapter 4, Verse 20

It is mentioned in Svetasvatara Upanishad, Adhyaya(Chapter) 4, Shloka(Verse) 20,

“na samdrse tishati rupam asya, na caksusa pasyati kas canainam” “his form cannot be seen, no one sees him with the eye”

“nasamdrse tishati rupam asya, na caksusa pasyati kas canainam. Hrda hrdistham manasa ya enam, evam vidur amrtas te bhavanti”

“His form is not to be seen; no one sees him with the eye. Those who through heart and mind know him as abiding in the heart become immortal”.

(The principal Upanishad by S. Radhakrishnan page 737 & in sacred books of the east Volume 15, the Upanishad part II, page 253)

e) (ii) Similar message is given in the Holy Qur’an in Surah Anam, Chapter 6, Verse 103,

“No vision can grasp him. But his grasp is over all vision: he is above all comprehension, yet is acquainted with all things”.

5. Yajurveda

Vedas are the most sacred amongst all the Hindu scriptures, there are principally 4 Vedas, Rigved, Yajurved, Samved and Atharvaved.

a) Yajurveda, Chapter 32, Verse 3

It is mentioned in Yajurved, Chapter 32, Verse 3

“na tasya pratima asti” “There is no image of Him”

It further says as “He is unborn, He deserves our worship”

“There is no image of him whose glory verily is great. He sustains within himself all luminous objects like the sun etc. may he not harm me, this is my prayer. As he is unborn, he deserves our worship”.

(The Yajurveda by Devi Chand M.A. page 377)

b) Yajurveda, Chapter 40, Verse 8

It is mentioned in Yajurved, Chapter 40, Verse 8, “He is body less and pure”

“He hath attained unto the bright, bodiless, woundless, sinewless, the pure which evil hath not pierced. Far-sighted wise, encompassing, he self existent hath prescribed aims as propriety demands unto the everlasting years”

(Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph I.H. Griffith page 538)

c) Yajurveda, Chapter 40, Verse 9

It is mentioned in Yajurved, Chapter 40, Verse 9

“Andhatma pravishanti ye asambhuti mupaste”

“They enter darkness, those who worship natural things” For e.g. air, water, fire etc.

It further continues and says, “They sink deeper in darkness those who worship Sambhuti i.e. created things”, For example table, chair, idol etc.

“Deep into shade of blinding gloom fall asambhuti’s worshippers. They sink to darkness deeper yet who on sambhuti are intent”

(Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T.H. Griffith page 538)

6. Atharvaveda

a) (i) Atharvaveda, Book 20, Hymn (Chapter) 58, Verse 3

It is mentioned in Atharvaveda, Book 20, Hymn (Chapter) 58, Verse 3

“Dev maha osi” “God is verily great”

“Verily, surya, thou art great; truly, aditya, thou art great. As thou art great indeed thy greatness is admired: yea, verily, great art thou, O God”

(Atharvaveda Samhiti Volume 2, William Dwight Whitney page 910)

a) (ii) Surah Rad, Chapter 13, Verse 9

A similar message is given in Qur’an Surah Rad, Chapter 13, Verse 9,

“He is the Great, the most High.”