No other literature describes the existence of Only One God as
beautifully as Veda does. Just see here.
Na dvitityo Na triyaschthurtho naapyuchyate|
N a panchamo Na shshtah sapthmo naapyuchyate|
Nashtamo Na navamo dashamo naapyuchyate|
Yagna yetham devamekavritham veda||
Sa sarvassai vi pashyathi yachha praanathi
yachhana|
Tamidam nigatam sah sa yesha yeka yekavrideka
yeva|
Ya yetham devamekavritham veda||
Atharva 13.4[2]19-20
There is no second God, nor a third, nor is
even a fourth spoken of
There is no fifth God or a sixth nor is even a
seventh mentioned.
There is no eighth God, nor a ninth. Nothing is
spoken about a tenth even.
This unique power is in itself. That Lord is
only one, the only omnipresent. It is one and the only one.
A more categorical, effective, emphatic and
impressive refutation of polytheism cannot be imagined. The Vedas
reject the multiplicity of Gods in the clearest possible terms and
speak about One God, who is Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient
and absolutely and absolutely formless, who is ever unmanifest and
who never assumes human forms or never descends on earth in any form-
human or otherwise. Rig-Veda says “Vishwarkya vimana advihaya”
meaning who he is not entangled by mind, omnipresent Lord is the
Creator. He is both sustainer and protector too.
The God oversees the insensate and
conscious world in a unique way. The entire world rests with him. He
is “Yeshah yekah” i.e. only one. He is conscious, indivisible. He is
Yekah yevah” Only one.
Where can be more clear assertion of existence of Only
One God than this? After reading the description of God in this
manner, Sri W.D.Brown writes,
It [Vedic Religion] recognizes but one God.
Vedas call upon to offer worship due only to God
and no one else; to nothing else. It is clearly stated in Rig-Veda as
under.
Ma chidanyad vishamsata Sakhyo ma
rishanyatha|
Indramit srotha vrishanam sacha suthe
muhurukhya cha samshata||
Atharva 20.85.1
Friends! Do not praise and worship anything else, do
not be doomed, praise and worship only the benevolent God Almighty,
unitedly in this world, sing his glory, again and again.
Yeka yeva namasyo vikvidah| Atharva
2.2.1
Among all the men and women, there is only one. Who is worthy of
adoration, and worthy of worship too.
Na tvaam anyo divyo na parthivo na jato na
janishyathe|
Yajurveda 27.36
Oh God! There is nobody like you either in this world or the world
beyond. No body equal to you is born as yet nor will be born ever in
future also.
There are people who are under illusion that there are
many Gods after coming across words like Indra, Agni, and Varuna etc.
But these words that signify both God and things other than Gods
should not mislead the seeker after truth’ with this purpose in view,
the Vedas declare clearly:-
Indram Mitram varunamagnimaahuratho divyah sa suparno
garuthmaan|
Yekham sadvipra bahudha vadantyagnim yamam
maatarishwanamaahuh||
Rigveda 1.64.46
The real God is one, the enlightened ones, speak
of Him in several ways, God is divine, the supreme protector and
graceful sentient, the Universal soul. They call Him Indra, the
Almighty, the universal friend [mitra]. Varuna the most acceptable
and obliterator of sins, they describe Him as [agnim] the supreme
guide of the Universe, {Yaman} the controller of the Universe, and
{matarishvanam] the life of all lives.
So in other words, Indra, Agni, Yama, Suparna,
Garuthman and others are different epithets for one and the same
God[ though not exclusively, as the same words signify other entities
too in different contests]. All doubts about the correctness of the
unequivocal statement that the Vedas uphold only monotheism and not
Polytheism are set at rest when we consider
Yo na pitah janitha vidhata dhamani veda bhuvanani
vishwa|
Yo devaanam namadha yeka yeva tam samprashnam
bhuvanam yantyanya||
Rigveda 10.82.3
All these several worlds, find ultimate refuge,
in that curiosity-provoking, thought –arousing Lord who is our father
and creator, who is , the maker of sacred injunctions and Knows all
the abodes and worlds and finally who is only one assuming the names
of different divinities.
Vedas describe only One God at all places. The
advice is He alone should be praised and worshipped. He alone is the
emperor of the Universe.
Yekho Vishwasya bhuvanasya
rajah Rig-Veda 6.36.4
The Lord of the entire universe is one and
one only.
The Bible
Deuteronomy 6:4 (New International Version, ©2010)
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
The Most Concise Definition of God:
The most concise definition of God in Islam is given in the four
verses of Surah Ikhlas which is Chapter 112 of the Qur’an:
"Say: He is Allah,
The One and Only.
"Allah, the Eternal, Absolute.
"He begets not, nor is He begotten.
And there is none like unto Him."
[Al-Qur’an 112:1-4]
The word ‘Assamad’ is difficult to translate. It means ‘absolute
existence’, which can be attributed only to Allah (swt), all other
existence being temporal or conditional. It also means that Allah
(swt) is not dependant on any person or thing, but all persons and
things are dependant on Him.
Surah Ikhlas - the touchstone of theology:
Surah Ikhlas (Chapter 112) of the Glorious Qur’an, is the touchstone
of theology. ‘Theo’ in Greek means God and ‘logy’ means study. Thus
Theology means study of God and to Muslims this four line definition
of Almighty God serves as the touchstone of the study of God. Any
candidate to divinity must be subjected to this ‘acid test’. Since the
attributes of Allah given in this chapter are unique, false gods and
pretenders to divinity can be easily dismissed using these verses.
What does Islam say about ‘god-men’?
India is often called the land of ‘god-men’. This is due to the
abundance of so-called spiritual masters in India. Many of these
‘babas’ and ‘saints’ have a large following in many countries. Islam
abhors deification of any human being. To understand the Islamic stand
towards such pretenders to divinity, let us analyze one such ‘god-
man’, Osho Rajneesh.
Let us put this candidate, ‘Bhagwan’ Rajneesh, to the test of Surah
Ikhlas, the touchstone of theology:
i)
The first criterion is "Say, He is Allah, one and only". Is Rajneesh
one and only? No! Rajneesh was one among the multitude of ‘spiritual
teachers’ produced by India. Some disciples of Rajneesh might still
hold that Rajneesh is one and only.
ii)
The second criterion is, ‘Allah is absolute and eternal’. We know from
Rajneesh’s biography that he was suffering from diabetes, asthma, and
chronic backache. He alleged that the U.S. Government gave him slow
poison in prison. Imagine Almighty God being poisoned! Rajneesh was
thus, neither absolute nor eternal.
iii)
The third criterion is ‘He begets not, nor is He begotten’. We know
that Rajneesh was born in Jabalpur in India and had a mother as well
as a father who later became his disciples.
In May 1981 he went to U.S.A. and established a town called
‘Rajneeshpuram’. He later fell foul of the West and was finally
arrested and asked to leave the country. He came back to India and
started a commune in Pune which is now known as the ‘Osho’ commune. He
died in 1990. The followers of Osho Rajneesh believe that he is
Almighty God. At the ‘Osho commune’ in Pune one can find the following
epitaph on his tombstone:
"Osho – never born, never died; only visited the planet Earth between
11th December 1931 to 19th January 1990."
They forget to mention that he was not granted visa for 21 countries
of the world. Can a person ever imagine ‘God’ visiting the earth, and
requiring a visa to enter a country! The Archbishop of Greece said
that if Rajneesh had not been deported, they would have burnt his
house and those of his disciples.
(iv)
The fourth test, which is the most stringent is, "There is none like
unto Him". The moment you can imagine or compare ‘God’ to anything,
then he (the candidate to divinity) is not God. It is not possible to
conjure up a mental picture of the One True God. We know that Rajneesh
was a human being, having two eyes, two ears, a nose, a mouth and a
white flowing beard. Photographs and posters of Rajneesh are available
in plenty. The moment you can imagine or draw a mental picture of an
entity, then that entity is not God.
Many are tempted to make anthropomorphic comparisons of God. Take for
instance, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the famous body builder and Hollywood
actor, who won the title of ‘Mr. Universe’, the strongest man in the
world. Let us suppose that someone says that Almighty God is a
thousand times stronger than Arnold Schwarzenegger. The moment you can
compare any entity to God, whether the comparison is to Schwarzenegger
or to King Kong, whether it is a thousand times or a million times
stronger, it fails the Qur’anic criterion, "There is none like unto
Him".
Thus, the ‘acid test’ cannot be passed by anyone except the One True
God.
The following verse of the Glorious Qur’an conveys a similar message:
"No vision can grasp Him
But His grasp is over
All vision: He is
Above all comprehension,
Yet is acquainted with all things."
[Al-Qur’an 6:103]
By what name do we call God?
The Muslims prefer calling the Supreme Creator, Allah, instead of by
the English word ‘God’. The Arabic word, ‘Allah’, is pure and unique,
unlike the English word ‘God’, which can be played around with.
If you add ‘s’ to the word God, it becomes ‘Gods’, that is the plural
of God. Allah is one and singular, there is no plural of Allah. If you
add ‘dess’ to the word God, it becomes ‘Goddess’ that is a female God.
There is nothing like male Allah or female Allah. Allah has no gender.
If you add the word ‘father’ to ‘God’ it becomes ‘God-father’. God-
father means someone who is a guardian. There is no word like ‘Allah-
Abba’ or ‘Allah-father’. If you add the word ‘mother’ to ‘God’, it
becomes ‘God-mother’. There is nothing like ‘Allah-Ammi’, or ‘Allah-
mother’ in Islam. Allah is a unique word. If you prefix tin before the
word God, it becomes tin-God i.e., fake God. Allah is a unique word,
which does not conjure up any mental picture nor can it be played
around with. Therefore the Muslims prefer using the Arabic word
‘Allah’ for the Almighty. Sometimes, however, while speaking to the
non-Muslims we may have to use the inappropriate word God, for Allah.
Since the intended audience of this article is general in nature,
consisting of both Muslims as well as non-Muslims, I have used the
word God instead of Allah in several places in this article.
God does not become a human being:
God does not take human form:
Some may argue that God does not become a human being but only takes a
human form. If God only takes a human form but does not become a human
being, He should not possess any human qualities. We know that all the
‘God-men’, have human qualities and failings. They have all the human
needs such as the need to eat, sleep, etc.
The worship of God in human form is therefore a logical fallacy and
should be abhorred in all its forms and manifestations.
That is the reason why the Qur’an speaks against all forms of
anthropomorphism. The Glorious Qur’an says in the following verse:
"There is nothing whatever like unto Him."
[Al-Qur’an 42:11]
God does not perform ungodly acts:
The attributes of Almighty God preclude any evil since God is the
source of justice, mercy and truth. God can never be thought of as
doing an ungodly act. Hence we cannot imagine God telling a lie, being
unjust, making a mistake, forgetting things, or having any such human
failings. Similarly God can do injustice if He chooses to, but He will
never do it because being unjust is an ungodly act.
The Qur’an says:
"Allah is never unjust In the least degree."
[Al-Qur’an 4:40]
God can be unjust if He chooses to be so, but the moment God does
injustice, He ceases to be God.
God does not make mistakes
God can make mistakes if He wants to, but He does not make mistakes
because making a mistake is an ungodly act. The Qur’an says:
"…my Lord never errs."
[Holy Qur’an 20:52]
The moment God makes a mistake, he ceases to be God.
God does not forget
God can forget if He wants to. But God does not forget anything
because forgetting is an ungodly act, which reeks of human limitations
and failings. The Qur’an says:
"…my Lord never errs, nor forgets."
[Al-Qur’an 20:52]
God only performs Godly acts:
The Islamic concept of God is that God has power over all things. The
Qur’an says in several places (Al -Qur’an 2:106; 2:109; 2:284; 3:29;
16:77; and 35:1):
"For verily Allah has power over all things"
Further, the Glorious Qur’an says:
"Allah is the doer of all that He intends."
[Al-Qur’an 85:16]
We must keep in mind that Allah intends only Godly acts and not
ungodly acts.
PHILOSOPHY OF ANTHROPOMORPHISM
Many religions at some point believe, directly or indirectly, in the
philosophy of anthropomorphism i.e. God becoming a human. Their
contention is that Almighty God is so pure and holy that He is unaware
of the hardships, shortcomings and feelings of human beings. In order
to set the rules for human beings, He came down to earth as a human.
This deceptive logic has fooled countless millions through the ages.
Let us now analyze this argument and see if it stands to reason.
The Creator prepares the instruction manual:
Suppose I manufacture a video cassette recorder (VCR). Do I have to
become a VCR to know what is good or what is bad for the VCR? What do
I do? I write an instruction manual: "In order to watch a video
cassette, insert the cassette and press the play button. In order to
stop, press the stop button. If you want to fast forward press the FF
button. Do not drop it from a height or it will get damaged. Do not
immerse it in water or it will get spoilt". I write an instruction
manual that lists the various do’s and don’ts for the machine.
Holy Qur’an is the instruction manual for the human being:
Similarly, our Lord and Creator Allah (swt) need not take human form
to know what is good or bad for the human being. He chooses to reveal
the instruction manual. The last and final instruction manual of the
human beings is the Glorious Qur’an. The ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ for the
human beings are mentioned in the Qur’an.
If you allow me to compare human beings with machines, I would say
humans are more complicated than the most complex machines in the
world. Even the most advanced computers, which are extremely complex,
are pale in comparison to the myriad physical, psychological, genetic
and social factors that affect individual and collective human life.
The more advanced the machine, greater is the need for its instruction
manual. By the same logic, don’t human beings require an instruction
manual by which to govern their own lives?
Allah chooses Messengers:
Allah (swt) need not come down personally for giving the instruction
manual. He chooses a man amongst men to deliver the message and
communicates with him at a higher level through the medium of
revelations. Such chosen men are called messengers and prophets of
God.
Some people are ‘blind’ and ‘deaf’:
Despite the absurdity of the philosophy of anthropomorphism, followers
of many religions believe in and preach it to others. Is it not an
insult to human intelligence and to the Creator who gave us this
intelligence? Such people are truly ‘deaf’ and ‘blind’ despite the
faculty of hearing and sight given to them by Allah. The Qur’an says:
"Deaf, dumb, and blind,
They will not return (to the path)."
[Al-Qur’an 2:18]
The Bible gives a similar message in the Gospel of Matthew:
"Seeing they see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they
understand."
[The Bible, Matthew 13:13]
A similar message is also given in the Hindu Scriptures in the
Rigveda.
"There maybe someone who sees the words and yet indeed does not see
them; may be another one who hears these words but indeed does not
hear them." 1
[Rigveda 10:71:4]
All these scriptures are telling their readers that though the things
are made so clear yet many people divert away from the truth.
Attributes of God:
To Allah belong the most beautiful names:
The Qur’an says:
"Say: Call upon Allah, or
Call upon Rahman:
By whatever name you call
Upon Him, (it is well):
For to Him belong
The Most Beautiful Names."
[Al-Qur’an 17:110]
A similar message regarding the beautiful names of Allah (swt) is
repeated in the Qur’an in Surah Al-A’raf (7:180), in Surah Taha (20:8)
and in Surah Al-Hashr (59:24).
The Qur’an gives no less than ninety-nine different attributes to
Almighty Allah. The Qur’an refers to Allah as Ar-Rahman (Most
Gracious), Ar-Raheem (Most Merciful) and Al-Hakeem (All Wise) among
many other names. You can call Allah by any name but that name should
be beautiful and should not conjure up a mental picture.
Each attribute of God is unique and possessed by Him alone:
Not only does God possess unique attributes, but also each attribute
of Almighty God is sufficient to identify Him. I shall clarify this
point in detail. Let us take an example of a famous personality, say
Neil Armstrong. Neil Armstrong is an astronaut. The attribute of being
an astronaut possessed by Neil Armstrong is correct but not unique to
Neil Armstrong alone. So when one asks, who is an astronaut? The
answer is, there are hundreds of people in the world who are
astronauts. Neil Armstrong is an American. The attribute of being
American possessed by Neil Armstrong is correct but not sufficient to
identify him. So when one asks, who is an American? The answer is,
there are millions of people who are American. To identify the person
uniquely we must look for a unique attribute possessed by none except
that person. For example, Neil Armstrong was the first human to set
foot on the moon. So when one asks, who was the first man to set foot
on the moon, the answer is only one, i.e. Neil Armstrong. Similarly
the attribute of Almighty God should be unique. If I say God is the
constructor of buildings, it is possible and true, but it is not
unique. Thousands of people can construct a building. But each
attribute of Allah is unique and points to none but Allah. For
example, God is the creator of the universe. If someone asks who is
the creator of the universe, the answer is only one, i.e. Almighty God
is the Ultimate Creator. Similarly, following are some of the many
unique attributes possessed by none other than the Creator of the
universe, Almighty Allah:
"Ar-Raheem", the Most Merciful
"Ar-Rahman", the Most Gracious
"Al-Hakeem", the Most Wise
So when one asks, "Who is ‘Ar-Raheem’, (the Most Merciful)?", there
can only be one answer: "Almighty Allah".
One attribute of God should not contradict with other attributes:
Besides the attribute being unique, it should not contradict other
attributes. To continue with the earlier example, suppose somebody
says that Neil Armstrong is an American astronaut who was the first
human to set foot on the moon and was an Indian. The attribute
possessed by Neil Armstrong of being the first man to set foot on the
moon, is correct. But its associated quality of being an Indian, is
false. Similarly if someone says that God is the Creator of the
Universe and has one head, two hands, two feet, etc., the attribute
(Creator of the Universe) is correct but the associated quality (in
the form of human being) is wrong and false.
All attributes should point to the one and same God:
Since there is only one God, all the attributes should point to one
and the same God. To say that Neil Armstrong was an American astronaut
who first set foot on the moon, but he was born in 1971 is wrong. Both
these unique qualities belong to one and the same person, i.e. Neil
Armstrong. Similarly to say that the Creator of the universe is one
God and the Cherisher is another God is absurd because God possesses
all these attributes combined together.
Unity of God:
Some polytheists argue by saying that the existence of more than one
God is not illogical. Let us point out to them that if there were more
than one God, they would dispute with one another, each god trying to
fulfill his will against the will of the other gods. This can be seen
in the mythology of the polytheistic and pantheistic religions. If a
‘God’ is defeated or unable to defeat the others, he is surely not the
one true God. Also popular among polytheistic religions is the idea of
many Gods, each having different responsibilities. Each one would be
responsible for a part of man’s existence e.g. a Sun-God, a Rain-God,
etc. This indicates that one ‘God’ is incompetent of certain acts and
moreover he is also ignorant of the other Gods’ powers, duties,
functions and responsibilities. There cannot be an ignorant and
incapable God. If there were more than one God it would surely lead to
confusion, disorder, chaos and destruction in the universe. But the
universe is in complete harmony. The Glorious Qur’an says:
"If there were, in the heavens
And the earth, other gods
Besides Allah, there would
Have been confusion in both!
But glory to Allah,
The Lord of the Throne:
(High is He) above
What they attribute to Him!"
[Al-Qur’an 21:22]
If there were more than one God, they would have taken away what they
created. The Qur’an says:
"No son did Allah beget,
Nor is there any god
Along with Him: (if there were
Many gods), behold, each god
Would have taken away
What he had created,
And some would have
Lorded it over others!
Glory to Allah! (He is free)
From the (sort of) things
They attribute to Him!"
[Al-Qur’an 23:91]
Thus the existence of one True, Unique, Supreme, Almighty God, is the
only logical concept of God.
TAWHEED:
Definition and Categories:
Islam believes in ‘Tawheed’ which is not merely monotheism i.e. belief
in one God, but much more. Tawheed literally means ‘unification’ i.e.
‘asserting oneness’ and is derived from the Arabic verb ‘Wahhada’
which means to unite, unify or consolidate.
Tawheed can be divided into three categories.
1. Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah
2. Tawheed al-Asmaa-was-Sifaat
3. Tawheed al-Ibaadah.
A.
Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah (maintaining the unity of Lordship)
The first category is ‘Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah’. ‘Ruboobeeyah’ is
derived from the root verb "Rabb" meaning Lord, Sustainer and
Cherisher.
Therefore ‘Tawheed-ar-Ruboobeeyah’ means maintaining the unity of
Lordship. This category is based on the fundamental concept that Allah
(swt) alone caused all things to exist when there was nothing. He
created or originated all that exists out of nothing. He alone is the
sole Creator, Cherisher, and Sustainer of the complete universe and
all between it, without any need from it or for it.
B.
Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat (maintaining the unity of Allah’s name and
attributes):
The second category is ‘Tawheed al Asmaa was Sifaat’ which means
maintaining the unity of Allah’s name and attributes. This category is
divided into five aspects:
(i)
Allah should be referred to as described by Him and His Prophet
Allah must be referred to according to the manner in which He and His
prophet have described Him without explaining His names and attributes
by giving them meanings other than their obvious meanings.
(ii)
Allah must be referred to as He has referred to Himself
Allah must be referred to without giving Him any new names or
attributes. For example Allah may not be given the name Al-Ghaadib
(the Angry One), despite the fact that He has said that He gets angry,
because neither Allah nor His messenger have used this name.
(iii)
Allah is referred to without giving Him the attributes of His
creation
In a reference to God, we should strictly abstain from giving Him the
attributes of those whom He has created. For instance in the Bible,
God is portrayed as repenting for His bad thoughts in the same way as
humans do when they realise their errors. This is completely against
the principle of Tawheed. God does not commit any mistakes or errors
and therefore never needs to repent.
The key principle when dealing with Allah’s attributes is given in the
Qur’an in Surah Ash-Shura:
"There is nothing
Whatever like unto Him,
And He is the One
That hears and sees (all things)."
[Al-Qur’an 42:11]
Hearing and seeing are human faculties. However, when attributed to
the Divine Being they are without comparison, in their perfection,
unlike when associated with humans who require ears, eyes, etc. and
who are limited in their sight and hearing in terms of space, time,
capacity, etc.
(iv)
God’s creation should not be given any of His attributes
To refer to a human with the attribute of God is also against the
principle of Tawheed. For example, referring to a person as one who
has no beginning or end (eternal).
(v)
Allah’s name cannot be given to His creatures
Some Divine names in the indefinite form, like ‘Raoof’ or ‘Raheem’ are
permissible names for men as Allah has used them for Prophets; but ‘Ar-
Raoof’ (the Most Pious) and Ar-Raheem (the most Merciful) can only be
used if prefixed by ‘Abd’ meaning ‘slave of’ or ‘servant of’ i.e.
’Abdur-Raoof’ or ‘Abdur-Raheem’. Similarly ‘Abdur-Rasool’ (slave of
the Messenger) or ‘Abdun-Nabee’ (slave of the Prophet) are forbidden.
There is no God.
Muslims nowadays pretend they understand Vedas better than Hindus!
They claim vedas advocate *only formless God*!
Not so. To understand vedas you have to contemplate what it says and
not see it from *your point of view*!
Vedas do speak of God as Formless!
Vedas also speak of Him as all Forms!
Both.
See Narayana Suktham: yachcha kinchit jagat sarvam...
all that is seen and heard in the universe is God alone
Purusha suktham says "ajaayamaano bahudha viyaayathee* God is without
birth but comes in many Forms!
Same in Gita and all over.
Vedas speak of God as being Formless and as Forms
Everything is God
Can you really understand that??
Or are you trying to validate unholy koran?
To understand Islam, one must go to the Koran. The Koran tells Muslims
how they should deal with
Christians, Jews ,Buddhists, Hindus and others:
[1] Slay the idolaters wherever you find them. (This is the Verse of
the Sword in the Koran, Surah 9:5).
Hindus and Buddhists are considered idolaters.
[2] Do not have Christians and Jews as friends. (The Koran, Surah 5:
51)
[3] Fight until Islam rules the world and is the only religion
practiced in the world.
(The Koran, Surah 8:39 ).
[4]Muslim men can marry Jewish and Christian women, but muslim women
cannot marry
non-Muslim men (The Koran, Surahs 5:5 and 2:221)
In Surah 33:21, The Koran orders Muslims to "follow the example of
Prophet Muhammad." So
the Hadith (Sayings and Deeds of Prophet Muhammad) and Sira (Biography
of Prophet Muhammad) are, according to the Koran, as important as the
Koran itself, in understanding Islam. In the Hadith collection , The
Sahih Bukhari, the following saying of Prophet Muhammad is given:
If any Muslim leaves the religion of Islam, kill him.
From the Sira (Biography of Prophet Muhammad ), one learns that
Prophet Muhammad enslaved the women and children of the Jews, after
killing the men among the Jews.
Al-Ghazali, a Sufi Muslim and the greatest scholar of Islam in the
history of Islam, wrote the following:
"One must go on jihad (i.e., warlike razzias or raids) at least once
a
year...one may use a catapult against them [non-Muslims] when they
are
in a fortress, even if among them are women and children. One may set
fire to them and/or drown them...If a person of the Ahl al-Kitab
[People of The Book - primarily Jews and Christians] is enslaved, his
marriage
is [automatically] revoked.One may cut down their trees...One must
destroy their useless books. Jihadists may take as booty whatever
they
decide...they may steal as much food as they need... "
(From "The Legacy of Jihad" , edited by Andrew Bostom, Prometheus
Books, 2008, page 199)
Al-Ghazali was a Sufi muslim, and it is often claimed that "Sufi
Muslims are the peaceful muslims."
To understand Islam, one must study the sacred texts of Islam: The
Koran, The Hadith and the Sira,
and the commentaries of scholars of Islam.
On Nov 27, 4:34 pm, uNmaivirumbi <tripurant...@yahoo.com> wrote:
Let me put it simply. I am not denying any vedic statements. You have
chosen to quote a part of vedas which say God is Formless and you deny
the other part which affirms God has all Forms.
God is both Formless and has Forms! That is the essence of the vedic
messsage
Your muslims mind infested with koran may not find this easy to follow
this as you are * only seeking to validate the unholy koran*
Can you deny that Islam teaches hate and violence against non-
Muslims ?
See below.
When koran infects the mind, they lose the capacity to study anything.
He can never follow what the vedas say. He will only try to validate
the most unholy koran
God is confused. He doesn't know whether he is formless or has forms.
Give him a mirror so that he can figure out whether he has a form.
> Your muslims mind infested with koran may not find this easy to follow
> this as you are * only seeking to validate the unholy koran*
Can anyone follow it? How can one with a form also be formless? How
can a formless one also have a form?
Normal question. Think and ask a vedic person properly. He may tell
you-- Gita 4-34
Dhanyavaad!
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
The 'formless one' is for the extremists who do not listen to reason.
They have a harder way to reach their God. The 'one with form' has to
worry about reason and cannot go close to extremists or 'misguided'
living beings in order to be 'available' for the whole world.
You are welcome !
Islam is not a religion. It is politics against non-muslims.
How can light be both a particle and a wave ?
On Nov 28, 5:22 pm, uNmaivirumbi <tripurant...@yahoo.com> wrote:
Why you cheery pick the Quran. read the whole Quran if you really want
to understand the Quran.
Does Islam really allow the killing of innocent unbelievers?
This is one misunderstanding that keeps rising up against Islam.
Islam does not in anyway allow for the killing of any innocent soul.
Here are some of the Noble Verses that that deal directly with war and
peace to shed some light upon readers.
Noble Verses that order the killing of the enemies:
Let us look at Noble Verses 9:28-29 "O ye believe! Truly the pagans
are unclear; so let them not, after this year of theirs, approach the
Sacred Mosque. And if ye fear povery, soon will Allah enrich you, if
He wills, out of His bounty, For Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the last day, nor hold that
forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor
acknowledge the religion of truth, from among the people of the book,
until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves
subdued."
Let us look at Noble Verse 9:5 "Then, when the sacred months have
passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them
(captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if
they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave
their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."
As we clearly see in the above Noble Verses, the laws of killing the
unbelievers or the pagans were for particular and specific times, and
not for all times and all places. Notice the quotes "...after this
year..." and "...when the sacred months have passed...".
It is important to know that when Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him
started preaching Islam, he had to deal with 360 Arab pagan tribes at
first, and he and his followers had to go through a lot of battles
that were imposed upon them by the pagans who were threatened by the
new System and Wonderful Religion of Islam.
Noble Verses that deal with peace:
"Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not transgress
limits; for God loveth not transgressors. (The Noble Quran, 2:190)"
"On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any
one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief
in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any
one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole
people. Then although there came to them Our apostles with clear
signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses
in the land. (The Noble Quran, 5:32)"
"Those who invoke not, with God, any other god, nor slay such life as
God has made sacred except for just cause, nor commit fornication; -
and any that does this (not only) meets punishment. (But) the Penalty
on the Day Of Judgement will be doubled To him, and he will dwell
Therein in ignominy. (The Noble Quran, 25:68-69)"
"But if the enemy incline towards peace, do thou (also) incline
towards peace, and trust in God: for He is One that heareth and
knoweth (all things). (The Noble Quran, 8:61)"
"If thou dost stretch thy hand against me, to slay me, it is not for
me to stretch my hand against thee to slay thee: for I do fear God,
the cherisher of the worlds. (The Noble Quran, 5:28)"
"God does not forbid you from showing kindness and dealing justly with
those who have not fought you about religion and have not driven you
out of your homes. God loves just dealers. (The Noble Quran, 60:8)"
"And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for
God. But if they desist, then let there be no hostility except
against wrongdoers. (The Noble Quran 2:193)"
"Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from
error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the
most trustworthy handhold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and
knoweth all things. (The Noble Quran, 2:256)"
"Again and again will those who disbelieve, wish that they had bowed
(to God's will) in Islam. Leave them alone, to enjoy (the good
things of this life) and to please themselves: let (false) hope amuse
them: soon will knowledge (undeceive them). (The Noble Quran,
15:2-3)"
"Say, 'The truth is from your Lord': Let him who will believe, and let
him who will, reject (it):......(The Noble Quran, 18:29)"
"If it had been thy Lord's will, they would all have believed,- all
who are on earth! wilt thou then COMPEL mankind, against their will,
to believe! (The Noble Quran, 10:99)"
"Say: 'Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger: but if ye turn away, he is
only responsible for the duty placed on him and ye for that placed on
you. If ye obey him, ye shall be on right guidance. The Messenger's
duty is only to preach the clear (Message). (The Noble Quran, 24:54)"
"Say : O ye that reject Faith! I worship not that which ye worship,
Nor will ye worship that which I worship. And I will not worship that
which ye have been wont to worship, Nor will ye worship that which I
worship. To you be your Way, and to me mine. (The Noble Quran,
109:1-6)"
"Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it set in a
spring of murky water: Near it he found a People: We said: 'O Zul-
qarnain! (thou hast authority,) either to punish them, or to treat
them with kindness.' (The Noble Quran, 18:86)" In this Noble Verse
we see that if the enemy wants to do us harm, then we must punish
those who did us harm. Otherwise, we must treat the enemy civilians
and the innocents with kindness.
Let us look at Noble Verse 45:14 "Tell those who believe, to forgive
those who do not look forward to the days of Allah: It is for Him to
recompense (for good or ill) each people according to what they have
earned."
Let us look at Noble Verse 5:32 "...if any one slew a person - unless
it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be
as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would
be as if he saved the life of the whole people..." In this Noble
Verse we clearly see that Allah Almighty honors all the innocent souls
that He created. Killing any innocent soul is so hated by Allah
Almighty that He considers it as a crime against all of Mankind.
Let us look at Noble Verse 25:68 "Those who invoke not, with God, any
other god, nor slay such life as God has made sacred except for just
cause, nor commit fornication; - and any that does this (not only)
meets punishment." In this Noble Verse we clearly see that Allah
Almighty considers the innocent soul "sacred". He will punish those
who kill the innocent souls (by throwing them in hell).
Let us look at Noble Verse 2:182 "But if anyone fears partiality or
wrong-doing on the part of the testator, and makes peace between (The
parties concerned), there is no wrong in him: For God is Oft-
forgiving, Most Merciful."
Let us look at Noble Verse 2:224 "And make not God's (name) an excuse
in your oaths against doing good, or acting rightly, or making peace
between persons; for God is One Who heareth and knoweth all things."
I'd say, this Noble Verse clearly proves my point: Let us look at
Noble Verse 8:61 "But if the enemy incline towards peace, do thou
(also) incline towards peace, and trust in God: for He is One that
heareth and knoweth (all things)." In this Noble Verse, we clearly
see Allah Almighty ordering us, the Muslims, to incline toward peace
when the enemy inclines toward peace. This proves that Islam is not a
religion for wars, but for peace.
Allah Almighty orders Muslims in the Noble Quran to allow total
freedom of choice to people and to never try to force them into Islam;
"Let there be no compulsion (forcing others) in religion: Truth
stands out clear from error: whoever rejects evil and believes in
Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy handhold, that never breaks.
And Allah heareth and knoweth all things. (The Noble Quran, 2:256)"
The Noble Quran prohibits Muslims to force any person into Islam.
Muslims must not let people resent Islam and Muslims. They must leave
people decide for themselves because the "Truth stands out clear from
error...(2:256)"
Compulsion is incompatible with religion: Because (1) religion
depends upon faith and will, and these would be meaningless by force;
(2) Truth and Error have been so clearly shown up by the mercy of
Allah Almighty that there should be no doubt in the minds of any
persons of good will as to the fundamentals of faith; (3) Allah
Almighty's protection is continuous, and His Plan is always to lead us
from the depths of darkness into the clearest light.
In the above Noble Verses, we clearly see that Allah Almighty orders
the Muslims to be forgiving to the enemies and to make peace and peace
making their top priority. It is part of the Muslim's morals to be a
peaceful person.
Muslims start their greetings with "As'salamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatu Allah
Wa Barakatuh", which means in English "May GOD's peace, mercy and
blessings be upon you."
This is indeed the beautiful religion of Islam. Please visit Good
manners in Islam to see ample Noble Verses that order the Muslims to
repel evil with good.
Please visit Islam prohibits terrorism.
http://www.answering-christianity.com/no_murder.htm
On Nov 29, 1:06 am, use...@mantra.com and/or www.mantra.com/jai (Dr.
Jai Maharaj) wrote:
> In article <ccbac70d-4b8e-4a25-a699-d14c84724...@t35g2000yqj.googlegroups.com>,
> fanabba <fana...@aol.com> posted: