INTRODUCTION
In this
series of articles, we are analyzing similarities and common grounds between two
major religions of the world: Hinduism and Islam. In the previous article, we
studied the various similarities between the concepts of life after death, and
of fate and destiny in Islam and in Hinduism as mentioned in their respective
scriptures. In this month’s article, we shall study, examine and highlight
similarities between the concepts of worship and jihad in Hinduism as mentioned
in their respective scriptures. We shall also examine certain similarities in
the teachings of the scriptures of Hinduism and Islam.
PILLARS OF ISLAM
1.
ISLAMIC CREED:
a. It is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari
“Narrated Ibn Umar (r.a.)
That Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said: Islam is based on (the following) five
(principles):
1.
To testify that none
has the right to be worshipped except Allah and that Muhammad (pbuh) is the
slave and messenger of Allah.
2.
Iqamat-as-salaah (to
perform prayers)
3.
To pay Zakaat
4.
To perform Hajj (i.e.
Pilgrimage to Makkah)
5.
To Observe Saum (i.e. fast) during the month of
Ramadhaan
(Sahih
Bukhari Vol. 1, Book of Imaan, Chapter 1, Hadith 8)
b. TESTIMONY OF FAITH:
The First Pillar of Islam i.e. to declare,
proclaim, testify and to bear witness that no entity or deity is worthy of
worship, devotion, obedience and submission except Allah (swt) and to bear
witness that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the last and final Messenger of Allah.
This pillar of faith has already been discussed in the Pillar of Imaan.
2.
SALAAH:
a. The second Pillar of Islam is Salaah.
Salaah is usually translated in English as
prayer. To pray means to beseech or to ask for help. In Salaah we Muslims do not
merely ask for help from Almighty Allah but we also praise Him and receive
guidance from Him. I personally prefer describing it as programming towards
righteousness. To elaborate, consider that during salaah, after Surah Fatiha, an
Imaam may recite:
O
ye who believe!
Intoxicants and gambling,
(Dedication of) Stones,
And (divination by) arrows,
Are an abomination
Of Satan’s handiwork;
Eschew such (abomination),
That you may prosper.
(Al
Qur’an 5:90)
Allah (swt) guides us, through this verse of the
Qur’an, which is recited by the Imaam during salaah, that we should not imbibe
intoxicants, we should not indulge in gambling, idol worship or fortune telling.
All these are Satan’s handiwork and we should abstain from these if we wish to
prosper.
The English word ‘prayer’ does not denote the
complete meaning of Salaah in its full and true sense.
b. Prayer restrains you from shameful and
unjust deeds.
It is mentioned in the Qur’an:
Recite what is sent
Of the book by inspiration
To thee, and establish
Regular Prayer: for prayer
Restrains from shameful
And unjust deeds;
And remembrance of Allah
Is the greatest (thing of life)
Without doubt. And Allah knows
The (deeds) that ye do.
(Al
Qur’an 29:45)
c. Five times Salaah for healthy souls.
For a healthy body, human require about three
meals. In a similar manner for a healthy soul, it is required that we offer
Salaah a minimum of five times every day.
Our Creator Allah (swt) has prescribed salaah for
human beings for a minimum of five times a day in Surah Isra Chapter 17 Verse 78
and in Surah Taha Chapter 20 Verse 130.
d. The Prostration is the most important
part of Salaah:
The most important part of Salaah is the ‘Sujud’
i.e. Prostration.
i. It is mentioned in the
Qur’an:
“O Mary! Worship
thy lord devoutly,
Prostrate thyself,
and bow down (in prayers)
With those who bow
down.”
(Al
Qur’an 3:43)
ii. O ye who believe:
Bow down, prostrate yourselves,
And adore your Lord; and do good;
That ye may prosper.
(Al
Qur’an 22:77)
Similarities:
One of the types of Prayers in Hinduism is 'Shashtang'
There are various different types of prayers and
modes of worship in Hinduism. One of the types is ‘shashtang’. The word
‘shashtang’ is made up of ‘Sa’ and ‘Asht’ which means eight and ‘Ang’ which
means ‘parts of the body’. Thus, shastang is a mode of worship touching eight
parts of the body. The best way a person can do this is like Muslims who
prostrate in their Salaah touching their forehead, nose, two hands, two knees,
and two feet.
Idol Worship is prohibited in Hinduism:
i. Idol worship, which is very common amongst
the Hindus, is prohibited in Hinduism. It is mentioned in Bhagavad Gita Chapter
7 verse 20:
“Those whose intelligence has been stolen by
material desires they worship demigods i.e. idols.(Bhagavad
Gita 7:20)
It is mentioned in:
ii.
Svetashvatara Upanishad
chapter 4 verse 19
As well as in:
iii. Yajurved Chapter 32 Verse 3
“There is no image of Him”
(Svetashvatara Upanishad 4:19, Yajurved 32:3)
iv.
It is also mentioned in
Yajurveda Chapter 40 verse 9
“They enter darkness those who worship natural
things (for e.g. air, water, fire, etc.). They sink deeper in darkness those who
worship sambhuti i.e. created things (for e.g. table, chair, car, idol etc.)
(Yajurved 40:9)
3.
ZAKAT:
a.
ZAKAAT MEANS PURIFICATION AND GROWTH
Zakaat is the third pillar of Islam, which means
purification and growth.
b.
2.5% IN CHARITY
Every rich Muslim who has a saving which is more
than the minimum level called ‘Nisaab’ which is 85 gms of gold, should give 2.5%
of his excess wealth in charity every lunar year.
c.
IF ALL RICH GIVE ZAKAT NO ONE WILL DIE OF HUNGER
If every rich human being gives Zakaat, then
poverty will be eradicated from this world. There will not be a single human
being who will die of hunger.
d.
ZAKAT ENSURES THAT WEALTH DOES NOT CIRCULATE ONLY AMONGST THE
RICH
One of the reasons for Zakaat is mentioned in
Surah Al-Hashr
“In order that the wealth may not (merely)
circulate amongst the wealthy ….”
(Al
Qur’an 59:7)
e.
CHARITY IN HINDUISM:
Charity is also prescribed in Hinduism.
i.
In Rigved Bk. 10 hymn 117
verse 5
“Let the rich satisfy the poor implorer, and bend
his eyes upon a longer pathway. Richest come now to one, now to another, and
like the wheels of cars are ever rolling.”
(Translation by Ralph Griffith)
“If it is expected of every rich man to satisfy
the poor implorer; let the rich person have a distant vision (for a rich of
today may not remain rich tomorrow). Remember that riches revolve from one man
to another, as revolve the wheels of a chariot.”
(Translation by Satyaprakash Sarasvati & Satyakam
Vidhya Lankar) (Rigved 10:117:5)
ii.
Charity has been prescribed
in Bhagvad Gita in several places including:
Chapter 17 verse 20 and
Chapter 16 verse 3
4. SAUM – FASTING:
a.
Description
‘Saum’
or fasting,
is the fourth pillar of Islam. Every healthy adult Muslim is supposed to abstain
from eating and drinking, from dawn to sunset, in the complete lunar month of
Ramadhaan.
b. FASTING PRESCRIBED FOR SELF-RESTRAINT:
The reason for fasting has been mentioned in the
Qur’an:
O ye who believe!
Fasting is prescribed to you
As it was prescribed
To those before you,
That ye may (learn)
self-restraint.
(Al
Qur’an 2:183)
Today the psychologists inform us that if a
person can control his hunger, it is very likely that he will be able to control
most of his desires.
c. Fasting discourages alcoholism, smoking and other addictions
Fasting for one complete month is a good
opportunity for giving up one’s wrong habits. If a person can abstain from
drinking alcohol, from dawn to sunset, he can very well abstain from alcohol
from the cradle to the grave. If a person can abstain from smoking, from dawn to
sunset, he can very well abstain from smoking from the cradle to the grave.
d. Medical benefits
There are various medical benefits of fasting.
Fasting increases the absorption of the intestine; it also decreases the
cholesterol level.
e. Fasting in Hinduism
There are different types and methods of fasting
in Hinduism. According to
Manusmriti Chapter 6 verse 24
Fasting has been prescribed for a month for
purification.
(Manusmriti edited by Dr. R. N. Sharma)
Fasting has also been prescribed in
Manusmriti chapter 4 verse 222
Manusmriti chapter 11 verse 204
5. HAJJ – PILGRIMAGE:
a.
Description
Hajj
is the fifth pillar of Islam. Every adult Muslim who has the means to perform
Hajj i.e. pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah should at least perform Hajj
once in his life time.
b.
Universal Brotherhood:
Hajj is a practical example and demonstration of
universal brotherhood. The Hajj is the largest annual gathering in the world
where about 2.5 million people from different parts of the world gather, from
U.S.A., from U.K. from Malaysia, from Indonesia, from India and other parts of
the world. All pilgrims wear two pieces of unsown cloth, preferably white, such
that you cannot differentiate whether a person is rich or poor, king or pauper.
People of all races and of all colours gather together in unity to worship the
One Creator.
c.
Pilgrimage in Hinduism
There are various places of pilgrimage in
Hinduism. One of the sacred places mentioned in
i.
Rigved, Bk. 3 hymn 29 verse
4 is “Ilayspad, which is situated at Nabha prathvi.”
‘Ila’ means God or Allah, and ‘spad’ means place,
therefore Ilaspad means place of God. Nabha means center and prathvi mean earth.
Thus this verse of the Veda prescribes pilgrimage to a place of God situated at
the center of the earth.
Sanskrit-English dictionary by M. Monier Williams
(Edition 2002) states that Ilaspad is “Name of a Tirtha” i.e. place of
Pilgrimage – however its location is not known.
According to the Qur’an:
ii.
The first House (of worship)
Appointed for men
Was that at Bakka
Full of blessing and of guidance
For all kinds of beings.
(Al Quran
3:96)
‘Bacca’ is another name for Makkah and we know
today that Makkah is situated at the center of the earth.
Later after seven verses i.e.
iii.
Rigved Bk. 3 hymn 29
verse 11
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is
mentioned as ‘Narashansa’.
Thus we can conclude that
this Ilayspad, place of pilgrimage mentioned in Rigved is Makkah.
iv.
Makkah is also
mentioned as Ilaspad i.e. Allah’s holy place in
Rigved Book 1 hymn 128
verse 1
CONCEPT OF JIHAD IN HINDUISM AND
IN ISLAM
JIHAD IN ISLAM AND IN HINDUISM
a. One of the greatest misconceptions about
Islam, not only amongst the non-Muslims but even amongst the Muslims, is that
concerning the concept of Jihad. Non-Muslims as well as Muslims think that any
war fought by any Muslim for whatever purpose, be it good or bad, is Jihad.
‘Jihad’ is an Arabic word derived from
‘Jahada’,
which means to strive or to struggle. For example. if a student strives to pass
in the examination he is doing jihad.
In the Islamic context, ‘Jihad’ means to strive
against one’s own evil inclination. It also means to strive to make the society
better. It also includes the right to fight in self-defence or to fight in the
battlefield against oppression and against aggression.
1.
Jihad is not holy war
Not only non-Muslim scholars, but even some
Muslim scholars mistranslate the word ‘Jihad’ as holy war. The Arabic word for
‘holy war’ is ‘harabum muqaddasah’ and this word is not to be found anywhere in
the Qur’an or in any hadith. The word ‘holy war’ was first used to describe the
crusades of the Christians who killed thousands of people in the name of
Christianity. Today, this term ‘holy war’ is used to falsely describe Jihad,
which merely means ‘to strive’. In an Islamic context, Jihad means ‘to strive in
the way of Allah for a righteous cause’ i.e. Jihad fi Sabilillah.
2.
Only one of the several forms of Jihad is fighting
There are different types of Jihad i.e.,
striving. One of the types is striving is fighting in the battlefield against
oppression and tyranny.
Many critics of Islam including Arun Shourie
quote Surah
Al-Tawbah chapter 9 verse 5
“… Fight and slay the Mushrik/Kafir (Hindu)
wherever you find them …”
(Al
Qur’an 9:5)
If you read the Qur’an, this verse exists but it
is quoted out of context by Arun Shourie.
The first few verses of Surah Tawbah before verse
5 speak about the peace treaty between the Muslims and Muskhriks (polytheists)
of Makkah. This peace treaty was unilaterally broken by the Mushriks of Makkah.
In verse no. 5 Allah (swt) gives them an ultimatum to put things straight in
four months’
time, or else face a declaration of war. It is for the battlefield that Allah
says “fight and slay the Mushriks (i.e. the enemies from Makkah) wherever you
find them and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every
stratagem of war”.
This verse is revealed and instructs the Muslims
to fight in the battlefield and kill the enemy wherever you find them. But
natural, any army general to boost up the morale of the soldiers and to
encourage them will say “Don’t get scared, fight and kill the enemies, wherever
you find them in the battlefield. Arun Shourie in his book ‘The World of Fatwas’
after quoting Surah Tawbah chapter 9 verse 5 jumps to verse 7. Any logical
person will realize that verse 6 has the reply to his allegation.
Surah Tawbah chapter 9 verse 6 says:
“If any amongst the Mushriks (i.e. the enemies)
ask thee for asylum, grant it to him so that
he may hear the word of Allah and then
escort him to where he can be secure”.
(Al
Qur’an 9:6)
Today the most merciful army general may tell his
soldiers to let the enemy go,
but Almighty Allah in the Qur’an says if the enemy wants peace do not just let
them go but escort them to place of security. Which army general in today’s day
and age, or rather in the whole of recorded human history is ever known to have
given such merciful instructions? Now will someone ask Mr. Arun Shourie why did
he deliberately not quote verse 6?
4.
Jihad (i.e. striving) in the Bhagavad Gita
All the major religions encourage their followers
to strive in good works. It is mentioned in Bhagavad Gita
“Therefore
strive for Yoga, O Arjuna, which is the art of all work.”
(Bhagavad Gita 2:50)
5.
Fighting prescribed in the Bhagavad Gita too
a.
All the major religions of
the world have prescribed fighting, at sometime or the other, especially in
self-defence or for fighting against oppression.
Mahabharata is an epic and sacred Scripture of
the Hindus, which mainly deals with a fight between the cousins, the Pandavas
and the Kauravas. In the battlefield Arjun prefers not to fight and be killed
rather than having his conscience burdened with the killing of his relatives. At
this moment, Krishna advises Arjun in the battlefield and this advice is
contained in the Bhagvad Gita. There are several verses in the Bhagvad Gita
where Krishna advises Arjun to fight and kill the enemies even though they are
his relatives.
b.
It is mentioned in
The Bhagvad Gita Chapter 1 verse 43-46
(43) O Krishna, maintainer of the people, I have
heard by disciplic succession that those who destroy family traditions dwell
always in hell”
(44) “Alas, how strange it is that we are
preparing ourselves to commit great sinful acts, driven by the desire to enjoy
royal happiness.”
(45) I would consider better for the sons of
Dhritarashtra to kill me unarmed and unresisting rather than fight with them.
(46) “Arjuna, having thus spoken, cast aside his
bow and arrow, and sat down on the chariot, his mind, overwhelmed with grief”.
c.
Krishna further replies in
Bhagvad Gita Chapter 2 Verse 2, 3
2. “My dear Arjuna, how
have these impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who
knows the progressive values of life. They lead not to higher planets but to
infamy.
3.
“O son of Partha, do not
yield to this degrading impotence. It does not become you. Give up such petty
weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy!”
When Arjuna prefers to be killed unarmed and
unresisting rather than fight and kill his cousins Kauravas, Krishna replies to
Arjun by saying how this impure thought has has come to you which prevents you
from entering heaven. Give up this degrading impotence and weakness of heart and
arise, O defeater of enemy.
d.
Krishna further says in
Bhagvad Gita Chapter 2 verse 31-33
31.
“Considering your specific
duty as a Kshatriya, you should know that there is no better engagement for you
than fighting on religious principles, so there is no need for hesitation.”
32.
“O Partha, happy are the
Kshatriya to whom such fighting opportunities come unsought, opening for them
the door of the heavenly planets”.
33.
“If however, you do not
fight this religious war, then you will certainly incur sin, for neglecting your
duties, and thus loose your reputation as a fighter”.
e.
There are hundreds of verses
in the Bhagvad Gita alone, which encourage fighting and killing, many times more
as compared to such verses in the Qur’an.
Imagine if someone were to say that the Bhagvad
Gita encourages the killing of the family members to attain paradise, without
quoting the context – such a deliberate attempt will be devilish. But within the
context if I say that for truth and justice fighting against the evil is
compulsory, even if it be against your relatives, it makes sense.
I wonder how come the critics of Islam,
especially critics amongst the Hindus, point a finger at the Qur’an when it
speaks about fighting and killing unjust enemies. The only possibility I can
think of is that they themselves have not read their sacred scriptures such as
the Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata and the Vedas.
f.
Critics of Islam including
Hindu critics speak against the Qur’an and the Prophet when they say that if you
are killed while doing Jihad i.e. fighting for the truth, you are promised
paradise.
Besides quoting Qur’anic verses they quote Sahih
Bukhari Vol. 4, Book of Jihad Chapter no. 2 Hadith No. 46
“Allah guarantees that He will admit the Mujaahid
in His cause to Paradise if he is killed, otherwise he will return him to his
home safely with rewards and war booty”.
(Sahih
Bukhari Vol. 4, Book of Jihad Chapter no. 2 Hadith No. 46)
There are various similar verses in Bhagavad Gita
guaranteeing a person paradise if he is killed while fighting.
Take the example of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 verse 37:
“O son of Kunti, either you will be killed in the
battlefield and attain the heavenly planets (paradise), or you will conquer and
enjoy the earthly kingdom, therefore get up and fight with determination”.
(Bhagavad Gita 2:37)
g.
Similarly Rigved Book No. 1
Hymn 132 Verse 2-6 as well as many other verses of Hindu Scriptures speak about
fighting and killing.
6.
Explain Jihad by quoting Scriptures of other Religions
Allah says in the Qur’an:
Say: “O people
Of the Book! Come
To common terms
As between us and you:
(Al
Qur’an 3:64)
The best way to explain a misconception of Islam
is to quote a similar message given in the Scripture of other religions.
Whenever I have spoken to Hindus who criticize the concept of Jihad in Islam,
the moment I quote similar passages from Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita, and
since they know the outline and the context of the fight in Mahabharata, they
immediately agree that if the Qur’an too speaks about a fight between truth and
falsehood then they have no objection but rather appreciate the guidance of the
Qur’an.
Footnote:
English
translation of verses of the Glorious Qur’an is taken from Abdullah Yusuf Ali”
In the next
article in the present series, we shall InshaAllah study the other several
similarities between the teachings of Islam and in Hinduism, especially those
pertaining to prohibition of: alcohol, intoxicants, gambling, fortune telling,
giving bribes and consumption of pork.
And all praises
are for the One and Only God and Creator Allah, who alone is worthy of devotion,
complete submission and worship.
-Dr.Zakir Naik