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Page last edited on 23 April, 2003
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COMMON
QUESTIONS ASKED BY HINDUS ABOUT ISLAM
[ by Dr. Zakir Naik, President IRF, Bombay ]
1.
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IDOL
USED FOR CONCENTRATION
Question:
The Hindu
Pundits and Scholars agree that the Vedas and other Hindu religious
scriptures prohibit idol worship, but initially because the mind may not
be matured, an idol is required for concentration while worshipping. After
the mind reaches higher consciousness, the idol is not required for
concentration.
Answer :
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Muslims
have reached the higher level of consciousness
Muslims have reached the higher level of consciousness. If an idol is
required for concentration only in the initial stages and not later on
when the mind reaches higher consciousness then I would like to say
the Muslims have already reached the state of higher consciousness
because when we worship Allah (swt) we do not require any idol or
statue.
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Child
asks why does it thunder?
When I was discussing with a Swami in IRF. He said that when our child
asks us, "Why does the sky thunder?", we reply that "aaee
ma chakki pees rahi hai", the grandmother is grinding flour in
the heaven; because he is too young to understand. Similarly in the
initial stages people require an idol for concentration.
In
Islam we don’t believe in telling a lie, even if it’s a white lie.
I will never give such a wrong answer to my child because later on
when he goes to school and learns that the thundering sound after
lightning is due to the expansion of rapidly heated air, he will
either think that the teacher is lying or later on when he understands
the fact he will conclude that the father is a liar. If you feel that
the child may not understand certain difficult things you should
simplify the answer rather than give a wrong fictitious reply. If you,
yourself do not know the answer, you should have the guts to be
truthful and say ‘I don’t know’. But many children nowadays will
not be satisfied with this answer. If this answer was given to my son,
he would say "Abba (father), why don’t you know?’ This will
compel you to do your homework and thus educate yourself as well as
your child.
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Those
in standard one require idol for concentration – (2 + 2 = 4 will
remain same in standard one and ten)
Some pundits while trying to convince me regarding idol worship said
that in standard one the student is initially taught to worship God by
concentrating with the help of an idol but later on when he graduates
he no longer requires the idol to concentrate while worshipping the
God.
A very
important fact to be noted is that only if the fundamentals of any
particular subject is strong, then only will he be able to excel in
future for e.g. A teacher of mathematics in standard one teaches the
students that 2 + 2 = 4 irrespective whether the student passes school
or does graduation or does a Ph. D. in mathematics, the basics of 2 +
2 = 4 will yet remain the same, it will not change to 5 or 6. In
higher standards the student, besides addition may learn about
Algebra, Trigonometry, Logarithm, etc. but the fundamental of addition
will yet remain the same. If the teacher in standard one itself
teaches the fundamentals wrong, how can you expect the student to
excel in future?
It is
the fundamental principal of the Vedas regarding the concept of God
that He has got no image, so how can the Scholars even after knowing
this fact keep silent at the wrong practice being done by people.
Will
you tell your son who is in standard one that 2 plus 2 is not equal to
4 but 5 or 6 and only confirm the truth after he passes school? Never.
In fact if he makes a mistake you will correct him and say it is 4 and
not wait till he graduates; and if you don’t correct him initially
you will ruin his future.
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2.
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WATER IS
CALLED BY DIFFERENT NAMES IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES – GOD IS CALLED BY
DIFFERENT NAMES AS ALLAH, RAM OR JESUS
Question:
Water is
called by different names in different languages: in English as water, in
Hindi as paani, in Tamil as tanni. Similarly if God is called either
Allah, Ram or Jesus, is it not one and the same?
Answer:
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- To Allah belongs
the Most Beautiful Names
The Glorious Qur’an says in Surah Isra chapter 17 verse 110
"Say:
‘Call upon Allah, or call upon Rahman: by whatever name ye call upon
Him, (it is well): for to Him belong the Most Beautiful
Names.‘"
[Al-Qur’an 17:110]
You can
call Allah by any name, but it should be a beautiful name,should not
conjure up a mental picture, and should have qualities that only Allah
possesses.
- Water can be
called by differnt names in different languages but something else
besides water cannot be called water in another language.
You can call water by various names in different languages, like water
in English, paani in Hindi, tanni in Tamil, mai in
Arabic, apah in Sanskrit, jal in Shudh Hindi, jal or
paani in Gujrati, pandi in Marathi, neer in Kannad,
neeru in Telugu, vellam in Malayalam, etc. If a person tells me
that his friend has advised that everyday early in the morning he
should have one glass of paani, but he is unable to drink it because
when he drinks it, he feels like vomiting. On enquiry he says that the
paani stinks and it is yellowish in colour. Later I realise
that what he is referring to as paani is not water but urine.
Thus you can call water by different names having the same meaning but
you cannot call other things as water or paani.
People
may think that the example is not realistic and I agree with them
because even an ignorant person knows the difference between water and
urine. He will have to be a fool to call urine ‘water’. Similarly
when any person who knows the correct concept of God, sees people
worshipping false gods, he naturally wonders how a person cannot
differentiate between a true God and false gods.
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Purity
of Gold is not verified by calling it by different names in different
languages but rubbing it against a Touchstone.
In the same way, gold can be called sona in Hindi, gold in
English, dhahaba in Arabic. Inspite of knowing all these
different names for gold, if a person wants to sell you his gold
jewellery and says this is 24 carat pure sona, you will not blindly
believe, without verifying it with a goldsmith. The goldsmith confirms
whether it is gold or not with the help of a touchstone. The yellow
glittering jewellery may not be gold, because all that glitters is not
gold.
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Surah
Ikhlas is the Touchstone of Theology.
Similarly, any person or candidate who is called God cannot be
accepted as the true God without verifying him with the touchstone.
The touchstone of theology, that is study of God, is Surah Ikhlas
chapter 112 of the Holy Qur’an which says:
"Say,
‘He is Allah, The One and Only; Allah, The Eternal, Absolute; He
begetteth not Nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto
Him.’’’
[Al-Qur’an 112:1-4]
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Any
candidate who passes the Acid test can be called God.
Any candidate who claims to be God and fits in this four line
definition, passes the Acid test, is entitled to be called God and
worshipped as God.
Suppose
a lunatic says that Muhammad (pbuh) is God, (God forbid). Let’s put
him to the test of Surah Ikhlas.
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"Kul
hu allah hu ahad" – Say He is Allah, The One and Only;
Is Muhammad (pbuh) one and only? No! he was not the only
messenger. There were many other messengers.
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"Allah
hus Samad" – Allah, The Eternal, Absolute;
We know that Muhammad (pbuh) had to undergo many hardships. Though
he was the mightiest messenger of God, he died at the age of 63
and was buried in Madeenah.
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"Lam
ya lid wa lam yulad" – He begetteth not Nor is He begotten;
We know that he was born in Makkah and his parents were Abdullah
and Aaminah. He even had several children e.g. Fatimah, Ibrahim
(may Allah be pleased with them), etc.
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"Wa
lam ya kullahu kufuwan ahad" – And there is none like unto
Him.
Though all the Muslims love and revere the Prophet (pbuh) and are
supposed to follow each and every of his commandments, yet you
will not find a single Muslim in the whole world, who in his
senses will ever say that Muhammad (pbuh) is God. The Islamic
Creed is, "La illaha illallah Muhammadur Rasoolullah",
which means that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad (pbuh) is
the messenger of Allah. This is repeated five times a day during
the call for prayer, so that the Muslims are reminded daily that
although they respect and obey him, he is only a Messenger and
servant of God, and not God Himself.
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Verify
the Gods you worship.
Now that we have explained to you how to use the touchstone of
theology it is the duty of everyone to verify with this touchstone,
whether the gods that they worship are true or false.
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3.
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HINDUISM IS
NOT THE OLDEST AND BEST RELIGION
Question
Hinduism is
the oldest of all the religions and thus the, most pure, authentic and
best of all the religions of the world.
Answer:
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Islam
is the oldest religion
Hinduism is not the oldest of all the religions. It is Islam which is
the first and the oldest of all religions. People have a misconception
that Islam is 1400 years old and that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the
founder of this religion. Islam existed since time immemorial, ever
since man first set foot on this earth. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was
not the founder of Islam. He was the last and final Messenger of
Almighty God.
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The
oldest religion need not be the purest and the most authentic religion
A religion cannot be claimed to be most pure and authentic, only on
the criterion that it is the oldest. It is similar to a person saying
that the water he has kept in an open glass, in his house, outside the
refrigerator, for three months is purer than the water which has just
been collected in a clean glass, immediately after it has been
purified.
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The
latest religion need not be the purest and the most authentic religion
On the other hand a religion cannot be claimed to be the purest or
authentic, only on the criterion that the religion is new or the
latest. A bottle of distilled water which is sealed, packed and kept
in the refrigerator for three months is much purer than a bottle of
water freshly collected from the sea.
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For
religion to be pure and authentic, it should not have interpolations,
changes and revisions in its scriptures revealed from God
For any religion to be pure and authentic, its scriptures should not
contain any interpolation, addition, deletion or revision. Moreover
the religion’s source of inspiration and direction should be
Almighty God. The Qur’an is the only religious scripture on the face
of the earth which has been maintained it its original form. All the
other religious scriptures, of all the other religions have
interpolations, additions, deletions or revisions. The Qur’an has
been in the memory of a multitude of people, intact in its original
form ever since its revelation, and now there are hundreds of
thousands of people who have preserved it in their memory. Moreover,
if you compare the copies made by Caliph Uthman from the original
Qur’an which is yet present in the museum in Tashkent and in Koptaki
museum in Turkey, they are the same as the ones we possess today.
Allah (swt)
promises in the Qur’an, in Surah Al Hijr, chapter 15 verse 9
"We
have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly
guard it (from corruption)."
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The
oldest religion need not be best religion
A religion cannot be claimed to be the best religion only on the
criterion that it is the oldest. It is similar to a person saying,
that my 19th century car is better than a Toyota car manufactured in
1998, because it is older. He would be considered to be a fool to say
that his 19th century car which required a rod to be turned in circles
to start it, is better than a key-start 1998 Toyota car, just because
it is older.
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The
latest religion need not be the best religion
On the other hand a religion cannot be called as the best religion
only on the criterion that the religion is new or that it came later.
It is similar to a person who says that my 800 cc Suzuki car
manufactured in 1999 is better than a 5000 cc Mercedes 500 SEL
manufactured in 1997. To judge which car is better, a person should
compare the specifications of the car e.g. the power of the car,
safety measures, the capacity of the cylinders, the pickup, the speed,
the comfort, etc. 5000 cc Mercedes, 500 SEL car manufactured in 1997,
is far superior and better than a 800 cc Suzuki (Maruti Suzuki 800)
manufactured in 1999.
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A
religion is best, if it has the solutions to the problems of mankind
For a religion to be considered the best, it should have the solution
to all the problems of mankind. It should be the religion of truth,
and should be applicable to all ages. Islam is the only religion which
has the solution to all the problems of mankind. e.g. the problem of
alcoholism, surplus women, rape and molestation, robbery, racism,
casteism, etc.
Islam
is the religion of truth, and its laws and solutions are applicable to
all the ages. The Qur’an is the only religious book on the face of
the earth, which has maintained its purity and authenticity proving
itself to be the word of God in all the ages. i.e. previously, when it
was the age of miracles, literature and poetry and in present times
when it is the age of science and technology. Moreover, Islam is not a
man-made religion, but a religion revealed and inspired by Almighty
God. It is the only religion acceptable in His Sight.
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5.
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BURYING
BETTER THAN CREMATING DEAD BODies
Question:
Why do
Muslims bury dead bodies instead of cremating them, i.e. burning them?
Answer:
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- Components of
human body present in the soil
Elements that are present in the human body are present in lesser or
greater quantity in the soil. Hence it is more scientific to bury a
dead body, as it easily gets decomposed and mixed in the soil.
- No Pollution
Cremating
(burning) the dead body leads to pollution of the atmosphere which is
detrimental to health and harmful for the environment. There is no
such pollution caused by burying a dead body.
- Surrounding land
becomes fertile
To cremate a dead body several trees have to be chopped, which reduces
the greenery and harms the environment and the ecology. When dead
bodies are buried, besides the trees being saved, the surrounding land
becomes fertile and it improves the environment.
- Economical
It is expensive to cremate a dead body when tons of wood have to be
burned. Annually there is a loss of crores of rupees, only because
dead bodies are cremated in India. Burying dead bodies is very cheap.
It hardly costs any money.
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Same
land can be utilised for burying another body
The wood used for cremating a dead body cannot be reutilised for
cremating another dead body since it gets converted to ashes. The land
used for burying a dead body can be reutilised for burying another
body after a few years since the human body gets decomposed and mixed
in the soil.
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6.
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BINDI AND
MANGALSUTRA
Why do the Muslim married
women not put bindi or tika on the forehead and wear Mangalsutra,
like Hindu married women?
Answer
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- Bindi
or tika
Bindi is derived from the sanskrit word bindu, which means
a ‘dot’. It is usually a red dot made with vermilion powder and is
worn by the Hindu women between their eyebrows on their forehead.
Bindi
is considered a symbol of ‘Parvati’ and signifies female energy
which is believed by Hindus to protect women and their husbands. It is
traditionally a symbol of marriage and is worn by the Hindu married
women. It is also called as tika.
- Bindi
has become a fashion
Nowadays,
wearing bindi has become a fashion and is even worn by
unmarried girls and women. The shape of the bindi is no longer
restricted to a dot and is available in various shapes, including
oval, star, heart shaped, etc. It is even available in different
bright colours like blue, green, yellow, orange, etc. The material of
the bindi is no longer restricted to vermilion powder, but is
made of coloured felt and other material. It is also available in a
variety of designs in combination with coloured glass, glitter, etc.
- Mangalsutra
Mangalsutra means a thread of good-will. It is a necklace worn
specially by Hindu married women as a symbol of their marriage. It
consists of two strings of black beads with a pendant usually of gold.
The black beads are believed to act as a protection against evil. It
is believed to protect the women’s marriage and the life of her
husband. In southern India, mangalsutra is called tali, which is a
small gold ornament string on a cotton cord or a gold chain.
Hindu
Married women are never supposed to remove their mangalsutra.
It is only cut off when a Hindu lady becomes a widow.
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Allah
Is the Protector
Allah (swt), our Creator, is the best to protect human beings. We do
not require any red dot or black thread to protect us from evil. It is
mentioned in the Glorius Qur’an in Surah Anam Chapter 6 verse 14
"Say:
Shall I take for my protector any other than Allah, the Maker of the
heavens and the earth?"
[Al-Qur’an 6:14]
It is
mentioned in several places in the Glorius Qur’an including
Surah Ali Imran Chapter 3 Verse 150 and Surah Alhajj Chapter 22 Verse
78
"Allah
is your Protector, and He is the best of helpers."
Wearing
a bindi or mangalsutra signifies a lack of faith in
Almighty God, our Creator, who is the best to protect.
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Against
the Islamic Dress Code
Wearing a bindi
or mangalsutra is a sign of Hindu women. The Islamic dress code
does not permit a Muslim to wear any sign, symbol or mark which is
specially significant of a non-Muslim.
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In
Islam, Both Married and Unmarried women should not be Teased
Once, a Hindu friend of mine, while mentioning the benefits of mangalsutra
said that it easily identifies a married women, and thus prevents them
from being teased and molested. According to Islam, each and every
woman, whether married or unmarried, Muslim or Non-Muslim, should
neither be teased nor molested.
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7.
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TAKING NAME OF EMPEROR
AKBAR IN ADHAAN
Question:
Why do Muslims take the
name of Emperor Akbar while calling people to pray?
Answer:
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- Non Muslim
misunderstand that Emperor Akbar’s name is taken in Adhaan
Once, when I attended a conference in Kerala, a non-Muslim
minister spoke just before my speech. He was highlighting the
achievements of the Indian Muslims and their role in the progress of
India. He said that amongst the Indian kings, the greatest was Emperor
Akbar. No wonder the Muslims take his name five times a day, while
calling people to pray. During my speech however, I clarified this
misconception.
- The ‘Akbar’
word of the Adhaan has nothing to do with Emperor Akbar
The word ‘Akbar’ mentioned in the Adhaan which is given to
call people to pray has nothing to do with Emperor Akbar of India.The
words in the Adhaan were used centuries before the birth of
Emperor Akbar.
- ‘Akbar’
means ‘Great’
The Arabic word ‘Akbar’ means ‘great’. When we say ‘Allahu
Akbar’ in the Adhaan we proclaim that ‘Allah is Great’ or
‘Allah is the Greatest’ and we call people to worship the one and
only Allah who is the Greatest.
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8.
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WHY DON’T
MUSLIMS IN INDIA FOLLOW THE ISLAMIC CRIMINAL LAW?
Question
When
Muslims in India insist on having a separate Muslim Personal Law for
themselves, why don’t they also insist on implementing the Islamic
Criminal Law for the Muslims; for example implementing the rule that the
robber’s hands should be chopped off if a Muslim robs?
Answer:
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Muslim
Personal Law
Personal Law is a law concerning an individual person and the persons
closely related to him, e.g. laws relating to marriage, divorce,
inheritance, etc. It includes laws which are mutually agreed upon by a
group of people. This law does not include any crime or an act that
will harm the society directly.
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India
is Secular And Democratic
In any country, the Personal Law may differ for different groups of
people and for different communities. Since India is a secular and
democratic country it allows different groups of people to follow
their own personal law if they wish.
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Islamic
Personal Law is the Best
Muslims believe that compared to all the different types of personal
laws available in the world, the best and the most result oriented is
the Islamic Personal Law. Muslims of India prefer following the Muslim
personal law also because of their own belief in Islam.
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Criminal
Law
Criminal law is that law which is associated with a crime or an act
which directly affects the society e.g. robbing, raping, murdering,
etc.
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The
Criminal Law should be the same for all people
In any country, the criminal law unlike the Personal Law cannot be
different for different groups of people. It has to be same for all
people of different groups and different religions e.g. In Islam if a
person robs, his hands are chopped off. This punishment is not
prescribed in Hinduism. If a Hindu robs a Muslim, what would be the
robber’s punishment? The Muslim would want the hands of the robber
to be chopped, while the Hindu Law would not agree.
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The
Muslims in India alone cannot separately follow the Islamic Criminal
Law without involving the Non-Muslims
Even if a Muslim agrees, that as far as he commits a crime he should
be given the punishment according to Islamic Criminal Law, it would
not be practical. In case an allegation is made against a Muslim for
robbery and if the witnesses are Non-Muslims, and if each one follows
his own Criminal Law, the punishment in Islam for bearing false
witness is 80 lashes, whereas in the Indian Crimial Law, a person
giving false witness can easily escape. Thus, for a non-Muslim to
falsely accuse a Muslim of any crime is very easy, if both follow
their own criminal law. However, if both follow the Indian Law where
the punishment is lenient for false witnesses and robbers, it will
encourage both the robber to rob as well as encourage the witnesses to
give false witness for their own benefit.
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The
Muslims in India would prefer the Islamic Criminal Law to be
implemented on all Indians
We Muslims
would prefer that in India the Islamic Criminal Law be implemented on
all the Indians, since, chopping the hands of a thief will surely
reduce the rate of robbery in India. Similarly, 80 lashes for giving
false testimony will prevent a person from giving false witness.
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Islamic
Criminal Law is Most Practical
Islam besides pointing out a crime, it also gives you a solution
showing how to prevent the crime e.g. chopping the hands of a robber,
death penalty for the rapist. The punishment is so severe that it is a
deterrent for the criminal to commit the crime. He will think a
hundred times before committing a crime.
Thus if
crime has to be reduced or stopped in India the best solution is to
implement ‘The Common Islamic Criminal Law’.
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9.
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ARE RAM AND
KRISHNA PROPHETS OF GOD?
Question:
If
according to Islam, messengers or prophets were sent to each and every
nation of the world, then which prophet was sent to India? Can we consider
Ram and Krishna to be messengers of God?
Answer:
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Prophets
sent to every nation
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The
Glorious Qur’an mentions in Surah Fatir, chapter 35 verse 24
". . . And there never was a people, without a warner
having lived among them (in the past)."
[Al-Qur’an 35:24]
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A
similar message is repeated in Surah Rad, chapter 13 verse 7
".
. . and to every people a guide."
[Al-Qur’an 13:7]
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Stories
only of some prophets narrated in the Qur’an
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Allah
(swt) says in Surah Nisa, chapter 4 verse 164
"Of some messengers We have already told thee the story; of
others we have not."
[Al-Qur’an 4:164]
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A
similar message is repeated in Surah Ghafir chapter 40 verse 78
"We did aforetime send messengers before thee: of them there
are some whose story We have related to thee, and some whose story
We have not related to thee. . ."
[Al’Qur’an 40:78]
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25
Prophets of God are mentioned by name in the Qur’an
By name, only 25 Prophets of God are mentioned in the Qur’an e.g.
Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammed (pbut)
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More
than 1,24,000 prophets of God
According
to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), there were more than 1,24,000 prophets
sent to this world.
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All
previous prophets sent only for their people
All the
prophets that came before Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) were only sent for
their own people and were to be followed only for a particular period
of time.
Surah
Ali Imran, chapter 3 verse 49
"And
(appoint him) a messenger to the Children of Israel, . . ."
[Al-Qur’an 3:49]
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Muhammad
(pbuh), the last messenger of God
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the last and final messenger of Almighty
God. It is mentioned in
Surah Ahzab, chapter 33 verse 40
"Muhammad
is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of
Allah, and the seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of
all things."
[Al-Qur’an 33:40]
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Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh), sent for whole Humankind
Since Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the last and final messenger, he was
not sent only for the Muslims or the Arabs, but he was sent for the
whole of humankind.
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It
is mentioned in
Surah Anbiya, chapter 21 verse 107
"We sent thee not, but as a mercy for all creatures."
[Al’Qur’an 21:107]
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A
similar message is repeated in
Surah Saba, chapter 34 verse 28
"We have not sent thee but as a universal (Messenger) to men,
giving them glad tidings, and warning them (against sin), but most
men understand not."
[Al Qur’an 34:28]
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It
is mentioned in
Sahih Bukhari, volume 1, Book of Salaah, chapter 56 hadith no. 429
Narrated
Jabir bin Abdullah: Allah’s Messenger said,
"Every Prophet used to be sent to his nation only but I have
been sent to all mankind."
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Which
prophet was sent to India?
Regarding the question of which prophet of God was sent to India, and
can we consider Ram or Krishna to be prophets of God, there is no text
in the Qur’an or Sahih Hadith mentioning the name of the prophet
that was sent to India. Since the names of Ram and Krishna are nowhere
to be found in the Qur’an and Sahih Hadith, one cannot say for sure
whether they were prophets of God or not. Some Muslims, especially
certain Muslim politicians who try to appease the Hindus, say Ram Alai-his-salaam,
i.e. Ram, may peace be on him. This is totally wrong, since there is
no authentic proof from the Qur’an and Sahih Hadith that he was a
prophet of God. However, a person may say that perhaps they may have
been the prophets of God.
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Even
if Ram and Krishna were prophets, today we have to follow the last
Prophet of God i.e. Muhammad (pbuh)
Even if Ram and Krishna were prophets of God, they were only meant for
people of that time and were to be followed only for that particular
period of time. Today, all the human beings throughout the world,
including India should only follow the last and final prophet and
Messenger of God – prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
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10.
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ARE THE
VEDAS A REVELATION OF GOD?
Question:
If Allah
has sent His books and revelations in every period, then which revelation
was sent to India? Can we consider the Vedas and other Hindu scriptures to
be the word of God?
Answer:
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Revelation
sent in every period
The
Glorious Qur’an mentions in Surah Rad, chapter 13 verse 38
"For each period is a book (revealed)."
[Al-Qur’an 13:38]
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Four
revelations of God mentioned by name in Qur’an
By
name, only four revelations of God are mentioned in the Qur’an i.e. Torah,
Zaboor, Injeel and the Qur’an
Torah is the revelation which was given to Moses (pbuh)
Zaboor is the revelation which was given to David (pbuh)
Injeel is the revelation which was given to Jesus (pbuh)
and Qur’an is the last and final revelation which was given to the
last and final Messenger Muhammad (pbuh).
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All
the previous revelations sent only for their people
All the revelations that came before Qur’an were only sent for their
own people and were to be followed only for a particular time period.
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The
Qur’an sent for whole humankind
Since the Qur’an is the last and final revelation, it was not sent
only for the Muslims or the Arabs but it was sent for the whole of
humankind. It is mentioned in:
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Surah
Ibrahim, chapter 14 verse 1
"Alif Lam Ra. A book which We have revealed unto thee,
in order that thou mightest lead mankind out of the depths of
darkness into light . . ."
[Al-Qur’an 14:1]
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A
similar message is repeated in Surah Ibrahim chapter 14 verse 52
"Here is a Message for mankind: let them take warning
therefrom, and let them know that He is (no other than) One God:
let men of understanding take heed."
[Al-Qur’an 14:52]
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Qur’an
mentions in Surah Baqarah chapter 2 verse 185
"Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur’an,
as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and
judgement (between right and wrong)."
[Al-Qur’an 2:185]
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A
similar message is repeated in Surah Zumur chapter 39 verse 41
"Verily We have revealed the Book to thee in Truth, for
(instructing) mankind."
[Al-Qur’an 39:41]
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Which
revelation sent to India?
The question that arises is "which revelation of God was sent to
India and whether we can consider the Vedas and the other Hindu
Scriptures to be the revelations of God?" There is no text in the
Qur’an or Sahih Hadith mentioning the name of the revelation that
was sent to India. Since the names of the Vedas or other Hindu
scriptures are no where to be found in Qur’an and Sahih Hadith, one
cannot say for sure that they were the revelations of God. They may be
the revelation of God or may not be the revelation of God.
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Even
if the Veda was the word of God today you have to follow the Qur’an
Even if
the Vedas and the other scriptures were the revelations from God, they
were only meant for people of that time and were to be followed only
for that particular period of time. Today all human beings through out
the world including India should only follow the last and final
Revelation of God, i.e. the Qur’an. Moreover since all the previous
revelations were not meant to be followed for eternity, Almighty God
did not preserve them in their original form. There is not a single
religious scripture of any of the major religions which claims to be
the word of God and has maintained its pure original text and is free
from alteration, adulteration and interpolation. Since the Glorious
Qur’an is to be followed for eternity, Allah (swt) has taken upon
Himself to maintain its original purity and guard it from corruption.
Allah says in Glorious Qur’an.
Surah
Hijr chapter 15 verse 9
"We
have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly
guard it (from corruption)."
[Al-Qur’an 15:9]
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3.
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IS ALLAH
MENTIONED IN OTHER SCRIPTURES
Question:
"Allah"
is the most appropriate name for God in the Qur’an. Is this name
"Allah" mentioned in other religious scriptures besides the
Qur’an?
Answer:
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Almost
all the major religious scriptures of the world contain the word
"Allah" as one of the names of God.
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Elohim
El, Elah, Alah
In the Bible, God is very often referred to as ‘Elohim’ in the
Hebrew language. The ‘im’ in the ending is a plural of honour and
God is referred to as ‘El’ or ‘Elah’ in the English Bible with
commentary, edited by reverend C. I. Scofield. ‘Elah’ is
alternatively spelled as ‘Alah’. The difference in spelling is
only of a single ‘L’. Muslims spell Allah as ‘Allah’ while the
Reverend has spelled it as Alah and they pronounce it as ‘Elah’.
Muslims pronounce it as Allah. Hebrew and Arabic are sister languages
therefore we say it should be pronounced as ‘Allah’ and not as ‘Elah’.
When I was in school, I was taught ‘D, O’ is do, ‘T, O’ is
to. What is ‘G, O’ It is ‘go’ and not ‘gu’. ‘N, U, T’
is nut, ‘C, U, T’ cut; ‘B, U, T’ is but, what is ‘P, U,
T’? Not ‘pat’ but it is ‘put’. If you ask "Why?"
The answer is "It is their language". If I have to pass I
have to say ‘P, U, T’ is ‘put’ and not ‘pat’. Similarly
the right pronunciation for A, L, L, A, H, is Allah.
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Jesus
(pbuh) cried out Allah Allah when he was put on the cross
It is mentioned in the New Testament in the Gospel of Mathew,
chapter 27 verse 46 as well as Gospel of Mark, chapter 15 verse 34
when Jesus (pbuh) was put on the cross.
Jesus
cried with a loud voice saying "E’-Li, E’-Li la’-ma
sa-bach’-tha-ni?" that is to say, ‘My God, My God why hast
Thou Forsaken Me?’ Does this sound like Jehovah! Jehovah! why has
thou forsaken me? Does it sound like Abba Abba? The answer is
‘No’. Hebrew and Arabic are sister languages and if you translate
"E’-Li, E’-Li la’-ma sa-bach’-tha-ni" into Arabic it
is ‘Allah Allah lama tarak tani’ does it sound similar?
This
statement of Jesus (pbuh), "E’-Li, E’-Li la’-ma
sa-bach’-tha-ni" is preserved in its original Hebrew in each
and every of its translation which is available in more than 2000
different languages of the world and in each and every of them,
"Allah" is present.
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"Allah"
in Sikhism
One of the names by which Gurunanak Sahib referred to God is
"Allah".
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"Allah"
in Rigveda Book 2 Hymn I verse II
Even in the Rigveda which is the most sacred scripture of the
Hindus, one of the attributes given to God Almighty in Book no 2
Hymn no I verse II, is ‘Ila’ which if pronounced properly
is the same as Allah.
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Allo
Upanishad:
Amongst
the various Upanishads one of the Upanishad is named as ‘Allo’
Upanishad in which God is referred to as "Allah" several
times.
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