muslim

Gokul Ji! If im wrong, then correct me! Call me whatever you want to call. If Im giving wrong quotation then give the right quotations. We muslims slaughter cattle to eat them, unlike what you said, we dont have Animal instincts inside. If you have animal instincts inside kill yourself, why killing the ANIMAL which is outside, dont you see God in that at that time? An after killing its just lies their, Poor animal, We dont kill animals for any other reason other than for food, and moreover its a sin for us to hunt animals.(If we kill it for fun) I repeat again, If I misquote, then please QUOTE me! Correct me if Im wrong! Those who follow vedas are called Vedantist as said by swami vivekananda, or call it "SANATAN DHARM"! What did krishna taught muhammed? And what did muhammed misinterpreted? Can you please explain /images/graemlins/smile.gif ? Why is Qur'an evil? because it brings about brotherhood among human and equality? Unlike Caste system? "Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their OWN NATURES.(By Leaving the rules put forth by God)" [bhagavad Gita 7:20]

I live in India so im a hindu! The word hindu is nothing but a geographical description of people living beyond indus (India) Yes my great grand father was a hindu, but Alhamdulillah we are now in true path. we dont worship demi gods as said in gita "Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their OWN NATURES.(By Leaving the rules put forth by God)" [bhagavad Gita 7:20] Im not here to slander, that is why im giving quotation to the verse I quote, "vidvaaMz ca-eva vidvaaMz ca braahmaNo daivataM mahat | praNiitaz ca-a.praNiitaz ca yathaa-agnir daivataM mahat " Yes the word is not used in eglish traslation, but its in the sanskrit! I feel sorryto her that you dont want to talk about smriti. Why bury Qur'an? Qur'an is the TRUTH, and its the only way to bring about EQUALITY, and brotherhood. I have read hindu holocaust, I dont know whether its true or not, if its true then the people involved in that re not muslims. "Whoever kills an innocent human being is like he killed the whole of human kind, and whoever saved a human is like he saved the whole of human kind" Qur'an is Guide! If anyone goes against its teaching it he is not a muslim. There are black sheeps in every community, and so there are many NAME SAKE muslims. -------------------------- Im sorry if i hurted your feelings, i came here because i see many threads which talk about Islam, this thread was not started by me! Furthermore its my duty to clear misconception in my religion. Because i belive that my religion is flawless because its from GOD! If there is a contradiction in the Qur'an, then it cannot be the word of Allah. "Do they not consider the Qur'an (with care)? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy (contradictions)." [Al-Qur'an 4:82] --------------------------

Brother if you have gone to Australia you could have seen their favourite food, lizard tail! Its a delicacy for them. When you cut their tail, their tail grows again, when you cut one arm of starfish, other arm grows. Interesting isnt it? Im not sure whether its delicious /images/graemlins/tongue.gif !

Yes this world is for Humans (not alone muslims). And the things around you is the resources to live. Brother Im not being Fanatic! I dont want you to become a non-vegetarian, its your personal choice! If I give misquotation of the hindu scripture, then you give the right CONTEXT of the verses I quoted. If Im outta context, YOU GIVE ME THE CONTEXT! Is it forbidden to teach? Atlast you came to the CASTE SYSTEM, you dont know the truth about it! You were telling me that Islam is blood stained and is constrained only to MUSLIMS. But If you read hinduscriptures, it seems like Only brahmans are treated as humans and only they have rights to live, poor shudras! Manu Smruti Chapter 9 verse 317 says "A Brahmin whether he is learned or not, is god. Even if he indulges in all kinds of sinful acts, he is a god"

Many adopted pure vegetarianism as a dietary law because they are totally against the killing of living creatures. ********************************************************* "If a person can survive without killing any living creature, I would be the first person to adopt such a way of life. " ****************************************************** In the past people thought plants were lifeless. Today it is a universal fact that even plants have life. Thus their logic of not killing living creatures is not fulfilled even by being a pure vegetarian. Even plants can feel pain They further argue that plants cannot feel pain, therefore killing a plant is a lesser crime as compared to killing an animal. Today science tells us that even plants can feel pain. But the cry of the plant cannot be heard by the human being. This is due to the inability of the human ear to hear sounds that are not in the audible range i.e. 20 Hertz to 20,000 Hertz. Anything below and above this range cannot be heard by a human being. A dog can hear up to 40,000 Hertz. Thus there are silent dog whistles that have a frequency of more than 20,000 Hertz and less than 40,000 Hertz. These whistles are only heard by dogs and not by human beings. The dog recognizes the masters whistle and comes to the master. There was research done by a farmer in U.S.A. who invented an instrument which converted the cry of the plant so that it could be heard by human beings. He was able to realize immediately when the plant itself cried for water. Latest researches show that the plants can even feel happy and sad. It can also cry. Killing a living creature with two senses less is not a lesser crime Once a vegetarian argued his case by saying that plants only have two or three senses while the animals have five senses. Therefore killing a plant is a lesser crime than killing an animal. Suppose your brother is born deaf and dumb and has two senses less as compared to other human beings. He becomes mature and someone murders him. Would you ask the judge to give the murderer a lesser punishment because your brother has two senses less? In fact you would say that he has killed a masoom, an innocent person, and the judge should give the murderer a greater punishment.

Though Hindu Scriptures permit its followers to have non-vegetarian food, many Hindus adopted the vegetarian system because they were influenced by other religions like Jainism.

The true fact is that the Hindu scriptures permit a person to have meat. The scriptures mention Hindu sages and saints consuming non-vegetarian food. It is mentioned in Manu Smruti, the law book of Hindus, in chapter 5 verse 30 "The eater who eats the flesh of those to be eaten does nothing bad, even if he does it day after day, for God himself created some to be eaten and some to be eater." Again next verse of Manu Smruti, that is, chapter 5 verse 31 says "Eating meat is right for the sacrifice, this is traditionally known as a rule of the gods." Further in Manu Smruti chapter 5 verse 39 and 40 says "God himself created sacrificial animals for sacrifice, ...., therefore killing in a sacrifice is not killing." Mahabharata Anushashan Parva chapter 88 narrates the discussion between Dharmaraj Yudhishthira and Pitamah Bhishma about what food one should offer to Pitris (ancestors) during the Shraddha (ceremony of dead) to keep them satisfied. Paragraph reads as follows: "Yudhishthira said, "O thou of great puissance, tell me what that object is which, if dedicated to the Pitiris (dead ancestors), become inexhaustible! What Havi, again, (if offered) lasts for all time? What, indeed, is that which (if presented) becomes eternal?" "Bhishma said, "Listen to me, O Yudhishthira, what those Havis are which persons conversant with the rituals of the Shraddha (the ceremony of dead) regard as suitable in view of Shraddha and what the fruits are that attach to each. With sesame seeds and rice and barely and Masha and water and roots and fruits, if given at Shraddhas, the pitris, O king, remain gratified for the period of a month. With fishes offered at Shraddhas, the pitris remain gratified for a period of two months. With the mutton they remain gratified for three months and with the hare for four months, with the flesh of the goat for five months, with the bacon (meat of pig) for six months, and with the flesh of birds for seven. With venison obtained from those deer that are called Prishata, they remaingratified for eight months, and with that obtained from the Ruru for nine months, and with the meat of Gavaya for ten months, With the meat of the bufffalo their gratification lasts for eleven months. With beef presented at the Shraddha, their gratification, it is said , lasts for a full year. Payasa mixed with ghee is as much acceptable to the pitris as beef. With the meat of Vadhrinasa (a large bull) the gratification of pitris lasts for twelve years. The flesh of rhinoceros, offered to the pitris on anniversaries of the lunar days on which they died, becomes inexhaustible. The potherb called Kalaska, the petals of kanchana flower, and meat of (red) goat also, thus offered, prove inexhaustible. So but natural if you want to keep your ancestors satisfied forever, you should serve them the meat of red goat.

Islam enjoins mercy and compassion for all living creatures. At the same time Islam maintains that Allah has created the earth and its wondrous flora and fauna for the benefit of mankind. It is upto mankind to use every resource in this world judiciously, as a niyamat (Divine blessing) and amanat (trust) from Allah. Let us look at various other aspects of this argument. Firstly A Muslim can be a pure vegetarian A Muslim can be a very good Muslim despite being a pure vegetarian. It is not compulsory for a Muslim to have non-vegetarian food. Qur'an permits Muslims to have non-vegetarian food The Qur'an, however permits a Muslim to have non-vegetarian food. The following Qur’anic verses are proof of this fact: "O ye who believe! Fulfil (all) obligations. Lawful unto you (for food) are all four-footed animals with the exceptions named." [Al-Qur'an 5:1] "And cattle He has created for you (men): from them Ye derive warmth, and numerous benefits, And of their (meat) ye eat." [Al-Qur'an 16:5] "And in cattle (too) ye have an instructive example: From within their bodies We produce (milk) for you to drink; there are, in them, (besides), numerous (other) benefits for you; and of their (meat) ye eat." [Al-Qur'an 23:21] Meat is nutritious and rich in complete protein Non-vegetarian food is a good source of excellent protein. It contains biologically complete protein i.e. all the 8 essential amino acid that are not synthesized by the body and should be supplied in the diet. Meat also contains iron, vitamin B1 and niacin. Humans have Omnivorous set of teeth If you observe the teeth of herbivorous animals like the cow, goat and sheep, you will find something strikingly similar in all of them. All these animals have a set of flat teeth i.e. suited for herbivorous diet. If you observe the set of teeth of the carnivorous animals like the lion, tiger, or leopard, they all have a set of pointed teeth i.e. suited for a carnivorous diet. If you analyze the set of teeth of humans, you find that they have flat teeth as well as pointed teeth. Thus they have teeth suited for both herbivorous as well as carnivorous food i.e. they are omnivorous. One may ask, if Almighty God wanted humans to have only vegetables, why did He provide us also with pointed teeth? It is logical that He expected us to need and to have both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian food. Human beings can digest both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food The digestive system of herbivorous animals can digest only vegetables. The digestive system of carnivorous animals can digest only meat. But the digestive system of humans can digest both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. If Almighty God wanted us to have only vegetables then why did He give us a digestive system that can digest both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian food?

Brother Mehdi, I agree upon you that , there may be Good Sufis, most of the people call our Imams , SUFIS! The actual meaning is SAINT, And there is no way for a muslim to practise sainthood in his life. They should get involved in both worldly and religious affairs! Well I've heard of Abu Hamid al-Ghazali , but not about his works. can you suggest me any on his works?(books) Fiamanillah Yahdikumullah

Once while a question came up and I replied by quoting a verse of the Qur'an. Someone smiled and said, "You must be a Wahabi". I've seen how the common people use this term Wahabi and it is often meant as "this is a guy who has a strange and radical way of interpreting Islam - so beware." The history of the term: Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab was a scholar who stood alongside the Saudi family in overcoming the Arabian Peninsula. Because the Turks were the ones who were ousted, Turks who were Sufis, they started a campaign to defame the claims of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab and his followers. Thus the term "Wahabi" came into being. what Ibn Abdul-Wahhab was trying to teach was nothing more then the return to the pure worship of Allah, without grave worship (which the Sufis did) and without good luck charms, amulets, or slaughtering for anyone other then Allah. His book, Kitaab At-Tawheed is nothing more then verses of Qur'an and sayings of the Prophet (PBUH). Because Ibn Abdul-Wahhab used proof from the Qur'an and Sunnah, the other side (who technically had no proof for the innovation they were doing) had no defense except to label these people as Wahabis. when I quoted Qur'an, one of the elders was tipped to thinking I was a Wahbi because he was warned about people that use the proofs of the Qur'an and Sunnah. Just a small historical background of the word Wahabi, from what I have read. It all started first by the Turkish government during the life time of Sheikh Abdul Wahab. The Turks wrote and published many books in their campaign of vilification and misrepresentation of the Sheikh's works. They started it around 1746 and continued for a long time even after the death of the Sheikh Abdul Wahab. But until that time the term Wahabi for a group of people was not yet in fashion. It was in 1822 that an Indian scholar Syed Ahmed (shaheed) went for Hajj and there came across the books of Ibn Tamiyah and Abdul Wahab. He was very impressed and spent some time there studying them. When he returned to India he started a movement for the return to the Quran and Sunnah. He had success but the British which ruled India didn't like it that much. It was in the 1860s that the British started to believe that the Great Mutiny against them was a result of a Muslim conspiracy. They started to study the works of Syed Ahmed and realized that it was similar to those of Sheikh Abdul Wahab. It was then that they started to label those who followed the ruling of Syed Ahmed as Wahabis. A few Shia scholars used to label the Wahabis as kafirs. The British caught thousands of Muslim scholars who opposed them, labeled them Wahabis and executed them. It was a great loss to the Muslims of India. The void left by the lack of scholars was quickly filled by two men whom the British intelligence introduced as great reformers for the Muslims. One was Ahmed Rida (Bareilawi) who started the Bareilawi sect which does not believe in Jihad and so made the British happy. He promoted grave, saint and Pirs worshipping and was given a lot of money by the British. The other man introduced by the British was Ghulam Ahmed Qadiyani who introduced the Qadiyani sect, in which he declared himself the last prophet. The poor usually followed the Bareilawi’s and the educated the Qadiyanis. This divide and rule method employed by the British was very successful in harming Islam in India. The Barelawis declared almost everyone who followed the Quran and Sunnah as Wahabis. Fatwas were mass produced near the end of 19th century. You couldn’t marry a Wahabi, eat an animal slaughtered by a Wahabi, drink water from the well of a Wahabi, pray behind a Wahabi, or give zakat to them. Wahabis were declared worse than dogs. You were not allowed to read the books of Wahabis especially the works of Ibn Taymiyah, Ibn Al-Qayyim and of course of Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahab. (al-Fatawa al-Ridwiyya) This term Wahabi was used so frequently even in the British press of those days that it became a common term. Even today try stopping someone from asking a grave or saint for a son and he will immediately label you a Wahabi and continue doing their shirk( Ascribing Partner to God ). And to be true I belong to so called "WAHABI", I dont like to call myself that, because it shows as if they are not MUSLIMS. THE WAHABIS ARE THE FIRST TO REVOLT AGAINST BRITISH IN INDIA! I repeat againg i dont like to call myself WAHABI because this is not a name given in good thought! Every muslim should call hismelf a MUSLIM! Its true that so called wahabi muslims are the one who invite people to ISLAM. Western Media is trying to Malign ISLAM. Allah knows Best!

Assalaamu Alaikum Brother Raguram, I presume IM meeting you for the second time! Its true that upanishads talks the same thing like the verses in the quran. But its not only Upanishads , you can see similiar message in gita, vedas and other scriptures of hindus. I'ld like to give the Common Concept of God in Hinduism: Hinduism is commonly perceived as a polytheistic religion. Indeed, most Hindus would attest to this, by professing belief in multiple Gods. While some Hindus believe in the existence of three gods, some believe in thousands of gods, and some others in thirty three crore i.e. 330 million Gods. However, learned Hindus, who are well versed in their scriptures, insist that a Hindu should believe in and worship only one God. The major difference between the Hindu and the Muslim perception of God is the common Hindus’ belief in the philosophy of Pantheism. Pantheism considers everything, living and non-living, to be Divine and Sacred. The common Hindu, therefore, considers everything as God. He considers the trees as God, the sun as God, the moon as God, the monkey as God, the snake as God and even human beings as manifestations of God! Islam, on the contrary, exhorts man to consider himself and his surroundings as examples of Divine Creation rather than as divinity itself. Muslims therefore believe that everything is God’s i.e. the word ‘God’ with an apostrophe ‘s’. In other words the Muslims believe that everything belongs to God. The trees belong to God, the sun belongs to God, the moon belongs to God, the monkey belongs to God, the snake belongs to God, the human beings belong to God and everything in this universe belongs to God. ------------------- Thus the major difference between the Hindu and the Muslim beliefs is the difference of the apostrophe ‘s’. The Hindu says everything is God. The Muslim says everything is God’s. ------------------- Concept of God according to Hindu Scriptures: We can gain a better understanding of the concept of God in Hinduism by analysing Hindu scriptures. BHAGAVAD GITA The most popular amongst all the Hindu scriptures is the Bhagavad Gita. Consider the following verse from the Gita: "Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures." [bhagavad Gita 7:20] The Gita states that people who are materialistic worship demigods i.e. ‘gods’ besides the True God. UPANISHADS: The Upanishads are considered sacred scriptures by the Hindus. The following verses from the Upanishads refer to the Concept of God: "Ekam evadvitiyam" "He is One only without a second." [Chandogya Upanishad 6:2:1] "Na casya kascij janita na cadhipah." "Of Him there are neither parents nor lord." [svetasvatara Upanishad 6:9] "Na tasya pratima asti" "There is no likeness of Him." [svetasvatara Upanishad 4:19] The following verses from the Upanishad allude to the inability of man to imagine God in a particular form: "Na samdrse tisthati rupam asya, na caksusa pasyati kas canainam." "His form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye." [svetasvatara Upanishad 4:20] THE VEDAS Vedas are considered the most sacred of all the Hindu scriptures. There are four principal Vedas: Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samveda and Atharvaveda. Yajurveda The following verses from the Yajurveda echo a similar concept of God: "na tasya pratima asti "There is no image of Him." [Yajurveda 32:3] "shudhama poapvidham" "He is bodyless and pure." [Yajurveda 40:8] "Andhatama pravishanti ye asambhuti mupaste" "They enter darkness, those who worship the natural elements" (Air, Water, Fire, etc.). "They sink deeper in darkness, those who worship sambhuti." [Yajurveda 40:9] Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol, etc. The Yajurveda contains the following prayer: "Lead us to the good path and remove the sin that makes us stray and wander." [Yajurveda 40:16] Atharvaveda The Atharvaveda praises God in Book 20, hymn 58 and verse 3: "Dev maha osi" "God is verily great" [Atharvaveda 20:58:3] Rigveda The oldest of all the vedas is Rigveda. It is also the one considered most sacred by the Hindus. The Rigveda states in Book 1, hymn 164 and verse 46: "Sages (learned Priests) call one God by many names." [Rigveda 1:164:46] The Rigveda gives several different attributes to Almighty God. Many of these are mentioned in Rigveda Book 2 hymn 1. Among the various attributes of God, one of the beautiful attributes mentioned in the Rigveda Book II hymn 1 verse 3, is Brahma. Brahma means ‘The Creator’. Translated into Arabic it means Khaaliq. Muslims can have no objection if Almighty God is referred to as Khaaliq or ‘Creator’ or Brahma. However if it is said that Brahma is Almighty God who has four heads with each head having a crown, Muslims take strong exception to it. Describing Almighty God in anthropomorphic terms also goes against the following verse of Yajurveda: "Na tasya Pratima asti" "There is no image of Him." [Yajurveda 32:3] Another beautiful attribute of God mentioned in the Rigveda Book II hymn 1 verse 3 is Vishnu. Vishnu means ‘The Sustainer’. Translated into Arabic it means Rabb. Again, Muslims can have no objection if Almighty God is referred to as Rabb or 'Sustainer' or Vishnu. But the popular image of Vishnu among Hindus, is that of a God who has four arms, with one of the right arms holding the Chakra, i.e. a discus and one of the left arms holding a ‘conch shell’, or riding a bird or reclining on a snake couch. Muslims can never accept any image of God. As mentioned earlier this also goes against Svetasvatara Upanishad Chapter 4 verse 19. "Na tasya pratima asti" "There is no likeness of Him" The following verse from the Rigveda Book 8, hymn 1, verse 1 refer to the Unity and Glory of the Supreme Being: "Ma cid anyad vi sansata sakhayo ma rishanyata" "O friends, do not worship anybody but Him, the Divine One. Praise Him alone." [Rigveda 8:1:1]10 "Devasya samituk parishtutih" "Verily, great is the glory of the Divine Creator." [Rigveda 5:1:81]11 Brahma Sutra of Hinduism: The Brahma Sutra of Hinduism is: "Ekam Brahm, dvitiya naste neh na naste kinchan" "There is only one God, not the second; not at all, not at all, not in the least bit." Thus only a dispassionate study of the Hindu scriptures can help one understand the concept of God in Hinduism.

Assalaamu Alaikum Brother Raguram, I presume IM meeting you for the second time! Its true that upanishads talks the same thing like the verses in the quran. But its not only Upanishads , you can see similiar message in gita, vedas and other scriptures of hindus. I'ld like to give the Common Concept of God in Hinduism: Hinduism is commonly perceived as a polytheistic religion. Indeed, most Hindus would attest to this, by professing belief in multiple Gods. While some Hindus believe in the existence of three gods, some believe in thousands of gods, and some others in thirty three crore i.e. 330 million Gods. However, learned Hindus, who are well versed in their scriptures, insist that a Hindu should believe in and worship only one God. The major difference between the Hindu and the Muslim perception of God is the common Hindus’ belief in the philosophy of Pantheism. Pantheism considers everything, living and non-living, to be Divine and Sacred. The common Hindu, therefore, considers everything as God. He considers the trees as God, the sun as God, the moon as God, the monkey as God, the snake as God and even human beings as manifestations of God! Islam, on the contrary, exhorts man to consider himself and his surroundings as examples of Divine Creation rather than as divinity itself. Muslims therefore believe that everything is God’s i.e. the word ‘God’ with an apostrophe ‘s’. In other words the Muslims believe that everything belongs to God. The trees belong to God, the sun belongs to God, the moon belongs to God, the monkey belongs to God, the snake belongs to God, the human beings belong to God and everything in this universe belongs to God. ------------------- Thus the major difference between the Hindu and the Muslim beliefs is the difference of the apostrophe ‘s’. The Hindu says everything is God. The Muslim says everything is God’s. ------------------- Concept of God according to Hindu Scriptures: We can gain a better understanding of the concept of God in Hinduism by analysing Hindu scriptures. BHAGAVAD GITA The most popular amongst all the Hindu scriptures is the Bhagavad Gita. Consider the following verse from the Gita: "Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures." [bhagavad Gita 7:20] The Gita states that people who are materialistic worship demigods i.e. ‘gods’ besides the True God. UPANISHADS: The Upanishads are considered sacred scriptures by the Hindus. The following verses from the Upanishads refer to the Concept of God: "Ekam evadvitiyam" "He is One only without a second." [Chandogya Upanishad 6:2:1] "Na casya kascij janita na cadhipah." "Of Him there are neither parents nor lord." [svetasvatara Upanishad 6:9] "Na tasya pratima asti" "There is no likeness of Him." [svetasvatara Upanishad 4:19] The following verses from the Upanishad allude to the inability of man to imagine God in a particular form: "Na samdrse tisthati rupam asya, na caksusa pasyati kas canainam." "His form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye." [svetasvatara Upanishad 4:20] THE VEDAS Vedas are considered the most sacred of all the Hindu scriptures. There are four principal Vedas: Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samveda and Atharvaveda. Yajurveda The following verses from the Yajurveda echo a similar concept of God: "na tasya pratima asti "There is no image of Him." [Yajurveda 32:3] "shudhama poapvidham" "He is bodyless and pure." [Yajurveda 40:8] "Andhatama pravishanti ye asambhuti mupaste" "They enter darkness, those who worship the natural elements" (Air, Water, Fire, etc.). "They sink deeper in darkness, those who worship sambhuti." [Yajurveda 40:9] Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol, etc. The Yajurveda contains the following prayer: "Lead us to the good path and remove the sin that makes us stray and wander." [Yajurveda 40:16] Atharvaveda The Atharvaveda praises God in Book 20, hymn 58 and verse 3: "Dev maha osi" "God is verily great" [Atharvaveda 20:58:3] Rigveda The oldest of all the vedas is Rigveda. It is also the one considered most sacred by the Hindus. The Rigveda states in Book 1, hymn 164 and verse 46: "Sages (learned Priests) call one God by many names." [Rigveda 1:164:46] The Rigveda gives several different attributes to Almighty God. Many of these are mentioned in Rigveda Book 2 hymn 1. Among the various attributes of God, one of the beautiful attributes mentioned in the Rigveda Book II hymn 1 verse 3, is Brahma. Brahma means ‘The Creator’. Translated into Arabic it means Khaaliq. Muslims can have no objection if Almighty God is referred to as Khaaliq or ‘Creator’ or Brahma. However if it is said that Brahma is Almighty God who has four heads with each head having a crown, Muslims take strong exception to it. Describing Almighty God in anthropomorphic terms also goes against the following verse of Yajurveda: "Na tasya Pratima asti" "There is no image of Him." [Yajurveda 32:3] Another beautiful attribute of God mentioned in the Rigveda Book II hymn 1 verse 3 is Vishnu. Vishnu means ‘The Sustainer’. Translated into Arabic it means Rabb. Again, Muslims can have no objection if Almighty God is referred to as Rabb or 'Sustainer' or Vishnu. But the popular image of Vishnu among Hindus, is that of a God who has four arms, with one of the right arms holding the Chakra, i.e. a discus and one of the left arms holding a ‘conch shell’, or riding a bird or reclining on a snake couch. Muslims can never accept any image of God. As mentioned earlier this also goes against Svetasvatara Upanishad Chapter 4 verse 19. "Na tasya pratima asti" "There is no likeness of Him" The following verse from the Rigveda Book 8, hymn 1, verse 1 refer to the Unity and Glory of the Supreme Being: "Ma cid anyad vi sansata sakhayo ma rishanyata" "O friends, do not worship anybody but Him, the Divine One. Praise Him alone." [Rigveda 8:1:1]10 "Devasya samituk parishtutih" "Verily, great is the glory of the Divine Creator." [Rigveda 5:1:81]11 Brahma Sutra of Hinduism: The Brahma Sutra of Hinduism is: "Ekam Brahm, dvitiya naste neh na naste kinchan" "There is only one God, not the second; not at all, not at all, not in the least bit." Thus only a dispassionate study of the Hindu scriptures can help one understand the concept of God in Hinduism. Allah Knows Best!

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. 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. 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. 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. C. Tawheed al-Ibaadah (maintaining the unity of worship): (i) Definition and meaning of ‘Ibadaah’: ‘Tawheed al-Ibaadah’ means maintaining the unity of worship or ‘Ibaadah’. Ibaadah is derived from Arabic word ‘Abd’ meaning slave or servant. Thus Ibaadah means servitude and worship. (ii) All three categories to be followed simultaneously. Only believing in the first two categories of Tawheed without implementing Tawheed-al-Ibaadah is useless. The Qur’an gives the examples of ‘Mushrikeens’ (idolaters) of the Prophet’s time who confirmed the first two aspects of Tawheed. It is mentioned in the Qur’an: "Say: ‘Who is it that Sustains you (in life) From the sky and from the earth? Or who is it that Has power over hearing And sight? And who Is it that brings out The living from the dead And the dead from the living? And who is it that Rules and regulates all affairs?’ They will soon say, ‘Allah’. Say, ‘Will you not then Show piety (to Him)?’ " [Al-Qur’an 10:31] A similar example is repeated in Surah Zukhruf of the Glorious Qur’an: "If thou ask them, Who Created them, they will Certainly say, ‘Allah’: how Then are they deluded Away (from the Truth)?" [Al-Qur’an 43:87] The pagan Meccans knew that Allah (swt) was their Creator, Sustainer, Lord and Master. Yet they were not Muslims because they also worshipped other gods besides Allah. Allah (swt) categorised them as ‘Kuffaar’ (disbelievers) and ‘Mushrikeen’ (idol worshippers and those who associate partners with God). "And most of them Believe not in Allah Without associating (others As partners) with Him!" [Al-Qur’an 12:106] Thus ‘Tawheed al-Ibaadah’ i.e. maintaining the unity of worship is the most important aspect of Tawheed. Allah (swt) alone deserves worship and He alone can grant benefit to man for his worship. SHIRK: A. Definition:The omission of any of the above mentioned categories of tawheed or deficiency in the fulfillment of any criteria of Tawheed is referred to as 'shirk'.(Please note that the Arabic word 'Shirk' has the same sound as in the English word 'ship' and not as in the English word 'shirk',which means 'to evade' ‘Shirk’ literally means sharing or associating partners. In Islamic terms it means associating partners with Allah and is equivalent to idolatry. B. Shirk is the greatest sin that Allah will never forgive: The Qur’an describes the greatest sin in Surah Al-Nisa’: "Allah forgives not That partners should be set up With Him; but He forgives Anything else, to whom He pleases; to set up Partners with Allah Is to devise a sin Most heinous indeed." [Al-Qur’an 4:48] The same message is repeated in Surah Al-Nisa’: "Allah forgives not (The sin of) joining other gods With Him; but He forgives Whom He pleases other sins Than this: one who joins Other gods with Allah, Has strayed far, far away (From the Right)." [Al-Qur’an 4:116] C. Shirk leads to hell fire: The Qur’an says in Surah Ma’idah: "They do blaspheme who say: ‘Allah is Christ the son Of Mary.’ But said Christ: ‘O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord And your Lord’. Whoever joins other gods with Allah – Allah will forbid him the Garden, and the Fire Will be his abode. There will for the wrongdoers Be no one to help." [Al-Qur’an 5:72] D. Worship and Obedience to none but Allah: The Qur’an mentions in Surah Ali-’Imran: Say: "O people of the Book! Come To common terms As between us and you: That we worship none but Allah; That we associate no partners with Him; That we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah." If then they turn back, Say ye: "Bear witness that we (at least) Are Muslims (bowing to Allah’s Will)." [Al-Qur’an 3:64] The Glorious Qur’an says: "And if all the trees on earth were pens And the Ocean (were ink), with seven Oceans behind it To add to its (supply), yet would not the Words Of Allah be exhausted (In the writing): for Allah Is Exalted in power, Full of Wisdom." [Al-Qur’an 31:27] Our analysis of Concept of God in various Religion shows that monotheism is an integral part of every major religion of the world. However, it is unfortunate that some adherents of these religions violate the teachings of their own scriptures and have set up partners to Almighty God. An analysis of the scriptures of various religions, reveals that all scriptures exhort mankind to believe in, and submit to One God. All these scriptures condemn the association of partners to God, or the worship of God in the form of images. The Glorious Qur’an says: "O men! Here is A parable set forth! Listen to it! Those On whom, besides Allah, You call, cannot create (Even) a fly, if they all Met together for the purpose! And if the fly should snatch Away anything from them, They would have no power To release it from the fly. Feeble are those who petition And those whom they petition!" [Al-Qur’an 22:73] The basis of religion is the acceptance of Divine guidance. A rejection of this guidance has serious implications for society. While we have made great strides in science and technology, true peace still eludes us. All ‘isms’ have failed to provide the much vaunted deliverance. The scriptures of all major religions exhort mankind to follow that which is good and eschew that which is evil. All scriptures remind mankind that good will not go unrewarded and evil will not go unpunished! The question we need to address is, which of these scriptures provides us with the correct ‘instruction manual’ that we need to regulate our individual and collective lives? Allah Knows Best!

Brother I said in the previous thread :"First of all tha hadith quoted is not authentic, but anyway the question you ask is connected with Islam that whether is it permissible to have sex with slave women!" In the last thread you gave it from a different reference, and now its from muslim-hadith! I didnt say its not authentic from my side, when i had a look at the link you prescribed in the previous thread, the link itself says that its not authentic. Regarding "having concubine" it is allowed in islam, and i have answered it already in the previous thread! Brother you have to understand that it was the practise in earlier times, when women are widowed coz of wars. Who is going to take care of them? You can marry them if you want! and if you cant afford you can have her and bear all her cost of living! For detail discussion, refer my previous thread! please Allah knows best!