37. Jagannath Sharma

Islam -The Unknown

For years, Mahatma Gandhi made his congregation recite with devotional spirit: ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram Ishwar Allah tere naam, Sabko sanmati de Bhagwaan’.

Hindus of all hues were carried away by these chantings, and even after about half a century of his demise, or so to say, bloody partition of the country, this hymn is heard on AIR, DD and through loudspeakers on 2nd October and 31st January from year to year. None has ever bothered to know if Allah actually means what Hindus perceive as Ishwar. Hindus simply consider Allah a literal translation of Ishwar, which to them carries the same philosophical qualities as they see in Ishwar. Just as an elephant and haathi are the same in different languages. It may sound strange, but it is true that what Allah ordains upon his followers is not what Ishwar expects from his believers, and even non-believers.

Allah without Mohammad is non-existent. He has spoken only through Mohammad and given his message to make the world free of all infidels (kafirs, non-believers). The very word ‘Allah’ connotes the one who has given ‘ilham’ i.e. call from the sky/heaven, to Mohammad. The Islamic Kalima, La Ilaha illa ‘llahu: Muhammadun Rasulu’llah, means, ‘There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Prophet.’

Few non-Muslims may be aware of the meaning of the first part. That part is conveniently taken as Allah meaning Ishwar. But the second part is its real essence which separates Allah from Ishwar, and makes Allah exclusive with an entirely different character of a demonic nature.

Let us see a few of the teachings or gospels of Allah which he gave through Mohammad for the ‘salvation’ of the world:

Allah has created this world only for believers, i.e. Muslims. Non-believers need either to be made believers or eliminated.

Allah pardons all who come to seek his pardon in a masjid. He doesn’t refuse pardon even if a sinner goes on repeating sins but calls at his place, i.e. the masjid, to seek pardon after every committal of sin.

On the other hand, if a person does not commit any sin and bothers little to seek his pardon, or to come to his place, Allah has no love for him.

Cheating, speaking untruth, playing fraud are sins only if committed with a believer, i.e. Muslim. Not so if committed with others.

A believer, i.e. Muslim, should not give salute, or way to a non-believer. His right is to get salute from non-believers, and get them out of his way.

To make idols, images, or picture of any of Allah’s creations is tantamount to imitating Allah, and therefore an inexcusable sin punishable with death.

So on, and so forth.

Do these qualities make Ishwar and Allah the same?

A Muslim who has no faith in Mohammad and separates Allah from Mohammad, is an infidel.

Leaving aside the present-day fatwas of dominant Islamic mullahs declaring Shias, Khojas, Bohras, Ahmadiyas as non-Muslim, Islam is an exclusive faith having to do nothing with spirituality, salvation of all human souls, creation of universal brotherhood, or to live peacefully with diversity. There is no place for tolerance or adjustment. There is no scope for reform or change either. No scope for any discussion on teachings of the Quran, or of any commentary on Mohammad, except their praise.

Due to ignorance of this world-wide faith of millions, gullible Hindu leadership of the so-called secular species, has been fooling itself and its followers, and day-dreaming by endeavoring to teach ‘Ishwar Allah tere naam’. Does Islam permit it? It has been a purely one-sided affair. This ignorance on the part of Hindu leadership resulted in the partition of the country. Pakistan was created as a ‘holy land’. Remaining India can’t claim to be holy because non-believers live here.

A Muslim can never be true to his faith, Islam, if he opts not to hate a Hindu, a non-believer. Also, the system of elected government where non-believers can possibly dominate and rule over Muslims, is un-Islamic in terms of its true teachings. There is one book, one prophet, nothing more, nothing less. The easy or non-violent prescription of the Book for a non-believer who wants to survive, is to get converted to Islam. That is the law of Islam.

Islam is, therefore, for an expansionist, forcibly conformist society, like Communism. The day Muslims start questioning the prescriptions of the Quran or the Hadis, or accepting teachings of holy men other than Mohammad, Islam will vanish like Communism. It is a raw political faith under the garb of religion, and nothing more. Strangely, there are prescriptions for believers to shave their heads and grow beards, to kill dogs, not to wear yellow garments, and marry up to four wives if they can do justice to them. Thus to call Islam a religion, is a travesty of truth.

On the other hand, all sects of Hinduism believe in ‘vasudhaiva kutumbakam’ or ‘sarbatt da bhala’, ‘sarve bhavantu sukhino’, i.e. the whole world is a family, do good to all, may all be comfortable. It does not make any exception of any kind. This is all-embracing, even including animal and plant life. And ‘kutumb’ covers environment. This is the pivot of the Hindu faith. Question of any hatred or intolerance or violence does not arise.

It is the wonder of wonders how Islam has been on the rise over the past fourteen centuries when the world has undergone so much transformation and human mind has been striving to make the world a place worth living for all human beings, nay all the creatures. Teachings of Islam cannot stay for a day if the Quran is let open for a critical discussion. This is forbidden. And that is the secret of Islam’s survival. But how long can such a closed mind be kept closed?

Christianity is more or less alike, with the difference that whereas Mohammad claimed to be the messenger of Allah, Jesus Christ claims to be the only son of God. So far as hate and violence is concerned, America owes its European inhabitation to the violent Christianity dominating Europe in those times.

To put these fountains of hatred on the same pedestal as any sect of Hindu faith, is to obliterate the line separating love and hatred, tolerance and violence, humanism and barbarism.

As Islam has been given a widespread recognition as a religion, which it is not, we cannot shut our eyes to this reality. But this so-called religion is playing politics in India and elsewhere. Even in Muslim countries, different hues of Muslims are overturning Muslim regimes in the name of ‘true Islam’. So, we have to take Islam as a political force, with pan-Islamism as its objective, spelling dire international ramifications.

Any compromise to placate Islam for social or political goals is bound to give this force a more striking vigour.

The solution lies to take it by the horns. Let the masses know what are the teachings of the Scriptures of Islam. Thoughtful Muslims and Christians will sooner or later discard their ‘faiths’ which being in reality pure political doctrines, are subject to conviction, and therefore conversion. So far they dutifully entice inward conversion. By conviction, they will themselves come forward for outward conversion. As Hinduism doesn’t believe in conversion, or reconversion, it will be ‘Paravartan’. It is the Hindus who must be prepared to accept them.

If any section of Hindu leadership thinks of making peace with Muslims by giving respectful recognition to their barbarian beliefs propounded by the Quran and the Hadis, they will be committing the same folly as was done by Mahatma Gandhi and perpetuated by the mushroom growth of numerous political parties of post-independence India, busy in dividing the society into vote banks with different labels.

Egypt, Sudan, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India are experiencing the rise of Muslim fundamentalism, and there is armed stir in its execution, This has to be checked in the interest of society as a whole. Making peace on their terms is to behave like an ostrich.

Footnotes:

A resident of Kullu in Himachal Pradesh, the writer has formed his view of Islam from his contact with a Muslim classmate in F.C. College, Lahore, and a study of the governments functioning in several Islamic countries.