Symbiosis of Dharmic wisdom and Islamic wisdom Part 1

[Goswami]

This series of articles will highlight and elaborate the sundry points of concurrence shared by Dharmic wisdom and Islamic wisdom.

In Qur’an we read:

“For every nation/community there has been a guide” {Qur’an 13:7}

“And verily, We have sent among every community a messenger” {Qur’an 16:36}

The two verses substantiate that the Primordial Divine Guidance has been present in each and every epoch. When metaphysical elements found in the corpus of Hinduism are objectively analyzed then it is not abstruse for any objective reader to decipher that Dharmic wisdom is the derivative of the very same Primordial Divine Guidance that has been manifested in every epoch.

 

The Spiritual Adept/ The True Worshiper

 

Krishna in Gita has classified different forms of worshipers according to the intention with which they submit before God.

"O best among the Bhāratas [Arjuna], four kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute."

~ Bhagvad-Gita

This verse divulges the following types of worshipers:

1- “The Distressed” these are the people who have been subjected to excruciating experiences in their life and to alleviate the pains of their agonies they take shelter in the worship of the Absolute.

2- “The Desirer of wealth” these are the people who worship the Absolute out of their greed for materialistic desires. This is the reason it is very common to see a plethora of religious lecturers explaining the nature of heaven in a literal and materialistic fashion. These speakers motivate their audience to submit before the Absolute for the sole purpose of attaining Jannah/heaven. Such people only submit before the Absolute out of their desire to gain Jannah or pleasures.

3- “The inquisitive” these people take shelter of the Absolute out of their curiosity to know. They have heard about others finding beatitude in the spiritual realm and this makes them curious to know what it is all about. So, to satisfy their curiosity, they approach the Lord.

4- “who is searching for the knowledge of the Absolute” these are the people who worship the Absolute only because they want to increase their proximity to the Absolute. Their submission before the Absolute is unconditional. They only desire the Absolute and nothing else.

 

After identifying various categories of worshipers under the light of the verse of Gita, let us now understand who is the Spiritual Adept or a True worshiper among various forms of worshipers in the light of the saying of Imam Ali (عليه السلام).

Imam Ali (عليه السلام) states : “O Allah! I do not worship thee for fear of punishment or in hope of reward; rather, I know thee worthy of worship so I worship thee”[Bihar ul Anwar,vol#41,p.14]

Explanation: The relation between the Absolute and the Spiritual Adept is similar to the relation between the Beloved(God) and the lover(Spiritual Adept). The lover loves his Beloved unconditionally. There is nothing that can extinguish the fire of his love for his Beloved. The only thing that fills the heart of a lover with sheer ecstasy is the company of his Beloved. The lover desires nothing but his Beloved. His love for his Beloved has no conditions and he continues to render his services to his Beloved independent of any desire.

The saying of Imam Ali (عليه السلام) makes palpably clear that among various forms of worshipers pointed out by Krishna in Gita the True worshiper or the Spiritual Adept is who seeks nothing but only Divine.

[Goswami]

@eThErEaL

[83838]

https://slaveofali.wordpress.com/2008/09/05/the-worship-of-the-free/

Imam Ali [as] said:

Verily, some people worshipped Allah being desirous (Of His reward) – so this is the worship of traders;

and some people worshipped Allah fearing (His punishment) – so it is the worship of slaves,

and a group worshipped Allah in gratitude (to Him) so this is the worship of the free. (

Nahju ‘I-balaghah)

[83838]

17 hours ago, 000 said:

https://slaveofali.wordpress.com/2008/09/05/the-worship-of-the-free/ 

There's also some kind of explanation about why there's material things

[Goswami]

2 minutes ago, 000 said:

https://slaveofali.wordpress.com/2008/09/05/the-worship-of-the-free/

Imam Ali [as] said:

Verily, some people worshipped Allah being desirous (Of His reward) – so this is the worship of traders;

and some people worshipped Allah fearing (His punishment) – so it is the worship of slaves,

and a group worshipped Allah in gratitude (to Him) so this is the worship of the free. (

Nahju ‘I-balaghah)

Avicenna states: "The knower seeks the First Truth not for anything other than itself, and prefers nothing other than knowledge and worship of it alone.This is because the First Truth merits worship and because worship is a noble relation to it and not because of desire or fear. If desire or fear were present, the desired object or the feared object would be the motive, and the object of the search.The Truth then would not be the end, but a means to something other than it, this something being the end and the object of the search, to the exclusion of the Truth"[Isharat wal tanbihat,namat#9,bab#5]

 

Explanation: Avicenna identifies three distinct kinds of worship and consequently three distinct kinds of worshipers; first there are those who worship God because of the desire for the attainment of the eternal pleasures of paradise, where they use worship as a means to an end, that end being Paradise itself; the next category of worshipers consists of those who worship the divine out of fear for the eternal hell-fire. Here also the divine is not sought as an end but only as a means to something else, that something being the avoidance of hell; and the last group consists of those who worship or adore the Necessary Being not as a means to an end but because they deem him worthy of admiration, adoration and worship; they seek the Face of the Divine because of what the Divine is Itself and not due to some object other than the divine. This Avicennan classification is absolutely identical to the exposition on the degrees of worshipers laid down by Imam Ali (عليه السلام).

[83838]

2 minutes ago, Goswami said:

. This Avicennan classification is absolutely identical to the exposition on the degrees of worshipers laid down by Imam Ali (عليه السلام).

I think when one is truly inquisitive, it would lead  him to search for knowledge of the Absolute

[Flying_Eagle]

6 hours ago, Goswami said:

Imam Ali (عليه السلام) states : “O Allah! I do not worship thee for fear of punishment or in hope of reward; rather, I know thee worthy of worship so I worship thee”[Bihar ul Anwar,vol#41,p.14]

Imam Ali (عليه السلام) explains here pure worship that is in acknowledgment of the greatness of Allah ( (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى)) and for thanking His graciousness.

[eThErEaL]

On 2/4/2020 at 4:59 AM, Goswami said:

@eThErEaL

Excellent points

[Shahrukh K]

On 2/4/2020 at 3:13 PM, Goswami said:

This series of articles will highlight and elaborate the sundry points of concurrence shared by Dharmic wisdom and Islamic wisdom.

In Qur’an we read:

“For every nation/community there has been a guide” {Qur’an 13:7}

“And verily, We have sent among every community a messenger” {Qur’an 16:36}

The two verses substantiate that the Primordial Divine Guidance has been present in each and every epoch. When metaphysical elements found in the corpus of Hinduism are objectively analyzed then it is not abstruse for any objective reader to decipher that Dharmic wisdom is the derivative of the very same Primordial Divine Guidance that has been manifested in every epoch.

 

The Spiritual Adept/ The True Worshiper

 

Krishna in Gita has classified different forms of worshipers according to the intention with which they submit before God.

"O best among the Bhāratas [Arjuna], four kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute."

~ Bhagvad-Gita

This verse divulges the following types of worshipers:

1- “The Distressed” these are the people who have been subjected to excruciating experiences in their life and to alleviate the pains of their agonies they take shelter in the worship of the Absolute.

2- “The Desirer of wealth” these are the people who worship the Absolute out of their greed for materialistic desires. This is the reason it is very common to see a plethora of religious lecturers explaining the nature of heaven in a literal and materialistic fashion. These speakers motivate their audience to submit before the Absolute for the sole purpose of attaining Jannah/heaven. Such people only submit before the Absolute out of their desire to gain Jannah or pleasures.

3- “The inquisitive” these people take shelter of the Absolute out of their curiosity to know. They have heard about others finding beatitude in the spiritual realm and this makes them curious to know what it is all about. So, to satisfy their curiosity, they approach the Lord.

4- “who is searching for the knowledge of the Absolute” these are the people who worship the Absolute only because they want to increase their proximity to the Absolute. Their submission before the Absolute is unconditional. They only desire the Absolute and nothing else.

 

After identifying various categories of worshipers under the light of the verse of Gita, let us now understand who is the Spiritual Adept or a True worshiper among various forms of worshipers in the light of the saying of Imam Ali (عليه السلام).

Imam Ali (عليه السلام) states : “O Allah! I do not worship thee for fear of punishment or in hope of reward; rather, I know thee worthy of worship so I worship thee”[Bihar ul Anwar,vol#41,p.14]

Explanation: The relation between the Absolute and the Spiritual Adept is similar to the relation between the Beloved(God) and the lover(Spiritual Adept). The lover loves his Beloved unconditionally. There is nothing that can extinguish the fire of his love for his Beloved. The only thing that fills the heart of a lover with sheer ecstasy is the company of his Beloved. The lover desires nothing but his Beloved. His love for his Beloved has no conditions and he continues to render his services to his Beloved independent of any desire.

The saying of Imam Ali (عليه السلام) makes palpably clear that among various forms of worshipers pointed out by Krishna in Gita the True worshiper or the Spiritual Adept is who seeks nothing but only Divine.

Waiting for part 2

[313_Waiter]

On 2/8/2020 at 4:47 AM, Shahrukh K said:

Waiting for part 2

@Goswami

Me too 

[Ali bin Hussein]

Although the sentiment of unity is appreciated. And you are right all nations had a guide so there will always be overlap. Hinduism and Islam are about as far apart as you can get.

We are montheistic your are polytheistic which is the most abhorrent if sins.

I have a 2 questions 

How does multiple deities over the idea of islamic Tawheed make sense.

If you say there is only one supreme then what is the piont the lesser "gods"

Remember Imam Ali preached Tawheed above all else.

[smma]

1 hour ago, Ali bin Hussein said:

Although the sentiment of unity is appreciated. And you are right all nations had a guide so there will always be overlap. Hinduism and Islam are about as far apart as you can get.

We are montheistic your are polytheistic which is the most abhorrent if sins.

I have a 2 questions 

How does multiple deities over the idea of islamic Tawheed make sense.

If you say there is only one supreme then what is the piont the lesser "gods"

Remember Imam Ali preached Tawheed above all else.

Hinduism is a monotheistic religion too. All the gods of Hinduism are different aspects and avatars of the same god, kind of like Trinity in Catholicism. The oldest Hindu literature(Vedas) clearly state that god is one, and that no idol or image should be built of him*. after arrving and settling in India , the vedic Hinduism went through many changes throughout the centuries and slowly lost its monotheistic character. However at its core its still monotheistic. 

 

*I heard this watching a video of zakir naik, if any Hindu brothers can confirm it. it would be great.

Edited January 27, 2021 by smma

[Ali bin Hussein]

The foundations of most religions likely are monotheism. As guides were sent to every people. 

But Hinduism is most definitely polytheistic. And has been for a very long time. If you don't believe go to any temple or practicing Hindu house you will see an idol that is worshipped.

Indeed, sincere devotion is due ˹only˺ to Allah. As for those who take other lords besides Him, ˹saying,˺ “We worship them only so they may bring us closer to Allah,” surely Allah will judge between all1 regarding what they differed about. Allah certainly does not guide whoever persists in lying and disbelief. 39:3

Edited January 27, 2021 by Ali bin Hussein

[313_Waiter]

1 hour ago, Ali bin Hussein said:

But Hinduism is most definitely polytheistic

It is wrong to represent Hinduism as a monolith, the views vary and include monotheism, polytheism, henotheism, panentheism, pantheism, monism etc. There is even a philosophy in Hinduism that corresponds to Wahdat al Wujud, it is called Advaita Vedanta and it holds that only Brahman is the ultimately real, all else is a manifestation of Brahman, thus the only thing being worshipped is Brahman (I know you don’t agree with such concepts though brother). Also, I don’t know if you’ve heard Arya Samaj Hindus- they are monotheistic.

 

Secondly, it is very important to perfect the way we respond to people, especially those who show appreciation to our faith (this advice goes to myself first and my own manners and rash way of speaking). The Qur’an says “invite to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching” (16:125). So perhaps one should begin with the daleel of why a monotheistic God makes more sense, or that there is a perennial wisdom behind monotheism rather than starting by saying  “your are polytheistic which is the most abhorrent if sins” not recognising the elements of hidden shirk within. I remember Sheikh Vahid Khorasani had a book proving monotheism called Usul al Deen (available for free on al-Islam.org). Further, the hujja or proof may not be manifest upon them yet, so that is our job to do so out of rahma. Allahu A’lam.

 

Wsalam

Edited January 27, 2021 by 313_Waiter

[Ali bin Hussein]

6 minutes ago, 313_Waiter said:

 Hinduism that corresponds to Wahdat al Wujud

I believe wahdatul wujud is shirk so imagine how far Hinduism is for me. 

I've never met a Hindu that disagrees with idols worship. Some merely state it's just the lower level of worship.

If you can send me a link to the views of monotheistic Hindu I will take a look. I'm happy to admit when I'm wrong 

 

[Shahrukh K]

Assalamalaikum,

Remember Sanatan dharma is 5000 years old still you can find traces of pure monotheism if you look closely. But unfortunately you always concentrate on it's polytheistic side only to prove that truth is written only in Arabic.
You have to read Vedas carefully the Upanishad part is purely Tawheed, knowledge in it is awesome. The person who taught me tawheed was entirely unaware of Quran, when i told him what you are saying everything is there in Quran he said Truth cannot be changed over and over, this truth has been told in many different languages, in many different ways, and in each age it is forgotten, and has to be restated in a new way in order to guide all those souls lost in ignorance back to the Truth.  
Born and brought up in a shia family i was on the verge of leaving Quran, Upanishad bring me back to Quran.
Please be careful before saying that anyone or any religion is polytheistic you do not have the authority to judge them.

1 hour ago, Ali bin Hussein said:

Hinduism is most definitely polytheistic

 

[313_Waiter]

20 minutes ago, Ali bin Hussein said:

If you can send me a link to the views of monotheistic Hindu I will take a look

Here you go bro:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Arya-Samaj

[Ali bin Hussein]

59 minutes ago, 313_Waiter said:

Here you go bro:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Arya-Samaj

Wow I stand corrected. I'm glad to have learned a bit about them. I did a bit if a deeper search and they definitely are monotheistic. 

So thanks for that brother .