Answering Vivekananda And Vedanta: Swami Vivekananda & Criticism of Islam-----A Response 2

Criticism No 2:

                              Swami Vivekananda while appreciated the best part of Islam,   and exhorted  to the non-Muslims to adopt that, he was also ruthless in condemning the  barbaric, divisive and inhumane aspects and actions of Islam and its followers,  he did not mince words when he stated: "The Mohammedan religion allows Mohammedans to kill all who are not of their religion. It is clearly stated in Koran,  "Kill the infidels if they do not become Mohammedans". They must be put to fire and sword. (Works of Swami Vivekananda II.335). 

                                    One religion may ordain something very hideous. For instance, the Mohammedan religion allows Mohammedans to kill all who are not of their religion. It is clearly stated in the Koran, "Kill the infidels if they do not become Mohammedans." ---Practical Vedanta Part III ( Delivered in London, 17^th Nov 1896)

                                     In this line the Mohammedans were the best off; every step forward was made with the sward - the Koran in the one hand and the sward in the other: "Take the Koran, or you must die; there is no alternative!". You know from history how phenomenal was their success; for six hundred years nothing could resist them, and then there came a time when they had to cry halt. So will it be with other religions if they follow the same methods." (Works of Swami Vivekananda II:369-70) 

Response:

 "Thou art not one to compel them by force."--(Quran 50:45)

If your Lord had willed, all the people on the earth would have believed. Do you think you

can force people to be believers? (10:99)

                Swamiji quotes exactly the western critics of Islam!  Among the most widely believed myths about Islam in the West today is the myth of forcible conversion to Islam. Many Westerners do believe that Islam is so widespread in the world today simply because of a "holy campaign of terror" carried out by the early Muslims to convert non-Muslims to Islam. Non-Muslims were offered the freedom to choose either Islam or death.

In a discussion with a Baptist Minister he said that "Muslims tend to kill non-Muslims anyone who disagrees with them". In a syndicated column appearing in over 30 papers (on July 23rd, 1994) entitled, "Muslim persecution of Christians increasing" the author blames many Muslims countries for persecuting Christians. Robert Bean says: The Muslims conquered the entire world before and they could do it again.

          But L.Browne, a Western researcher, expresses this situation in the following words:

“Incidentally these well-established facts dispose of the idea so widely fostered in Christian writings that the Muslims, wherever they went, forced people to accept Islam at the point of the sword.”----- The Prospects of Islam, pp. 11-15.

              The famous historian, Thomas Carlyle, in his book "Heroes and Hero worship", refers to this misconception about the spread of Islam: "The sword indeed, but where will you get your sword? Every new opinion, at its starting is precisely in a minority of one. In one man’s head alone. There it dwells as yet. One man alone of the whole world believes it, there is one man against all men. That he takes a sword and try to propagate with that, will do little for him. You must get your sword! On the whole, a thing will propagate itself as it can."

                               The theory of Islam and Sword for instance is not heard now frequently in any quarter worth the name. The principle of Islam that there is no compulsion in religion is well known. Gibbon, a historian of world repute says, "A pernicious tenet has been imputed to Mohammadans, the duty of extirpating all the religions by sword." This charge based on ignorance and bigotry, says the eminent historian, is refuted by Quran, by history of Musalman conquerors and by their public and legal toleration of Christian worship. The great success of Mohammad's life had been effected by sheer moral force, without a stroke of sword. 

Islam and Mohammed The Prophet----By Prof. K. S. Ramakrishna Rao, Head of the Department of Philosophy,Government College for Women, University of Mysore, Mandya-571401 (Karnataka).

Sword of the Intellect.

It is the sword of intellect. The sword that conquers the hearts and minds of people.

                   But I am an Indian, and I will quote an Indian critic (Famous Hindu Scholar) to counter criticism of Swamiji.

Swami Dayananda Saraswati Quotes: "A statement should be interpreted according to the connotation of the author meant. Most often Obstinate persons choose to interpret it against the intent of the author" (Satyarth Prakash,  Sarvdeshik Arya Prathinidhi Sabha, New Delhi, Pg.9).  

                        Here The Quranic verses are misinterpreted mistranslated! They are presented out of context, situation and background! If a person has any objection to a Quranic verse dealing with Jihad or battle against unbelievers, they should study it along with a few preceding and succeeding verses. If he does so the objection will cease to exist and it will be vividly clear. They are the commandments for wartime or to establish peace and justice on Earth.

OUT OF CONTEXT:

Some of the verses from which verses are quoted out of context;

                             "Fight against those who fight against you in the way of Allah, but do not Transgress, for Allah does not love Transgressors. Kill them wherever you confront them and drive them out from where they drove you out. (For though killing is sinful) wrongful persecution is even worse than killing. Do not fight against them near the Holy Mosque unless they fight against you; but if they fight against you kill them, for that is the reward of such unbelievers. Then if they desist, know well that Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Compassionate. Keep on fighting against them Until mischief ends and the way prescribed by Allah prevails. But if they desist, then know that hostility is only against the wrong-doers. The sacred month for the sacred month; sanctities should be respected alike (by all concerned). Thus, if someone has attacked you, attack him just as he attacked you, and fear Allah and remain conscious that Allah is with those who guard against violating the bounds set by Him" ---------------(Quran 2:190-194)

Instead of presenting the verses in totality, those who object to their content cite only extracts like;

"Kill them wherever you confront them"

"Keep on fighting against them"

Just to meet their mean objectives!

                      A Justice loving person would study these verses in their totality keeping in view the situation in which they were revealed, and would never draw erroneous conclusions that the objectors do.

                    If I say that,  the Vedas permit Killing of those who don’t follow the Vedas , and cite the following Shlokas as proofs,

    "Kill the opponents of Vedas".- (Atharva Veda: 20-93-1)

"(O King!) you reach everyone who tells the evil (tells against Vedas)  and kill Him"

                                                                                       --------- (Atharva Veda: 20-74-7)   

          

"O Indra ! Kill the sinful ass (a person who mocks Vedas)". (Atharva Veda: 20-74-5)

"Wage the religious war" (Gita: 2:32:34)

                                        And if I draw a conclusion on the basis of the literal meaning of these teachings of Hindu scriptures, without keeping in view their context and background, would my Hindu brethren, who object to the Holy Qur’an, consider it proper ?

                                   It is a fact that the Holy Quran commanded to fight the Unbelievers is not because they are Unbelievers, but because those Unbelievers Unleashed atrocities of sorts on Holy Prophet and his followers. The Atrocities committed by the Unbelievers then are;

1. They laid the Believers bare backed on live cinders and put large chunks of rock over them:

2. Dragged them undressed on the hot desert land.

3. Branded their bodies with Hot Iron bars.

4. Disgraced and scandalized their women.

5. Threw them under social and economic boycott, so much so that victims had to eat leaves and soaked leather.

6. The atrocities reached their climax when they hatched a plan to put an end to the lives of Prophet!

7. They compelled the prophet and his followers to leave their home and hearths.

8. They also repeatedly attacked them at the places where Muslims took refuge.

The Question is whether the Holy Quran should have enjoined its followers to shower flowers upon these diehard oppressors??

Right Way of Thinking!

Suppose you are a teacher and are punishing a child for some wrong. A stranger, who does not know your being a teacher and considers you a common man, is closely watching your act of punishing the child. He would surely take your act of punishing as something condemnable and mentions it to whomever he meets. But, if he comes to know that you are a teacher and it is in the capacity that you are punishing the child for wrong, then he would not consider your act condemnable, and would feel no need to mention it to anyone.

We come across countless incidents of this type. Some people are subjected to untold sufferings in Jail, some are hanged to Death, police personnel are seen torturing criminals, and armed military men can be seen shooting other human beings. As we know the position of these men and can comprehend the background of the incidents, we never take trouble to think why such a large number of people have been put behind the bars--this is atrocious! Why were such and such terrorists, rioters, murderers hanged to death?--this is utterly violent! Why do security guards gun down rioters and terrorists?--this is stark cruelty! Why do the army jawans shoot down the enemies at borders?--this is Horrific!

On all such occasions everyone says, and rightly so, that these apparently atrocious, horrific and violent acts are being done to achieve the greater good which we call justice, peace and prosperity and security.

This is what even the Bhagvad Gita says,

"for the protection of good, for the destruction of the wicked and for the establishment of Dharma". ----------(Gita 4:8)

Freedom of Religion:

Some of the Quranic Verses that disprove Swamiji’s allegations are;

"Let there be no compulsion in Religion; Truth stands out clear from error" -(Quran 2:256)

"Say: It is truth from the Lord of you all. Then whosoever will, let him believe, and whosoever will, let him disbelieve." (Quran 18:30)

"We showed him the way; whether he be grateful or ungrateful (rests on his will)." (Quran 76:3)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To know how Islam spread click links below:

http://us2.harunyahya.com/Detail/T/U30GZYZY64/productId/8445/HOW_DID_THE_ISLAM_BORN_IN_MECCA_SPREAD_ACROSS_THE_WORLD

http://www.harunyahya.com/rise03.php

Swami Vivekananda & Criticism of Islam-----A Response I

Swami Vivekananda & Criticism of Islam-----A Response I

Criticism No 1:

                                    Swami Vivekananda then speaks how these Tartars (now Mohammedans) had conquered other kingdoms:"The Tartars seized and occupied the throne of the Arabian Caliph, took possession of Jerusalem, the great Christian place of pilgrimage, and other places, would not allow pilgrims to visit the holy sepulcher, and killed many Christians. The heads of the Christian Churches grew mad with rage and roused their barbarian disciples throughout Europe who in turn inflamed the kings and their subjects alike. Hordes of European barbarians rushed towards Asia Minor to deliver Jerusalem from the hands of the infidels. 

                   A good portion of them cut one another's throats, others died or disease, while  the rest were killed by the Mohammedans. However, the blood was up of the wild barbarians, and no sooner had the Mohammedans killed them than they arrived in  fresh numbers - with that dogged obstinacy of a wild savage. They thought nothing even of plundering their own men, and making meals of Mohammedans when they found nothing better. It is well known that the English king Richard has a liking for Mohammedans flesh. (Works of Swami Vivekananda V:529-30)

Response:

                          My first & last question. Did Swami Vivekananda EXPERIENCE what he spoke, or he just copied it from the Western critics of Islam?  Without the knowledge of the background, it is inappropriate to make such statements.  (Espicially for a person who claims much).

The True History: 

CRUSADERS & TEMPLARS:

Barbarians Who Trampled Their Own Religion

          No matter how much many people may believe that the Crusades were a product of Christian faith, they were basically wars undertaken for material gain. In a period when Europe was experiencing great poverty and misery, the comfort and wealth of the East, especially of the Muslim Middle East, attracted Europeans. This motivation took on a religious appearance decorated with the symbols of Christianity but actually the idea of the Crusades was born out of a desire for worldly gain. This was the reason for the sudden change among Christians from their former pacifist policies in earlier periods of their history to a tendency towards military aggression.

The initiator of the Crusades was Pope Urban II. He summoned the Council of Clermont in 1095 in which the former Christian doctrine of pacifism was changed. A holy war was announced that was to wrest the holy lands from the hands of the Muslims. Afterwards, a huge army of Crusaders was formed composed both of professional soldiers and tens of thousands of ordinary people.

Crusaders were European Christians who undertook the expeditions at the end of the 11th century to recover the Holy Land (the area around Palestine) from the Muslims. They set out with a so-called religious goal, yet they laid waste each acre of land they entered with fear and violence. They subjected civilians to mass executions and plundered many villages and towns.

The reasons that the Crusaders gave for their killings were not actually very reasonable at all. The pilgrimage routes to Jerusalem which had been under Muslim control, had always been open to free passage, and people from all different religions had been living together in peace and tolerance. But this fact did not stop the Crusaders from slaughtering Muslims, Jews and even local Christians alike.

"The French knights wanted more land. Italian merchants hoped to expand trade in Middle Eastern ports... Large numbers of poor people joined the expeditions simply to escape the hardships of their normal lives."1 Along the way, this greedy mass killed many Muslims and even Jews just hoping to find gold and jewels. The crusaders even cut open the stomachs of those they had killed to find gold and precious stones that the victims may have swallowed before they died. Their conquest of Jerusalem, where Muslims, Jews and Christians lived under Islamic rule in peace, became the scene of immense bloodshed. They violently killed all Muslims and Jews by striking their necks. The Crusaders' barbarism was so excessive that, during the Fourth Crusade, they plundered Istanbul, also a Christian city, and stole the golden objects from the churches.

So, this band called Crusaders reached Jerusalem in 1099 after burning and looting many places and putting many Muslims to the sword. After a long siege of five weeks, the city fell and the Crusaders entered. As one historian put it, "They killed all the Saracens and the Turks they found... whether male of female.2 

No doubt, all this barbarism was utterly against Christian political doctrine. That is because, Christianity, in the words of the Bible, is a "message of love". In the Gospel according to Matthew, it is said that Jesus said "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" to his followers (Matthew, 5/44) In the Gospel according to Luke, it is said that Jesus said "If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also." (Luke, 6/29) No doubt, in no part of the Gospels, is there reference to the legitimacy of violence; murdering innocent people, on the other hand, is unimaginable. You can find the concept of "murdering the innocent" in the Bible; yet, only in the cruel Jewish King Herod's attempt to kill Jesus while he was a baby.    

    

                    One of the Crusaders, Raymund of Aguiles, wrote these words in praise of this savagery:

Wonderful sights were to be seen. Some of our men (and this was more merciful) cut off the heads of their enemies; others shot them with arrows, so that they fell from the towers; others tortured them longer by casting them into the flames. Piles of heads, hands and feet were to be seen in the streets of the city. It was necessary to pick one's way over the bodies of men and horses. But these were small matters compared to what happened at the Temple of Solomon, a place where religious services are normally chanted ... in the Temple and porch of Solomon, men rode in blood up to their knees and bridle reins.3 

According to the same historical source, the number of Muslims pitilessly slaughtered was 40,000.4 The crusaders made Jerusalem their capital and founded a Latin Kingdom stretching from the borders of Palestine to Antioch.

Both before and after the Crusaders' conquests, Orthodox Christians managed to live together with Muslims. According to Terry Johns, the BBC commentator, with the withdrawal of the Crusaders from Middle East, "civilized life started again and members of the three monotheistic faith returned to peaceful coexistence."1

The Templers were the ones mainly responsible for the crusaders' attacks against and murder of Muslims. For this reason, the great Islamic commander Saladin, who defeated the crusaders' army in 1187 in the Battle of Hattin and afterwards rescued Jerusalem, put the Templers to death for the murders they had committed even though he had pardoned a large number of Christians. Although they lost Jerusalem and suffered heavy losses, the Templers continued to exist. And despite the continual diminution of the Christian presence in Palestine, they increased their power in Europe and, first in France, and then on other countries, they became a state within a state.

           A Muslim must respect and protect the holy places where the People of the Book worship God, and protect them. For Muslims, these places are precious because in these places, people, whether Jews or Christians, remember God. In the Qur'an, the places of worship of the People of the Book, ie. Monasteries, churches and synagogues, are mentioned as places of worship protected by God. …if God had not driven some people back by means of others, monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques, where God's name is mentioned much, would have been pulled down and destroyed. God will certainly help those who help Him—God is All-Strong, Almighty. (Qur'an, 22:40)

As a manifestation of his loyalty to God's commands, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was most careful not to destroy the holy places of the People of the Book. Such destruction means, in the first place, opposing God's commands. This aside, it means preventing people who have faith in God worshipping Him. Indeed, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) promised the Christians, who were the other party to a peace agreement he made, that their churches would not be destroyed and that they would never be harmed. The tax (Jizya) agreements he made with Christians also guaranteed the safety of churches.

            

Swami Vivekananda’s sweet & short story seems to portray both Islam & Christianity in poor light. There is a plan & purpose hidden behind such statements. The true message of a religion or another system of belief can be at times exposed to distortion by its pseudo-adherents. The Crusaders, who constitute a dark episode of Christian history, set a good example of this.

While Christianity is a religion based on love that accommodates no violence, how did Christian Crusaders carry out the most violent acts of history? The major reason for this is that, Crusaders were mainly made up of ignorant people who could better be defined as "rabble". These masses, who knew almost nothing about their religion, who had never read or even seen the Bible once in their lifetime, and who were therefore completely unaware of the moral values of the Bible, were led into barbarism under the conditioning of Crusaders' slogans which presented this violence as "God's Will". Just as ignorant people may take a violence-ridden opinion to the point of insanity, so they may confuse violence with an opinion against violence (or to religion). The Islamic world also experienced such cases.

The Fact that went Un-noticed by Swami Vivekananda.

It is clear that the roots of Masonry stretch back to the Order of Templers and the Masons have adopted the philosophy of this order, which was established by the Crusaders. While considering the impact of Crusaders to our day, we need to remember this point and the far-reaching influences of Masonry on the world. The aims of Masonry are explained by one of the most well-known Turkish Freemasons Selami Isindag in his book Masonluktan Esinlenmeler (Masonic Inspirations):

        According to Freemasonry, it is necessary to rid people of a character inspired by metaphysical divine sources, and instead establish a character based on the love of man, which is free from relativity. In its basic ethical principles, Masonry considers the inclinations of man, his needs, satisfactions, the laws and order of social life, consciousness (conscience), freedom of speech and thought and finally, the entire plan of nature, and therefore aims to establish and develop values centered around man in all societies.11This is the final purpose of Masonry: to eradicate religion and to establish a humanist and godless world where the concept of "man" will be held sacred; where people will deny God Who created them, and take themselves as "idols".

Doesn’t the Crusaders’ philosophy sound synonymous with Vedanta of Swami Vivekananda ? “Oh no! If  only he had known it earlier”.

References:

1 World Book Encyclopedia, "Crusades", Contributor: Donald E. Queller, Ph.D., Prof. of History, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, World Book Inc., 1998

2 Geste Francorum, or the Deeds of the Franks and the Other Pilgrims to Jerusalem, translated by Rosalind Hill, London, 1962, p. 91

3 August C. Krey, The First Crusade: The Accounts of Eye-Witnesses and Participants, Princeton & London, 1921, p. 261

4 Ibid., p. 262

11 Dr. Selami Isindag, Sezerman Kardes IV, Masonluktan Esinlenmeler (Masonic Inspirations), Istanbul 1977, p. 62

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read a book on Templars and the Freemasons to know more about the philosophy of freemasons;

http://www.harunyahya.com/books/social/templars/templars_01.php

BASIC/ VERY FIRST ERRORS OF SWAMIJI

BASIC/ VERY FIRST ERRORS OF SWAMIJI

     ISLAM – comes from the root Arabic world ‘Salam’ or ‘Silm’ meaning ‘PEACE’.  Islam means “Submission to the will of Allah”. (Also Religion of Muslims).

        MUSLIM- is a person who submits his will to the Will of Allah. (Also Follower of Islam)

        ALLAH- A proper noun for God Almighty in the Semitic languages/ religions. Prophet Moses in Hebrew called Him ELOHA. Prophet Jesus in Aramaic called Him ALAHA. Prophet Muhammad in Arabic called Him ALLAH.

       MUHAMMAD-As a verse of the Qur'an reveals, "… Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and the Final Seal of the Prophets." (Surat al-Ahzab: 40), the Prophet Muhammad (saas) was sent to mankind as the last prophet.

Swami Vivekananda doesn’t know the meaning of either Islam or Muslims and uses the words Mohammedanism and Mohammedans instead?

                            There is no such thing as “Mohammedanism”, and no such thing as a “Mohammedan”. The name of the religion is Islam and its followers are Muslims. 

“Mohammedanism” implies religion found by Prophet Muhammad!  Was Islam found by Muhammad (PBUH) ? No !  Islam is on Earth since time immemorial, Prophet Adam, the first Man on earth was a Muslim, so is the last prophet, Muhammad.

Proof:

 

Say ye: “We believe in Allah,

And the revelation given to us,

And to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac,

Jacob, and the Tribes,

And that given to Moses and Jesus

And that given to (all)

Prophets from their lord:

We make no difference

Between one and another of them:

And we bow to Allah (in Islam).”

                                                    (Holy Qur’an 2:136)

                               In the view of Islam ALL Religion is ONE, for the Truth is One. IT WAS THE SAME RELIGION PREACHED BY ALL THE EARLIER PROPHETS. (Holy Qur’an 42:13). It was the Truth taught by all the Inspired Books.  

“Mohammedans”  implies “Worshipers of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), but no Muslim ever worships the Holy Prophet as God.

Proof:

 

Say: "I am only a human being like yourselves.

 It is revealed to me that your god is One God.

So let him who hopes to meet his Lord act rightly

and not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord."

                                                                                              (Surat al-Kahf: 110)

Did Swami Vivekananda take the words from the west?

YES!

Proof 1: “A pernicious tenet has been imputed to the Muhummedans …”

                                                                                                         --Edward Gibbon

Proof 2: “That his (Muhammad’s) reforms enhanced the status of women in   general is universally admitted”.

                                          ---(H.A.R. Gibb, Mohammedanism, London 1953, p.33)

How does one become a Muslim ?

According to Islam, Quran & Prophet Muhammad:

 Simply by saying with conviction, “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah,” one converts to Islam and becomes a Muslim. This saying means “There is no true god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”.

The Six Pillars of faith, a Muslim should believe in:

1.      Belief in Allah.

2.      Belief in Allah’s angels.

3.      Belief in Allah’s books.

4.      Belief in Allah’s messengers.

5.      Belief in the Last Day.

6.      Belief in qadar (Destiny).

The Pillars of Islam, a Muslim should follow:

 1. Saying that, there is no god who should be worshipped other than Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

2.  Performing obligatory salaah (or prayers),

3.  Giving obligatory Zakaah (or charity),

4.  Fasting for the month of Ramadhaan, and

5.  Going for Hajj (or pilgrimage) to the House (Ka’bah in Makkah) if you can.

According to Ramakrishna & Swami Vivekananda:

       Ramakrishna experienced Islam to Understand what a Mussalman is like.

To realize Islam what did he do ? He did not deliver lectures on communal harmony.  What he did was revolutionary.

1.       For several days Ramakrishna ‘renounced and forgot his own gods completely’.

2.       He did not worship them, he did not even think about them.

3.       He lived outside the temple precincts.

4.       He repeated the name Allah.

5.       He wore the robes of a Mussalman and,

6.       Was ready to eat the forbidden meat.

In 1866, Govinda Roy, a Hindu guru who practiced Sufism, initiated Ramakrishna into Islam. Ramakrishna said:      

  

I devoutly repeated the name of Allah, wore a cloth like the Arab Moslems, said their prayer five times daily, and felt disinclined even to see images of the Hindu gods and goddesses, much less worship them—for the Hindu way of thinking had disappeared altogether from my mind.

                                                [ Isherwood, Christopher. Ramakrishna and his Disciples. p. 124.  ]

Was  it  Islam or Sufism ?

Look at the conditions of the Sufis and you will find that except for a few pure souls, who themselves acted on the real and true principles of Islam and taught it to others too, all the rest have preached and taught a tasawuff (mysticism) which had already been adulterated with Aristotelian; Vedantic, Manichean and Zoroastrian philosophies and whose methods had been diluted by the ways of Yogis, hermits, stoics and epicureans that there was little relevance left to the pure belief and actions taught by Islam.  

Therefore this Adulterated Sufism is not Islam!

Ramakrishna’s experience of Muslim in the light of Islam!

Point no 1: For several days Ramakrishna ‘renounced and forgot his own gods completely’. He did not worship them, he did not even think about them.

Ans:  But Ramakrishna did not say “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah,” Which meant “There is no true god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”. Which is the “Article of faith” of Islam, and a necessity for a person to become a Muslim.

And this article of faith has to be said with conviction (which means ‘I mean what I speak’) . Just by renouncing his gods, not worshiping / thinking about them for a certain period of time, one never becomes a Muslim!

Point no 2: He lived outside the temple precincts. He repeated the name Allah.

Ans: He never tried to understand Allah, or comprehend the teachings of Prophet Muhammad. An Example of Swami Vivekananda with little modification will answer this Question. If I happened to go to a chemist, who is a great man and tell him that, I do not believe in chemistry because I am trying to become a chemist since many days, and did not find anything in it, He will ask me, when did you try? I say, I forgot my family, did not think about them for few months, I lived outside my house, and repeated “O Chemistry, O Chemistry” and did even eat the smelly Onions & Garlic! The Chemist laughs at me and says: ‘Oh that is not the way. Why did you not go to the lab and get all the Acids & Alkali and burn your hands from time to time? That alone would have thought you.’ Every science Has its own method of learning, and religion is to be learned the same way.(VI.14-15)  

Point no 3: He wore the robes of a Mussalman and, Was ready to eat the forbidden meat.

Ans: It is not at all a pre-requisite for a person who wants to become a Muslim / understand Islam to either wear robes (there is no such thing in Islam as ‘Muslim Robe’), or eat meat!

Islam permits Muslims to eat meat, but it is neither compulsory, nor a pre-requisite for a Muslim to have meat.

 “O ye who believe! Fulfill (all) obligations. Lawful unto you (for food) are all four-footed animals with the exceptions named”.      (Al-Quran 5:1)

 

Forbidden meat? Who forbade it?

‘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’.—(Manu Smrithi 5:30)

      ‘Eating meat is right for the sacrifice, this is traditionally known as a rule of    the gods’.

----(Manu Smrithi 5:31) 

        In Mahabharata (Anushashan Parva, Chapter 88)  narrates discussion between Dharmaraj Yudhishthira & Pitamaha about food one should offer to pitris (ancestors) during shradda (ceremony of dead) to keep them satisfied.

“Bhishma said, “Listen to me, O Yudhishthira …….

                 (List of Offerings)                     (Satisfaction of Ancestors in months)

Sesame seeds/ rice/ barely & mash                                   1

Fishes                                                                              2

Mutton                                                                             3

Hare                                                                                 4

Flesh of Goat                                                                    5

Bacon (meat of pig)                                                           6

Flesh of birds                                                                    7

Deer                                                                                  8

Ruru                                                                                  9

Meat of Guvaya                                                                 10

Meat of Buffalo                                                                  11

Beef                                                                                   12 (One Year)

Meat of Vadhrinasa (Large Bull)                                           12 Years

Flesh of Rhinoceros                                                            Inexhaustible

Meat of Read Goat                                                              Inexhaustible

                                    It is however interesting to note that, cow was slaughtered by the ancient Hindus to enjoy it's Beef, and as a sacrifice. Gandhi himself says, "I know there are scholars who tell us that cow-sacrifice is mentioned in the Vedas. I...read a sentence in our Sanskrit text-book to the effect that Brahmins of old (period) used to eat beef" (Hindu Dharma, (New Delhi: 1991), p.120.)

References to cow slaughter for sacrifices in Rig Vedas:

 Hymn CLXIX* (The Rig Veda, translated by Ralph H Griffith, (New York: 1992),p.647.

       Let us serve Agni with our hymns, Disposer, fed on ox and cow,Who bears the Soma on his back.

                                                                                                             Rig Veda (RV VIII. 43.11)

Rig Veda (RV.X.16.7) mentions ritual enveloping of the corpse with cow flesh before applying to the fire.

Slaughter of Bull (Brahmanas 1.15) Aiteriya Brahmana.

 Fat bull slaughter Brihadaranyaka Upanishada (VI.4.18)

Nowhere in the Hindu Scriptures is Meat Forbidden to Human Beings!

So What ? Ramakrishna did it, can any Muslim even dare to do this ?

Hindus & Christians follow some of the rituals & traditions which are totally opposite and contrary to the teachings of Hinduism & Christianity. Is there any point in following the practices which go against ones very own scriptures? If this is the way to Communal Harmony, then it is not only Absurd but also Impractical! Muslims consider The Holy Qur’an to be the last & Final revelation to the mankind, who can answer this question better than the creator Himself?

SAY: “O PEOPLE OF THE BOOK!

COME TO COMMON TERMS AS

BETWEEN US AND YOU:

THAT WE WORSHIP NONE BUT GOD;

THAT WE ASSOCIATE NO PARTNERS WITH HIM;

THAT WE ERECT NOT, FROM AMONG OURSELVES,

LORDS AND PATRONS OTHER THAN GOD.”

IF THEN THEY TURN BACK,

SAY: “BEAR WITNESS THAT WE (AT LEAST)

ARE MUSLIMS (BOWING TO GOD’S WILL)”

                                                                                          (Holy Qur’an 3:64)

         “PEOPLE OF THE BOOK”  is the respectful title given to the Jews, Christians and Hindus* in the Holy Qur’an. The Muslim is here commanded to invite—“O People of the Book!”—O Learned people! O People who claim to be the recipients of Divine Revelation, of a Holy Scripture; let us gather together onto a common platform—“that we worship none but God”,  because none but God is worthy of worship. 

Because He is our Lord and Cherisher, our Sustainer and Evolver, worthy of all praise, prayer and devotion.

            In the abstract the Jews, Christians and Hindus* would agree to all the three propositions contained in this Qur’anic verse. In practice they fail. Apart from doctrinal lapses from the unity of the One True God, there is the question of a consecrated priesthood, as if a mere human being—Cohen, or Pope, or Priest, or Brahman,-- could claim superiority apart from his learning and the purity of his life, or could stand between man and God in some special sense.   

ISLAM DOES NOT RECOGNISE PRIESTHOOD!

                    In the view of Islam ALL Religion is ONE, for the Truth is One. IT WAS THE SAME RELIGION PREACHED BY ALL THE EARLIER PROPHETS. (Holy Qur’an 42:13). It was the Truth taught by all the Inspired Books.  IF ANYONE WANTS A RELIGION OTHER THAN THAT, HE IS FALSE TO HIS OWN NATURE, AS HE IS FALSE TO GOD’S WILL AND PLAN.  Such a one cannot expect guidance, for he has deliberately renounced guidance.

{*àCan also be applied to.}

What did Ramakrishna do to Experience Christianity ?

                                           At the end of 1873 he started the practice of Christianity, when his devotee Shambu Charan Mallik read the Bible to him. Ramakrishna said that for several days he was filled with Christian thoughts and no longer thought of going to the Kali temple. One day when Ramakrishna saw the picture of Madonna and Child Jesus, he felt that the figures became alive and had a vision in which Jesus merged with his body. In his own room amongst other divine pictures was one of Christ, and he burnt incense before it morning and evening. There was also a picture showing Jesus Christ saving St.Peter from drowning in the water.

      Ramakrishna Mission Singapore (April 2007). "Lay Disciples of Ramakrishna". Nirvana (Ramakrishna Mission, Singapore).  http://www.ramakrishna.org.sg/Nirvana_Apr%202007.htm.   

It really wonders me how did Ramakrishna experience Christians?

Did he believe Bible to be the word of God ?

Did he have Bread & Holy Grail?

Did he believe Jesus was born miraculiously ?

Did he believe that Jesus Healed those born Blind & Leapors ?

Did he believe that Jesus gave life to the dead ?

Did he believe with conviction that Jesus Christ was god?

Did he pray for his sins in Church ?

To my wonder  this goes the same Islam way above! The facts mentioned by him does not qualify him to be called a Christian believer!

Imran Khan :-)