Baptism of Jesus Christ

Kamath

The more I think about it and more I am convinced that human attribute of seeking duality or mutiplicity in Divinity is absolutely a rational effort on part of man and not ingrained in him genetically; as I mentioned in my last few posts that whenever man sets upon finding the meaning of his life he asks ``Who Created Me?``. This sigularity in the nature of his quest thus is ingrained in his genes and not psychy. On the other hand the notions of dualtiy or multiplicity is a product of such reasoning ``If God is so compassionate, then how could he let my toddler son die. So I either He is not compassionate or there must be another one beside Him who lets the bad things happen to me.`` And this reasoning could go on uneding until we end up having millions of gods. And this has actually happened. This outcome thus logically and essentially is akin to the defacto ideal of having no god at all. So a man becomes a prisoner of rituals since he cannot make connection to each one of gods. It is physically and mentally impossible.

Since, Islam is the religion of nature i.e. nature of man. It has addressed this issue of human inquest. According to Allah the purpose of human existence is to pass the test that Divine wants us to take at every breath of our existence. (Every religion in the world has this concept of test in it in one form or the other). So in order to test us He taketh away from us the things or people whom we love dearly but He also giveth us even when we do not deserve any of His blessings; just to test us. Every time we make a choice in life He tests us whether we had our priorities and properieties right. Whether we had our commitments right and strong.

But since humanity has lived for so long with this ``rationalilty (of duality or multiplicity)`` that I mentioned above, that it has become a part of the psyche of a large part of humanity. In order to address this human urge i.e. to invent duality or multiplicity of Divinity, He tells us to try to understand Him through His attributes and since humans cannot help but name the things or phenomenon, these attributes have become Allah`s names. Here is what Allah has to say to address this human trait:

The Banishment, 59:24

He is Allah the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner; His are the most excellent names; whatever is in the heavens and the earth declares His glory; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.


Just in this verse alone Allah has used 5 of His attributes, i.e. the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner, the Mighty, and the Wise, to make the point.


I have listed these names or attributes of Allah below. Everyone of these attributes is inherent in human beings as well since He created us in His own image. For example a man can be compassionate (Rehman) at one instance and he could be a humiliator (Al-Muthil) of other people at the some other time. If man has these attributes inherent in him, then is it fair to say that God is so limited to have all these attributes at their best in Him in person at the same time?? Do we really need one god for compassion and another one as a preserver, and third one for wealth, and fourth one for victory in war and ....??


Here are the 99 most famous attributes of Allah; the list goes beyond 99, some of the attributes are not listed:

Allah
Allah, He who has the Godhood which is the power to create the entities.

Ar-Rahmaan
The Compassionate, The Beneficient, The One who has plenty of mercy for the believers and the blasphemers in this world and especially for the believers in the hereafter.

Ar-Raheem
The Merciful, The One who has plenty of mercy for the believers.

Al-Malik
The King, The Sovereign Lord, The One with the complete Dominion, the One Whose Dominion is clear from imperfection.

Al-Quddoos
The Holy, The One who is pure from any imperfection and clear from children and adversaries.

As-Salaam
The Source of Peace, The One who is free from every imperfection.

Al-Mu`min
Guardian of Faith, The One who witnessed for Himself that no one is God but Him. And He witnessed for His believers that they are truthful in their belief that no one is God but Him.

Al-Muhaimin
The Protector, The One who witnesses the saying and deeds of His creatures.

Al-^Azeez
The Mighty, The Strong, The Defeater who is not defeated.

Al-Jabbaar
The Compeller, The One that nothing happens in His Dominion except that which He willed.

Al-Mutakabbir
The Majestic, The One who is clear from the attributes of the creatures and from resembling them.

Al-Khaaliq
The Creator, The One who brings everything from non-existence to existence.

Al-Bari`
The Evolver, The Maker, The Creator who has the Power to turn the entities.

Al-Musawwir
The Fashioner, The One who forms His creatures in different pictures.

Al-Ghaffaar
The Great Forgiver, The Forgiver, The One who forgives the sins of His slaves time and time again.

Al-Qahhaar
The Subduer, The Dominant, The One who has the perfect Power and is not unable over anything.

Al-Wahhaab
The Bestower, The One who is Generous in giving plenty without any return. He is everything that benefits whether Halal or Haram.

Al-Razzaaq
The Sustainer, The Provider.

Al-Fattaah
The Opener, The Reliever, The Judge, The One who opens for His slaves the closed worldy and religious matters.

Al-^Aleem
The All-knowing, The Knowledgeable; The One nothing is absent from His knowledge.

Al-Qaabid
The Constricter, The Retainer, The Withholder, The One who constricts the sustenance by His wisdomand expands and widens it with His Generosity and Mercy.

Al-Baasit
The Expander, The Englarger, The One who constricts the sustenance by His wisdomand expands and widens it with His Generosity and Mercy.

Al-Khaafid
The Abaser, The One who lowers whoever He willed by His Destruction and raises whoever He willed by His Endowment.

Ar-Raafi^
The Exalter, The Elevator, The One who lowers whoever He willed by His Destruction and raises whoever He willed by His Endowment.

Al-Mu^iz
The Honorer, He gives esteem to whoever He willed, hence there is no one to degrade Him; And He degrades whoever He willed, hence there is no one to give Him esteem.

Al-Muthil
The Dishonorer, The Humiliator, He gives esteem to whoever He willed, hence there is no one to degrade Him; And He degrades whoever He willed, hence there is no one to give Him esteem.

As-Samee^
The All-Hearing, The Hearer, The One who Hears all things that are heard by His Eternal Hearing without an ear, instrument or organ.

Al-Baseer
The All-Seeing, The One who Sees all things that are seen by His Eternal Seeing without a pupil or any other instrument.

Al-Hakam
The Judge, He is the Ruler and His judgment is His Word.

Al-^Adl
The Just, The One who is entitled to do what He does.

Al-Lateef
The Subtle One, The Gracious, The One who is kind to His slaves and endows upon them.

Al-Khabeer
The Aware, The One who knows the truth of things.

Al-Haleem
The Forebearing, The Clement, The One who delays the punishment for those who deserve it and then He might forgive them.

Al-^Azeem
The Great One, The Mighty, The One deserving the attributes of Exaltment, Glory, Extolement,and Purity from all imperfection.

Al-Ghafoor
The All-Forgiving, The Forgiving, The One who forgives a lot.

Ash-Shakoor
The Grateful, The Appreciative, The One who gives a lot of reward for a little obedience.

Al-^Aliyy
The Most High, The Sublime, The One who is clear from the attributes of the creatures.

Al-Kabeer
The Most Great, The Great, The One who is greater than everything in status.

Al-Hafeez
The Preserver, The Protector, The One who protects whatever and whoever He willed to protect.

Al-Muqeet
The Maintainer, The Guardian, The Feeder, The Sustainer, The One who has the Power.

Al-Haseeb
The Reckoner, The One who gives the satisfaction.

Aj-Jaleel
The Sublime One, The Beneficent, The One who is attributed with greatness of Power and Glory of status.

Al-Kareem
The Generous One, The Bountiful, The Gracious, The One who is attributed with greatness of Power and Glory of status.

Ar-Raqeeb
The Watcher, The Watchful, The One that nothing is absent from Him. Hence it`s meaning is related to the attribute of Knowledge.

Al-Mujeeb
The Responsive, The Hearkener, The One who answers the one in need if he asks Him and rescues the yearner if he calls upon Him.

Al-Wasi^
The Vast, The All-Embracing, The Knowledgeable.

Al-Hakeem
The Wise, The Judge of Judges, The One who is correct in His doings.

Al-Wadood
The Loving, The One who loves His believing slaves and His believing slaves love Him. His love to His slaves is His Will to be merciful to them and praise them:Hence it`s meaning is related to the attributes of the Will and Kalam (His attribute with which He orders and forbids and spoke to Muhammad and Musa -peace be upon them- . It is not a sound nor a language nor a letter.).

Al-Majeed
The Most Glorious One, The Glorious, The One who is with perfect Power, High Status, Compassion, Generosity and Kindness.

Al-Ba^ith
The Reserrector, The Raiser (from death), The One who resurrects His slaves after death for reward and/or punishment.

Ash-Shaheed
The Witness, The One who nothing is absent from Him.

Al-Haqq
The Truth, The True, The One who truly exists.

Al-Wakeel
The Trustee, The One who gives the satisfaction and is relied upon.

Al-Qawiyy
The Most Strong, The Strong, The One with the complete Power.

Al-Mateen
The Firm One, The One with extreme Power which is un-interrupted and He does not get tired.

Al-Waliyy
The Protecting Friend, The Supporter.

Al-Hameed
The Praiseworthy, The praised One who deserves to be praised.

Al-Muhsee
The Counter, The Reckoner, The One who the count of things are known to him.

Al-Mubdi`
The Originator, The One who started the human being. That is, He created him.

Al-Mu^eed
The Reproducer, The One who brings back the creatures after death.

Al-Muhyi
The Restorer, The Giver of Life, The One who took out a living human from semen that does not have a soul. He gives life by giving the souls back to the worn out bodies on the resurrection day and He makes the hearts alive by the light of knowledge.

Al-Mumeet
The Creator of Death, The Destroyer, The One who renders the living dead.

Al-Hayy
The Alive, The One attributed with a life that is unlike our life and is not that of a combination of soul, flesh or blood.

Al-Qayyoom
The Self-Subsisting, The One who remains and does not end.

Al-Waajid
The Perceiver, The Finder, The Rich who is never poor. Al-Wajd is Richness.

Al-Waahid
The Unique, The One, The One without a partner.

Al-Ahad
The One.

As-Samad
The Eternal, The Independent, The Master who is relied upon in matters and reverted to in ones needs.

Al-Qaadir
The Able, The Capable, The One attributed with Power.

Al-Muqtadir
The Powerful, The Dominant, The One with the perfect Power that nothing is withheld from Him.

Al-Muqaddim
The Expediter, The Promoter, The One who puts things in their right places. He makes ahead what He wills and delays what He wills.

Al-Mu`akh-khir
The Delayer, the Retarder, The One who puts things in their right places. He makes ahead what He wills and delays what He wills.

Al-`Awwal
The First, The One whose Existence is without a beginning.

Al-`Akhir
The Last, The One whose Existence is without an end.

Az-Zaahir
The Manifest, The One that nothing is above Him and nothing is underneath Him, hence He exists without a place. He, The Exalted, His Existence is obvious by proofs and He is clear from the delusions of attributes of bodies.

Al-Baatin
The Hidden, The One that nothing is above Him and nothing is underneath Him, hence He exists without a place. He, The Exalted, His Existence is obvious by proofs and He is clear from the delusions of attributes of bodies.

Al-Walee
The Governor, The One who owns things and manages them.

Al-Muta^ali
The Most Exalted, The High Exalted, The One who is clear from the attributes of the creation.

Al-Barr
The Source of All Goodness, The Righteous, The One who is kind to His creatures, who covered them with His sustenance and specified whoever He willed among them by His support, protection, and special mercy.

At-Tawwaab
The Acceptor of Repentance, The Relenting, The One who grants repentance to whoever He willed among His creatures and accepts his repentance.

Al-Muntaqim
The Avenger, The One who victoriously prevails over His enemies and punishes them for their sins. It may mean the One who destroys them.

Al-^Afuww
The Pardoner, The Forgiver, The One with wide forgiveness.

Ar-Ra`uf
The Compassionate, The One with extreme Mercy. The Mercy of Allah is His will to endow upon whoever He willed among His creatures.

Malik Al-Mulk
The Eternal Owner of Sovereignty, The One who controls the Dominion and gives dominion to whoever He willed.

Thul-Jalali wal-Ikram
The Lord of Majesty and Bounty, The One who deserves to be Exalted and not denied.

Al-Muqsit
The Equitable, The One who is Just in His judgment.

Aj-Jaami^
The Gatherer, The One who gathers the creatures on a day that there is no doubt about, that is the Day of Judgment.

Al-Ghaniyy
The Self-Sufficient, The One who does not need the creation.

Al-Mughni
The Enricher, The One who satisfies the necessities of the creatures.

Al-Maani^
The Preventer, The Withholder.

Ad-Daarr
The Distresser, The One who makes harm reach to whoever He willed and benefit to whoever He willed.

An-Nafi^
The Propitious, The One who makes harm reach to whoever He willed and benefit to whoever He willed.

An-Noor
The Light, The One who guides.

Al-Haadi
The Guide, The One whom with His Guidance His belivers were guided, and with His Guidance the living beings have been guided to what is beneficial for them and protected from what is harmful to them.

Al-Badi^
The Incomparable, The One who created the creation and formed it without any preceding example.

Al-Baaqi
The Everlasting, The One that the state of non-existence is impossible for Him.

Al-Waarith
The Supreme Inheritor, The Heir, The One whose Existence remains.

Ar-Rasheed
The Guide to the Right Path, The One who guides.

As-Saboor
The Patient, The One who does not quickly punish the sinners.

Re: # 32
Unstuly:
Don`t worry. All theistic Faiths have discussed about God and this question long before Islam was born and so there is nothing new to be discovered.

As a matter of fact God was described not in discrete terms but what He is not.
Hindu philosophers explained to the devout in the logical and mystical philosophy. They is used the idea,``Neti, Neti``. It is available to all in great philosophical works known as Upanishads some 3000 yrs ago. Christian mystic Meister Ecck Echhardt used similar methodology ``Nescio, Nesico`` etc. It would take too much time to discuss that here.

The point I am making here is this. Never start with the belief that the path to God is the monopoly of any one or any faith. It was there all the time. like a path overgrown in the jungle. All one has to do clear it and seek it. Human has to practise and not boast about these things.

In the absence of such tolerant mindset, what we will get is bigotry and intolerance.

Good bye
Kamath

Dear Unstruly:

Once an eminent Indian philosopher of the last century quoted in his book -1926- . a Sufi utterance in the translation of Prof. Browne of Cambridge:

Beaker or flagon, or bowl or jar
Clumsy or slender, coarse or fine;
However the potter make or mar,
All were to made to contain the wine;
Should we seek this one or that one shun,
When the wine which gives them their worth is one?

Now here is another uttering that was born thousands of miles away from Prophet Muhammad`s place. This came from South India. read this:

Into the bosom of one great sea
Flow streams that came from hills from every side`
Their names are various as their springs,
And thus in every land do men bow down
To one great God, though known by many names.

Now what silly claim is then when people claim that ,This is the straight path and the only path etc?

Kamath

#26

``Let politics be politics ,let religion be religion. No politics of/in religion``



well all i can say is that for non-muslims...reglion is a past-time....even entertainment!....sum make it a business too...or to get attention!

but for muslims..RELIGION (Islam) is a WAY OF LIFE!

Re: # 28
``...RELIGION (Islam) is a WAY OF LIFE!..`` is an insipid cliche used by many Muslims to rationalize a certain way of thinking. But let us not make fun of great many spiritual dimensions of Islam which has given direction, solace and consolation to good Muslims.
Kamath

#26

``Let politics be politics ,let religion be religion. No politics of/in religion``



well all i can say is that for non-muslims...reglion is a past-time....even entertainment!....sum make it a business too...or to get attention!

but for muslims..RELIGION (Islam) is a WAY OF LIFE!

$24 KAMATH

``Persons like you have stopped stopped thinking and closed all the windows to the external world. That is a tragedy.``

I would not like to put the things that harshly but yes, Muslims need to shed their stereotype thinking and need to have a fresh look at their religion.

It would be much better that they keep their religion to themselves and not extend it to other religions, because that way it would go out of control. They will not be able to gain anything and will lose whatever they have.

In other and simple words, they badly need to seperate politics out of their religion. Let politics be politics ,let religion be religion. No politics of/in religion.

Regards.

#19 URSTRULY

1. You are welcome. But I dont have any intention ,any desire to reach upto Him. I beleive in Father-Child relationship with Him as I have already explained.
2. Rest, I agree with #20 KAMATH.

Regards.

Further to #22

Let me put what I wrote it in the simplest most terms. Suppose that on this planet, English were the only language spoken in every nook and crany and there was not even a concept of other `languages`. Then the name for the religion Islam would have been `Monotheism` lterally and adherent of this religion i.e. Muslims would have been called Monotheists. That is exactly what the Arabic terms `Islam` and `Muslims` translate into.

During and after the first crusades when Western world took interest in Islam and compared it to their own faiths they were taken aback. If you look at Judaism, the very name of it represents a racial fraternity rather than an ideology or a religion. Similarly, the word ``christian`` also represents a group i.e. the adherents of Christ - a person rather than an ideology or a religion. But in case of Islam i.e. Monotheism, the very name of it represents an ideology and the people who subscribe to this ideology are adherents to no one but One God. This was an eye opener for the Westerners but rather than accepting the inherent truth in the words like Islam or Muslims, they contenmptuously coined the terms Mohammadism and Mohammadens and hoped that one day like them Muslims would stop calling themselves Monotheists and just like them would become a fraternity of a personality or a cult of some sort.

Injun


`` 2. As far as Allah is considered, not only me, anybody who has slightest knowledge of world religions will agree that Allah, in Arabic, is that something which is called Bhagwan in Sanskrit and God in English. So, as I have said already, there is no dispute as far as Allah is concerned. ``

I feel that my work is done and yours has just begun. You helped yourself in chosing the right destination, now you have to figure out the right path-a path that is shortest, straightest, and easiest. There is a saying that says ``If you don`t know where you are going, you will probably never get there``. Don`t mind me taking liberty to amend this saying a little bit, ``If you know where you have to go but don`t want to go there, you will probably never get there.``

Re: # 20
Interesting, very interesting indeed, Unstruly!

Have you ever read few good books written by reputable historians on the history of humanity, which give us also great deal of information on various world religions?

Islam is one of the many. There were born many great religions in human history.- some far more ancient than Islam , yet still living faiths for many even to day. They provide all the ethical and moral guidance to their followers. You may like to know that different religions arose with their own special flavors. They were separated by time, great oceans, formidable geographical barriers such as mountains and deserts and hostile environments before they could intermingle. There was always some cross-fertilization of ideas. Therefore each had their forms, and mythologies.

For instance, Islam was not born out of the sky even though devout Muslims like to think that way. Quran is the work written and dictated by Muhammad. Islam places tremendous emphasis on monotheism and gathered within itself not only some of the central beliefs of Judaism and Christianity, but also some aspects of early tribal religions of Arabian desert and Zoroastrianism It is much than its component parts.

According to a well-known philosopher of religions Prof. Damien Keown at Oxford University, all religions have seven dimensions. They are

1.Practical and Ritual
2.Experimental and Emotional
3.Narrative and Mythic
4.Doctrinal and Philosophical
5. Ethical and legal
6.Social and Institutional
7.Matrieal

We need not go into these because it would take much more time and space to explain these things.

If you dwell a bit more on these topics , won’t you agree with me that it is time to give up the idea of describing Islam in absolutist terms? -Don’t you think that these statements,” .. All the aspects of human nature have thus been addressed and revealed to human beings. This makes Islam the first and last religion of this planet….” Is it not bit childish and ignorant?

Kamath

Re: # 21

I do not disagree with you on anything. Basically, you, Injun, and me are talking about the same thing but there are two words that are creating confusion in your mind regarding my point of view. These two words are ``Islam`` and ``Muslim``. The underlying premis of your argument is that ``Islam`` is a religion revealed to (or created by Mohammad (pbuh, if it makes you happy) and ``Muslims`` are those people who subscribe to this faith or religion. Whereas my point is that Islam is not a religion that was revealed upon Mohammad (pbuh) and Qura`n attests to my assertion as I have quoted several verses below to provide evidence. Qura`n says that Islam is nothing but belief in One God; even the word `Islam` literally means `submission to one God`, and word `Muslim`, which is an Arabic word, lieterally means, `one who submitts to One God``. So in Qura`n, Allah has emphasized at more than one place that the adjectives like `Christians`, `Jews`, or `Sabians` are meaningless. The only thing that has a meaning is the belief in One God. If you take this point, then adjectives like Islam and Muslim also become meaningless; but since it is inevitable human nature and compulsion that he has to name the name of a thing, person, or phenomenon, therefore we have a proper noun (in Arabic) to describe the phenomenon of submission to One God, and that proper noun is `Islam`. Similarly, the proper noun to name the person who submitts to One God is `Muslim`; just as a person who sews shoes is called `cobbler`.

The second point is about the Islam (as described above) being the first and final religion Lets put the religion aside for a minute. It is a fact of nature that every human being who has not subscribed to any religion when ponders the reason for his existence. He asks this question ``Who created me``. The very structure of the sentence is singualr in nature. Every child asks this question from their parents. In other words this quest is ingrained in our gentic code and it is not a learned behaviour. The question of multitude of gods or absence of any diety is a rationlized effort on part of human beings. Atheists, as a matter of fact, take great pride in their `rational` endeavor. So, if we understand this point, we can safely say that every child asks this question because it is in his nature. Extending this logic, my point is that the first human being who developed consciousness to a level where he could conceive the question `Who created me` and then figured out all by himself or thru a revelation that `One God` created him, was a Muslim. Holy prophet (pbuh) explaind this point in one of his hadith ``Every child is born a Muslim by nature; its is his parents who then make him a jew or christian.``

Re: # 22 and 23#
Didn`t you say in one of your earlier comments that ``..... This makes Islam the first and last religion of this planet.....`` etc. etc. ? I gave you some elementary info believing you would see the reason and logic in studying a bit about human history to acknowledge the contributions of all great Faiths of humanity..

What a waste of time my trying to have a sensible exchange of ideas!

I think overwhelming majority of Muslims have simply closed their mind and have abandoned itjihad many centuries ago. That is why, Islamiat which once upon a time, was dynamic and absorbed ideas from other cultures in every walk of life has now become arthritic and a dilapidated. Persons like you have stopped stopped thinking and closed all the windows to the external world. That is a tragedy.

Kamath

Re: # 24

I did not mean to upset you, though I do not know what was that that did so. Anyway, I just had to deliver the message, which I did. Choice is only and only yours. I am forbidden to go any further than that, unless it is a querry.

Injun

To each his own. There is no compulsion in our religion.

#18 URSTRULY

1. My copy of Koran which has been published in Saudi Arabia translates ``Lalilah.....`` as ``Noone has right to be worshipped but Allah and Mohammed is the messenger of Allah``. Since SA is considered to be the seat of Islam, I will go by this translation only.

2. As far as Allah is considered, not only me, anybody who has slightest knowledge of world religions will agree that Allah, in Arabic, is that something which is called Bhagwan in Sanskrit and God in English. So, as I have said already, there is no dispute as far as Allah is concerned.

3. You say ``there are basically two aspects to the human quest to find the purpose of his existence - First he must know what his destination is and second what path or paths leads him to that destination. ``

I would say, not necessarily or not at all. A Christian or for that matter a Hindu does not want a tred a path which leads him to God. A Christian beleives that he is a born sinner and God will take away all his sins. A Hindu beleives that as & when he is in trouble, or in difficulty or a calamity has struck has struck him, God will come and show him the light and the way. So as far as a christian is concerned, to which Hindus also agree, that God for us is our Father and we are His children. We are bound to commit sin, bound to commit mistakes, bound to do ill-things but our Father i.e. God will always be there to help us and get us out of the trouble no matter that the cause of these troubles are we. This is the kind of faith that of Father & Child exists between we humans & God, which is our belief.

Now if you say and Islam does say that Prophet Mohammed was the last messenger of God. If we believe this, then you will agree that our entire faith on God is shatterred. Because, now He is nomore there to help us ,to guide us, to show us light.

4. It is this disconnect between Islam and other religions. So we non-muslims beleive that as & when some child of His is in trouble He shows the light to him. When Moses and his tribe were trouble ,he came and showed the path. When christians(those who ultimately followed Christ) were in trouble, He came in the form of Christ and showed them the light. So on & so forth for the followers of Rama, Krishna ,Buddha, Guru Nanak Dev etc.

5. Now if Muslims accept that the messages given to Prophet Mohammed were meant only for the Arabs of that time, there is no conflict because this would go in line with the thinking of other religions that the messages are Child-specific, though with universal content in them. But Muslims extrapolate their religion to cover all religions as well.

Mind it, Koran or the sayings of Prophet Mohammed do not reflect this--I feel it were later Muslims who interpreted-by default or design-like this. Koran never says that the messages are for all Mankind though it encourages all human to follow the messages but doesnot force it. Prophet Mohammed( as far as I understand) himself did not force anybody to embrace Islam.

6. And lastly let me comment on what you have said that Islam was the first and the last religion. Koran does not say so--I would say again that this is the interpretation of later Muslim Scholars. Islam is what has been said in Koran and Islam stands on the Five principles of Belief in Allah and Prophet Mohammed, Prayers, fasting, Zakat and Hajj. The message given to Moses by Allah was something but no Islam, message given by Christ may be something XYZ but not Islam, messages given by Rama and Krishna were something but not Islam. THough, may be all these messages were given by Allah. But Islam is what has been told to Prophet Mohammed by Allah.

Here, this is the fault of muslims who have monopolised Allah and branded Him. Their contention is since Allah is Islamic God, therefore the message given to Moses automatically becomes Islam or message given by Christ automatically becomes Islam since christ was a messenger of Allah and Allah is muslim God.

No Allah is universal God. He belongs to everybody. And even Allah does not say in Koran that Torah and Gospel were Islam. He names Torah and Gospel as such with the contention that they were also delivered by Him.

So I feel that Muslims have to correct this that first, Allah is not the monopoly or a branded product of Islam--He is universal and secondly, Islam is the message given to Prophet Mohammed only(and which has five distinct pillars) and not to others. This is what Koran says, as far as I understand.

Regards.

Injun

````Lailah illalah Mohammed ur rusul Allah`` i.e ``nobody has right to be worshipped other than Allah and Mohammed is his Messenger.``

The correct translation would be ``There is no God but Allah and Mohammad (pbuh) is his messenger``.


From your post I gather that you have no problem with the first part of this creed, but you have serious qualms about the second part. This issue should not have arisen at all had you understood the intent of my last postings.

Let me explain it in detail. The Kalima or the creed written above has two parts to it. One related to God and one to Mohammad (pbuh). If you recall our conversation below, I have elaborated that there are basically two aspects to the human quest to find the purpose of his existence - First he must know what his destination is and second what path or paths leads him to that destination. As far as the destination is concerned I showed you in my last posts that the only logical, common sense, and simplest goal of human thought process inevitably tells him that there is only One God. Once a human being is convinced of the absolute truth of this knowledge, the next inevitability is the question `how can I get closer to Him, what path will lead me to Him.` And I showed you in the Qura`nic words that it is not the path but destination is important. So in the creed `` Lailah illalah Mohammed ur rusul Allah`` not only destination but path to get to that destination has been shown to the mankind. Needless to say that Mohammad (pbuh) is the path.

But. But. But, I must stress here again that even Qura`n stipulates that path is not important. In addition to the verses that I have already quoted let me quote one more so that there remains no doubt why path is of lesser importance. I will quote the most quoted verse of Qura`n, which is The Heifer 2:256 ``There should be no compulsion in the religion`` .

Ironically, this verse is mostly quoted by those Muslims who have weak faith and when they do not feel like doing something, which was made incumbent upon them. But that is a discussion for some other time. Here it is extremely important to understand the context of this verse; since that is the only way to understand the issue that we are discussing. In order to do that i.e. to understand the context of this verse we should see what topic is Qura`n discussing while revealing this sentence. One verse before this `no compulsion`` verse goes something like below. By the way this verse that I am about to quote is considered the most exalted, most elaborative, and most concise verse ever revealed, which puts the essence of Islam in one sentence:

The Heifer: 2:255 Allah! is He besides Whom there is no god, the Ever-living, the Self-subsisting, by Whom all subsist; slumber does not overtake Him nor sleep; whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His; Who could intercede with Him, except in accordance with His will? He knows their past, and their future. No one attains any knowledge, except as He wills. His dominion encompasses the heavens and the earth, and ruling them never burdens Him. He is the Most High, the Great.

And then comes the most quoted ``no compulsion`` verse, whose complete text is as follows:

``2:256 Let there be no compulsion in religion: The right direction henceforth is (made) distinct from error. Anyone who denounces the devil and believes in GOD has grasped the strongest bond; one that never breaks. GOD is Hearer, Omniscient.

It is abundantly clear from the text that by right direction Qura`n is referring to the belief of One God as detailed in 2;255. Once the belief is revealed, it is immediately followed by order that, Let there be no compulsion to believe in this belief. Thus this belief is a choice. And every human being at least once in his lifetime comes across a point where he HAS to make this choice. Once that human being has made the choice to accept this belief in One God i.e. he has chosen his `destination`, he comes across this inevitable question :``what is the path that leads me to that destination?``. As Muslims it is our duty towards God that whenever we find a human being at this juncture in his life we tell him about the right choice `` Lailaha illalah (There is no God but Allah)`` and the shortest and the straightest path to get to Him is `` Mohammed ur rusul Allah (Mohammad (pbuh) is his messenger)``. That is all we have to do. Making the choice of right destination and choosing the right path to get there is that man`s own prerogative. Not even God`s Prophet (pbuh) was allowed to force or coerce people into making these choices and we are but merely his disciples.