আপনি মুসলিম/হিন্দু/ক্রিস্টান/বুদ্ধ আগে, নাকি বাংলাদেশী আগে?

অনেক বছর যাবৎ খেয়াল করছিলাম ফেসবুকে এবং ব্লগে বিভিন্ন ধরনের প্রয়োজনীয় বা অপ্রয়োজনীয় বিষয় নিয়ে সুযুক্তি-কুযুক্তিতে মানুষজন মেতে ওঠে। এর মধ্যে কিছু বিষয়গুলা এমন যে দুই দিকেই পাল্লা ভারী থাকে, কিন্তু এক পক্ষ অন্য পক্ষকে মানতে চায় না, কিংবা প্রশ্নগুলাই ভিত্তিহীন হয়। এমনই কিছু বিষয় হলো,

• আপনি মুসলিম/হিন্দু/ক্রিস্টান/বুদ্ধ আগে, নাকি বাংলাদেশী আগে?
• ডিম আগে, নাকি মুরগি আগে?
• দিন  আগে, নাকি রাত আগে?
• সৃষ্টিকর্তা আছে, নাকি নাই?
• ধর্মের প্রয়োজন আছে, নাকি নাই?
• ধর্মগ্রন্থগুলা কি সৃষ্টিকর্তার দেয়া, নাকি মানুষের লেখা?
• (আরো আছে, মনে পড়লে লিখবো) 

আমি আবার অফিসের কাজ ছাড়া অন্য বিষয়গুলা নিয়া সিরিয়াস কম থাকি। ছোট একটা জীবনে যদি সব সময় যদি সিরিয়াসই থাকি, তাহলে মজা করবো কখন আর হাসি-খুশি থাকবো কখন? সেদিন চট করে মাথায় এলো যে এরকম একটা বিষয় নিয়ে ফেসবুকে পোস্ট করি,

• দেখা যাক আমার ফেসবুকের বন্ধুরা কি উত্তর দেয় এবং আজকাল তাদের মত কি?
• দেখা যাক আমাদের এখন কোন দিকের পাল্লা ভারী?
• দেখা যাক কয়জন বুজতে পারে যে এসব বিষয়গুলা নিয়ে আলাপ করে কোনো লাভ নাই

তাই এক-দুই মিনিট ভেবেই পোস্ট করে দিলাম নিচের প্রশ্নটা,

"আপনি আগে মুসলিম/হিন্দু/ক্রিস্টান/বুদ্ধ, নাকি আগে বাংলাদেশী?"
এই প্রশ্নটা করলে আপনার উত্তর কি হবে বা হওয়া উচিত?

ধারণা করছিলাম যে, 

• কেউ কেউ থাকবে পক্ষে বা বিপক্ষে
• কেউ কেউ বেশি উগ্র জবাব দিবে পক্ষে বা বিপক্ষে
• কেউ কেউ নিজের যুক্তিটাই বড় করে দেখবে এবং অন্যের যুক্তি বুজবেই না বা মানতে চাইবে না
• কেউ কেউ বেশি ইমোসনাল হয়ে উল্টা-পাল্টা লিখবে

যেমনটা ফেসবুকে এবং ব্লগে হয় আর কি। আমার পোস্টেও এর বাতিক্রম হলো না। যা হোক.

ফেসবুকে সবার মতামত দেখলাম, কিন্তু আমার মতামত কি দেয়া হয় নাই. ঠিক করেছিলাম একেবারে পরে আমার মতামত দিব. আমার চিন্তাগুলা এমন,

• "আপনি আগে মুসলিম/হিন্দু/ক্রিস্টান/বুদ্ধ, নাকি আগে বাংলাদেশী?" - এই প্রশ্নতাই আসলে কুযুক্তিবাদীদের বা ঝগড়া লাগানোর জন্য তৈরী। আপনি শার্ট আগে পরবেন, নাকি পান্ট আগে পরবেন - এটা আপনার বাক্তিগত এবং অভ্যাসের বিষয়। এবং যেটাই আগে করেন সেটা আপনার বাক্তিগত পছন্দ 
• আমি বাংলাদেশী এটা যেমন আমার পরিচয়, তেমনি আমি মুসলিম এটাও আমার পরিচয়।এরমধ্যে আগে পরে বলে কোনো কথা নাই. আপনার বুজতে হবে একটা মানুষের একাধিক পরিচয় থাকতে পারে। যেমন আমি একজন কম্পিউটার ইঞ্জিনিয়ার, সফটওয়্যার ইঞ্জিনিয়ার, প্রজেক্ট ম্যানেজার। 
• আমি একজন বাঙ্গালি ও আমার জাতীয়তা বাংলাদেশী। কারণ আমি এই দেশে জন্মগ্রহণ করেছি। এই দেশে বড় হয়েছি, পড়াশুনা করেছি, উপার্জন করছি। তাই দেশকে সবসময় কিছু দেয়ার ইচ্ছা রাখি সবসময়।
• আমি একজন মুসলিম। কারণ আমার দৈনন্দিন দিনের চলাফেরা, ভালো-মন্দ, বেবহার, আচার-আচরণ, পোশাক-আশাক, খাওয়া-দাওয়া ইসলাম শিখিয়েছে। আর ২০০৯ এ আমি ইসলামকেই সবচেয়ে বিশ্বাসযোগ্য পেয়েছি এবং গ্রহণ করেছি। (আগেতো আব্বু-আম্মু মুসলিম বলে, আমি মুসলিম ছিলাম). 
• "আমি বাঙ্গালি ও বাংলাদেশী" আগে লিখেছি এবং "আমি একজন মুসলিম" পরে লিখেছি। এ নিয়েও কেউ কেউ তর্ক-বিতর্ক শুরু করে দিতে পারে। কিন্তু বুজতে হবে - কোনো না কোনটা তো আগে লিখতেই হবে। এ নিয়ে রাজনীতি(তর্ক-বিতর্ক,ঝগড়া) করার কিছু নাই।

আমার ফেসবুকের বন্ধুদের মতামতের পর আমার ধারণাগুলো,

• যারা ধর্ম কম মানে বা মানে না, তারা ধর্ম থেকে দেশের গুরুত্ব দিয়ে থাকে। 
• যারা ধর্ম মেনে চলার চেষ্টা করে, তারা ধর্মকেই একটু গুরত্ব দিয়ে থাকেন। কিন্তু তার মানে এই নয় যে তার কাছে দেশের আগে ধর্ম। 
• যারা ইসলাম ধর্ম মেনে চলার চেষ্টা করে, তারা আরেকটি কারণে ধর্মকেই একটু বেশী গুরত্ব দিয়ে থাকেন। তাদের চিন্তা - "যে আল্লাহ(সৃষ্টিকর্তা) আমাদের সৃষ্টি করেছেন, যে এই বিশ্ব সৃষ্টি করেছেন, তার প্রণীত ধর্মের এবং তার ইবাদতের উপর তো গুরুত্ব বেশি দিতেই হয়. মরার পর তো আলাহর কাছেই যেতে হবে. তখনতো দেশ তাকে বাচাবে না।" কিন্তু তার মানে এই নয় যে তার কাছে দেশের কোনো গুরুত্ব নাই। 
• আবার যারা মনে মনে চিন্তা করে - "যদি সত্যিই মরার পড় দেখি যে ঘটনাতো সত্যি - জান্নাত-জাহান্নাম তো আছে. তো তখন আমার কি হবে. তাই ধর্মের ক্ষতি নাই এমন  জিনিসগুলা পালন করলে তো সমস্যা নাই". তারাও ধর্মকেই একটু গুরত্ব দিয়ে থাকেন।
• আমি যা বলব তাই ঠিক, এমনটা ভাবার কোনো কারণ নাই। অন্যের কথা শোনা উচিত,গুরত্ব দেয়া উচিত এবং তার দৃষ্টিভঙ্গি বোঝা উচিত।
• আমরা সবাই সবসময় জিততে চাই তা ভুল বা ঠিক দিয়ে হোক তা কেন? এটা ঠিক নয়।
• আমাকে সব কথার জবাব দিতে হবে এমন কোনো কথা নেই যদি এতে আমার ক্ষতি না হয়।যদি বুজতে পারি যে অপরপক্ষ কোনো মতেই বুজবে না। তাহলে অযথা কথা বাড়িয়ে লাভ নাই।
• বিতর্ক ভালো জিনিস, কিন্তু উগ্রতা ভালো নাহ।
• একই বাক্য সুন্দর করে বা বাজে ভাবে লেখা যাই। আমাদের সুন্দর করে লেখা উচিত যেন কঠিনগুলাও যেন হজম করতে সুবিধা হয়।
• .....

আমার ফেসবুকের বন্ধুদের মতামতের মধ্যে যুক্তিসংগত পোস্টগুলা তুলে ধরলাম যদিও অনেক পোস্টগুলা নিদ্রিষ্ট বিষয়ের বাইরে,

• অবশ্যই আমি মুসলিম, ধর্ম আর দেশ দুইটা দুই জিনিস
• উত্স:বাংলাদেশি, প্রকৃতি:মুসলিম, অবয়ব: প্রভাবিত(বাংলাদেশি), সুসংবদ্ধ:(মুসলিম), প্রভাব: সুনির্দিস্ট (বাংলাদেশি),সার্বজনীন (মুসলিম). বাঙ্গালি মুসলিম সঠিক,কিন্তু মুসলিম বাঙ্গালি নয়. (কারণ ব্যক্তিসত্ত্বা কে প্রভাবিত করে জ্ঞানলব্ধ গুণ)
• I don't want to hit somebody. Muslim is our first introduction and being a Bangladeshi is also Allah's swt decision.I don't know everything, but the more i know I want to keep it up. I think you want to find out some contradiction, there is no way. Patriotism is also a part of our religion beyond other thing.
• আমার প্রশ্ন তারো আগে, আমি বাংগালি, পাহাড়ি, নাকি বাংলাদেশী।
• আমার মাঝে আঞ্চলিকতা বেশ কম। শুধু বাংলাদেশি বলেই আমি একজন কে বাঁচাতে যাবো না। যদি এমন হয় বাংলাদেশি মানুষটাকে আমি চিনিই না কিন্তু আমেরিকান জন গত দশ বছর ধরে আমার বন্ধু, আমি আমেরিকানকেই বাঁচাবো। কিন্তু যদি দুইজনই অপরিচিত হয় তাইলে বাংলাদেশির চান্স বেশি!! কারন সে সাহায্য চাইবে বাংলাতে! আমি মনে করি মানুষের সাথে সম্পর্ক হবার জন্য ভাষা খুব গুরুত্বপূর্ণ।
• Muslim. And I believe in terms of identity, ideology should come first.
• আমাদের দেশের অধিকাংশ সিলেটের লোকেরা কিন্তু বিদেশে গিয়া বলেনা আমার বাড়ি বাংলাদেশ, ওরা বলে সিলেট, এখন ব্যাপার হলো দেশ একট সিমান্র মধ্যে আবধ্য, কিন্তু ধর্মের কিন্তু কোন সিমা নাই, একটা ঘটনা বলি, আমেরিকার এয়ারপোর্টে ইমিগ্রেন্ট অফিসার এক লোকের নামের আগে মোহাম্মদ আর পাসপোর্টে দেশের জাগায় বাংলাদেশ দেখে জানতে চায় তুমি মুস্লিম, লোক্টা মাথা নাড়ে, এইবার জান্তে চায় বাংলাদেশ সেটা কোথায়? উনি বলেন বাংলাদেশের পাসে ইন্ডিয়া, অফিসার বলে ও আচ্ছা ইন্ডিয়ার পাসে বাংলাদেশ। ভদ্রলোক মাথা নেড়ে বলে না বাংলাদেশের পাসে ইন্ডিয়া, এখানে আস্ফাকের প্রশ্নটা আসতে পারে কোনটা আগে ভারত না বাংলাদেশ, গল্পের মুল প্রতিপাদ্য হইলো ধর্ম মানুষের কর্মে বর্নে আর নামে ঢুকে গেছে। সুতারাং ধর্ম মানুষের বিসাল একটা সংযোগের জায়গা। এই কিছু মানুষই গোত্রে বিভক্ত, এই গোত্র আদিম কাল থেকে বিদ্য মান আছে থাকবে, থাকা দরকারও, আমি বলব জয় গোত্রের জয়।
• আমার মন্তব্য কেন প্রয়োজন বুঝলাম না, একেই এই সব প্রশ্ন করা হলে তার জবাব দিতে আমার আগ্রহ থাকে না, দ্বিতীয়ত,প্রশ্নের দ্বিতীয় অংশ আবার উত্তর কী হওয়া উচিৎ- অর্থাৎ, নৈতিকতার বিষয়। নৈতিকতা এক চিরপরিবর্তনশীল ধারণা।ব্যক্তিতে, রাষ্ট্রে, সময়ে এই ধারণা বদলে যায়। যাক, এসেছি যখন বলেই যাই, জাতিতে আমি বাঙালি। রাষ্ট্র বা ধর্ম বদলে ফেললেও এই পরিচয় ধ্বংস করা যাবে না। আর কোনো পরিচয়-ই আমি জন্মসূত্রে বহন করি না,বরং পৃথিবীতে আসার পরে রাষ্ট্রীয় আর ধর্মীয় পরিচয় আমাকে তুলে দেয়া হয়েছে। বিদায়..............
• When you'll go abroad everyone will ask you where are you from, not your religion. When you are born, you born here as a Bangladeshi. You born in a Muslim family doesn't make you a Muslim. You nature, food habit depends on the region you are from. Not all Arabians are Muslim and not all american/Europeans are christian. Region defines our behavior and who we are not religion. Religion is someone's personal belief.
• যেমন ধর আমাদের সমাজে ৯০% লোক জামা কাপর পরে ১% ও কম যারা পরেনা তোমার কাছে কোন্টা ঠিক জামা কাপর পরা না পরাটা, উত্তর যদি হয় পরা তাহলে তুমি মেজরিটির কথা মেনে নিলে, আমাদের সমাজে মেজরিটি কিন্তু ধর্ম নিয়ে আগে ভাবে তার পর দেশ নিয়ে। তবে হ্যা বিশ্ব পরিচিত হবার জন্য জাতী কে গুরুত্ব দেয়া হয়, এটা সেষ্টেম, তার মানে এই নয় যে মানুষ ধর্মের আগে দেশ ভাবে, তাহলে আমার দেশের উপার্জনের টাকায় কেউ ভারতে বাড়ি কিনতো না, বা পাকিস্তানের বদলে দুবাইকে অল্টারনেট ভেবে ফ্লাট কিনত না।
• গোয়ারের মতন আমার যতটুকু ভালো লাগে সেটাই বিশ্বাস করা দলকানা স্বভাবের অংশ।
• তেমনি মাথা ব্যাথা নেই কে আগে বাংগালী বা আগে মুস্লিম এটা নিয়াও, যে যেটা মেনে নিয়ে আরামে থাকে সেটাই ভালো। তবে কোন ব্যাপারেই উগ্রতা ভালোনা, উগ্র দেশ প্রেমিক ও দেশের জন্য খারাপ। একজন মুক্তমনা হইতে গেলে বিরধি পক্ষএর মতামতো সমান গুরুত্ব নিয়া দেখার চেষ্টা করা উচিত। কেউ দারি রাখলে যে সে রাজারের দোশর হয়ে গেছে, ভাবাটা যেমন ভুল, তেমনি কারো মোচ থাকলে রাবন ভাবাটা আর এক বোকামি। তুমি সাইকোলজি জানা চেষ্টা করছ দেখে ভালো লেগেছে।
• রাজাকার ধষক এর মানসিকতা আমি বোঝতে চাই না । যেসব পরিবার তাদের আদর পেয়েছে তারা বোঝে।
• তোমাদের এই মানুষিকতাই দায়ী আজকের এই প্রশ্ন আসার জন্য। তোমরা যুক্তি না বুঝে একতরফা ঝাপিয়ে পরো,
• তুমি আমার যুক্তি কে আমার বিশ্বাস বানাতে পারোনা, যেটা তুমি ব্যাক্তি আক্রমন করে করলে
• These are totally two different questions. Don't try to mixed these up. I am bangali and I am muslim. another one may be bangali and Hindu.

[তাড়াতাড়ি লিখেছি, তাই কিছু সংযোজন বা ভুল শব্দের পরিবর্তন করতে পারি। এ নিয়ে রাজনীতি করার কিছু নাই।]

Hinduism and Islam by Jayaram V

Islam originated in the desert sands of Arabia as a reaction against prevailing native traditions based on the revelations received by Prophet Muhammad. Hinduism originated in the temperate climate of the Indian subcontinent as a result of the synthesis of different indigenous and foreign traditions and in continuation of the prehistoric religious beliefs of lost civilizations. Although founded by a prophet, in Islam we find echoes of ancient Judo Christian beliefs, with some deviations that are unsettling for both. If in Islam we find the vibrancy of a young and recent religion that is intent upon conquering the world in its zeal to embrace the humanity, in Hinduism we find the patience and tolerance of an ancient tradition, which is willing to let the world takes its own time to appreciate its wisdom and understand its universal appeal.

Definition and Antiquity
The word "Islam" is derived from the Arabic root word "salaama,"1 meaning peace, obedience, purity, and submission. Islam means abiding peace and unconditional obedience to the will of God and His divine law. While other religions derive their names from either a tribe (Judaism), or a geographical area (Hinduism), or a founder (Zoroastrianism, Buddhism and Christianity), Islam derives its name from its central doctrine of peace and submission to God. Thus the chief message of Islam is hidden in its very name. While the followers of other religions may call themselves as Christians, Jains, Buddhists etc., the followers of Islam refer themselves as Muslims or Mussalmans, but never as "Muhammadans," which some non-Muslims however tend to call them erroneously.

Islam by all means is a religion founded by a prophet. Hinduism, in contrast, is a group of religious traditions, established over a period of time, through the revelations received by innumerable saints, seers, incarnations and emanations of God. It contains various traditions such as Saivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism that are religions by themselves. In Hinduism personalities do not count as much as the divine law or the dharma. So it is in Islam, where the message of Islam is far more important than the person of Muhammad himself. Muslims therefore do not worship their prophet, unlike the Christians.

The word "Hindu" or "Hindoo" is derived from the Sanskrit root word "Sindhu" and used by Persians, ancient Greeks and many foreigners to denote the people who lived beyond the river Indus, whom Alexander could not conquer. During the medieval period, Islamic scholars and Muslim travelers referred the Indian subcontinent as Hindustan or the land of the Hindus. The word stuck for several centuries and throughout the Islamic Caliphate. During the British rule, the word Hindu was used to distinguish the native Indians who were not Christians, nor Muslims, nor Sikhs, nor Jains, nor Buddhists. The word Hinduism was coined in the 1830s by British scholars to denote the religious traditions of the native Indians to distinguish them from other recognized religions. While they are now popular all over the world under the generic name Hinduism, for generations Hindus recognized their religious traditions as aspects of one eternal Truth that went by the name "sanatana dharma" or eternal law. It is interesting that for over 6000 years, Hinduism went by many names but Hinduism.

Sources of Doctrine
The message of Islam came to Muhammad for the first time through the angel Gabriel, when he was 40 years old, in the year 610 AD, on Mount Hira, near Jabal alNur, the Mountain of Light, in a cave, where he usually used meditate. He continued to receive the revelations for the rest of his life, which were compiled into the Qu'ran, the chief holy book of Islam. The word Qu'ran means something that is read or recited. For the Muslims, it is the inviolable and unchangeable law of God. Every word in it is believed to be the "actual and literal" word of God that cannot be interpreted other than what it is. Divided into 114 chapters (surahs), containing 6000 verses (ayats) and composed in beautiful poetic Arabic, it is recited in every household of the Islamic world and memorized by many by heart. The second most important text of Islam is Hadith, which contains the sayings and deeds of Muhammad, known popularly as Sunnah (the well trodden path). While the Qu'ran is indisputable, the statements of the Hadith often pose problems to the Muslim scholars with regard to their interpretation. Another important source of Islamic practice is Sharia, the Muslim law, which is derived from both the Qu'ran and the Hadith.

Hinduism considers the Vedas (knowledge) to be the revelations of God, which are inviolable and eternal, revealed to the mankind in every age for their welfare and spiritual liberation. It constitutes the very foundation of Dharma, or the Law of God, upon which rests the entire creation. The end part of the Vedas are the Upanishads, which constitute the philosophical base of Hinduism known as Vedanta and which contain the elements of monotheism and descriptions of God as the Supreme Lord of the universe. Perhaps if there is one scriptural source of Hinduism that sums up the vision of Islam concerning God and His glory, it is the Vedanta. Other important sources of Hinduism are the works explaining the six schools of Hinduism, the Vedangas or the limbs of the Vedas, the Puranas or the chronicles of ancient legends and history, the Bhagavadgita, the Agamas or the scriptures of Saivism, the Tantric texts, the epics like the Mahabharat and the Ramayana and the works and sayings of many seers, sages, masters and great souls such as Sri Shankaracharya, Sri Ramanujacharya, Sri Madhavacharya, Abhinvagupta, Lakulisa, Ashtavakra and so on. The Dharmashastras such as Mansusmriti, Apastamba Sutras etc., constitute the chief law books of Hinduism, which prescribe code of conduct for the preservation of social order and promotion of virtue and welfare of people

The Chief Practices
Central to the practice of Islam are the five pillars, namely Shahada, Salat, Saum, Zakat and Hajj.

• Shahada is the daily recitation of the declaration (tawhid) of Islamic creed concerning Allah and His messenger, based on the firm conviction that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is His messenger.
• Salat is the observation of ritual prayers to be performed five times a day (at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and night). The prayers are in conformity with the Islamic belief that worshippers can communicate with God directly without the intervention of intermediaries such as priests and mullahs.
• Saum is fasting every year from dawn to dusk during the month of Ramadan which include abstinence from food, liquids and sexual union between married couple.
• Zakat is payment of charity tax as a specified percentage of one's earnings to the poor and the needy in order to accomplish inner growth and purification of ones possessions.
• Hajj is making a pilgrimage to Mecca, to pay a visit to the Ka'ba, the holy shrine, at least once in a life time.

Together these five pillars constitute the Islamic way of life and provide an opportunity to the faithful to adhere to the principles and practices of Islam as established in its sacred texts. The main festivals of Islam are Id al-Adha, which is celebrated to commemorate the end of the Hajj and Id al-Fitre, which is used to celebrate the end of the Ramadan month.

In Hinduism God is worshipped in many different ways. It is essentially by honoring the dharma or the law of God, which consists of performing obligatory duties that are specific to the caste, profession, gender and the age of a person, and the pursuit of the four chief aims of human life (purusharthas), namely dharma (virtue), artha (wealth), kama (sensual pleasures) and moksha (liberation). Public and domestic sacrificial rituals are prescribed for various castes of Hindus. These rituals are either daily (nitya) or occasional (naimittaka), as prescribed in the Grihya Sutras and Srauta Sutras. The daily rituals are performed by an individual during different times in a day, in which offerings are made to the gods, the elements, one's ancestors, animals and the humans. The occasional rituals are performed by an ordained priest according the procedures established in the scriptures. In addition, there are several rites of passage or sacraments (samskaras), performed during different periods of a person's life, starting from his conception till his death. Not all Hindus however practice these rituals and sacraments. Many follow the devotional path and offer prayer and worship to their personal deities, either by visiting a temple or in their own houses.

Pooja is the most popular form of worship in which prayers, chants, flowers, incense and other ritual material are offered to one's personal deity, considering Him or Her to be the highest and the supreme. Pooja is the means to communicate with gods directly, with or without the intervention of an intermediary. Devout Hindus also participate in satsangs or religious gatherings, devotional singing or chanting and recitation of the names of God. They also spend time listening to religious discourses in public gatherings. Hindus who are on the path of spiritualism, practice some form of yoga and meditation, usually under the guidance of an adept guru. Many Hindus practice fasting on specific days in a week or on some specific occasions such as festivals. In Hinduism, the paths to God are many and each path demands its own code of conduct. The most popular ones are

• karma-marg, the path of good actions,
• bhakti-marg, the path of surrender and devotion,
• jnana-marg, path of knowledge and wisdom and
• sanyasa-marg the path of renunciation.

Hindus make pilgrimages to various temples and sacred places that are associated with the lives, legends and miracles of various gods, goddesses and saintly people. A visit to Varanasi for a dip in the Ganges is considered very auspicious, purifying and spiritually uplifting. Hindus celebrate many festivals, with zest, all the year around. Some of the most popular ones are the Diwali, Dassehara, Ganesh Chaturdhi, Maha Sivarathri, Holi and so on. There are some festivals which come once in several years such as the Kumbh festival.

Important Beliefs and Concepts
Muslims worship and submit themselves to none but Allah, the one and only God, who is Merciful, Eternal, Mighty and Infinite. He is the Creator, the Provider and Sustainer of all creatures and the entire creation. He is considered to be not just the highest God of Muslims, but of all the people in the world, including the Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, atheists, agnostics and others. Allah is the ruler of the heavens, the earth and all that is between them. Yet He is closer to His pious and thoughtful worshippers, to whom He responds with overflowing love, forgives their sins and grants peace, happiness, knowledge and abundant wealth. Although He is known to most by His popular name Allah, He has 99 other names, which are enumerated in the Qu'ran. According to the Hadith, he who memorizes all the names of Allah, would go to paradise.

Islam acknowledges the succession of prophets and messengers of God, starting from Adam and Noah. Also included in the list are Abraham, Moses, John the Baptist and Jesus. Muhammad is considered to be the last of the prophets and messengers of Allah. Islam perceives all the prophets and messengers as human beings, chosen by God for the specific purpose of passing on His revelations for the benefit of the mankind. Islam also recognizes the presence of Angels, who are believed to be invisible and never tiring, requiring neither food, nor rest, nor drink, and who spend their time in the service of Allah, obeying His commands and implementing His will. Gabriel, the Angel who passed on the messages of Allah to Muhammad, is considered to be the only messenger Angel. Other important aspects of Islam are:

• Belief in the resurrection of the dead and the Final Judgment Day.
• Belief in fate and free will. God is the only source of everything that happens in the world. He uses Qadaa and Qadar, eternal knowledge and mighty power, to execute His will. He knows everything that happened, that has been happening and that will happen. He is responsible for all that happens or not happens. Yet He has endowed the humans with free will and thereby made them responsible for their actions and choices.
• Belief in Jihad or the struggle for a divine cause. The struggle involved in leading a pious Muslim life, building Muslim community, exercising self-restraint and defending Islam or a Muslim nation, are considered to be Jihad.
• Conversion to Islam is easy. According to Islamic tradition, any one who sincerely proclaims the glory of Allah and declares Muhammad to be His messenger becomes a Muslim.
• Islam does not recognize the intervention of middle agents between God and His followers. Islamic faith is a matter of individual faith and commitment to the will of Allah. A follower of Allah can communicate with Him directly through his prayers and virtuous actions.

Hinduism believes in the existence of Brahman, the supreme Lord of the visible and invisible universe, who is eternal, stable, unchanging, indestructible, unborn, blissful, and who goes by many other names such as Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. He is both manifest and unmanifest, known and unknown, high and low, envelops every thing, contains every thing and also resides in everything. He is the Supreme Lord, the Highest Self, the only Truth, who is the creator, sustainer and destroyer of all that is and that will ever be. He manifests Himself as everything and in every thing. He is both the material and instrumental cause of the universe. He creates Rta, the universal order, Dharma, the universal divine law and many divinities to uphold them and manage them. The three gods, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva are but His three highest functional aspects, endowed with the responsibilities of creation, preservation and destruction. Nature or Prakriti is His dynamic energy and primal matter, in which He becomes involved partially to manifest all the beings and objects of His creation. He maintains and upholds Dharma, the eternal law through His various aspects, dimensions, divinities, incarnations, emanations and also through many great souls, who come to the earth from time to time to spread the message of God.

During creation, Brahman, the Supreme Self, who is absolute, subjective consciousness, diversifies Himself, in the form of an objective relative reality, into innumerable beings and objects and enters into them as individual self or Atman. Atman is Brahman in its essence, but, because of its involvement with the elements, qualities and principles of nature, it becomes deluded and suffers from the impurities of delusion or ignorance, desire oriented actions and egoism. It remains chained to the cycle of births and deaths and the law of karma, till it becomes free through the grace of God or by its own good deeds and inner transformation. A person may go to either heaven or hell or the world of ancestors, depending upon his or her deeds upon earth. However afterlife in these worlds are temporary. Upon exhausting their good or bad karma, beings have to return to earth to continue their existence. True liberation comes only when they transcend their limitations, realize their supreme Brahman nature and become one with Him in consciousness.

According to Hinduism, God can be worshipped and approached in various ways. Because He is unconditional love, He grants free will to the beings and makes Himself visible to them in whatever form He is envisaged. Most Hindus worship Him as a personal deity of their chosen form, which may also include His feminine forms and aspects. However of all the forms of worship, He considers the path of single minded devotion, self-surrender and inner purity to be the best and the most effective. Out of unbound love, He also manifests Himself in the images men make to worship Him. Depending upon who created them, how they are created and where they are installed, the images of God contain the potency and presence of God Himself, rendering them worthy of worship and adoration. Thus Hinduism sanctions the worship of the living presence of God in an image or a statue or a symbol or an object.

Similarities Between Hinduism and Islam

1. Both Hinduism and Islam accept God as the Supreme Being and Absolute Lord of the universe. He is the creator and sustainer of all creatures and the entire creation. He is the source and cause of the divine law (dharma in Hinduism) which He upholds through His inviolable will.
2. Both religions acknowledge that while God has the knowledge and the power to execute and enforce His will, by which everything in the universe moves or moves not, God is generous enough to endow human beings with free will, so that they become responsible for their actions and the choices they make.
3. The Allah of Islam is known by 99 names. The Brahman of Hinduism is also known by several names and by knowing them and chanting them one can attain Him.
4. Both Hinduism and Islam acknowledge that God responds to the prayers and aspirations of His followers and grants them peace, happiness, success and knowledge. He loves those who love Him dearly and forgives them for their ignorant and sinful actions.
5. In Hinduism there is a belief that God is the Supreme Self and that the entire creation is His body. Islam believes that the believers of God are like a body who share the same experiences in their love, mercy and kindness towards one another.
6. Both religions believe that God rescues the faithful in times of distress and responds to their calls for help according to their faith and devotion.
7. Both religions believe in the moral responsibility of each individual towards others and in the practice of such virtues as charity, doing good, righteousness, forgiveness, moderation in eating and drinking, tolerance, mercy or compassion, self-control, brotherhood, friendliness, patience and gratitude.
8. Hinduism believes in the law of karma. Islam believes in God's reward for good deeds and punishment for bad deeds. Thus declares the Qu'ran, "Whoever does good deed, he shall be repaid ten-fold; and whoever does evil, he shall be repaid with evil." (5.32)
9. Both religions advocate non-violence and non killing of human life. Says Qu'ran "According to Jewish tradition...whoever kills a human life...it is as thouh he kills all mankind; and whoever saves a life, it is as though he saved all mankind." (6.160).
10. Both religions believe in the company of the pious and not responding to evil. "And when they hear slander against them, they turn aside from it and say: 'We shall have our good deeds and you shall have your deeds. Peace be on you, we do not desire the company of the uninformed." (28.54).
11. Hinduism is a tolerant religion. Hindus believe that each individual has a choice to pursue a path in accordance with his or her inner inclination and religious beliefs and interfering with it would tantamount to taking responsibility for another's salvation and also karma. In Hinduism pursuit of Truth is far more important than belief or disbelief in God or a particular divinity. Islam does not recognize other religions, unless they are specifically mentioned in the Qu'ran. But it truly respects all those whoever believe in God, who are pious, who are not evil, irrespective of the religion to which they belong. Following are some of the quotations from Qu'ran in support of this view: There is to be no compulsion in religion. (2.256) When those come to you who believe in Our signs, Say: "Peace be on you. Your Lord hath decreed mercy for Himself." (6.54). Be courteous when you argue with the people of the Scriptures, except for those who do evil. Say to them, " We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you, and our God and your God is One, and to Him do we submit." (29.46)
12. Both Hinduism and Islam believe in the efficacy of prayers and in remembering and reciting the names, words and deeds of God, for inner purification, God's forgiveness and mercy.
13. Barring the differences in the details, both religions believe in the ultimate destruction of the world and the rescue of the pious and the pure by God.

Dissimilarities Between Hinduism and Islam

1. Muslims believe in none but Allah, the one Supreme God and follow only Qu'ran. Hindus worship one God, but in many forms, aspects, incarnations and emanations. They are not particular about the name or the method of worship. They also worship the various gods and goddesses either as the highest God Himself or as an aspect of Him or even as a separate entity. They follow not only several scriptures but also the sayings of several saints and seers.
2. A person converts to Islam by proclaiming faith in the supremacy of Allah and accepting Muhammad as His messenger. Technically, a firm declaration of faith in Allah and the prophet is sufficient to convert to Islam. In contrast, a person becomes a Hindu either by birth or by personal choice, but without the need to confirm his faith in any particular God, scripture or messenger. A Hindu may be a theist or an atheist, a believer in absolute God or a local deity. Whatever path he may choose, he needs to be a seeker of Truth and upholder of Hindu Dharma.
3. Islam does not recognize any intermediary between man and God. A worshipper can reach out to Him directly through his prayers. In Hinduism there is a choice. A person can worship God directly or seek the intervention of a priest or a Guru for assistance.
4. Hinduism believes in the law of karma. Islam acknowledges that God rewards people for their good deeds and punishes them for their evil actions. However Islam does not recognize any law other than the law of God which is declared in the Qu'ran. Unlike Christianity, Islam does not proclaim that men are born in sin. Men are born pure, free of sin, by the grace of Allah and shall remain so as long as they have abiding faith in Him, follow His law and worship Him, practicing virtue and avoiding evil. Hence no need to seek forgiveness through a priest.
5. Islam does not recognize any hierarchy of priests, bishops, monks and Popes. In Hinduism there is no central authority like that of a Pope. But it has priests, Shankaracharyas, guru sampradayas (traditions of gurus), ascetic traditions and sectarian organizations that regulate the religious affairs of the individuals, who follow them or seek their help. The Muslim Imams are but religious scholars with no particular divine authority and pious servants of God, serving the faithful as His true followers.
6. Islam does not believe in rebirth, but only resurrection and the Last Judgment Day. In contrast to Islam, Hinduism considers life in heaven and hell as temporary. A soul regains freedom forever only through self-realization.
7. Hinduism does not have a concept of prophets and messengers, but incarnations, seers, sages, gurus and divinities who pass on the revelations of God to the mankind.
8. Sharia, the Muslim law, is imposed through Muslim clerics, well versed in Qu'ran and Hadith, to punish those who disobey the commands of Allah as declared by Him in the Qu'ran. Hindu religious law is presently not imposed through an independent religious authority, but, portions of it, through the government judiciary, according to Hindu civil code.
9. Islam considers God and his creation to be two distinct things. God exists everywhere in His creation. But in a theological sense He is not His creation. So is the case with creatures and the people He creates. He is closer to them and ever watchful and heedful, but He is separate from them and never unites with them. He may reward them for their faith and good deeds by ensuring them a place in heaven, but there is no such concept as liberation through self-realization. Many schools of Hinduism, however, consider God and His creation to be the same. There is either no distinction or very little. God is both the material and instrumental cause of His creation. He exists as the Supreme Lord of the entire creation and also as the individual self (atman) in all beings and objects. The individual self is the same in essence as the Highest Self and when it regains its true consciousness it has the same consciousness as that of God.
10. Hindus consider the world in which we live to be illusory and unreal. It exists in relation to the senses and to the extent they can grasp it and make sense out of it. It is unreal in the sense that it is ever changing, destructible, impermanent, created and relative. We are not sure whether what we see is the reality or the truth, because the senses are such imperfect and unreliable instruments of truth. The best means to arrive at truth are direct experience, the experience of others, the inferences based on the things that exist or do not exist or may exist and may not exist, and scriptural authority. The concept of maya or illusion, the existence of Prakriti or nature, either as a dependent or independent aspect of God, and the role of senses in the delusion of the individual beings are alien to Islam. According to Islam the word here is as real as the heaven or hell. They are God's creation and rest in Him.
11. Hinduism do not see much distinction between man and the rest of the beings. Man is but one stage in the liberation of soul from the bondage to the cycle of births and deaths. In Islam there is a clear demarcation between humans and animals. Only man can be a true believer and follower of God. The rest of the creatures in the world are created by God for the benefit of man.
12. Like Christianity, Islam believes in a Devil known as Iblis. But unlike in Christianity, he is not considered a fallen angel, but a Jinn. In Hinduism there are Asuras who are fallen gods and who are forever in conflict with gods. There are also demonic beings called Rakshasas who are cruel and mischievous and defy the authority of God at the slightest pretext, although they chose to worship Him for selfish and egoistic reasons and try to misuse their power for doing evil deeds and causing unrest. In the highest sense, in Hinduism as in Islam, God is the ruler of all the worlds and evil is but an instrument of God to punish the wicked and if possible reform them. However, unlike in Islam, the Hindu hell is ruled by a pious god known as Lord Yama, who is considered to be an epitome of justice and virtue.
13. The Islamic cosmology essentially consists of the heaven, the hell and the earth. The Hindu cosmology is more complicated. Hinduism recognizes innumerable worlds and planes of existence. God is all these and also beyond them. No one can truly fathom His worlds or the extent of His manifestation.
14. In Islam there is no concept of Trinity. God is one and indivisible. Hinduism recognizes three highest functional aspects of God in the form of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, who are called the Three Deities (Trimurthis), depicted either as one or separate deities, who carry out the three primary functions of God's manifestation, namely creation, preservation and destruction. Each of these three are also recognized as God Himself by their followers.

Comparison of Hindu and Islamic Practices
Apart from the above, following are some important differences between the two religions, with regard to their respective religious practices.

1. Despite the tradition of polygamy, Hindus are now strictly monogamous. Islam permits polygamy.
2. Muslims celebrate mainly two festivals, Id al-Fitre and Id al-Adha. Hindus celebrates many festivals throughout the year. They have festivals in every season, for every planetary configuration, auspicious occasion and for every major god or goddess. Perhaps no other religion has so much cause to celebrate as Hinduism. In a way it is a celebration of time itself and the journey of man upon earth. In worldly matters Islam is an austere religion and Hinduism liberal.
3. Islam prescribes a specific dress code for Muslims based on the principle of modesty. They are advised not to wear clothes that are too thin or too tight. Women are expected to wear burkha in public. In Hinduism there is no specific dress code either for men or women, except on specific occasions or to perform certain rituals. Widowed women are expected not to wear ornaments or colorful dresses. Obscenity and public nudity are not tolerated.
4. Both Hinduism and Islam do not approve of close and intimate mingling of opposite sexes outside marriage and family relationships. Kissing in public is a taboo. Dating is considered both irreligious and immoral. Both religions proclaim marriage as a bond between a man and a woman, established through mutual consent, with God as the witness. In Islamic society there is no disrespect for eunuchs. In fact, in medieval India they were an important part of royal harems and court politics. But gays are regarded as contemptible and liable for punishment. Premarital sex, extra marital relationships and adultery are considered immoral in both religions. In Islam they attract physical punishment. Married people can seek divorce on certain valid grounds and the aggrieved parties are entitled for compensation.
5. Both religions prescribe a code of conduct with regard to food and drinks. For the Hindus the cow and the bull are sacred and should not be slaughtered. So they are forbidden from eating beef. For the Muslims, the pig is an unclean animal. So pork is forbidden. Islam explicitly prohibits intoxicating drinks and substances. As in Judaism, Muslims cannot eat meat unless it is prepared in accordance with prescribed rules.
6. In Islam abortion is equated with murder and not permitted unless the mother's life is in danger. In Hinduism also abortion is equated with murder. According to the Vashishta Sutras, "He is called Bhrûnahan who kills a Brâhmana or destroys an embryo (the sex of) which is unknown." The notorious practices of sati (widow burning on the funeral pyre of her husband) and drowning of girl children for economic or religious reasons are now, thankfully, things of the past. Male children usually enjoy more privileges in Hinduism than female children, because of the religious duties assigned to them towards their parents and ancestors and for continuing the family lineage, which is so important for the continuation of dharma upon earth. In Islam the distinction between men and women is mostly social and economic rather than religious in nature.
7. Hindu society is characterized by caste system. The distinction is based not so much according to racial or social differences, but birth and family status. In Islam there is no distinction based on the birth or family status of a person. All believers are equal and equally dearer to Allah. If there is any distinction among people, it is between believers and non-believers, those who acknowledge Allah and His messenger and those who do not and the pious and the evil.

Confrontation and Consequences
Hinduism and Islam confronted each other during the medieval period, with little scope for possible reconciliation between the two, because of some irreconcilable differences that could not be just wished away, especially when one of the two factions involved in it were as uncompromising in their beliefs and practices as the Islamic rulers and nobility. Islam came to India as the religion of the conquerors, while Hinduism remained for centuries as the religion of the vanquished. Most of the Muslim rules who ruled India pursued a policy of religious intolerance, either for the sake of petty and personal politics or to receive the appreciation of other Muslim rules or to present themselves to the Muslim world as upholders of Islamic faith. They indulged in the wanton destruction of many Hindu temples, large scale massacre of Hindus and conversion of many through force and fear. Not all Muslim rulers were cruel. But some of them were excessively so. While the Islamic rulers succeeded in creating pockets of Muslim influence, they failed comprehensively in reaching out to a large section of the Indian population and converting them the new faith, either because the latter shunned them for fear or prejudice or because they remained under the protection of Hindu rulers who still managed to retain political power in areas where the Muslim rulers could not reach.

To the early Muslim rulers, the native Indians presented themselves as an arrogant and uncompromising lot, who believed themselves to be morally and ethically superior, while to the Hindus the Muslim rulers appeared as perpetrators of religious monstrosity. However such was the political and social conditions of the times and the need for prudence that the barriers to communication and the distrust between the two groups could not be maintained for long. The situation is well described by a modern historian in the following words, "The arrogance of Hindu was gone during course of thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, that of the Muslim by the beginning of the fifteenth. Both were ready to meet each other, and both sat at the feet of masters like Kabir and Nanak to learn that their quarrels were futile and in the ultimate analysis the essence of all religions was but the same."

The Muslim rulers played an important role in shaping India and its cultural and social milieu for nearly a thousand years. They also saved the subcontinent from the more destructive and cruel invaders like the Mongols. It is difficult to estimate the course of Indian history had they failed. The confrontation between Hinduism and Islam resulted in two significant developments within Hinduism. The intolerant policies of Muslim rulers made the Hindu caste system very rigid and uncompromising. Secondly, some democratic aspects of Islam found their way into Hinduism in the form of social and religious reforms, which aimed to eliminate social and caste based distinctions within Hindu society and the procedural and scriptural complexity involved in worshipping God.

Conclusion
Hinduism and Islam are two of the worlds major religions, with sizeable following in various parts of the world. They have some core ideals and flashes of a grand vision which they share. If we accept religion as a product of the environment in which it arises, chosen by God to deal with certain predominant problems of human existence peculiar to the times and the place in which they originate, we will understand why both Hinduism and Islam remained unfamiliar to each other till they stood face to face. Yet God has not rendered them entirely new so that He could keep the theologians on both side busy and arguing, but made provision for bridges of understanding. Hidden in the bosom of Islam are some of the finest and the best ideals of human life and religious aspiration, which also find their unmistakable expression in the core concepts of Hinduism, pulsating with vibrant energy, that are difficult to ignore even by a superficial glance. The differences are in relation to practice, code of conduct and interpretation of scriptures and traditions that should not, if we want to live in peace and harmony all over the world and fulfill the will of God for peace and universal amity, interfere with the process of normalization that began sometime in medieval India and still continuing, despite the challenges of mutual distrust and animosity that still linger on in some vicious minds of both communities. Hindus and Muslims can coexist, wherever they are, if they are willing to accept religion as an instrument of peace and human salvation rather than as a conduit through which they can compensate their feelings of inadequacy and pent-up animosity, the very vices that seem to contradict and negate the Divine Law which every religion proclaims to uphold. To achieve proper unity, there is also a need for give and take and appreciation of mutual differences without being threatened by them. As remarked by Rabindranath Tagore, "The world-wide problem today is not how to unite by wiping out all differences, but how to unite with all the differences intact; a difficult task, for it permits of no trickery and calls for mutual give-and-take...The Muslims in our country are striving for advancement as a separate community. However disagreeable and disadvantage that may be for us for the time being, it is the only right way to achieve genuine unity someday in the future."

List of Errors in the Bible's

Bible's Scientific Errors based on a live debate between Dr. Zakir Naik (a physician & a scholar on Islam) & Dr. William Campbell (a physician & a scholar on Christianity)

Dr. Zakir Naik says:
First, we deal with Astronomy. The Bible speaks about the creation of the universe. In the beginning, 1st Book, Book of Genesis, 1st Ch., it is mentioned - It says… ‘Almighty God created the Heavens and the Earth, in six days and talks about a evening and a morning, referring to a 24 - hour day. Today scientists tell us, that the universe cannot be created in a 24 hour period of six days. Qur’an too speaks about six ‘ayyams’. The Arabic word singular is ‘yaum’ plural is ‘ayyam’. It can either mean a day of 24 hours, or it is a very long period, an ‘yaum’, an epoch. Scientists say we have no objection in agreeing that the universe - it could have been created in 6 very long periods.

Point No.2 - Bible says in Genesis Ch. No. 1 Verses No. 3 and 5,…‘Light was created on the first day.’ Genesis, Ch., 1 Verses, 14 to 19… ‘The cause of light - stars and the sun, etc. was created on the fourth day’. How can the cause of light be created on the 4th day - later than the light which came into existence on the first day? - It is unscientific.

Point No.3 - Further, the, Bible says Genesis, Ch. 1, Verses 9 to 13… ‘Earth was created on the 3rd day. How can you have a night and day without the earth ? The day depends upon the rotation of the Earth Without the earth created, how can you have a night and day?

Point No.4 - Genesis, Ch. No. 1 Verses 9 to 13 says… ‘Earth was created on the third day.’ Genesis Ch. No. 1 Verses 14 to 19 says…‘The Sun and the Moon were created on the fourth day.’ Today science tells us… ‘Earth is part of the parent body… the sun.’ It cannot come into existence before the sun – It is unscientific.

Point No.5 - The Bible says in Genesis, Ch. No.1, Verse No. 11 to 13…‘The vegetation, the herbs the shrubs, the trees - they were created on the 3rd day And the Sun, Genesis, Ch. No. 1, Verses. 14 to 19, was created on the 4th day. How can the vegetation come into existence without sunlight, and how can they survive without sunlight ?

Point No.6 - The Bible says in Genesis, Ch. 1, Verses No.16, that…‘God created two lights the greater light, the Sun to rule the day, and the lesser light the Moon, to rule the night. The actual translation, if you go to the Hebrew text, it is ‘lamps’…‘Lamps having lights of its own.’ And that you will come to know better, if you read both the Verses – Genesis, Ch. No.1, Verse. 16, as well as 17. Verse No.17 says…‘And Almighty God placed them in the firmament, to give light to the earth… To give light to the earth.’ Indicating, that Sun and the Moon has its own light - which is in contradiction with established scientific knowledge that we have. There are certain people who try and reconciliate, and say that the six days mentioned in the Bible, it actually refers to epocs - like the Qur’an long periods - not six, 24 hour day. It is illogical - you read in the Bible, evening, morning - It clearly states 24 hours, it indicates. But even if I use the concordance approach - no problem. I agree with your illogical argument - Yet they will only be able to solve the 1st scientific error of 6 days creation, and second, of first day ‘light’ and 3rd day ‘earth.’ The remaining four, yet they cannot solve. Some further say that… ‘If it is a 24-hour period, why cannot the vegetables survive for one 24 hour day without sunlight?’ I say ‘Fine - If you say that the vegetables were created before the sun, and can survive for one 24-hour day, I have got no objection. But you cannot say the days mentioned are 24 hours as well as epochs - You cannot have the cake and eat it, both. If you say it is long period, you solve Point No.1 and 3, the remaining 4 are yet there. If you say the days are 24 hours day, you solve only Point No.5 - the remaining 5 are yet there - It becomes unscientific. I leave it to Dr. William Campbell, whether he wants to say… ‘It is long period’, and say that there are only 4 scientific errors - or say… ‘It is a 24 hour day’, and say there is only 5 scientific errors in the creation of the universe.

Point No.7 - Regarding the concept of Earth, there are various Scientists who have described… ‘How will the world end.’ Hypothesis - Some may be right, some may be wrong. But either the world will perish or the world will live forever. Both cannot take place simultaneously – It is unscientific. But this is exactly what the Bible says. It is mentioned in the Bible, in the book of Hebrews, Ch. No.1 Verses No.10 and 11, and the book of Psalms, Ch. No.102, Verse No.25 and 26, that…‘Almighty God created the Heavens and the Earth, and they will perish.’ Exactly opposite is mentioned in the book of Ecclesiastics, Ch. No.1, Verse No.4, and the book of Psalms, Ch. No.78, Verse No.69, that… ‘The earth will abide forever.’ I leave it to Dr. William Campbell to choose which of the two Verses are unscientific - the first pair or the second pair. One has to be unscientific - Both cannot take place. The world cannot abide forever as well as perish – It is unscientific.

Point No.8 - Regarding ‘the Heavens’, the Bible says in Job, Ch. 26, Verse 11, that…‘The pillars of the Heaven will tremble.’ Qur’an says in Surah Luqman, Ch. 31, Verse No.10, that…‘The Heavens are without any pillars - Don`t you see? Don’t you see the Heavens are without any pillars? - Bible says heaven have got pillars.

Point No.9 - Not only do the Heavens have got pillars - Bible says in the first book of Samuel, Ch. No.2 Verses No.8, as well as the book of Job Ch. No.9, Verse No.6, and the book of Psalms Ch. No.75, Verse No.3, that… ‘Even the earth have got pillars.’

Point No.10 - In the field of ‘Diet and Nutrition’ lets analyse, what does the Bible say. The Bible says in the book of Genesis, Ch. No.1, Verse No.29, that… ‘God has given you all the herbs bearing seeds, the trees bearing fruits - those that bear seed, as meat for you.’ New International Version says… ‘The seed bearing plants, and the trees bearing fruits bearing seeds are food for you, all of them.’ Today, even a layman knows that there are several poisonous plants like wild berries, stritchi, datura, plants containing alkaloid, polyander, bacaipoid - that which if you ingest, if you eat there are high possibilities you may die. How come the Creator of the universe and the human beings, does not know, that if you have these plants, you will die. I hope Dr. William Campbell does not give these vegetarian diet to his patients.

Point No.11 - The Bible has a scientific test how to identify a true believer. It is mentioned in the Gospel of Mark, Ch. No.16, Verse No.17 and 18 - It says that… ‘There will be signs for true believers and among the signs - In my name they shall cast out devils, they shall speak foreign tongues, new tongues, they shall take up serpents - And if they drink deadly poison, they shall not be harmed - And when they place their hand over the sick, they shall be cured.’ This is a scientific test - In scientific terminology, it is known as the ‘confirmatory test’ for a true Christian believer. In the past 10 years of my life, I have personally interacted with thousands of Christians, including missionaries - I have not come across a single Christian, who has passed this confirmatory test of the Bible. I have not come across a single Christian who took poison - I have not come across any who took poison, and who has not died. And in scientific terminology, this is also called as the ‘falsification test’ That means if a false person tries and does this test… takes poison, he will die. And a false person will not dare attempt this test - If you are not a true Christian believer, you will not dare attempt this test. Because you try and attempt the falsification test, you will fail. So a person who is not a true Christian believer, will never attempt this test. I have read the book ‘The Qur’an and the Bible in the light of history and science’ written by Dr. William Campbell. And I assume - that he is a true Christian believer, and at least I would like him to confirm to me about the falsification test. Please be rest assured… Please be rest assured, I will not ask Dr. William Campbell to have deadly poison - Because I don’t want to jeopardize the debate. What I’ll do - I will only ask him to speak in foreign tongues… In new languages. And as many of you may be aware that India is a land, which has more than 1000 languages and dialects. Only thing I request him is, to say these 3 words… ‘One hundred rupees’, in the 17 official languages. There are only 17 official languages in India and to make it easier for Dr. William Campbell, I have got a ‘One hundred-rupee note.’ And this has all the 17 languages mentioned here. Besides English and Hindi, I will help him. I give him a beginning –‘Ek sav rupaiya, In Hindi. The remaining 15 languages are here - I request him to read. I know the test says… ‘They will speak foreign languages on their own, without the help of reading’ - but I want to make the test easier, I want to see someone passing the test - I’ve not seen any one. So if he cannot say it on his own, or from his memory, at least read it. I don’t mind I’ll accept it. And I would request the chairperson to give it to Dr. William Campbell. He has his rebuttal - 15 languages, ‘Ek sav rupaiya’… 3 words only. What does the Bible say regarding ‘Hydrology’? Bible says in Genesis, Ch. No.9, Verse No.13 to 17, that… ‘After God, at the time of Noah submerged the world by flood, and after the flood’ subsided, He said… ‘I put up a rainbow in the sky as a promise to the humankind never to submerge the world again, by water. To the unscientific person it may be quite good… ‘Oh rainbow is a sign of Almighty God, never to submerge the world by flood again.’ But today we know very well, that rainbow is due to the refraction of sunlight, with rain or mist. Surely there must have been thousands of rainbows before the time of Noah, peace be upon him. To say it was not there before Noah’s time you have to assume that the law of refraction did not exist - which is unscientific.’

Point No.12 - In the field of medicine, the Bible says in the book of Leveticus, Ch. No.14, Verse No.49 to 53 - it gives a novel way for disinfecting a house from plague of leprosy… disinfecting a house from plague of leprosy. It says that… ‘Take two birds, kill one bird, take wood, scale it - and the other living bird, dip it in water… and under running water - later on sprinkle the house 7 times with it. Sprinkle the house with blood to disinfect against plague of leprosy? You know blood is a good media of germs, bacteria, as well as toxin - I hope Dr. William Campbell does not use this method of disinfecting the OT, the operation theatre.

Point No.13 - It is mentioned in the book of Leveticus, Ch. No.12, Verse No.1 to 5, and we know medically, that after a mother gives birth to a child, the post-partal period, it is unhygienic. To say it is ‘unclean’, Religiously - I have got no objection. But Leviticus, Ch. No.12 Verse No.1 to 5, says that… ‘After a woman gives birth to a male child, she will be unclean for 7 days, and the period of uncleanliness will continue for 33 days more. If she gives birth to a female child, she will be unclean for two weeks, and the period of uncleanliness will continue for 66 days. In short, if a woman gives birth to a male child… ‘a son’, she is unclean for 40 days. If she gives birth to a female child… ‘a daughter’, she is unclean for 80 days. I would like Dr. William Campbell to explain to me scientifically, how come a woman remains unclean for double the period, if she gives birth to a female child, as compared to a male child.

Point No.14 - The Bible also has a very good test for adultery - How to come to know a woman has committed adultery. In the book of Numbers, Ch. no.5 Verse No..11 to 31, I’ll just say in brief, it says that… ‘The priest should take holy water in a vessel, take dust from the floor, and put it into the vessel - And that is the bitter water ‘And after cursing it, give it to the woman And if the woman has committed adultery, after she drinks it, the curse will enter her body, the stomach will swell, the thigh will rot, and she shall be cursed by the people. If the woman has not committed adultery, she will remain clean and she will bear the seed. A novel method of identifying whether a woman has committed adultery or not. You know today in the world, there are thousands of cases pending in different parts of the world, in different courts of law - only on the assumption that someone has alleged that a woman has committed adultery. I had read in the newspapers, and I came to know from the media, that the President of this great country Mr. Bill Clinton, he was involved in a sex scandal about 2 years back. I wonder, that why did not the American court use this ‘bitter water test’ for adultery? He would have gone scot-free immediately. Why did not the Christian missionaries of this great country, specially those who are in the medical field like my respected Dr. William Campbell, use this bitter water test to bail out their President, immediately.

Point No.15 - ‘Mathematics’ is a branch, which is closely associated with science, with which you can solve problems, etc. There are thousands of contradictions in the Bible - hundreds deal with mathematics, and I’ll first touch on few of them. It is mentioned in Ezra, Ch. No.2, Verse No.1, and Nehemiah, Ch. No.7, Verse No.6, the context that… ‘When the people returned from exile, from Babylon, when king Nebucheldeser of Babylon, when he released the men from Israel, they came back from captivity’ - and the list of the people are given. The list is given in Ezra, Ch. No.2, Verse No.2 to 63, and Nehemiah Ch. No.7, Verse No.7 up to 65; the list is given with the names as well as number of people released. In these 60 Verses there are no less than 18 times - the name is exactly the same but the number is different. There are no less than 18 contradictions in less than 60 Verses, of these two Chapters. This is the list - I don’t have time to run through the list - There are no less than 18 different contradictions in less than 60 Verses.

Point No. 16 - Further it is mentioned in Ezra, Ch. No.2 Verse No.64 that… ‘The total congregation, if you add up… if you add up, it comes to 42,360.’ And if you read in Nehemiah, Ch. No.7, Verse No.66, there also the total is the same 42,360. But if you add up all these verses - which I had to do my homework - this is the list of Ezra… this is the list of Nehemiah. Ezra Ch. No 2, Nehemiah Ch. No 7 - If you add up - I had to do my homework…if you add up, Ezra Ch. No. 2 - It does not come to 42,360 - it comes to 29,818. And if you add up Nehemiah, Ch. No. 7, even then it does not come to 42,360 - It comes to 31,089. The author of the Bible, presumed to be ‘Almighty God’, does not know simple addition. If you give this problem, even to a person who has passed elementary school, he will be able to get the right answer. If you add up all the 60 Verses, it is so easy. Almighty God did not know adding – Nauzubillah… if we presume, that this is the word of God.

Point No. 17- Further, if we read, in Ezra Ch. No. 2, Verse No. 65, it says…There were 200 singing men and women - Nehemiah Ch. No. 7, Verse No. 67…‘There were 245 singing men and women.’ Were they 200 - or were they 245 singing men and women? Context is the same - A mathematical contradiction.

Point No. 18 - It is mentioned in the 2nd Kings, Ch. No 24, Verse No 8, that…‘Jehoiachin was 18 years old, when he began to reign Jerusalem, and he reigned for 3 months and 10 days. 2nd Chronicles, Ch. No 36, Verse No 9, says that…‘Jehoiachin was 8 years old when he began to reign and he reigned for 3 months, 10 days. Was Jehoiachin 18 years when he began to reign, or was he 8 years old?

Point No. 19 - Did he reign for 3 months, or did he reign for 3 months 10 days?

Point No. 20 - Further, it is mentioned in the 1st Kings, Ch. No 7, Verse No 26, that…‘In Solomon’s temple, in his molten sea, he had 2000 baths. In 2nd Chronicles, Ch. No 4, Verse No 5, he had 3000 baths. Did he have 2000 baths or did he have 3000 baths? – That, I leave it upon Dr. William Campbell to decide which is correct. There is a clear-cut mathematical contradiction.

Point No. 21 - Furthermore. it is mentioned in the First Kings, Ch. No. 15, Verse No. 33, that… ‘Basha, he died in the 26th year of reign of Asa.’ And 2nd Chronicles Ch. No 16, Verse No 1, says that…‘Basha invaded Judah in the 36th years of the reign of Asa.’ How can Basha invade 10 years after his death? - It is unscientific.

(Point No. 22 - Almighty God - He said, “I put up a rainbow in the sky, as a promise to the human kind, never to submerge the world again by water”.)

To make it easier for Dr. William Campbell, to answer the points I have raised, I will just mention them in brief . The points that I mentioned :

1. The first point was that -‘The creation of the Earth and the Heaven - the universe was in six, 24-hour days.
2. Light was then before the source of light.
3. Day came into existence before creation of Earth.
4. Earth came into existence before Sun.
5. Vegetation came into existence, before sunlight
6. Light of the Moon is its own light.
7. The earth - Will it perish or will it abide forever?
8. The heavens have got pillars.
9. The earth has got pillars.
10. God said… ‘You can have all plants and all vegetation, including the poisonous plants?’
11. The scientific test the falsification test, of Mark, Ch. No. 16, Verse No. 17 and 18.
12. Using blood to disinfect the house, against plague of leprosy.
13. A woman remains unclean for double the period, if she gives birth to a daughter, as compared to a son.
14. How do you find out the bitter water test for adultery?
15. Eighteen different contradictions in less than 60 Verses of Ezra, Ch. 2, and Nehemiah, Ch. 7. I did not count them as 18 different - I counted them only as one.
16. The total is different is both the chapters.
17. Are there 200 singing men and women, or are there 245 singing men and women?
18. Was Jehoiachin 18 years old, or was he 8 years old when he began to reign?
19. Did he reign for 3 months, or 3 months 10 days.
20. Did Solomon have 3000 baths, or 2000 baths?
21. Is that Basha, how could he invade Judah, 10 years after his death?
22. is - Almighty God - He said, “I put up a rainbow in the sky, as a promise to the human kind, never to submerge the world again by water”.

There are many websites available who identified many errors of Bible's. Some links are given below.I am not saying that all those are right or wrong. But in many case you will understand the errors easily.

1. 101 Contradictions In The Bible 
2. Ten errors in the Bible
3. Biblical Contradictions 
4. Contradictions in the Christian Testament
5. SOME SCIENTIFIC ERRORS IN THE BIBLE
6. 20 Reasons to Abandon Christianity

List of Errors in Hindu Scriptures

As most religions believe in the existence of God, in the past their followers used to worship God the Almighty, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient, Compassionate, Eternal -- the Creator of the universe and all that exists.

But when we study the Hindu concept of God, a number of surprising facts come to light. Today Hinduism is a well-established polytheistic religion, even though it is against the Vedic (sacred Hindu scripts) commandments. Because of the plurality of gods within Hinduism, it is very difficult to come to any specific conclusion about what commandments are given by God to be followed by Hindus. Through this essay we will try to seek answers to questions like: "Does Hinduism have a uniform view concerning who God is? How many gods are there in existence (in Hinduism)? Does God have a birth and death? Who created the universe? We will also find out whether the "Trinity of God", described in Hindu scriptures, has any logic to be called the Supreme God.

Many more points can be presented but I guess these few points will be enough to prove my point. Hindus either have to prove these things presented in their sacred scriptures or accept that their sacred scriptures have severe scientific errors. Vedas, claimed by Hindus to be the most sacred scripture, allege that: Sun moves around the earth on a golden chariot with his 7 horses. Vedas also allege that The Bull has supported the sky. For more continue reading below.

1. Vedas say Earth is static - According to Vedas, the earth is static and this statement is repeated several times. The following are some of the examples:

• Oh Man ! He who made the trembling earth static is Indra. (Rig Ved 2/12/12)
• The God who made the earth stable (Yajur Ved 32/6)
• Indra protects the wide earth which is immovable and has many forms (Atarv Ved 12/1/11)

Let us walk on the Wide and Static earth (Atharv Ved 12/1/17)
2. Vedas say Sun moves around the earth on a golden chariot with his 7 horses - As the Veds Claim that the earth is static and so they tried to prove that the sun moves around the earth. The following statement from the rig Ved tries to clarify it:

• "Sun is full of light and knows all the human beings, so his horses take him to sky to look at the world" (Rig Ved 1/50/1)
• "O, Bright sun, a chariot named harit with seven horses takes you to sky" (Rig Ved 1/50/8)
• "O, man, the sun who is most attractive, takes round of the earth, on his golden chariot through the sky and removes the darkness of the earth" ~ (Yajur Ved 33/43)

3. Vedas say The Bull has supported the Sky 

• “The Bull has supported the sky.” Yajur Ved: 4:30. 
• “The Bull has supported the sky.” Yajur Ved: 14:5

4. Puranas say Earth is Flat - NARASINGA PURANA - Page 169 - Abithana Sinthamani - says that the earth is flat. Today it has been proved beyond doubt by the scientists that the earth is round.

5. Vishnu Purana - another astrological error - VISHNU PURANA says that sun is 800,000 miles and moon is 2,200,000 miles away from the earth respectively. Astronomy has now proved that the moon is nearer to the earth, i.e. 240,000 miles and that the sun is 93,000,000 miles away from the earth.

6. Markandeya Purana - gives completely wrong area of the earth - MARKANDEYA PURANA says that the earth has an area of 4,000,000,000 square miles. According to astronomy, it is only 190,700,000 square miles.

7. Vedas / Puranas recommend looking directly into the sun with naked eye - The Vedas and Puranas say that all Hindus must pray to the sun god SURYA, and that if you look at the sun daily every morning with your naked eyes, your sight will improve. Accordingly many Hindus practise this act of worship; but instead of their eyesight improving, India is the country that has the most blind people in the world (2.5 million blind people and 9 million with corneal blindness). There is no scientific truth in sun worship, and on the contrary the scientist and doctors advise everyone not to look at the sun directly with the naked eye. Who is telling us the truth, the Scientists or the Hindu scriptures? You be the judge!

8. Vedas say cow is holy and should be worshiped.(Brahmins add that cow dung ash has medicinal value) - The Vedas say that the cow is holy and should be worshipped. These Brahmins also claim that cow dung ash has medicinal value. Samples sent to a leading test laboratory in West Germany have proved this to be untrue.

9. Mt. Meru 100,000 times higher than Mt. Everest according to the Hindu Scriptures - Arya texts of a comparatively late period ( 5 century AD ) still maintain a belief in the fictional Vedic Mt. Meru. It is supposed to be one hundred thousand times higher than Mt. Everest! Regarding this mountain, the Matsya Purana says, "It [Mt Meru] is golden and shining like fire. The colour of the eastern side is white like the colour of Brahmans, that of the northern side is red like the that of Kshatriyas, the southern is yellow like that of Vaishyas, the western is black like the colour of Sudras. It is 86000 yojana high, and 16000 of these lie in the earth. Each of the 4 sids has 34000 yojanas ... There are beautiful golden houses inhabited by spiritual beings, the Devas, by the singers the Gandharvas and their harlots the Apsaras. Also Asuas, Daityas and Rakshasas are living in it. " -- [ Matsya Pur. quoted in al-B. i.247 ] In general, 1 yojana = 8 miles = 32000 yards and 1 kroh = 1/2 yojana [ al-B i.167 ]. Thus Mt. Meru would be 8x86,000 = 704,000 miles high. Mt. Everest, by comparison, is only 29,000 ft., or less than 6 miles, high. Hence Mt. Meru is 100,000 times higher than Mt. Everest !

The Kurma Purana has this to say on this topic,
" Earth, composed of seven continents, together with the oceans extends 500,000,000 yojanas across. Holy Jambudvipa lies in the middle of all the continents; in its center is said to be lofty Mt. Meru, bright as gold. Its height is 84,000 yojanas, and it extends 16,000 yojanas below the earth; its width at the top is 32,000 yojanas, and its diameter at the base is 16,000 yojanas." ~ [ Kurma Purana, quoted in Classical, p. 52 ]

The impossibly high Mt. Meru is held to be the source of really existing rivers in India such as the Sita.
[ Al-Beruni ] = `Albleruni's India', tr. Sachau
[ Classical ] = `Classical Hindu Mythology : A Reader in the Sanskrit Puranas', ed. & trans. Cornelia Dimmitt and J.A.B. Buitenen.

Brahmins always have a tendency to claim everything in the name of SCIENCE. But the Scientists, Doctors and Specialists claim otherwise. First of all any man with common sense won't agree to the claims originated by these BRAHMINS. Here are a few examples of Brahmin-originated unscientific claims (and the true knowledge of "the gods"):

10. THE EARTH IS FLAT - NARASINGA PURANA - Page 169 - Abithana Sinthamani - says that the earth is flat. Today it has been proved beyond doubt by the scientists that the earth is round.

11. DISTANCE BETWEEN EARTH, SUN & MOON - VISHNU PURANA says that sun is 800,000 miles and moon is 2,200,000 miles away from the earth respectively. Astronomy has now proved that the moon is nearer to the earth, i.e. 240,000 miles and that the sun is 93,000,000 miles away from the earth.

12. THE AREA OF THE EARTH - MARKANDEYA PURANA says that the earth has an area of 4,000,000,000 square miles. According to astronomy, it is only 190,700,000 square miles.

13. VIBOOTHI (COW DUNG ASH) - The Vedas say that the cow is holy and should be worshipped. These Brahmins also claim that cow dung ash has medicinal value. Samples sent to a leading test laboratory in West Germany have proved this to be untrue. Even today ignorant Hindus smear their homes with cow dung.

In India people are dying of hunger. Why are these low caste Hindus prohibited from eating beef? In India cow meat is cheaper than other available meats. Instead of these Brahmins taking care of the low caste peoples of India they are doing their best to save their "holy" cows. According to Valmith's Ramayana, God Rama "ATE" meat. Why then have these Brahmins given up beef-eating?

14. Thousands of heads, eyes and feet - In Purush Sukta of Rigveda (10/90/1) God is described as having thousands of heads, eyes and feet.

15. Hiranayagarbh Sukta of Rigveda says that in the beginning of the universe there was only Hiranyagarbh (the Almighty God). He was the Lord of all beings. He set earth and the sky at their present places (Rigved, 10/121/1). God blessed the beings with strength. All the deities obey His commands. Even death is under His command. He is the Lord of all beings and animals. This Rigveda also stresses God's Attributes such as Omnipresent, Omniscient, Omnipotent and the Master of Salvation.


16. Why is God defined as having a body? - Swetambar Upanishad (618) sheds some light on the body-figures of God. "He has no body, no soul, no senses. Nobody is even equal to him." "He is the Almighty God. He is the protector of the whole creation. He is exempt from hunger, thirst, grief and death.". When the Hindu scriptures say that God is one and exempt from birth and death, then the question arises why is He defined as having a body. Is it not contradictory?

The Rigveda also suggests that "Prajapati" is the Almighty God of Hindus. But Atharvaveda (7/3/26/1) says, "Vishnu created earth, heaven and space." In the Mandukya Upanishad (6) Brahma is described as the creator of earth, heaven and space. What a contradiction!

The study of Rigveda, Athravaveda and various Upanishads suggests that Brahma and Vishnu are described as two almighty gods. But the great surprise is that these scriptures describe god as exempt from birth in one place, while in the other they describe him tied to wordly bonds.

17. Has many Gods - According to Shiv Mahapuram (6/1/19), Brahma and Vishnu used to fight to prove their respective superiority. Brahma says that he created Vishnu, but Vishnu says that he created "Lotus" from his navel which in turn gave birth to Brahma.This conflict turned to a terrible battle between them. Besides Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, thirty-three gods are also described in the Vedas. Today their number has reached thirty-three crore (330,000,000). This means that every third person of India has his own god

Due to this brief exposition of the Hindu concept of god, one might be astonished at the terrible perplexities and contradictions the Hindu scriptures contain. Can a human being, enjoying the slightest degree of sanity, reach any kind of certitude concerning the true concept of God by adopting this mysterious and bewildering philosophy? One may compare this with the simple, clear-cut Islamic way of achieving this concept. Muslims believe in one and only one God (Allah). They admit neither peers to Him nor intercessors, which is a distinguishing feature of Islam.

[Source: Internet]

How to prove the Existence of God to Atheists

Congratulating an Atheist
Normally, when I meet an atheist, the first thing I like to do is to congratulate him and say, " My special congratulations to you", because most of the people who believe in God are doing blind belief - he is a Christian, because his father is a Christian; he is a Hindu, because his father is a Hindu; the majority of the people in the world are blindly following the religion of their fathers. An atheist, on the other hand, even though he may belong to a religious family, uses his intellect to deny the existence of God; what ever concept or qualities of God he may have learnt in his religion may not seem to be logical to him.

My Muslim brothers may question me, "Zakir, why are you congratulating an atheist?" The reason that I am congratulating an atheist is because he agrees with the first part of the Shahada i.e. the Islamic Creed, ‘La ilaaha’ - meaning ‘there is no God’. So half my job is already done; now the only part left is ‘il lallah’ i.e. ‘BUT ALLAH’ which I shall do Insha Allah. With others (who are not atheists) I have to first remove from their minds the wrong concept of God they may have and then put the correct concept of one true God.

Logical Concept of God
My first question to the atheist will be: "What is the definition of God?" For a person to say there is no God, he should know what is the meaning of God. If I hold a book and say that ‘this is a pen’, for the opposite person to say, ‘it is not a pen’, he should know what is the definition of a pen, even if he does not know nor is able to recognise or identify the object I am holding in my hand. For him to say this is not a pen, he should at least know what a pen means. Similarly for an atheist to say ‘there is no God’, he should at least know the concept of God. His concept of God would be derived from the surroundings in which he lives. The god that a large number of people worship has got human qualities - therefore he does not believe in such a god. Similarly a Muslim too does not and should not believe in such false gods.

If a non-Muslim believes that Islam is a merciless religion with something to do with terrorism; a religion which does not give rights to women; a religion which contradicts science; in his limited sense that non-Muslim is correct to reject such Islam. The problem is he has a wrong picture of Islam. Even I reject such a false picture of Islam, but at the same time, it becomes my duty as a Muslim to present the correct picture of Islam to that non-Muslim i.e. Islam is a merciful religion, it gives equal rights to the women, it is not incompatible with logic, reason and science; if I present the correct facts about Islam, that non-Muslim may Inshallah accept Islam.

Similarly the atheist rejects the false gods and the duty of every Muslim is to present the correct concept of God which he shall Insha Allah not refuse. (You may refer to my article, ‘Concept of God in Islam’, for more details)

Qur'an and Modern Science
The methods of proving the existence of God with usage of the material provided in the ‘Concept of God in Islam’ to an atheist may satisfy some but not all.

Many atheists demand a scientific proof for the existence of God. I agree that today is the age of science and technology. Let us use scientific knowledge to kill two birds with one stone, i.e. to prove the existence of God and simultaneously prove that the Qur’an is a revelation of God.

If a new object or a machine, which no one in the world has ever seen or heard of before, is shown to an atheist or any person and then a question is asked, " Who is the first person who will be able to provide details of the mechanism of this unknown object? After little bit of thinking, he will reply, ‘the creator of that object.’ Some may say ‘the producer’ while others may say ‘the manufacturer.’ What ever answer the person gives, keep it in your mind, the answer will always be either the creator, the producer, the manufacturer or some what of the same meaning, i.e. the person who has made it or created it. Don’t grapple with words, whatever answer he gives, the meaning will be same, therefore accept it.

Scientific Facts Mentioned in the Qur'an
Theory of Probability
In mathematics there is a theory known as ‘Theory of Probability’. If you have two options, out of which one is right, and one is wrong, the chances that you will chose the right one is half, i.e. one out of the two will be correct. You have 50% chances of being correct. Similarly if you toss a coin the chances that your guess will be correct is 50% (1 out of 2) i.e. 1/2. If you toss a coin the second time, the chances that you will be correct in the second toss is again 50% i.e. half. But the chances that you will be correct in both the tosses is half multiplied by half (1/2 x 1/2) which is equal to 1/4 i.e. 50% of 50% which is equal to 25%. If you toss a coin the third time, chances that you will be correct all three times is (1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2) that is 1/8 or 50% of 50% of 50% that is 12½%.

A dice has got six sides. If you throw a dice and guess any number between 1 to 6, the chances that your guess will be correct is 1/6. If you throw the dice the second time, the chances that your guess will be correct in both the throws is (1/6 x 1/6) which is equal to 1/36. If you throw the dice the third time, the chances that all your three guesses are correct is (1/6 x 1/6 x 1/6) is equal to 1/216 that is less than 0.5 %.

Let us apply this theory of probability to the Qur’an, and assume that a person has guessed all the information that is mentioned in the Qur’an which was unknown at that time. Let us discuss the probability of all the guesses being simultaneously correct.

At the time when the Qur’an was revealed, people thought the world was flat, there are several other options for the shape of the earth. It could be triangular, it could be quadrangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, spherical, etc. Lets assume there are about 30 different options for the shape of the earth. The Qur’an rightly says it is spherical, if it was a guess the chances of the guess being correct is 1/30.

The light of the moon can be its own light or a reflected light. The Qur’an rightly says it is a reflected light. If it is a guess, the chances that it will be correct is 1/2 and the probability that both the guesses i.e the earth is spherical and the light of the moon is reflected light is 1/30 x 1/2 = 1/60.

Further, the Qur’an also mentions every living thing is made of water. Every living thing can be made up of either wood, stone, copper, aluminum, steel, silver, gold, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, oil, water, cement, concrete, etc. The options are say about 10,000. The Qur’an rightly says that everything is made up of water. If it is a guess, the chances that it will be correct is 1/10,000 and the probability of all the three guesses i.e. the earth is spherical, light of moon is reflected light and everything is created from water being correct is 1/30 x 1/2 x 1/10,000 = 1/60,000 which is equal to about .0017%.

The Qur’an speaks about hundreds of things that were not known to men at the time of its revelation. Only in three options the result is .0017%. I leave it upto you, to work out the probability if all the hundreds of the unknown facts were guesses, the chances of all of them being correct guesses simultaneously and there being not a single wrong guess. It is beyond human capacity to make all correct guesses without a single mistake, which itself is sufficient to prove to a logical person that the origin of the Qur’an is Divine.

Creator is the Author of the Qur'an
The only logical answer to the question as to who could have mentioned all these scientific facts 1400 years ago before they were discovered, is exactly the same answer initially given by the atheist or any person, to the question who will be the first person who will be able to tell the mechanism of the unknown object. It is the ‘CREATOR’, the producer, the Manufacturer of the whole universe and its contents. In the English language He is ‘God’, or more appropriate in the Arabic language, ‘ALLAH’.

Qur'an is a Book of Signs and not ScienceLet me remind you that the Qur’an is not a book of Science, ‘S-C-I-E-N-C-E’ but a book of Signs ‘S-I-G-N-S’ i.e. a book of ayaats. The Qur’an contains more than 6,000 ayaats, i.e. ‘signs’, out of which more than a thousand speak about Science. I am not trying to prove that the Qur’an is the word of God using scientific knowledge as a yard stick because any yardstick is supposed to be more superior than what is being checked or verified. For us Muslims the Qur’an is the Furqan i.e. criteria to judge right from wrong and the ultimate yardstick which is more superior to scientific knowledge.

But for an educated man who is an atheist, scientific knowledge is the ultimate test which he believes in. We do know that science many a times takes ‘U’ turns, therefore I have restricted the examples only to scientific facts which have sufficient proof and evidence and not scientific theories based on assumptions. Using the ultimate yardstick of the atheist, I am trying to prove to him that the Qur’an is the word of God and it contains the scientific knowledge which is his yardstick which was discovered recently, while the Qur’an was revealed 1400 year ago. At the end of the discussion, we both come to the same conclusion that God though superior to science, is not incompatible with it.

Science is Eliminating Models of God but not God
Francis Bacon, the famous philosopher, has rightly said that a little knowledge of science makes man an atheist, but an in-depth study of science makes him a believer in God. Scientists today are eliminating models of God, but they are not eliminating God. If you translate this into Arabic, it is La illaha illal la, There is no god, (god with a small ‘g’ that is fake god) but God (with a capital ‘G’).

Surah Fussilat: "Soon We will show them our signs in the (farthest) regions (of the earth), and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that thy Lord doth witness all things?" ~ [Al-Quran 41:53]

Some Blogs which can misguide Non-Muslim & Non-Fundamentalist Muslims

I have found following blogs from mukto-mona.com which are against Islam.You can love or hate Islam, I don't have any problem with it.But passing wrong message is not acceptable. The writer of these blogs presented Islam, Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) and Quran in a wrong way. In most of the case, he/she has given wrong explanation according his own understanding. Probably he/she does not know and understand Islam deeply. These blogs only can misguide non-Muslim and Non-Fundamentalist Muslims (Those who don't have fundamental knowledge of Islam).

I, Engr. Md.Asfak-Ur-Rahman only read blogs(or Articles) of those writer who has good educational background and experiences related to the topic, who is recognized and who talks with logic, facts and proofs. But the writer of this blog has not given any information about him/her. I did not find even his/her name also.So those people will believe following blogs who want to believe in it and those people who has small knowledge about Islam.   

1. শান্তির ধর্ম ইসলাম, পর্ব-1 
2. শান্তির ধর্ম ইসলাম, পর্ব-2
3. মোহাম্মদ ও ইসলাম, পর্ব-1
4. মোহাম্মদ ও ইসলাম, পর্ব-২
5. মহানবী মোহাম্মদের চরিত্র ফুলের মত পবিত্র, পর্ব-1
6. মহানবী মোহাম্মদের চরিত্র ফুলের মত পবিত্র, পর্ব-2
7. মহানবী মোহাম্মদের চরিত্র ফুলের মত পবিত্র, পর্ব-3
8. মহানবী মোহাম্মদের চরিত্র ফুলের মত পবিত্র, পর্ব-4
9. প্রসঙ্গ: গালিগালাজ
10. মুসলিম মানস, পর্ব-1 
11. মুসলিম মানস, পর্ব-2
12. মুসলিম মানস, পর্ব-3
13. কে কোরবানী হয়েছিল, ইসমাইল নাকি ইসহাক?
14. হত্যা-সুখের উল্লাসে
15. কুরবানী ও পশুবলি
16. কে শয়তান?
17. যাকাত, হজ্জ ও আরবী কোরান সমাচার
18. ইসলামের নৈতিক শিক্ষা ও মানব সভ্যতা

Later I will write one line for each of those wrong blog. That one line will be enough to clear the misconception. [Not Completed yet...............]

Besides I believe in following blogs/peoples rather than this unknown writer.

1. Professor Tejatat Tejasen comments regarding Holy Quran 
2. Comments of Dr. Maurice Bucaille on the facts of Holy Quran 
3. Dr. Keith L.Moore's comments on the scientific facts of Holy Qur'an 
4. Durja Rao's comment regading Al-Quran
5. The challenge of Allah to prove Al-Quran wrong
6. Many more....

And I request this unknown writer to write blog in Engliah so that all the people of the world can read your blog and can clear your misconception. :-)

Concept of God according to Hindu Scriptures

Common Concept of God in Hinduism:
If you ask some lay persons who are Hindus that how many gods do they believe in, some may say three, some may say thirty-three, some may say a thousand, while some may say thirty-three crores i.e. 330 million. But if you ask this question to a learned Hindu who is well versed with the Hindu Scriptures, he will reply that the Hindus should actually believe and worship only one God.

Difference Between Islam and Hinduism is That of 's' (Everything is ‘God’s’ – Everything is ‘God’)
The major difference between the Hindu and the Muslim is that while the common Hindu believes in the philosophy of Pantheism, i.e. “everything is God, the Tree is God, the Sun is God, the Moon is God, the Snake is God, the Monkey is God, the Human Being is God”, all Muslims believe that “everything is God’s”.

The Muslims believe that everything is God’s. GOD with an apostrophe’s’. Everything belongs to the one and only unique eternal God. The tree belongs to God, the sun belongs to God, the moon belongs to God, the snake belongs to God, monkey belongs to God, the human being belongs to God.

Thus the major difference between the Hindus and the Muslims is the apostrophe ‘s’. The Hindu says, “everything is GOD”. The Muslim says, “everything is God’s”, GOD with an Apostrophe ‘s’. If we can solve the difference of the Apostrophe ‘s’, the Hindus and the Muslims will be united.

The Glorious Qur’an says, “Come to common terms as between us and you”, Which is the first term? “that we worship none but Allah”. So let’s come to common terms by analyzing the scriptures of the Hindus and of the Muslims. We can gain a better understanding of the concept of God in Hinduism by analysing Hindu scriptures.

BHAGAVAD GITA
The most popular amongst all the Hindu scriptures is the Bhagavad Gita. Consider the following verse from the Gita: "Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures."~ [Bhagavad Gita 7:20]. The Gita states that people who are materialistic worship demigods i.e. ‘gods’ besides the True God.

UPANISHADS:
The Upanishads are considered sacred scriptures by the Hindus.The following verses from the Upanishads refer to the Concept of God:

1. "Ekam evadvitiyam" which mean "He is One only without a second." ~ [Chandogya Upanishad 6:2:1]1. 
2. "Na casya kascij janita na cadhipah." which mean "Of Him there are neither parents nor lord." ~ [Svetasvatara Upanishad 6:9]2
3. "Na tasya pratima asti" which mean "There is no likeness of Him." ~ [Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:19]3
4. The following verses from the Upanishad allude to the inability of man to imagine God in a particular form: "Na samdrse tisthati rupam asya, na caksusa pasyati kas canainam.""His form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye." which mean ~ [Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:20]4

1[The Principal Upanishad by S. Radhakrishnan page 447 and 448] [Sacred Books of the East, volume 1 ‘The Upanishads part I’ page 93]
2[The Principal Upanishad by S. Radhakrishnan page 745][Sacred Books of the East, volume 15, ‘The Upanishads part II’ page 263.]
3[The Principal Upanishad by S. Radhakrishnan page 736 & 737][Sacred Books of the East, volume 15, ‘The Upanishads part II’ page no 253]
4[The Principal Upanishad by S. Radhakrishnan page 737][Sacred Books of the East, volume 15, ‘The Upanishads part II’ page no 253]

THE VEDAS
Vedas are considered the most sacred of all the Hindu scriptures. There are four principal Vedas: Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samveda and Atharvaveda.

YAJURVEDA
The following verses from the Yajurveda echo a similar concept of God:

1. "na tasya pratima asti" which mean "There is no image of Him." ~ [Yajurveda 32:3]5
2. "shudhama poapvidham" which mean "He is bodyless and pure."~ [Yajurveda 40:8]6
3. "Andhatama pravishanti ye asambhuti mupaste" which mean "They enter darkness, those who worship the natural elements" (Air, Water, Fire, etc.). "They sink deeper in darkness, those who worship sambhuti." ~ [Yajurveda 40:9]7. Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol, etc.
4. The Yajurveda contains the following prayer: "Lead us to the good path and remove the sin that makes us stray and wander." ~ [Yajurveda 40:16]8

5[Yajurveda by Devi Chand M.A. page 377]
6[Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Giffith page 538]
7[Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Giffith page 538]
8[Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Griffith page 541]

ATHARVAVEDA
The Atharvaveda praises God in Book 20, hymn 58 and verse 3: "Dev maha osi" which mean "God is verily great" ~ [Atharvaveda 20:58:3]9

RIGVEDA

1. The oldest of all the vedas is Rigveda. It is also the one considered most sacred by the Hindus. The Rigveda states in Book 1, hymn 164 and verse 46: "Sages (learned Priests) call one God by many names." ~ [Rigveda 1:164:46]
2. The Rigveda gives several different attributes to Almighty God. Many of these are mentioned in Rigveda Book 2 hymn 1. Among the various attributes of God, one of the beautiful attributes mentioned in the Rigveda Book II hymn 1 verse 3, is Brahma. Brahma means ‘The Creator’. Translated into Arabic it means Khaaliq. Muslims can have no objection if Almighty God is referred to as Khaaliq or ‘Creator’ or Brahma. However if it is said that Brahma is Almighty God who has four heads with each head having a crown, Muslims take strong exception to it.Describing Almighty God in anthropomorphic terms also goes against the following verse of Yajurveda: "Na tasya Pratima asti" which mean "There is no image of Him." ~ [Yajurveda 32:3]. Another beautiful attribute of God mentioned in the Rigveda Book II hymn 1 verse 3 is Vishnu. Vishnu means ‘The Sustainer’. Translated into Arabic it means Rabb. Again, Muslims can have no objection if Almighty God is referred to as Rabb or 'Sustainer' or Vishnu. But the popular image of 9[Atharveda Samhita vol 2 William Dwight Whitney page 910]. Vishnu among Hindus, is that of a God who has four arms, with one of the right arms holding the Chakra, i.e. a discus and one of the left arms holding a ‘conch shell’, or riding a bird or reclining on a snake couch. Muslims can never accept any image of God. As mentioned earlier this also goes against Svetasvatara Upanishad Chapter 4 verse 19."Na tasya pratima asti" which mean "There is no likeness of Him". The following verse from the Rigveda Book 8, hymn 1, verse 1 refer to the Unity and Glory of the Supreme Being:
3. "Ma cid anyad vi sansata sakhayo ma rishanyata" which mean "O friends, do not worship anybody but Him, the Divine One. Praise Him alone." ~ [Rigveda 8:1:1]10
4. "Devasya samituk parishtutih" which mean  "Verily, great is the glory of the Divine Creator." ~ [Rigveda 5:1:81]11

BRAHMA SUTRA OF HINDUISM:
The Brahma Sutra of Hinduism is: "Ekam Brahm, dvitiya naste neh na naste kinchan" which mean "There is only one God, not the second; not at all, not at all, not in the least bit.". Thus only a dispassionate study of the Hindu scriptures can help one understand the concept of God in Hinduism. 0[Rigveda Samhita vol. 9, pages 2810 and 2811 by Swami Satya Prakash Sarasvati and Satyakam Vidyalankar]. 11[Rigveda Samhita vol. 6, pages 1802 and 1803 by Swami Satya Prakash Saraswati and Satyakam Vidyalankar] as from the sun." The Prophecy confirms:

1. The name of the Prophet as Ahmed since Ahmed is an Arabic name. Many translators misunderstood it to be ‘Ahm at hi’ and translated the mantra as "I alone have acquired the real wisdom of my father".
2. Prophet was given eternal law, i.e. the Shariah.
3. The Rishi was enlightened by the Shariah of Prophet Muhammad. 

The Qur’an says in Surah Saba Chapter 34 verse 28 (34:28): "We have not sent thee but as a universal (Messenger) to men, giving them glad tidings and warning them (against sin), but most men understand not."