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Polytheism & Concept of God in Other Religions

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Polytheism & Concept of God in other Religions Name of Author Abdul Rab Academic Reviewer Adam Ali (24.08.2018) Language Editor Abjal Ali (25.08.2018) Version Number 1.0 Date of Verification 25th August 2018 Phase | Topic 1 | 2.0 Basics of Islam | The Way of Life Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission. www.bletchleydawah.org [email protected] 1 © Copyright 2018, All Rights Reserved to Bletchley Da’wah Org Introduction 2 © Copyright 2018, All Rights Reserved to Bletchley Da’wah Org Negating polytheism If you combine advance scientific discoveries with religion you get balanced and rational answers to most questions our existence poses. There are still mysteries that science cannot explain and through religious scriptures, it makes more sense if our creator provides meaning for a purpose through Prophets etc. Reasons as to why polytheism is an irrational belief Most Logical Contradiction When you assume the presence of two Gods then you have one of two possibilities and no more: either that these two Gods have equal power or that one of them is superior to the other. Let’s begin with the second assumption. If we assume that one God is more powerful than the other then it means the other God is really a weaker God or an inferior God compared to the first. When we talk about a Deity, the question of inferiority and weakness is totally irrelevant and completely inapplicable. So that’s a logical contradiction. Finally, the order of the universe is too perfect and leads us to believe that it has been constructed from an all eternal being with no defects. God by definition is independent and eternal. However, if these polytheistic gods are semi-independent, it would logically follow that they are not eternal. ‘If there were, in the heavens and the earth, other gods besides Allah, there would have been confusion in both! but glory to Allah, the Lord of the Throne: (High is He) above what they attribute to Him!’1 Allah explains further in the Qur'an: ‘Behold, each god would have taken away what he had created, and some would have lorded it over others! Glory to Allah! (He is free) from the (sort of) things they attribute to Him.’2 The above has a logical basis and is balanced therefore someone of understanding can clearly make a distinction that this is the mighty truth from the Lord of the universe. 1 Qur’an 21:22 2 Qur’an 23:91 3 © Copyright 2018, All Rights Reserved to Bletchley Da’wah Org Concept of God in Major Religions Literal meaning of the word religion The word religion comes from the Latin word ‘religare’: ‘to join, or link’ classically understood to mean the linking of human and divine. 3 Meaning of religion “A system of faith and worship, the belief and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.”4 Thus, religion is a systemised and structured doctrine that is set out by a God; and is ultimately the way of life with regards to how someone should live, act, behaviour, etc. for that persons belief. In this presentation, we will try to understand religion from a historical context. I will discuss briefly some of the roots where certain religions derive from. We will study some of the world major religions and Insha'Allah we will draw comparisons by variations in context. I will discuss Islam in a bit more detail and look into some of the Islamic Laws. Categorisation of religion There are 2 categories of religions and they are known as Semitic and Non- Semitic: Semitic religions are religions that originated among the Semites. Consequently, to the bible Prophet Nuh (PBUH) had a son called Shem. The descendants of Shem are known as Semites so sematic religions are the religions that initiated among the Jews, Arabs, Assyrians, etc. Let us discuss some of these in detail. 3 English Oxford Dictionary 4 English Oxford Dictionary 4 © Copyright 2018, All Rights Reserved to Bletchley Da’wah Org SEMITIC RELIGIONS: (Appendix 1) The three main Semitic religions are. Christianity, Judaism and Islam. They are related by a common belief in God, the hereafter and the constant battle between good and evil. Christianity Origin: Israel, the birth of Jesus of Nazareth (4BC-AD30 approx.). Main text: Christianity combines Jewish Old Testament with the New Testament to form the Christian Bible. Followers: 2.3 billion, total population 32% Divisions: There are three types of Christian communities; Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism and Protestantism Deity: God, part of the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Christianity is the oldest and largest population as of 2018. It was founded by Jesus Christ around 27 AD. Christianity is the oldest Abrahamic religion. They believe that Jesus was the son of God. The holy book is called the Bible, which consists of two sections added into one; the Old Testament and the New Testament. Christianism have high faith in the death and the returning of Jesus Christ. The main Christian festivals are: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Ascension Day and Pentecost. The two main rites or sacraments are baptism and the Eucharist. JUDAISM Origin: 20 million, total population 0.3% Originator: The Hebrew leader Abraham Main text: The Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament containing 613 commandments and the Talmud, a collection of civil and religious laws. Holy city: Jerusalem. Followers: 20 million Divisions: Orthodox Jews and Reform Judaism. Deity: HaShem (God). Judaism is an ancient Hebrew religion that developed after the Covenant between God and Abraham in 2000BC. This Covenant was renewed in about 1300BC by Moses as he led the 12 tribes of Israel to the Promised Land (Canaan) promised to 5 © Copyright 2018, All Rights Reserved to Bletchley Da’wah Org them by God. It is the sixth largest religion in the world. The Jews split into three assemblies which are known as Conservative, Orthodox and Liberals. The sabbath is a day of rest and Yom Kippur is the day of atonement. Birth, the bar mitzvah, marriage and death are all significant occasions. ISLAM Origin: Saudi Arabia, 6th century AD. Originator: Mohammed (PBUH) (570-632). Main text: The Koran (Qur'an) revealed by God to Mohammed (PBUH) over a period of 23 years and written down in 651. It details the complete way of life for Muslims. Holy city: Mecca. Followers: 1.6 billion followers. Total population 23% Divisions: Sunni (about 90% of all Muslims), Shia (10%). Islam is also an Abrahamic religion. Deity: Allah (God). Muslims believe that Allah is the one true God and that Mohammed is the Prophet of Allah. There are five Articles of Belief: the oneness of God, the holy books revealed by God, the prophets, the Angels and the hereafter. Those who believe and obey the Articles of Belief and follow the 'Pillars of Islam' will be rewarded in paradise. The Pillars of Islam are: 1. Profession of Faith - Believe in God and that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the last Prophet. 2. Praying 5 times a day 3. Zakat - Giving to charity 4. Fasting in the month of Ramadhan 5. Hajj - Pilgrimage to Mecca Jihad means struggle and not 'holy war' (a popular misconception). The Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) celebrates the flight to Medina by Mohammed in AD 622. BAHAISM Origin: Persia, 1863. A Muslim splinter groups. Originators: Mirza Ali Muhammed (Bab or Gateway) and Mirza Husain Ali (Baha'u'llah or Glory of God). Main text: Kitab al -Aqdas Followers: 8 million, Total population 0.15% 6 © Copyright 2018, All Rights Reserved to Bletchley Da’wah Org Deity: None, however Baha'u'llah proclaimed himself the manifestation of God. Bahaism was founded by Mirza Husayn Ali. (Baha ull ah) 1900 AD. It started in Iran around the 19th century where Bahaullah preached the religion and later died in Palestine after getting captured in prison. The followers of this religion are known as Bahai and Babis. The religion follows the Abrahamic teaching and currently spread across the Middle Eastern countries and many parts of Asia. Non-Semitic Religions Around 2000 BC a group of Indo-European people invaded North India known as Aryan. These individuals originated from the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. The Aryan religions are subdivided into Vedic and non-Vedic religions and almost all Aryan religions are non-prophetic religions. Vedic Religions • Hinduism • Brahmanism Non- Vedic Religions • Sikhism • Buddhism The Non-Aryan religions have diverse organs. Confucianism and Taoism are of Chinese origin while Shintoism is of Japanese origins. Non-Aryan religion is better known as ethical systems rather than a concept of God. Let us now look at some of the Non-Semitic religions. Non-Semitic Religions: (Appendix 2) The main Non-Semitic religions, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism are linked by a belief in karma. Life is regarded as a continual cycle of birth, life and rebirth (samsara) and that the deeds or desires of part lives determine one’s fate in this and future lives (karma). The karmic cycle can be broken by adherence to the doctrine preached by each religion. BUDDISM Origin: North India, 5th century BC, a Hindi protest group. Originator: 600 BC by Siddhartha Gautama Buddha. 7 © Copyright 2018, All Rights Reserved to Bletchley Da’wah Org Main text: The tripitaka, meaning three baskets. Followers: 400 million, population 7% Divisions: The main divisions are Theravadan in SE Asia, Mahayanan in N Asia, Lamaism in Tibet and Zen in Japan.
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