To the proponents of the theory, Karma is an immutable law, according to which the present fortune or fate is considered to be the aftermath of one’s past deeds or Karma. The following paper is a rational, logical, and sociological examination of the theory of reincarnation. The concept of Karma is also evaluated Qur’anically.
The doctrine of Reincarnation and Karma are the very basis of the Brahmanical teachings with regard to the organizations and scheme of the world and of human life. For the better or for the worse, the human soul is postulated to be reborn into such conditions as one’s previous life entitles one.
For the better or for the worse, the human soul is postulated to be reborn into such conditions as one’s previous life entitles one.
Karma may be defined as the law of consequence with regard to one’s activities in the given life, which is supposed to be the driving force behind the cycle of reincarnations or rebirths. The law of Karma postulates that every individual has to pass through a series of lives, either on earth again or somewhere else, before he or she attains moksha or liberation.
According to the theory of Karma, a soul is born many times and dies many times. In each of its incarnations the person entails certain Karma, which stems from the good and evil that one performed in the previous life. Good deeds earn good Karma and allow one to be reborn into a higher caste than the previous one, consequent upon one’s Karma in the previous incarnation. As one sows, so one reaps, the only problem being that the reaping, according to Brahmanical belief, does not come until rebirth. The law of Karma is considered to conserve the moral consequences of all actions, and predetermines our present and future lives accordingly. The doctrine of reincarnation teaches that each person continues his or her lives one after another, and will do so endlessly until becoming absolved.
The doctrine claims that each person is embodied in a newly born body, lives a human life however long that body lives, and, when that body dies, reincarnates in another new body. The doctrine of Karma says that the physical, social, economic, and political conditions under which a person is embodied and lives out the given life are the conditions rendered appropriate as entitled by the person’s actions in the previous life. The two claims together yield a third: the evils that chance upon a person in a given lifetime are morally proper, being the appropriate consequences of what he or she did previously. In part, the present life is determined by the results of past deeds. We are, according to this doctrine of Karma, the effects of our own infinite past. Every child born into this world is born to live out its own past deeds. This means that everything we see is just and balanced, and the distresses we encounter are to be relished as “religious theater.” It perhaps explains why certain people are born untouchables.
Every child born into this world is born to live out its own past deeds. This means that everything we see is just and balanced, and the distresses we encounter are to be relished as “religious theater.”
The notion of Karma as a moral principle offering the inevitable consequences of human conditions provides the ideological undergirding for the existence of various Varnas (original social divisions). The idea of expiation was linked to the individual’s social fate in the societal organization and, thereby, to the caste order. All (ritual or ethical) merits and faults of the individual are recorded in a ledger of accounts; the balance irrefutably determines the fate of the soul at rebirth, and this is in exact proportion to the surplus of the one or the other side of the ledger.
The result of the belief in this theory is, perhaps, best outlined by Shri Aurobindo:
At any rate, at least nine-tenths of our freedom of will is a palpable fiction. That will is created and determined not by its own self-existent action at a given moment, but our past, our heredity, our training, the whole tremendous complex thing called Karma, which is, behind us, the whole past actions of Nature on us and the world converging in the individual, determining what he is, determining what his will shall be at a given moment and determining, as far as analyses can see, even its action at that moment[1].
Karma transforms the world into a strictly rational and ethically determined cosmos representing the most inconsistent theodicy ever produced in history. It also requires the strict fulfillment of caste obligation. The absence of ethical universalism leads to striving for individual salvation based on attempts to escape the cycle of rebirths. A pious low-caste individual believes that he, too, can win the world; that he can become a Kshatriya (member of the royal or warrior Hindu caste) or a Brahmin (high caste of priests) after rebirths in the same pattern. According to the doctrine, the order and rank of the castes are also eternal, as are the courses of the cosmic bodies or the difference between the animal and human species. To overthrow them would be sacrilegious. Rebirth can drag man down to the life of a “worm in the intestine of a dog,” but, according to his conduct, it might raise him and place him in the womb of a queen or a Brahmin’s daughter. Absolute prerequisites, however, are strict fulfillment of caste obligations in the given life. Since the lower castes, furthermore, had the most to win through strict ritual observances of the dictates of the upper caste, they were least tempted or dared any innovation or revolt. It is very clear that so long as the Karma doctrine remains unshaken, revolutionary ideas would be inconceivable.
Chandogya Upanishad (5:10:7) says:
Those who are of pleasant conduct here the prospect is, indeed, that they will enter a pleasant womb, either the womb of a Brahmin, or the womb of a Kshatriya, or the womb of a Vaishya (the caste of ordinaries). But those who are of perfidious conduct here the prospect is, indeed, that they will enter a contemptible womb, either the womb of a dog, or the womb of a swine or the womb of an outcast (Chandala), await for development.[2]
This being the first reference to the theory, it was by the end of the Vedic period (500 BC), that the Brahminical system, with its hierarchical division of society, was supported ideologically both by reference in the ancient texts and by the doctrines of Karma and rebirth.
The concept of Karma has its roots in the philosophy of the Gita as well, which states that man attains spiritual perfection by worshiping God through performance of one’s own duties as postulated by the relevant scriptures (The Bhagavat Gita 18:46). Consequently the adherents strongly believe that there is no salvation except through compliance with the rules of the caste system as interpreted by the Brahmins, who alone had the authority to do that.
The comments made by M. N. Roy on the social consequences of such a belief are pertinent to be quoted here:
The caste system places different groups of people in different social status. If that system is providentially ordained, those belonging to lower status must be reconciled forever to their positions. Social inequality is, thus, perpetuated on the authority of divine will. The slave must be a slave forever! The ruling class enjoys its power and privileges as gifts of God, which only the sinful can ever dare to take away from it.[3]“.
“The doctrine of Karma,” says John Gunter, “has considerable political consequences. Obviously, it embodies an extreme form of fatalism, which impedes ambition.[4]” Karma theory is indeed, at the root of keeping the down-trodden under perpetual bondage. The theory overlooks the fact that poverty actually is the fault of society —a society in which the greedy and the cunning exploit and rise to the top. The poor man has to accept starvation and squalor because he is underfed and has no energy to break away and create a revolution. He has to accept what life gives him, and so he says, “It is my Karma to be like this.” The rich man also resolves: “It is my Karma. I must have done good deeds in a previous life and now I am reaping the reward of my past actions.” Thus, Karma is to accept things as they are. It does not admit of revolt against tyranny; it prevents one from shaping one’s own destiny. Being fatalists, the poor in India believe that their sufferings are a punishment for the sins committed in the previous life. Submission without any demur is the only good. Indoctrination was so complete that rarely did there arise persons who entertained the idea of revolt.
Submission without any demur is the only good. Indoctrination was so complete that rarely did there arise persons who entertained the idea of revolt.
Almost all the religious Brahmanical Gurus and Pujaris believed in the sanctity of "untouchability," an offshoot of the caste system. Even as recently as in 1969, Shri Shankaracharya of Jagannathpuri justified untouchability as a matter of religion, at the Vishwa Hindu sammelan held in Kashi, Banaras.[5]
What the law of Karma originally meant was: You reap what you sow. Actually the chain of cause and effect has little to do with the chain of incarnations, which is wholly imaginary. But the perverted theory of Karma, even its psychological influence, seems to obscure conveniently the principle of social justice here and now. Discipline was instilled into Hindu minds through elementary lessons in the law of Karma. If things went wrong, one was paying for the wrongs done in the past life. If one prospered, one was reaping the fruits of good deeds performed previously. The law of Karma gave one the feeling that yesterday is linked with today, even as today with tomorrow, in a never ending cycle. To the believers in reincarnation, the paths of life are penal, not remedial, every human soul animating in succession eighty-four lakhs bodies —the bodies of other human beings, beasts, birds, fish, plants, or the like. This weary but endless ordeal of the cycle of births fills the mind of a believer with the greatest horror.
The doctrine of Karma has some anti-social implications. It does not take into account the influence of the social forces regarding one’s present predicament. Consequently, this outlook begets a sort of indifference to the suffering of other people because the suffering of each one, whether of oneself or of others, is interpreted in terms of the actions in the past life. This outlook makes an individual disregardful or helpless regarding his own situation and unhelpful regarding the situations of other people. When no visible way is present to better their life, the people tend to become fatalistic, stick to their existing traditional norms, and lose the will to learn anything new, thus putting to no avail, if not disuse, the great human virtue of creativity.
The process of procreation demands gender difference. One may ascribe one’s present difference from another human being to some cause of one’s previous life, but where were the actions which caused the difference of sex in the first pair, whence these multitudes have sprung? Difference in sonhood and fatherhood is another sequence which must have existed even at the beginning of life. How are we to explain these differences when there was no previous life and consequently no previous action?
Our bad habits, according to the theory of Karma, have come to us as the fruit of some past actions. They cannot be undone, and all our efforts to undo them will be in vain. If I committed some wrongs in a previous life, I must, therefore, suffer their consequences in the present life, and all my efforts to be free from them are simply to belie that theory. If A receives some injury from B, it is, as the concept of Karma says, to make up for some injury received by B, from A in his previous existence. Thus, offense becomes a justification in the eyes of the culprit! One need not be thankful to one’s benefactors, because one receives from them what one had given them in charity in the past life. When every act of man—of wickedness and corruption, of kindness and love, and so on—is forced to be regarded as inevitably consequential and inalienable, societal and social laws and their enforcement are sure to become the whims of those who wield the authority. The theory is thus, indeed, most unfavorable to our moral growth.
The position of the untouchables, the Dalits and the Bahujans, were based on a concocted philosophy and a diabolical theology. The doctrine of Karma was cunningly formulated to canonize inequality of man from birth to death and even afterwards. The mindset of the poor, the ignorant, and the downtrodden was entrapped without an escape route. The concept of human rights was non-existent and its practice could never be dreamt of in such a socio-religious order. The entire contraption was perfected with such philosophical verbiage that, while confounding the mind of the common man, it never lets him get out of it. The human psyche became a victim of contradictions, and caste supremacy was made sacrosanct beyond the powers of civil society and state-made laws.
The doctrine of Karma was cunningly formulated to canonize inequality of man from birth to death and even afterwards.
In short, the doctrine of Karma was deliberately employed as a subtle but powerful instrument for justifying and perpetuating inequality and exploitation. It has inflicted the single biggest blow on the Indian social fabric. In one stroke, the people have been told that however much they try to better their lot in this birth, they cannot help it because of the accumulated sins of the past. So it is better to resign to the fate and suffer in expiation, for it is the way out! No wonder the slaves enjoy their slavery with this belief.
A careful examination proves that the social implications of the doctrine of rebirth of the soul is an absurd phenomenon. A human being, according to the concept of Karma, might have been an animal in a previous form. Naturally, an animal that was a human being might have committed some evil deeds. This creates a vicious circle. The advocates of this belief cannot settle any form for the first creature, for every generation implies a preceding generation so that the succeeding generation may be considered as the consequence of the former. This, in simple words, is quite absurd.
Karma: A Qur’anic Appraisal
According to Islam the soul remains with the human body throughout the life and departs at death. When separated from the human body, the soul enters the realm of Barzakh, which is the period between one’s death and the Final Judgment. The Qur’an teaches that God is responsible to see that every being gets its due right and that injustice will not go unpunished.
Indeed, belief in the life hereafter is very important in the doctrinal foundation of Islam. In the Qur’an it has been mentioned at numerous places conjoined with the belief in God (see for example 9:44–45, 4:59, 9:99, 2:228). The evil consequences of the disbelief in the life hereafter are far-reaching in so far as they deprive human beings of genuine success in this life. The Qur’an puts forth detailed arguments and evidence in favor of life hereafter (see 85:36–40, 50:9–15, 45:24–26). Cloning provides an irrefutable proof of the claim of resurrection. The possibility of developing the same entity from a single surviving preserved cell or part has been proved by cloning experiments. The process of creation through a single cell is common knowledge for us, as we are all born in this way. Similar would be the creation of human beings on the Day of Resurrection, the Qur’an says (56:62).
The earthly life becomes meaningless if it is not followed by another life where reward or punishment is given to individuals on the basis of the deeds performed by them in their terrestrial life. God being absolutely Just, His justice makes it imperative that those who spent their lives obeying His guidance must not be treated like those who have gone astray. Concerning the soul after death, the Qur’an and the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad mention nothing except that the soul remains after death either living in ease and comfort or in torment (3:169–170).
God being absolutely Just, His justice makes it imperative that those who spent their lives obeying His guidance must not be treated like those who have gone astray.
In awe-inspiring language, the Qur’an sketches over and again the events of the Last Day. At a point in time this world will be brought to an end in a terrifying cosmic cataclysm, frightful beyond imagination, and all people, past and present, will then stand before God—each one as totally alone and helpless as he or she came into the world—to render their accounts (80:33–42, 84:1–19). Those who denied God and rejected His guidance will long for another chance to return to the world to live their lives in obeisance in the light of their present knowledge of Reality, but they will be too late (Qur’an 43:74–76, 46:34).
The Qur’an asserts that the present life is but a minute part of the totality of existence. For God is able to transform His creations from one state of being to another (see Qur’an 41:39, 36:77–79). The belief in the life hereafter is grounded in the Qur’anic teaching that the world is a moral order, wherein every action of man, however insignificant, is accountable and must meet its reward or punishment (50:16–18, 36:12, 17:13–14, 13:9–11, 82:9–12). The good and evil fruits of human deeds become manifest in accordance with the limitations of man’s earthly life, even in this world (92:4–10). However, it is on the Day of Judgment in the life hereafter that every human action, however insignificant it might appear to us, will meet its full and complete recompense (99:1–8). On that Day, the virtuous will be more than fully rewarded for their righteous life (2:212).
Unlike the concept of Karma theory, the Islamic belief in the life after death does not dissuade man from striving for a polity based on socio-economic justice. On the other hand, it persuades a Muslim to harness all intellectual and physical endeavors in the cause of advancement of justice (4:58, 4:135, 5:8, 38:26).
Unlike the concept of Karma theory, the Islamic belief in the life after death does not dissuade man from striving for a polity based on socio-economic justice.
A Qur’anic verse (28:4) describes Pharaoh’s lust for power and superiority and his claim to divinity which led him to treat others as slaves. The policy of discrimination had divided them into mutually conflicting groups. Like Brahminism, Pharaoh also had humiliated the majority of his people by such hierarchic division of power. The Qur’an mentions him as mufsid (one who corrupts): [Assuredly, We have created man with the best traits (having the goodliest nature)](95:4). This verse establishes the essential goodness of human nature in contradistinction to the ideational culture that man is born neither with any stigma of sin nor with the fettering chains of reincarnation; and it proves human competence for pursuing good successfully and fighting evil on individual, collective, and social levels.
V.A. Mohamad Ashrof is a Muslims writer and activist From India. He is an Author in a range scope of topics on Muslims Issues.
References:-
[1] Ghose , Aurobindo, Essays on the Gita, Lotus Press, 1966, p. 200–01.
[2] S. Radhakrishnan, The Principal Upanishads (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1968) p. 433.
[3] M. N. Roy, Fascism, (Calcutta, India: Jijnasa-Best Books), (1938), 1976, p. 39.
[4] John Gunther, Inside Asia, (London: Hamilton, 1939) p. 433.
[5] R. K. S. Shirsafar, Untouchability in India (New Delhi: Deep & Deep, 1969), p. 27.
Reincarnation or Life in the Hereafter?
Moderators: eye_of_tiger, shalimar123
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santhosh.G
- Posts: 78
- Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 1:00 pm
the very word 'brahminical teachings" is erraneous , coined out of a lack of perspective...Once the depths of a great civilization is to be studied one should go into the deeper layers of their thinking,vision and the depths of their perspective and the way they lived by it, so thoroughly before coming up with some conclusions of any sort..otherwise..the entire work will be erraneous ,and shall have no standing but to confuse the people.
in Upanishads there is the story of a kausika brahmana who recieved the greatest wisdom from a butcherer.The four vedas were classified by krsihnadwaipayana who became sage Vyasa,and was the son of a fisherwomen.The Gayathri manthra was envisioned by sage Viswamithra,who was a kshatriya.Mahabharata and Mahabhagavatha were written by sage vyasa and taught to rishis by sootha,who was a sudra.The greatest epic Ramayana was made by sage Valmiki,who was earlier a hunter.
Yogavaasishta is the most brilliant piece of work,the highest thought and the boldest intellectual exercise of all the times in the history of mankind and its is part of MahaRamayana,authored by the hunter turned sage Valmiki.It aims at the liberation of mankind by the evolution of one's own thought to reach to the absolute truth .In the infinite consciousness of the self, thought becomes the vibrations which,with the power of sankalpa becomes the 'atom' of creation.several such thoughts energised by the power of will becomes 'intention' which is the molecule.."several such molecules together become the action.which is the main body..the impression of the action remains in subtler form in the memory in depths of the chittha and the discharge of these dormant impressions is the karmabhala.when all such impressions or vasanas are liberated,the soul merges with the infinite,in its pure form.
From the heights of vedanta..where absolute oneness has ever been perceived..the very word 'brahmin' means the one in whose subconscious thoughts too there is only God..the name could be ram,krishna allah,jesus....the meaning of bhrahmin,kshatriya,vysya and sudra are radically different from what 'researchers' now understand and these denote subtler natural tendencies of the mind ,which indicate separate course of sadhanas for salvation which determines a school of thought.
the perception that one is bound to undergo his Karma effects only in next birth is totally wrong .there are 3 kinds of karma..
the prarabdha karma,sanjitha karma and agama karma..I wonder why the 'researcher' is totally ignorant of these basic terms...the effect of karma can be from this second to anytime in the forthcoming millions of births.
Also,karma is not at all linked to varna,and that very thinking is a serious error.rather it is directly linked to bhrahmavidhya..in all the highest scriptres.great births have occured in every varna,Krishna himself was a yadava and too were the gopis.moksha has been attained by most evolved souls including pingala,the prostitute, the siva bhaktha who was a hunter named kannayya and so many.In the eyes of god...that sweetness of love..is absolutely tremendous.
pastlives has already been proved and is being used as regression therapy in psychiatry.There is a 3 hr yoga practise called the eternity process..held in one ashram in india and several places too, in which u can see ur past life in mind..they have been coded in subtle memory can can be seen by yoga which is direct proof.
Several scientific papers have comeup which has not been considered by the 'researcher'. In U.S, serious research has happened in the direction that the Darwin theory of evolution is part of the deeper theory of karma..as the thought,matured to intention(desire) of giraffe to pluck leaves at heights...made the collective intention and their neck became tall...
as the aquatic animals willed to live in land the body adapted..the thought-desire-intention-will-intelligence- action over time...this karma concept is the subtler cause for evolution and the use-disuse theory. so many renowned scientists are now confirming this line of thinking.
while science proceeds in this direction,sages have already established the same in their deep meditation,which is direct experience of truth.Asked'do you believe in reincarnation"', my guru said.."not that i just believe,i KNOW, that there is reincarnation" was the reply.
dismissiong something as 'absurd' telling how then the first link in the chain occured, is absurd in the first place,it is as absurd as dismissing the fact that ' a person is born to a father, that father is born to his father and so on..' as wrong because the first link cannot be got thru this.
infact regarding the first link very brilliant and rigorous explanation has been given in Yogavaasishta in the very basics of Karma, .none of these has been even considered by the 'researcher'
in Upanishads there is the story of a kausika brahmana who recieved the greatest wisdom from a butcherer.The four vedas were classified by krsihnadwaipayana who became sage Vyasa,and was the son of a fisherwomen.The Gayathri manthra was envisioned by sage Viswamithra,who was a kshatriya.Mahabharata and Mahabhagavatha were written by sage vyasa and taught to rishis by sootha,who was a sudra.The greatest epic Ramayana was made by sage Valmiki,who was earlier a hunter.
Yogavaasishta is the most brilliant piece of work,the highest thought and the boldest intellectual exercise of all the times in the history of mankind and its is part of MahaRamayana,authored by the hunter turned sage Valmiki.It aims at the liberation of mankind by the evolution of one's own thought to reach to the absolute truth .In the infinite consciousness of the self, thought becomes the vibrations which,with the power of sankalpa becomes the 'atom' of creation.several such thoughts energised by the power of will becomes 'intention' which is the molecule.."several such molecules together become the action.which is the main body..the impression of the action remains in subtler form in the memory in depths of the chittha and the discharge of these dormant impressions is the karmabhala.when all such impressions or vasanas are liberated,the soul merges with the infinite,in its pure form.
From the heights of vedanta..where absolute oneness has ever been perceived..the very word 'brahmin' means the one in whose subconscious thoughts too there is only God..the name could be ram,krishna allah,jesus....the meaning of bhrahmin,kshatriya,vysya and sudra are radically different from what 'researchers' now understand and these denote subtler natural tendencies of the mind ,which indicate separate course of sadhanas for salvation which determines a school of thought.
the perception that one is bound to undergo his Karma effects only in next birth is totally wrong .there are 3 kinds of karma..
the prarabdha karma,sanjitha karma and agama karma..I wonder why the 'researcher' is totally ignorant of these basic terms...the effect of karma can be from this second to anytime in the forthcoming millions of births.
Also,karma is not at all linked to varna,and that very thinking is a serious error.rather it is directly linked to bhrahmavidhya..in all the highest scriptres.great births have occured in every varna,Krishna himself was a yadava and too were the gopis.moksha has been attained by most evolved souls including pingala,the prostitute, the siva bhaktha who was a hunter named kannayya and so many.In the eyes of god...that sweetness of love..is absolutely tremendous.
pastlives has already been proved and is being used as regression therapy in psychiatry.There is a 3 hr yoga practise called the eternity process..held in one ashram in india and several places too, in which u can see ur past life in mind..they have been coded in subtle memory can can be seen by yoga which is direct proof.
Several scientific papers have comeup which has not been considered by the 'researcher'. In U.S, serious research has happened in the direction that the Darwin theory of evolution is part of the deeper theory of karma..as the thought,matured to intention(desire) of giraffe to pluck leaves at heights...made the collective intention and their neck became tall...
as the aquatic animals willed to live in land the body adapted..the thought-desire-intention-will-intelligence- action over time...this karma concept is the subtler cause for evolution and the use-disuse theory. so many renowned scientists are now confirming this line of thinking.
while science proceeds in this direction,sages have already established the same in their deep meditation,which is direct experience of truth.Asked'do you believe in reincarnation"', my guru said.."not that i just believe,i KNOW, that there is reincarnation" was the reply.
dismissiong something as 'absurd' telling how then the first link in the chain occured, is absurd in the first place,it is as absurd as dismissing the fact that ' a person is born to a father, that father is born to his father and so on..' as wrong because the first link cannot be got thru this.
infact regarding the first link very brilliant and rigorous explanation has been given in Yogavaasishta in the very basics of Karma, .none of these has been even considered by the 'researcher'
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Sharjeel23
- Posts: 61
- Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2009 10:35 pm
Muslim Sect : Deoband School of Thought
Some Similarities here with the beleif in Karma and Deoband's Deadless Beleif.
The Hindu belief of Karma and the Buddhist belief of Mokti are quite the same. It means when a man dies, he does not die! That is, he is instantly reborn in another form. This cycle will continue until he hoards enough good deeds to get himself freed from this birth-rebirth process. So a man can be donkey in one life and a king in the next or a brick in the next or a woman in the other. But the main point is that there is no after life. No Munkar Nakir, no Day of Judgement and no Hellfire or Paradise. In a layman's words, death is not dying. It is reliving.
This is only a brief explanation of such mythical pagans. But the Tableeghi Jamaa'at has been propagating such beliefs to the unsuspecting Muslims for the last 80 years. The fabulous Sufis of India under the influence of centuries of Hinduism and Buddhism came up with some very interesting yet pagan beliefs. And for the first time in the History of Sufism in the subcontinent these naked beggars who performed all sorts of depraved acts with animals and young boys in public preached their fantasies under the guise of Sunnah. Today their unholy alliance with the Shaitaan is known to all Muslims as the Jamaa'at at-Tableegh.
Before we proceed, we should remind ourselves about death and what Allaah the Most High has said (meaning of which):
{And we granted not to any human being immortality before you (O Muhammad), then if you die would they live forever? Everyone is going to taste death, and We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good. And to Us you will be returned}, [Soorah al-Anbiya. Aayaat 34-35]
{Verily, you (O Muhammad) will die, and verily, they (too) will die}, [Soorah Az-Zumar, Aayah 30]
{Muhammad is no more than a Messenger, and indeed (many) Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heels (as disbelievers)? And he who turns back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allaah, and Allaah will give reward to those who are grateful}, [Soorah Aal-'Imraan, Aayah 144]
Kandalvi, the "Shaikh al-Hadith" wrote on page 271-272, Fadha'il Hajj, Fadha'il Amaal Vol I:
"Hadhrat Abu Sa'eed Khazzaz asid that, "I once went to Makkah Mukkarrama and passed through the door of Bani Shabbir. I saw the corpse of a young man who had a very beautiful face. I looked at his face carefully to which he replied, "Abu Saeed! Don't you know that lovers do not die? They remain alive, even though they appear to be dead. Their death takes them from one world to another.""
This was and is the belief of the elite of Deobandh. The pagan Egyptians had exactly the same beliefs that their pharaohs do not die but transfer from one world to another. Hence they used to mummify them and keep all important items in their caskets. Five thousand years later the pagan belief is still being propagated en masse!
But this is just the tip of the ice berg on the dead-less Pirs of Fadha'il Amaal! There are also such Pirs who even know when and where they are going to die.
On page 272, Fadha'il Hajj, Fadha'il Amaal Vol I:
"Sh. Abu Yaqoob Sanoosi said,"Once a mureed of mine approached me in Makkah and said,"Ustaadh, I will die tomorrow at the time of Dhuhr. Take these gold coins. Spend half on digging my grave and half on my shroud." On the next day when the time of Dhuhr approached, he entered the masjid, performed the Tawaaf and went to a nearby spot and died! When he was put into the grave, he opened his eyes!! I asked that Is there a life after death? He replied, "Yes! I am alive and every lover of Allaah does not die.""
The Shi'a 'Aqeedah: The Imams know when they will die, and they only die by their choice. (Al-Kafi (a book of the Shi'a containing ahadith attributed to the Prophet) p.258)
So if every lover of Allaah never dies, then what is the difference between the mureed and Allaah? Allaah is Hayy and does not die and the mureed does not die. And furthermore, these mureed also know when they die. Allaahu Musta'aan! Where is the Tableegh Jamaa'at taking the Ummah of Muhammad (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam)?
The Imaam of evil, Ibn Arabee, poisoned with such beliefs said:
The Lord is a slave and the slave is a Lord. I only wish I knew which one was Mukallaf.
As we read investigate further into Fadha'il Amaal, not only are time and death under the exploitation of the Pirs of Sufiya but also the Ka'bah comes to the rescue of certain damsels in distress in Fadha'il Amaal. Yes! Kandalvi did not even spare the House of Allaah from insults and belittlement.
And it is authentically ported in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (radhi-yallaahu 'anhu) that Dhus Suwaiqatain from Ethiopia will destroy the Ka'bah, stone by stone.
If the Ka'bah cannot save itself from annihilation then how can it grow hands and come to the rescue of women who walk around attracting attention by wearing anklets?
On page 105, Fadha'il Hajj, Fadha'il Amaal Vol I:
"Moosa bin Muhammad says that once an Ajmee (a non-Arab) person was performing the Tawaaf; was a good and religious man. During the Tawaaf, the sound of the anklets of a beautiful woman fell on his ears. He began to stare at the woman. From the Yemeni Corner a hand emerged and slapped the man as a result of which his eye came out and from the wall of the House of Allaah came a voice saying, "You make Tawaaf of our house and look at our women. This slap was in return for that look. If you repeat such behaviour again, we will slap avenge you harder."
Where was the hand of the Ka'bah when the Sahaba of the Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) were being tortured? Where was the Ka'bah when filth and camel intestines were put on the back of the Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam)? Why did not the Ka'bah grew a hundred hands and save Ibn Zubair? Why did not the Ka'bah mutate into an octopus and destroy every idol that the Mushriks of Makkah had kept therein? Or does the Ka'bah comes only to rescue the women of Fadha'il Amaal? Has the mutation of the Ka'bah stopped? Does it still continue today?
Such are the lies that come out from the fabrication machines in Deobandh! Such stupidity and corruption of 'aqeedah has caused the downfall of the Muslims. Believing in grave worship, hero-worship, associating partners with the Noble names and attributes of Allaah had caused the cow worshipping, monkey supplicating Hindu to gain ascendancy over the Muslims in the sub-continent? And who is to blame for such filthy stupidity? The Jamaa'at Tableegh and their books!
But this is not an end to the insults that the House of Allaah, the House built by Ibraheem (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) had to face by the elite of Jammat Tableegh. Not only does the Ka'bah grows hands but sometimes it also pays the great auliya of Fadha'il Amaal greeting visits!?!
Page 111, Fadha'il Hajj, Fadha'il Amaal Vol lI:
"And it has been reported from certain buzurgs that some people live in Khurasaan but are close to the ones who perform the Tawaaf. And yet there are some to whom the Ka'bah itself goes to visit them…"
Astaghfirullah! Why did not the Ka'bah visit the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) and the Noble companions who lived in exile for 10 years in Madinah? Where was the Ka'bah when the Sahaba were turned back empty handed and prevented from performing Hajj? Why did not the Ka'bah come to visit the greatest of the people? And Kandalvi wants us to believe that the Ka'bah visits pathetic Pirs of Sufism? What justice is this?
Indeed, when the Ummah of Muhammad (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) left the narrations and the way of the companions, humiliation and stupidity is placed upon them. So much so, anyone calling to Tawheed is labeled a Wahabi, anyone calling to detaching oneself from deviated organizations and parties a Madhkhali and the callers to shirk, bid`ah, grave worship are given the titles of Imaams of guidance and Shaikh al Hadith!
Some Similarities here with the beleif in Karma and Deoband's Deadless Beleif.
The Hindu belief of Karma and the Buddhist belief of Mokti are quite the same. It means when a man dies, he does not die! That is, he is instantly reborn in another form. This cycle will continue until he hoards enough good deeds to get himself freed from this birth-rebirth process. So a man can be donkey in one life and a king in the next or a brick in the next or a woman in the other. But the main point is that there is no after life. No Munkar Nakir, no Day of Judgement and no Hellfire or Paradise. In a layman's words, death is not dying. It is reliving.
This is only a brief explanation of such mythical pagans. But the Tableeghi Jamaa'at has been propagating such beliefs to the unsuspecting Muslims for the last 80 years. The fabulous Sufis of India under the influence of centuries of Hinduism and Buddhism came up with some very interesting yet pagan beliefs. And for the first time in the History of Sufism in the subcontinent these naked beggars who performed all sorts of depraved acts with animals and young boys in public preached their fantasies under the guise of Sunnah. Today their unholy alliance with the Shaitaan is known to all Muslims as the Jamaa'at at-Tableegh.
Before we proceed, we should remind ourselves about death and what Allaah the Most High has said (meaning of which):
{And we granted not to any human being immortality before you (O Muhammad), then if you die would they live forever? Everyone is going to taste death, and We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good. And to Us you will be returned}, [Soorah al-Anbiya. Aayaat 34-35]
{Verily, you (O Muhammad) will die, and verily, they (too) will die}, [Soorah Az-Zumar, Aayah 30]
{Muhammad is no more than a Messenger, and indeed (many) Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heels (as disbelievers)? And he who turns back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allaah, and Allaah will give reward to those who are grateful}, [Soorah Aal-'Imraan, Aayah 144]
Kandalvi, the "Shaikh al-Hadith" wrote on page 271-272, Fadha'il Hajj, Fadha'il Amaal Vol I:
"Hadhrat Abu Sa'eed Khazzaz asid that, "I once went to Makkah Mukkarrama and passed through the door of Bani Shabbir. I saw the corpse of a young man who had a very beautiful face. I looked at his face carefully to which he replied, "Abu Saeed! Don't you know that lovers do not die? They remain alive, even though they appear to be dead. Their death takes them from one world to another.""
This was and is the belief of the elite of Deobandh. The pagan Egyptians had exactly the same beliefs that their pharaohs do not die but transfer from one world to another. Hence they used to mummify them and keep all important items in their caskets. Five thousand years later the pagan belief is still being propagated en masse!
But this is just the tip of the ice berg on the dead-less Pirs of Fadha'il Amaal! There are also such Pirs who even know when and where they are going to die.
On page 272, Fadha'il Hajj, Fadha'il Amaal Vol I:
"Sh. Abu Yaqoob Sanoosi said,"Once a mureed of mine approached me in Makkah and said,"Ustaadh, I will die tomorrow at the time of Dhuhr. Take these gold coins. Spend half on digging my grave and half on my shroud." On the next day when the time of Dhuhr approached, he entered the masjid, performed the Tawaaf and went to a nearby spot and died! When he was put into the grave, he opened his eyes!! I asked that Is there a life after death? He replied, "Yes! I am alive and every lover of Allaah does not die.""
The Shi'a 'Aqeedah: The Imams know when they will die, and they only die by their choice. (Al-Kafi (a book of the Shi'a containing ahadith attributed to the Prophet) p.258)
So if every lover of Allaah never dies, then what is the difference between the mureed and Allaah? Allaah is Hayy and does not die and the mureed does not die. And furthermore, these mureed also know when they die. Allaahu Musta'aan! Where is the Tableegh Jamaa'at taking the Ummah of Muhammad (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam)?
The Imaam of evil, Ibn Arabee, poisoned with such beliefs said:
The Lord is a slave and the slave is a Lord. I only wish I knew which one was Mukallaf.
As we read investigate further into Fadha'il Amaal, not only are time and death under the exploitation of the Pirs of Sufiya but also the Ka'bah comes to the rescue of certain damsels in distress in Fadha'il Amaal. Yes! Kandalvi did not even spare the House of Allaah from insults and belittlement.
And it is authentically ported in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (radhi-yallaahu 'anhu) that Dhus Suwaiqatain from Ethiopia will destroy the Ka'bah, stone by stone.
If the Ka'bah cannot save itself from annihilation then how can it grow hands and come to the rescue of women who walk around attracting attention by wearing anklets?
On page 105, Fadha'il Hajj, Fadha'il Amaal Vol I:
"Moosa bin Muhammad says that once an Ajmee (a non-Arab) person was performing the Tawaaf; was a good and religious man. During the Tawaaf, the sound of the anklets of a beautiful woman fell on his ears. He began to stare at the woman. From the Yemeni Corner a hand emerged and slapped the man as a result of which his eye came out and from the wall of the House of Allaah came a voice saying, "You make Tawaaf of our house and look at our women. This slap was in return for that look. If you repeat such behaviour again, we will slap avenge you harder."
Where was the hand of the Ka'bah when the Sahaba of the Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) were being tortured? Where was the Ka'bah when filth and camel intestines were put on the back of the Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam)? Why did not the Ka'bah grew a hundred hands and save Ibn Zubair? Why did not the Ka'bah mutate into an octopus and destroy every idol that the Mushriks of Makkah had kept therein? Or does the Ka'bah comes only to rescue the women of Fadha'il Amaal? Has the mutation of the Ka'bah stopped? Does it still continue today?
Such are the lies that come out from the fabrication machines in Deobandh! Such stupidity and corruption of 'aqeedah has caused the downfall of the Muslims. Believing in grave worship, hero-worship, associating partners with the Noble names and attributes of Allaah had caused the cow worshipping, monkey supplicating Hindu to gain ascendancy over the Muslims in the sub-continent? And who is to blame for such filthy stupidity? The Jamaa'at Tableegh and their books!
But this is not an end to the insults that the House of Allaah, the House built by Ibraheem (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) had to face by the elite of Jammat Tableegh. Not only does the Ka'bah grows hands but sometimes it also pays the great auliya of Fadha'il Amaal greeting visits!?!
Page 111, Fadha'il Hajj, Fadha'il Amaal Vol lI:
"And it has been reported from certain buzurgs that some people live in Khurasaan but are close to the ones who perform the Tawaaf. And yet there are some to whom the Ka'bah itself goes to visit them…"
Astaghfirullah! Why did not the Ka'bah visit the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) and the Noble companions who lived in exile for 10 years in Madinah? Where was the Ka'bah when the Sahaba were turned back empty handed and prevented from performing Hajj? Why did not the Ka'bah come to visit the greatest of the people? And Kandalvi wants us to believe that the Ka'bah visits pathetic Pirs of Sufism? What justice is this?
Indeed, when the Ummah of Muhammad (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) left the narrations and the way of the companions, humiliation and stupidity is placed upon them. So much so, anyone calling to Tawheed is labeled a Wahabi, anyone calling to detaching oneself from deviated organizations and parties a Madhkhali and the callers to shirk, bid`ah, grave worship are given the titles of Imaams of guidance and Shaikh al Hadith!
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Sharjeel23
- Posts: 61
- Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2009 10:35 pm
What is the Concept of Karma?
Karma is a superstitious belief that attracts people because of its mystical and mysterious air. It is an offence to human reason, conscience and creation in a great many ways.
Belief in karma is an important element in superstitious eastern religions such as decadent Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Karma is a Sanskrit word meaning "action" or "movement". In Indian religions, karma is conceived of as "the law of cause and effect". According to those who believe in karma, in the future people will experience the consequences of whatever they have done in the past. Good comes from good, and evil from evil. It therefore follows that the situation they are in today is the result of the past.
According to this belief, however, what is meant by "the past" is the life that a person lived before their current life; what is meant by "the future" is their next life back on this Earth that will begin (or so it is claimed), after death. The reason for this is that the belief in karma is based on a belief in reincarnation-the belief that after death, people return to the world in a different body, and that this process of death and rebirth is continuous. It therefore follows that someone who believes in karma believes that in the so-called life they will have after death, whatever successes they have, whatever position in society they occupy and whatever way of life they enjoy will have been determined by how they behaved in their previous life and on their degree of morality in that life.
For example, someone who is rich and successful in this life is being rewarded with wealth for having been a good person in their previous life. In the same way (according to the concept of karma), someone who is poor, crippled or a failure in this life will have done bad things in their previous life and is now reaping the reward for those actions. In fact, it is claimed by those who subscribe to this superstitious belief system that people may take the form of plants or animals in their successive lives, depending on the nature of the evil they have done. Later in this book we will demonstrate in detail that belief in reincarnation is mere superstition.
No matter how much the philosophy of karma appears to encourage people towards ethical behaviour, it is in fundamental conflict with belief in the hereafter and a great many matters of faith described in the Qur'an.
At first sight it might appear that a belief in karma would provide a strong incentive for people to adopt attractive moral qualities, since they will want to enjoy the best possible conditions when they are reborn into this world. However, the belief in reincarnation and other superstitious concepts fostered by religions which espouse karma (such as Hinduism and decadent Buddhism), are contrary to human logic, human nature and the human conscience. Thus, the laws and practices of these religions cannot possibly endow people with good moral qualities; they cannot bring individuals peace of mind, inner confidence or happiness. The poor living conditions and the injustice prevalent in those countries where these religions are common or where they have, in fact, been adopted as the national religion, quite clearly demonstrate the truth of this.
One of the main reasons why some of the teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism attract attention is the interest shown in them by certain world-famous film stars and musicians. Some of these famous people have their photographs taken wearing Buddhist robes in Tibet, or they claim to have found peace of mind in meditation. Another thing that makes people interested in these religions is the aura of mystery and mysticism with which they are associated in the mind of the public.
According to the belief in karma, someone who is rich and famous has become so in return for the good deeds he performed in a previous life. Many people who believe in karma, however, also think that there is no Creator who might bring this justice about. The proponents of this philosophy believe that karma is a self-maintaining system.
But the great majority of people who are influenced by this mystical aura and who make a belief in karma the foundation for their way of life do not carry out any detailed investigation into these philosophies and do not think about them carefully enough. This is because they are too focused on the positive spiritual and moral aspects to see that these religions in their decadent conditions contain many beliefs that are inconsistent, illogical, and contrary to human nature and conscience, or perhaps they simply prefer to ignore these anomalies altogether.
However, anyone who wishes to escape from the difficult and depressing life they are leading and who sincerely wants all humanity to be able to live a life full of happiness and inner tranquility ought to make an effort to find the right way. Therefore, they should carefully investigate the philosophies by which they are influenced and should be inwardly certain which path is the most correct, the wisest and the one that best accords with their conscience.
The purpose of this book is to show people whose quest for the truth has led them to adopt the positive messages of the karma philosophy, that it is not the best path since it is derived from a religion based on myths, superstitions and practices that defy reason. The only way for people to live happily and enjoy peace of mind in this life and in their eternal life after death is for them to have faith in Allah and to act in accordance with the dictates of the Qur'an. The Qur'an is the book of truth revealed by our Lord, Allah, for the sake of thinking people; it is our only guide to salvation, bringing people from darkness into light. The only true way is to put into practice the ethics of the Qur'an and to fear Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, Who keeps people from wickedness, discord, cruelty, oppression, intolerance, despair, pessimism, unhappiness and every kind of reprehensible act, and to live in accord with the Sunnah of His Noble Messenger, Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
This is a communication to be transmitted to mankind so that they may be warned by it and so that they will know that He is One God and so that people of intelligence
will pay heed.
(Surah Ibrahim: 52)
Belief in karma is an important element in superstitious eastern religions such as decadent Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Karma is a Sanskrit word meaning "action" or "movement". In Indian religions, karma is conceived of as "the law of cause and effect". According to those who believe in karma, in the future people will experience the consequences of whatever they have done in the past. Good comes from good, and evil from evil. It therefore follows that the situation they are in today is the result of the past.
According to this belief, however, what is meant by "the past" is the life that a person lived before their current life; what is meant by "the future" is their next life back on this Earth that will begin (or so it is claimed), after death. The reason for this is that the belief in karma is based on a belief in reincarnation-the belief that after death, people return to the world in a different body, and that this process of death and rebirth is continuous. It therefore follows that someone who believes in karma believes that in the so-called life they will have after death, whatever successes they have, whatever position in society they occupy and whatever way of life they enjoy will have been determined by how they behaved in their previous life and on their degree of morality in that life.
For example, someone who is rich and successful in this life is being rewarded with wealth for having been a good person in their previous life. In the same way (according to the concept of karma), someone who is poor, crippled or a failure in this life will have done bad things in their previous life and is now reaping the reward for those actions. In fact, it is claimed by those who subscribe to this superstitious belief system that people may take the form of plants or animals in their successive lives, depending on the nature of the evil they have done. Later in this book we will demonstrate in detail that belief in reincarnation is mere superstition.
No matter how much the philosophy of karma appears to encourage people towards ethical behaviour, it is in fundamental conflict with belief in the hereafter and a great many matters of faith described in the Qur'an.
At first sight it might appear that a belief in karma would provide a strong incentive for people to adopt attractive moral qualities, since they will want to enjoy the best possible conditions when they are reborn into this world. However, the belief in reincarnation and other superstitious concepts fostered by religions which espouse karma (such as Hinduism and decadent Buddhism), are contrary to human logic, human nature and the human conscience. Thus, the laws and practices of these religions cannot possibly endow people with good moral qualities; they cannot bring individuals peace of mind, inner confidence or happiness. The poor living conditions and the injustice prevalent in those countries where these religions are common or where they have, in fact, been adopted as the national religion, quite clearly demonstrate the truth of this.
One of the main reasons why some of the teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism attract attention is the interest shown in them by certain world-famous film stars and musicians. Some of these famous people have their photographs taken wearing Buddhist robes in Tibet, or they claim to have found peace of mind in meditation. Another thing that makes people interested in these religions is the aura of mystery and mysticism with which they are associated in the mind of the public.
According to the belief in karma, someone who is rich and famous has become so in return for the good deeds he performed in a previous life. Many people who believe in karma, however, also think that there is no Creator who might bring this justice about. The proponents of this philosophy believe that karma is a self-maintaining system.
But the great majority of people who are influenced by this mystical aura and who make a belief in karma the foundation for their way of life do not carry out any detailed investigation into these philosophies and do not think about them carefully enough. This is because they are too focused on the positive spiritual and moral aspects to see that these religions in their decadent conditions contain many beliefs that are inconsistent, illogical, and contrary to human nature and conscience, or perhaps they simply prefer to ignore these anomalies altogether.
However, anyone who wishes to escape from the difficult and depressing life they are leading and who sincerely wants all humanity to be able to live a life full of happiness and inner tranquility ought to make an effort to find the right way. Therefore, they should carefully investigate the philosophies by which they are influenced and should be inwardly certain which path is the most correct, the wisest and the one that best accords with their conscience.
The purpose of this book is to show people whose quest for the truth has led them to adopt the positive messages of the karma philosophy, that it is not the best path since it is derived from a religion based on myths, superstitions and practices that defy reason. The only way for people to live happily and enjoy peace of mind in this life and in their eternal life after death is for them to have faith in Allah and to act in accordance with the dictates of the Qur'an. The Qur'an is the book of truth revealed by our Lord, Allah, for the sake of thinking people; it is our only guide to salvation, bringing people from darkness into light. The only true way is to put into practice the ethics of the Qur'an and to fear Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, Who keeps people from wickedness, discord, cruelty, oppression, intolerance, despair, pessimism, unhappiness and every kind of reprehensible act, and to live in accord with the Sunnah of His Noble Messenger, Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
This is a communication to be transmitted to mankind so that they may be warned by it and so that they will know that He is One God and so that people of intelligence
will pay heed.
(Surah Ibrahim: 52)
-
Sharjeel23
- Posts: 61
- Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2009 10:35 pm
Reincarnation According to the idea of Karma
Karmic belief says that after people die they return to earth in another body. In other words it means reincarnation. This is a totally unfounded and superstitious belief.
Belief in karma is an important element in superstitious eastern religions such as decadent Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Karma is a Sanskrit word meaning "action" or "movement". In Indian religions, karma is conceived of as "the law of cause and effect". According to those who believe in karma, in the future people will experience the consequences of whatever they have done in the past. Good comes from good, and evil from evil. It therefore follows that the situation they are in today is the result of the past.
Reincarnation-the concept that people come back to the world in another body after their death-follows from the belief in karma and is absolutely fundamental to Indian religions. The relationship between karma and reincarnation is explained in a book entitled Dinler Tarihi (The History of Religions) in the following words:
Reincarnation is the belief that the soul passes from one body into another after death. Reincarnation is part and parcel of the philosophy of karma. According to this belief, a soul is either high born or low born in terms of its degree of development. A person may be reborn as a plant, an animal, a human being or a god, depending on his or her actions. (Thus, people are the architects of their own fates.) This rebirth takes place as a result of cause and effect. By means of reincarnation, it is possible for us to be given the moral and spiritual reward of our actions. Happiness in one's next life depends on right action. Every individual is responsible for his or her own situation. There is no need to fear death. Through continuous rebirths, people achieve their desires and enjoy continual satisfaction. They live in the god Brahma. It is claimed that this belief endows the native of India with a powerful optimism.[1]
As we see here, the belief in karma does not imply a belief in the afterlife; in place of this, there is a belief in rebirth into this world with the same soul but in a new body. This, however, is an erroneous and superstitious belief that conflicts with what Allah tells us in the Qur'an.
Another erroneous aspect of this philosophy that calls for attention is the belief that people can be reborn as gods. This is the most superstitious and unrealistic claim ever made in the history of mankind. Such a claim is polytheism. It is an open denial of Allah's indivisibility. It is obvious that no one can be a god; there is only one God and He has not given birth to anything, nor was He given birth to. Allah is the Lord, the Creator, the Protector and the Sole God of the whole universe and of all living things. He is Unique and has no equal. Our Lord, Allah, tells us this in the Qur'an:
Say: "He is Allah, Absolute Oneness, Allah, the Everlasting Sustainer of all. He has not given birth and was not born. And no one is comparable to Him". (Surat al-Ikhlas: 1-4)
Those who hold any belief other than this have departed from the right road and it will be to their detriment in the life after death.
Every self will taste death. You will be paid your wages in full on the Day of Rising. Anyone who is distanced from the Fire and admitted to the Garden has triumphed�
(Surah Al�Imran: 185)
... Do you then bear witness that there are other gods together with Allah?� Say: �I do not bear witness.� Say: �He is only One God, and I am free of all you associate with Him.�
(Surat al_ An�am: 19)
There is no reincarnation; death and resurrection happen only once
Reincarnation is a superstitious belief unconfirmed by any divine source. However, there are people all over the world, apart from those who follow Indian religions, who believe in reincarnation, or rather would wish that the idea of reincarnation were true. The reason for this is that people who do not believe in religion, who deny the existence of an afterlife and are afraid of either ceasing to exist or of living in Hell forever after their death, see reincarnation as a way of overcoming these fears. Belief in reincarnation necessitates believing that one should not be afraid of death; it misleads one into thinking that he will achieve his desires by means of rebirth.
However, the Qur'an tells us that death and resurrection occur only once. Every one of us has only one life to live in this world; after that life, we die, and after death we are brought to life again. Then we stay in the Garden or in the Fire for eternity, depending on what we have done in this world and whether we have worshipped Allah without associating partners to Him. In other words, we only live once in this world, and then we have an afterlife, which goes on forever. The Qur'an tells us quite clearly that we will not be able to return to this world after death:
There is a ban on any city We have destroyed; they will not return. (Surat al-Anbiya: 95)
When death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back again. so that perhaps I may act rightly regarding the things I failed to do!" No indeed! It is just words he utters. Before them there is an interspace until the Day they are raised up. (Surat al-Muminun: 99-100)
As we see from these verses, when some people meet death, they cherish the hope that they will be brought back to life again. However, at that moment it will be explained to them that this is not possible. In another verse, Allah says this about our death and rising from the dead:
How can you reject Allah, when you were dead and then He gave you life, then He will make you die and then give you life again, then you will be returned to Him? (Surat al-Baqara: 28)
Every human being will inevitably die. Yet that death will only happen once, and nobody will return to Earth after death. This is a certain truth revealed by Allah in the Qur'an. Another important truth is this; Death is not the end. Death is rather the end of people's short and transitory lives in this world and the beginning of their infinite lives in the hereafter. Every individual will spend his eternal life in the hereafter in either Heaven or Hell depending on his behaviour in the life of this world.
As we see from this verse, at the very beginning we are dead: we have no existence whatsoever. Then Allah gives us life and human form from this state. Some time after this when our lives are over, our bodies decay and disintegrate into earth once again. This is our second transition to the state of being dead. All that remains is for us to rise again. This happens in the next world. We will all rise again in the afterlife; then we will understand that we can never return again to the world, and we will account for everything we did in this world.
In other verses, it is explained to us that after we have come into this world, we will only face one single death:
They will not taste any death there-except for the first one. He will safeguard them from the punishment of the Blazing Fire. A favour from your Lord. That is the Great Victory. (Surat ad-Dukhan: 56-57)
The above verses state clearly and unequivocally that we only die once. However much one may wish to adopt superstitious beliefs such as a belief in reincarnation in order to overcome the fear of death and the afterlife and so console himself, the reality is that we will never come back to this world again after our death. Everyone will die just once, and after death, in accordance with Allah's will, we will begin our everlasting life in the next world. Allah will reward a person in the Garden or punish him in the Fire for his living a life in harmony with His unity or his covering over that truth in this world. Allah is the source of eternal justice. He is infinitely Merciful and Kind, and gives humans the true and just reward for their belief or disbelief and actions.
Seeking consolation in superstitious beliefs because of the fear of death and the fear of going to the Fire will undoubtedly bring disaster. Any intelligent and conscientious person, if they are afraid of these things, will turn to Allah with a sincere heart in the hope of going to the Garden and escaping the torments of the Fire, and they will obey the Qur'an, our sole guide to salvation, and live by the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
Then when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him, and they do not fail in their task. Then they are returned to Allah, their Master, the Real. Jurisdiction belongs to Him alone and He is the Swiftest of Reckoners.
(Surat al_ An�am: 61-62)
Reference:-
1- Prof. Dr. Gunay Tumer, Prof. Dr. Abdurrahman Kucuk, Dinler Tarihi (The History of Religions), Ocak Publishing, Ankara 1993, pp. 91-92
Belief in karma is an important element in superstitious eastern religions such as decadent Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Karma is a Sanskrit word meaning "action" or "movement". In Indian religions, karma is conceived of as "the law of cause and effect". According to those who believe in karma, in the future people will experience the consequences of whatever they have done in the past. Good comes from good, and evil from evil. It therefore follows that the situation they are in today is the result of the past.
Reincarnation-the concept that people come back to the world in another body after their death-follows from the belief in karma and is absolutely fundamental to Indian religions. The relationship between karma and reincarnation is explained in a book entitled Dinler Tarihi (The History of Religions) in the following words:
Reincarnation is the belief that the soul passes from one body into another after death. Reincarnation is part and parcel of the philosophy of karma. According to this belief, a soul is either high born or low born in terms of its degree of development. A person may be reborn as a plant, an animal, a human being or a god, depending on his or her actions. (Thus, people are the architects of their own fates.) This rebirth takes place as a result of cause and effect. By means of reincarnation, it is possible for us to be given the moral and spiritual reward of our actions. Happiness in one's next life depends on right action. Every individual is responsible for his or her own situation. There is no need to fear death. Through continuous rebirths, people achieve their desires and enjoy continual satisfaction. They live in the god Brahma. It is claimed that this belief endows the native of India with a powerful optimism.[1]
As we see here, the belief in karma does not imply a belief in the afterlife; in place of this, there is a belief in rebirth into this world with the same soul but in a new body. This, however, is an erroneous and superstitious belief that conflicts with what Allah tells us in the Qur'an.
Another erroneous aspect of this philosophy that calls for attention is the belief that people can be reborn as gods. This is the most superstitious and unrealistic claim ever made in the history of mankind. Such a claim is polytheism. It is an open denial of Allah's indivisibility. It is obvious that no one can be a god; there is only one God and He has not given birth to anything, nor was He given birth to. Allah is the Lord, the Creator, the Protector and the Sole God of the whole universe and of all living things. He is Unique and has no equal. Our Lord, Allah, tells us this in the Qur'an:
Say: "He is Allah, Absolute Oneness, Allah, the Everlasting Sustainer of all. He has not given birth and was not born. And no one is comparable to Him". (Surat al-Ikhlas: 1-4)
Those who hold any belief other than this have departed from the right road and it will be to their detriment in the life after death.
Every self will taste death. You will be paid your wages in full on the Day of Rising. Anyone who is distanced from the Fire and admitted to the Garden has triumphed�
(Surah Al�Imran: 185)
... Do you then bear witness that there are other gods together with Allah?� Say: �I do not bear witness.� Say: �He is only One God, and I am free of all you associate with Him.�
(Surat al_ An�am: 19)
There is no reincarnation; death and resurrection happen only once
Reincarnation is a superstitious belief unconfirmed by any divine source. However, there are people all over the world, apart from those who follow Indian religions, who believe in reincarnation, or rather would wish that the idea of reincarnation were true. The reason for this is that people who do not believe in religion, who deny the existence of an afterlife and are afraid of either ceasing to exist or of living in Hell forever after their death, see reincarnation as a way of overcoming these fears. Belief in reincarnation necessitates believing that one should not be afraid of death; it misleads one into thinking that he will achieve his desires by means of rebirth.
However, the Qur'an tells us that death and resurrection occur only once. Every one of us has only one life to live in this world; after that life, we die, and after death we are brought to life again. Then we stay in the Garden or in the Fire for eternity, depending on what we have done in this world and whether we have worshipped Allah without associating partners to Him. In other words, we only live once in this world, and then we have an afterlife, which goes on forever. The Qur'an tells us quite clearly that we will not be able to return to this world after death:
There is a ban on any city We have destroyed; they will not return. (Surat al-Anbiya: 95)
When death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back again. so that perhaps I may act rightly regarding the things I failed to do!" No indeed! It is just words he utters. Before them there is an interspace until the Day they are raised up. (Surat al-Muminun: 99-100)
As we see from these verses, when some people meet death, they cherish the hope that they will be brought back to life again. However, at that moment it will be explained to them that this is not possible. In another verse, Allah says this about our death and rising from the dead:
How can you reject Allah, when you were dead and then He gave you life, then He will make you die and then give you life again, then you will be returned to Him? (Surat al-Baqara: 28)
Every human being will inevitably die. Yet that death will only happen once, and nobody will return to Earth after death. This is a certain truth revealed by Allah in the Qur'an. Another important truth is this; Death is not the end. Death is rather the end of people's short and transitory lives in this world and the beginning of their infinite lives in the hereafter. Every individual will spend his eternal life in the hereafter in either Heaven or Hell depending on his behaviour in the life of this world.
As we see from this verse, at the very beginning we are dead: we have no existence whatsoever. Then Allah gives us life and human form from this state. Some time after this when our lives are over, our bodies decay and disintegrate into earth once again. This is our second transition to the state of being dead. All that remains is for us to rise again. This happens in the next world. We will all rise again in the afterlife; then we will understand that we can never return again to the world, and we will account for everything we did in this world.
In other verses, it is explained to us that after we have come into this world, we will only face one single death:
They will not taste any death there-except for the first one. He will safeguard them from the punishment of the Blazing Fire. A favour from your Lord. That is the Great Victory. (Surat ad-Dukhan: 56-57)
The above verses state clearly and unequivocally that we only die once. However much one may wish to adopt superstitious beliefs such as a belief in reincarnation in order to overcome the fear of death and the afterlife and so console himself, the reality is that we will never come back to this world again after our death. Everyone will die just once, and after death, in accordance with Allah's will, we will begin our everlasting life in the next world. Allah will reward a person in the Garden or punish him in the Fire for his living a life in harmony with His unity or his covering over that truth in this world. Allah is the source of eternal justice. He is infinitely Merciful and Kind, and gives humans the true and just reward for their belief or disbelief and actions.
Seeking consolation in superstitious beliefs because of the fear of death and the fear of going to the Fire will undoubtedly bring disaster. Any intelligent and conscientious person, if they are afraid of these things, will turn to Allah with a sincere heart in the hope of going to the Garden and escaping the torments of the Fire, and they will obey the Qur'an, our sole guide to salvation, and live by the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
Then when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him, and they do not fail in their task. Then they are returned to Allah, their Master, the Real. Jurisdiction belongs to Him alone and He is the Swiftest of Reckoners.
(Surat al_ An�am: 61-62)
Reference:-
1- Prof. Dr. Gunay Tumer, Prof. Dr. Abdurrahman Kucuk, Dinler Tarihi (The History of Religions), Ocak Publishing, Ankara 1993, pp. 91-92
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