ISLAM That isn’t as Swami Vivekananda Experienced!
http://answeringvivekananda.blogspot.in/2011/11/islam-that-isnt-as-swami-vivekananda.html
By Imran Khan
Imran Khan
ISLAM
That isn’t as Swami Vivekananda Experienced!
…A Critic to the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda
Dedicated to the seekers of Truth!
About the Author:
I am neither a Scholar nor a Priest, but rather unusually a student writing my first book. I was not at all interested in Religion few years ago, I was a kind of Blind believer, who used to believe and pray in the traditional way without understanding the reason or purpose behind it. But when God wants to guide someone, no one can misguide him. Though I was guided in a rather unusual way.
One incident that changed my life was the attack on World Trade Center on September 11 2001. All of a sudden the focus of the whole world turned towards Muslims and Islam. Every Media around the world started discussing and debating Islam. Though my mother tongue is Urdu, I was unable to either read or write it. But English was the language which I knew, which took me to the Insight of Islam.
I started studying Islam . When there were debates in news papers, in which many non-Muslim brothers and sisters out of their ignorance tried to malign Islam, I had to respond to them, so I started studying other religions. Thus my journey towards study of comparative religions began. I was very much interested in Science especially in astronomy since my childhood, this helped me further to strengthen my faith in God. I became more closer to the faith when I started discovering the striking similarities between Science and Scriptures.
As I am the student of Science, my faith in God is only on the basis of Reason and Logic, and the best place where one can find them is in Science! If I had remained a blind believer, all my studies in school and Collage would have been worthless!
Discussions on Religion led me to many of my friends who shared the same interest. On my way to Dawah (Inviting all to the Truth, with wisdom and beautiful preaching). I was cut short by the Philosophy** of Swami Vivekananda. His philosophy was like a huge Mountain in the middle of the smooth highway. His philosophy made me think, and I thought. The only ways to continue my journey was either to (i) Take a diversion or (ii) Climb the mountain. Taking a diversion meant, rejecting the Philosophy of Swami Vivekananda and Climbing the mountain meant Understanding the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda. I choose the latter and started studying about Swamiji and his philosophy, which made me over come the mountain and led me continue with the journey of Dawah.
It was the Reason, Logic and Prophet Mohammad’s words on acquiring infinite knowledge, that inspired me to study the Philosophy of Swami Vivekananda. I underwent a lot of struggle in studying and understanding Hindu scriptures, which was an entirely new concept for me. I studied lots of books on, and by Swami Vivekananda. I discovered lots of new things in Swamiji’s philosophy. And I was in a dilemma as to whether I can find an convincing answer to the questions posed by his philosophy .
Consciously I had challenged myself . If I couldn’t find an convincing answer to the questions posed by the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda, it meant that I have surrendered myself by accepting the Swamiji’s philosophy. But on the other hand if I find convincing answers (logical & reasonable), that meant that I can once again continue with my journey of Dawah!
I have written this Book without any intention of Prejudice and Bias, the book is as clear as a mirror. And I can guarantee that any one reading this book with open mind, without prejudice and bias will not be able to find a single line in the whole book that Hurts their sentiments. And I hope that, it will be an extra knowledge for those, who keep their hearts open for the wind of fresh wisdom, to blow into their hearts. And for those who have sealed their hearts, this book is nothing but a bundle of papers. PEACE BE ON YOU!
(Servant Of God)
About the book:
As the name itself indicates, this book deals with the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda on Islam. Vivekananda did not study enough of Islam to know where the spiritual part of Islam ends and where the political part takes over.Vivekananda’s “deep regard for Islam was in a way [the] most striking expression of his faith in validity of all religions”, and that Vivekananda’s highest prayer for the “good of the Motherland was that she might manifest the twofold idea of ‘An Islamic body and a Vedanta’s heart’”. But a closer examination of Vivekananda’s writings reveal that such a “validation” of Islam and of the Muslim Indian is more apparent than real, however.
When Vivekananda does praise Islam (and Muslims), it is mostly for what he considered to be the robust vigor of its“masculinity”; the ethical and metaphysical aspects of Islam suffer a near-total erasure. Like other neo-Hindu religious cultural and religious nationalists of his time, for Vivekananda, the Muslim Indian resides “outside the fold”, as it were, of that which makes for a “true” Indian: one who possesses a life of manas, not bahubal.
``For our own motherland a junction of the two great systems, Hinduism and Islam.-Vedanta brain and Islam body-is the only hope.
``I see in my mind's eye the future perfect India rising out of this chaos and strife, glorious and invincible, with Vedanta brain and Islam body.''
The Swami could enthrall his disciples by rendering the coronation song of Akbar "in the very tone and rhythm of Tansena." But his life also reflected how, even after a thousand years of co-existence with it, Islam was still seen as an 'outsider'.
My intention is to prove that a person having ‘Strong mind and weak body is as useless as, a person having strong body and weak mind’. And that Swami Vivekananda failed to comprehend that along with the strong body, Islam also has it’s OWN brain, which is strong enough!
I certainly do not feel proud of myself; I merely intend to serve as a means in one’s search for God's right path. Furthermore, I make no material gains from this books. They merely serve to earn the good pleasure of God.
The publications of hundreds of books explaining the Philosophy of Swami Vivekananda & Vedanta are either in contradiction, or are in conflict with reason. When they come to divinity and the concept of God, they leave the honest seeker of the Truth Lost! The philosophy of Swamiji regarding the concept of God made me a strongest critic of his philosophy. Hence the name“A Critic to the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda.
Meanwhile, it would just be a waste of time and energy to propagate books which create confusion in people's minds, lead people into ideological chaos, and which clearly have no strong and precise effects in removing the doubts in people’s hearts. It is apparent that it is impossible for books devised to put the stress on author’s literary power rather than the noble goal of saving people from loss of faith, to have such a great effect. Those who doubt this can readily see that the sole aim of this book is to overcome disbelief and to disseminate the moral values of the Truth.
When I thought of writing on Swami Vivekananda, I was a bit hesitant because it was to write about a religion one does not profess and it is a delicate matter to do so. But after reading the books on Swamiji, in one of the book named “Chicago Address” Page 51, there was a paper named ‘Religion not the crying need of India’ 20th Sep 1893, where Swamiji criticized the Christian Missionaries. There is also a book titled “THE CHRIST WE ADORE” by Swami Ranganathananda from Advaita Publications. So why can’t I write a book on Swami Vivekananda? Keeping in mind the words of great scholar “Ching Chow” who states, “Don’t find fault with what you do not understand”, I have only tried to refute the points of Swamiji, only after fully understanding it!
My only intention is to present the Truth. Truth is the truth only if it has the capability to prove and support itself with reason! There is no compulsion for man to accept the Truth. But it is certainly a shame upon the human intellect when man is not even interested in finding out as to what is the TRUTH.
Question of concern?**
If you are reading this book with concentration, you will have your first doubt in Mind, i.e. Why did I mention in preface that Swamiji’s philosophy** was an obstacle on my road towards discussion of comparative religion in the light of Islam (Dawah) ?
The Answer!
What is Comparative Religion? Comparative Religion is the study of two or more Religions, with a standard authentic reference! Finding out the similarities between Religions, and keeping off the differences at bay! If Islam & Hinduism for example have Two similar points out of Ten, let us accept them first, and then we can sort out the Differences of Eight points.
The reason why many religions have undergone difficulties is because they believe and follow some principles, and reject the other which might go against other religions. Ultimately all the religions had the same message, but with the passage of time, their message got corrupted, hence the differences arise. For example, the prophetic religions Believe and follow the principle of Monotheism and reject Idol worship, which is against the belief of Non-Prophetic religions.
Therefore these religions undergo difficulties, and they have to produce lots of proofs, and give enough reasons to prove their point right. But on the other hand in some religions (especially in Swami Vivekananda’s) there is no need to prove anything right or wrong, because it either accepts everything or rejects everything. When everything is accepted, it need not have to undergo difficulties, in the similar way if it rejects everything it need not have to undergo difficulties. It has everything to everybody, instead of religion it becomes a way of life. For example, when religious reforms were made in India (Arya samaj, Brahmo samaj, Prarthana samaj…etc) they were not widely accepted, because they adhered to the true principles of their religion, and rejected the false practices which had become traditions. So where there is rejection, there is opposition! Swamiji was one of them to reject these reforms, he simply did not find solace in them. He brought back the old religion, but in the new form!
After studying the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda, I was compelled to ask myself, how can truth and falsehood be equal? How can a sinner and a sinless person be equal? How can evil be equal to Good? How can God be with form and without form at the same time? How can the Creator and the created be equal? This compelled me to question the authenticity, and the authority of this philosophy!
But the question is, “Is this the Truth”? How can any one come to the conclusion as to what the Truth is? How can anyone find the Truth in this situation?
When a person has a doubt in the mind, and in a quest to find the solution/ answer to his doubt, assumes something to be right is not the right answer!
The correct solution is right there, and even though they see it, they assume that they know it, and hence walk away leaving the right solution behind. When they reach the dead end they forget what they came for, and in course of time pick up the problem instead of a right solution!
Are you Reasonable and Logical?
Some may say that people on earth can be divided into many types. One may say that People can be divided into Religions and sects, others may say that people can be divided into Casts and Races. But according to me, people can be divided into only two types;
(1) Believers
(2) Unbelievers
Believers are further divided into two types;
(1) Those who believe in God on the basis of Reason and Logic!
(2) Blind believers, who believe in God without any reason and logic!
Unbelievers are further divided into two types;
(1) Those who don’t believe in God on the basis of Reason and Logic.
(2) Blind Unbelievers, who just do not want to believe in God!
Out of these four kind of people, only two types of people can discover the purpose of their life, and can achieve the Goal, they are;
(1) People who believe in God on the basis of Reasoning & Logic.
(2) People who do not believe in God on the basis of Reasoning and Logic.
What is Reason and what is Logic?
‘Logic’ is the only thing that can differentiate between right and wrong, truth and falsehood .
‘Reason is one of the best things that God has created on earth. Each and every person on this earth reasons out things. If a person fails to reason out things, he is a worthless person!
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