Article by Brothers Shaik Abdul Wadood & Mushafiq Sultan
Assalamualaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barkatahu (May Peace, Blessings & Mercy of Allah Be Upon You)
INTRODUCTION
Islamic concept of rebirth is completely different from the concept of rebirth of other religions; rebirth in Islam does not mean cycle of birth and death.
Quran says,
How can ye reject the faith in Allah?- seeing that ye were without life, and He gave you life; then will He cause you to die, and will again bring you to life; and again to Him will ye return. [Quran 2:28]
Before a certain period of birth the humans are in a lifeless state and when a person is born, he lives his life in the world as per the decree and after that he dies and he will be in that state till the day of resurrection. On the day of resurrection he will be resurrected and will be judged and will find his abode either heaven or hell according to the deeds he had done in his life.
The above verse speaks of the order in which humans have to pass through. It also negates the belief of continued cycle of birth and death. When a person is returned towards Allah on the Day of Resurrection then there will be no death to him.
Life of the world:
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
[O disbelievers], eat and enjoy yourselves a little; indeed, you are criminals. Quran (77:45-46)Allah extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it]. And they rejoice in the worldly life, while the worldly life is not, compared to the Hereafter, except [brief] enjoyment. Quran (13:26)
Similarly there are many verses which termed the life of the world as a brief enjoyment. Those who try to enforce the belief of rebirth in Islam too agrees that the there are many verses which talks about the single worldly life which is brief (short period). It is an attempt to remove the belief in the Day of Resurrection, those who deny the Day of resurrection is indeed the real losers.
Does man think that We will not assemble his bones?
Yes. [We are] Able [even] to proportion his fingertips. Quran (75:3-4)
The above verses completely remove the concept of rebirth wherein souls inhabit new bodies after bodily death. Even when the body of a person is decomposed after his death he will be resurrected from the grave with the same fingertips or say fingerprints which he had in his worldly life.
Generally, the concept of rebirth (in other religion) is referred to the concept of Karma 1, that the deeds which a person accumulates in this life will determine the state in which he will be reborn. If he was bad, he is reborn in the womb of a woman from a lower level of society (caste) and he has to do good deeds so that he may be reborn on a higher level. If, on the other hand, he was good, he is reborn in the womb of a higher caste woman as a pious or holy man and continues to be reborn to successively higher caste women more pious and holy until he reaches perfection as a member of the Brahmin caste. When he becomes perfect, the cycle of rebirth ends with his soul dissolving and reuniting with the world soul, Brahma, in a process known as “Nirvana”.
According to Islam and all divinely revealed religions, when a person dies on earth he will not be reborn until the Day of Resurrection. After the destruction of the world, all of mankind will rise up from the dead to be judged by Allah, the only God worthy of worship and the Greatest of Judges. From the time a man dies until he is resurrected, he remains in a suspended state known in Arabic as the “Barzakh”. [A partition]. “It should not seem strange to think that someone who died thousands of years ago, may be waiting for thousands of years before finally being brought back to life’, because the Prophet (SAW) had said that everyone’s death is the beginning of his resurrection. Time only exists for those living on earth. Once a man dies, he leaves the time zone and a thousand years becomes a blinking of an eye. Similarly people who awaken from long comas often think that little or no time has passed.
1 [Karma primarily means action, work or deed. In its secondary sense it signifies the effect of an action, or the sum total of ‘effects’ of past actions. Thus, it is stated in the Chandogya Upanishad (Veda) that those whose past deeds have been good will after death be reborn from the womb of a Brahman woman. Whereas those whose deeds have been evil will be reborn from the womb of an outcaste woman (See. Dictionary of Religions, p. 180).]
Refutation to the article of agniveer:
Agniveer states: Rebirth forms the essential foundation of almost all the religions of the world. The reasons are obvious:
a. All religions and philosophies of world originate from the same source of Vedas which
is a manual of Theory of Karma that is unhindered by birth and death.
My Response: 1)”All religions and philosophies of world originate from same source of Vedas?” Strange claim!!. The fact is all other religion and philosophies are not originated from the Vedas. Nevertheless I will refute agniveer’s this claim through agniveer.
Agniveer in this article says : Qoute “The implications of this is obvious – in reality Muhammad believed in concept of rebirth.However he was confused due to lack of access to Vedic wisdom.” And in another article says “the basic premise of the Abrahamic beliefs (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) are as follows:
God is just, kind, perfect
– This life is our first and last life
– God is testing us here
– Based on the marks we obtain in this test, we will go to either Heaven or Hell.”
http://agniveer.com/465/god-crazy/
In the above given article agniveer accepts that the beliefs of Abrahamic beliefs (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) is different from the Vedas (in their understanding). Now agniveer exposed themselves as liers and an inconsistent lot.
2) If many teachings and concepts within the Vedas are similar to those of Zoroastrian religion, then why should we not conclude that Vedic Religion has been derived from Zoroastrianism, beacuse the Parsis (Zoroastrians) consider their religion older than the Vedic Religion.
ZOROASTRIAN SOURCES OF VEDAS
Sun occupied a very significant position in the religion of Ancient Persia and Zend Avesta. Similarly at various places in the Vedas, Sun god (Surya Devata) occupies a significant position. [Rig Veda Mandal 4; Sukt 14 ]
In the Zend Avesta, god Mithra is glorified as “I announce (and) carry out (this Yasna) for Mithra of wide pastures, of the thousand ears, and of the myriad eyes.” [Yasna 1:3]. Similarly Mitra is glorified in Rig Veda 3:59 “MITRA, when speaking, stirreth men to labour: Mitra sustaineth both the earth and heaven. Mitra beholdeth men with eyes that close not. To Mitra bring, with holy oil, oblation.”
Vayu Devata is mentioned in both Zend Avesta and Vedas. See for example Yasna 25:5
Yima Xšaēta is mentioned throughout the Zend Avesta and so is Yama Raja mentioned in the Vedas. He has same roles in both the Scriptures, i.e. the ruler of the dead.
Thrita is called the First Healer in Avesta-Venidad; Fargard 20. Similarly Trita Aptya is mentioned as healer in the Vedas.
In Zend Avesta, especially in its HOM YASHT section, Haoma is described as a herb and worthy of worship. Similarly, as we have seen before, Soma is called a herb and deserving worship. For details see HOM YASHT in Avesta- Yasna and Rig Veda Mandal 9 SOM MANDAL.
Agni is taken as an object of worship in both scriptures.
The methods of sacrifice, worship and the words used in worship are so strikingly similar that were I to reproduce here those passages, it can make a voluminous book. To illustrate I will provide only one example of how similar the prayers to Mitra are
‘We offer up libations unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, who gives a happy dwelling and a good dwelling to the Aryan nations. ‘May he come to us for help! May he come to us for ease! May he come to us for joy! May he come to us for mercy! May he come to us for health! May he come to us for victory! May he come to us for good conscience! May he come to us for bliss! he, the awful and overpowering, worthy of sacrifice and prayer, not to be deceived anywhere in the whole of the material world, Mithra, the lord of wide pastures.[Khorda Avesta – 10 Mihr Yasht 4-5]
Mitra, of holy strength, I call, and foe-destroying Varuna, Who make the oil-fed rite complete. Mitra and Varuna, through Law, lovers and cherishers of Law, Have ye obtained your might power Our Sages, Mitra-Varuna, wide dominion, strong by birth, Vouchsafe us strength that worketh well.[Rig Veda – Mandal 1; Sukt 2; Mantras 7-9]
These are only some of the thousands of similarities between Zoroastrian Scriptures and Vedas. These similarities provide good ground to believe that Vedic teachings have their source in the Parsi Religion.
INTERNAL EVIDENCE (WHAT DO THE VEDAS SAY?)
Let us take a look at some Vedic Mantras which falsify the claim that Vedas are beginningless. I will provide the scanned images of the orginal text plus the hindi translation by Arya Samaj as well as the English Translation and my comments.
1. Following is the scanned image from Yajur Veda Adhyay (Chapter) 13; Mantra (Verse) 37 and then the english translation.
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“O Learned man! You have gained knowledge from ancient scholars. You are charitable. Join your trained horses to your chariots, ready to face your enemy and establish yourself on the throne on justice.”
The mantra is clearly referring to ancient scholars who were well verses in the ways of warfare. Thus the Vedas were compiled in the times when civilization had progressed to the extent that chariots were used and warfare was known.
2. Yajur Ved Adhyay 12; Mantra 111 reads
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“O Man, follow thou the scholars, those who are aware of the ups and downs, those who have extensive knowledge, who are righteous, who passed away in the first age (Satyug). This is what I command you.”
It is clear that these verses, and hence the book, have been written after Satyug, which is believed by Hindus as the first age in their division of time periods. So Vedic finite nature is established.
3. Further, it is mentioned in Yajur Ved Adhyay 19; Mantra 38
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“O our Father, Grandfather and Great-Grandfather. Purify our life. Fulfill our wishes and our hard work in all ways. Keep us away from those evil dog-like humans who live near and far.”
This shows that Vedas were written at a time when many generations of humans had passed from the first humans and there were people who believed and disbelieved in the Vedas, the latter being compared to evil dogs. Thus Vedas were written at a finite time.
I can go on and on posting passages from the Vedas which refute the claims of Vedas being from the beginning. But, it will make the article too long. So I will suffice with mere references, like the one presented above, which throw more light on this topic. Yajur Veda 34:16 speaks about ancient knowledge and scriptures (Puranas and other shastras), which were present before the Vedas. Same is mentioned in Yajur Veda 34:27.
SOURCE: WRITTEN BY MUSHAFIQ SULTAN TAKEN FROM
http://www.theintellectual.info/religion/hinduism/281-vedas-are-not-eternal-a-detailed-analysis
Agniveer states: b. A huge number of blatant discrepancies emerge if one is to believe that God is just or even that the world is not a random motion of subatomic particles. For example refer God must be Crazy article.
My Response: Whatever discrepancies that was portrayed by agniveer was clearly showing their lack of understanding of Islamic concept.
Agniveer insult God by considering God as unjust.
There was not a single discrepancies that was found in that article, it was their lack of knowledge.
For example, Some children are born healthy while others are born handicapped or with a congenital defect. Irrespective of whether a child is born healthy or handicap, in Islam he is Masoom i.e. sinless. There is no question of the child being handicapped due to a carried forward baggage of past sins from ‘a previous life’. Such a belief will not inculcate a charitable attitude in others. Others might say that the child deserves his birth defects or the handicap since it is a result of his ‘bad karma’.
Agniveer states: It is however popularly believed that Islam opposes concept of rebirth. In fact Islam is said to be the biggest critique of theory of rebirth.
My Response: One of the main articles of belief in Islam is the Resurrection of everyone on the Day of Resurrection. And as per the deeds done in the life of the world everyone will enter either heaven or hell in the Hereafter. All Muslims have belief in the life after death so saying Islam is the biggest critique of the theory of rebirth is not true. But Islam is the biggest critique of the theory of cycle of birth, death and rebirth which is called Samsara.
Agniveer states: Muslims firmly believe that there is just one life here and then it’s all over. We don’t get any second chance to improve ourselves.
My Response: When will a person improve? A person will improve only when he knows very well what he did mistake earlier, so next time he will strive to rectify his mistakes. But, in actual no person remembers what mistake he did in his earlier life. May be this is the same reason of Hitler killing 6 million Jews. Hitler (with swastika flags) might have thought he could improve himself in the next life and do genocide on Jews in the present life
Agniveer states: We will be raised from our graves on the Day of
Judgment and our hands, shoulders, face etc will give the testimony of our deeds whatever good or bad.
My Response: This part deals with the testimony of body parts (such hands, legs,etc) against ownselves, Quran describe this in few places, one such place is in Surah Fussilat.
And [mention, O Muhammad], the Day when the enemies of Allah will be gathered to the Fire while they are [driven] assembled in rows,
Until, when they reach it, their hearing and their eyes and their skins will testify against them of what they used to do.
And they will say to their skins, “Why have you testified against us?” They will say, “We were made to speak by Allah, who has made everything speak; and He created you the first time, and to Him you are returned.
And you were not covering yourselves, lest your hearing testify against you or your sight or your skins, but you assumed that Allah does not know much of what you do.Quran (41: 19-22)
But why there is a need for limbs to testify? The will is given in the following hadith.
It was also recorded by Muslim and An-Nasa’i. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Burdah said that Abu Musa said, “The disbeliever or the hypocrite will be called to account and his Lord will show him his deeds, but he will deny them and say, `O Lord, by Your glory, this angel has written about me something that I did not do.’ The angel will say to him, `Did you not do such and such on such and such a day in such and such a place’ He will say, `No, by Your glory O Lord, I did not do it.’ When he does that, a seal will be placed over his mouth.” Al-Ash`ari, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “I think that the first part of his body to speak will be his right thigh.”
Agniveer states: Interestingly, this Day will look like night since sun will be folded along with its spacious light before that day! Allah will raise up all who are in the graves [Quran 22:7]
Another scope of research for Mullahs will be that what will happen to those, like us, who are cremated and thus have no graves! But this is beyond the scope of this article and we leave it for future.
My Response: The earth that day will be with a completely different look as said in Quran and to describe how it will be it will be too lengthy to include in this article. But the core thing is comparision between earth on Day of Resurrection and the present state of earth will not be correct. As Quran says,
[It will be] on the Day the earth will be replaced by another earth, and the heavens [as well], and all creatures will come out before Allah, the One, the Prevailing. Quran (14: 48)
As far as the saying, that day will look likes night is concerned: Even in night we can have moon and stars light, but on that Day even this light won’t be there. There will be only the Light (Noor) of Allah.
And the earth will shine with the light of its Lord, and the record [of deeds] will be placed, and the prophets and the witnesses will be brought, and it will be judged between them in truth, and they will not be wronged. Quran(39: 69)
Next the anti-islamist qoute Quran [22:7] verse which says,
And [that they may know] that the Hour is coming – no doubt about it – and that Allah will resurrect those in the graves.
Agniveer doubts on being resurrected as they are cremated: No need to doubt you will be definitely resurrected in the Hereafter; Islam already answered the queries like these.
And they did not appraise Allah with true appraisal…. Quran (6:91)
The might of Allah is so much that he can do whatever he wills just by saying “Be”. A man of preceding age too thought in the same way.
Narrated Ribi bin Hirash:’Uqba said to Hudhaifa, “Won’t you narrate to us what you heard from Allah’s Apostle?” Hudhaifa said, “I heard him saying, ‘Death approached a man and when he had no hope of surviving, he said to his family, ‘When I die, gather for me much wood and build a fire (to burn me), When the fire has eaten my flesh and reached my bones, take the bones and grind them and scatter the resulting powder in the sea on a hot (or windy) day.’ (That was done.) But Allah collected his particles and asked (him), ‘Why did you do so?’ He replied, ‘For fear of You.’ So Allah forgave him.”(Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 685)
Doubters of Resurrection have doubt that how they will be resurrected when their bodies are burned or cremated but the person mentioned in hadith asked his son to burn his body, crush (grind) the remaining and spread the particles in the sea and air. But Allah is able to resurrect the person from any form and even without form.
Agniveer states:
The concept of everlasting hell and heaven is the essential outcome of the axiom of “just one life”. “Just one life” ideology is enlightening the Kasabs and Osamas with the same zeal with which it would enlighten Muhammad’s misguided Mujaahideen in past.
My Response: The “Just one (worldly) life” is the just and the only correct ideology. This is the same reason due to which a terrorist like kasab once said “I should be punished by this world for what I did here, not by the Almighty”.It showing that he knows what he did was wrong and will be accounted for in the hereafter.
The ideology of “Just one (worldly) life” and the Hereafter puts the fear of Hell in the hereafter with no one to compensate for their mistakes, for the wrong ones. If anyone spread mischief then for such people there will be hell in the hereafter. Let’s make it clear by putting an example of Just one (worldly) life ideology:
If a class Xth student is told by his father that if he is doesn’t pass in the first attempt then he will be compelled to discontinue his studies. Then, How he will study? He will put all his efforts to pass exam in his first attempt itself. On contrary, those who think they have many attempts will put less effort.
Similarly, when you see seers (or saints) cum terrorist like Pragya Singh Thakur and Purohit Dayanand Pande are not ashamed of the terrorist activities done by them even they do they have the ideologies which encourage evil by making them perceive that they have many lives to improve but “for now take revenge on Muslims”.
Apart from these many cases of immoral activities have been surfaced of sadhus (Hindu seers) involving in sex scandal, like Swami Nitynanda and many more.
Agniveer states: But is this theory actually found in Quran or is it just a humbug being spread by Mullahs?
My Response: Again Refuting Agniveer through its own article ;). Agniveer says in the very same article “We accept that there are many verses in Quran which talk about just one life here and a permanent heaven and hell hereafter.”
I Can’t understand why agniveer is so much interested in exposing themselves as Inconsistent and Confused people. Anyways let’s see what Quran says,
Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion. Quran (3: 185)
Every soul will taste death. Then to Us will you be returned.Quran (29: 57)
Quran says after death there will be no return to the world but they will be returned to Allah on the Day of Resurrection.
Agniveer states: Rebirth in Vedic literature stands for a process in which a soul gets reunited with a new body, leaving behind the old one. Or in other words, it is the transformation of one combination (of soul and previous body) to the other combination (of soul and next body). Important is the thing that soul remains the same in whole process.
My Response: Vedic Literature? Prove from Vedas of what you said, if you can’t let me show what Vedas says,
There is reference to life after death in the Vedas. It is mentioned in:
“The unborn portion, burn that, AGNI, with thy heat; let thy flame, thy splendour, consume it; with those glorious members which thou hast given him, JATAVEDAS, bear him to the world (of the virtuous)” (Rigved: 10: 16: 4)
The Sanskrit word ‘Sukritam u Lokam’ means ‘the word of the virtuous or region of the pious, referring to the hereafter. The next verse i.e.
b. “… Putting on (Celestial) life, let the remains (of bodily like) depart: let him, JATAVEDAS be associated with a body.” (Rigved: 10: 16: 5). This verse too refers to a second life i.e. life after death.
‘Swarga’ in the Vedas:
a. ‘Swarg’ i.e. Paradise, is described in several places in the Vedas including: “May all these streams of butter, with their banks of honey, flowing with distilled water, and milk and curds and water reach thee in domestic life enhancing thy pleasure. May thou acquire completely these things strengthening the soul in diverse ways. Having pools of clarified butter, stocks of sweet honey, and having exhilarating drinks for water, full of milk and curds, may all these streams flow to us in the world of happiness swelling sweetly. May our lakes full of lotuses be situated near us.” (Atharva Ved: 4: 34: 6)
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b. “Bereft of physical bodies, pure, cleansed with the wind, brilliant, they go to a brilliant world. The fire does not cause burning in their male organ. In the world of happiness they get plenty of women. (Atharva Ved: 4: 34: 2)
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c. “May the realised ones, first of all, take the vital breath under their control from the limbs in which it has been circulating. Go to heaven stay firm with all the parts of your body. Attain the world of light and emancipation, following the path of the enlightened ones (your predecessors)”. (Atharva Ved: 2: 34: 5)
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Vedas also talks of the Paradise and Hell rather than transmigration of soul, but the scholars of Hindus have deviated the masses by getting the concept of life and death, again and again and preferred their concept over the concept of Vedas.
Rebirth in Hinduism. Why it is brought by Hindu scholars?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kL0YTQSo_pA
Logically, if the concept of transmigration of soul is real, then why the population in world is always increasing why it not constant or decrease due to people achieving Nirvana.
Important question confronts the believers in the theory of transmigration of souls:
(1) Should the life of a sufering person be saved in the circumstances, when according to the theory of Transmigration he is being punished by God for some sin or other ? I wonder if an Arya Samajist would let his only son die without medical treatment, taking the illness to be a just retribution from God visited on the son for some past sin of his ?
(2) Then again it might help the son to sufer the pain patiently and perhaps to die without protest, if he could be told clearly and in so many words as to his past sin for which he is being punished. If this is not possible, then the whole theory is an impious iction. In fact it may be come inhuman and illegal. For example A murders B now witness C(a believer in the transmigration of souls) believing that B suffered death because of his past sins and A was only an Instrument of God to effect that punishment,and allows A may even help him to escape. What would police think of C.
READ MORE
http://truthofhinduism.com/general/reincarnationa-detailed-analysis/
One question is, If achieving Nirvana is the only thing then why Paradise and Hell is mentioned in Vedas?
Anti Islamist quote some verses of Quran to support their claim that Islam too subscribes the view of transmigration of souls. Such as,
Agniveer states: And well ye knew those amongst you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath: We said to them: “Be ye apes, despised and rejected.” [Quran 2:65]
When in their insolence they transgressed [all] prohibitions, We said to them: “Be ye apes, despised and rejected.” [Quran 7:166]
Comments
The above verses clearly show that Allah gives different bodies to the people as per their
deeds. This is merely the concept of rebirth in any religion. The only difference is that Allah takes no time in changing the bodies for the souls whereas all others believe this process to be carried out under relatively slow natural unchangeable laws.
My Response: If anyone who read the context of the above said verses, then it will be clear that these are referring to the people who violated the sanctity of the Sabbath and for that they were punished and transformed in apes and swine and they lived in that state not more than 3 days after transformation.
Ask them concerning the town standing close by the sea. Behold! they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath. For on the day of their Sabbath their fish did come to them, openly holding up their heads, but on the day they had no Sabbath, they came not: thus did We make a trial of them, for they were given to transgression.
When some of them said: “Why do ye preach to a people whom Allah will destroy or visit with a terrible punishment?”- said the preachers:” To discharge our duty to your Lord, and perchance they may fear Him.”
When they disregarded the warnings that had been given them, We rescued those who forbade Evil; but We visited the wrong-doers with a grievous punishment because they were given to transgression.
When in their insolence they transgressed (all) prohibitions, We said to them: “Be ye apes, despised and rejected.” Quran(7: 163-166)
And Ibn Abbas’s hadith too clears the concept.
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn ‘Abbas said, “Those who violated the sanctity of the Sabbath were turned into monkeys, then they perished without offspring.” Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn ‘Abbas said, “Allah turned them into monkeys because of their sins. They only lived on the earth for three days, for no transformed person ever lives more than three days….
Furthermore they quote this verse of Quran,
Agniveer states: We are not to be frustrated from changing your Forms and creating you [again]
in [forms] that ye know not. [Quran 56:60, 61]
Comments
a. This verse seems to be an answer from Allah to a question, “will you create me in different forms again and again?”
b. Tafsir e Azeezi contains a hadith in which Muhammad says- “It is confirmed that you have been created to sustain for eternity. It is also confirmed that you die and go to other world every time and you will continue to do so forever”.
My Response:
Explanation of the verse:
a) When a person comes forth from his grave and is gathered and brought to account, his body will remain the same as it was before he died. Then when the people of Paradise enter Paradise and the people of Hell enter Hell, Allaah will change their forms.
Description of the people of Hell:
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The molar of the kaafir – or the eyetooth of the kaafir – will be like Uhud, and his skin will be as thick as three days’ travelling.” (Narrated by Muslim, 2851).
Description of the people of Paradise:
It was narrated from Mu’aadh ibn Jabal that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The people of Paradise will enter Paradise hairless and beardless, with kohl-rimmed eyes, all thirty or thirty-three years old.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2545).
There are many other references of forms getting changing in the hereafter but this will suffice for the moment.
b) And any thing which is mentioned and is referred to Muhammad peace be upon him as hadith then it is compulsory that the narrators name has to be provided else it would be considered as genuine. Major part of hadiths is evaluated (either authentic or fabricated) based on the chain of narrators who narrate the hadith. Just by saying Azeezi says this and Hussaini says that won’t work.
Agniveer states: 5. How can ye reject the faith in Allah?- seeing that ye were without life, and He gave you life; then will He cause you to die, and will again bring you to life; and again to Him will ye return. [Quran 2:28]
Comments
a. This verse is totally in sync with two main concepts of Vedas. One the uncreated souls and second their cycle of birth and death. The word “ye” is the proof of existence of the entity “ye”, even before Allah gave life to it. If Allah would have created this entity “ye”, the verse would have been “…seeing that ye did not exist and He made you existent…”. This contradicts with the common belief of many Muslims that souls are created by Allah. To hold this verse true in all era and thus Allah to be outside the time bound, “ye” has to be without beginning as mentioned in this verse.
b. Life after death and death after life in cyclic order is clearly evident from the verse, which is exactly the same as that of Vedic concept of “Punarjanm” or “Rebirth”.
c. Some people might say that giving life again implies the rising up of dead from the graves on judgment day, but then in that case, Quranwill not be eternal as claimed by Mullahs. Anything can be said as eternal onlywhen it remains with all its properties till eternity. So, guiding people,being the property of Quran should always be there till eternity. For being so,people to be guided should always be there till eternity. And this verse tobecome applicable till eternity, there should be no end of this process oflife-death-life-death…..
Putting this in simple words, if heaven andhell are eternal, Quran can’t be eternal because this verse cannot be appliedon those sitting in everlasting heaven or hell.
My Response:
a) This verse is very simple and agniveer is trying to make it complex, as well already seen, how much they are confused andinconsistent people, Let me put that in simple words. The verse says “seeingthat you were without life” that means lifeless. Let me explain this with anexample, if I say the glass is without life or lifeless, then is it necessaryit have life earlier.
b)It had been earlierexplained in the article about this very same verse.
“Before a certain period ofbirth the humans are in a lifeless state and when a person is born, he liveshis life in the world as per the decree and after that he dies and he will bein that state till the day of resurrection. On the day of resurrection he willbe resurrected and will be judged and will find his abode either heaven or hellaccording to the deeds he had done in his life.
The above verse speaks ofthe order in which humans have to pass through. It also negates the belief of continuedcycle of birth and death. When a person is returned towards Allah on the Day ofResurrection then there will be no death to him.”
c) This verse showed thewhole process of the humans starting with before the birth till returningtowards the Allah i.e; on the Day of Resurrection. Instead if it had been asagniveer said then it would not be applicable because after returning towardsAllah there will be no coming back. And as far as the people of Heaven and Hellare concerned, they have already passed through that stage and the verse ismade true.
Agniveer states: Think not of those who areslain in Allah’s way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in thepresence of their Lord. [Quran 3:169]
TheProphet said: …I would love to be martyred in Allah’s Cause and then getresurrected and then get martyred, and then get resurrected again and then getmartyred and then get resurrected again and then get martyred… [Bukhari 4.54]
Comments
a)Yet anotherverse, which claims rebirth, leaving no confusion whatsoever
Comments
b)In the end, we would say that could Prophet,who was an ideal person and a role model for his country, a chosen one byAllah, think anything opposite to Allah’s will? If concept of rebirth is antiIslamic and against Allah’s will, could Muhammad wish to get life again andagain? Answer is no. The implications of this is obvious – in reality Muhammadbelieved in concept of rebirth. However he was confused due to lack of accessto Vedic wisdom. But he did teach rebirth concepts to best of his abilities.However, after he died, and perhaps even during his lifetime, many spuriousverses were added to original Quran to further the designs of his politicallymotivated companions who were bent on killing each other.
My Response: As per them the verses speak of rebirth but it nowheretalks of rebirth. Rather it speaks of the merits of the martyr.
Think not of those who are slain in Allah’s way as dead. Nay, they live, findingtheir sustenance in the presence of their Lord.
They rejoice in the bounty provided by Allah. And with regard to those left behind,who have not yet joined them (in their bliss), the (Martyrs) glory in the factthat on them is no fear, nor have they (cause to) grieve. Quran (3: 169-170)
A martyr when he dies hegets sustenance from Allah and will be high in ranks and will be among thosewho are nearer to Lord. There is a difference between the martyr and death butthe common thing between both is their worldly life will be finished and theywill not come back to the world.
Believers do wish forMartyrdom as it has good rewards:
And you hadcertainly wished for martyrdom before you encountered it, and you have[now] seen it [before you] while you were looking on. Quran(3:143)
b) In the comments agniveer again exposed their lack of understanding of Islam’s basics. It says “Prophet, who was an ideal person and a role model for hiscountry,”. Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him IS an ideal person (don’tuse was) and role model for the WHOLE OF MANKIND not for his country.
Say:”O men! I am sent unto you all, as the Messenger of Allah, to Whombelongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth: there is no god but He: itis He That giveth both life and death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger,the Unlettered Prophet, who believeth in Allah and His words: follow him that(so) ye may be guided.” Quran (7:158)
OMankind! The Messengerhath come to you in truth from Allah. believe in him: It is best for you. Butif ye reject Faith, to Allah belong all things in the heavens and on earth: AndAllah is All-knowing, All-wise. Quran (4:170)
As Muhammad peace be upon him all Muslims believe inthe life after death and in that life all will be judged. As far as theauthenticity of the Quran is concerned it has been dealt in the latter part ofthe article.
Agniveer states: It is We Who created them, and We have made theirjoints strong; but, when We will, We can substitute the like of them by acomplete change. [Quran 76:28]
Comments
Tafsir e Husaini while describing this versesays-“Means that Allah can transform one in
better or worsestate from now or He may keep same as now”.
My Response: Again a Tafsir of Unknown person more than that without narrator (Though there is no objection in his tafseer as it means justchanging of forms which will be on the Day of Resurrection). There is a hadithrelated to this verse which is as follows,
Ibn ‘Abbas,Mujahid and others have said, “This means their creation.” (When We will,We can substitute the like of them by a complete change.) meaning, ‘when Wewish, We will resurrect them on the Day of Judgement and change them, repeatingtheir creation in a new form.’ Here the beginning of their creation is a prooffor the repetition of their creation.
Agniveer states: The likeness of the lifeof the present is as the rain which We send down from the skies. [Quran 10:24]
Set forth to them the similitude of the lifeof this world: It is like the rain which we send down from the skies: theearth’s vegetation absorbs it, but soon it becomes dry stubble, which the windsdo scatter: it is [only] Allah who prevails over all things. [Quran 18:45]
Comments
a. These verses may not look relevant in thefirst sight but when looked closely, they present beautiful combination ofscience and philosophy of rebirth. Everyone knows that water is not created inthe skies but it moves in a cycle of vaporisation and condensation. It goesfrom down to up and up to down. It is mentioned in the verse that when water isno longer there, vegetation gets dried, it means the death. But does watervanish really? No, rather it again goes up and comes down in the next cycle.So, life, being similitude of water, is also in a cycle of birth and death
b. If someone says that life and death arenot cyclic then this verse has to be false as well as non scientific. It will befalse because of claiming similarity between water and life and non scientificbecause of assuming water to be created in the skies instead of remaining inthe cycle.
My Response: Anti-Islamist quoted partial verse of Quran (Verse10:24) to change the meaning according to their will lets see the verse and itsexplantion,
Thelikeness of the life of the present is as the rain which We send down from theskies: by its mingling arises the produce of the earth- which provides food formen and animals: (It grows) till the earth is clad with its golden ornamentsand is decked out (in beauty): the people to whom it belongs think they haveall powers of disposal over it: There reaches it Our command by night or byday, and We make it like a harvest clean-mown, as if it had not flourished onlythe day before! thus do We explain the Signs in detail for those who reflect.Quran (10: 24)
Allah the Almighty has setan example of the similitude of the life of this world, its glitter and theswiftness of its passage, likening it to the plant and vegetation that Allahbrings out from the earth. This plant grows from the water that comes down fromthe sky. These plants are food for people, such as fruits and other differenttypes and kinds of foods. Some other kinds are food for cattle such as cloverplants (i.e. green fodder for the cattle) and herbage etc. (until when theearth is clad in its adornments ,) (and is beautified ) meaning, it became goodby what grows on its hills such as blooming flowers of different shapes andcolors. (and its people think…) those who planted it and put it in theground, (that they have all the powers of disposal over it) to cultivate it andharvest it. But while they were in that frame of mind, a thunderbolt or asevere, cold storm came to it. It dried its leaves and spoiled its fruits.Allah said: (Our command reaches it by night or by day and We make it like aclean-mown harvest,) it became dry after it was green and flourishing. (As ifit had not flourished yesterday!) As if nothing existed there before.Qatadah said: “As if it had not flourished; as if it was never blessed.”Such are things after they perish; they are as if they had never existed.
Read the verse andunderlined part carefully.
Similarly, the Hadith on this verse is,
(A person wholed the most prosperous life in this world will be brought up and dipped oncein the Fire. He will then be asked: ‘Have you ever found any good or comfort’He will reply: ‘No.’ And a person who had experienced extreme adversity in thisworld will be brought up and dipped once in the bliss (of Paradise). Then hewill be asked: ‘Did you ever face any hardship or misery’ He will reply: ‘No.’
(This Hadith is good and narrated in Mustadrak of Al-Hakim)
Hope at least now theyunderstood its meaning.
Agniveer states: Didst thou not Turn byvision to those who abandoned their homes, though they were thousands [Innumber], for fear of death? Allah said to them: “Die”: Then He restored them tolife. For Allah is full of bounty to mankind, but Most of them are ungrateful.[Quran 2:243]
My Response: This verse clearly speaks of people of in thousands(in numbers) who abandoned their homes. This is referring to the Story of Prophet Hizqil (AS).
Ibn Abu Hatim related thatIbn ‘Abbas said that these people mentioned herein, were the residents of avillage called Dawardan. ‘Ali bin ‘Asim said that they were from Dawardan, avillage several miles away from Wasit (in Iraq).
In his Tafsir, Waki’ binJarrah said that Ibn ‘Abbas commented,
(Did you (O Muhammad) not thinkof those who went forth from their homes in thousands, fearing death) that theywere four thousand persons who escaped the plague (that broke out in theirland). They said, “We should go to a land that is free of death!” Whenthey reached a certain area, Allah said to them: (“Die.”) and they alldied. Afterwards, one of the Prophets passed by them and supplicated to Allahto resurrect them and Allah brought them back to life. So, Allah stated: (Didyou (O Muhammad) not think of those who went forth from their homes in thethousands, fearing death)
These people were theresidents of a city during the time of the Children of Israel. The weather intheir land did not suit them and an epidemic broke out. They fled their landfearing death and took refuge in the wilderness. They later arrived at afertile valley and they filled what is between its two sides. Then Allah senttwo angels to them, one from the lower side and the other from the upper sideof the valley. The angels screamed once and all the people died instantly, justas the death of one man. They were later moved to a different place, wherewalls and graves were built around them. They all perished, and their bodiesrotted and disintegrated. Long afterwards, one of the Prophets of the Childrenof Israel, whose name was Hizqil (Ezekiel), passed by them and asked Allah tobring them back to life by his hand. Allah accepted his supplication andcommanded him to say, “O rotted bones, Allah commands you to cometogether.” The bones of every body were brought together. Allah then commandedhim to say, “O bones, Allah commands you to be covered with flesh, nervesand skin.” That also happened while Hizqil was watching. Allah then commandedhim to say, “O souls, Allah commands you to return, each to the bodythat it used to inhabit.” They all came back to life, looked aroundand proclaimed, “All praise is due to You (O Allah!) and there is no deityworthy of worship except You.” Allah brought them back to life after they hadperished long ago.
Agniveer states: Then We raised you upafter your death: Ye had the chance to be grateful. [Quran 2:56]
My Response: Firstly there is no point to support rebirth from thisverse, but still lets see the context of the verse,
And remember Moses said to his people: “O my people! Ye have indeed wrongedyourselves by your worship of the calf: So turn (in repentance) to your Maker,and slay yourselves (the wrong-doers); that will be better for you in the sightof your Maker.” Then He turned towards you (in forgiveness): For He isOft- Returning, Most Merciful.
And remember ye said: “O Moses! We shall never believe in thee until we seeAllah manifestly,” but ye were dazed with thunder and lighting even as yelooked on.
Then We raised you up after your death: Ye had the chance to be grateful. Quran.(2:54-56)
These verses speaks howAllah gave life back to the people of Musa (AS) but this is not referring tothe transmigration of the soul (souls inhabiting in new bodies).
Agniveer states: It is Allah Who causeththe seed-grain and the date-stone to split and sprout. He causeth the living toissue from the dead, and He is the one to cause the dead to issue from theliving. That is Allah: then how are ye deluded away from the truth? Quran [6:95]
And who is it that brings out the living from the dead and the dead from theliving? [Quran 10:31]
It is He Who brings out the living from the dead, and brings out the dead from theliving, and Who gives life to the earth after it is dead: and thus shall ye bebrought out [from the dead]. [Quran 30:19]
“Thoucausest the night to gain on the day, and thou causest the day to gain on thenight; Thou bringest the Living out of the dead, and Thou bringest the dead outof the Living; and Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou pleasest, withoutmeasure.” [Quran 3:27]
Comments
a. Verses are clear in stating that life anddeath are cyclic and occur one after another just like day and night.
b. Some Muslim friends argue that bringingliving out of dead and dead out of living mean “living baby from the deadsemen” and “dead semen from the living male”. But it cannot be the meaning atall. There is a huge difference between “non living” and dead. Dead implies forsomeone who possessed life in past but not now, whereas non living is somethingwhich has nothing to do with life or death because it had no potential tobecome alive anytime. For example, pan, paper, fan, etc are never called asdead; rather they are called as non living. So, semen should be called as non livingrather than dead. So, it is proved that “dead” the above verses refer tosomeone who possessed life and again it will be alive. This is what rebirth is!
My Response:
a) life anddeath are cyclic just like day and night ? How can you conclude like that. Theverse talks about the might of Allah and it is not comparing the lifeand death with day and night. Read these with verses it is not comparing lifeand day (cyclic) with day and night.
Say:”O Allah. Lord of Power (And Rule), Thou givest power to whom Thoupleasest, and Thou strippest off power from whom Thou pleasest: Thou enduestwith honour whom Thou pleasest, and Thou bringest low whom Thou pleasest: InThy hand is all good. Verily, over all things Thou hast power.
“Thoucausest the night to gain on the day, and thou causest the day to gain on thenight; Thou bringest the Living out of the dead, and Thou bringest the dead outof the Living; and Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou pleasest, withoutmeasure.” Quran (3: 26-27)
b) (You (Allah) bring theliving out of the dead, and You (Allah) bring the dead out of the living.)means, You bring out the seed (lifeless) from the plant (living) and the plantfrom the seed; the date from its seed and the date’s seed from the date; thefaithful from the disbeliever and the disbeliever from the faithful; thechicken from the egg and the egg from the chicken, etc (many such examples).And all these verses are no where related to the transmigration of soul i.e.,soul inhabiting multiple bodies.
Agniveer states: Has not He, [the same],the power to give life to the dead? [Quran 75:40]
O my beloved Allah! We know you have thepower, but our Muslim brothers and sisters don’t believe! I know you have powerto convince them as well, hope You will do it!
My Response: Yes, Allah gives life to the dead in the Hereafter andevery Muslim believes that when he is dead he will be given life and will betaken into account and everyone will be judged and those who thought this worldis the only place where they will be living and dying, then for these people Quran says,
[For such is the state of the disbelievers], until, when death comes to one of them,he says, “My Lord, send me backThatI might do righteousness in that which I left behind.” No! It is only a word heis saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected.Quran (23: 99-100).
The disbeliever denies theday of resurrection and this belief will make them remorseful on the Day of Judgementand they will plead to Lord for sending them back to the world, but that willbe too late for them.
Agniveer states: Just think that had this modern Quran beenindeed foolproof and final authentic version revealed to Muhammad, was Allahincapable enough to not ensure that the Quran was preserved in written anddocumented format in Muhammad’s lifetime itself? Why did Allah allow in LoheMahfooz to have verses in Hadiths which talk of goat eating some verses ofQuran? Why did Allah leave the task of documenting Quran on Muhammad’sfollowers after his death? But, as we have mentioned in our previous articles,current Quran is not the same as Muhammad dictated to his Sahabas (companions).It has undergone many interpolations by the so called followers of Muhammad tofulfil their own agenda of ruling the world by hook or by crook.
My Response: There is only one Quran since it was revealed to theprophet there is no such modern or ancient Quran. Quran wasalready preserved in the lifetime of Muhammad peace be upon him by thememorizing of the majority of Muslims of each generation whether it be Sahabas,Tabieen, Tab-e-Tabieen, or general Muslims even in the present time millions ofMuslims memorized the complete Quran. This is the best way of preserving Quranwhere millions memorized completely due to the reward of memorizing Quran
NarratedUthman ra: Rasulullah saw said: “The best of you is he who has learnt theQur’an and then taught it.” (Bukhari)
Apart from memorizing manySahabas wrote down verses of Quran (and even hadiths) on the instruction ofMuhammad peace be upon him what ever they found. For complete informationfollow this link,
http://www.answering-christianity.com/quran/textual.htm
And just by your mere sayingthat Quran has undergone changes doesn’t have any value. Whatever you say whenit comes to Islam first the proof is to be provided.
Agniveer states: And why were they fighting each other if Quran was supposedto preach only peace?
My Response: If anyone does that then they not following Quran, asQuran says:
Hold fast to the rope of Allah alltogether, and do not separate. Remember Allah’s blessing to you when you wereenemies and He joined your hearts together so that you became brothers by Hisblessing. You were on the very brink of a pit of the Fire and He rescued youfrom it. In this way Allah makes His Signs clear to you, so that hopefully youwill be guided. (Surah al’Imran, 103)
The believers are brothers, so makepeace between your brothers and heed Allah so that hopefully you will gainmercy. (Surat al-Hujurat, 10)
These are few verses of many which speaks how a Muslimshould be with other Muslims.
Agniveer states: Why did Allah kill the Caliphwho is said to have compiled modern Quran?
My Response: And if you are killed in the cause ofAllah or die – then forgiveness from Allah and mercy are better than whateverthey accumulate [in this world] Quran(3:157)
Death will come to everyone,who ever it may. But getting martyred is far more superior that dieingnormally, so the Caliph died in a superior death.
Agniveer states: Even someone like Zakir Naik also knows thisvery well. He was asked once whether Heaven and Hell are eternal? He repliedthat only Allah is eternal and Heaven/Hell will come to end one day. Whichclearly means that the cycle will be repeated after that if Allah is just andkind.
Refer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5HNJKrZbZs
My Response: After the judgment when everyone will be put in Heaven/ Hell then thatwill be the abode forever. There is no reason to compare Allah with hiscreatures,
And there is none like unto Him. Quran(112:4)
The above verse shows that there can be no comparisionthat means we cant compare the eternity of the Lord and his creatures.For example, we see and hear and Lord to Sees and Hear but there is adifference in the hearing and seeing of Lord as He sees and Hear to everyone atthe same time which we cant.
Agniveer states: So we request every Muslim brother and sisterto reject biased and unscientific adulterations of modern Quran and come backto the original Quran of Muhammad which guides us to follow only the Vedas, thetrue knowledge, which is the root of every rational concept of every religion.
My Response: Firstly there is no such modern and ancient Quran there is only oneQuran since it was revealed. And from the article one will get to “what Quransays” and “What Vedas says” and how agniveer exposed themselves as liers andinconsistent group of people on multiple times. I request all Non-Muslims toleave their arrogance and come towards truth so that you get the salvation.
And who is more unjust than he whoinvents a lie about Allah? Those will be presented before their Lord, and thewitnesses will say, “These are the ones who lied against their Lord.”Unquestionably, the curse of Allah is upon the wrongdoers.
Who averted [people] from the way ofAllah and sought to make it [seem] deviant while they, concerning theHereafter, were disbelievers. Quran (11: 18-19)
The liars who lied on Islam by interpreting the versesso as to change the original concept of hereafter should repent and submitthemselves to the will of Allah . The world will vanish and everyone will dieone day and there will be an end to this worldly life. So think on it, whatanswer will you give to the Almighty Lord.