Hinduism Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of South Asia. Hinduism is often referred to as Sanātana Dharma by its adherents. Generic "types" of Hinduism that attempt to accommodate a variety of complex views span folk and Vedic Hinduism to bhakti tradition, as in Vaishnavism. Hinduism also includes yogic traditions and Islam Islam (Arabic: الإسلام‎ al-’islām, pronounced [ʔislæːm] [note 1]) is the monotheistic religion articulated by the Qur’an, a text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of their one, incomparable God (Arabic: الله‎, Allāh), and by the Prophet of Islam Muhammad's teachings and normative example (in Arabic called are two of the world’s three largest religions. Orthodox Hinduism is the socio-religious way of life of the Hindu people of the Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent and other terms, is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate south of the Himalayas, forming a land mass which extends southward into the Indian Ocean, their diaspora, and some other regions which had Hindu influence in the ancient and medieval times. Islam is a monotheistic religion in which the supreme deity is Allah Allah (Arabic: الله‎ Allāh, IPA: [ʔalˤːɑːh] ) is the standard Arabic word for God. While the term is best known in the West for its use by Muslims as a reference to God, it is used by Arabs of all Abrahamic faiths, including Mizrahi Jews, Baha'is and Eastern Orthodox Christians, in reference to "God". The term was also used and the last prophet being Muhammad ibn Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullāh (Arabic: ﷴ; Transliteration: Muḥammad; pronounced [mʊˈħæmmæd] ; also spelled Muhammed or Mohammed) (ca. 570/571 Mecca[مَكَةَ ]/[ مَكَهْ ] – June 8, 632), was the founder of the religion of Islam [ إِسْلامْ ] and is regarded by Muslims as a messenger and prophet of God (Arabic: الله‎. Orthodox Hinduism mostly shares common terms with the dhārmic religions, including Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Islam shares common terms with the Abrahamic religions (those religions claiming prophet Abraham Abraham is the founding patriarch of the Israelites, Ishmaelites, Edomites, and the Midianites and kindred peoples, according to the book of Genesis), i.e. Judaism and Christianity.

The scriptures of Islam are the Qurān The Qur’an is the central religious verbal text of Islam, also sometimes transliterated as Quran, Koran, Qur’ān, or Al-Qur’ān. Muslims believe the Qur’an to be the verbal book of divine guidance and direction for mankind. Muslims also consider the original Arabic verbal text to be the final revelation of God, which is primary book because it is considered the word of God, and the several Shia and Sunni Hadīths Hadith are narrations concerning the words and deeds of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Hadith are regarded by traditional Islamic schools of jurisprudence as important tools for understanding the Qur'an and in matters of jurisprudence. Hadith were evaluated and gathered into large collections mostly during the reign of Umar ibn AbdulAziz during the, which are secondary in authority, and deal with the life and acts of Islamic Prophet Muhammad Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullāh (Arabic: ﷴ; Transliteration: Muḥammad; pronounced [mʊˈħæmmæd] ; also spelled Muhammed or Mohammed) (ca. 570/571 Mecca[مَكَةَ ]/[ مَكَهْ ] – June 8, 632), was the founder of the religion of Islam [ إِسْلامْ ] and is regarded by Muslims as a messenger and prophet of God (Arabic: الله‎. The scriptures of Orthodox Hinduism are the Shrutis (the four Vedas The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism and their three tier of commentaries), which are considered authentic, most authoritative and Divine Revelation. Furthermore, Hinduism is also based on the Smritis (including the Ramāyana, the Bhagavad Gītā and the Purānas), which are considered to be of secondary authority and human creation.

Nevertheless, Hinduism and Islam do have many similarities, as well as differences, as discussed below.

Contents

Theology and Concept of God

Islam follows a strictly monotheistic faith. There is One God God is the English name given to the singular omnipotent being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism in Islam, and only One, and this principle of monotheism is called Tawhīd Tawhid is the concept of monotheism in Islam. It holds God (Arabic: Allah) is one (wāḥid) and unique (ahad), and there can be no compromise on Tawhīd. Allah is considered formless, omniscient, omnipotent and perfect.

In contrast, Hinduism's belief in God can be variously categorized as monotheism, monism, henotheism or polytheism. To understand the concept of God in Hinduism, it is necessary to know that Orthodox Hinduism has six systems of philosophy, all of which hold the four Vedas as authentic sources of knowledge, viz.:

  1. Sānkhya
  2. Yoga
  3. Nyāya
  4. Vaisheṣhika
  5. Pūrva Mīmānsā
  6. Vedānta

The last one, Vedānta is further split into sub-branches, of which the most popular is Advaita Vedanta Advaita Vedanta is a sub-school of the Vedānta (literally, end or the goal of the Vedas, Sanskrit) school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are Dvaita and Viśishṭādvaita. Advaita (literally, non-duality) is a monistic system of thought. "Advaita" refers to the identity of the Self (Atman) and the Whole ( propounded by Sage Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (788 CE - 821 CE?), also known as Śaṅkara Bhagavatpādācārya and Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, was an Indian philosopher who consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta, a sub-school of Vedanta. His teachings are based on the unity of the soul and Brahman, in which Brahman is viewed as without attributes. He hailed from Kalady of in the Early-Medieval India. Each philosophical system and sub-system has its own distinct concept of God. This leads to a variety of concepts of God in Hinduism.

According to Advaita Vedanta, God is One, and only One. However, due to the effect of Maya (lit., illusion), God is manifested upon the minds of human beings as anthropomorphic devi-devatas (often translated into English as "gods & goddesses"). These devi-devatas are not fully real, but are permissible within the Hindu tradition as convenient paths of worship for God, who is referred to in Hindu philosophy by the Sanskrit term Ishwara (lit., the Lord, similar to Arabic term al-Rabb). Ishwara is regarded as One, spiritual, formless, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent and perfect. So unlike Islam, Advaita Vedanta believes that God is present inside every human, animal, plant and matter, because God is considered both immanent ("like the whiteness in milk") and transcendent ("like the watchmaker who exists independent of his watch"), whereas in Islam, God is strictly transcendent. Hence the Hindus believe they are permitted to worship the same one God under different forms and even through icons, while Islam strictly forbids any thing which comes close to polytheism and idolatry. Apart from the idea of God, it is also important to note that Advaita Vedanta considers this material world to be illusionary (i.e. caused by Maya). They believe that there is one level of Reality higher than this pragmatic level, which is the transcendental level of Reality. In this Transcendental level, there is no Maya, and one and only one entity exists: the Supreme Cosmic Spirit (Sanskrit: Brahman). This Brahman is devoid of all attributes except Truth, Consciousness and Bliss, and this is the true nature of God (Ishwara). This Brahman is exactly equal to the individual soul, after the soul has attained final salvation (Moksha, which is all about finding this level of Reality). This concept of considering the material world as illusionary is totally alien to Islam, which considers both God and his Creation to be fully true. Further, in the afterlife, Islam believes that the individual soul is not equal to God, but rather will reside in the Paradise close to God.

The other sub-branches of Vedanta philosophy, like the one followed by ISKCON The International Society for Krishna Consciousness , also known as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Hindu Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Its core beliefs are based on traditional Hindu scriptures such as the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and the Bhagavad-gītā, both of, have a different view of Ishwara/Brahman. ISKCON believes that this material world is also real and that God has positive attributes even in the true form. They do not believe in the Advaita concept of illusion. Furthermore, ISKCON believes that Krishna Krishna is a deity worshipped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of perspectives. While many Vaishnava groups recognize Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu, other traditions within Krishnaism consider him to be svayam bhagavan, or the Supreme Being is the true form of God and in order to attain salvation, one must worship Krishna in his true form (through icons or idols). They consider the other devi-devatas to be manifestations of Krishna. While this kind of philosophy is similar to Islam because of their belief in the reality of this material world and positive attributes of God, they differ in the fact that Islam denies any anthropomorphic form to God and forbids such idols for worship.

Purva-Mimansa is purely polytheistic philosophy which believes in the separate existence of multiple devi-devatas. In order to please these devi-devatas, one must follow all the rituals prescribed in the Vedas and in the subsidiary texts, which includes worshiping and sacrificing to them. There is no recognition of One Omniscient Omnipotent God, unlike Vedanta. This philosophy is often mistaken to be the entire Hindu belief, hence the misconception that Hinduism is polytheistic. Purva-Mimansa is in most respects the opposite of Islamic philosophy for obvious reasons.

Nyaya, Vaisheshika and Yoga philosophies have more similarity with Islam. Like Islam, they believe in the existence of One Supreme God (Ishwara), who is formless, spiritual, omniscient and omnipotent. They also believe in the several devi-devatas as celestial beings who are subordinate to God; this concept is similar to that of the angels Angels are messengers of God in the Hebrew Bible , the New Testament and the Quran. The term "angel" has also been expanded to various notions of "spiritual beings" found in many other religious traditions. Other roles of angels include protecting and guiding human beings in Islam and other Abrahamic religions. Like the angels, the devi-devatas are considered as intermediaries between God and the human world, and are assigned specific powers by God, who is the Creator of all; e.g. Devi Saraswati is assigned the task of education, music and the sciences, Agni Deva presides over fire, Indra Deva presides over all the devi-devatas and is assigned with rain and thunder, etc. However, these three philosophies concern themselves more with actual logic (and in case of Yoga, with physical exercises and meditation) than with religious beliefs.

The philosophy of Sankhya is atheistic. It does not believe in God and in its logical system, there is no place for God. It believes that evolution is continuously occurring due to the liaison between the individual spirits (Purusha) and the Nature (Prakriti). All things are made up of varying levels of three essences: Truth, Passion and Darkness (Sattva, Rajas & Tamas) which keep changing in proportion, thus creating new things. These concepts, including atheism of course, are totally alien to Islam. Apart from Sankhya, there is another Indian philosophy called Charvaka which is purely atheistic and condemns all rituals and supernatural beliefs, but it is not considered Orthodox Hindu.

Scriptures

Hindu scriptures are very ancient and most predate the founding of Islam by millenniums. Historians consider the Vedas (also known as Shruti) to have been compiled between 1500 BC and 1000 BC. There are four Vedas: Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda. They are in Vedic Sanskrit, an early and archaic form of Sanskrit language. The language and the deities of the Rigveda bear strong similarities with the Holy Avesta of Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster . It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BC in Iran. The term Zoroastrianism is, in general usage, essentially synonymous with Mazdaism (the worship of Ahura Mazda, exalted by Zoroaster as the supreme divine authority). These Vedas are primarily manuals for fire-sacrifices (yajñas) performed by the ancient Indo-Aryan people. However, Orthodox Hindus believe that the Vedic hymns also contain eternal truths about the soul (atman), God and their inter-relationship. They believe that these concepts are not obvious in the literal meaning of the Vedic hymns, but are in the hidden form, and become clear when one interprets the Vedas by meditation or through the help of the tree tiers of Vedic commentaries: the Brahmanas, the Arankayas and the Upanishads. These texts were composed slightly later than the hymn part, and are easier to understand. The Upanishads are especially lauded by Hindus and even non-Hindu scholars like Max Muller Friedrich Max Müller , more regularly known as Max Müller, was a German philologist and Orientalist, one of the founders of the western academic field of Indian studies and the discipline of comparative religion. Müller wrote both scholarly and popular works on the subject of Indology, a discipline he introduced to the British reading public, as the pinnacle of spiritual thought. The entire Vedic literature was learned by heart by the scholars and it was centuries later when they were written down.

Centuries later, there emerged another class of Sanskrit texts called the Smritis. They are considered to be of human creation and of secondary authority to the Shrutis, but nevertheless, quite popular among the masses because of their content, which are interesting legends, stories and moral precepts. They are also in Sanskrit but translations are available. Chief among them are the Ramayana: the legend of Prince Ramachandra of Ayodhya who battles the demon Ravana to rescue his wife Sita, and the Mahabharata: the legend of the royal families of Kauravas and Pandavas and the battle that they fought for upholding dharma. Within the Mahabharata is the Bhagavad Gita, which contains the precepts of Krishna to Pandava prince Arjuna about the concepts of human duty, soul, God, divine incarnation and different pathways for salvation. The Gita is often considered the essence of the Vedas and is highly revered by the Hindu people irrespective of denomination. The other Smriti texts include the several Puranas which contains legends and mythologies of Creation, divine incarnation and tales of the devi-devatas. There are also highly controversial Smriti texts like the Manusmriti which focuses on the caste system within the Hindu society.

Moral and Ethical behaviour

Hinduism encourages duty based philosophy.

Rituals and Fasting

Both religions encourage a family system, having progeny and respect for elders. Orthodox Hindus[citation needed] and Muslims condemn homosexuality. The two religions also share similarity when it comes to religious rituals. For example, five times Namaz in Islam and Naam Jap/Prayers in Hinduism. Muslims observe a strict fast during Ramadan and Hindus do so on different days and occasions. Muslims are encouraged to give to charity (Zakat) during Ramadan whereas Hindus have 3 1/2 days reserved for charity work.

Saints and Holy men

Muslims do not believe in the concept of saints, whereas Hindus do. Many states in India have their own patron saints. However, Sufi Muslims believe in the concept of Wilayat (sainthood), and revere all the great Sufis as Walis (saints). Many such Sufi saints are buried in India, such as Moinuddin Chishti, Nizamuddin Auliya Sultan-ul-Mashaikh, Mehboob-e-Ilahi, Hazrat Shaikh Khwaja Syed Muhammad Nizamuddin Auliya (Urdu: حضرت شیخ خواجة سیّد محمد نظام الدّین اولیاء), also known as Hazrat Nizamuddin, was a famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order in South Asia, an order that believed in drawing close to God through renunciation of the, Hazrat Babajan, and many others.

Meat and food habits

Muslims cannot eat pork or any pig byproducts. They can not consume alcohol in any form. Hindus consider vegetarianism Vegetarianism is the practice of following a plant-based diet including fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, nuts, and seeds, with or without dairy products and eggs. A vegetarian does not eat meat, including: red meat, game, poultry, fish, crustacea, shellfish, and products of animal slaughter such as animal-derived gelatin and rennet. There are a as ideal food habit due to insistence on ahimsa Ahimsa is a term meaning to do no harm (literally: the avoidance of violence - himsa). It is an important tenet of the Indian religions (Hinduism, Buddhism and especially Jainism). Ahimsa is a rule of conduct that bars the killing or injuring of living beings. It is closely connected with the notion that all kinds of violence entail negative (Non violence). Most Hindus do not eat beef, even though it is not explicitly banned under Hinduism. Many Hindu scriptures describe cow as one that should not be slaughtered. Hinduism is a diverse in thought with beliefs spanning monotheism Monotheism is the belief in theology that only one deity exists. The concept of "monotheism" tends to be dominated by the concept of God in the Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Druze, the Platonic concept of God as put forward by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, as well as the Advaita, Dvaita and, panentheism Panentheism (from Greek πᾶν "all"; ἐν (en) "in"; and θεός (theós) "God"; "all-in-God") is a belief system which posits that God exists and interpenetrates every part of nature, and timelessly extends beyond as well. Panentheism is distinguished from pantheism, which holds that God is synonymous, pantheism Pantheism is the view that the Universe and God are identical, or that the Universe is the only thing deserving the deepest kind of reverence. Pantheists thus do not believe in a personal, anthropomorphic or creator god. The word derives from the Ancient Greek: πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and θεός (theos) meaning "belief that, polytheism Polytheism is the belief of multiple deities, called gods or goddesses, or both. These are usually assembled into a pantheon, along with their own mythologies and rituals. Many religions, both historical and contemporary, have a belief in polytheism, such as Shinto, Ancient Greek Polytheism, Roman Polytheism, Germanic Polytheism, Slavic polytheism,,[1] monism Monism is any philosophical view which holds that there is unity in a given field of inquiry, where this is not to be expected. Thus, some philosophers may hold that the universe is really just one thing, despite its many appearances and diversities; or theology may support the view that there is one God, with many manifestations in different, and atheism Atheism or disbelief in God or gods has been a historically propounded viewpoint in many of the ‘heterodox’ and astika (or orthodox) streams of Hindu philosophies. So it is more of a socio-cultural way of living than just a religion. Islam, on the other hand is strictly monotheistic.

One life versus Reincarnation

Muslims believe that each person has a body and soul. At death, your body is separated from your soul. Your faith and actions in this life will determine your fate in the Life After Death. There is a Day of Judgment when this life will come to an end for every one, and all humans from Adam to the last person, will be brought to a second life, rejoining of your body and soul. On that Day, God will put people in Hell or Heaven based on their beliefs and deeds of this life.

While Hinduism believes in body and soul. Your soul leaves your body after your death. It gets another body and life depending on the total sum your past Karma, good or bad deeds. Your status or caste and even species in next life depends on your deeds of the previous life. This is called Reincarnation in Hinduism. One can get Mukti or Moksha In Indian religions, Moksha or Mukti (Sanskrit: मुक्ति), literally "release" (both from a root muc "to let loose, let go"), is the liberation from samsara and the concomitant suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and rebirth (reincarnation), the freedom from this cycle of birth and death and ultimate peace ( and also reunion with God according to many), if one nullifies all of one's Karma, by any one or many of these ways of worship: Bhakti Yoga Bhakti Yoga is a term within Hinduism which denotes the spiritual practice of fostering loving devotion ("bhakti") to a personal form of God. The Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata Purana are two important scriptures which explain and develop the attitude of bhakti. Hindu movements in which bhakti is the main practice are called bhakti, Raja Yoga Rāja Yoga is concerned principally with the cultivation of the mind using meditation (dhyana) to further one's acquaintance with reality and finally achieve liberation, Karma Yoga Karma yoga , (also known as Buddhi Yoga) or the "discipline of action" is based on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Sanskrit scripture of Hinduism. Of the four paths to realization, Karma Yoga is the science of achieving perfection in action. Karma Yoga is an intrinsic part of many derivative types of yoga, such as Natya Yoga, Sankhya Yoga, etc.

Hindu and Islamic social systems

During the Muslim conquests, Islam gained many converts on the Indian sub-continent South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries on the west and the east. Topographically, it is dominated by the Indian Plate, which rises above sea level as the Indian subcontinent south of the primarily from Hinduism or Buddhism; the two dominant local religions. Inter-marriage and immigration from other Islamic lands have helped in instilling this idea in the people of Greater India The term Greater India refers to the historical spread of the Culture of India beyond the Indian subcontinent proper. This concerns the spread of Hinduism in Southeast Asia in particular, introduced by the Indianized kingdoms of the 5th to 15th centuries, but may also extend to the earlier spread of Buddhism from India to Central Asia and China by. Many of the new Muslim rulers looked down upon the idea Hinduism as having Iconodulistic religious practices and were to various degrees iconoclastic Iconoclasm is the deliberate destruction within a culture of the culture's own religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually for religious or political motives. It is a frequent component of major domestic political or religious changes. It is thus generally distinguished from the destruction by one culture of the images of another, for. Prominent examples of these are Mahmud of Ghazni Mahmud of Ghazni (November 2, 971 - April 30, 1030), also known as Yāmīn al-Dawlah Maḥmūd (in full: Yāmīn al-Dawlah Abd al-Qāṣim Maḥmūd Ibn Sebük Tegīn) was the Turkic founder of the Ghaznavid Empire, which he ruled from 997 until his death. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni (now in Afghanistan) into the wealthy and the Mughal The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in former English usage, was an Indian-Islamic imperial power that ruled a large portion of the Indian subcontinent which began in 1526, invaded and ruled most of South Asia by the late 17th and early 18th centuries by forming alliance with Indian Maharaja, and ended in the mid-19th century. The Mughal Emperors emperor Aurangzeb Muhiuddin Muhammad Aurangzeb Bahadur Alamgir I, more commonly known as Aurangzeb (full title: Al-Sultan al-Azam wal Khaqan al-Mukarram Abul Muzaffar Muhi ud-din Muhammad Aurangzeb Bahadur Alamgir I, Badshah Ghazi) (4 November 1618 [O.S. 25 October 1618] – 3 March 1707 [O.S. 20 February 1707]), also known by his chosen imperial title Alamgir I ( on either end of the timeline for Islamic rulers. In addition, Muslims in India also developed a caste system that divided the Foreign-descended "Ashraf" Muslims and the "Ajlaf" converts, with the "Arzal" untouchables at the lowest rung[2][3][4][5][6] The term "Arzal" stands for "degraded" and the Arzal castes are further subdivided into Bhanar, Halalkhor, Hijra, Kasbi, Lalbegi, Maugta, Mehtar etc.[5][6][7]

In contrast there were also many Muslim kings who wished to live in harmony with the Hindus for interests of the Islamic empire. Akbar Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar , also known as Shahanshah Akbar-E-Azam or Akbar the Great (23 November 1542 – 27 October 1605) was the third Mughal Emperor of India/Hindustan. He was of Timurid descent; the son of Humayun, and the grandson of the Zaheeruudin Muhammad Babur, the legendary ruler who founded the Mughal dynasty in India. At the end of and Ibrahim Adil Shah II of Bijapur Adil Shah dynasty are notable examples. Akbar's court was home to intellectuals and saints both Hindu and Muslim, among them the great musician Tansen Miyan Tansen or Ramtanu Pandey is considered among the greatest composer-musicians in Hindustani classical music. He was an extraordinarily gifted vocalist, known for a large number of compositions, and also an instrumentalist who popularized and improved the rabab (of Central Asian origin) who converted to Islam, and he (Akbar) even went so far as to try and create a new religion (the din ilahi) to create a rapprochement of both creeds for creating a stable empire. 'Todar Mal' who was highly regarded Hindu minister (vizir) of Akbar.[8] Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi, does not credit Akbar for saving the temple instead gives credit to the "infidels" for building their own temple by demolishing the mosque.[9] Frustration in the sub-continent grew as a result of this leading to the gradual decline of the Muslim mughal empire replaced by the Sikhs, Marathas, the Vijayanagara kingdom and later the British.

In the last 60 years after Indian independence, the Muslims have had to live without the preferential treatment that was offered to them during the days of the sultanates and even during the British Raj's positive discrimination against the Muslims as a part of the divide and rule policy. The communal tensions between the Hindus and the Muslims have erupted many a times during this period. Notable incidents of this phenomenon include the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the Gujrat Riots of 2002.

Kabir Kabīr (Hindi: कबीर, Punjabi: ਕਬੀਰ, Urdu: کبير‎) (1440—1518) was a mystic poet and saint of India, whose writings have greatly influenced the Bhakti movement.. The name Kabir comes from Arabic Al-Kabīr which means 'The Great' - the 37th Name of God in the Qur'an wrote poetry and preached to the people, advocating a blend of philosophy and spiritual practices. Sufism as a whole is primarily concerned with direct personal experience, and as such may be compared to various esoteric Esotericism or Esoterism is a term with two basic meanings. In the dictionary sense of the term, "esoterism" signifies the holding of esoteric opinions or beliefs, and derives from the Greek ἐσωτερικός , a compound of ἔσω (esô): "within", thus "pertaining to the more inward", mystic. Its antonym is & forms of mysticism Mysticism is the pursuit of communion with, identity with, or conscious awareness of an ultimate reality, divinity, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, instinct or insight. Mysticism usually centers on a practice or practices intended to nurture those experiences or awareness. Mysticism may be dualistic, maintaining a such as Bhakti Bhakti in practice signifies an active involvement by the devotee in divine worship. The term is often translated as "devotion", though increasingly "participation" is being used as a more accurate rendering, since it conveys a fully engaged relationship with God. One who practices bhakti is called a bhakta, while bhakti as a form of Hinduism Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of South Asia. Hinduism is often referred to as Sanātana Dharma by its adherents. Generic "types" of Hinduism that attempt to accommodate a variety of complex views span folk and Vedic Hinduism to bhakti tradition, as in Vaishnavism. Hinduism also includes yogic traditions, Hesychasm Hesychasm is an eremitic tradition of prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and some other Eastern Catholic Churches, such as the Byzantine Rite, practised (Gk: ἡσυχάζω, hesychazo: "to keep stillness") by the Hesychast (Gr. Ἡσυχαστής, hesychastes), Zen Buddhism Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism. The Japanese word Zen is derived from the Chinese word Chán, which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which means "meditation", Kabbalah Kabbalah is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the mystical aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It is a set of esoteric teachings meant to explain the relationship between an eternal and mysterious Creator and the mortal and finite universe (His creation). While it is heavily used by some denominations, it is not a denomination in and of, Gnosticism Gnosticism refers to diverse, syncretistic religious movements in antiquity consisting of various belief systems generally united in the teaching that the material cosmos was created by an imperfect god, the demiurge with some of the supreme God's pneuma; this being is frequently identified with the Abrahamic God, (as opposed to the Gospel and Christian mysticism Christian mysticism is the pursuit of communion with, identity with, or conscious awareness of God through direct experience, intuition, instinct or insight. Christian mysticism usually centers on a practice or practices intended to nurture those experiences or awareness, such as deep prayer involving the person of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

The synergy between certain Sufis and Bhaktas in many regions of India led to Muslim and Hindu laity worshiping together at a mazar (Sufi shrine). However, Muslim and Sikh conflict erupted in India fueled by a history of regional politics, nationalism, continued conflict and the partition movements during independence from the British Raj in 1947.

However the main proponents of this new synergy included Saints like Rumi, Shirdi Sai Baba and Kabir today it can be said it exits in the form of the Qawwali

Main article: Qawwali

Qawwali is a form of devotional Sufi music common in Afghanistan, India, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkey. It is known for its secular strains. Some of its modern-day masters have included Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and the Sabri Brothers. Amir Khusro, a disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya, of the Chishti Order, is credited with inventing Qawwali in the 14th century.

Mughal art forms, especially miniatures and even certain niches of Urdu poetry, were quick to absorb classic Hindu motifs, like the love story of Krishna and Radha.[10] Hindustani classical music is a complex and sonorous blend of Vedic notions of sound, raga and tala and absorbed a many instruments of either Middle Eastern origin or Indian-Muslim invention such as the ghazal

See also

References

  1. ^ "Polytheism". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 2007. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-38143/polytheism. Retrieved 2007-07-05.
  2. ^ Aggarwal, Patrap (1978). Caste and Social Stratification Among Muslims in India. Manohar.
  3. ^ Muslim Caste in Uttar Pradesh (A Study of Culture Contact), Ghaus Ansari, Lucknow, 1960, Page 66
  4. ^ Singh Sikand, Yoginder. "Caste in Indian Muslim Society". Hamdard University. http://stateless.freehosting.net/Caste%20in%20Indian%20Muslim%20Society.htm. Retrieved 2006-10-18.
  5. ^ a b Ambedkar, Bhimrao. Pakistan or the Partition of India. Thackers Publishers.
  6. ^ a b Web resource for Pakistan or the Partition of India
  7. ^ Dereserve these myths by Tanweer Fazal,Indian express
  8. ^ Harbans, Mukhia. The Mughals of India. Blackwell Publishing. p. 23. ISBN 9780631185550.
  9. ^ Alam, Muzaffar (2004). Languages of Political Islam in India 1200-1800. Orient Longman. p. 77. ISBN 8178240629.
  10. ^ http://www.bharatiyadrama.com/urdu.htm

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Beliefs God in Islam · Tawhid · Muhammad · Prophets of Islam
Five Pillars Shahadah · Salah · Sawm · Zakat · Hajj
History & leaders Timeline of Muslim history · Ahl al-Bayt · Sahaba · Shi'a Imams · Caliphs: Rashidun Caliphs, Umayyad, Abbasid, Fatimid, Ottomans · Caliphates: Rashidun Caliphate, Umayyad, Abbasid, Caliphate of Cordoba, Fatimid, Ottoman Empire · Conquests · Golden Age · Agricultural Revolution
Religious texts Qur'an · Sunnah · Hadith
Denominations Sunni · Shia · Sufism · Ibadi · Qur'anist · Ahmadiyya · Salafi
Life and Culture Animals · Art · Calendar · Children · Holidays · Mosques · Philosophy · Political aspects · Science · Women · Islamic studies · Islam by country
Law & Jurisprudence Baligh · Cleanliness · Criminal · Dhabiĥa · Dhimmi · Divorce · Diet · Economics: Banking, Economic history, Sukuk, Takaful, Murabaha, Riba · Ethics · Etiquette · Gambling · Gender segregation · Ghusl · Honorifics · Hudud · Hygiene: Miswak, Toilet, Wudu, Najis, Tayammum · Inheritance · Jizya · Leadership · Marital: Marriage contract, Nikah, Nikah Mut‘ah · Mahr · Mahram · Ma malakat aymanukum · Military: Prisoners of war · Slavery · Political · Sexuality: Masturbation, Sexual techniques · Theological: Kalam · Zina · Sources
Islamic studies Agriculture · Arts: Arabesque, Architecture, Calligraphy, Music, Pottery · Creationism · Feminism · Golden Age · Literature: Poetry · Philosophy: Early philosophy, Modern philosophy, Eschatology, Ethics, Theology · Sciences: Alchemy & Chemistry, Astrology, Astronomy, Economics, Islam and science, Mathematics, Medicine, Physics, Psychology · Sociology: Early sociology · Shu'ubiyya · Sports · Conversion of mosques · Historiography · Inventions
Other religions Christianity · Hinduism · Jainism · Judaism · Sikhism
Related topics Apostasy · Controversies · Criticism of Islam · Criticism of Muhammad · Criticism of the Qur'an · Cultural Muslim · Islamism · Islamophobia · Islamic terrorism · Islamic view of miracles · Islam and antisemitism · Domestic violence · Persecution of Muslims · Qur'an and miracles · Qutbism

Categories: Hinduism and other religions | Islam and other religions

 

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