Introduction
Great religions, with their old books and ancient laws, have become easy prey to frivolous and fraudulent people, an object of mockery for distorters and hypocrites, and targets of bloody incidents and great calamities, so much so that they have lost their spirit and shape. If their first adherents and prophets were to be resurrected now, they would surely have denied them and proclaimed them ignorant.
Judaism
Judaism today has become a set of rituals and traditions with no spirit or life. Apart from this, it is a racial religion peculiar to a particular race and carries no message for the world, nor any mission for the people or any mercy for mankind. (For further reading, see the book,”Ifhaam al-Yahood” by Samuel bin Yahya Al-Maghrabi. He was a Jew who reverted to Islam)
This religion has been afflicted in its fundamental creed which is its motto among other religions and nations. It has been a noble religion while it was the religion of monotheism which Prophets Ibrahim and Yaqub commanded their children to follow. The Jews had adopted many concepts from the beliefs of corrupt nations with whom they shared neighbourhoods or under whose authority they had been subjected. They had also adopted a lot of pagan customs and traditions of these people. Unbiased Jewish historians have confirmed this. In the Jewish Encyclopaedia, we can read in it what approximately means.
“The Prophet’s wrath over the worship of images does indicate that worshipping idols and false deities had crept into the hearts of the Israelites and that they had embraced the polytheistic and superstitious beliefs. The Talmud also testifies to the fact that paganism has a particular attraction for the Jews.” (Jewish Encyclopaedia Vol. XLL P568-569)
The word ‘Talmud’ means, ‘Jewish book of religious and moral teachings’. It is a compilation of footnotes and commentaries on their book ‘Mishna’ which means ‘the law’, according to Jewish scholars of different generations.
The Babel Talmud-which the Jews extremely hallow and prefer to the Torah, was widely circulated among the Jews of the Sixth Century, and contains a lot of strange manifestations the manifestations of their simple-mindedness, absurd sayings insolent behaviour towards God Almighty, scorning the reality and gambling with religion and human intellect-shows the extent to which the Jewish community of this age has degenerated intellectually and religiously.
Christianity
As for Christianity, it has also afflicted since its earliest days with distortions of extremists, alternations of the ignorant and paganism of the Romans who claimed to be Christians. (See “The Struggle between Religion and Science”, p.40-41 by the well-known European author Draper). All these distortions, alterations and paganism have become the heap under which all great teachings of Christ were buried, and light of Monotheism and the sincere worship of Allah Almighty were hidden behind these clouds.
A Christian writer speaks on the extent to which the Trinity had gone in the Christian society since the end of the fourth century after Christ: “The belief that one God consists of three different godheads had penetrated the inner life of the Christian world and its thoughts since the last quarter of the fourth century and had become the official recognised creed in all parts of the Christendom ever since. Also, the development of Trinity and its secrets were not revealed until in the last half of the nineteenth century A.D.” (See New Catholic Encyclopaedia, The Holy Trinity Vol. 14 p. 295)
A contemporary Christian Historian (Rev James Houston Baxter, “History of Christianity in the Light of Modern Knowledge”, Glasgow 1929 p.407) discusses the appearance of paganism in the Christian society in different forms and shapes and the Christians’ diversity in adopting religious rites, customs and pagan heroes of nations and religions that are ancient in idolatry under the pretext of imitation, admiration or ignorance.
He said, “Paganism has ended but has not been eliminated. Rather, it has penetrated the hearts and everything in it has been tolerantly allowed to continue in the name of Christianity and under its cover. Those who abandoned their gods and heroes took one of their martyrs and gave him the title of their former gods then erected a statue in his name. This is how polytheism and idol worship are transferred to these local martyrs. By the end of that century, worshipping of the martyrs and saints spread all over Christendom and formed a new creed that teaches that saints have divine attributes. These saints and hallowed men were thus made intermediaries between God and man and pagan festivals were given new names until the ancient pagan Sun festival was turned to Christians in the year 400 AC.”
Magianism (Zoroastrianism)
As regards the Magians, they have been known since the time of old to be worshippers of natural elements, the greatest of which is fire. They have lately adhered to its worship and built for it alters and temples so much so that fire houses have become widespread in all places of their country and all other religions and faiths have disappeared except fire worship and hallowing of the sun.
The religion, according to these people, has become mere rites and traditions that are practised in special places. (Read the book, “Iran During the Reign of Sasanids” by Professor of Eastern Languages at Copenhagen University, Denmark, and a specialist on the history of Iran. See also, ‘History of Iran’ by the Magian, Shaeen Makareus).
The Danish author who wrote the book, “Iran During the Reign of Sassanids”, describes their religious leaders and their functions, “These functionaries must worship fire four times in a day. In addition to this, they also worshipped the moon, fire and water. They had an order that they should not let the fire die out or let the fire and water meet each other or let the metal rust because they also hallow the metal.” (Iran During the Reign of Sasanids, p.155)
These Magians have practised dualism all the time and that has become their motto. They believed in two gods; the god of light or the god of good which they called “Ahura Mazda” or “Yazdan” and the other god is god of darkness or evil, and they called: “ahur man”. The war and conflict are continuously going on between both of them. (Iran During the Reign of Sasanids, p.183-233).
Hinduism and Buddhism
As regards Buddhism, the religion that is widespread in India and Middle Asia, it is a paganism that its adherents carry with them idols wherever they go. They build temples for these idols and erect the statue of ‘Buddha’ wherever they go and settle. (See ‘The Ancient India’ by Aishura Toba, a professor of Hindu Civilization at the University of Hyderabad; and ‘The Discovery of India’ by Jawahar Lal Nehru, the former Indian Prime Minister. P 202-202)
As for Hinduism, the religion of India, it has been popular with a lot of deities. Their paganism had reached its peak in the sixth century A.C when the number of their deities reached 330 million gods. (See ‘Ancient India’ by R Dit, 3/287; and ‘The Prevailing Hinduism’, by L.S.S.O Malley p.6-7)
Everything according to Brahmanism has become wonderful and everything has become useful and a deity to be worshipped. During that age, the art of idol-making became highly profitable and many idol stylists carved so many idols in different shapes.
The Hindi writer, C.V. Vidya, wrote in his book (History of Medieval Hindu: Vol.1 (Poone 1921) while discussing the era of King Harsh (606-648 AD), which is the era that followed the advent of Islam in Arabia.
“Hinduism and Buddhism are equally pagan religions though Buddhism might have surpassed Hinduism in paganism. The origin of Buddhism was the denial of the existence of any Lord, but it gradually adopted Buddha (its founder as the greatest deity). It later added other deities like Bodhisattvas. Paganism has reached its peak in India so much so that the name Buddha became synonymous with idol or statue in some eastern languages. It is without doubt that paganism has become widespread in the contemporary world. The whole world from the Atlantic Sea to the Pacific Ocean is greatly immersed in Paganism. The matter becomes as if Christianity, the Semitic religions and Buddhism are competing in glorification and hallowing of idols like racing horses.”
Another Hindu said in his book, “The Prevailing Hinduism”, that the art of making idols had not ended yet, but the small idols continued to join the existing ‘deities complex’ in great numbers throughout different historical periods that they have become an innumerable and uncountable thong of deities. (See ‘As-Seeratun-Nabawiyyah’ by Abul Hasan An-Nadwi p.19-28)
Civilized but Secular Nations
This is the condition of the world religions. As for civilized countries where great governments were established, where many sciences flourished and which were the bedrock of civilization, industry and arts, they have become countries with no religions; countries that had lost their origin and power, in which there are no righteous reformers and teachers, where atheism is publicly proclaimed, corruption of all kind proliferated, all standards and have been changed and man has become valueless to his self.
That is why there are so many cases of suicide, that all family links have been cut, social relations were put in disarray, the clinics of psychologists are jammed with patients, and the market of magic tricksters has been established. In these so-called civilized nations, the man tries out every enjoyable thing and follows every invented and innovated creed, seeking to satiate the demand of his soul, make himself happy and give himself peace of mind.
But all these enjoyments and all these creeds and theories failed to achieve these goals for him, and he shall continue in this psychological misery and spiritual torment until he establishes a relationship with his Creator and worships Him according to the way He is pleased and with which He sent His Messengers.
Islamic Perspective
Allah says while describing the condition of the one who turns away from His Lord, and seeks guidance from others besides Him, “But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (neither believes in this Quran nor acts on its teachings) verily, for him is a life of hardship and We shall raise him blind on the Day of Resurrection.” (Holy Quran 20:124)
God Almighty, may He be glorified, also informs us about the life of the true believers and their happiness in this worldly life when He says, “It is they who believe (in the Oneness of Allah and worship none but Him alone) and confuse not their belief with wrong (by worshipping others besides Allah, for them (only) there is security, and they are guided.” (Holy Quran 6:82)
The Lord also says: “ As for those who are blessed, they will be in Paradise, abiding therein for all the time that the Heavens and the Earth endure, except as your Lord wills; a gift without an end.” (Holy Quran 11:108)
Conclusion
If we apply the criteria of the true religion to all these religions- except Islam, we will see that they are short of all these criteria as is clear from the above exposition. The greatest element which all these religions are short of is monotheism. Their adherents have associated other Gods with Allah in worship in addition to the fact that these religions do not provide people with a law that can be applicable in all places and at all times and that can protect them, their lives, faith, honour, offspring and properties.
These religions also do not guide people to the Law of Allah which He orders to be followed nor do they give their adherents peace of mind and happiness, as a result of their inherent contradictions.
As regards Islam, you will come to know in the following articles that it is the true religion of Allah which He is pleased with and which He has chosen for mankind as their religion. In the upcoming blog, we will define the essence of prophethood and the need of mankind for it; and explain the foundations of the mission of the Messengers and the reality of the last and everlasting message of Islam.
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