is it good to learn about all religions ( divine and non-divine)?

**ivanna25** · 04-30-2006

assalam alaykom wa rahmatou Allah,

dear my brothers and sisters, thank God i am a Muslim and I love my religion. I try to talk about Islam with non-muslims and non-believers using the modest knowledge i have and logical arguments I have learnt for quran, Sunnah, and Muslim scholars.

I was adviced to learn about other religions: hinduism, budhism, sikhism, judaism, christianity etc. in order to have more knowledge and be able to discuss with others the logic of each religion. When I talk about Islam, i always say that Islam is the only religion which believes in the oneness of god and which gives value to human beings. after readin about sikhism ( aodou billah from that name), I ve relaized that the teaching of Sikhism is 90 percent like Islam. Sikhism is religion which came 8 centuries after Islam and its founder is Guru. I am really confused what I can i do to make a sikhi person embrace Islam and they are almsot alike, the only thing that they dont have quran and they dont mention Prophet Mohammed ( peace be upon you). some people claim that this religion is from God because Guru got nrevelation from God. We know that this is not true but what we can say, if someone tell us that the teachings of islma are like sikhism teachings?
thanks

**Nicola** · 05-01-2006

Originally Posted by ivanna25

Islam gives the rules for jihad or physical strive. we should not kill people unless they present a threat in our life. we kill noly the people that fight us. this is our function, do u want God to come down to earth to fight? or send his angels? we are here to defend the word of God, and if some bad people do not understand Islam and kill innocent people, this does not mean that this is Islam, ok?

I believe what God really wants for us is peace and love for one another.

Not to go around asking God to curse everyone but Muslims.

**IbnAbdulHakim** · 05-01-2006

Originally Posted by Nicola

I believe what God really wants for us is peace and love for one another.

Not to go around asking God to curse everyone but Muslims.

he created us into nations and tribes so that we may recognize each other not dispute amongst one another!

**NahidSarvy** · 05-01-2006

Originally Posted by Trumble

A devout muslim can't help but consider Buddhism "rubbish", as the two religions are totally incompatible.

Well, maybe some think that, but devotion does not equal orthopraxy or traditionalism.

**"..MariAm.."** · 05-01-2006

ASALAMOALAIKUM

I really don't have any evidence for this sister, but i heard that guru nanak was from india and he wanted to bring some sort of friendship or at least end the fighting between the hindus and the muslims, so he may have got a pick and mix of teachings from both religions to make both parties get along with each other.

Some people even say that he may have become muslim, but we should leave that upto Allaah azawajal to decide.

Anyway, i think guru nanak wasn't really the founder of sikhism, but the 10 guru's that came after him may have followed his ways (i.e. not shaving the hair [even though he might not have shaved it due to environmental reasons i.e. he lived in the wild i think- so he never really shaved that much, Allaahu a'lam. (Allaah Almighty knows best.) ) and each of the 10 guru's made his own personal innovations to it.

Thats my opinion anyway, and this might be one of the reasons why sikhism is so similar. But Allaah Almighty knows best.

um i also agree ..

well i think a person shud first try to learn all abt his own religion so that he can defend himself first ...... but going thru other religion can lower the level of ur imaan .....only great scholars can do that ....
cuz wen u find information abt other religions they ...tell u in a such a good way that u can also get confuse .... so i think its better to stick to ur own religion

**ivanna25** · 05-01-2006

i agree with you that before being excelent in your religion, you can move to study other religions. well, Islam has no end , this means i ll never study other religions. if i follow your logic Abd Majed by advising people to be stick to thier religion, how then people from other religion know Islam and convert to it? i know a great deal about islam and i am able to discuss many things, no one has the perfect knowledge except Allah.

**ivanna25** · 05-01-2006

Of course, i respect all religions, but Sikhsim is a religion which took the princilpes and teachings of Islam and modify them in their own ways. Islam has no errors to be modified. Buddhism is nice religion, i know a bout it, but which is better, believing that there will be an afterlife in which people will be happy and bad people will be punished or Buddhism which believes that people have to reject the amnities of the world in order to die forver and has no reward in the hereafter. Is this logical? which gives more honour to people, Buddhism or Islam? answer me Buddhi people.

**ivanna25** · 05-01-2006

Well, if God himself in the Book curse those who dont believ in Him and who associate anything with Him, how can i keep silent? this what God said not me, brothers and sisters, dont look vey peaceful, i am sure if you find a Buddhi or hindu in front of you, u ll not stop questioning his religion. Our function in this earth is to change munkar "the bad thing" and if we cant, we can feel just hatered toward i t.

**HeiGou** · 05-01-2006

Originally Posted by ivanna25

Of course, i respect all religions,

Weren't you the one that said they were all nonsense and lies just a minute ago? How do you reconcile what you obviously believe about other religions with what you claim to believe about other religions?

but Sikhsim is a religion which took the princilpes and teachings of Islam and modify them in their own ways. Islam has no errors to be modified.

Obviously a lot of Sikhs do not agree with you on that. If, in fact, what you say is true.

Buddhism is nice religion, i know a bout it, but which is better, believing that there will be an afterlife in which people will be happy and bad people will be punished or Buddhism which believes that people have to reject the amnities of the world in order to die forver and has no reward in the hereafter. Is this logical? which gives more honour to people, Buddhism or Islam? answer me Buddhi people.

Buddhism believes in the punishment of the guilty in the next life. Some very bad people go to Hell and are punished (for example in the Eastern Forest temple in Taiwan you can see carvings on black rock of the torments of Hell although I suppose as a Muslim you will never see them). The rest of us are re-born as either a higher or a lower form of life and so are punished for our deeds in this life. I don't see either as especially logical, but I suspect that Buddhism is more logical than most religions. Honor to people? In what sense do you mean that?

**Trumble** · 05-01-2006

Originally Posted by ivanna25

Buddhism is nice religion, i know a bout it, but which is better, believing that there will be an afterlife in which people will be happy and bad people will be punished or Buddhism which believes that people have to reject the amnities of the world in order to die forver and has no reward in the hereafter. Is this logical? which gives more honour to people, Buddhism or Islam? answer me Buddhi people.

It would depend on how you use the phrase "more honour to people".

I would argue that Buddhism in fact does offer more "honour" in the sense that 'salvation' (of whatever form) is acknowledged as the direct responsibility of the individual as opposed to a responsibility 'only' to believe and follow the teachings of a God that will arrange things when the time comes. Mankind is the acknowledged master of its own destiny, and what could offer more "honour" than that?

Of course, that is nonsense if you believe. as you do, in a single omnipotent, omniscient God. It must be.. as man cannot therefore be master of his own destiny in that fashion it would be foolish to believe that he is.. IF you believe in that God. That's why I made the point about the two religions being incompatible in any forms of them that I am aware of.

Originally Posted by NahidSarvy

Well, maybe some think that, but devotion does not equal orthopraxy or traditionalism.

I'm not sure either orthopraxy or traditionalism is required, is it? At the point at which any Islam accepted Buddhism as any more than an interesting, if hypothetical, philosophical idea it would cease to be Islam. All that could vary is the degree in tolerance and acceptance manifested towards Buddhists and what they believe, which would include an understanding of philosophical and intellectual merit, culture and art. But a muslim could never believe.. and hence in that sense however much respect or knowledge exists Buddhism must always be, ultimately, "rubbish" to them. That does not mean everything taught by Buddhism must be "rubbish" to that muslim, and of course when it comes to relations with our fellow human beings there is much commonality between the two religions, and the others too. "Good" behaviour is pretty much a universal ideal... why, of course, is a different question with equally polar differences of opinion as to the answer!

**Trumble** · 05-01-2006

Originally Posted by HeiGou

Buddhism believes in the punishment of the guilty in the next life. Some very bad people go to Hell and are punished (for example in the Eastern Forest temple in Taiwan you can see carvings on black rock of the torments of Hell although I suppose as a Muslim you will never see them). The rest of us are re-born as either a higher or a lower form of life and so are punished for our deeds in this life. I don't see either as especially logical, but I suspect that Buddhism is more logical than most religions.

Buddhism has to be considered as the quest to escape from the cycle of rebirth and suffering, samsara. It is essential to understand that it is not misdeeds that are "punished", but that the mental and spiritual consequences of such deeds necessitate by inevitable cause and effect where 'rebirth' will occur. It that sense, it is perfectly logical.

It varies a great deal according to the particular school you are discussing, but in 'traditional' Buddhism, as near as there is to such a thing, all talk of 'heavens' and 'hells' is purely metaphorical... and indeed can be equated directly to well defined stages in spiritual development. 'Hell' is as likely to be found in the current life as in the next one.

**ivanna25** · 05-01-2006

what the hell a Buddhist is doing in Islamic forum if he is convinced that buddhism is the best religion? Listen, talk about your religion which is man-made, dont say a word about Islam which purely from Allah. God punishes everyone seperately, not take one's bad soul and make in other body. Rebirth and samsara? your religion is like Hinduism and some other religions, do you think that God was unable to create a soul for everybody? why the same souls move from one body to another? why the bad soul go to an animal or a bad person? liste, please dont tell me about your religion, i read about it many times and causes me only headache. You leave the God who created you and give you health and beauty and worship Buddah who is like us, who goes to the toilet like us.
keep this for yourself.

**HeiGou** · 05-01-2006

Originally Posted by ivanna25

what the hell a Buddhist is doing in Islamic forum if he is convinced that buddhism is the best religion?

Maybe he is learning about Islam? Who knows.

Listen, talk about your religion which is man-made, dont say a word about Islam which purely from Allah.

So much for respect for all other religions!

God punishes everyone seperately, not take one's bad soul and make in other body. Rebirth and samsara? your religion is like Hinduism and some other religions, do you think that God was unable to create a soul for everybody?

So you don't really know much about Buddhism then? Of course God was able to create a soul for every living being. But did He? That is a different question.

why the same souls move from one body to another? why the bad soul go to an animal or a bad person? liste, please dont tell me about your religion, i read about it many times and causes me only headache.

So I guess it is not good to learn about other religions?

You leave the God who created you and give you health and beauty and worship Buddah who is like us, who goes to the toilet like us.
keep this for yourself.

Buddhists, on the whole, do not worship Buddha per se.

*noor · 05-01-2006

Originally Posted by ivanna25

what the hell a Buddhist is doing in Islamic forum if he is convinced that buddhism is the best religion?

Some people like to learn about other religions

**Nicola** · 05-01-2006

Originally Posted by ivanna25

what the hell a Buddhist is doing in Islamic forum if he is convinced that buddhism is the best religion? Listen, talk about your religion which is man-made, dont say a word about Islam which purely from Allah. God punishes everyone seperately, not take one's bad soul and make in other body. Rebirth and samsara? your religion is like Hinduism and some other religions, do you think that God was unable to create a soul for everybody? why the same souls move from one body to another? why the bad soul go to an animal or a bad person? liste, please dont tell me about your religion, i read about it many times and causes me only headache. You leave the God who created you and give you health and beauty and worship Buddah who is like us, who goes to the toilet like us.
keep this for yourself.

Why shouldn't he come and learn about Islam?
I've seen plenty of Muslims and various other religions on Christian forums...

Would you prefer to only have Muslims on this forum?

**NahidSarvy** · 05-01-2006

Buddhists don't worship Buddha. He was a human being. His teachings do not involve God - he refused to answer questions about whether there was or wasn't a God because he was afraid people would be sidetracked by those issues.

Christians and Jews and others have found in Buddhist meditation techniques much devotional use. Don't throw the baby away with the bathwater.

**Trumble** · 05-01-2006

Originally Posted by ivanna25

what the hell a Buddhist is doing in Islamic forum if he is convinced that buddhism is the best religion?

If I wasn't convinced it is the best religion (or to be be precise, the best religion for me) I wouldn't describe myself as a Buddhist. If I thought Islam was a better one, I would be a muslim!

Listen, talk about your religion which is man-made, dont say a word about Islam which purely from Allah.

What exactly have I said about Islam that you disagree with?

God punishes everyone seperately, not take one's bad soul and make in other body. Rebirth and samsara? your religion is like Hinduism and some other religions, do you think that God was unable to create a soul for everybody? why the same souls move from one body to another? why the bad soul go to an animal or a bad person? liste, please dont tell me about your religion, i read about it many times and causes me only headache. You leave the God who created you and give you health and beauty and worship Buddah who is like us, who goes to the toilet like us.
keep this for yourself.

There are several incorrect statements in there. I don't "worship" the Buddha, for example - he is dead, so there is little point. It is rather difficult to answer your questions without telling you about my religion, though!

As to what I am doing here, I'm trying to learn about Islam, and to find out what muslims think about particular issues, and how much common ground there may be. I came to an Islamic forum as opposed to, say, a Christian one because Islam at least makes sense to me (which is more than can be said for much Christian doctrine) even if I do not "believe" it.

It is difficult to have any meaningful discussion on the subject of "comparative religion" when only one religion can be discussed, don't you think? I'm sure you would agree that considering Buddhism, or Christianity, or Hinduism only through what some muslims understand (or think they understand) about them is unlikely to be be particularly rewarding.

**IbnAbdulHakim** · 05-01-2006

Originally Posted by Trumble

As to what I am doing here, I'm trying to learn about Islam, and to find out what muslims think about particular issues, and how much common ground there may be. I came to an Islamic forum as opposed to, say, a Christian one because Islam at least makes sense to me (which is more than can be said for much Christian doctrine) even if I do not "believe" it.
.

good job man, i commend ur efforts

**ivanna25** · 05-01-2006

Peace be upon everyone,

I am sorry if I said anything wrong. I really do not mean to say anything bad. Of course, I do not know much about Buddhism, I jus have genral idea about it because I am convinced that Islam is the last religion and it is the best and I ma happy with it.

What makes me angry as a Muslim and as a believer is the fact that some people do not believe in God. What is the problem if you believe that there is a power, an energy or whatever is responsible of creating this universe, and instead of calling it a power or whatever , call it God or Allah. Everything you have is from Allah, so love Him. What is the problem if you believe in all Prophets who were sent from Allah, among them Mohammed ( Peace Be Upon Him). Just by believing in Allah and all the messengers, you become Muslim. Even if you do not like Islamic teaching but at least believe in those two things.Save your life before it is too late.

Islam is the simplist religion and it is not complicated like other religions . Islam is full of beauty. Hinduism and Buddhism invite people to be pure and to fight there desires in order to reach enlightment. How you are created with all the contradictions and you are ordered to fight some of these things which are part of you? you have reason and desire, you have kindnes and violence etc. All these things must have an oultlet in their right context.

Buddhism and Hinduism order people to reach the highest level of peace and to eradicate their desires and thier violent side which is part of the human psychology. they invite people to reject the amnities of the world. Islam, indeed, is like Buddhism and Hinduism in stressing the spiritual side of people but it does not eradictae nor suppress one's desires. We worship God and remeber Him, but we enjoy our life, we can eat the best food, wear the best clothes, and live in the best houses if we are financially able to, at the same time we have to help poor people. We can marry to satisy our desires, and we can use this violence for defending ourselves and not for harming others. Islam is a balance between the spiritual and the physical. Not only this, God promise us Jennah or Paradise if we worship Him.

If we do bad things, like stealing others, commiting adultery, and drink alcohol, but after that we regret for doing these things and repent, God makes all the past sins turn to good deeds. God will gives us a palace for each and give men many beautiful women in garden and He will give women what they dream of there. However, those who dont believe in God will go to the lowest rank of Hell.

So, we can enjoy our life here and worship God and we can have paradise, but in Buddhism and Hinduism, a person has to meditate, to reject the world, and to be isolated from people in order to reach this enlightment and you have no everlasting life with your family and freinds in a paradise like we will have.

Is there anything simpler than Islam. Is there anything sweeter than Quran ( Holy Book). Go to this link: TheHolyQuran.org, quran, holyquran, holy quran, al quran, qur'an, al qur'an, coran, kuruan, koran, corano,koraani, qoran, kuran, islam, muslim, allah, arabic, türkçe,meal, der heilige Koran, islam, muslim, chinese al qur'an, el sagrado coran, japanese Kuruan, kerim, allah, god, le saint coran, il sacro corano, finnish koraani, alcoao sagrado, russian, poland, portugal, qur'ani tukufu, kitab suci al-quran, indonesian, malesian, meal, Jesus, christian, catholic, ateist. you can find our Book written in all the languages and choose the language you speak and read some chapters, i am sure you will adore God's words. God is speaking to you and me and to everyone with a brain in His Book.

Please worship none but God who created everyhting perfect in this world and Who is waiting you patiently to worship Him and to love Him.

Thanks.

**Umm-Layth** · 05-02-2006

Originally Posted by ivanna25

assalam alaykom wa rahmatou Allah,

dear my brothers and sisters, thank God i am a Muslim and I love my religion. I try to talk about Islam with non-muslims and non-believers using the modest knowledge i have and logical arguments I have learnt for quran, Sunnah, and Muslim scholars.

I was adviced to learn about other religions: hinduism, budhism, sikhism, judaism, christianity etc. in order to have more knowledge and be able to discuss with others the logic of each religion. When I talk about Islam, i always say that Islam is the only religion which believes in the oneness of god and which gives value to human beings. after readin about sikhism ( aodou billah from that name), I ve relaized that the teaching of Sikhism is 90 percent like Islam. Sikhism is religion which came 8 centuries after Islam and its founder is Guru. I am really confused what I can i do to make a sikhi person embrace Islam and they are almsot alike, the only thing that they dont have quran and they dont mention Prophet Mohammed ( peace be upon you). some people claim that this religion is from God because Guru got nrevelation from God. We know that this is not true but what we can say, if someone tell us that the teachings of islma are like sikhism teachings?
thanks

Once you really study the Qur'aan you realize that all the answers are there...

Allaah has clearly refuted their ideologies and in my opinion there is no point of going and learning any "similarities". Rather we need to look as to why we are Muslim and they are not... obviously Tawheed. The foundation of everything.

And also it is a grave error to say the Islaamic teachings are like the sikhism teachings. Rather, we need to call them to tawheed - because there is one truth and one truth only. The rest are just things that have been played with you know?

Allaah is the Source of the Truth - not the other way around.

**snakelegs** · 05-02-2006

ivanna25,
as i said earlier, you are a fine example of religious tolerance!
and some muslims go crazy when islam or the prophet are criticized and demand respect from others?
respect goes both ways.
loving your religion does not mean you have to hate others. is that what you think god wants you to do to prove your iman?
sad....

from some of your previous posts in this thread you started:

"Well, if God himself in the Book curse those who dont believ in Him"

where does it say this in the qur'an?

"Our function in this earth is to change munkar "the bad thing" and if we cant, we can feel just hatered toward it." (re:buddhism and hinduism).

"what the hell a Buddhist is doing in Islamic forum if he is convinced that buddhism is the best religion? Listen, talk about your religion which is man-made, dont say a word about Islam which purely from Allah."

"liste, please dont tell me about your religion .... keep this for yourself"

"What makes me angry as a Muslim and as a believer is the fact that some people do not believe in God"