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Re: Maya in Islam?
In <4h8dkg$kq4@babbage.ece.uc.edu> DCHATTERJEE@KUHUB.CC.UKANS.EDU
writes:
>
>>X-News: soc.religion.hindu:1888
>>From: vijia@pop.jaring.my (Singam)
>>Subject:Maya in Islam?
>>Date: 26 Feb 1996 08:37:02 GMT
>>Message-ID:<4grrfe$3es@babbage.ece.uc.edu>
>
>>The Moderator may have a difficult time with this article as he may
>>get blasted for allowing something that is not about Hinduism. But I
>>would like to suggest that it is relevant for Hindus to be aware that
>>there are common views between religions.
>>
>>The Quran says:
>>
>> Know that the life of this world is only play, an idle talk,
>> and pageantry, and boasting among you, and rivalry in respect
>> of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after
>> rain, whereof the growth is pleasing to the husbandman, but
>> afterward it drieth up and thou seest it turning yellow, then
>> it becometh straw. And in the Hereafter there is grievous
>> punishment, and (also) forgiveness from Allah and His good
>> pleasure, whereas the life of the world is but matter of
>> illusion.
>> (57:20, translated by M.M.Pickthall)
>>
>>So the concept of Maya is not exclusively Hindu.
>>
>>Peace.
>>
>>
>> SV Singam
>>Minden, Penang
>
> I agree that the above verse is Muhammad William Marmaduke
Pickthall's
> translation. There could be some worthy speculations on this
verse.
>
> First, Islam clearly tells its followers (Muslims) to recognize
life as
> *real*. (See the preface written by Abdullah Yusuf Ali in his
translation
> of Al_Quran.) Therefore, one might agree that Islam emphasizes on
the
> realistic (confined within five senses) aspect of life. What Islam
tells
> is that in this materialistic world, one would do better if one
followed
> the Allah's message - as is in the Quran. The above verse merely
shows
> that Islam accepts the " unreal " part of existence.
>
> Secondly, the above verse is not explicit about Maya - as
Shankaracharya
> is. That is maya is accepting the perishable as eternal. The
concept is
> more intellectually profound than the above Quranic revelation.
>
> Thirdly, and more appropriate historically, Muhammad (570-632 A.D.)
might
> have known about other religions and viewpoints. This inspiration
might
> also have motivated him to ponder on the " unrealistic " aspect of
life.
> That is what happens after humans die ?
>
> Maya is *exclusively* a Hindu concept and propounded by Hindu
scholars
> (read rishis) throughout the millenia.
>
> If some other religious belief system borrows the idea and
incorporates
> it, then that does not mean the new religion is also an originator
of the
> idea. It merely means that the new-religion (Islam) accepts
something
> that was existent before it.
>
> - cheers,
>
> deb chatterjee
> (a good samaritan)
If I may just add something to this, when there is a spiritual
revelation, it is not a matter of intellectual pondering or borrowing
from another intellectual source. It is a direct communion with the
Divine. So the similarities between Islam and Hinduism are simply
because, "Truth is One. Sages call it by many names." (I think that's
from the Upanishads.)
Many Christian Saints discovered the same thing about the unreality of
the temporal life. They didn't borrow it from Hinduism, they simply
tapped the Source. And, even though Christianity probably originated
from Hinduism, when someone realizes the Truth, it has nothing to do
with the outer doctrines. For instance, there was a primitive man named
Brother Lawrence, who is said to have realized God through
concentrating on a flower. No one told him how to do it and he knew
nothing about Hinduism because he was not literate and knew only basic
aspects of his religion. But he tapped the Source.
Swami Sivananda and Sri Ramakrishna often said that the essence of all
religions is One. Both of them included people from all religions into
their embrace. The difference in religions is mostly a matter of
psychological temperament and conditioning although I do feel that
Hinduism is the most systematic and most complete revelation of the
Divine.
Jack Phelan
