Philosophy of Prophet Mohammad and its confluence with Hinduism

While studying history, several times I have been fascinated with the stories and legends of Mohammad, the founder of the Islam religion. He is one of my favourite characters of World history. I thought to share some of my own knowledge and information about this great person whose life and activities had changed the face of the human civilization.

Muhammad Ibn `Abd Allāh Ibn `Abd al-Muttalib was the original name of Muhammad. He was born on  26th of April, 570 CE in the Arabian city of Mecca. His parents were Abdullah and Aminah Bint Wahb. His family belonged to the Banu Hashim Clan, a part of the Quraysh tribe. However, the early death of his parents left him orphan and hence his childhood days became stormy and naturally he had to struggle enough to survive the rough situations of life.  Ultimately he was nurtured by an uncle named Abu Talib. As his uncle was a merchant, Mohammad used to go on long business trips Syria on caravans. At the age of 25, he came in close contact with a woman merchant named Khadija Bint Khuwaylid. Both Muhammad and Khadija used to share their views and found each other very close to their heart. Though she was fifteen years older (Y.O.B 555 CE) than Muhammad, they soon decided to get married and a new chapter began in both of their lives. They both led a happy family life.

Soon after, Mohammad started losing interest in worldly matters and became absent minded. He used to go to a mountain cave called Hira, a few kilometers from Mecca, located on a mountain called Jabal Al-Nur (present day Hejaz region in Saudi Arabia), and  spent his time thinking about life, truth and religion. His meditation and reflection brought about a radical change in his life. At the age of 40, during the month of Ramadan, it is said that he received his first revelation from Angel Gabriel (Jibril). After this, he started preaching these revelations in public, proclaiming that God is One, it is necessary that we all surrender ourselves before Him. Most Islamic religious scholars accept him to be the last prophet of God and the restorer of an uncorrupted monotheistic faith (Islam) of Adam, Noah (Remember Noah’s Ark), Abraham, Moses (Remember the Ten Commandments), Jesus and other prophets.

It is an interesting fact to understand that both Christianity and Islam have originated from the Jewish tradition, as both Jesus and Mohammad share the same ancestry.

Khadija was the very first person to accept Mohammad as the Prophet and she was historically the first person in the world to accept the Islam religion. Apart from her, Mohammad’s 10 year old cousin Ali Ibn Abi Talib, closest friend Abu Bakr and adopted son Zaid became Mohammad’s followers. His preaching soon angered the leaders of the Arabian tribes and they plotted to kill Mohammad in 622 CE.  However, Mohammad and Abu Bakr were successful to escape from Mecca and later travel down to Medina 320 Kilometers away. This migration starts the Islamic Hijira calendar. It is from Medina that Mohammad started his crusade and gradually more and more people embraced Islam religion as their faith.

Mohammad died on 8th of June, 632 CE, but his philosophy became a way of life for millions of people all over the globe. His life and works do charm people like me who love to explore into human characters and bring out their psychological instincts and characteristic attributes.

Five main Principles of Islam:

Among many other principles, the main principles are-

1. There is only one God 'Allah' and Mohammad is a Prophet (Shahada)

2. A true Muslim should  pray five times a day (Namaaz) facing towards Mecca (Salat)

3. A Muslim shoud keep fast (Roja) from dawn to dusk during the holy month of Ramadan (Sawm)

4. A pious Muslim should donate generously to the poor and the downtrodden (Zakat)

5. A Muslim must try to visit the Kaaba at Mecca atleat once in his lifetime (Hajj)

Quran clearly states that there is Paradise (Jannah) for the righteous people and Hell (Jahannam) for the bad. 

What is the importance of 786?

Since many centuries, Muslim people mostly in the Indian Sub continent believe the number 786 to be extremely lucky. Nevertheless it is considered mystical and religiously significant. However, scholars opine differently about its origin or significance. There are many speculations about it and none is authentic. Many regard that Allah had created the world in 786 days. Even the famous poem Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim, which praises Allah, has exactly 786 letters! The Arabic version of the Koran also contains 786 imprints on them, though so far it is not known if any of the Arabic scholars had been able to determine its significance. It is well known that Mohammad had no idea of letters or numbers, so 786 cannot be related with Mohammad or his life.

It is very interesting to note that this magical number 786 is the Vedic holy letter “OM” written in Sanskrit. If it is read backwards in the Arabic way, the mystic number 786 appears…

Hinduism and Islam: A Strong Bond persists...

In medieval Indian subcontinent, the Bhakti exponents like Kabir, Ramdas, Tukaram, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Guru Nanak as well as all the Islamic Sufi saints like Moinuddin Chisti, Baba Fakruddin and Salim Chisti have spread the same message that ‘God is One’ and we have to surrender ourselves before the Almighty. Even modern spiritual leaders like Ramakrishna Paramhansa Dev and Sirdi Sai Baba have preached that all religion of the world is same.  It is our devotion and love to God that purifies our mind and soul. 

There is also a striking similarity between Hinduism and Islam. Both Hinduism and Islam believe in the  theory of Heaven and Hell. Both the religion also believe in the doctrine of  'Karma' and its reward or punishment by God. 

A major portion of the population in our Sabarna Roy Choudhury family Jaigir, that extended from Halisahar in the North to Diamond Harbour in the South, were Muslims. The long 150 years (1608-1757) of our reign had never witnessed any dissidence between the Hindu and the Muslim subjects, thanks to the efficient administration and vision of my forefathers, rather both these communities lived in the utmost harmony and shared their social and economic life. Our Sabarna Roy Choudhury family had never differentiated between a Hindu and a Muslim. The Muslim subjects used to particiapate in all our social events and they were very closely associated with our family. The reason why I narrated the history of my family is simply because I want to focus on the truth that it is the self interest, dishonesty and corrupt practice of the ruling class (think politicians) that creates a tension and terrible situations between communities, otherwise every common man whether Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Parsee lives in a peaceful and harmonious society. There can be no hatred or dissidence unless it is plotted by rulers or politicians. 

Therefore to me, all religion spreads the message of truth and peace. We may follow different religions, but our inner soul meets at the same point where love and devotion exists in the purest form…

[Special thanks to Sanjog Kesar and Wikipedia for providing useful information]

The Famous War Poem- The Hero (Published 1917) by Siegfried Sassoon - My CRITICISM

The Hero 

                                                                                                                        by Siegfried Sassoon

'Jack fell as he'd have wished,' the mother said,

And folded up the letter that she'd read.

'The Colonel writes so nicely.' Something broke

In the tired voice that quavered to a choke.

She half looked up. 'We mothers are so proud

Of our dead soldiers.' Then her face was bowed. 

Quietly the Brother Officer went out.

He'd told the poor old dear some gallant lies

That she would nourish all her days, no doubt

For while he coughed and mumbled, her weak eyes

Had shone with gentle triumph, brimmed with joy,

Because he'd been so brave, her glorious boy. 

He thought how 'Jack', cold-footed, useless swine,

Had panicked down the trench that night the mine

Went up at Wicked Corner; how he'd tried

To get sent home, and how, at last, he died,

Blown to small bits. And no one seemed to care

Except that lonely woman with white hair.

This is a famous poem by Siegfried Sassoon published in 1917, which is prescribed in the Paschimbanga Higher Secondary syllabus.

This poet,  himself being a English soldier in the First World War, has tried to expose the truth behind the making of a hero and at the same time mocks at the people who glorifies war. He has beautifully and in simple narrative language described about the horrors of war and useless bloodshed. No doubt he has tried to convey a message to the world. We have read how "The Charge of the Light Brigade" by Lord Tennyson had glorified War. 

But I differ to believe that this particular poem "The Hero"  has much importance. The poet Seigfried Sassoon (8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967) has described how the Colonel in his letter says lies to the old woman  about her dead son Jack, who was a soldier uder his command. Though the boy wanted to leave his post and tried to run away but incidentally "blown to small bits" at the Wicked Corner, the colonel declares in his letter that the boy had died a heroic death while fighting his enemies. A colleague brings the letter to the bereaved old mother. The poet wanted to ridicule the situation and has ironically used the tiltle The Hero. 

Now, my question is that, did really the Colonel does something that is to be ridiculed? An old woman has lost her son in the war, and she has none to look after her. She is to be officially informed about the death of her son. The Colonel realizes the situation and to console the old mother writes a few good words about the son so that, hearing how bravely her son had fought against the enemy and heroically laid down his life in the battlefield, she accepts the situation and feels good. 

The Colonel has just done the right thing. He is a wise man and knows how unbearable it could be for a mother to hear the death of her son and that too  a cowardice death. But the Colonel using a few false words takes control of the situation and successfully consoles the old mother. Moreover, the poet himself being a soldier at last understands about the horrors of war and starts writing poems about it. Now can't it be true that the the so-called coward boy soldier realized the truth of war in the battlefield seeing the useless bloodshed, desired to discard warfare and return back? 

Realization may come any moment. Perhaps the boy was wiser than the poet for he had understood the uselessness of war and tried to discard it, but the poet who himself had served the army for so long, takes the pen to ridicule the horrors of war at a much later stage. 

I may believe, unknowingly the poet has used the right term for the boy soldier. He was truly A Hero because he had realized the truth much before our poet did...

Raavan was the Greatest Indian who ever lived

The character of Raavan, in my opinion, has been wrongly judged. He was far superior in every respect than Rama. While Raavan represents the highly advanced and cultured Harappan Culture, Rama was an invader (Representing the Indo-Aryans, who entered India in and around 1700-1500 BCE from places near the Ural Mountians and Caspian Sea). Raavan was a Brahmin being born as the son of Aryan Rishi and scientist Visrawasa and Harappan Kaikasi while Rama was a Khastriya. Raavan was a prolific scholar having knowledge of 64 categories of knowledge. He was against the rigid caste system and untouchability that prevailed in the Aryan society.

So called Righteous Rama took advantage of the rift between Bali and Sugrive and instead of settling down the matter between the two brothers, most unethically killed Bali only for his own selfish motive. Laksmana dishonoured Brahmin princess Surpanakha and was rightfully declared an offender of the Dravidian society but Rama knowing fully well that Laksmana had done a grave offence protecteed him out of brotherly love. Similarly Ravana too, out of sisterly love and patriotism declared war against their national enemies. He got a chance and out of his strategic scheme arrested Sita. Sita was just a Prisoner of War (POW) and this is a well justified act. Raavan never misbehaved with Sita nor did her any harm. It was Rama who without any warning and flouting all battle laws shoot Brahmastra( the then regarded as the most destructive weapon). 

So it is the right time to rethink about Raavan who was truly the greatest Indian Hero.