|
prasanna
Age: 45 Zodiac: 
| Joined: 20 Feb 2008 |
| Posts: 1355 |
|
Location: DUBAI, Los Angeles, Chennai
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 3:54 am |
|
 |
 |
|
|
Hinduism and Islam
Hinduism and Islam, from the of arrival of the Arabs as far back as the 8th century AD, has had a checkered history. In Islam, Hinduism found a very different concept of god and civic society than it had encountered earlier. This coincided with the peak of Hindu vedanta revival and its idelogical reintegration of Buddhism and Jainism. During the Muslim conquests Islam gained many converts on the Indian sub-continent primarily from Hinduism or Buddhism; the two dominant local religions. The prime drivers for conversion are contested issues. But it is mainly because the idea of having a monotheistic way of life made a lot of logic to Hindus who tends to have a polytheistic religion . Islam does not impose itself on any Person as this is confirmed in the Quran: “There is no Compulsory in Islam” C1/V256. Inter-marriage and immigration from other Islamic landshas have helped in instilling this idea in the people of greater India. Many of the new Muslim rulers looked down upon the idea Hinduism as having Iconodulistic religious practices and were to various degrees iconoclastic. Prominent examples of these are Mahmud of Ghazni and the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb on either end of the timeline for Islamic rulers. In addition, Muslims in India also developed a caste system that divided the Arab-descended "Ashraf" Muslims and the "Ajlaf" converts, with the "Arzal" untouchables at the lowest rung[1][2][3][4][5] The term "Arzal" stands for "degraded" and the Arzal castes are further subdivided into Bhanar, Halalkhor, Hijra, Kasbi, Lalbegi, Maugta, Mehtar etc.[4][5][6]
In contrast there were also many Muslim kings who wished to live in harmony with the Hindus. Akbar 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, and he even went so far as to try and create a new religion (the din ilahi) to create a rapprochement of both creeds. '''
The arrival of Sufi movement conversing with other mystic traditions of Vedanta and Yoga led to the rise of the syncretic Bhakti movement. Sheikh Muhammad was a Sufi saint who embraced the Hindu God Rama as his chosen bhakti ideal. Kabir wrote poetry and preached to the people, advocating a blend of philosophy and spiritual practices challenging the religious clergy of both Islam and Hinduism and claiming to be neither Hindu, nor Muslim.
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) attended by a Vaishnav priest. However, Muslim and Hindu conflict still exists in India feuled by a history of regional politics, nationalism, continued Pakistani sponsored terrorism and the history of the partition movements during independence from the British Raj.
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. 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. Practically all classical musicians, including Muslim musicians, like Ustad Bismillah Khan, in India worship the Hindu Goddess of Knowledge and the Arts, Mother Saraswati.
Today while Hinduism and Islam, have irreconcilable ideological differences and tensions, they share a common historical and social experience over a thousand years to result in a common social outlook.
|
Welcome to Mystic Board - Free Astrology, Tarot to Psychic Discussion Board. New visitors: Register Now its FAST! Members, please Sign-In.
