Islam and Hinduism: Symbiotic Mysticism In Devotional Poems

Few have heard of the mystic poems Brahma Prakash or Dasa Avatar by the mediaeval Muslim saint Pir Shams. Both are famous ginans of South Asia's Ismaili community, sometimes also known as Khojas or Aga Khanis in popular parlance.

Ginans are hymn-like poems of spiritual import. They are revered by the faithful in deep veneration as repositories of wisdom and spiritual knowledge, and as transmitting the essential teachings of the Holy Qur'an in the vernacular. Composed in Sindhi, Gujarati, Hindustani and Punjabi among other subcontinental languages, the oldest are ascribed to the pirs or saints who first preached Ismaili Islam in India nearly 1,000 years ago.

Read more here: » Islam and Hinduism: Symbiotic Mysticism In Devotional Poems

Meaning of Dreams in Islam

Dreams are broken into three parts according to the Sunnah:

Ru'yaa - good visions (dreams)

Hulum - bad dreams

Dreams from one's self

Abu Hurayrah narrated Muhammad (S) said, "There are three types of dreams: a righteous dream which is glad tidings from Allah, the dream which causes sadness is from Shaitan, and a dream from the ramblings of the mind." (Sahih Muslim)

Read more here: » Islamic Dream Interpretation: Meaning of Dreams in Islam II

Science and Spirituality: An Islamic View of Creation & Life

According to Islamic tradition, life is God's creation - regardless of whether life was specially created or resulted from evolution. Evolution itself is a process of creation as admitted by Darwin in The Origin of Species.

Creation falls into four categories - inanimate matter, plants, animals and human beings. According to Islam, all four are separate creations. Among living things, a number of species co-exist, all having been created separately. There is doubtless some similarity in physical attributes; yet, each has a permanent, separate existence. There is no concept of a missing link in Islam.

Read more here: » Science and Spirituality: An Islamic View of Creation Life

Hinduism, Soul and God

There are several theories in Hinduism to explain this and no one knows for sure which one is correct. Besides it is all very confusing, as confusing perhaps as the theory of relativity by Einstein. According to one approach the whole universe is one self same reality. There is no distinction or duality between God and the soul except in our perception. God and the soul are one and the same. There is nothing like a soul separating itself from God and then entering the body as a separate entity. The soul has never been separated from God and would never be. The same Supreme Self acts as individual souls without undergoing any change or division. This is the Advaita or non dualistic school of philosophy. 

Read more here: » Hinduism, Soul and God: Are the souls different from God?

The Story of Zamzam

The holy water known as ZamZam, brought from Makkah (Mecca) by Hajjis returning home, is believed to have healing powers.

In a parched desert where there wasn't a trace of water, Allah showered his blessings on Ibrahim's family, by commanding Angel Jibreel to dig the earth with his heel (or his wing), and water started flowing in the desert to quench the thirst of Ibrahim's wife Hajar and her son Ismael.

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Islam and Hinduism: The Thousand Names of Vishnu and Allah

Allah is Al-Ahad or The One and Vishnu is called Eka, The One. It's curious but there are striking similarities between the many names of Vishnu and those of Allah.

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Sri Sathya Sai Baba is among those realised souls whose wisdom cuts across all barriers of race and religion, aimed only at restoring dharma and establishing the unity of faiths and peoples under the common banner of universal love and brotherhood.

However, to widen spirituality's reach beyond retreats and rosaries, it has to be made to touch all of life and divinise every activity. For this, the quest for atma vidya or self-knowledge is essential in a human being, for it awakens him to his inherent divinity and also promotes reverence and respect for all creation.

(See also: Atma Vidya , Indian Festivals, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Atma Vidya: Touch Base with God Through Atma Vidya  

A personal reflektion on God by Jaspal Bhatti. ”I believe in the existence of God and I am God-fearing. The universe has originated due to some super power. In the wide ocean we are like a small drop. My faith in God has never been shaken. And I am grateful to him for the fame and success that I have today. I have never asked Him for anything, nor have I ever taken a mannat . ”

Read more here: » Spiritual Inspiration: God and I by Jaspal Bhatti

A personal reflektion on God By Gul Panag. ”I am not ritualistic at all, but I do believe in the existence of a superpower. My Sikh parents have given me a liberal upbringing as far as religion is concerned. They've never imposed any religious ideas upon me.”

Read more here: » Spiritual Inspiration: God and I by Gul Panag

What is the Hindu definition of God -monotheistic or polytheistic?

There is much confusion about this, not among Hindus but among those on the outside looking in.

Hinduism is both a monotheistic and a henotheistic religion. Hindus believe in one supreme God who created the universe and who is worshipped as Light, Love and Consciousness. Hindus were never polytheistic, but were always henotheistic. Henotheism is defined by Webster's as "the belief in or worship of one God without denying the existence of others."

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Today, as the vernal equinox bathes the universe in a golden glow and Spring dances in seen and unseen splendour, it is amply clear that once you are with God, everything's possible.

Today is Jamshedji Navroze , the original new year. It is celebrated by Parsees today - as it was by the people of ancient Iran - with good reason. The day marks the birth of Creation and therefore, your birth and mine too. It also celebrates Prophet Zarathushtra's profound pronouncements, the beauty and truth of which I've gleaned with my own limited vision from the scriptures.

(See also: Jamshedji Navroze , Indian Festivals, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Jamshedji Navroze: Nothing's Impossible When God is Present - about Jamshedji Navroze  

Quran - Koran: Qur'an Revealed During Ramzan

Prophet Muhammad would often sit alone in the cave of Hira, near Mecca, to pray and meditate, asking the Creator of the Heavens and earth for answers to the questions that surged through his mind. What is man's true role in life?

What does the Lord require of us? From where does man come, and where will he go after death? The Prophet would meditate alone, surrounded by nature, seeking answers to all these profound questions.

Read more here: » Quran - Koran: Qur'an Revealed During Ramzan

A personal reflection on God by Yana Gupta. ”I don't believe in God. Why do I need to believe in something I feel so strong about? When you feel angry, you don't say: "I believe I'm angry.'' When you are in love, you don't say: "I believe I'm in love.'' You know you are in love, because the feeling is so strong, that you can hardly think of anything else than the person you love. ”

Read more here: » Spiritual Inspiration: God and I by Yana Gupta

Two men went into a mango garden. One man started counting the mango trees and the number of fruit each bore and approximate value of the orchard.

The other man went straight to the owner and making his acquaintance was invited by him to pluck and taste the fruit.

One was busy in counting and calculating, the other was enjoying the delicious fruit. Ramakrishna Paramhansa would cite this example to show the difference between the man of dry academics and the man of devotion.

(See also: Importance of emotions in relation with god , Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Importance of emotions in relation with god: Your Creator can be Your Best Friend  

A personal reflection on God by Tom Alter. ”It is rather difficult to explain how I feel about God. If at all I see God in anything, it is in nature and love between human beings. I was brought up in a very religious atmosphere. My father was a priest. In fact, folks from my father and mother's side were priests. As a child, I used to pray in school, but it was never done with conviction. As I grew up, I realised that I didn't believe in the concept of one god.”

Read more here: » Spiritual Inspiration: God and I by Tom Alter

Islam: The Four Phases of Islamic Thought

Islamic thought, Shariah and Fiqh as it exists today has metamorphosed through various processes and stages before reaching us. Basically all the religions have two stages. The initial phase is the foundation, the period of the founder of the religion.

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A personal reflection on God by Pandit Jasraj. ”A personal reflection on God by Pandit Jasraj. ”My first introduction to God happened when I was just 14, in the year 1944. Now I am turning 73. My older brother was then called to the small estate of Sanand near Ahmedabad to sing. In those days invitations from kings were rare and to only a few. So my brother and also my Guru Pandit Maniramji and I went there.”

Read more here: » Spiritual Inspiration: God and I by Pandit Jasraj

Bhagavan stuti: Open Your Mind With Songs of God

Stuti literally means praise and a stotram is a hymn or song dedicated to God's glory. Is it necessary to praise the Lord? Would He be affected by our praises and does He really need them? What could be the benefits that accrue from singing His glory? From our experiences of dealing with the empirical world, we understand it is natural to appreciate someone who has performed well.

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Kriya Yoga: The Breath of God Is Our Breath of Life

Kriya Yoga gives extreme importance to the breath. It teaches that breath control is self control, breath mastery is self mastery, it is deathlessness. If you take a very short breath and seek God in the fontanel and the pituitary, you will attain calmness and God realization. The Bhagavad Gita, verse 5:27, mentions this short breath: "We are to fix our attention in the pituitary, take a very short breath and touch Him in the pituitary and in the fontanel." The breath must be so short that if you place your finger in front of your nose, the outgoing breath will not touch the finger.

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Haj Is a Journey Into Yourself

It is every Muslim's cherished dream to go on Haj, to undertake the spiritual journey to the holy city of Mecca. On their return, the successful pilgrims are known as Hajjis. When they embark on their journey, they are given a ceremonial and fond farewell by relatives and friends of all faiths. Haj is a commemoration of tests and trials experienced by Prophet Ibrahim and his son Hazrat Ismail, in the vicinity of Mecca.

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A personal reflektion on God by Nagma. ”Ever since I was a child, I have felt protected by this image of Christ with a beard and in flowing white robes. I would even have these long conversations with Him. Till date, I have held on to this habit.”

Read more here: » Spiritual Inspiration: God and I by Nagma

Kalki Bhagavan the founder of Golden Age Foundation, is considered to be the Avatar capable of giving enlightenment to mankind. This is an extract from a Darshan with Kalki Bhagavan and Amma held at Nemam (outside Chennai in South East India) 2nd of January 2004. According to Kalki, the Golden Age will start in June 2004 and will be initated by the occuring Venus Transit.

Read more here: » Kalki about the Venus Transit