Hindus struggle to protect temples in Pakistan

[dray]

A Hindu Primerby

Shukavak N. Dasa

Copyright © 2007 Sanskrit Religions Institute
All rights reserved.

Do Hindus Worship Idols?

Sacred Images

The answer to this question is most certainly yes! Hindus do worship idols, but so do Christians, Jews and even Muslims. In fact, it is impossible to conceive of God without some form of idol, for idol worship is the way of religion. Let me explain.

In Hinduism there are many words to describe the nature of God, and we will refer to them as the need arises, but in this regard, the most relevant word is acintya, which means "inconceivable," "beyond thought." The true nature of God is, therefore, beyond the ability of human beings to understand, yet we have a need to reach out in our mind and try to conceive of God, so we create an image of God in our minds. This mental image of God is an idol. Most people, including Hindus, think of an idol solely as a graven or carved image and, while this is true, an idol is a carved image, it is also a form that begins in the mind. It is a mental form. Consequently, mental forms are also idols.
The Image of Father

God as Father


With this in mind, perhaps the most common mental images that human beings use to conceive of God is as a Father, a King or a Mother. The idea of a father, a king or a mother is, therefore, a mental idol, a tool we use, to conceive of what is actually inconceivable, beyond thought. Convert that mental idol into a wooden or stone image and you have created a graven idol. From a Hindu perspective there is little difference between a mental idol and physical idol. One is just an extension of the other. And so, if you conceive of God as the supreme Father, or as the King of kings, or the divine Mother, you have created an idol, a material image with which to approach God. Human beings have no choice other than to approach God through these idols, even though all idols are simply crude and limited approximations of what God is in reality. Of all religions Hinduism seems the most adept at converting mental idols into physical form as graven idols, or what we prefer to call, sacred images. In fact, we generally teach our students not to use the word idol at all because it gives the wrong impression amongst many non Hindus. Indeed, Hindu temples are full of such sacred images of God and Hindus have special ways to install and interact with these images in their temples and homes, and in most cases these images are viewed, not as material images, but as spiritual forms. This is the result of seeing through faith.
Which Image?

Baby Krishna: God as a Child


Another Sanskrit word that describes the nature of God and which comes into play in regard to idols is sarva-gata, which means literally "gone everywhere." In other words, sarva-gata refers to the all pervading nature of God. God is in all things and in all places. In fact, you are sitting or standing on God right now, which means, technically speaking, you could worship the floor or chair or anything as an idol of God. This, however, is generally not done. Instead, Hindus worship specific images that are described in scripture (shastra). The technical name for these sacred images of God is arcya-vigraha. Arcya means 'worship-able' and vigraha means "form" and so arcya-vigraha is the "form to be worshipped." We can also say that God agrees to appear in these special forms that can be understood by human beings in order to allow Himself to be worshipped. A more common term that is used instead of arcya-vigraha is murti. It simply means divine form. These sacred images that you find in Hindu temples and homes are installed according to specific rituals also described in scripture (See Prana Pratishtha). How Hindus perceive of these images varies according to adhikara, but one simple way is to see these sacred images as "mail boxes." Devotees come to a temple bringing fruits and flowers and all their prayers and hopes and stand before the sacred image and "post" their offerings and prayers through the sacred image. The worshippers are not bowing down to stone, they are not worshipping a statue; they are approaching these sacred images as the means to get to the God behind the image. In a similar way, a Christian may kneell before a crucifix of Jesus and pray. The worshipper is not worshipping the wooden cross, but instead he is approaching his object of devotion, Jesus, through the manifestation of the crucifix. This is a form of idol worship from a Hindu perspective. Even a Muslim, who will never worship any form, cannot help but have some abstract mental image or concept of God. This too is an idol of God, albeit an abstract mental idol. It can not be helped. This is what I mean when I say there is no way to conceive of and worship God except through some form of idol worship.
Language as an Idol

Closely related to these ideas of idol worship is the use of human language to express our understanding of God. The very words acintya or sarva-gata, are human attempts to touch God using language. But even language is a product of this world and therefore is limited to the boundaries of physical reality. Language, even though it is a crude instrument used to express what is beyond thought is still the best instrument we have. So when we speak about God as our Father, our King, our Lord or our Mother, these words are also idols of God. But, again, how can we speak of the divine without these idols of language? Idols of the divine cannot be avoided.
Do Hindus Worship Idols?

Idols are just mediums, not god themselves. If you have read and understood the article that you have posted, then I don't need to explain it any further.

 

[jarves]

what does it mean again.......
are you calling a faith of people jahil......
not a good language for a stature of lady who works in media..........

This is nothing you havent seen her posts when she joined this forum.
You would be shocked.

 

[Dem!god]

After babri masjid they should all be destroyed

Oh..ya...
KSA the holy land of muslims destroyed many Islamic relics....
so, do you think....Pakistan should destroy its all mosques .....

Destroyed sites
In 1801 and 1802, the Saudi Wahhabis under Abdul Aziz ibn Muhammad ibn Saud attacked and captured the holy Shia cities of Karbala and Najaf in Iraq, massacred parts of the Muslim population and destroyed the tombs of Husayn ibn Ali who is the grandson of Muhammad, and son of Ali (Ali bin Abu Talib), the son-in-law of Muhammad. (see: Saudi sponsorship mentioned previously) In 1803 and 1804 the Saudis captured Mecca and Medina and destroyed historical monuments and various holy Muslim sites and shrines, such as the shrine built over the tomb of Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, and even intended to destroy the grave of Muhammad himself as idolatrous, causing resentment throughout the Muslim World.[13][14][15] In Mecca, the tombs of direct relations of Muhammad including his first wifeKhadijah bint Khuwaylid were demolished at Al-Ma’ala Cemetery.[16]

Below is an incomplete list of destroyed sites
Mosques[edit]

• The mosque at the grave of Sayyid al-Shuhada’ Hamza ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib.[9]
• The Mosque of Fatima Zahra.[9]
• The Mosque of al-Manaratain.[9]
• Mosque and tomb of Sayyid Imam al-Uraidhi ibn Ja‘far al-Sadiq, destroyed by dynamite on August 13, 2002.
• Four mosques at the site of the Battle of the Trench in Medina.
• The Mosque of Abu Rasheed.[17]
• Salman al-Farsi Mosque, in Medina.[17]
• Raj'at ash-Shams Mosque, in Medina.[17]

Cemeteries and tombs[edit]

• Jannat al-Baqi in Medina, leveled, still open access for men only.
• Jannat al-Mu'alla, the ancient cemetery at Mecca.[17]
• Grave of Hamida al-Barbariyya, the mother of Imam Musa al-Kazim.
• Grave of Amina bint Wahb, Muhammad’s mother, bulldozed and set alight in 1998.
• Graves of Banu Hashim in Mecca.[17]
• Tombs of Hamza and other martyrs were demolished at Uhud.[17]
• Tomb of Eve in Jeddah,[17] sealed with concrete in 1975.
• Grave of the father of Muhammad, in Medina.[17]

Historical religious sites[edit]

• The house of Mawlid where Muhammad is believed to have been born in 570. Originally turned into a cattle market, it now lies under a rundown building which was built 70 years ago as a compromise after Wahhabi clerics called for it to be torn down.[18]
• The house of Khadija, Muhammad’s first wife. Muslims believe he received some of the first revelations there. It was also where his children Fatimah and Qasim were born. After it was rediscovered during the Haram extensions in 1989, it was covered over and it was made into a library.
• House of Muhammed in Medina, where he lived after the migration from Mecca.[17]
• Dar al Arqam, the first Islamic school where Muhammad taught.[18] It now lies under the extension of the Masjid Al Nabawi of Madinah.
• Qubbat’ al-Thanaya, the burial site of Muhammed's incisor that was broken in the Battle of Uhud.[9]
• Mashrubat Umm Ibrahim, built to mark the location of the house where Muhammad’s son, Ibrahim, was born to Mariah.
• Dome which served as a canopy over the Well of Zamzam.[17]
• Bayt al-Ahzan of Sayyida Fatima, in Medina.[17]
• House of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, in Medina.[17]
• Mahhalla complex of Banu Hashim, in Medina.[17]
• House of Ali where Hasan and Husayn were born.[17]

It is all the fault of Hindu extremists who destroyed Babri Mosque. Shame on them!

really......
if this is the rule you follow/.....then destroy all your mosques .......

The photos Saudi Arabia doesn't want seen – and proof Islam's most holy relics are being demolished in Mecca

Archaeologists fear billion-pound development has led to destruction of key historical sites
Photographs obtained by The Independent reveal how workers with drills and mechanical diggers have started demolishing some Ottoman and Abbasid sections on the eastern side of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca.

The building, which is also known as the Grand Mosque, is the holiest site in Islam because it contains the Kaaba – the point to which all Muslims face when praying. The columns are the last remaining sections of the mosque which date back more than a few hundred years and form the inner perimeter on the outskirts of the white marble floor surrounding the Kaaba.

The new photos, taken over the last few weeks, have caused alarm among archaeologists and come as Prince Charles – a long-term supporter of preserving architectural heritage – flew into Saudi Arabia yesterday for a visit with the Duchess of Cornwall. The timing of his tour has been criticised by human rights campaigners after the Saudis shot seven men in public earlier this week despite major concerns about their trial and the fact that some of the men were juveniles at the time of their alleged crimes.

Photos taken by activists in Saudi Arabia showing the destruction of the Grand Mosque

Many of the Ottoman and Abbasid columns in Mecca were inscribed with intricate Arabic calligraphy marking the names of the Prophet Muhammad’s companions and key moments in his life. One column which is believed to have been ripped down is supposed to mark the spot where Muslims believe Muhammad began his heavenly journey on a winged horse, which took him to Jerusalem and heaven in a single night.

To accommodate the ever increasing number of pilgrims heading to the twin holy cities of Mecca and Medina each year the Saudi authorities have embarked upon a massive expansion project. Billions of pounds have been poured in to increase the capacity of the Masjid al-Haram and the Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina which marks where Muhammad is buried. King Abdullah has put the prominent Wahabi cleric and imam of the Grand Mosque, Abdul Rahman al-Sudais, in charge of the expansion while the Saudi Binladin Group – one of the country’s largest firms – has won the construction contract.

While there is little disagreement over the need to expand, critics have accused the Saudi regime of wantonly disregarding the archaeological, historical and cultural heritage of Islam’s two holiest cities. In the last decade Mecca has been transformed from a dusty desert pilgrimage town into a gleaming metropolis of skyscrapers that tower over the Masjid al-Haram and are filled with a myriad of shopping malls, luxury apartments and five star hotels.

But such a transformation has come at a cost. The Washington-based Gulf Institute estimates that 95 per cent of Mecca's millennium-old buildings have been demolished in the past two decades alone. Dozens of key historical sites dating back to the birth of Islam have already been lost and there is a scramble among archaeologists and academics to try and encourage the authorities to preserve what little remains.

Many senior Wahabis are vehemently against the preservation of historical Islamic sites that are linked to the prophet because they believe it encourages shirq – the sin of idol worshipping.

But Dr Irfan al-Alawi, executive director of the Islamic Heritage Research Foundation which obtained the new photographs from inside the Grand Mosque, says the removal of the Ottoman and Abbasid columns will leave future generations of Muslims ignorant of their significance.

“It matters because many of these columns signified certain areas of the mosque where the Prophet sat and prayed,” he said. “ The historical record is being deleted. A new Muslim would never have a clue because there’s nothing marking these locations now. There are ways you could expand Mecca and Medina while protecting the historical heritage of the mosque itself and the surrounding sites.”

Photos taken by activists in Saudi Arabia showing the destruction of the Grand Mosque

There are signs that King Abdullah has listened to concerns about the historical destruction of Mecca and Medina. Last October The Independent revealed how new plans for the masjid an-Nabawi in Medina would result in the destruction of three of the world’s oldest mosques on the west hand side of the main complex. However new plans approved by King Abdullah last week appear to show a change of heart with the bulk of the expansion now slated to take place to the north of the Masjid an-Nabawi.

However key sites are still at risk. The Independent has obtained a presentation used by the Saudis to illustrate how the expansion of Mecca’s main mosque will look. In one of the slides it is clear that the Bayt al-Mawlid, an area which is believed to be the house where Muhammad was born in, will have to be removed unless plans change.

The Independent asked the Saudi Embassy in London a number of questions about the expansion plans and why more was not being done to preserve key historical sites. They replied: “Thank you for calling, but no comment.”

The photos Saudi Arabia doesn't want seen – and proof Islam's most holy relics are being demolished in Mecca - Middle East - World - The Independent

 

[IamBengali]

Idols are just mediums, not god themselves. If you have read and understood the article that you have posted, then I don't need to explain it any further.

I know idols are just medium but its still idol worship which is seen as the most heinous sin ever in Islam. Thats why Muslims and Hindus never actually blend together. See BD case. India played a Savior role to create Bangladesh but since Indians are mostly Hindus people like @idune blindly hate India.

 

[dray]

I know idols are just medium but its still idol worship which is seen as the most heinous sin ever in Islam. Thats why Muslims and Hindus never actually blend together. See BD case. India played a Savior role to create Bangladesh but since Indians are mostly Hindus people like @idune blindly hate India.

That's because people take things at face value without understanding the inner meaning of religions.

 

[Mugwop]

@Dem!god

Please try to ignore hussain,He doesn't speak for us.

 

[genmirajborgza786]

After babri masjid they should all be destroyed

what a shameful & disgusting comment by you,
they are as much Pakistani as you & I are, govt must ensure the safety of the minorities communities & their places of worship, there is no justification for such heinous crimes, what happens in India is their problem & it is no justification for demolishing minorities placers of worships. after all they are our Pakistan brother & sisters, they being Hindu or Buddhist or Christians is their personal matter, what matters is that they are Pakistanis & we cannot escape our responsibilities of ensuring their well being & safety under the excuse of land mafias or reaction of something that happens in India
under this flag we are all one is parcham ke tale hum ek hain


remember Periyar E. V. Ramasamy of tamil nadu who supported the Quaid was a Hindu, so was Ramday, "Prof. Jagan Nath Azad, etc & we love them

 

[Umair Nawaz]

Then you should always remain in serious mood, you are a better person in serious mood.
Same goes for @Umair Nawaz , he is actually a sensible member when he is not trolling, I have seen a few of his 'serious' posts, unfortunately he is almost always on troll mode.

and what exactly i wrote that u found 'sensible'.

 

[MilSpec]

^Nothing!

 

[dray]

and what exactly i wrote that u found 'sensible'.

Maybe 2-3 months back, you were in a Indo-Pak friendship & cooperation mood in a thread, there were multiple posts, you were even apologetic(!!) about your trolling with Indians!! A rare moment though, but your posts were very mature and looked genuine.

I can't remember the thread now.

 

[dray]

^Nothing!

 

[WAR-rior]

This is nothing you havent seen her posts when she joined this forum.
You would be shocked.

Shes that JANA rite? MY God. Kahan se aayi thi? Kya random baatein karti thi. Seems now she has got some reality check being in Media.

 

[Umair Nawaz]

Maybe 2-3 months back, you were in a Indo-Pak friendship & cooperation mood in a thread, there were multiple posts, you were even apologetic(!!) about your trolling with Indians!! A rare moment though, but your posts were very mature and looked genuine.

I can't remember the thread now.

it was a week or two ago. In that post i mentioned Ayush.

 

[jarves]

Shes that JANA rite? MY God. Kahan se aayi thi? Kya random baatein karti thi. Seems now she has got some reality check being in Media.

Yeah she changed her username from "JANA",you can see that if you have read old threads.

 

[dray]

it was a week or two ago. In that post i mentioned Ayush.

No, not that one, long back, maybe during the devyani Khobgade case.