Dr Zakir Naik’s Blunder Of Claiming Himself To Be A Hindu

AUTHOR : MAULANA MUHAMMAD A K AZAD [ ABU ARIF AL ALAWI]

                Dr.  Zakir Naik says: " ......what is the meaning of the word Hindu…….the word Hindu is a geographical definition…..itmeans those people who live in the land of Indus valley civilization….those who live in India…I live in India. by definition I am a Hindu…..swami Vivekananda said Hindu is a geographical definition…swamin vivekanda says it's a misnoma…..the correct word should be vedantist….because Hindus follow the Vedas….vedantist should be the right word….Hindu is a misnoma….but if you say Hindu is a person who
does idol worship then am not a Hindu…"(Symposium- religion in the right perspective------"Presenting Islaam and Clarifying Misconceptions –Lecture series by Dr. Zaakir Naik,Developed by AHYA Multi-Media- 12 Enlightening Sessions

            Respected Brothers & Sisters!    It  is fard on Muslims to maintain the distinction from kuffar and Mushrikin. Mr Naik's geographical definition  of Hindu is partly true.  In the remote past, one might have indicated the people of Indus Valley as Hindu.. But Today, Hindu is rigorously religious identity, not geographical identity. His quoted authority Swami Vivekananda himself in countless places referred Hinduism as  a religion. Vivekananda says: " The Hindu can worship any sage and any Saint from any country whatsoever....." Swamiji clearly distinguishes the Hindu Religion from the  muslims in this words: "When the Mohammedans first came, we are said-I think, on the authority of Ferishta............to have been six hundred milliond of Hindus. And then every man going out of the Hindu pale is not only a man less, but an enemy the more." ( Teachings of Swami Vivekananda, published by Advaita Ashrama, Page 113).  Zains live in India. If geographical definition of Hindu is accepted, Zains too should be called Hindus. But The Supreme Court of India In the 2006 verdict, found that the "Jain Religion is indisputably not a part of the Hindu Religion( para 25, Committee of Management Kanya Junior High School Bal Vidya Mandir, Etah, Uttar Pradesh v. Sachiv, U.P. Basic Shiksha Parishad, Allahabad, U.P. and Ors., Per Dalveer Bhandari J., Civil Appeal No. 9595 of 2003, decided On: 21.08.2006, Supreme Court of India). In 1995, while considering the question "who are Hindus and what are the broad features of Hindu religion", The Supreme Court of India highlightes Bal Gangadhar Tilak's formulation of Hinduism's defining features:

"Acceptance of the Vedas with reverence; recognition of the fact that the means or ways to salvation are diverse; and the realization of the truth that the number of gods to be worshipped is large, that indeed is the distinguishing feature of Hindu religion."( Supreme Court of India, "Bramchari Sidheswar Shai and others Versus State of West Bengal", 1995)

    Secondly,   Persian dictionary titled Lughet-e-Kishwari, published in Lucknow in 1964, gives the meaning of Hindu as ‘chore (thief), dakoo (dacoit), raahzan (waylayer), and ghulam (slave). If Zakir Naik insists on being called Hindu by definition, one may take him to be a chore  or thief and I am sure Brother Naik would not love to be called chore or thief.


       Thirdly, modern research dismisses the theory of Hindu being the corrupt version of Sindhu. Dr Baldev Singh writes: "The interpretation that the word Hindu is a corrupted version of Sindhu does not explain why the Sindhu River or the people who live in the valley of this river did not acquire the name “Hindu.” This river is called Sindh and the people are called Punjabis and Sindhis. No body calls the state of Sindh as Hind or Sindhis as Hindis.........this word Hindu is a  corrupt form of Sindhu but this is wrong because Sindhu was the name of the river and not the name of the community." Dr Singh further wrires:

" The word Hindu may be as old as the Indus Vallay Civilization. To
find the meaning of “Hindu” one ought to look at the term “Hindu
Kush”(killer of Hindus). Who were the people, who named this
mountain range as Hindu Kush? Why these mountains were called the
killers of Hindus? As I mentioned earlier, the Indian subcontinent
was inhabited by dark complexioned people before the migration of
Caucasian tribes from the Caucasus region. The fair skinned
Caucasian tribes who lived on the Northwest of Hindu Kush Moutain
range called the Indian subcontinent as the land of Hindus (land of
black people). The Northwest expansion of the inhabitants of Indus
Valley was prevented by of Hindu Kush Mountains. Whenever the plain
dwelling Indians (Hindus) attempted to cross these mountains, they
met death due harsh terrain and heavy snow. That is how these
mountains were given the name Hindu Kush by mountain dwelling
Caucasian tribes. Once a large number of Indian people died on these
mountains due to heavy snow fall and that is how these mountains
acquired the name “Hindu Kush” – killer of the Hindus. [Bhai Kahan
Singh Nabha, Mahan Kosh, 1996 edn. p 275.]
Source : tritiopokhkho.wordpress.com/.../a-note-on-history-meaning-of-wor



          Most Importantly, Brother Zakir has made a distressing blunder by saying that he is a Hindu by geographical definition. Islam is a deen, the complete code of life. A Muslim cannot be a Hindu, Christian or Jew simultaneously whatever may be the meaning of these words. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa sallam warned :"Whoever says that he is on Deen other than Islam then he is as he says." (Bukhari, good manners and form, vol 8, hadith 073). Even Zakir Naik's own Salafi mentors rebuke him thus: "And you degrade yourself to the position of those losers claiming that you are a Jew and you are a Christian, it is authentically proved by Ibn Umar رضى الله عنه that Rasoolullah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: "Whosoever imitates with any nation then (indeed) the one is from amongst them."  [REF: Saiykh Yaheeya Al Hazoorie under question no 25 & 26.]


.                         Wa Maa Alaina Illal Balagh




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