Hinduism and Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hinduism and Islam - Essay Example All these three religions originated from Abraham. Abraham’s eldest son Ishmael is the father of Islamic religion. Hindu religion is standing out from other religions because of their belief in multi God theory. It should be noted that Muslims believe in single God theory like Jews and Christians. There are certain common elements and differences in the belief structure of Hindus and Muslims even though their theories about God are entirely different. This paper analyses the similarities and differences between Hindu beliefs and Islamic beliefs. Analysis of Hinduism & Islam through research Hindu religion is the religion of Vedas based on the practice of Dharma. (Dharma is the code of conduct of life principles). â€Å"The foundations of Hindu religion were laid by ancient rishis (sages), who taught their disciples the eternal principles of life they had discovered through their meditations† Since Hinduism has no founder, anyone who practices Dharma can call himself a H indu†(Devshoppe). There are 4 different types of people in the Hindu religion basically as per the ancient belief; Brahman, Kshathriya, Vaisya and Shudra. Only the Brahman people got the rights to do the rituals in the temple and they are considered as the highest class in the Hindu religion. Kshathriya people had the right to rule the country while the other two were the working class. The word Brahmin is derived from the word Brahman ie the supreme self. This caste is traditionally ranked first, among the four main castes. Vedas are the primary source of knowledge for brahmins. The word Kshtriya denotes an aristocratic status. In Sanskrit it is derived from the word â€Å"Khatra† ie Power, Rule, Roof, Government etc.. This caste is traditionally ranked second in the four main castes. The Vaishya are on the third rank of four main castes in Indian society. The word Vaishya is derived from a word which means to live, and the caste was originally focused on farming, agri culture, and trading. The shudras are the lowest and largest caste. As per the Sanskrit definition, Shudra can be any person, regardless of his Varna. As per the Purush-Sukta of Rig-Ved,the Shudras are originated from the feet of the Lord (Brahmana-Kshatriya-Vaishya-Shudra) Hindus believe in â€Å"The three-in-one god known as â€Å"Brahman,† which is composed of: Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the Preserver), and Shiva (the Destroyer)† (Hindu Beliefs). In other words, for every Godly activity, Hindus have a separate God. They believe that the entire world is controlled by different Gods who have different duties. Bhagavad Gita is the Holy book for Hindus. â€Å"Spoken by Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead to His intimate disciple Arjuna, the Gita's seven hundred concise verses provide a definitive guide to the science of self realization† (Bhagavad Gita). Hindus give more respect to women compared to any other religions in the world. According to H induism, a soul is reincarnates again and again on earth till it becomes perfect and reunites with its Source. During this process, soul enters many bodies and attains many forms (Jayaram) Islam means to submit freely to The Commandments and Will of The One and Only God (Allah). This submission should come from within, from sound belief in and