NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
JEN(N)E RUNG NE RUUP NAHI
NAHEE KUCHH NAAM NE THHAAM RE
SO GUPTA PRAGATT BHAYO
LAAKH DHARO TISS NAAM RE
(BHUJ NIRINJIN-PIR SADRUDDIN)
Translation: That which does not have any color or form, nor any name or abode; so when this hidden entity became manifest, it assumes hundreds of thousands of names.
The name God is given to the spirit or Supreme being or entity who is worshipped as the creator, owner, and ruler of the Universe.
There are more than 7100 languages spoken on planet Earth. All languages with its dialects carry name of God pronounced in different ways.
Name of God in different languages, Religions, and countries:
American, British and mostly English speaking countries: God/Gad
Arabic: ALLAH (mostly in all Muslim countries)
Bengali : Allah, Khuda
Brazilian Portuguese: deus
Chinese: 上帝 (Shanti/Shangdi)
Croatian: bog (mostly in Slavic languages)
Czech: bůh
Danish: gud
Dutch: god
European Spanish: dios
Filipino : Diyos
Finnish: jumala
French: dieu
German: Gott
India : Om, Baghwan, Eshvar, Parmatma, Krishna
Iran : Khuda, Parvardigar
Israel :El, Elohim, Adonai, YHWH, Shaddai, Elyon
Italian : Dios
Greek: θεός (Seoce)
Japanese: 神 (Kani)
Norwegian: gud
Pakistan : Allah, Khuda, Rubb, Parvardigar
Polish: bóg
European Portuguese: deus
Romanian: Dumnezeu
Russian: бог (Bok)
Shona: Mwari
Spanish: dios
Swahili: Mungu
Swedish: gud
Turkish: tanrı
Ukrainian: Бог (Bok)
Urdu : Allah, Khuda
Vietnamese: thượng đế (Thunk Dei)
Zulu : Unkulunkulu
Zoroastrianism : Ahora Mazda, Khuda
NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Not to forget the most important name that is equally used in Pakistan and India and even our Mukhi / Kamadia refer to that God when they receive daily instructions from: Uparvallah
LOL!
LOL!
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Please be specific, do you mean Hazar Imam? if yes then my answer is, 'Imam is Noor of Allah'. More information and explanations will come under above topic, if allowed.
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Uparvala is used by Muslims as well as Hindus. It does not refer to Imam. Though in the mind of some it may. Do you always have to make an issue of everything that is posted?
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Etymologically, the name Allah is a contraction of the Arabic al-Ilah, “the God.” The name’s origin can be traced to the earliest Semitic writings in which the word for god was il, el, or eloah, the latter two used in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). Allah is the standard Arabic word for God and is used by Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews as well as by Muslims. The association of the word specifically with Islam comes from the special status of Arabic as the language of Islam’s holy scripture, the Quran: since the Quran in its original language is considered to be the literal word of God, it is believed that God described himself in the Arabic language as Allah. The Arabic word thus holds special significance for Muslims, regardless of their native tongue, because the Arabic word was spoken by God himself.
There is another theory that traces the etymology of the word to the Aramaic Alaha.
Today's Arabic speakers from all religious backgrounds (Muslims, Christians, and Jews) use the word Allah to mean God. In pre-Islamic Arabia, pagan Meccans used Allah as a reference to the creator-god, possibly the supreme deity.
The first-known translation of the Bible into Arabic, which took place in the 9th century, uses the word Allah for God. In fact, Arab Christians were using the word Allah for God prior to the dawn of Islam, and it is important to note that they were using it in place of Elohim, but not in place of Yahweh.
There is another theory that traces the etymology of the word to the Aramaic Alaha.
Today's Arabic speakers from all religious backgrounds (Muslims, Christians, and Jews) use the word Allah to mean God. In pre-Islamic Arabia, pagan Meccans used Allah as a reference to the creator-god, possibly the supreme deity.
The first-known translation of the Bible into Arabic, which took place in the 9th century, uses the word Allah for God. In fact, Arab Christians were using the word Allah for God prior to the dawn of Islam, and it is important to note that they were using it in place of Elohim, but not in place of Yahweh.
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Names of God in Judaism
I Am that I Am, Yahweh, Tetragrammaton, Elohim, El Shaddai, and Elyon.
El comes from a root word meaning "god" or "deity", reconstructed in the Proto-Semitic language as ʾil. Sometimes referring to God and sometimes the mighty when used to refer to the God of Israel, El is almost always qualified by additional words that further define the meaning that distinguishes him from false gods. A common title of God in the Hebrew Bible is Elohim.The root Eloah is used in poetry and late prose (e.g., the Book of Job) and ending with the masculine plural suffix "-im" creating a word like ba`alim ("owner(s)" and adonim ("lord(s), master(s)") that may also indicate a singular identity.
In the Book of Exodus, God commands Moses to tell the people that 'I AM' sent him, and this is revered as one of the most important names of God according to Mosaic tradition.
Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.'" God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation".
Exodus 3:13-15
In Exodus 6:3, when Moses first spoke with God, God said, "I used to appear to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, but I did not make myself known to them by my name YHWH."
YHWH is the proper name of God in Judaism. Neither vowels nor vowel points were used in ancient Hebrew writings and the original vocalization of YHWH has been lost.
Later commentaries additionally suggested that the true pronunciation of this name is composed entirely of vowels. However, this is put into question by the fact that vowels were only distinguished in the time-period by their very absence due to the lack of explicit vowels in the Hebrew script. The resulting substitute made from semivowels and glottals, known as the tetragrammaton, is not ordinarily permitted to be pronounced aloud, even in prayer. The prohibition on misuse of this name is the primary subject of the command not to take the name of the Lord in vain.
Instead of pronouncing YHWH during prayer, Jews say "Adonai" ("Lord"). Halakha requires that secondary rules be placed around the primary law, to reduce the chance that the main law will be broken. As such, it is common religious practice to restrict the use of the word "Adonai" to prayer only. In conversation, many Jewish people, even when not speaking Hebrew, will call God HaShem, which is Hebrew for "the Name" (this appears in Leviticus 24:11).
Almost all Orthodox Jews avoid using either Yahweh or Jehovah altogether on the basis that the actual pronunciation of the tetragrammaton has been lost in antiquity. Many use the term HaShem as an indirect reference, or they use "God" or "The Lord" instead. Mark Sameth argues that Yahweh was a pseudo name for a dual-gendered deity, the four letters of that name being cryptogram which the priests of ancient Israel read in reverse as huhi, "heshe," as earlier theorized by Guillaume Postel (16th century) and Michelangelo Lanci (19th century).
Note: In my opinion two important names of Hebrew God used in Old Testament has resemblance with Muslim names used in Quran.
ELOHIM = ALLAHUMA (as used in Dua also)
YHWH (YAHWEH) = YA HUWA (in Dua QUL HUW-ALLAHU AHAD)
I Am that I Am, Yahweh, Tetragrammaton, Elohim, El Shaddai, and Elyon.
El comes from a root word meaning "god" or "deity", reconstructed in the Proto-Semitic language as ʾil. Sometimes referring to God and sometimes the mighty when used to refer to the God of Israel, El is almost always qualified by additional words that further define the meaning that distinguishes him from false gods. A common title of God in the Hebrew Bible is Elohim.The root Eloah is used in poetry and late prose (e.g., the Book of Job) and ending with the masculine plural suffix "-im" creating a word like ba`alim ("owner(s)" and adonim ("lord(s), master(s)") that may also indicate a singular identity.
In the Book of Exodus, God commands Moses to tell the people that 'I AM' sent him, and this is revered as one of the most important names of God according to Mosaic tradition.
Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.'" God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation".
Exodus 3:13-15
In Exodus 6:3, when Moses first spoke with God, God said, "I used to appear to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, but I did not make myself known to them by my name YHWH."
YHWH is the proper name of God in Judaism. Neither vowels nor vowel points were used in ancient Hebrew writings and the original vocalization of YHWH has been lost.
Later commentaries additionally suggested that the true pronunciation of this name is composed entirely of vowels. However, this is put into question by the fact that vowels were only distinguished in the time-period by their very absence due to the lack of explicit vowels in the Hebrew script. The resulting substitute made from semivowels and glottals, known as the tetragrammaton, is not ordinarily permitted to be pronounced aloud, even in prayer. The prohibition on misuse of this name is the primary subject of the command not to take the name of the Lord in vain.
Instead of pronouncing YHWH during prayer, Jews say "Adonai" ("Lord"). Halakha requires that secondary rules be placed around the primary law, to reduce the chance that the main law will be broken. As such, it is common religious practice to restrict the use of the word "Adonai" to prayer only. In conversation, many Jewish people, even when not speaking Hebrew, will call God HaShem, which is Hebrew for "the Name" (this appears in Leviticus 24:11).
Almost all Orthodox Jews avoid using either Yahweh or Jehovah altogether on the basis that the actual pronunciation of the tetragrammaton has been lost in antiquity. Many use the term HaShem as an indirect reference, or they use "God" or "The Lord" instead. Mark Sameth argues that Yahweh was a pseudo name for a dual-gendered deity, the four letters of that name being cryptogram which the priests of ancient Israel read in reverse as huhi, "heshe," as earlier theorized by Guillaume Postel (16th century) and Michelangelo Lanci (19th century).
Note: In my opinion two important names of Hebrew God used in Old Testament has resemblance with Muslim names used in Quran.
ELOHIM = ALLAHUMA (as used in Dua also)
YHWH (YAHWEH) = YA HUWA (in Dua QUL HUW-ALLAHU AHAD)
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Early Christian writers, such as Clement of Alexandria in the 2nd century, had used a form like Yahweh, and claim that this pronunciation of the tetragrammaton was never really lost. Other Greek transcriptions also indicated that YHWH should be pronounced Yahweh.
The Hebrew theonyms Elohim and YHWH are mostly rendered as "God" and "the LORD" respectively, although in the Protestant tradition of Christianity the personal names Yahweh and Jehovah are sometimes used. "Jehovah" appears in the Tyndale Bible, the King James Version, and other translations from that time period and later. Many English translations of the Bible translate the tetragrammaton as LORD, thus removing any form of YHWH from the written text and going well beyond the Jewish oral practice of substituting Adonai for YHWH when reading aloud.
English Bible translations of the Greek New Testament render ho theos as God and ho kurios as "the Lord".
Jesus (Iesus, Yeshua was a common alternative form of the name (Yehoshua – Joshua) in later books of the Hebrew Bible and among Jews of the Second Temple period. The name corresponds to the Greek spelling Iesous, from which comes the English spelling Jesus. Christ means 'the anointed'. Khristos is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah; while in English the old Anglo-Saxon Messiah-rendering haeland (healer) was practically annihilated by the Latin Christ, some cognates such as heiland in Dutch and Afrikaans survive also, in German, the word Heiland is sometimes used as reference to Jesus, e.g., in church chorals).
In the Book of Revelation in the Christian New Testament, God is quoted as saying "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End". (cf. Rev. 1:8, 21:6, and 22:13)
Some Quakers refer to God as the Light. Another term used is King of Kings or Lord of Lords and Lord of Hosts. Other names used by Christians include Ancient of Days, Father/Abba which is Hebrew, ELI "Most High" and the Hebrew names Elohim, El-Shaddai, Yahweh, Jehovah and Adonai. Abba ('father' in Hebrew) is a common term used for the creator within Christianity because it was a title Jesus used to refer to God the Father.
Gudan is the Proto-Germanic word for God. It was inherited by the Germanic languages in Gud in modern Scandinavian; God in Frisian, Dutch, and English; and Gott in modern German.
Deus is the Latin word for God. It was inherited by the Romance languages in Deus in modern Portuguese; Déu in Catalan; Dios in Spanish; Dieu in French; Dio in Italian; and Dumnezeu (from Latin Domine Deus) in Romanian. It is distantly related, through Proto-Indo-European, to Theos the Greek word for God, and also to the word for God in the Celtic and Baltic languages (Lithuanian: Dievas; Latvian: Dievs; Welsh: Duw; Breton: Doue; Irish and Scottish Gaelic: Dia).
Bog is the word for God in most Slavic languages. (Cyrillic script: Бог; Czech: Bůh; Polish: Bóg; Slovak: Boh). The term is derived from Proto-Slavic bog, which originally meant 'earthly wealth/well-being; fortune', with a semantic shift to 'dispenser of wealth/fortune' and finally 'god'. The term may have originally been a borrowing from the Iranian languages.
Shàngdì (上帝 pinyin shàng dì, literally 'King Above') is used to refer to the Christian God in the Standard Chinese Union Version of the Bible. Shén 神 (lit. 'God', 'spirit', or 'deity') was adopted by Protestant missionaries in China to refer to the Christian God. In this context it is usually rendered with a space, " 神", to demonstrate reverence. Zhǔ and Tiānzhǔ 主, 天主 (lit. 'Lord' or 'Lord in Heaven') are equivalent to "Lord"; these names are used as formal titles of the Christian God in Mainland China's Christian churches.
Korean Catholics also use the Korean cognate of Tiānzhǔ, Cheon-ju (천주), as the primary reference to God in both ritual/ceremonial and vernacular (but mostly ritual/ceremonial) contexts. Korean Catholics and Anglicans also use a cognate of the Chinese Shàngdì (Sangje 상제), but this has largely fallen out of regular use in favor of Cheon-ju. But now used is the vernacular Haneunim (하느님), the traditional Korean name for the God of Heaven. Korean Orthodox Christians also use Haneunim, but not Sangje or Cheon-ju, and with exception of Anglicans, most Korean Protestants do not use Sangje or Haneunim at all but instead use Hananim (하나님), which stemmed from Pyongan dialect for Haneunim.
Many Vietnamese Christians also use cognates of Thiên Chúa (expected to have a distribution in usage similar to Korean Christians, with Anglicans and Catholics using the cognates of Sangje in ritual/ceremonial contexts and Protestants not using it at all), to refer to the biblical God.
Tagalog-speaking Filipino Catholics and other Christians use Maykapal (glossed as 'creator') – an epithet originally applied to the pre-colonial supreme deity Bathala – to refer to the Christian godhead in most contexts. When paired with another term for God (e.g. Panginoong Maykapal 'Lord Creator', Amang Maykapal 'Father Creator'), it functions as a descriptor much like the adjectives in the English God Almighty or Latin Omnipotens Deus.
Mormonism:
In Mormonism the name of God the Father is Elohim and the name of Jesus in his pre-incarnate state was Jehovah. Together, with the Holy Ghost they form the Godhead; God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Mormons typically refer to God as "Heavenly Father" or "Father in Heaven".
Although Mormonism views the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as three distinct beings, they are one in purpose and God the Father (Elohim) is worshipped and given all glory through his Son, Jesus Christ (Jehovah). Despite the Godhead doctrine, which teaches that God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are three separate, divine beings, many Mormons (mainstream Latter-day Saints and otherwise, such as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) view their beliefs as monotheist since Christ is the conduit through which humanity comes to the God the Father. The Book of Mormon ends with "to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the eternal Judge of both the quick and dead. Amen."
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that God has only one distinctive name, represented in the Old Testament by the Tetragrammaton. In English, they prefer to use the form Jehovah. According to Jehovah's Witnesses, the name Jehovah means "He causes to become".
Scriptures frequently cited in support of the name include Isaiah 42:8: "I am Jehovah. That is my name", Psalms 83:18: "May people know that you, whose name is Jehovah, You alone are the Most High over all the earth", and Exodus 6:3: "And I used to appear to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but with regard to my name Jehovah I did not make myself known to them."
While opposers of the faith critique their use of the form "Jehovah", Jehovah's Witnesses still hold on to their belief that, despite having scholars prefer the "Yahweh" pronunciation, the name Jehovah adequately transmits the idea behind the meaning of God's name in English. While they do not discourage the use of the "Yahweh" pronunciation, they highly consider the long history of the name Jehovah in the English language and see that it sufficiently identifies God's divine persona. This rationale is analogous to the widespread use of Jesus as the English translation of Yehoshua.
NOTE:
In the Book of Revelation in the Christian New Testament, God is quoted as saying "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End". (cf. Rev. 1:8, 21:6, and 22:13)
Quran also says: HUWAL-AWWALU WAL- AKHIRU WAZ-ZAHIRU WAL-BATINU (He is the First and the Last and the Apparent and the Hidden).
Some Quakers refer to God as the Light. Another term used is King of Kings or Lord of Lords. Other names used by Christians include Ancient of Days, Father/Abba which is Hebrew, Eli "Most High"..
Some Christian denominations believe GOD IS LIGHT (NOOR), ABBA (SPIRITUAL FATHER), ELI (ALI- MOST HIGH); Ismailis also use the the same terminologies according to their religious philosophy.
The Hebrew theonyms Elohim and YHWH are mostly rendered as "God" and "the LORD" respectively, although in the Protestant tradition of Christianity the personal names Yahweh and Jehovah are sometimes used. "Jehovah" appears in the Tyndale Bible, the King James Version, and other translations from that time period and later. Many English translations of the Bible translate the tetragrammaton as LORD, thus removing any form of YHWH from the written text and going well beyond the Jewish oral practice of substituting Adonai for YHWH when reading aloud.
English Bible translations of the Greek New Testament render ho theos as God and ho kurios as "the Lord".
Jesus (Iesus, Yeshua was a common alternative form of the name (Yehoshua – Joshua) in later books of the Hebrew Bible and among Jews of the Second Temple period. The name corresponds to the Greek spelling Iesous, from which comes the English spelling Jesus. Christ means 'the anointed'. Khristos is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah; while in English the old Anglo-Saxon Messiah-rendering haeland (healer) was practically annihilated by the Latin Christ, some cognates such as heiland in Dutch and Afrikaans survive also, in German, the word Heiland is sometimes used as reference to Jesus, e.g., in church chorals).
In the Book of Revelation in the Christian New Testament, God is quoted as saying "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End". (cf. Rev. 1:8, 21:6, and 22:13)
Some Quakers refer to God as the Light. Another term used is King of Kings or Lord of Lords and Lord of Hosts. Other names used by Christians include Ancient of Days, Father/Abba which is Hebrew, ELI "Most High" and the Hebrew names Elohim, El-Shaddai, Yahweh, Jehovah and Adonai. Abba ('father' in Hebrew) is a common term used for the creator within Christianity because it was a title Jesus used to refer to God the Father.
Gudan is the Proto-Germanic word for God. It was inherited by the Germanic languages in Gud in modern Scandinavian; God in Frisian, Dutch, and English; and Gott in modern German.
Deus is the Latin word for God. It was inherited by the Romance languages in Deus in modern Portuguese; Déu in Catalan; Dios in Spanish; Dieu in French; Dio in Italian; and Dumnezeu (from Latin Domine Deus) in Romanian. It is distantly related, through Proto-Indo-European, to Theos the Greek word for God, and also to the word for God in the Celtic and Baltic languages (Lithuanian: Dievas; Latvian: Dievs; Welsh: Duw; Breton: Doue; Irish and Scottish Gaelic: Dia).
Bog is the word for God in most Slavic languages. (Cyrillic script: Бог; Czech: Bůh; Polish: Bóg; Slovak: Boh). The term is derived from Proto-Slavic bog, which originally meant 'earthly wealth/well-being; fortune', with a semantic shift to 'dispenser of wealth/fortune' and finally 'god'. The term may have originally been a borrowing from the Iranian languages.
Shàngdì (上帝 pinyin shàng dì, literally 'King Above') is used to refer to the Christian God in the Standard Chinese Union Version of the Bible. Shén 神 (lit. 'God', 'spirit', or 'deity') was adopted by Protestant missionaries in China to refer to the Christian God. In this context it is usually rendered with a space, " 神", to demonstrate reverence. Zhǔ and Tiānzhǔ 主, 天主 (lit. 'Lord' or 'Lord in Heaven') are equivalent to "Lord"; these names are used as formal titles of the Christian God in Mainland China's Christian churches.
Korean Catholics also use the Korean cognate of Tiānzhǔ, Cheon-ju (천주), as the primary reference to God in both ritual/ceremonial and vernacular (but mostly ritual/ceremonial) contexts. Korean Catholics and Anglicans also use a cognate of the Chinese Shàngdì (Sangje 상제), but this has largely fallen out of regular use in favor of Cheon-ju. But now used is the vernacular Haneunim (하느님), the traditional Korean name for the God of Heaven. Korean Orthodox Christians also use Haneunim, but not Sangje or Cheon-ju, and with exception of Anglicans, most Korean Protestants do not use Sangje or Haneunim at all but instead use Hananim (하나님), which stemmed from Pyongan dialect for Haneunim.
Many Vietnamese Christians also use cognates of Thiên Chúa (expected to have a distribution in usage similar to Korean Christians, with Anglicans and Catholics using the cognates of Sangje in ritual/ceremonial contexts and Protestants not using it at all), to refer to the biblical God.
Tagalog-speaking Filipino Catholics and other Christians use Maykapal (glossed as 'creator') – an epithet originally applied to the pre-colonial supreme deity Bathala – to refer to the Christian godhead in most contexts. When paired with another term for God (e.g. Panginoong Maykapal 'Lord Creator', Amang Maykapal 'Father Creator'), it functions as a descriptor much like the adjectives in the English God Almighty or Latin Omnipotens Deus.
Mormonism:
In Mormonism the name of God the Father is Elohim and the name of Jesus in his pre-incarnate state was Jehovah. Together, with the Holy Ghost they form the Godhead; God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Mormons typically refer to God as "Heavenly Father" or "Father in Heaven".
Although Mormonism views the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as three distinct beings, they are one in purpose and God the Father (Elohim) is worshipped and given all glory through his Son, Jesus Christ (Jehovah). Despite the Godhead doctrine, which teaches that God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are three separate, divine beings, many Mormons (mainstream Latter-day Saints and otherwise, such as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) view their beliefs as monotheist since Christ is the conduit through which humanity comes to the God the Father. The Book of Mormon ends with "to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the eternal Judge of both the quick and dead. Amen."
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that God has only one distinctive name, represented in the Old Testament by the Tetragrammaton. In English, they prefer to use the form Jehovah. According to Jehovah's Witnesses, the name Jehovah means "He causes to become".
Scriptures frequently cited in support of the name include Isaiah 42:8: "I am Jehovah. That is my name", Psalms 83:18: "May people know that you, whose name is Jehovah, You alone are the Most High over all the earth", and Exodus 6:3: "And I used to appear to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but with regard to my name Jehovah I did not make myself known to them."
While opposers of the faith critique their use of the form "Jehovah", Jehovah's Witnesses still hold on to their belief that, despite having scholars prefer the "Yahweh" pronunciation, the name Jehovah adequately transmits the idea behind the meaning of God's name in English. While they do not discourage the use of the "Yahweh" pronunciation, they highly consider the long history of the name Jehovah in the English language and see that it sufficiently identifies God's divine persona. This rationale is analogous to the widespread use of Jesus as the English translation of Yehoshua.
NOTE:
In the Book of Revelation in the Christian New Testament, God is quoted as saying "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End". (cf. Rev. 1:8, 21:6, and 22:13)
Quran also says: HUWAL-AWWALU WAL- AKHIRU WAZ-ZAHIRU WAL-BATINU (He is the First and the Last and the Apparent and the Hidden).
Some Quakers refer to God as the Light. Another term used is King of Kings or Lord of Lords. Other names used by Christians include Ancient of Days, Father/Abba which is Hebrew, Eli "Most High"..
Some Christian denominations believe GOD IS LIGHT (NOOR), ABBA (SPIRITUAL FATHER), ELI (ALI- MOST HIGH); Ismailis also use the the same terminologies according to their religious philosophy.
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
ISLAM
The central concept of Islam is TawḥId, the oneness of God. Usually thought of as a precise monotheism, but also panentheistic in Islamic mystical teachings. God is seen as incomparable and without partners such as in the Christian Trinity, and associating partners to God or attributing God's attributes to others is seen as idolatory, called Shirk. God is seen as transcendent of creation and so is beyond comprehension. God is described and referred to by several names or attributes, the most common being Ar-Rahman meaning "The most beneficent"," and Ar-Rahim meaning "The most Merciful" which are invoked at the beginning of most chapters of the Quran.
Islam teaches that the creation of everything in the universe was brought into being by God's command as expressed by the wording, "Be, and it is," and that the purpose of existence is to worship God. Consciousness and awareness of God is referred to as Taqwa. Allah is a term with no plural or gender being ascribed to it and is also used by Muslims and Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews in reference to God, whereas ʾilāh is a term used for a deity or a god in general. Other non-Arab Muslims might use different names as much as Allah, for instance "Tanrı" in Turkish or "Khuda" in Persian.
Muslims believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith that was revealed many times through earlier prophets such as Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, among others; these earlier revelations are attributed to Judaism and Christianity, which are regarded in Islam as spiritual predecessor faiths. They also consider the Quran, when preserved in Classical Arabic, to be the unaltered and final revelation of God to humanity. The cities of Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem are home to the three holiest sites in Islam, in descending order: Masjid al-Haram, Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
From a historical point of view, Islam originated in the early 7th century CE in the Arabian Peninsula, near Mecca. Through various caliphates, the religion later spread outside of Arabia shortly after Prophet Muhammad's death, and by the 8th century, in the time of Umayyad Caliphate had spread to Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Indus Valley in the east. The Islamic Golden Age refers to the period traditionally dated from the 8th century to the 13th century, during the reign of the Abbasid Caliphate as well Banu Fatimid Caliphate, when much of the Muslim world was experiencing a scientific, economic, and cultural flourishing.
Most of the world's Muslims belong to two notable Islamic denominations: Sunni around 85% and Shia 13%; combined, they make up a majority of the population in 56 countries. Sunni–Shia differences arose from disagreements over the succession to Prophet Muhammad and acquired broader political significance as well as theological and juridical dimensions.
ISMAILISM is a branch of Shia Islam. The Ismaili get their name from their acceptance of Imam Ismail ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (Imam) to Ja'far al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the Twelver Shia, who accept Musa al-Kazim, the younger brother of Ismail, as the Imam.
Ismailism rose at one point to become the largest branch of Shia Islam, climaxing as a political power with the Fatimid Caliphate in the 10th through 12th centuries. Ismailis believe in the oneness of God, as well as the closing of divine revelation with Muhammad, whom they see as "the final Prophet and Messenger of God to all humanity". Ismailis believe in the living Imam.
After the death of Muhammad ibn Isma'il in the 8th century CE, the teachings of Ismailism further transformed into the belief system as it is known today, with an explicit concentration on the deeper, esoteric meaning (batin) of the Islamic religion. Ismaili thought is heavily influenced by neoplatonism.
The larger sect of Ismailis are the Nizaris (Khoja), who recognize Aga Khan IV as the 49th hereditary Imam, while other groups are known as the Tayyibi branch. The biggest Ismaili community is in Central Asia, as well in Afghanistan, East Africa, China, Dubai, Egypt, Pakistan, Yemen, Lebanon, Malaysia, Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, India, Jordan, Iraq, East Africa, Angola, Bangladesh, and South Africa, and have in recent years emigrated to many countries in Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Modern era (18th – 20th centuries)
Abdülmecid II was the last Caliph of Islam from the Ottoman dynasty.
Earlier in the 14th century, Ibn Taymiyya promoted a puritanical form of Islam, rejecting philosophical approaches in favor of simpler theology and called to open the gates of itjihad rather than blind imitation of scholars, his writings only played a marginal role during his lifetime. During the 18th century in Arabia, Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, influenced by the works of Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn al-Qayyim, founded a movement, called Wahhabi with their self-designation as Muwahiddun, to return to what he saw as unadultered Islam. He condemned many local Islamic customs, such as visiting the grave of Muhammad or saints, as later innovations and sinful and destroyed sacred rocks and trees, Sufi shrines, the tombs of Prophet Muhammad's family and his companions and the tomb of Imam Hussain at Karbala, a major Shiite pilgrimage site. He formed an alliance with the Saud family, which, by the 1920s, completed their conquest of the area that would become Saudi Arabia.
Ma Wanfu and Ma Debao promoted Salafist movements in the nineteenth century such as Sailaifengye in China after returning from Mecca but were eventually persecuted and forced into hiding by Sufi groups. Other groups sought to reform Sufism rather than reject it, with the Senusiyya and Muhammad Ahmad both waging war and establishing states in Libya and Sudan respectively. In India, Shah Waliullah Dehlawi attempted a more conciliatory style against Sufism and influenced the Deobandi movement. In response to the Deobandi movement, the Barelwi movement was founded as a mass movement, defending popular Sufism and reforming its practices. The movement is famous for the celebration of the Muhammad's birthday and today, is spread across the globe.
Ibadi
Ibadi Islam or Ibadism is practiced by 1.45 million Muslims around the world (~ 0.08% of all Muslims), most of them in Oman. Ibadism is often associated with and viewed as a moderate variation of the Khawarij movement, though Ibadis themselves object to this classification. Unlike most Kharijite groups, Ibadism does not regard sinful Muslims as unbelievers. Ibadi hadiths, such as the Jami Sahih collection, uses chains of narrators from early Islamic history they considered trustworthy but most Ibadi hadiths are also found in standard Sunni collections and contemporary Ibadis often approve of the standard Sunni collections.
Yazdanism is seen as a blend of local Kurdish beliefs and Islamic Sufi doctrine introduced to Kurdistan by Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir in the 12th century.
Babism stems from Twelver Shia passed through Siyyid 'Ali Muhammad i-Shirazi al-Bab while one of his followers Mirza Husayn 'Ali Nuri Baha'u'llah founded the Baháʼí Faith.
The central concept of Islam is TawḥId, the oneness of God. Usually thought of as a precise monotheism, but also panentheistic in Islamic mystical teachings. God is seen as incomparable and without partners such as in the Christian Trinity, and associating partners to God or attributing God's attributes to others is seen as idolatory, called Shirk. God is seen as transcendent of creation and so is beyond comprehension. God is described and referred to by several names or attributes, the most common being Ar-Rahman meaning "The most beneficent"," and Ar-Rahim meaning "The most Merciful" which are invoked at the beginning of most chapters of the Quran.
Islam teaches that the creation of everything in the universe was brought into being by God's command as expressed by the wording, "Be, and it is," and that the purpose of existence is to worship God. Consciousness and awareness of God is referred to as Taqwa. Allah is a term with no plural or gender being ascribed to it and is also used by Muslims and Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews in reference to God, whereas ʾilāh is a term used for a deity or a god in general. Other non-Arab Muslims might use different names as much as Allah, for instance "Tanrı" in Turkish or "Khuda" in Persian.
Muslims believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith that was revealed many times through earlier prophets such as Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, among others; these earlier revelations are attributed to Judaism and Christianity, which are regarded in Islam as spiritual predecessor faiths. They also consider the Quran, when preserved in Classical Arabic, to be the unaltered and final revelation of God to humanity. The cities of Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem are home to the three holiest sites in Islam, in descending order: Masjid al-Haram, Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
From a historical point of view, Islam originated in the early 7th century CE in the Arabian Peninsula, near Mecca. Through various caliphates, the religion later spread outside of Arabia shortly after Prophet Muhammad's death, and by the 8th century, in the time of Umayyad Caliphate had spread to Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Indus Valley in the east. The Islamic Golden Age refers to the period traditionally dated from the 8th century to the 13th century, during the reign of the Abbasid Caliphate as well Banu Fatimid Caliphate, when much of the Muslim world was experiencing a scientific, economic, and cultural flourishing.
Most of the world's Muslims belong to two notable Islamic denominations: Sunni around 85% and Shia 13%; combined, they make up a majority of the population in 56 countries. Sunni–Shia differences arose from disagreements over the succession to Prophet Muhammad and acquired broader political significance as well as theological and juridical dimensions.
ISMAILISM is a branch of Shia Islam. The Ismaili get their name from their acceptance of Imam Ismail ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (Imam) to Ja'far al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the Twelver Shia, who accept Musa al-Kazim, the younger brother of Ismail, as the Imam.
Ismailism rose at one point to become the largest branch of Shia Islam, climaxing as a political power with the Fatimid Caliphate in the 10th through 12th centuries. Ismailis believe in the oneness of God, as well as the closing of divine revelation with Muhammad, whom they see as "the final Prophet and Messenger of God to all humanity". Ismailis believe in the living Imam.
After the death of Muhammad ibn Isma'il in the 8th century CE, the teachings of Ismailism further transformed into the belief system as it is known today, with an explicit concentration on the deeper, esoteric meaning (batin) of the Islamic religion. Ismaili thought is heavily influenced by neoplatonism.
The larger sect of Ismailis are the Nizaris (Khoja), who recognize Aga Khan IV as the 49th hereditary Imam, while other groups are known as the Tayyibi branch. The biggest Ismaili community is in Central Asia, as well in Afghanistan, East Africa, China, Dubai, Egypt, Pakistan, Yemen, Lebanon, Malaysia, Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, India, Jordan, Iraq, East Africa, Angola, Bangladesh, and South Africa, and have in recent years emigrated to many countries in Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Modern era (18th – 20th centuries)
Abdülmecid II was the last Caliph of Islam from the Ottoman dynasty.
Earlier in the 14th century, Ibn Taymiyya promoted a puritanical form of Islam, rejecting philosophical approaches in favor of simpler theology and called to open the gates of itjihad rather than blind imitation of scholars, his writings only played a marginal role during his lifetime. During the 18th century in Arabia, Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, influenced by the works of Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn al-Qayyim, founded a movement, called Wahhabi with their self-designation as Muwahiddun, to return to what he saw as unadultered Islam. He condemned many local Islamic customs, such as visiting the grave of Muhammad or saints, as later innovations and sinful and destroyed sacred rocks and trees, Sufi shrines, the tombs of Prophet Muhammad's family and his companions and the tomb of Imam Hussain at Karbala, a major Shiite pilgrimage site. He formed an alliance with the Saud family, which, by the 1920s, completed their conquest of the area that would become Saudi Arabia.
Ma Wanfu and Ma Debao promoted Salafist movements in the nineteenth century such as Sailaifengye in China after returning from Mecca but were eventually persecuted and forced into hiding by Sufi groups. Other groups sought to reform Sufism rather than reject it, with the Senusiyya and Muhammad Ahmad both waging war and establishing states in Libya and Sudan respectively. In India, Shah Waliullah Dehlawi attempted a more conciliatory style against Sufism and influenced the Deobandi movement. In response to the Deobandi movement, the Barelwi movement was founded as a mass movement, defending popular Sufism and reforming its practices. The movement is famous for the celebration of the Muhammad's birthday and today, is spread across the globe.
Ibadi
Ibadi Islam or Ibadism is practiced by 1.45 million Muslims around the world (~ 0.08% of all Muslims), most of them in Oman. Ibadism is often associated with and viewed as a moderate variation of the Khawarij movement, though Ibadis themselves object to this classification. Unlike most Kharijite groups, Ibadism does not regard sinful Muslims as unbelievers. Ibadi hadiths, such as the Jami Sahih collection, uses chains of narrators from early Islamic history they considered trustworthy but most Ibadi hadiths are also found in standard Sunni collections and contemporary Ibadis often approve of the standard Sunni collections.
Yazdanism is seen as a blend of local Kurdish beliefs and Islamic Sufi doctrine introduced to Kurdistan by Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir in the 12th century.
Babism stems from Twelver Shia passed through Siyyid 'Ali Muhammad i-Shirazi al-Bab while one of his followers Mirza Husayn 'Ali Nuri Baha'u'llah founded the Baháʼí Faith.
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
NAMES OF ALLAH (ATTRIBUTE) AS MENTIONED IN QURAN AND HADITH:
“Allah – there is no deity except Him. To Him belong the best names.” (Qur’an 20:8)
“And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them.” (Qur’an 7:180)
Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said: “Allah has ninety-nine names, i.e. one-hundred minus one, and whoever knows them will go to Paradise.” (Bukhari)
Al-Ismul Azam:
Al-Ism al-A'zam, literally "the greatest name" (also known as "Ismullah-al-Akbar" refers in Islam to the greatest name of Allah known only to the prophets.
In the Quran, Allah uses many different names or attributes to describe Himself. These names help us to understand God's nature in terms that we can understand. These names are known as Asmaa al-Husna: The Most Beautiful Names.
Some Muslims believe there are 99 such names for God, based on one statement of the Prophet Muhammad. However, the published lists of names are not consistent; some names appear on some lists but not on others. There is not a single agreed-upon list that includes only 99 names, and many scholars feel that such a list was never explicitly given by the Prophet Muhammad.
Names of Allah in the Hadith:
As it is written in the Quran (17:110): "Call Upon Allah, or call upon Rahman: By whatever name you call upon Him: For to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names."
The following list consists of the most common and agreed-upon names of Allah, which were explicitly stated in the Quran or hadith:
Allah - The single, proper name for God in Islam
Ar-Rahman - The Compassionate, The Beneficent
Ar-Raheem - The Merciful
Al-Malik - The King, The Sovereign Lord
Al-Quddoos - The Holy
As-Salaam - The Source of Peace
Al-Mu'min - The Guardian of Faith
Al-Muhaimin - The Protector
Al-'Aziz - The Mighty, The Strong
Al-Jabbaar - The Compeller
Al-Mutakabbir - The Majestic
Al-Khaaliq - The Creator
Al-Bari' - The Evolver, The Maker
Al-Musawwir - The Fashioner
Al-Ghaffaar - The Great Forgiver
Al-Qahhaar - The Subduer, The Dominant
Al-Wahhaab - The Bestower
Al-Razzaaq - The Sustainer, The Provider
Al-Fattaah - The Opener, The Reliever
Al-'Aleem - The All-Knowing
Al-Qaabid - The Retainer
Al-Baasit - The Expander
Al-Khaafid - The Abaser
Al-Raafi' - The Exalter
Al-Mu'iz - The Honorer
Al-Muthil - The Humiliator
As-Samee' - The All-Hearing
Al-Baseer - The All-Seeing
Al-Hakam - The Judge
Al-'Adl - The Just
Al-Lateef - The Subtle One
Al-Khabeer - The Aware
Al-Haleem - The Forebearing
Al-'Azeem - The Great One
Al-Ghafoor - The All-Forgiving
Ash-Shakoor - The Grateful
Al-'Aly - The Most High
Al-Kabeer - The Great
Al-Hafeez - The Preserver
Al-Muqeet - The Maintainer
Al-Haseeb - The Reckoner
Al-Jaleel - The Sublime One
Al-Kareem - The Generous
Ar-Raqeeb - The Watcher
Al-Mujeeb - The Responsive
Al-Wasi' - The Vast
Al-Hakeem - The Wise
Al-Wadood - The Loving
Al-Majeed - The Glorious
Al-Ba'ith - The Resurrector
Ash-Shaheed - The Witness
Al-Haqq - The Truth
Al-Wakeel - The Trustee
Al-Qawiyy - The Strong
Al-Mateen - The Firm One
Al-Waliyy - The Supporter
Al-Hameed - The Praiseworthy
Al-Muhsee - The Counter
Al-Mubdi' - The Originator
Al-Mu'eed - The Reproducer
Al-Muhyi - The Restorer
Al-Mumeet - The Destroyer
Al-Hayy - The Alive
Al-Qayyoom - The Self-Subsisting
Al-Waajid - The Perceiver
Al-Waahid - The Unique
Al-Ahad - The One
As-Samad - The Eternal
Al-Qaadir - The Able
Al-Muqtadir - The Powerful
Al-Muqaddim - The Expediter
Al-Mu'akh-khir - The Delayer
Al-'Awwal - The First
Al-'Akhir - The Last
Az-Zaahir - The Manifest
Al-Baatin - The Hidden
Al-Walee - The Governor
Al-Muta'ali - The Most Exalted
Al-Barr - The Source of All Goodness
At-Tawwaab - The Acceptor of Repentance
Al-Muntaqim - The Avenger
Al-'Afuww - The Pardoner
Ar-Ra'uf - The Compassionate
Malik Al-Mulk - The King of Kings
Thul-Jalali wal-Ikram - The Lord of Majesty and Bounty
Al-Muqsit - The Equitable
Al-Jaami' - The Gatherer
Al-Ghaniyy - The Self-Sufficient
Al-Mughni - The Enricher
Al-Maani' - The Preventer
Ad-Daarr - The Distresser
An-Nafi' - The Propitious
An-Noor - The Light
Al-Haadi - The Guide
Al-Badi' - The Incomparable
Al-Baaqi - The Everlasting
Al-Waarith - The Inheritor
Ar-Rasheed - The Guide to the Right Path
As-Saboor - The Patient
“Allah – there is no deity except Him. To Him belong the best names.” (Qur’an 20:8)
“And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them.” (Qur’an 7:180)
Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said: “Allah has ninety-nine names, i.e. one-hundred minus one, and whoever knows them will go to Paradise.” (Bukhari)
Al-Ismul Azam:
Al-Ism al-A'zam, literally "the greatest name" (also known as "Ismullah-al-Akbar" refers in Islam to the greatest name of Allah known only to the prophets.
In the Quran, Allah uses many different names or attributes to describe Himself. These names help us to understand God's nature in terms that we can understand. These names are known as Asmaa al-Husna: The Most Beautiful Names.
Some Muslims believe there are 99 such names for God, based on one statement of the Prophet Muhammad. However, the published lists of names are not consistent; some names appear on some lists but not on others. There is not a single agreed-upon list that includes only 99 names, and many scholars feel that such a list was never explicitly given by the Prophet Muhammad.
Names of Allah in the Hadith:
As it is written in the Quran (17:110): "Call Upon Allah, or call upon Rahman: By whatever name you call upon Him: For to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names."
The following list consists of the most common and agreed-upon names of Allah, which were explicitly stated in the Quran or hadith:
Allah - The single, proper name for God in Islam
Ar-Rahman - The Compassionate, The Beneficent
Ar-Raheem - The Merciful
Al-Malik - The King, The Sovereign Lord
Al-Quddoos - The Holy
As-Salaam - The Source of Peace
Al-Mu'min - The Guardian of Faith
Al-Muhaimin - The Protector
Al-'Aziz - The Mighty, The Strong
Al-Jabbaar - The Compeller
Al-Mutakabbir - The Majestic
Al-Khaaliq - The Creator
Al-Bari' - The Evolver, The Maker
Al-Musawwir - The Fashioner
Al-Ghaffaar - The Great Forgiver
Al-Qahhaar - The Subduer, The Dominant
Al-Wahhaab - The Bestower
Al-Razzaaq - The Sustainer, The Provider
Al-Fattaah - The Opener, The Reliever
Al-'Aleem - The All-Knowing
Al-Qaabid - The Retainer
Al-Baasit - The Expander
Al-Khaafid - The Abaser
Al-Raafi' - The Exalter
Al-Mu'iz - The Honorer
Al-Muthil - The Humiliator
As-Samee' - The All-Hearing
Al-Baseer - The All-Seeing
Al-Hakam - The Judge
Al-'Adl - The Just
Al-Lateef - The Subtle One
Al-Khabeer - The Aware
Al-Haleem - The Forebearing
Al-'Azeem - The Great One
Al-Ghafoor - The All-Forgiving
Ash-Shakoor - The Grateful
Al-'Aly - The Most High
Al-Kabeer - The Great
Al-Hafeez - The Preserver
Al-Muqeet - The Maintainer
Al-Haseeb - The Reckoner
Al-Jaleel - The Sublime One
Al-Kareem - The Generous
Ar-Raqeeb - The Watcher
Al-Mujeeb - The Responsive
Al-Wasi' - The Vast
Al-Hakeem - The Wise
Al-Wadood - The Loving
Al-Majeed - The Glorious
Al-Ba'ith - The Resurrector
Ash-Shaheed - The Witness
Al-Haqq - The Truth
Al-Wakeel - The Trustee
Al-Qawiyy - The Strong
Al-Mateen - The Firm One
Al-Waliyy - The Supporter
Al-Hameed - The Praiseworthy
Al-Muhsee - The Counter
Al-Mubdi' - The Originator
Al-Mu'eed - The Reproducer
Al-Muhyi - The Restorer
Al-Mumeet - The Destroyer
Al-Hayy - The Alive
Al-Qayyoom - The Self-Subsisting
Al-Waajid - The Perceiver
Al-Waahid - The Unique
Al-Ahad - The One
As-Samad - The Eternal
Al-Qaadir - The Able
Al-Muqtadir - The Powerful
Al-Muqaddim - The Expediter
Al-Mu'akh-khir - The Delayer
Al-'Awwal - The First
Al-'Akhir - The Last
Az-Zaahir - The Manifest
Al-Baatin - The Hidden
Al-Walee - The Governor
Al-Muta'ali - The Most Exalted
Al-Barr - The Source of All Goodness
At-Tawwaab - The Acceptor of Repentance
Al-Muntaqim - The Avenger
Al-'Afuww - The Pardoner
Ar-Ra'uf - The Compassionate
Malik Al-Mulk - The King of Kings
Thul-Jalali wal-Ikram - The Lord of Majesty and Bounty
Al-Muqsit - The Equitable
Al-Jaami' - The Gatherer
Al-Ghaniyy - The Self-Sufficient
Al-Mughni - The Enricher
Al-Maani' - The Preventer
Ad-Daarr - The Distresser
An-Nafi' - The Propitious
An-Noor - The Light
Al-Haadi - The Guide
Al-Badi' - The Incomparable
Al-Baaqi - The Everlasting
Al-Waarith - The Inheritor
Ar-Rasheed - The Guide to the Right Path
As-Saboor - The Patient
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Hindu Concepts About God:
Many Hindus understand God to be Brahman or the Infinite. Brahman is believed to be ever-present, all-powerful, and beyond comprehension. Some Hindus believe that Brahman is formless and without attributes, but manifests in form. Other Hindus believe Brahman has a transcendent form and attributes. Throughout their history, Hindus have pondered deeply about the nature of
God. From interpretations of scriptures such as the Vedas and Upanishads,
observation and reflection, and meditation and spiritual experiences,
different philosophies emerged in this quest to know God. Many Hindus
understand God to be Brahman or the Infinite. Brahman is believed to be
ever-present, all-powerful, and beyond comprehension. Some Hindus
believe that Brahman is formless and without attributes, but manifests in
form. Other Hindus believe Brahman has a transcendent form and
attributes. This supreme and transcendent form is Vishnu or Krishna for
Vaishnavas and Shiva for Shaivites. The world is also seen as a manifestation
of Brahman and regarded in some traditions as the body of God.
Hindu understandings of God range from non-dualistic (the universe and
the Absolute are not two) to qualified non-dualism (that the universe is
different from but dependent on God and inseparable from God) to
dualistic (that the universe is both dependent and different from God).
These understandings also range from philosophies of pantheism (all of existence is the Absolute) to
panentheism (all of existence is within the Absolute), to theism (the Absolute is external to all of
existence). Hindu traditions emphasize that God is the cause of existence and God pervades
everything. At the same time, God is beyond and not limited by the world.
The Divine or its essential nature can be seen:
● In oneself and all other human beings
● In all other beings, including plants and animals
● In the whole universe, including mountains, rivers, trees, and other planets
Brahman is an abstract concept, but is believed to become accessible in murtis. The word “murti” is
typically translated into English as “image” or “idol,” but these definitions are limited. To Hindus, a
murti is a powerful visual tool used for contemplating the nature of, as well as, communicating with
God. It is also believed to be charged with the presence of God, thus Hindus may offer their prayers
and devotion to a murti. While Hindus understand God to be present in a murti, they do not consider
God to be limited to the murti. Thus the term “embodiment” would be more apt. God is understood
as both immanent and transcendent.
How was God created in Hinduism?
A lotus flower grew from Lord Vishnu's navel with Brahma sitting on it. Brahma separated the flower into three parts - the heavens, the Earth and the sky. Out of loneliness, Brahma split himself into two to create a male and a female. From this male and female all beings were created.
Many Hindus understand God to be Brahman or the Infinite. Brahman is believed to be ever-present, all-powerful, and beyond comprehension. Some Hindus believe that Brahman is formless and without attributes, but manifests in form. Other Hindus believe Brahman has a transcendent form and attributes. Throughout their history, Hindus have pondered deeply about the nature of
God. From interpretations of scriptures such as the Vedas and Upanishads,
observation and reflection, and meditation and spiritual experiences,
different philosophies emerged in this quest to know God. Many Hindus
understand God to be Brahman or the Infinite. Brahman is believed to be
ever-present, all-powerful, and beyond comprehension. Some Hindus
believe that Brahman is formless and without attributes, but manifests in
form. Other Hindus believe Brahman has a transcendent form and
attributes. This supreme and transcendent form is Vishnu or Krishna for
Vaishnavas and Shiva for Shaivites. The world is also seen as a manifestation
of Brahman and regarded in some traditions as the body of God.
Hindu understandings of God range from non-dualistic (the universe and
the Absolute are not two) to qualified non-dualism (that the universe is
different from but dependent on God and inseparable from God) to
dualistic (that the universe is both dependent and different from God).
These understandings also range from philosophies of pantheism (all of existence is the Absolute) to
panentheism (all of existence is within the Absolute), to theism (the Absolute is external to all of
existence). Hindu traditions emphasize that God is the cause of existence and God pervades
everything. At the same time, God is beyond and not limited by the world.
The Divine or its essential nature can be seen:
● In oneself and all other human beings
● In all other beings, including plants and animals
● In the whole universe, including mountains, rivers, trees, and other planets
Brahman is an abstract concept, but is believed to become accessible in murtis. The word “murti” is
typically translated into English as “image” or “idol,” but these definitions are limited. To Hindus, a
murti is a powerful visual tool used for contemplating the nature of, as well as, communicating with
God. It is also believed to be charged with the presence of God, thus Hindus may offer their prayers
and devotion to a murti. While Hindus understand God to be present in a murti, they do not consider
God to be limited to the murti. Thus the term “embodiment” would be more apt. God is understood
as both immanent and transcendent.
How was God created in Hinduism?
A lotus flower grew from Lord Vishnu's navel with Brahma sitting on it. Brahma separated the flower into three parts - the heavens, the Earth and the sky. Out of loneliness, Brahma split himself into two to create a male and a female. From this male and female all beings were created.
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
A comparative study of the concept of God in Hinduism and Islam:
In Islam and Hinduism, monotheism is at the core of both these religions. Islam is strictly monotheistic but Hinduism has pantheistic and henotheistic tendencies as well. While monotheism means the oneness and transcendence of God, pantheism means that the Supreme Being is immanent in His creation and is present everywhere and in everything. Henotheism is the belief in one Supreme Divinity with the belief in other lesser deities.
The concept of God is the basic tenet of almost all religions. Theologians usually define God as all-powerful, all-knowing,
transcendent, eternal and infinite. Hinduism is pantheistic when Vedanta is taken into consideration, Islam is purely monotheistic. Most of the Hindus worship many gods and goddesses but they believe that they are the manifestations of One Absolute Being.
In Hinduism the Upanishads are the basic philosophical treatises describing the nature of the God and soul. Quran is the main source of theology believed to be revealed from God to Prophet Muhammad. Quran stresses the oneness of God and how people should relate to Him.
The concept of God in Hinduism is found in the Upanishads or Vedanta. Although the Vedas precede Upanishads they contain
hymns to various gods and goddesses which are regarded as the entities ruling nature. But these deities are not divine in the strict sense of the word, rather they are considered as a host of natural powers and symbols of the laws embedded in the visible universe.
The four Vedas at their ends contain philosophical books known as Upanishads and these are the treatises which contain the
description of the Supreme Divinity.
Upanishads are usually in the form of dialogues between masters and disciples. Furthermore Bhagavad Gita, 18th chapter of Mahabharata, is also viewed as an Upanishad because of its resemblance to the philosophy of Upanishads and its being a dialogue between Arjun as a seeker and Krishna as a teacher.
The importance of Upanishads over Vedas is clearly described in Chandogya Upanishad where Narada comes Sanatkumar to grasp the
meaning of soul and Supreme Divinity. Narada tells him that he has learnt all the Vedas including all other subjects prevailing at that time. Narada comes to know that this knowledge of Vedas, legend, mathematics, logic, astrology, science of gods or devavidya etc is
not enough until one grasps and realizes the Self and the Supreme Soul.
Furthermore in Gita Krishna tells Arjuna, "He is free from Karmic involvement who is contented with whatever comes to him uninvited; who is even minded and untouched by duality; who is without envy, jealousy and animosity; and who finally views success and failure with equanimity. All the effects of karma (action) are nullified, and one achieves liberation, when ego attachment ceases, when one becomes centered in wisdom, and when one’s actions are offered up to the Infinite in sacrifice. For such a person, both the act of self offering and the offering itself are, equally, aspects of
the One Spirit. The fire (of wisdom) and the person making the offering are both Spirit. In this realization, the Yogi, freed from ego identification, goes straight to Brahman (Spirit).” These verses depict the deep spiritualistic ethos of Hinduism without ritualistic
emphasis. This also shows the importance of philosophical Upanishads over ritualistic Vedas.
About the philosophy of Upanishads and the deep meaningful myths contained in the puranas, professor Radhakrishnan writes, “The Gita and the Upanishads are not remote from popular belief. They are the great literature of the country, and at the same time vehicles of the great systems of thought. The puranas contain the truth dressed up in myths and stories, to suit the weak understanding.
In Islam the concept of Tawhid is well explained in Surah Ikhlas:
Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;
Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;
And there is none like unto Him.
In Islam and Hinduism, monotheism is at the core of both these religions. Islam is strictly monotheistic but Hinduism has pantheistic and henotheistic tendencies as well. While monotheism means the oneness and transcendence of God, pantheism means that the Supreme Being is immanent in His creation and is present everywhere and in everything. Henotheism is the belief in one Supreme Divinity with the belief in other lesser deities.
The concept of God is the basic tenet of almost all religions. Theologians usually define God as all-powerful, all-knowing,
transcendent, eternal and infinite. Hinduism is pantheistic when Vedanta is taken into consideration, Islam is purely monotheistic. Most of the Hindus worship many gods and goddesses but they believe that they are the manifestations of One Absolute Being.
In Hinduism the Upanishads are the basic philosophical treatises describing the nature of the God and soul. Quran is the main source of theology believed to be revealed from God to Prophet Muhammad. Quran stresses the oneness of God and how people should relate to Him.
The concept of God in Hinduism is found in the Upanishads or Vedanta. Although the Vedas precede Upanishads they contain
hymns to various gods and goddesses which are regarded as the entities ruling nature. But these deities are not divine in the strict sense of the word, rather they are considered as a host of natural powers and symbols of the laws embedded in the visible universe.
The four Vedas at their ends contain philosophical books known as Upanishads and these are the treatises which contain the
description of the Supreme Divinity.
Upanishads are usually in the form of dialogues between masters and disciples. Furthermore Bhagavad Gita, 18th chapter of Mahabharata, is also viewed as an Upanishad because of its resemblance to the philosophy of Upanishads and its being a dialogue between Arjun as a seeker and Krishna as a teacher.
The importance of Upanishads over Vedas is clearly described in Chandogya Upanishad where Narada comes Sanatkumar to grasp the
meaning of soul and Supreme Divinity. Narada tells him that he has learnt all the Vedas including all other subjects prevailing at that time. Narada comes to know that this knowledge of Vedas, legend, mathematics, logic, astrology, science of gods or devavidya etc is
not enough until one grasps and realizes the Self and the Supreme Soul.
Furthermore in Gita Krishna tells Arjuna, "He is free from Karmic involvement who is contented with whatever comes to him uninvited; who is even minded and untouched by duality; who is without envy, jealousy and animosity; and who finally views success and failure with equanimity. All the effects of karma (action) are nullified, and one achieves liberation, when ego attachment ceases, when one becomes centered in wisdom, and when one’s actions are offered up to the Infinite in sacrifice. For such a person, both the act of self offering and the offering itself are, equally, aspects of
the One Spirit. The fire (of wisdom) and the person making the offering are both Spirit. In this realization, the Yogi, freed from ego identification, goes straight to Brahman (Spirit).” These verses depict the deep spiritualistic ethos of Hinduism without ritualistic
emphasis. This also shows the importance of philosophical Upanishads over ritualistic Vedas.
About the philosophy of Upanishads and the deep meaningful myths contained in the puranas, professor Radhakrishnan writes, “The Gita and the Upanishads are not remote from popular belief. They are the great literature of the country, and at the same time vehicles of the great systems of thought. The puranas contain the truth dressed up in myths and stories, to suit the weak understanding.
In Islam the concept of Tawhid is well explained in Surah Ikhlas:
Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;
Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;
And there is none like unto Him.
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
CONCEPT OF GOD IN HINDUISM
by Dr. Zakir Naik
Hinduism is commonly perceived as a polytheistic religion. Indeed, most Hindus would attest to this, by professing belief in multiple Gods. While some Hindus believe in the existence of three gods, some believe in thousands of gods, and some others in thirty three crore i.e. 330 million Gods. However, learned Hindus, who are well versed in their scriptures, insist that a Hindu should believe in and worship only one God.
The major difference between the Hindu and the Muslim perception of God is the common Hindus’ belief in the philosophy of Pantheism. Pantheism considers everything, living and non-living, to be Divine and Sacred. The common Hindu, therefore, considers everything as God. He considers the trees as God, the sun as God, the moon as God, the monkey as God, the snake as God and even human beings as manifestations of God!
Islam, on the contrary, exhorts man to consider himself and his surroundings as examples of Divine Creation rather than as divinity itself. Muslims therefore believe that everything is God’s i.e. the word ‘God’ with an apostrophe ‘s’. In other words the Muslims believe that everything belongs to God. The trees belong to God, the sun belongs to God, the moon belongs to God, the monkey belongs to God, the snake belongs to God, the human beings belong to God and everything in this universe belongs to God.
Thus the major difference between the Hindu and the Muslim beliefs is the difference of the apostrophe ‘s’. The Hindu says everything is God. The Muslim says everything is God’s.
Concept of God according to Hindu Scriptures:
We can gain a better understanding of the concept of God in Hinduism by analysing Hindu scriptures.
BHAGAVAD GITA
The most popular amongst all the Hindu scriptures is the Bhagavad Gita.
Consider the following verse from the Gita:
"Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures."
[Bhagavad Gita 7:20]
The Gita states that people who are materialistic worship demigods i.e. ‘gods’ besides the True God.
UPANISHADS:
The Upanishads are considered sacred scriptures by the Hindus.
The following verses from the Upanishads refer to the Concept of God:
"Ekam evadvitiyam"
"He is One only without a second."
[Chandogya Upanishad 6:2:1]1
"Na casya kascij janita na cadhipah."
"Of Him there are neither parents nor lord."
[Svetasvatara Upanishad 6:9]2
"Na tasya pratima asti"
"There is no likeness of Him."
[Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:19]3
The following verses from the Upanishad allude to the inability of man to imagine God in a particular form:
"Na samdrse tisthati rupam asya, na caksusa pasyati kas canainam."
"His form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye."
[Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:20]4
1[The Principal Upanishad by S. Radhakrishnan page 447 and 448]
[Sacred Books of the East, volume 1 ‘The Upanishads part I’ page 93]
2[The Principal Upanishad by S. Radhakrishnan page 745]
[Sacred Books of the East, volume 15, ‘The Upanishads part II’ page 263.]
3[The Principal Upanishad by S. Radhakrishnan page 736 & 737]
[Sacred Books of the East, volume 15, ‘The Upanishads part II’ page no 253]
4[The Principal Upanishad by S. Radhakrishnan page 737]
[Sacred Books of the East, volume 15, ‘The Upanishads part II’ page no 253]
THE VEDAS
Vedas are considered the most sacred of all the Hindu scriptures. There are four principal Vedas: Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samveda and Atharvaveda.
Yajurveda
The following verses from the Yajurveda echo a similar concept of God:
"na tasya pratima asti
"There is no image of Him."
[Yajurveda 32:3]5
"shudhama poapvidham"
"He is bodyless and pure."
[Yajurveda 40:8]6
"Andhatama pravishanti ye asambhuti mupaste"
"They enter darkness, those who worship the natural elements" (Air, Water, Fire, etc.). "They sink deeper in darkness, those who worship sambhuti."
[Yajurveda 40:9]7
Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol, etc.
The Yajurveda contains the following prayer:
"Lead us to the good path and remove the sin that makes us stray and wander."
[Yajurveda 40:16]8
5[Yajurveda by Devi Chand M.A. page 377]
6[Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Giffith page 538]
7[Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Giffith page 538]
8[Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Griffith page 541]
Atharvaveda
The Atharvaveda praises God in Book 20, hymn 58 and verse 3:
"Dev maha osi"
"God is verily great"
[Atharvaveda 20:58:3]9
Rigveda
The oldest of all the vedas is Rigveda. It is also the one considered most sacred by the Hindus. The Rigveda states in Book 1, hymn 164 and verse 46:
"Sages (learned Priests) call one God by many names."
[Rigveda 1:164:46]
The Rigveda gives several different attributes to Almighty God. Many of these are mentioned in Rigveda Book 2 hymn 1.
Among the various attributes of God, one of the beautiful attributes mentioned in the Rigveda Book II hymn 1 verse 3, is Brahma. Brahma means ‘The Creator’. Translated into Arabic it means Khaaliq. Muslims can have no objection if Almighty God is referred to as Khaaliq or ‘Creator’ or Brahma. However if it is said that Brahma is Almighty God who has four heads with each head having a crown, Muslims take strong exception to it.
Describing Almighty God in anthropomorphic terms also goes against the following verse of Yajurveda:
"Na tasya Pratima asti"
"There is no image of Him."
[Yajurveda 32:3]
Another beautiful attribute of God mentioned in the Rigveda Book II hymn 1 verse 3 is Vishnu. Vishnu means ‘The Sustainer’. Translated into Arabic it means Rabb. Again, Muslims can have no objection if Almighty God is referred to as Rabb or 'Sustainer' or Vishnu. But the popular image of
9[Atharveda Samhita vol 2 William Dwight Whitney page 910]
Vishnu among Hindus, is that of a God who has four arms, with one of the right arms holding the Chakra, i.e. a discus and one of the left arms holding a ‘conch shell’, or riding a bird or reclining on a snake couch. Muslims can never accept any image of God. As mentioned earlier this also goes against Svetasvatara Upanishad Chapter 4 verse 19.
"Na tasya pratima asti"
"There is no likeness of Him"
The following verse from the Rigveda Book 8, hymn 1, verse 1 refer to the Unity and Glory of the Supreme Being:
"Ma cid anyad vi sansata sakhayo ma rishanyata"
"O friends, do not worship anybody but Him, the Divine One. Praise Him alone."
[Rigveda 8:1:1]10
"Devasya samituk parishtutih"
"Verily, great is the glory of the Divine Creator."
[Rigveda 5:1:81]11
Brahma Sutra of Hinduism:
The Brahma Sutra of Hinduism is:
"Ekam Brahm, dvitiya naste neh na naste kinchan"
"There is only one God, not the second; not at all, not at all, not in the least bit."
Thus only a dispassionate study of the Hindu scriptures can help one understand the concept of God in Hinduism.
0[Rigveda Samhita vol. 9, pages 2810 and 2811 by Swami Satya Prakash Sarasvati and Satyakam Vidyalankar]
11[Rigveda Samhita vol. 6, pages 1802 and 1803 by Swami Satya Prakash Saraswati and Satyakam Vidyalankar]
as from the sun." The Prophecy confirms:
The name of the Prophet as Ahmed since Ahmed is an Arabic name. Many translators misunderstood it to be ‘Ahm at hi’ and translated the mantra as "I alone have acquired the real wisdom of my father".
Prophet was given eternal law, i.e. the Shariah.
The Rishi was enlightened by the Shariah of Prophet Muhammad. The Qur’an says in Surah Saba Chapter 34 verse 28 (34:28):
"We have not sent thee but as a universal (Messenger) to men, giving them glad tidings and warning them (against sin), but most men understand not."
by Dr. Zakir Naik
Hinduism is commonly perceived as a polytheistic religion. Indeed, most Hindus would attest to this, by professing belief in multiple Gods. While some Hindus believe in the existence of three gods, some believe in thousands of gods, and some others in thirty three crore i.e. 330 million Gods. However, learned Hindus, who are well versed in their scriptures, insist that a Hindu should believe in and worship only one God.
The major difference between the Hindu and the Muslim perception of God is the common Hindus’ belief in the philosophy of Pantheism. Pantheism considers everything, living and non-living, to be Divine and Sacred. The common Hindu, therefore, considers everything as God. He considers the trees as God, the sun as God, the moon as God, the monkey as God, the snake as God and even human beings as manifestations of God!
Islam, on the contrary, exhorts man to consider himself and his surroundings as examples of Divine Creation rather than as divinity itself. Muslims therefore believe that everything is God’s i.e. the word ‘God’ with an apostrophe ‘s’. In other words the Muslims believe that everything belongs to God. The trees belong to God, the sun belongs to God, the moon belongs to God, the monkey belongs to God, the snake belongs to God, the human beings belong to God and everything in this universe belongs to God.
Thus the major difference between the Hindu and the Muslim beliefs is the difference of the apostrophe ‘s’. The Hindu says everything is God. The Muslim says everything is God’s.
Concept of God according to Hindu Scriptures:
We can gain a better understanding of the concept of God in Hinduism by analysing Hindu scriptures.
BHAGAVAD GITA
The most popular amongst all the Hindu scriptures is the Bhagavad Gita.
Consider the following verse from the Gita:
"Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures."
[Bhagavad Gita 7:20]
The Gita states that people who are materialistic worship demigods i.e. ‘gods’ besides the True God.
UPANISHADS:
The Upanishads are considered sacred scriptures by the Hindus.
The following verses from the Upanishads refer to the Concept of God:
"Ekam evadvitiyam"
"He is One only without a second."
[Chandogya Upanishad 6:2:1]1
"Na casya kascij janita na cadhipah."
"Of Him there are neither parents nor lord."
[Svetasvatara Upanishad 6:9]2
"Na tasya pratima asti"
"There is no likeness of Him."
[Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:19]3
The following verses from the Upanishad allude to the inability of man to imagine God in a particular form:
"Na samdrse tisthati rupam asya, na caksusa pasyati kas canainam."
"His form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye."
[Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:20]4
1[The Principal Upanishad by S. Radhakrishnan page 447 and 448]
[Sacred Books of the East, volume 1 ‘The Upanishads part I’ page 93]
2[The Principal Upanishad by S. Radhakrishnan page 745]
[Sacred Books of the East, volume 15, ‘The Upanishads part II’ page 263.]
3[The Principal Upanishad by S. Radhakrishnan page 736 & 737]
[Sacred Books of the East, volume 15, ‘The Upanishads part II’ page no 253]
4[The Principal Upanishad by S. Radhakrishnan page 737]
[Sacred Books of the East, volume 15, ‘The Upanishads part II’ page no 253]
THE VEDAS
Vedas are considered the most sacred of all the Hindu scriptures. There are four principal Vedas: Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samveda and Atharvaveda.
Yajurveda
The following verses from the Yajurveda echo a similar concept of God:
"na tasya pratima asti
"There is no image of Him."
[Yajurveda 32:3]5
"shudhama poapvidham"
"He is bodyless and pure."
[Yajurveda 40:8]6
"Andhatama pravishanti ye asambhuti mupaste"
"They enter darkness, those who worship the natural elements" (Air, Water, Fire, etc.). "They sink deeper in darkness, those who worship sambhuti."
[Yajurveda 40:9]7
Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol, etc.
The Yajurveda contains the following prayer:
"Lead us to the good path and remove the sin that makes us stray and wander."
[Yajurveda 40:16]8
5[Yajurveda by Devi Chand M.A. page 377]
6[Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Giffith page 538]
7[Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Giffith page 538]
8[Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Griffith page 541]
Atharvaveda
The Atharvaveda praises God in Book 20, hymn 58 and verse 3:
"Dev maha osi"
"God is verily great"
[Atharvaveda 20:58:3]9
Rigveda
The oldest of all the vedas is Rigveda. It is also the one considered most sacred by the Hindus. The Rigveda states in Book 1, hymn 164 and verse 46:
"Sages (learned Priests) call one God by many names."
[Rigveda 1:164:46]
The Rigveda gives several different attributes to Almighty God. Many of these are mentioned in Rigveda Book 2 hymn 1.
Among the various attributes of God, one of the beautiful attributes mentioned in the Rigveda Book II hymn 1 verse 3, is Brahma. Brahma means ‘The Creator’. Translated into Arabic it means Khaaliq. Muslims can have no objection if Almighty God is referred to as Khaaliq or ‘Creator’ or Brahma. However if it is said that Brahma is Almighty God who has four heads with each head having a crown, Muslims take strong exception to it.
Describing Almighty God in anthropomorphic terms also goes against the following verse of Yajurveda:
"Na tasya Pratima asti"
"There is no image of Him."
[Yajurveda 32:3]
Another beautiful attribute of God mentioned in the Rigveda Book II hymn 1 verse 3 is Vishnu. Vishnu means ‘The Sustainer’. Translated into Arabic it means Rabb. Again, Muslims can have no objection if Almighty God is referred to as Rabb or 'Sustainer' or Vishnu. But the popular image of
9[Atharveda Samhita vol 2 William Dwight Whitney page 910]
Vishnu among Hindus, is that of a God who has four arms, with one of the right arms holding the Chakra, i.e. a discus and one of the left arms holding a ‘conch shell’, or riding a bird or reclining on a snake couch. Muslims can never accept any image of God. As mentioned earlier this also goes against Svetasvatara Upanishad Chapter 4 verse 19.
"Na tasya pratima asti"
"There is no likeness of Him"
The following verse from the Rigveda Book 8, hymn 1, verse 1 refer to the Unity and Glory of the Supreme Being:
"Ma cid anyad vi sansata sakhayo ma rishanyata"
"O friends, do not worship anybody but Him, the Divine One. Praise Him alone."
[Rigveda 8:1:1]10
"Devasya samituk parishtutih"
"Verily, great is the glory of the Divine Creator."
[Rigveda 5:1:81]11
Brahma Sutra of Hinduism:
The Brahma Sutra of Hinduism is:
"Ekam Brahm, dvitiya naste neh na naste kinchan"
"There is only one God, not the second; not at all, not at all, not in the least bit."
Thus only a dispassionate study of the Hindu scriptures can help one understand the concept of God in Hinduism.
0[Rigveda Samhita vol. 9, pages 2810 and 2811 by Swami Satya Prakash Sarasvati and Satyakam Vidyalankar]
11[Rigveda Samhita vol. 6, pages 1802 and 1803 by Swami Satya Prakash Saraswati and Satyakam Vidyalankar]
as from the sun." The Prophecy confirms:
The name of the Prophet as Ahmed since Ahmed is an Arabic name. Many translators misunderstood it to be ‘Ahm at hi’ and translated the mantra as "I alone have acquired the real wisdom of my father".
Prophet was given eternal law, i.e. the Shariah.
The Rishi was enlightened by the Shariah of Prophet Muhammad. The Qur’an says in Surah Saba Chapter 34 verse 28 (34:28):
"We have not sent thee but as a universal (Messenger) to men, giving them glad tidings and warning them (against sin), but most men understand not."
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
OM
OM is a foundation of Hinduism, The Upanishads claim that Om is indeed God in the form of sound.
OM (or Aum) Sanskrit: ॐ, ओम्, romanized: Ōṃ) is the sound of a sacred spiritual symbol in Indic religions. The meaning and connotations of Om vary between the diverse schools within and across the various traditions. It is part of the iconography found in ancient and medieval era manuscripts, temples, monasteries, and spiritual retreats in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. As a syllable, it is often chanted either independently or before a spiritual recitation and during meditation in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
In Hinduism, wherein it signifies the essence of the Ultimate Reality (parabrahman) which is consciousness (paramatman), OM is one of the most important spiritual symbols. It refers to Atman (Self within) and Brahman (ultimate reality, entirety of the universe, truth, divine, supreme spirit, cosmic principles, knowledge). The syllable is often found at the beginning and the end of chapters in the Vedas, the Upanishads, and other Hindu texts. It is a sacred spiritual incantation made before and during the recitation of spiritual texts, during puja and private prayers, in ceremonies of rites of passage (sanskara) such as weddings, and during meditative and spiritual activities such as Pranava yoga
The syllable OM is also referred to as Onkara/Omkara and Pranav/Pranava among many other names.
The etymological origins of ōm/āum have long been discussed and disputed, with even the Upanishads having proposed multiple Sanskrit etymologies for āum, including: from "ām" (आम्; "yes"), from "ávam" (आवम्; "that, thus, yes"), and from the Sanskrit roots "āv-" (अव्; "to urge") or "āp-" (आप्; "to attain"). In 1889, Maurice Blumfield proposed an origin from a Proto-Indo-European introductory particle "*au" with a function similar to the Sanskrit particle "atha" (अथ). However, contemporary Indologist Asko Parpola proposes a borrowing from Dravidian "*ām" meaning "'it is so', 'let it be so', 'yes'", a contraction of "*ākum", cognate with modern Tamil "ām" (ஆம்) meaning "yes".
Regardless of its original meaning, the syllable OM evolves to mean many abstract ideas even in the earliest Upanishads. Max Müller and other scholars state that these philosophical texts recommend OM as a "tool for meditation", explain various meanings that the syllable may be in the mind of one meditating, ranging from "artificial and senseless" to "highest concepts such as the cause of the Universe, essence of life, Brahman, Atman, and Self-knowledge".
The syllable OM is first mentioned in the Upanishads, the mystical texts associated with the Vedanta philosophy. It has variously been associated with concepts of "cosmic sound" or "mystical syllable" or "affirmation to something divine", or as symbolism for abstract spiritual concepts in the Upanishads. In the Aranyaka and the Brahmana layers of Vedic texts, the syllable is so widespread and linked to knowledge, that it stands for the "whole of Veda". The symbolic foundations of Om are repeatedly discussed in the oldest layers of the early Upanishads. The Aitareya Brahmana of Rig Veda, in section 5.32, for example suggests that the three phonetic components of Om (a + u + m) correspond to the three stages of cosmic creation, and when it is read or said, it celebrates the creative powers of the universe. The Brahmana layer of Vedic texts equate Om with bhur-bhuvah-svah, the latter symbolising "the whole Veda". They offer various shades of meaning to Om, such as it being "the universe beyond the sun", or that which is "mysterious and inexhaustible", or "the infinite language, the infinite knowledge", or "essence of breath, life, everything that exists", or that "with which one is liberated". The Samaveda, the poetical Veda, orthographically maps Om to the audible, the musical truths in its numerous variations (Oum, Aum, Ovā Ovā Ovā Um, etc.) and then attempts to extract musical meters from it.
OM is a foundation of Hinduism, The Upanishads claim that Om is indeed God in the form of sound.
OM (or Aum) Sanskrit: ॐ, ओम्, romanized: Ōṃ) is the sound of a sacred spiritual symbol in Indic religions. The meaning and connotations of Om vary between the diverse schools within and across the various traditions. It is part of the iconography found in ancient and medieval era manuscripts, temples, monasteries, and spiritual retreats in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. As a syllable, it is often chanted either independently or before a spiritual recitation and during meditation in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
In Hinduism, wherein it signifies the essence of the Ultimate Reality (parabrahman) which is consciousness (paramatman), OM is one of the most important spiritual symbols. It refers to Atman (Self within) and Brahman (ultimate reality, entirety of the universe, truth, divine, supreme spirit, cosmic principles, knowledge). The syllable is often found at the beginning and the end of chapters in the Vedas, the Upanishads, and other Hindu texts. It is a sacred spiritual incantation made before and during the recitation of spiritual texts, during puja and private prayers, in ceremonies of rites of passage (sanskara) such as weddings, and during meditative and spiritual activities such as Pranava yoga
The syllable OM is also referred to as Onkara/Omkara and Pranav/Pranava among many other names.
The etymological origins of ōm/āum have long been discussed and disputed, with even the Upanishads having proposed multiple Sanskrit etymologies for āum, including: from "ām" (आम्; "yes"), from "ávam" (आवम्; "that, thus, yes"), and from the Sanskrit roots "āv-" (अव्; "to urge") or "āp-" (आप्; "to attain"). In 1889, Maurice Blumfield proposed an origin from a Proto-Indo-European introductory particle "*au" with a function similar to the Sanskrit particle "atha" (अथ). However, contemporary Indologist Asko Parpola proposes a borrowing from Dravidian "*ām" meaning "'it is so', 'let it be so', 'yes'", a contraction of "*ākum", cognate with modern Tamil "ām" (ஆம்) meaning "yes".
Regardless of its original meaning, the syllable OM evolves to mean many abstract ideas even in the earliest Upanishads. Max Müller and other scholars state that these philosophical texts recommend OM as a "tool for meditation", explain various meanings that the syllable may be in the mind of one meditating, ranging from "artificial and senseless" to "highest concepts such as the cause of the Universe, essence of life, Brahman, Atman, and Self-knowledge".
The syllable OM is first mentioned in the Upanishads, the mystical texts associated with the Vedanta philosophy. It has variously been associated with concepts of "cosmic sound" or "mystical syllable" or "affirmation to something divine", or as symbolism for abstract spiritual concepts in the Upanishads. In the Aranyaka and the Brahmana layers of Vedic texts, the syllable is so widespread and linked to knowledge, that it stands for the "whole of Veda". The symbolic foundations of Om are repeatedly discussed in the oldest layers of the early Upanishads. The Aitareya Brahmana of Rig Veda, in section 5.32, for example suggests that the three phonetic components of Om (a + u + m) correspond to the three stages of cosmic creation, and when it is read or said, it celebrates the creative powers of the universe. The Brahmana layer of Vedic texts equate Om with bhur-bhuvah-svah, the latter symbolising "the whole Veda". They offer various shades of meaning to Om, such as it being "the universe beyond the sun", or that which is "mysterious and inexhaustible", or "the infinite language, the infinite knowledge", or "essence of breath, life, everything that exists", or that "with which one is liberated". The Samaveda, the poetical Veda, orthographically maps Om to the audible, the musical truths in its numerous variations (Oum, Aum, Ovā Ovā Ovā Um, etc.) and then attempts to extract musical meters from it.
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Theism, deism, and pantheism
Theism generally holds that God exists realistically, objectively, and independently of human thought; that God created and sustains everything; that God is omnipotent and eternal; and that God is personal and interacting with the universe through, for example, religious experience and the prayers of humans. Theism holds that God is both transcendent and immanent; thus, God is simultaneously infinite and, in some way, present in the affairs of the world. Not all theists subscribe to all of these propositions, but each usually subscribes to some of them. Most theists hold that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent, although this belief raises questions about God's responsibility for evil and suffering in the world. Some theists ascribe to God a self-conscious or purposeful limiting of omnipotence, omniscience, or benevolence. Open Theism, by contrast, contends that, due to the nature of time, God's omniscience does not mean the deity can predict the future. Theism is sometimes used to refer in general to any belief in a god or gods, i.e., monotheism or polytheism.
Deism: God exists, but does not intervene in the world beyond what was necessary to create it. In this view, God is not anthropomorphic, and neither answers prayers nor produces miracles. Common in Deism is a belief that God has no interest in humanity and may not even be aware of humanity. Pandeism combines Deism with Pantheistic beliefs. Pandeism is proposed to explain as to Deism why God would create a universe and then abandon it, and as to Pantheism, the origin and purpose of the universe.
Pantheism holds that God is the universe and the universe is God, whereas Panentheism holds that God contains, but is not identical to, the Universe. Theosophy; some views of Hinduism except Vaishnavism, which believes in panentheism; Sikhism; some divisions of Neopaganism and Taoism, along with many varying denominations and individuals within denominations. Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, paints a pantheistic/panentheistic view of God—which has wide acceptance in Hasidic Judaism, particularly from their founder The Baal Shem Tov—but only as an addition to the Jewish view of a personal god, not in the original pantheistic sense that denies or limits persona to God.
Other concepts
Dystheism, which is related to theodicy, is a form of theism which holds that God is either not wholly good or is fully malevolent as a consequence of the problem of evil.
In modern times, some more abstract concepts have been developed, such as process theology and open theism. The contemporaneous French philosopher Michel Henry has however proposed a phenomenological approach and definition of God as phenomenological essence of Life.
God has also been conceived as being incorporeal (immaterial), a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the "greatest conceivable existent". These attributes were all supported to varying degrees by the early Jewish, Christian and Muslim theologian philosophers, including Maimonides, and Al-Ghazali, respectively.
Non-theistic views
Non-theist views about God also vary. Some non-theists avoid the concept of God, whilst accepting that it is significant to many; other non-theists understand God as a symbol of human values and aspirations. The nineteenth-century English atheist Charles Bradlaugh declared that he refused to say "There is no God", because "the word 'God' is to me a sound conveying no clear or distinct affirmation"; he said more specifically that he disbelieved in the Christian god. Stephen Jay Gould proposed an approach dividing the world of philosophy into what he called "non-overlapping magisteria" (NOMA). In this view, questions of the supernatural, such as those relating to the existence and nature of God, are non-empirical and are the proper domain of theology. The methods of science should then be used to answer any empirical question about the natural world, and theology should be used to answer questions about ultimate meaning and moral value. In this view, the perceived lack of any empirical footprint from the magisterium of the supernatural onto natural events makes science the sole player in the natural world.
Another view, advanced by Richard Dawkins, is that the existence of God is an empirical question, on the grounds that "a universe with a god would be a completely different kind of universe from one without, and it would be a scientific difference." Carl Sagan argued that the doctrine of a Creator of the Universe was difficult to prove or disprove and that the only conceivable scientific discovery that could disprove the existence of a Creator (not necessarily a God) would be the discovery that the universe is infinitely old.
Stephen Hawking and co-author Leonard Mlodinow state in their 2010 book, The Grand Design, that it is reasonable to ask who or what created the universe, but if the answer is God, then the question has merely been deflected to that of who created God. Both authors claim however, that it is possible to answer these questions purely within the realm of science, and without invoking any divine beings.
Agnosticism and atheism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth values of certain claims—especially metaphysical and religious claims such as whether God, the divine or the supernatural exist—are unknown and perhaps unknowable.
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities, although it can be defined as a lack of belief in the existence of any deities, rather than a positive belief in the nonexistence of any deities.
Anthropomorphism
Pascal Boyer argues that while there is a wide array of supernatural concepts found around the world, in general, supernatural beings tend to behave much like people. The construction of gods and spirits like persons is one of the best known traits of religion. He cites examples from Greek mythology, which is, in his opinion, more like a modern soap opera than other religious systems. Bertrand du Castel and Timothy Jurgensen demonstrate through formalization that Boyer's explanatory model matches physics' epistemology in positing not directly observable entities as intermediaries. Anthropologist Stewart Guthrie contends that people project human features onto non-human aspects of the world because it makes those aspects more familiar. Sigmund Freud also suggested that god concepts are projections of one's father.
Likewise, Émile Durkheim was one of the earliest to suggest that gods represent an extension of human social life to include supernatural beings. In line with this reasoning, psychologist Matt Rossano contends that when humans began living in larger groups, they may have created gods as a means of enforcing morality. In small groups, morality can be enforced by social forces such as gossip or reputation. However, it is much harder to enforce morality using social forces in much larger groups. Rossano indicates that by including ever-watchful gods and spirits, humans discovered an effective strategy for restraining selfishness and building more cooperative groups.
(adopted)
Theism generally holds that God exists realistically, objectively, and independently of human thought; that God created and sustains everything; that God is omnipotent and eternal; and that God is personal and interacting with the universe through, for example, religious experience and the prayers of humans. Theism holds that God is both transcendent and immanent; thus, God is simultaneously infinite and, in some way, present in the affairs of the world. Not all theists subscribe to all of these propositions, but each usually subscribes to some of them. Most theists hold that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent, although this belief raises questions about God's responsibility for evil and suffering in the world. Some theists ascribe to God a self-conscious or purposeful limiting of omnipotence, omniscience, or benevolence. Open Theism, by contrast, contends that, due to the nature of time, God's omniscience does not mean the deity can predict the future. Theism is sometimes used to refer in general to any belief in a god or gods, i.e., monotheism or polytheism.
Deism: God exists, but does not intervene in the world beyond what was necessary to create it. In this view, God is not anthropomorphic, and neither answers prayers nor produces miracles. Common in Deism is a belief that God has no interest in humanity and may not even be aware of humanity. Pandeism combines Deism with Pantheistic beliefs. Pandeism is proposed to explain as to Deism why God would create a universe and then abandon it, and as to Pantheism, the origin and purpose of the universe.
Pantheism holds that God is the universe and the universe is God, whereas Panentheism holds that God contains, but is not identical to, the Universe. Theosophy; some views of Hinduism except Vaishnavism, which believes in panentheism; Sikhism; some divisions of Neopaganism and Taoism, along with many varying denominations and individuals within denominations. Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, paints a pantheistic/panentheistic view of God—which has wide acceptance in Hasidic Judaism, particularly from their founder The Baal Shem Tov—but only as an addition to the Jewish view of a personal god, not in the original pantheistic sense that denies or limits persona to God.
Other concepts
Dystheism, which is related to theodicy, is a form of theism which holds that God is either not wholly good or is fully malevolent as a consequence of the problem of evil.
In modern times, some more abstract concepts have been developed, such as process theology and open theism. The contemporaneous French philosopher Michel Henry has however proposed a phenomenological approach and definition of God as phenomenological essence of Life.
God has also been conceived as being incorporeal (immaterial), a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the "greatest conceivable existent". These attributes were all supported to varying degrees by the early Jewish, Christian and Muslim theologian philosophers, including Maimonides, and Al-Ghazali, respectively.
Non-theistic views
Non-theist views about God also vary. Some non-theists avoid the concept of God, whilst accepting that it is significant to many; other non-theists understand God as a symbol of human values and aspirations. The nineteenth-century English atheist Charles Bradlaugh declared that he refused to say "There is no God", because "the word 'God' is to me a sound conveying no clear or distinct affirmation"; he said more specifically that he disbelieved in the Christian god. Stephen Jay Gould proposed an approach dividing the world of philosophy into what he called "non-overlapping magisteria" (NOMA). In this view, questions of the supernatural, such as those relating to the existence and nature of God, are non-empirical and are the proper domain of theology. The methods of science should then be used to answer any empirical question about the natural world, and theology should be used to answer questions about ultimate meaning and moral value. In this view, the perceived lack of any empirical footprint from the magisterium of the supernatural onto natural events makes science the sole player in the natural world.
Another view, advanced by Richard Dawkins, is that the existence of God is an empirical question, on the grounds that "a universe with a god would be a completely different kind of universe from one without, and it would be a scientific difference." Carl Sagan argued that the doctrine of a Creator of the Universe was difficult to prove or disprove and that the only conceivable scientific discovery that could disprove the existence of a Creator (not necessarily a God) would be the discovery that the universe is infinitely old.
Stephen Hawking and co-author Leonard Mlodinow state in their 2010 book, The Grand Design, that it is reasonable to ask who or what created the universe, but if the answer is God, then the question has merely been deflected to that of who created God. Both authors claim however, that it is possible to answer these questions purely within the realm of science, and without invoking any divine beings.
Agnosticism and atheism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth values of certain claims—especially metaphysical and religious claims such as whether God, the divine or the supernatural exist—are unknown and perhaps unknowable.
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities, although it can be defined as a lack of belief in the existence of any deities, rather than a positive belief in the nonexistence of any deities.
Anthropomorphism
Pascal Boyer argues that while there is a wide array of supernatural concepts found around the world, in general, supernatural beings tend to behave much like people. The construction of gods and spirits like persons is one of the best known traits of religion. He cites examples from Greek mythology, which is, in his opinion, more like a modern soap opera than other religious systems. Bertrand du Castel and Timothy Jurgensen demonstrate through formalization that Boyer's explanatory model matches physics' epistemology in positing not directly observable entities as intermediaries. Anthropologist Stewart Guthrie contends that people project human features onto non-human aspects of the world because it makes those aspects more familiar. Sigmund Freud also suggested that god concepts are projections of one's father.
Likewise, Émile Durkheim was one of the earliest to suggest that gods represent an extension of human social life to include supernatural beings. In line with this reasoning, psychologist Matt Rossano contends that when humans began living in larger groups, they may have created gods as a means of enforcing morality. In small groups, morality can be enforced by social forces such as gossip or reputation. However, it is much harder to enforce morality using social forces in much larger groups. Rossano indicates that by including ever-watchful gods and spirits, humans discovered an effective strategy for restraining selfishness and building more cooperative groups.
(adopted)
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Concept of God in Buddhism
Buddhists do not believe in God or Creator. Buddhism is a religion that does not include the belief in a creator deity, or any eternal divine personal being. Buddhist teachings state that there are divine beings called devas and other Buddhist deities, heavens, and rebirths in its doctrine of samsara, or cyclical rebirth.
Buddhism is one of the world’s major religions. It originated in India in 563–483 B.C.E. with Siddhartha Gautama, and over the next millennia it spread across Asia and the rest of the world. Buddhists believe that human life is a cycle of suffering and rebirth, but that if one achieves a state of enlightenment (nirvana), it is possible to escape this cycle forever. Historically it is said that Siddhartha Gautama was the first person to reach this state of enlightenment and was, and is still today, known as the Buddha. Buddhists do not believe in any kind of deity or god, although there are supernatural figures who can help or hinder people on the path towards enlightenment.
Siddhartha Gautama was an Indian prince in the fifth century B.C.E. who, upon seeing people poor and dying, realized that human life is suffering. He renounced his wealth and spent time as a poor beggar, meditating and travelling but ultimately, remaining unsatisfied, settling on something called “the Middle Way.” This idea meant that neither extreme asceticism or extreme wealth were the path to enlightenment, but rather, a way of life between the two extremes. Eventually, in a state of deep meditation, he achieved enlightenment, or nirvana underneath the Bodhi tree (the tree of awakening). The Mahabodhi Temple in Bihar, India—the site of his enlightenment—is now a major Buddhist pilgrimage site.
The Buddha taught about Four Noble Truths. The first truth is called “Suffering (dukkha),” which teaches that everyone in life is suffering in some way. The second truth is “Origin of suffering (samudaya).” This states that all suffering comes from desire (tanha). The third truth is “Cessation of suffering (nirodha),” and it says that it is possible to stop suffering and achieve enlightenment. The fourth truth, “Path to the cessation of suffering (magga)” is about the Middle Way, which are the steps to achieve enlightenment.
Buddhists believe in a wheel of rebirth, where souls are born again into different bodies depending on how they conducted themselves in their previous lives. This is connected to “karma,” which refers to how a person’s good or bad actions in the past or in their past lives can impact them in the future.
There are two main groups of Buddhism: Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism is common in Tibet, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Mongolia. It emphasizes the role models of bodhisattvas (beings that have achieved enlightenment but return to teach humans). Theravada Buddhism is common in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Burma (Myanmar). It emphasizes a monastic lifestyle and meditation as the way to enlightenment.
Buddhists do not believe in God or Creator. Buddhism is a religion that does not include the belief in a creator deity, or any eternal divine personal being. Buddhist teachings state that there are divine beings called devas and other Buddhist deities, heavens, and rebirths in its doctrine of samsara, or cyclical rebirth.
Buddhism is one of the world’s major religions. It originated in India in 563–483 B.C.E. with Siddhartha Gautama, and over the next millennia it spread across Asia and the rest of the world. Buddhists believe that human life is a cycle of suffering and rebirth, but that if one achieves a state of enlightenment (nirvana), it is possible to escape this cycle forever. Historically it is said that Siddhartha Gautama was the first person to reach this state of enlightenment and was, and is still today, known as the Buddha. Buddhists do not believe in any kind of deity or god, although there are supernatural figures who can help or hinder people on the path towards enlightenment.
Siddhartha Gautama was an Indian prince in the fifth century B.C.E. who, upon seeing people poor and dying, realized that human life is suffering. He renounced his wealth and spent time as a poor beggar, meditating and travelling but ultimately, remaining unsatisfied, settling on something called “the Middle Way.” This idea meant that neither extreme asceticism or extreme wealth were the path to enlightenment, but rather, a way of life between the two extremes. Eventually, in a state of deep meditation, he achieved enlightenment, or nirvana underneath the Bodhi tree (the tree of awakening). The Mahabodhi Temple in Bihar, India—the site of his enlightenment—is now a major Buddhist pilgrimage site.
The Buddha taught about Four Noble Truths. The first truth is called “Suffering (dukkha),” which teaches that everyone in life is suffering in some way. The second truth is “Origin of suffering (samudaya).” This states that all suffering comes from desire (tanha). The third truth is “Cessation of suffering (nirodha),” and it says that it is possible to stop suffering and achieve enlightenment. The fourth truth, “Path to the cessation of suffering (magga)” is about the Middle Way, which are the steps to achieve enlightenment.
Buddhists believe in a wheel of rebirth, where souls are born again into different bodies depending on how they conducted themselves in their previous lives. This is connected to “karma,” which refers to how a person’s good or bad actions in the past or in their past lives can impact them in the future.
There are two main groups of Buddhism: Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism is common in Tibet, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Mongolia. It emphasizes the role models of bodhisattvas (beings that have achieved enlightenment but return to teach humans). Theravada Buddhism is common in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Burma (Myanmar). It emphasizes a monastic lifestyle and meditation as the way to enlightenment.
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Concept of God in Sikhism
All religions claim that their prophet/guru is unique and salvation is possible only by following the path shown by their prophet/guru. Concept of God is also unique to each religious tradition. Most religions believe in One God but in Hinduism, the number of demi-Gods can go up to thirty three crores (330 million). The description of God also varies in each religion. Some believe in anthropomorphic God, while others believe in a God beyond description. The methods to achieve God are also different in different religions. If there is only one God of the whole universe then why is there so much conflict in different religions? Why do religious leaders fight over the superiority of their religions and their traditions? This is the most complex problem and there are no simple solutions to it in sight.
The Sikhs believe in one God who has existed from the begining of time, never dies and will exist for ever. He/She is genderless; without a body; fearless; without enemies; self sufficent.
Many names are used for God:- Waheguru - The Wonderful Lord; Satnam - Thy True Name being TRUTH . Malik - Master;
Karta Purakh - The Creator - Rubb - Lord
Below are the qualities that Sikhism attributes to God:
Sikhs believes in one omnipresent, formless God. Sikhs commonly call God, Waheguru (Wa-HEY-guru). • Sikhs regard men and women as equal in all spheres of life • Sikhs believe in equality amongst all human beings regardless of race or caste.
The fundamental belief of Sikhism is that God exists, not merely as an idea or concept, but as a Real Entity, indescribable yet knowable and perceiveable to anyone who is prepare to dedicate the time and energy to become perceptive to His persona. The Gurus never spoke about proofs of the existence of God: For them He is too real and obvious to need any logical proof.
Guru Arjan, Nanak V, says, "God is beyond colour and form, yet His presence is clearly visible" (Guru Granth, 74), and again, "Nanak's Lord transcends the world as well as the scriptures of the east and the west, and yet he is clearly manifest" (GG, 397).
In any case, knowledge of the ultimate Reality is not a matter for reason; it comes by revelation of Himself through "nadir" or grace and by "anubhava" or mystical experience. Says Guru Nanak, " budhi pathi na paiai bahu chaturaiai bhai milai mani bhane "; which translates to "He is not accessible through intellect, or through mere scholarship or cleverness at argument; He is met, when He pleases, through devotion" (GG, 436).
Monotheism
Sikhism as a religion is uncompromisingly monotheistic. The Gurus have described God in numerous ways in their hymns included in the Guru Granth Sahib, but the oneness of the deity is consistently emphasized throughout. Briefly, God for the Sikhs as described in the Mool Mantar, the first passage in the Guru Granth Sahib and the basic formula of the faith is:
Ik oankar satinamu karta purakhu nirbhau nirvairu
akal murati ajuni saibhan gurprasadi
One Supreme Being, the Immutable and Eternal Name, the Creator Being, Without fear and Without Enmity,
the Timeless Verity, Unincarnated and Self-Existent, known through His grace.
All religions claim that their prophet/guru is unique and salvation is possible only by following the path shown by their prophet/guru. Concept of God is also unique to each religious tradition. Most religions believe in One God but in Hinduism, the number of demi-Gods can go up to thirty three crores (330 million). The description of God also varies in each religion. Some believe in anthropomorphic God, while others believe in a God beyond description. The methods to achieve God are also different in different religions. If there is only one God of the whole universe then why is there so much conflict in different religions? Why do religious leaders fight over the superiority of their religions and their traditions? This is the most complex problem and there are no simple solutions to it in sight.
The Sikhs believe in one God who has existed from the begining of time, never dies and will exist for ever. He/She is genderless; without a body; fearless; without enemies; self sufficent.
Many names are used for God:- Waheguru - The Wonderful Lord; Satnam - Thy True Name being TRUTH . Malik - Master;
Karta Purakh - The Creator - Rubb - Lord
Below are the qualities that Sikhism attributes to God:
Sikhs believes in one omnipresent, formless God. Sikhs commonly call God, Waheguru (Wa-HEY-guru). • Sikhs regard men and women as equal in all spheres of life • Sikhs believe in equality amongst all human beings regardless of race or caste.
The fundamental belief of Sikhism is that God exists, not merely as an idea or concept, but as a Real Entity, indescribable yet knowable and perceiveable to anyone who is prepare to dedicate the time and energy to become perceptive to His persona. The Gurus never spoke about proofs of the existence of God: For them He is too real and obvious to need any logical proof.
Guru Arjan, Nanak V, says, "God is beyond colour and form, yet His presence is clearly visible" (Guru Granth, 74), and again, "Nanak's Lord transcends the world as well as the scriptures of the east and the west, and yet he is clearly manifest" (GG, 397).
In any case, knowledge of the ultimate Reality is not a matter for reason; it comes by revelation of Himself through "nadir" or grace and by "anubhava" or mystical experience. Says Guru Nanak, " budhi pathi na paiai bahu chaturaiai bhai milai mani bhane "; which translates to "He is not accessible through intellect, or through mere scholarship or cleverness at argument; He is met, when He pleases, through devotion" (GG, 436).
Monotheism
Sikhism as a religion is uncompromisingly monotheistic. The Gurus have described God in numerous ways in their hymns included in the Guru Granth Sahib, but the oneness of the deity is consistently emphasized throughout. Briefly, God for the Sikhs as described in the Mool Mantar, the first passage in the Guru Granth Sahib and the basic formula of the faith is:
Ik oankar satinamu karta purakhu nirbhau nirvairu
akal murati ajuni saibhan gurprasadi
One Supreme Being, the Immutable and Eternal Name, the Creator Being, Without fear and Without Enmity,
the Timeless Verity, Unincarnated and Self-Existent, known through His grace.
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
CONCEPT OF GOD IN JAINISM
Jains do not believe in a God or gods in the way that many other religions do, but they do believe in divine (or at least perfect) beings who are worthy of devotion.
This makes it difficult to give a straight answer to the question "is Jainism atheistic?" The scholar Heinrich Zimmer suggested that a new word was needed: transtheistic, meaning "inaccessible by arguments as to whether or not a God exists".
In Jainism, godliness is said to be the inherent quality of every soul. This quality, however, is subdued by the soul's association with karmic matter. All souls who have achieved the natural state of infinite bliss, infinite knowledge (kevala jnana), infinite power and infinite perception are regarded as God in Jainism. Jainism rejects the idea of a creator deity responsible for the manifestation, creation, or maintenance of this universe but rather have souls called devas and devis who have reached heaven for their merits and deeds, who influence the universe for a fixed time until they themselves get reincarnated to achieve and continue the cycle of enlightenment. According to Jain doctrine, the universe and its constituents (soul, matter, space, time, and principles of motion) have always existed. All the constituents and actions are governed by universal natural laws and perfect soul, an immaterial entity cannot create or affect a material entity like the universe.
God and the problem of evil:
The Jain view of God enables Jainism to explain the evil and suffering that exists in the world without the intellectual difficulties faced by religions that have an omnipotent, wholly good, creator God at their heart. Where religions such as Christianity find the problem of evil one of their toughest tests, Jains use the existence of evil as a reason for denying the existence of an omnipotent, wholly good, Creator.
Jainism and God the theistic side:
Some writers regard the jinas as 'gods' because the jinas are venerated by Jains in the way that other faiths worship gods or God.
Jains venerate them because they have achieved perfection, and have become liberated from the cycle of birth and death.
The jinas are the ideal state of an individual soul's existence, and are worshipped as a perfect example for Jains to aspire to. So the only 'gods' that exist for Jains are pure souls that are omniscient, perfectly happy and eternal.
In many ways the Jain attitude to perfect beings is both intelligible and satisfying, and sufficient to demolish the claim that Jainism is an atheistic religion. If one wants to argue that Jainism is atheistic then one must do so from a specific, limited, idea of what it means to be divine.
Prayers:
Jain prayers aren't like the God-focussed prayers. Instead Jain prayers tend to recall the great qualities of the tirthankaras and remind the individual of various teachings.
Jainism and God:
The atheistic side Jains do not believe that the universe was created by God or by any other creative spirit. Jain writings are scornful of the very idea: If God created the world, where was he before creation? If you say he was transcendent then, and needed no support, where is he now?
No single being had the skill to make this world. For how can an immaterial god create that which is material?
If God is ever perfect and complete, how could the will to create have arisen in him? If, on the other hand, he is not perfect, he could no more create the universe than a potter could.
There is no God to maintain the universe. Jains do not believe that any form of god is necessary to keep the universe in existence, or that any form of god has any power over the universe.
There is no God of judgement:
Jains do not believe in that sort of judgement. Jains believe that the goodness or quality of a being's life are determined by karma.
Jains believe that karma is a physical process, and nothing to do with spiritual beings.
There is no God the ruler Jains do not believe that there is a god who must be obeyed.
There is no God who helps people:
Jains do not believe in any god who will respond to prayer or intervene in the world. The beings that Jains worship have no interest in human beings.
The beings that Jains worship are beyond human contact and they cannot intervene in the world. Any being that desired anything would not be perfect and thus not a god.
There is no God compared to whom each of us will always be inferior. Every soul has the potential to become perfect. All perfect souls are equal.
The heavenly beings are not gods. The beings that live in the heavenly kingdoms are not gods since they are still subject to karma and reincarnation. These beings are called devas.
Jains do not believe in a God or gods in the way that many other religions do, but they do believe in divine (or at least perfect) beings who are worthy of devotion.
This makes it difficult to give a straight answer to the question "is Jainism atheistic?" The scholar Heinrich Zimmer suggested that a new word was needed: transtheistic, meaning "inaccessible by arguments as to whether or not a God exists".
In Jainism, godliness is said to be the inherent quality of every soul. This quality, however, is subdued by the soul's association with karmic matter. All souls who have achieved the natural state of infinite bliss, infinite knowledge (kevala jnana), infinite power and infinite perception are regarded as God in Jainism. Jainism rejects the idea of a creator deity responsible for the manifestation, creation, or maintenance of this universe but rather have souls called devas and devis who have reached heaven for their merits and deeds, who influence the universe for a fixed time until they themselves get reincarnated to achieve and continue the cycle of enlightenment. According to Jain doctrine, the universe and its constituents (soul, matter, space, time, and principles of motion) have always existed. All the constituents and actions are governed by universal natural laws and perfect soul, an immaterial entity cannot create or affect a material entity like the universe.
God and the problem of evil:
The Jain view of God enables Jainism to explain the evil and suffering that exists in the world without the intellectual difficulties faced by religions that have an omnipotent, wholly good, creator God at their heart. Where religions such as Christianity find the problem of evil one of their toughest tests, Jains use the existence of evil as a reason for denying the existence of an omnipotent, wholly good, Creator.
Jainism and God the theistic side:
Some writers regard the jinas as 'gods' because the jinas are venerated by Jains in the way that other faiths worship gods or God.
Jains venerate them because they have achieved perfection, and have become liberated from the cycle of birth and death.
The jinas are the ideal state of an individual soul's existence, and are worshipped as a perfect example for Jains to aspire to. So the only 'gods' that exist for Jains are pure souls that are omniscient, perfectly happy and eternal.
In many ways the Jain attitude to perfect beings is both intelligible and satisfying, and sufficient to demolish the claim that Jainism is an atheistic religion. If one wants to argue that Jainism is atheistic then one must do so from a specific, limited, idea of what it means to be divine.
Prayers:
Jain prayers aren't like the God-focussed prayers. Instead Jain prayers tend to recall the great qualities of the tirthankaras and remind the individual of various teachings.
Jainism and God:
The atheistic side Jains do not believe that the universe was created by God or by any other creative spirit. Jain writings are scornful of the very idea: If God created the world, where was he before creation? If you say he was transcendent then, and needed no support, where is he now?
No single being had the skill to make this world. For how can an immaterial god create that which is material?
If God is ever perfect and complete, how could the will to create have arisen in him? If, on the other hand, he is not perfect, he could no more create the universe than a potter could.
There is no God to maintain the universe. Jains do not believe that any form of god is necessary to keep the universe in existence, or that any form of god has any power over the universe.
There is no God of judgement:
Jains do not believe in that sort of judgement. Jains believe that the goodness or quality of a being's life are determined by karma.
Jains believe that karma is a physical process, and nothing to do with spiritual beings.
There is no God the ruler Jains do not believe that there is a god who must be obeyed.
There is no God who helps people:
Jains do not believe in any god who will respond to prayer or intervene in the world. The beings that Jains worship have no interest in human beings.
The beings that Jains worship are beyond human contact and they cannot intervene in the world. Any being that desired anything would not be perfect and thus not a god.
There is no God compared to whom each of us will always be inferior. Every soul has the potential to become perfect. All perfect souls are equal.
The heavenly beings are not gods. The beings that live in the heavenly kingdoms are not gods since they are still subject to karma and reincarnation. These beings are called devas.
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Concept Of God In Zoroastrianism
God in Zoroastrianism is known as ‘Ahura Mazda’. ‘Ahura’ means ‘the Lord’ or 'The Master' and ‘Mazda’ means ‘the Wise’; hence ‘Ahura Mazda’ means ‘the Wise Lord’ or ‘the Wise God’. Ahura Mazda stands for God, in a strictly monotheistic sense. The word ‘KHUDA’ is the Persian word used for calling their god ie, Ahura Mazda.
Qualities of God according to the Dasatir:
According to the Dasatir, Ahura Mazda has the following qualities:
He is One.
He is without an origin or end.
He has no father or mother, wife or son.
He is without a body or form.
Nothing resembles Him.
Neither the eye can behold Him, nor the power of thinking can conceive him.
He is above all that one can imagine.
He is nearer to every one than own self.
Zoroastrianism or Mazdayasna is an Iranian religion and one of the world's oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster or as Zartosht in Persian. It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheistic ontology and an eschatology which predicts the ultimate conquest of evil by good. Zoroastrianism exalts an uncreated and benevolent deity of wisdom known as Ahura Mazda 'Lord of Wisdom' as its supreme being. Historically, the unique features of Zoroastrianism, such as its monotheism, messianism, belief in free will and judgement after death, conception of heaven, hell, angels, and demons, among other concepts, may have influenced other religious and philosophical systems, including the Abrahamic religions and Gnosticism, Northern Buddhism, and Greek philosophy.
With possible roots dating back to the 2nd millennium BCE, Zoroastrianism enters recorded history around the middle of the 6th century BCE. It served as the state religion of the ancient Iranian empires for more than a millennium (approximately from 600 BCE to 650 CE), but declined from the 7th century CE on wards as a direct result of the Muslim conquest of Persia (633–654 CE), which led to the large-scale persecution of the Zoroastrian people. Recent estimates place the current number of Zoroastrians in the world at around 110,000–120,000 at most, with the majority of this figure living in India, Iran, some in Pakistan and North America; their number has been thought to be declining.
The most important texts of Zoroastrianism are those contained within the Avesta, which includes the central writings thought to be composed by Zoroaster known as the Gathas, that define the teachings of Zoroaster and which are poems within the liturgy of worship, the Yasna which serve as the basis for worship. The religious philosophy of Zoroaster divided the early Iranian gods of the Proto-Indo-Iranian tradition into emanations of the natural world as ahuras and daevas, the latter of which were not considered to be worthy of worship. Zoroaster proclaimed that Ahura Mazda was the supreme creator, the creative and sustaining force of the universe through Asha, and that human beings are given a choice between supporting Ahura Mazda or not, making them ultimately responsible for their choices. Though Ahura Mazda has no equal contesting force, Angra Mainyu (destructive spirit/mentality), whose forces are born from Aka Manah (evil thought), is considered to be the main adversarial force of the religion, standing against Spenta Mainyu (creative spirit/mentality). Middle Persian literature developed Angra Mainyu further into Ahriman, advancing him to be the direct adversary to Ahura Mazda.
The religion states that active and ethical participation in life through good deeds formed from good thoughts and good words is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.
In Zoroastrianism, water (aban) and fire (atar) are agents of ritual purity, and the associated purification ceremonies are considered the basis of ritual life. In Zoroastrian cosmogony, water and fire are respectively the second and last primordial elements to have been created, and scripture considers fire to have its origin in the waters. Both water and fire are considered life-sustaining, and both water and fire are represented within the precinct of a fire temple. Zoroastrians usually pray in the presence of some form of fire (which can be considered evident in any source of light), and the culminating rite of the principal act of worship constitutes a "strengthening of the waters". Fire is considered a medium through which spiritual insight and wisdom are gained, and water is considered the source of that wisdom. Both fire and water are also hypostasized as the Yazatas Atar and Anahita, which worship hymns and litanies dedicated to them.
For a variety of social and political factors the Zoroastrians of the Indian subcontinent, namely the Parsis and Iranis have not engaged in conversion since at least the 18th Century. Zoroastrian high priests have historically opined there is no reason to not allow conversion which is also supported by the Revayats and other scripture though later priests have condemned these judgements. Within Iran, many of the beleaguered Zoroastrians have been also historically opposed or not practically concerned with the matter of conversion. Currently though, The Council of Tehran Mobeds (the highest ecclesiastical authority within Iran) endorses conversion but conversion from Islam to Zoroastrianism is illegal under the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
God in Zoroastrianism is known as ‘Ahura Mazda’. ‘Ahura’ means ‘the Lord’ or 'The Master' and ‘Mazda’ means ‘the Wise’; hence ‘Ahura Mazda’ means ‘the Wise Lord’ or ‘the Wise God’. Ahura Mazda stands for God, in a strictly monotheistic sense. The word ‘KHUDA’ is the Persian word used for calling their god ie, Ahura Mazda.
Qualities of God according to the Dasatir:
According to the Dasatir, Ahura Mazda has the following qualities:
He is One.
He is without an origin or end.
He has no father or mother, wife or son.
He is without a body or form.
Nothing resembles Him.
Neither the eye can behold Him, nor the power of thinking can conceive him.
He is above all that one can imagine.
He is nearer to every one than own self.
Zoroastrianism or Mazdayasna is an Iranian religion and one of the world's oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster or as Zartosht in Persian. It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheistic ontology and an eschatology which predicts the ultimate conquest of evil by good. Zoroastrianism exalts an uncreated and benevolent deity of wisdom known as Ahura Mazda 'Lord of Wisdom' as its supreme being. Historically, the unique features of Zoroastrianism, such as its monotheism, messianism, belief in free will and judgement after death, conception of heaven, hell, angels, and demons, among other concepts, may have influenced other religious and philosophical systems, including the Abrahamic religions and Gnosticism, Northern Buddhism, and Greek philosophy.
With possible roots dating back to the 2nd millennium BCE, Zoroastrianism enters recorded history around the middle of the 6th century BCE. It served as the state religion of the ancient Iranian empires for more than a millennium (approximately from 600 BCE to 650 CE), but declined from the 7th century CE on wards as a direct result of the Muslim conquest of Persia (633–654 CE), which led to the large-scale persecution of the Zoroastrian people. Recent estimates place the current number of Zoroastrians in the world at around 110,000–120,000 at most, with the majority of this figure living in India, Iran, some in Pakistan and North America; their number has been thought to be declining.
The most important texts of Zoroastrianism are those contained within the Avesta, which includes the central writings thought to be composed by Zoroaster known as the Gathas, that define the teachings of Zoroaster and which are poems within the liturgy of worship, the Yasna which serve as the basis for worship. The religious philosophy of Zoroaster divided the early Iranian gods of the Proto-Indo-Iranian tradition into emanations of the natural world as ahuras and daevas, the latter of which were not considered to be worthy of worship. Zoroaster proclaimed that Ahura Mazda was the supreme creator, the creative and sustaining force of the universe through Asha, and that human beings are given a choice between supporting Ahura Mazda or not, making them ultimately responsible for their choices. Though Ahura Mazda has no equal contesting force, Angra Mainyu (destructive spirit/mentality), whose forces are born from Aka Manah (evil thought), is considered to be the main adversarial force of the religion, standing against Spenta Mainyu (creative spirit/mentality). Middle Persian literature developed Angra Mainyu further into Ahriman, advancing him to be the direct adversary to Ahura Mazda.
The religion states that active and ethical participation in life through good deeds formed from good thoughts and good words is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.
In Zoroastrianism, water (aban) and fire (atar) are agents of ritual purity, and the associated purification ceremonies are considered the basis of ritual life. In Zoroastrian cosmogony, water and fire are respectively the second and last primordial elements to have been created, and scripture considers fire to have its origin in the waters. Both water and fire are considered life-sustaining, and both water and fire are represented within the precinct of a fire temple. Zoroastrians usually pray in the presence of some form of fire (which can be considered evident in any source of light), and the culminating rite of the principal act of worship constitutes a "strengthening of the waters". Fire is considered a medium through which spiritual insight and wisdom are gained, and water is considered the source of that wisdom. Both fire and water are also hypostasized as the Yazatas Atar and Anahita, which worship hymns and litanies dedicated to them.
For a variety of social and political factors the Zoroastrians of the Indian subcontinent, namely the Parsis and Iranis have not engaged in conversion since at least the 18th Century. Zoroastrian high priests have historically opined there is no reason to not allow conversion which is also supported by the Revayats and other scripture though later priests have condemned these judgements. Within Iran, many of the beleaguered Zoroastrians have been also historically opposed or not practically concerned with the matter of conversion. Currently though, The Council of Tehran Mobeds (the highest ecclesiastical authority within Iran) endorses conversion but conversion from Islam to Zoroastrianism is illegal under the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Associated Press
Zoroastrians confront depletion of their ancient faith
ASSOCIATED PRESS
This photograph from March 2020 shows participants, from left, Zubin Gheesta, Sheherazad Pavri, Tanya Hoshi, trip leader Arzan Sam Wadia, Kayras Irani in a group trip to Lonvala, India organized by Zoroastrian Return to Roots. The aim of the trip to help young Zoroastrians from other parts of the world learn more about the culture and history of their ancient faith. (Zoroastrian Return to Roots via AP)
FILE - People light wish lanterns while celebrating Chaharshanbe Souri, or Wednesday Feast, an ancient Festival of Fire, on the eve of the last Wednesday of the solar Persian year, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Among the world’s present-day religions, Zoroastrianism is one of the most ancient and historically influential. It was founded more than 3,000 years ago and became the major religion in Persia. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)
DAVID CRARY
Fri, July 1, 2022 at 8:04 AM
NEW YORK (AP) — Among the world’s present-day religions, Zoroastrianism, founded more than 3,000 years ago, is one of the most ancient and historically influential. Yet even though its adherents maintain vibrant communities on four continents, they acknowledge their numbers are dauntingly small — perhaps 125,000 worldwide.
Starting Friday, about 1,200 attendees from 16 countries will be assessing their faith’s prospects during the four-day World Zoroastrian Congress in New York City, the first one held in the United States since 2000.
The agenda reflects a keen awareness of the challenges facing their religion. Prospects for growth are limited, given that Zoroastrians don’t seek to convert outsiders and — in many cases — don’t consider the children of mixed marriages to be members of the faith. Yet there’s also some cause for optimism.
“Have we ever been in a time like this?” wondered Arzan Sam Wadia, a Mumbai-born, New York-based architect who is co-chair of the congress.
“Should we all despair and give up — ‘We can’t do anything, let’s just die peacefully’ — or do we have hope for the future?” he told The Associated Press.
Here’s some basic information about the faith:
HISTORY
Founded more than 3,000 years ago, Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions still in existence, predating Christianity and Islam by many centuries. Details of its origin are imprecise, however.
The prophet Zoroaster, also known as Zarathustra, is revered as the founder of the faith, which became dominant in Persia before Arab Muslims conquered the region in the 7th century.
Wary of persecution, many Zoroastrians left for destinations in western India, notably Mumbai and Gujarat. India’s Zoroastrian population — known as Parsis — is larger than that of any other country, though the numbers there are declining while they increase in North America, Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
BELIEFS
At its core, Zoroastrianism emphasizes a never-ending battle between good and evil — a contest between the religion’s God, Ahura Mazda, and an evil spirit, Ahriman. Believers have the freedom to make good or bad choices; they were exhorted by Zoroaster to think good thoughts, say good words and do good deeds.
Scholars say these tenets and other aspects of Zoroastrianism had significant influence on other religions, notably Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism.
“You have these ideas that have fundamentally shaped Western society,” said Jamsheed Choksy, a professor of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University. “Fighting the good fight, a purpose of existing to do good, to make the world flourish, to work together, to respect and love each other ... all that goes back to Zarathustra.”
Traditional temples house a sacred fire intended to burn perpetually. Another ancient custom: raised, circular structures known as Towers of Silence, where dead bodies were placed to decompose rather than being buried.
CULTURE
The Nowruz holiday, which incorporates ancient Zoroastrian traditions and marks the Persian New Year, remains a major event on the Iranian calendar. It is widely celebrated, on or around March 21, in other regions that once were part of the Persian empire.
For Zoroastrians who left Iran and settled in India or eventually in more distant regions, their communities became renowned for producing entrepreneurs and philanthropists. Becoming wealthy was encouraged within the faith, but with the proviso that riches should be used to help others.
Jamsetji Tata, born in India in 1839, became one of the most prominent industrialists and philanthropists of the 19th century, and the Tata Group that he founded is one of the world’s largest multinational conglomerates.
Another flourishing conglomerate, the Wadia Group, was founded by Parsi shipbuilder Lovji Wadia in 1736. The company built scores of war vessels for Britain; its holdings today include a fashion magazine, a cricket team and manufacturers of textiles and biscuits.
However the most famous Parsi of modern times was neither an entrepreneur nor industrialist: Freddie Mercury, the legendary lead vocalist of the rock band Queen, was born Farrokh Bulsara in 1946 to parents from Gujarat who were living in Zanzibar.
FUTURE
The possibility of further shrinkage of the global Zoroastrian community will be very much on the minds of attendees at the New York congress.
Several sessions will focus on Zoroastrians in their 20s and 30s. In describing the gathering, organizers promised that participants will come away “reassured that the destiny of the faith is secure in the hands of passionate and visionary young Zoroastrians.”
Other topics on the agenda include entrepreneurship, interfaith collaboration and the role of women.
Wadia, the congress' co-chair, who is not related to the family behind the Wadia Group, has leading roles in two separate initiatives aimed at strengthening the religion’s prospects.
One is a global survey being conducted by SOAS University of London that aims to shed light on factors that are promoting or inhibiting Zoroastrianism's growth and vitality.
Wadia also is program director of Zoroastrian Return To Roots, which organizes trips to India for young Zoroastrians who want to learn more about their religion’s history and culture.
Wadia is convinced the faith will survive, but perhaps while undergoing major changes. In North America, for example, he believes that adherence to specific cultural traditions might diminish, even as Zoroastrians maintain a basic set of spiritual guidelines.
SOAS University’s Almut Hintze, a professor of Zoroastrianism, has described the global community as “microscopically small” and worries about the decline of Parsis in India.
“However, Zoroastrians are doing well in the global diaspora,” she said via email. “It could well be that numbers are going to stabilize, although secularisation and the marriage laws pose threats.”
Choksy, the Indiana University professor, sees North America as the most promising region for growth. He estimates that the United States and Canada are now home to more than 30,000 Zoroastrians, higher than the latest figure for Iran.
“North America is where there’s hope,” Choksy said. “It’s partly due to immigration, but also the communities have more children, they feel more stable. It’s the bright light.”
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/zo ... 47752.html
Zoroastrians confront depletion of their ancient faith
ASSOCIATED PRESS
This photograph from March 2020 shows participants, from left, Zubin Gheesta, Sheherazad Pavri, Tanya Hoshi, trip leader Arzan Sam Wadia, Kayras Irani in a group trip to Lonvala, India organized by Zoroastrian Return to Roots. The aim of the trip to help young Zoroastrians from other parts of the world learn more about the culture and history of their ancient faith. (Zoroastrian Return to Roots via AP)
FILE - People light wish lanterns while celebrating Chaharshanbe Souri, or Wednesday Feast, an ancient Festival of Fire, on the eve of the last Wednesday of the solar Persian year, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Among the world’s present-day religions, Zoroastrianism is one of the most ancient and historically influential. It was founded more than 3,000 years ago and became the major religion in Persia. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)
DAVID CRARY
Fri, July 1, 2022 at 8:04 AM
NEW YORK (AP) — Among the world’s present-day religions, Zoroastrianism, founded more than 3,000 years ago, is one of the most ancient and historically influential. Yet even though its adherents maintain vibrant communities on four continents, they acknowledge their numbers are dauntingly small — perhaps 125,000 worldwide.
Starting Friday, about 1,200 attendees from 16 countries will be assessing their faith’s prospects during the four-day World Zoroastrian Congress in New York City, the first one held in the United States since 2000.
The agenda reflects a keen awareness of the challenges facing their religion. Prospects for growth are limited, given that Zoroastrians don’t seek to convert outsiders and — in many cases — don’t consider the children of mixed marriages to be members of the faith. Yet there’s also some cause for optimism.
“Have we ever been in a time like this?” wondered Arzan Sam Wadia, a Mumbai-born, New York-based architect who is co-chair of the congress.
“Should we all despair and give up — ‘We can’t do anything, let’s just die peacefully’ — or do we have hope for the future?” he told The Associated Press.
Here’s some basic information about the faith:
HISTORY
Founded more than 3,000 years ago, Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions still in existence, predating Christianity and Islam by many centuries. Details of its origin are imprecise, however.
The prophet Zoroaster, also known as Zarathustra, is revered as the founder of the faith, which became dominant in Persia before Arab Muslims conquered the region in the 7th century.
Wary of persecution, many Zoroastrians left for destinations in western India, notably Mumbai and Gujarat. India’s Zoroastrian population — known as Parsis — is larger than that of any other country, though the numbers there are declining while they increase in North America, Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
BELIEFS
At its core, Zoroastrianism emphasizes a never-ending battle between good and evil — a contest between the religion’s God, Ahura Mazda, and an evil spirit, Ahriman. Believers have the freedom to make good or bad choices; they were exhorted by Zoroaster to think good thoughts, say good words and do good deeds.
Scholars say these tenets and other aspects of Zoroastrianism had significant influence on other religions, notably Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism.
“You have these ideas that have fundamentally shaped Western society,” said Jamsheed Choksy, a professor of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University. “Fighting the good fight, a purpose of existing to do good, to make the world flourish, to work together, to respect and love each other ... all that goes back to Zarathustra.”
Traditional temples house a sacred fire intended to burn perpetually. Another ancient custom: raised, circular structures known as Towers of Silence, where dead bodies were placed to decompose rather than being buried.
CULTURE
The Nowruz holiday, which incorporates ancient Zoroastrian traditions and marks the Persian New Year, remains a major event on the Iranian calendar. It is widely celebrated, on or around March 21, in other regions that once were part of the Persian empire.
For Zoroastrians who left Iran and settled in India or eventually in more distant regions, their communities became renowned for producing entrepreneurs and philanthropists. Becoming wealthy was encouraged within the faith, but with the proviso that riches should be used to help others.
Jamsetji Tata, born in India in 1839, became one of the most prominent industrialists and philanthropists of the 19th century, and the Tata Group that he founded is one of the world’s largest multinational conglomerates.
Another flourishing conglomerate, the Wadia Group, was founded by Parsi shipbuilder Lovji Wadia in 1736. The company built scores of war vessels for Britain; its holdings today include a fashion magazine, a cricket team and manufacturers of textiles and biscuits.
However the most famous Parsi of modern times was neither an entrepreneur nor industrialist: Freddie Mercury, the legendary lead vocalist of the rock band Queen, was born Farrokh Bulsara in 1946 to parents from Gujarat who were living in Zanzibar.
FUTURE
The possibility of further shrinkage of the global Zoroastrian community will be very much on the minds of attendees at the New York congress.
Several sessions will focus on Zoroastrians in their 20s and 30s. In describing the gathering, organizers promised that participants will come away “reassured that the destiny of the faith is secure in the hands of passionate and visionary young Zoroastrians.”
Other topics on the agenda include entrepreneurship, interfaith collaboration and the role of women.
Wadia, the congress' co-chair, who is not related to the family behind the Wadia Group, has leading roles in two separate initiatives aimed at strengthening the religion’s prospects.
One is a global survey being conducted by SOAS University of London that aims to shed light on factors that are promoting or inhibiting Zoroastrianism's growth and vitality.
Wadia also is program director of Zoroastrian Return To Roots, which organizes trips to India for young Zoroastrians who want to learn more about their religion’s history and culture.
Wadia is convinced the faith will survive, but perhaps while undergoing major changes. In North America, for example, he believes that adherence to specific cultural traditions might diminish, even as Zoroastrians maintain a basic set of spiritual guidelines.
SOAS University’s Almut Hintze, a professor of Zoroastrianism, has described the global community as “microscopically small” and worries about the decline of Parsis in India.
“However, Zoroastrians are doing well in the global diaspora,” she said via email. “It could well be that numbers are going to stabilize, although secularisation and the marriage laws pose threats.”
Choksy, the Indiana University professor, sees North America as the most promising region for growth. He estimates that the United States and Canada are now home to more than 30,000 Zoroastrians, higher than the latest figure for Iran.
“North America is where there’s hope,” Choksy said. “It’s partly due to immigration, but also the communities have more children, they feel more stable. It’s the bright light.”
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/zo ... 47752.html
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Concept Of God In Shintoism
Shinto has no God. Shinto does not require adherents to follow it as their only religion.
"Shinto gods" are called kami. They are sacred spirits which take the form of things and concepts important to life, such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers and fertility. Humans become kami after they die and are revered by their families as ancestral kami.
A brief overview of Shinto, a traditional folk religion of Japan.
The essence of Shinto is the Japanese devotion to invisible spiritual beings and powers called kami, to shrines, and to various rituals.
Shinto is not a way of explaining the world. What matters are rituals that enable human beings to communicate with kami.
Kami are not God or gods. They are spirits that are concerned with human beings - they appreciate our interest in them and want us to be happy - and if they are treated properly they will intervene in our lives to bring benefits like health, business success, and good exam results.
Shinto is a very local religion, in which devotees are likely to be concerned with their local shrine rather than the religion as a whole. Many Japanese will have a tiny shrine-altar in their homes.
However, it is also an unofficial national religion with shrines that draw visitors from across the country. Because ritual rather than belief is at the heart of Shinto, Japanese people don't usually think of Shinto specifically as a religion - it's simply an aspect of Japanese life. This has enabled Shinto to coexist happily with Buddhism for centuries.
The name Shinto comes from Chinese characters for Shen ('divine being'), and Tao ('way') and means 'Way of the Spirits'.
Shrine visiting and taking part in festivals play a great part in binding local communities together.
Shrine visiting at New Year is the most popular shared national event in Japan.
Because Shinto is focused on the land of Japan it is clearly an ethnic religion. Therefore Shinto is little interested in missionary work, and rarely practized outside its country of origin.
Shinto sees human beings as basically good and has no concept of original sin, or of humanity as 'fallen'.
Everything, including the spiritual, is experienced as part of this world. Shinto has no place for any transcendental other world.
Shinto has no canonical scriptures.
Shinto teaches important ethical principles but has no commandments.
Shinto has no founder.
Shinto has no God.
Shinto does not require adherents to follow it as their only religion.
Shinto has no God. Shinto does not require adherents to follow it as their only religion.
"Shinto gods" are called kami. They are sacred spirits which take the form of things and concepts important to life, such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers and fertility. Humans become kami after they die and are revered by their families as ancestral kami.
A brief overview of Shinto, a traditional folk religion of Japan.
The essence of Shinto is the Japanese devotion to invisible spiritual beings and powers called kami, to shrines, and to various rituals.
Shinto is not a way of explaining the world. What matters are rituals that enable human beings to communicate with kami.
Kami are not God or gods. They are spirits that are concerned with human beings - they appreciate our interest in them and want us to be happy - and if they are treated properly they will intervene in our lives to bring benefits like health, business success, and good exam results.
Shinto is a very local religion, in which devotees are likely to be concerned with their local shrine rather than the religion as a whole. Many Japanese will have a tiny shrine-altar in their homes.
However, it is also an unofficial national religion with shrines that draw visitors from across the country. Because ritual rather than belief is at the heart of Shinto, Japanese people don't usually think of Shinto specifically as a religion - it's simply an aspect of Japanese life. This has enabled Shinto to coexist happily with Buddhism for centuries.
The name Shinto comes from Chinese characters for Shen ('divine being'), and Tao ('way') and means 'Way of the Spirits'.
Shrine visiting and taking part in festivals play a great part in binding local communities together.
Shrine visiting at New Year is the most popular shared national event in Japan.
Because Shinto is focused on the land of Japan it is clearly an ethnic religion. Therefore Shinto is little interested in missionary work, and rarely practized outside its country of origin.
Shinto sees human beings as basically good and has no concept of original sin, or of humanity as 'fallen'.
Everything, including the spiritual, is experienced as part of this world. Shinto has no place for any transcendental other world.
Shinto has no canonical scriptures.
Shinto teaches important ethical principles but has no commandments.
Shinto has no founder.
Shinto has no God.
Shinto does not require adherents to follow it as their only religion.
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
God according to Ismaili Theology:
The absolute transcendence to be emphasized, and the Ismaili belief in God to be expounded in association with the general areas on the transcendence of God in Quran as exemplified particularly in the Surah Ikhlas.
(excerpt from the Ismailia Association Conference in Paris 1975).
1. God is beyond all names and attributes.
2. God is beyond matter, energy, space, time and change.
3. God is beyond all human conceptions in the imagination and intellect.
4. God is beyond both positive and negative qualities.
5. God is beyond all philosophical and metaphysical categories: spiritual/material, cause/effect, eternal/temporal, substance/accident, essence/attributes, and existence/essence: God is above existence and non-existence.
6. When God is associated with a name or attribute in scripture, ritual or everyday speech, e.g. “God is knowing”, the real meaning of this statement is that God is the source and originator of that power or quality, i.e. God is the originator of all knowledge.
7. God’s Creative Act is called His Word or Command; this Command is a single, eternal, and continuous act which continually gives existence to and sustains all created or conditioned realities in every moment of their existence.
The creation according to Islam is not a unique act in a given time but a perpetual and constant event; and God supports and sustains all existence at every moment by His will and His thought. (Memoirs of Aga Khan)
Verily, my Lord is subtle in subtlety (latif al-latafah),
but He is not described by subtleness (lutf);
He is tremendous in tremendousness (‘azim al-‘azamah),
but not described by tremendousness (‘izam);
He is grand in grandeur (kabir al-kibriya’),
but not described by grandness (kibr);
and He is majestic in majesty (jalil al-jalalah),
but not described by greatness (ghilaz).
Imam ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, (Nahejul Balagha)
The full recognition of tawhid, in a mode beyond human rational discourse, is a spiritual and mystical realization in the human soul and intellect called ma‘rifah. In the Ismaili tariqah of Islam, the ma‘rifah of the tawhid of God is attained through the Imam of the Time. The famous Muslim philosopher, theologian, and astronomer, Nasir al-Din al Tusi, found that the Ismaili concept of tawhid stood out among all other Muslim schools and branches as the foremost expression of the transcendent oneness of God. This is due to the presence of the living Imams who guide the Ismaili Muslims toward the proper understanding of tawhid:
Nasir al Din AL tusi
God Cannot Be Apprehended by the Senses, Imagination or Intellect:
God is completely different to whatever you imagine; He neither resembles anything nor can imagination [ever] attain Him, for how could imagination ever attain Him while He is totally different to what is bound by intellect and [also] different from what can be pictured in the imagination? He can be imagined only as an entity beyond reason and beyond limitation.
Imam Muhammad al-Baqir
Who so maintains that he knows God by means of a veil (hijab) or a form (surah) or a likeness (mithal) is an associator (mushrik), for the veil, the likeness and the form are other than He. He is utterly and only One. So how should he who maintains that he knows Him by means of other than Him be professing Unity? Surely He alone knows God who knows Him by means of God (bi’llah).
Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq
The absolute transcendence to be emphasized, and the Ismaili belief in God to be expounded in association with the general areas on the transcendence of God in Quran as exemplified particularly in the Surah Ikhlas.
(excerpt from the Ismailia Association Conference in Paris 1975).
1. God is beyond all names and attributes.
2. God is beyond matter, energy, space, time and change.
3. God is beyond all human conceptions in the imagination and intellect.
4. God is beyond both positive and negative qualities.
5. God is beyond all philosophical and metaphysical categories: spiritual/material, cause/effect, eternal/temporal, substance/accident, essence/attributes, and existence/essence: God is above existence and non-existence.
6. When God is associated with a name or attribute in scripture, ritual or everyday speech, e.g. “God is knowing”, the real meaning of this statement is that God is the source and originator of that power or quality, i.e. God is the originator of all knowledge.
7. God’s Creative Act is called His Word or Command; this Command is a single, eternal, and continuous act which continually gives existence to and sustains all created or conditioned realities in every moment of their existence.
The creation according to Islam is not a unique act in a given time but a perpetual and constant event; and God supports and sustains all existence at every moment by His will and His thought. (Memoirs of Aga Khan)
Verily, my Lord is subtle in subtlety (latif al-latafah),
but He is not described by subtleness (lutf);
He is tremendous in tremendousness (‘azim al-‘azamah),
but not described by tremendousness (‘izam);
He is grand in grandeur (kabir al-kibriya’),
but not described by grandness (kibr);
and He is majestic in majesty (jalil al-jalalah),
but not described by greatness (ghilaz).
Imam ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, (Nahejul Balagha)
The full recognition of tawhid, in a mode beyond human rational discourse, is a spiritual and mystical realization in the human soul and intellect called ma‘rifah. In the Ismaili tariqah of Islam, the ma‘rifah of the tawhid of God is attained through the Imam of the Time. The famous Muslim philosopher, theologian, and astronomer, Nasir al-Din al Tusi, found that the Ismaili concept of tawhid stood out among all other Muslim schools and branches as the foremost expression of the transcendent oneness of God. This is due to the presence of the living Imams who guide the Ismaili Muslims toward the proper understanding of tawhid:
Nasir al Din AL tusi
God Cannot Be Apprehended by the Senses, Imagination or Intellect:
God is completely different to whatever you imagine; He neither resembles anything nor can imagination [ever] attain Him, for how could imagination ever attain Him while He is totally different to what is bound by intellect and [also] different from what can be pictured in the imagination? He can be imagined only as an entity beyond reason and beyond limitation.
Imam Muhammad al-Baqir
Who so maintains that he knows God by means of a veil (hijab) or a form (surah) or a likeness (mithal) is an associator (mushrik), for the veil, the likeness and the form are other than He. He is utterly and only One. So how should he who maintains that he knows Him by means of other than Him be professing Unity? Surely He alone knows God who knows Him by means of God (bi’llah).
Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Why is God a man? The woman who searched the world for a feminist religion
Sian Cain
Louise Omer
‘When I was religious, my faith was the most precious thing in my life. It’s really special and important’, says Louise Omer, author of Holy Woman.
Fri 15 Jul 2022 16.00 EDT
At the start of her new memoir, Holy Woman, Louise Omer asks herself five questions:
Why was my beloved God male?
Why were Bible stories mostly about men?
Why was Eve responsible for the Fall of Man?
Why were there abusers in the church?
And how could I reconcile all of this with my feminism?
“No matter whether or not you can answer those questions, it’s essential that they’re asked,” she says now. “Because these questions led me to give up on Pentecostalism entirely, because it runs on male supremacy and indoctrinates women into a slave mentality, it makes us see ourselves as inferior. People might disagree with me on that, but that’s my experience.”
Omer was never the obvious candidate to become a Pentecostal preacher. As a teenage girl growing up in an atheist home in Adelaide’s “eerily dull” suburbs, she “harbored a distinct terror of being ordinary” – a fear she now thinks led her to join a Pentecostal church at the age of 15. Following her twin brother for the promise of live music and boys, it was there that she found purpose, in the sweaty concerts and fevered sermons – a sense of being special for choosing to be saved: “I felt closest to God when swaying in blue light, hands out in supplication,” she writes. “Once I had a taste, I wanted more.”
But a decade later, Omer wanted out. She had risen in the church to become a rare example of a female preacher, but noticed how all the women who were given power “were thin, nonassertive, and sweet”. The men in the church, meanwhile, “excelled at performative goodness. They talked real nice to us girls, called us sweetie when we were young, and expected women to be pretty and incompetent.”
She had married young, to another man in the church, but the marriage broke down after six years. When she left him, the church left her; she realized she had “been socialized into a femininity that … reassured and smiled, even when it hurt. Especially when it hurt.”
Now 33, Omer speaks with the quiet certainty of someone who has worked hard to figure out exactly who they are. Is she happier now, without Pentecostalism? “Deeply,” she says. “I was not awake then, I had to push my actual emotions down. I have met my anger, which was repressed because Christian women are meant to be so nice.
Fresh from leaving the church, Omer had wondered: was there a place for feminist women in patriarchal religions? So she went on a year-long, global pilgrimage: in Rome, she searched for Pope Joan, the legendary woman who supposedly became a pontiff by disguising herself as a man; in Berlin, she met a female imam leading mixed-gender prayers; and learned about Jewish feminism in Prague. In Sweden, she met a renegade queer priest who refused to use male pronouns for God. “I think it is violence towards women – and everything that is female – that God is solely connected to male,” she tells Omer. In Ireland, she visited Brigidine nuns who maintain a flame for St Brigid, a goddess later adopted into Christianity to become one of three of Ireland’s patron saints – one of many female religious figures Omer learns about who once had power until, as she writes, “she could only request it from Big Daddy.”
She finally saw the error inherent in her quest: there is nothing feminist about patriarchal religions, only feminist believers trying to subvert them from within.
“My pilgrimage was on hold, I didn’t belong, but still I searched: this time for understanding,” she writes. “Now, I wanted to arm myself with knowledge that would help me heal.”
Omer may not have all the answers, but she has done all of the reading: the theologians, the feminist scholars, the trauma experts. “The fundamental question of why God is a man in Islam, in Christianity, in Judaism, and in many others, it is because they were born in a social context of patriarchy,” she says. “Take Christianity – it rose up in a time of feudal lands, lords and kings. All of this is represented in biblical language we use today, so the way we relate to God serves male power and authority.”
Reading Holy Woman, it is easy to feel encouraged by some of the women Omer talks to, who are doing brave things to make space for themselves, like the Swedish queer priest or the female imam in Morocco. But some will find it hard to not see what they are trying to do as futile: some Muslims would never accept a female imam, and some Christians would be appalled by the concept of a female God. (As Omer writes, Vatican City, the heart of Catholicism, is the only place in the world where women still can’t vote.) What does reinterpreting scripture matter when a religion remains patriarchal in practice?
Omer cites what is called “liberation theology”: essentially, radicalizing a religion from within it. “Anyone can be an agent of change within the system, like changing the gender of God to Goddess, removing gender completely, reinterpreting scripture, or creating new rituals,” she says.
On her journey she saw hope on the margins: the gay preachers, the people of color rejecting white, conservative visions of Abrahamic religions; the women and non-binary people reinterpreting scripture. “Maybe most mosques are not going to have a woman doing the khutbah on Fridays,” she says. “But there are strong Islamic women who speak out often about religious matters. These questions are personal for everyone – do you stay or do you go? What can you accept? And what can you change from within?”
“It’s easier to be on the outside and reject religion completely; on the inside, you still have an emotional relationship with the divine. When I was religious, my faith was the most precious thing in my life. It’s really special and important. So I understand that a lot of people don’t want to let it go.”
LOUISE OMER: Author of Holy Woman.
Sian Cain
Louise Omer
‘When I was religious, my faith was the most precious thing in my life. It’s really special and important’, says Louise Omer, author of Holy Woman.
Fri 15 Jul 2022 16.00 EDT
At the start of her new memoir, Holy Woman, Louise Omer asks herself five questions:
Why was my beloved God male?
Why were Bible stories mostly about men?
Why was Eve responsible for the Fall of Man?
Why were there abusers in the church?
And how could I reconcile all of this with my feminism?
“No matter whether or not you can answer those questions, it’s essential that they’re asked,” she says now. “Because these questions led me to give up on Pentecostalism entirely, because it runs on male supremacy and indoctrinates women into a slave mentality, it makes us see ourselves as inferior. People might disagree with me on that, but that’s my experience.”
Omer was never the obvious candidate to become a Pentecostal preacher. As a teenage girl growing up in an atheist home in Adelaide’s “eerily dull” suburbs, she “harbored a distinct terror of being ordinary” – a fear she now thinks led her to join a Pentecostal church at the age of 15. Following her twin brother for the promise of live music and boys, it was there that she found purpose, in the sweaty concerts and fevered sermons – a sense of being special for choosing to be saved: “I felt closest to God when swaying in blue light, hands out in supplication,” she writes. “Once I had a taste, I wanted more.”
But a decade later, Omer wanted out. She had risen in the church to become a rare example of a female preacher, but noticed how all the women who were given power “were thin, nonassertive, and sweet”. The men in the church, meanwhile, “excelled at performative goodness. They talked real nice to us girls, called us sweetie when we were young, and expected women to be pretty and incompetent.”
She had married young, to another man in the church, but the marriage broke down after six years. When she left him, the church left her; she realized she had “been socialized into a femininity that … reassured and smiled, even when it hurt. Especially when it hurt.”
Now 33, Omer speaks with the quiet certainty of someone who has worked hard to figure out exactly who they are. Is she happier now, without Pentecostalism? “Deeply,” she says. “I was not awake then, I had to push my actual emotions down. I have met my anger, which was repressed because Christian women are meant to be so nice.
Fresh from leaving the church, Omer had wondered: was there a place for feminist women in patriarchal religions? So she went on a year-long, global pilgrimage: in Rome, she searched for Pope Joan, the legendary woman who supposedly became a pontiff by disguising herself as a man; in Berlin, she met a female imam leading mixed-gender prayers; and learned about Jewish feminism in Prague. In Sweden, she met a renegade queer priest who refused to use male pronouns for God. “I think it is violence towards women – and everything that is female – that God is solely connected to male,” she tells Omer. In Ireland, she visited Brigidine nuns who maintain a flame for St Brigid, a goddess later adopted into Christianity to become one of three of Ireland’s patron saints – one of many female religious figures Omer learns about who once had power until, as she writes, “she could only request it from Big Daddy.”
She finally saw the error inherent in her quest: there is nothing feminist about patriarchal religions, only feminist believers trying to subvert them from within.
“My pilgrimage was on hold, I didn’t belong, but still I searched: this time for understanding,” she writes. “Now, I wanted to arm myself with knowledge that would help me heal.”
Omer may not have all the answers, but she has done all of the reading: the theologians, the feminist scholars, the trauma experts. “The fundamental question of why God is a man in Islam, in Christianity, in Judaism, and in many others, it is because they were born in a social context of patriarchy,” she says. “Take Christianity – it rose up in a time of feudal lands, lords and kings. All of this is represented in biblical language we use today, so the way we relate to God serves male power and authority.”
Reading Holy Woman, it is easy to feel encouraged by some of the women Omer talks to, who are doing brave things to make space for themselves, like the Swedish queer priest or the female imam in Morocco. But some will find it hard to not see what they are trying to do as futile: some Muslims would never accept a female imam, and some Christians would be appalled by the concept of a female God. (As Omer writes, Vatican City, the heart of Catholicism, is the only place in the world where women still can’t vote.) What does reinterpreting scripture matter when a religion remains patriarchal in practice?
Omer cites what is called “liberation theology”: essentially, radicalizing a religion from within it. “Anyone can be an agent of change within the system, like changing the gender of God to Goddess, removing gender completely, reinterpreting scripture, or creating new rituals,” she says.
On her journey she saw hope on the margins: the gay preachers, the people of color rejecting white, conservative visions of Abrahamic religions; the women and non-binary people reinterpreting scripture. “Maybe most mosques are not going to have a woman doing the khutbah on Fridays,” she says. “But there are strong Islamic women who speak out often about religious matters. These questions are personal for everyone – do you stay or do you go? What can you accept? And what can you change from within?”
“It’s easier to be on the outside and reject religion completely; on the inside, you still have an emotional relationship with the divine. When I was religious, my faith was the most precious thing in my life. It’s really special and important. So I understand that a lot of people don’t want to let it go.”
LOUISE OMER: Author of Holy Woman.
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Concept of God In Baháʼí Faith
The Manifestation of God (Persian, Arabic; مظهر maẓhar ) is a concept in the Baháʼí Faith that refers to what are commonly called prophets. The Manifestations of God are appearances of the Divine Spirit or Holy Spirit in a series of personages, and as such, they perfectly reflect the attributes of the divine into the human world for the progress and advancement of human morals and civilization through the agency of that same Spirit.
In the Baha'i Faith, it is believed that the Manifestations of God are the only channel for humanity to know about God because contact with the Spirit is what transforms the heart and mind, creating a living relationship between the soul and God. They act as perfect mirrors reflecting the attributes of God into the physical world. Baháʼí teachings hold that the motive force in all human development is due to the coming of the Manifestations of God. The Manifestations of God are directly linked with the Baháʼí concepts of progressive revelation and unity of religion.
The Baháʼí concept of the intermediary between God and humanity is expressed in the term Manifestation of God. Baháʼís believe in a single, imperishable God, the creator of all things, including all the creatures and forces in the universe. Though inaccessible directly, God is nevertheless seen as conscious of his creation, with a mind, will and purpose. Baháʼís believe that God expresses this will at all times and in many ways, including through a series of divine messengers referred to as Manifestations of God. In expressing God's intent, these Manifestations are seen to establish religion in the world.
The Manifestations of God are not seen as incarnations of God as God cannot be divided and does not descend to the condition of his creatures, but they are also not seen as ordinary mortals. Instead, the Baháʼí concept of a Manifestation of God emphasizes the simultaneously existing qualities of humanity and divinity. In the station of divinity, they show forth the will, knowledge, and attributes of God; in the station of humanity, they show the physical qualities of common man. A common Baháʼí analogy used to explain the relationship between the Manifestation of God and God is that of a perfect mirror. In the analogy, God is likened to the Sun, the source of physical life on earth. The spirit and attributes of God are likened to the rays of the Sun, and the Manifestations of God are likened to perfect mirrors reflecting the rays of the Sun. Thus, the Manifestations of God act as pure mirrors that reflect the attributes of God onto this material world.
The Manifestations of God are seen to represent a level of existence which is an intermediary between God and humans. Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, explained that at one extreme the Manifestations of God are humble servants of God and at the other extreme they claim to speak with the voice of God, and manifest his attributes to humanity. They may at times emphasize their humanity, and at other times proclaim their divinity. These stations are complementary rather than mutually exclusive.
The Manifestations of God are believed to possess capacities that do not exist in humans, and this difference is not a difference in degree but a difference in kind. The Manifestations of God are not seen to be simply great thinkers or philosophers who have a better understanding than others, but that, by their nature, they are inherently superior to the average human. Thus, the Manifestations of God are special beings, having a unique relationship to God as they have been sent by God from the spiritual world as an instrument of divine revelation. They are understood to have existed in the spiritual world prior to their physical birth in this life. They are also seen to have innate, divinely revealed knowledge and absolute knowledge of the physical world. According to ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, the son and successor of the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, the Manifestations of God must be distinguished above any other person in every aspect and qualification, in order that they can effectively train and educate people.
In his book The Messiah of Shiraz, Denis MacEoin noted a possible discrepancy between the contemporary Baháʼí understanding of Baháʼu'lláh's station as a Manifestation of God and that found in Baháʼu'lláh's own works. Specifically, he contrasted the "official modern Bahāʾī doctrine rejecting any notion of incarnationism and stressing instead his status as a locus of divine manifestation comparable to a mirror with respect to the sun," to several quotes from the writings of Baháʼu'lláh, which he argued are suggestive of a more radical interpretation.
Purpose:
The purpose of the Manifestation of God, according to Baháʼí belief, is to educate humanity. The Manifestations of God are seen as divine educators, who are raised up by God with the purpose of uplifting mankind and expressing his will. In expressing God's intent, the Manifestations of God are seen to establish religion in the world. Each brings a book and reveals teachings and laws according to the time and place which they appear. Baháʼu'lláh used the term revelation to describe the phenomena that occurs each time a Manifestation of God appears; he stated that the writings of the Manifestation of God represent the infallible word of God, and because the writings remain after the earthly life of the Manifestation they are a very important part of revelation. The laws and precepts revealed by the Manifestation of God lie in different spheres and levels and include elements intended to help individuals develop a sound character and acquire divine attributes, as well as laws and principles designed to help improve the welfare of society and advance civilization. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá has stated that from time to time an educator will come to teach humanity, and without these teachings humanity would be overcome by such emotions and attitudes as anger, jealousy and hatred.
"The Prophets and Messengers of God have been sent down for the sole purpose of guiding mankind to the straight Path of Truth. The purpose underlying their revelation hath been to educate all men, that they may, at the hour of death, ascend, in the utmost purity and sanctity and with absolute detachment, to the throne of the Most High. The light which these souls radiate is responsible for the progress of the world and the advancement of its peoples. They are like unto leaven which leaveneth the world of being, and constitute the animating force through which the arts and wonders of the world are made manifest. Through them the clouds rain their bounty upon men, and the earth bringeth forth its fruits. All things must needs have a cause, a motive power, an animating principle. These souls and symbols of detachment have provided, and will continue to provide, the supreme moving impulse in the world of being."
"God sent all His Prophets into the world with one aim, to sow in the hearts of men love and goodwill, and for this great purpose, they were willing to suffer and to die. All the sacred Books were written to lead and direct man into the ways of love and unity; and yet, in spite of all this, we have the sad spectacle of war and bloodshed in our midst."
Equality:
In Baháʼí belief, all of the Manifestations of God are from the same God and have the same spiritual and metaphysical nature, and that there is absolute equality among them. The differences between the various Manifestations of God and their teachings, Baháʼu'lláh explained, are due to the varying needs and capacities of the civilization in which they appeared, and not due to any differences in their level of importance or nature.
The Manifestations of God are taught to be "one and the same", and in their relationship to one another have both the station of unity and the station of distinction. Baháʼu'lláh wrote in the Book of Certitude that in respect to their station of unity "if thou callest them all by one name and dost ascribe to them the same attribute, thou hast not erred from the truth." In this sense, the Manifestations of God all fulfill the same purpose and perform the same function by mediating between God and creation. In this way each Manifestation of God manifested the Word of God and taught the same religion, with modifications for the particular audience's needs and culture. Baháʼu'lláh wrote that since each Manifestation of God has the same divine attributes, they can be seen as the spiritual "return" of all the previous Manifestations of God.
Baháʼu'lláh then states the diversity of the teachings of the Manifestations of God does not come about because of their differences, since they are one and the same, but because they each have a different mission. Baháʼu'lláh writes regarding this station of distinction, "each Manifestation of God hath a distinct individuality, a definitely prescribed mission, a predestined Revelation, and specially designated limitations." Baháʼu'lláh wrote in the Gems of Divine Mysteries that those who perceive distinctions and differences between the Manifestations of God, will notice the underlying unity of the Manifestations once they continue on their spiritual path. Baháʼu'lláh in several passages goes so far as to say that denial of one Manifestation is equivalent to denial of all of them. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá said that a Baháʼí will choose death over denial of any of the great Prophets, whether Moses, Muhammad or Christ.
The Baháʼí belief in the oneness of the Manifestations of God does not mean, however, that the same individual soul is born again at different times and in different physical bodies. In the Baháʼí Faith, the various Manifestations of God were all different personalities and had separate individual realities. Instead, their equality is due to that Manifestation of God manifested and revealed the qualities of God to the same degree.
Baháʼu'lláh taught that Manifestations have always been sent by God, and always will, as part of the single progressive religion from God bringing more teachings through time to help humanity progress. In the Baháʼí view the succession of Manifestations of God had no beginning and will have no end. Shoghi Effendi, the head of the Baháʼí Faith in the first half of the 20th century, stated that Manifestations will continue to come about every thousand years, extending "over many ages into the unborn reaches of time."
While Manifestations of God are explained to have always come to humanity and will continue to do so, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá explained that there are distinct cycles within this process. The cycles consist of hundreds of thousands of years and are characterized by three periods. The first period involves the coming of a series of Manifestations of God who prepare humanity for a universal theophany; the second period involves the appearance of the Manifestation of God that brings the universal theophany and his dispensation; finally the third period includes the Manifestations of God that come after. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá stated that in the current cycle, the first period was started by Adam and extended to the time of the Báb. Baháʼu'lláh is seen as the universal Manifestation of God, and the current cycle will continue for another 500,000 years.
There is no definitive list of Manifestations of God, but Baháʼu'lláh and ʻAbdu'l-Bahá referred to several personages as Manifestations; they include: Zoroaster, Krishna, Gautama Buddha, all the Jewish prophets, Adam, Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, the Báb, and ultimately Baháʼu'lláh.Thus, religious history is interpreted in the Baháʼí Faith as a series of periods or "dispensations", where each Manifestation brings a somewhat broader and more advanced revelation, suited for the time and place in which it was expressed.
Baháʼís do not claim that the Baháʼí revelation is the final stage in God's direction in the course of human spiritual evolution. The Baháʼí writings contain assurances that after 1000 years of Baháʼu'lláh's coming, another Manifestation of God will appear to advance human civilization.ʻAbdu'l-Bahá writes in the Tablet of the Universe ("Lawh-i-Aflákiyyih") that there are infinite Manifestations of God in the infinite worlds of God.
The Manifestation of God (Persian, Arabic; مظهر maẓhar ) is a concept in the Baháʼí Faith that refers to what are commonly called prophets. The Manifestations of God are appearances of the Divine Spirit or Holy Spirit in a series of personages, and as such, they perfectly reflect the attributes of the divine into the human world for the progress and advancement of human morals and civilization through the agency of that same Spirit.
In the Baha'i Faith, it is believed that the Manifestations of God are the only channel for humanity to know about God because contact with the Spirit is what transforms the heart and mind, creating a living relationship between the soul and God. They act as perfect mirrors reflecting the attributes of God into the physical world. Baháʼí teachings hold that the motive force in all human development is due to the coming of the Manifestations of God. The Manifestations of God are directly linked with the Baháʼí concepts of progressive revelation and unity of religion.
The Baháʼí concept of the intermediary between God and humanity is expressed in the term Manifestation of God. Baháʼís believe in a single, imperishable God, the creator of all things, including all the creatures and forces in the universe. Though inaccessible directly, God is nevertheless seen as conscious of his creation, with a mind, will and purpose. Baháʼís believe that God expresses this will at all times and in many ways, including through a series of divine messengers referred to as Manifestations of God. In expressing God's intent, these Manifestations are seen to establish religion in the world.
The Manifestations of God are not seen as incarnations of God as God cannot be divided and does not descend to the condition of his creatures, but they are also not seen as ordinary mortals. Instead, the Baháʼí concept of a Manifestation of God emphasizes the simultaneously existing qualities of humanity and divinity. In the station of divinity, they show forth the will, knowledge, and attributes of God; in the station of humanity, they show the physical qualities of common man. A common Baháʼí analogy used to explain the relationship between the Manifestation of God and God is that of a perfect mirror. In the analogy, God is likened to the Sun, the source of physical life on earth. The spirit and attributes of God are likened to the rays of the Sun, and the Manifestations of God are likened to perfect mirrors reflecting the rays of the Sun. Thus, the Manifestations of God act as pure mirrors that reflect the attributes of God onto this material world.
The Manifestations of God are seen to represent a level of existence which is an intermediary between God and humans. Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, explained that at one extreme the Manifestations of God are humble servants of God and at the other extreme they claim to speak with the voice of God, and manifest his attributes to humanity. They may at times emphasize their humanity, and at other times proclaim their divinity. These stations are complementary rather than mutually exclusive.
The Manifestations of God are believed to possess capacities that do not exist in humans, and this difference is not a difference in degree but a difference in kind. The Manifestations of God are not seen to be simply great thinkers or philosophers who have a better understanding than others, but that, by their nature, they are inherently superior to the average human. Thus, the Manifestations of God are special beings, having a unique relationship to God as they have been sent by God from the spiritual world as an instrument of divine revelation. They are understood to have existed in the spiritual world prior to their physical birth in this life. They are also seen to have innate, divinely revealed knowledge and absolute knowledge of the physical world. According to ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, the son and successor of the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, the Manifestations of God must be distinguished above any other person in every aspect and qualification, in order that they can effectively train and educate people.
In his book The Messiah of Shiraz, Denis MacEoin noted a possible discrepancy between the contemporary Baháʼí understanding of Baháʼu'lláh's station as a Manifestation of God and that found in Baháʼu'lláh's own works. Specifically, he contrasted the "official modern Bahāʾī doctrine rejecting any notion of incarnationism and stressing instead his status as a locus of divine manifestation comparable to a mirror with respect to the sun," to several quotes from the writings of Baháʼu'lláh, which he argued are suggestive of a more radical interpretation.
Purpose:
The purpose of the Manifestation of God, according to Baháʼí belief, is to educate humanity. The Manifestations of God are seen as divine educators, who are raised up by God with the purpose of uplifting mankind and expressing his will. In expressing God's intent, the Manifestations of God are seen to establish religion in the world. Each brings a book and reveals teachings and laws according to the time and place which they appear. Baháʼu'lláh used the term revelation to describe the phenomena that occurs each time a Manifestation of God appears; he stated that the writings of the Manifestation of God represent the infallible word of God, and because the writings remain after the earthly life of the Manifestation they are a very important part of revelation. The laws and precepts revealed by the Manifestation of God lie in different spheres and levels and include elements intended to help individuals develop a sound character and acquire divine attributes, as well as laws and principles designed to help improve the welfare of society and advance civilization. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá has stated that from time to time an educator will come to teach humanity, and without these teachings humanity would be overcome by such emotions and attitudes as anger, jealousy and hatred.
"The Prophets and Messengers of God have been sent down for the sole purpose of guiding mankind to the straight Path of Truth. The purpose underlying their revelation hath been to educate all men, that they may, at the hour of death, ascend, in the utmost purity and sanctity and with absolute detachment, to the throne of the Most High. The light which these souls radiate is responsible for the progress of the world and the advancement of its peoples. They are like unto leaven which leaveneth the world of being, and constitute the animating force through which the arts and wonders of the world are made manifest. Through them the clouds rain their bounty upon men, and the earth bringeth forth its fruits. All things must needs have a cause, a motive power, an animating principle. These souls and symbols of detachment have provided, and will continue to provide, the supreme moving impulse in the world of being."
"God sent all His Prophets into the world with one aim, to sow in the hearts of men love and goodwill, and for this great purpose, they were willing to suffer and to die. All the sacred Books were written to lead and direct man into the ways of love and unity; and yet, in spite of all this, we have the sad spectacle of war and bloodshed in our midst."
Equality:
In Baháʼí belief, all of the Manifestations of God are from the same God and have the same spiritual and metaphysical nature, and that there is absolute equality among them. The differences between the various Manifestations of God and their teachings, Baháʼu'lláh explained, are due to the varying needs and capacities of the civilization in which they appeared, and not due to any differences in their level of importance or nature.
The Manifestations of God are taught to be "one and the same", and in their relationship to one another have both the station of unity and the station of distinction. Baháʼu'lláh wrote in the Book of Certitude that in respect to their station of unity "if thou callest them all by one name and dost ascribe to them the same attribute, thou hast not erred from the truth." In this sense, the Manifestations of God all fulfill the same purpose and perform the same function by mediating between God and creation. In this way each Manifestation of God manifested the Word of God and taught the same religion, with modifications for the particular audience's needs and culture. Baháʼu'lláh wrote that since each Manifestation of God has the same divine attributes, they can be seen as the spiritual "return" of all the previous Manifestations of God.
Baháʼu'lláh then states the diversity of the teachings of the Manifestations of God does not come about because of their differences, since they are one and the same, but because they each have a different mission. Baháʼu'lláh writes regarding this station of distinction, "each Manifestation of God hath a distinct individuality, a definitely prescribed mission, a predestined Revelation, and specially designated limitations." Baháʼu'lláh wrote in the Gems of Divine Mysteries that those who perceive distinctions and differences between the Manifestations of God, will notice the underlying unity of the Manifestations once they continue on their spiritual path. Baháʼu'lláh in several passages goes so far as to say that denial of one Manifestation is equivalent to denial of all of them. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá said that a Baháʼí will choose death over denial of any of the great Prophets, whether Moses, Muhammad or Christ.
The Baháʼí belief in the oneness of the Manifestations of God does not mean, however, that the same individual soul is born again at different times and in different physical bodies. In the Baháʼí Faith, the various Manifestations of God were all different personalities and had separate individual realities. Instead, their equality is due to that Manifestation of God manifested and revealed the qualities of God to the same degree.
Baháʼu'lláh taught that Manifestations have always been sent by God, and always will, as part of the single progressive religion from God bringing more teachings through time to help humanity progress. In the Baháʼí view the succession of Manifestations of God had no beginning and will have no end. Shoghi Effendi, the head of the Baháʼí Faith in the first half of the 20th century, stated that Manifestations will continue to come about every thousand years, extending "over many ages into the unborn reaches of time."
While Manifestations of God are explained to have always come to humanity and will continue to do so, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá explained that there are distinct cycles within this process. The cycles consist of hundreds of thousands of years and are characterized by three periods. The first period involves the coming of a series of Manifestations of God who prepare humanity for a universal theophany; the second period involves the appearance of the Manifestation of God that brings the universal theophany and his dispensation; finally the third period includes the Manifestations of God that come after. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá stated that in the current cycle, the first period was started by Adam and extended to the time of the Báb. Baháʼu'lláh is seen as the universal Manifestation of God, and the current cycle will continue for another 500,000 years.
There is no definitive list of Manifestations of God, but Baháʼu'lláh and ʻAbdu'l-Bahá referred to several personages as Manifestations; they include: Zoroaster, Krishna, Gautama Buddha, all the Jewish prophets, Adam, Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, the Báb, and ultimately Baháʼu'lláh.Thus, religious history is interpreted in the Baháʼí Faith as a series of periods or "dispensations", where each Manifestation brings a somewhat broader and more advanced revelation, suited for the time and place in which it was expressed.
Baháʼís do not claim that the Baháʼí revelation is the final stage in God's direction in the course of human spiritual evolution. The Baháʼí writings contain assurances that after 1000 years of Baháʼu'lláh's coming, another Manifestation of God will appear to advance human civilization.ʻAbdu'l-Bahá writes in the Tablet of the Universe ("Lawh-i-Aflákiyyih") that there are infinite Manifestations of God in the infinite worlds of God.
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Concept Of God In Taoism
Taoism does not have a God in the way that the Abrahamic religions do. There is no omnipotent being beyond the cosmos, who created and controls the universe. In Taoism the universe springs from the Tao, and the Tao impersonally guides things on their way.
Taoism is similar to Buddhism in that it is initially a philosophy, but over time it took in folk elements of the surrounding culture and incorporated religious beliefs and practices.
Historically Taoists believe in the numerous folk gods of China, but the Tao is not seen as a god.
Taoism (also spelled Daoism) is a religion and a philosophy from ancient China that has influenced folk and national belief. Taoism has been connected to the philosopher Lao Tzu, who around 500 B.C.E. wrote the main book of Taoism, the Tao Te Ching. Taoism holds that humans and animals should live in balance with the Tao, or the universe. Taoists believe in spiritual immortality, where the spirit of the body joins the universe after death.
The Tao Te Ching, or “The Way and Its Power,” is a collection of poetry and sayings from around the third and fourth centuries B.C.E. that guides Taoist thought and actions. While the author is traditionally believed to be the philosopher Lao Tzu, there is little evidence that Lao Tzu existed at all. Rather, the Tao Te Ching is a gathering of earlier sayings from many authors. This book was given an origin with the philosopher Lao Tzu for cultural and political reasons. Lao Tzu is sometimes understood as the image of the Tao, or a god, and given legendary status.
The Tao (or Dao) is hard to define but is sometimes understood as the way of the universe. Taoism teaches that all living creatures ought to live in a state of harmony with the universe, and the energy found in it. Ch’i, or qi, is the energy present in and guiding everything in the universe. The Tao Te Ching and other Taoist books provide guides for behavior and spiritual ways of living in harmony with this energy. However, Taoists do not believe in this energy as a god. Rather, there are gods as part of the Taoist beliefs, often introduced from the various cultures found in the region known now as China. These gods are part of the Tao, like all living things. Taoism has temples, monasteries, and priests who make offerings, meditate, and perform other rituals for their communities.
One of the main ideas of Taoism is the belief in balancing forces, or yin and yang. These ideas represent matching pairs, such as light and dark, hot and cold, action and inaction, which work together toward a universal whole. Yin and yang show that everything in the universe is connected and that nothing makes sense by itself.
Taoism became well-known in the eighth century C.E. as the religion of the Tang dynasty. In the following centuries, it existed alongside Buddhism and Confucianism (another philosophical religion). However, during the Communist takeover in 1959, Taoism, Confucianism, and other religions were banned. This caused a decline in the practice of Taoism in China. Many modern Taoists live in Taiwan, although recent reforms in China have increased the number of Chinese Taoists.
Taoism is largely a philosophy about how the universe works, but most Taoists also worship a wide range of deities.
Pantheon
Taoism teaches that the universe is created and guided by an impersonal force called the Tao, which is not considered to be a being. However, Taoists do believe in many deities who exist within the universe, serving specific roles within a "heavenly bureaucracy" that mirrors the earthly administration of ancient China. Taoists believe that if they make offerings to the gods at temples using incense, the gods will help them and protect them from misfortune.
The Jade Emperor
The highest-ranking god in Taoists beliefs is the Jade Emperor, known as Yuhuang Dadi or Tiangong in Mandarin Chinese. He represents the whole of the heavens, and because of his vastness he is rarely depicted by a statue in temples, instead being represented simply by a name and burning incense. Temples devoted to him are relatively few, due to the belief in ancient times that only the Emperor of China had the privilege of sacrificing to him directly.
Heavenly Bureaucracy
Below the Jade Emperor, there are countless gods all playing their own roles in the administration of the universe. The Emperors of the Three Offices oversee heaven, earth and humankind. The Gods of Wealth are in charge of money, and the City God is the guardian of all cities. There are also gods for various trades, such as Mazu, a patron saint of fishermen who is one of the most popular deities on the island of Taiwan, where she is known as the Heavenly Holy Mother.
Nature Gods
In Taoist culture different aspects of the natural world are believed to be represented by various low-ranking gods, such as the Sun God, the Moon Goddess, the River God and the Tree God. One of the most widely worshiped is Tudigong, the Earth God, who is considered the patron saint of the community, and takes many different forms in different places.
Gods of Yin
Most of the Taoist deities were once real people who became gods after their deaths because of their good deeds or great achievements. However, there are others who are worshipped in fear after they became lonely spirits through untimely or unnatural deaths. These spirits, who become gods once a temple is built for them, include Baixing Gong, Dazhong Ye and Gu Niang. They are known as "Yin Gods," in reference to the dark side of the Taoist yin-yang, a symbol of duality in nature.
Mixing Religions
Because Taoism is not a strict theistic religion like Christianity or Islam, many Taoists have no problem worshipping deities or saints from other faiths. In Chinese culture, public temples sometimes worship Confucian saints, Buddha and Buddhist Bodhisattvas alongside the traditional Taoist gods. In Taiwan one of the most popular deities is the Bodhisattva Guanyin, a figure from Buddhism whom some believers consider to be connected to the Taoist goddess Mazu.
Taoism does not have a God in the way that the Abrahamic religions do. There is no omnipotent being beyond the cosmos, who created and controls the universe. In Taoism the universe springs from the Tao, and the Tao impersonally guides things on their way.
Taoism is similar to Buddhism in that it is initially a philosophy, but over time it took in folk elements of the surrounding culture and incorporated religious beliefs and practices.
Historically Taoists believe in the numerous folk gods of China, but the Tao is not seen as a god.
Taoism (also spelled Daoism) is a religion and a philosophy from ancient China that has influenced folk and national belief. Taoism has been connected to the philosopher Lao Tzu, who around 500 B.C.E. wrote the main book of Taoism, the Tao Te Ching. Taoism holds that humans and animals should live in balance with the Tao, or the universe. Taoists believe in spiritual immortality, where the spirit of the body joins the universe after death.
The Tao Te Ching, or “The Way and Its Power,” is a collection of poetry and sayings from around the third and fourth centuries B.C.E. that guides Taoist thought and actions. While the author is traditionally believed to be the philosopher Lao Tzu, there is little evidence that Lao Tzu existed at all. Rather, the Tao Te Ching is a gathering of earlier sayings from many authors. This book was given an origin with the philosopher Lao Tzu for cultural and political reasons. Lao Tzu is sometimes understood as the image of the Tao, or a god, and given legendary status.
The Tao (or Dao) is hard to define but is sometimes understood as the way of the universe. Taoism teaches that all living creatures ought to live in a state of harmony with the universe, and the energy found in it. Ch’i, or qi, is the energy present in and guiding everything in the universe. The Tao Te Ching and other Taoist books provide guides for behavior and spiritual ways of living in harmony with this energy. However, Taoists do not believe in this energy as a god. Rather, there are gods as part of the Taoist beliefs, often introduced from the various cultures found in the region known now as China. These gods are part of the Tao, like all living things. Taoism has temples, monasteries, and priests who make offerings, meditate, and perform other rituals for their communities.
One of the main ideas of Taoism is the belief in balancing forces, or yin and yang. These ideas represent matching pairs, such as light and dark, hot and cold, action and inaction, which work together toward a universal whole. Yin and yang show that everything in the universe is connected and that nothing makes sense by itself.
Taoism became well-known in the eighth century C.E. as the religion of the Tang dynasty. In the following centuries, it existed alongside Buddhism and Confucianism (another philosophical religion). However, during the Communist takeover in 1959, Taoism, Confucianism, and other religions were banned. This caused a decline in the practice of Taoism in China. Many modern Taoists live in Taiwan, although recent reforms in China have increased the number of Chinese Taoists.
Taoism is largely a philosophy about how the universe works, but most Taoists also worship a wide range of deities.
Pantheon
Taoism teaches that the universe is created and guided by an impersonal force called the Tao, which is not considered to be a being. However, Taoists do believe in many deities who exist within the universe, serving specific roles within a "heavenly bureaucracy" that mirrors the earthly administration of ancient China. Taoists believe that if they make offerings to the gods at temples using incense, the gods will help them and protect them from misfortune.
The Jade Emperor
The highest-ranking god in Taoists beliefs is the Jade Emperor, known as Yuhuang Dadi or Tiangong in Mandarin Chinese. He represents the whole of the heavens, and because of his vastness he is rarely depicted by a statue in temples, instead being represented simply by a name and burning incense. Temples devoted to him are relatively few, due to the belief in ancient times that only the Emperor of China had the privilege of sacrificing to him directly.
Heavenly Bureaucracy
Below the Jade Emperor, there are countless gods all playing their own roles in the administration of the universe. The Emperors of the Three Offices oversee heaven, earth and humankind. The Gods of Wealth are in charge of money, and the City God is the guardian of all cities. There are also gods for various trades, such as Mazu, a patron saint of fishermen who is one of the most popular deities on the island of Taiwan, where she is known as the Heavenly Holy Mother.
Nature Gods
In Taoist culture different aspects of the natural world are believed to be represented by various low-ranking gods, such as the Sun God, the Moon Goddess, the River God and the Tree God. One of the most widely worshiped is Tudigong, the Earth God, who is considered the patron saint of the community, and takes many different forms in different places.
Gods of Yin
Most of the Taoist deities were once real people who became gods after their deaths because of their good deeds or great achievements. However, there are others who are worshipped in fear after they became lonely spirits through untimely or unnatural deaths. These spirits, who become gods once a temple is built for them, include Baixing Gong, Dazhong Ye and Gu Niang. They are known as "Yin Gods," in reference to the dark side of the Taoist yin-yang, a symbol of duality in nature.
Mixing Religions
Because Taoism is not a strict theistic religion like Christianity or Islam, many Taoists have no problem worshipping deities or saints from other faiths. In Chinese culture, public temples sometimes worship Confucian saints, Buddha and Buddhist Bodhisattvas alongside the traditional Taoist gods. In Taiwan one of the most popular deities is the Bodhisattva Guanyin, a figure from Buddhism whom some believers consider to be connected to the Taoist goddess Mazu.
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Concept Of God In Confucianism
There is no direct concept of God in Confucianism.
Confucianism is one of the most influential religious philosophies in the history of China, and it has existed for over 2,500 years. It is concerned with inner virtue, morality, and respect for the community and its value.
Confucianism is a philosophy and belief system from ancient China, which laid the foundation for much of Chinese culture. Confucius was a philosopher and teacher who lived from 551 to 479 B.C.E. His thoughts on ethics, good behavior, and moral character were written down by his disciples in several books, the most important being the Lunyu. Confucianism believes in ancestor worship and human-centered virtues for living a peaceful life. The golden rule of Confucianism is “Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you.”
There is debate over if Confucianism is a religion. Confucianism is best understood as an ethical guide to life and living with strong character. Yet, Confucianism also began as a revival of an earlier religious tradition. There are no Confucian gods, and Confucius himself is worshipped as a spirit rather than a god. However, there are temples of Confucianism, which are places where important community and civic rituals happen. This debate remains unresolved and many people refer to Confucianism as both a religion and a philosophy.
The main idea of Confucianism is the importance of having a good moral character, which can then affect the world around that person through the idea of “cosmic harmony.” If the emperor has moral perfection, his rule will be peaceful and benevolent. Natural disasters and conflict are the result of straying from the ancient teachings. This moral character is achieved through the virtue of ren, or “humanity,” which leads to more virtuous behaviours, such as respect, altruism, and humility. Confucius believed in the importance of education in order to create this virtuous character. He thought that people are essentially good yet may have strayed from the appropriate forms of conduct. Rituals in Confucianism were designed to bring about this respectful attitude and create a sense of community within a group.
The idea of “filial piety,” or devotion to family, is key to Confucius thought. This devotion can take the form of ancestor worship, submission to parental authority, or the use of family metaphors, such as “son of heaven,” to describe the emperor and his government. The family was the most important group for Confucian ethics, and devotion to family could only strengthen the society surrounding it.
While Confucius gave his name to Confucianism, he was not the first person to discuss many of the important concepts in Confucianism. Rather, he can be understood as someone concerned with the preservation of traditional Chinese knowledge from earlier thinkers. After Confucius’ death, several of his disciples compiled his wisdom and carried on his work. The most famous of these disciples were Mencius and Xunzi, both of whom developed Confucian thought further.
Confucianism remains one of the most influential philosophies in China. During the Han Dynasty, emperor Wu Di (reigned 141–87 B.C.E.) made Confucianism the official state ideology. During this time, Confucius schools were established to teach Confucian ethics. Confucianism existed alongside Buddhism and Taoism for several centuries as one of the most important Chinese religions. In the Song Dynasty (960–1279 C.E.) the influence from Buddhism and Taoism brought about “Neo-Confucianism,” which combined ideas from all three religions. However, in the Qing dynasty (1644–1912 C.E.), many scholars looked for a return to the older ideas of Confucianism, prompting a Confucian revival.
There is no direct concept of God in Confucianism.
Confucianism is one of the most influential religious philosophies in the history of China, and it has existed for over 2,500 years. It is concerned with inner virtue, morality, and respect for the community and its value.
Confucianism is a philosophy and belief system from ancient China, which laid the foundation for much of Chinese culture. Confucius was a philosopher and teacher who lived from 551 to 479 B.C.E. His thoughts on ethics, good behavior, and moral character were written down by his disciples in several books, the most important being the Lunyu. Confucianism believes in ancestor worship and human-centered virtues for living a peaceful life. The golden rule of Confucianism is “Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you.”
There is debate over if Confucianism is a religion. Confucianism is best understood as an ethical guide to life and living with strong character. Yet, Confucianism also began as a revival of an earlier religious tradition. There are no Confucian gods, and Confucius himself is worshipped as a spirit rather than a god. However, there are temples of Confucianism, which are places where important community and civic rituals happen. This debate remains unresolved and many people refer to Confucianism as both a religion and a philosophy.
The main idea of Confucianism is the importance of having a good moral character, which can then affect the world around that person through the idea of “cosmic harmony.” If the emperor has moral perfection, his rule will be peaceful and benevolent. Natural disasters and conflict are the result of straying from the ancient teachings. This moral character is achieved through the virtue of ren, or “humanity,” which leads to more virtuous behaviours, such as respect, altruism, and humility. Confucius believed in the importance of education in order to create this virtuous character. He thought that people are essentially good yet may have strayed from the appropriate forms of conduct. Rituals in Confucianism were designed to bring about this respectful attitude and create a sense of community within a group.
The idea of “filial piety,” or devotion to family, is key to Confucius thought. This devotion can take the form of ancestor worship, submission to parental authority, or the use of family metaphors, such as “son of heaven,” to describe the emperor and his government. The family was the most important group for Confucian ethics, and devotion to family could only strengthen the society surrounding it.
While Confucius gave his name to Confucianism, he was not the first person to discuss many of the important concepts in Confucianism. Rather, he can be understood as someone concerned with the preservation of traditional Chinese knowledge from earlier thinkers. After Confucius’ death, several of his disciples compiled his wisdom and carried on his work. The most famous of these disciples were Mencius and Xunzi, both of whom developed Confucian thought further.
Confucianism remains one of the most influential philosophies in China. During the Han Dynasty, emperor Wu Di (reigned 141–87 B.C.E.) made Confucianism the official state ideology. During this time, Confucius schools were established to teach Confucian ethics. Confucianism existed alongside Buddhism and Taoism for several centuries as one of the most important Chinese religions. In the Song Dynasty (960–1279 C.E.) the influence from Buddhism and Taoism brought about “Neo-Confucianism,” which combined ideas from all three religions. However, in the Qing dynasty (1644–1912 C.E.), many scholars looked for a return to the older ideas of Confucianism, prompting a Confucian revival.
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
God According Mu'tazilah Sect of Islam
Muʿtazilah “Those Who Withdraw, or Stand Apart” English Mutazilites, also called Ahl al-ʿAdl wa al-Tawḥīd, in Islam, political or religious neutralists; by the 10th century CE the term had come to refer specifically to an Islamic school of speculative theology (kalām) that flourished in Basra and Baghdad (8th–10th century).
The name first appears in early Islamic history in the dispute over Hazrat ʿAlī’s leadership of the Muslim community (ummah) after the murder of the third caliph, ʿUthman. Those who would neither condemn nor sanction ʿAlī or his opponents but took a middle position were termed the Muʿtazilah.
The theological school is traced back to Wāṣil ibn ʿAṭāʾ (699–749), a student of al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, who, by stating that a grave sinner ( fāsiq) could be classed neither as believer nor unbeliever but was in an intermediate position (al-manzilah bayna manzilatayn), withdrew (iʿtazala, hence the name Muʿtazilah) from his teacher’s circle. (The same story is told of ʿAmr ibn ʿUbayd [died 762].) Variously maligned as free thinkers and heretics, the Muʿtazilah, in the 8th century, were the first Muslims to use the categories and methods of Hellenistic philosophy to derive their three major and distinctive dogmatic points.
First, they stressed the absolute unity or oneness (tawḥīd) of God. From this it was logically concluded that the Qurʾān could not be technically considered the word of God (the orthodox view), as God has no separable parts, so the Qurʾān had to be created and was not coeternal with God. Under the Abbasid caliph al-Maʾmūn, this doctrine of the created Qurʾān was proclaimed (827) as the state dogma, and in 833 a miḥnah, or tribunal, was instituted to try those who disputed the doctrine (notably the theologian Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal); the Muʿtazilī position was finally abandoned by the caliphate under al-Mutawakkil about 849.
The Muʿtazilah further stressed the justice (ʿadl) of God as their second principle. While the orthodox taught a certain determinism in which all actions, whether good or bad, are ultimately willed by God, the Muʿtazilah posited that God desires only the best for man, but through free will man chooses between good and evil and thus becomes ultimately responsible for his actions.
The third doctrine, the promise and the threat (al-waʿd wa al-waʿīd), or paradise and hell, God’s justice becomes a matter of logical necessity: God must reward the good (as promised) and must punish the evil (as threatened).
Among the most important Muʿtazilī theologians were Abū al-Hudhayl al-ʿAllāf (died c. 841) and al-Naẓẓām (died 846) in Basra and Bishr ibn al-Muʿtamir (died 825) in Baghdad. It was al-Ashʿarī (died 935 or 936), a student of the Muʿtazilī al-Jubbāʾī, who broke the force of the movement by refuting its teachings with the same Hellenistic, rational methods first introduced by the Muʿtazilah. Muʿtazilī beliefs were disavowed by the Sunni Muslims, but the Shiʿah accepted their premises.
Muʿtazilah “Those Who Withdraw, or Stand Apart” English Mutazilites, also called Ahl al-ʿAdl wa al-Tawḥīd, in Islam, political or religious neutralists; by the 10th century CE the term had come to refer specifically to an Islamic school of speculative theology (kalām) that flourished in Basra and Baghdad (8th–10th century).
The name first appears in early Islamic history in the dispute over Hazrat ʿAlī’s leadership of the Muslim community (ummah) after the murder of the third caliph, ʿUthman. Those who would neither condemn nor sanction ʿAlī or his opponents but took a middle position were termed the Muʿtazilah.
The theological school is traced back to Wāṣil ibn ʿAṭāʾ (699–749), a student of al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, who, by stating that a grave sinner ( fāsiq) could be classed neither as believer nor unbeliever but was in an intermediate position (al-manzilah bayna manzilatayn), withdrew (iʿtazala, hence the name Muʿtazilah) from his teacher’s circle. (The same story is told of ʿAmr ibn ʿUbayd [died 762].) Variously maligned as free thinkers and heretics, the Muʿtazilah, in the 8th century, were the first Muslims to use the categories and methods of Hellenistic philosophy to derive their three major and distinctive dogmatic points.
First, they stressed the absolute unity or oneness (tawḥīd) of God. From this it was logically concluded that the Qurʾān could not be technically considered the word of God (the orthodox view), as God has no separable parts, so the Qurʾān had to be created and was not coeternal with God. Under the Abbasid caliph al-Maʾmūn, this doctrine of the created Qurʾān was proclaimed (827) as the state dogma, and in 833 a miḥnah, or tribunal, was instituted to try those who disputed the doctrine (notably the theologian Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal); the Muʿtazilī position was finally abandoned by the caliphate under al-Mutawakkil about 849.
The Muʿtazilah further stressed the justice (ʿadl) of God as their second principle. While the orthodox taught a certain determinism in which all actions, whether good or bad, are ultimately willed by God, the Muʿtazilah posited that God desires only the best for man, but through free will man chooses between good and evil and thus becomes ultimately responsible for his actions.
The third doctrine, the promise and the threat (al-waʿd wa al-waʿīd), or paradise and hell, God’s justice becomes a matter of logical necessity: God must reward the good (as promised) and must punish the evil (as threatened).
Among the most important Muʿtazilī theologians were Abū al-Hudhayl al-ʿAllāf (died c. 841) and al-Naẓẓām (died 846) in Basra and Bishr ibn al-Muʿtamir (died 825) in Baghdad. It was al-Ashʿarī (died 935 or 936), a student of the Muʿtazilī al-Jubbāʾī, who broke the force of the movement by refuting its teachings with the same Hellenistic, rational methods first introduced by the Muʿtazilah. Muʿtazilī beliefs were disavowed by the Sunni Muslims, but the Shiʿah accepted their premises.
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Concept of God in Ash'ari Theology
Ashʿarī theology, Ashʿarism, ʾAshʿarīyah is one of the main Sunnī schools of Islamic theology, founded by the Arab Muslim scholar, Imam Shāfiʿī jurist, reformer, and scholastic theologian Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī in the 9th–10th century. It established an orthodox dogmatic guideline based on scriptural authority, rationality, and theological rationalism.
Al-Ashʿarī established a middle way between the doctrines of the Aṯharī and Muʿtazila schools of Islamic theology, based both on reliance on the sacred scriptures of Islam and theological rationalism concerning the agency and attributes of God. Ashʿarism eventually became the predominant school of theological thought within Sunnī Islam, and is regarded as the single most important school of Islamic theology in the history of Islam.
The disciples of the Ashʿarī school are known as Ashʿarites, and the school is also referred to as the Ashʿarite school, which became one of the dominant theological schools within Sunnī Islam. Ashʿarī theology is considered one of the orthodox creeds of Sunnī Islam
Ashʿarism became the main school of early Islamic philosophy whereby it was originally based on the foundations laid down by al-Ashʿarī, who founded the Ashʿarite school in the 10th century based on the methodology taught to him by his teacher Abdullah ibn Sa'eed ibn Kullaab. However, the Ashʿarite school underwent many changes throughout history.
For example, the Ashʿarite view was that comprehension of the unique nature and characteristics of God were beyond human capability. The solution proposed by al-Ashʿarī to solve the problems of tashbih and ta'til concedes that the Supreme Being possesses in a real sense the divine attributes and names mentioned in the Quran. Insofar as these names and attributes have a positive reality, they are distinct from the essence, but nevertheless they don't have either existence or reality apart from it.
The inspiration of al-Ashʿarī in this matter was on the one hand to distinguish essence and attribute as concepts, and on the other hand to see that the duality between essence and attribute should be situated not on the quantitative but on the qualitative level, something which Muʿtazilite thinking had failed to grasp. Ashʿarite theologians were referred to as the muthbita (those who make firm) by the Muʿtazilites.
The Ashʿarī school of Islamic theology holds that:
God is all powerful (omnipotent)
Therefore, good is what God commands as revealed in the Quran and the ḥadīth and is by definition just; evil is what God forbids and is likewise unjust. Right and wrong are in no way determined intuitively or naturally, they are not objective realities.
Because of Divine omnipotence, there are no "natural laws" (of things like thermodynamics or gravity), because such laws would put limitations on His actions. There are, however, Divine "customs", whereby "certain so-called 'effects'" usually follow certain "causes" in the natural world.
Also because of Divine power, all human acts even the decision to raise a finger are created by God. This had caused controversy earlier in Islamic history because human acts are what humans are judged for when being sent to heaven (jannah) or hell (Jahannam). Ashʿaris reconciled the doctrines of free will, justice, and divine omnipotence, with their own doctrine of kasb ("acquisition"), by which human beings "'acquire' responsibility for their actions, although these "actions are willed and created by God". Humans still possess free will (or, more accurately, freedom of intention) under this doctrine, although their freedom is limited to the power to decide between the given possibilities God has created. (This doctrine is now known in Western philosophy as occasionalism.)
The Quran is the uncreated word of God, that is, it was not created by God, but like God has always been. It can also be said to be created when it takes on a form in letters or sound.
The unique nature and attributes of God cannot be understood fully by human reason and the physical senses.
Reason is God-given and must be employed over source of knowledge.
Intellectual inquiry is decreed by the Quran and the Islamic prophet Muhammad, therefore the interpretation (tafsīr) of the Quran and the ḥadīth should keep developing with the aid of older interpretations.
Only God knows the heart, who belongs to the faithful and who does not.
God has "absolute freedom" to "punish or reward as He wills", and so may forgive the sins of those in Hell.
Support of kalām (rationalistic Islamic theology).
Ashʿarites further affirm that Muslims must believe:
in all the prophets and messengers of Islam, from Adam to Muhammad;
and in the angels.
Ashʿarites also hold beliefs about Allah's attributes that are unique to them, such as:
Existence;
Permanence without beginning;
Endurance without end;
Absoluteness and independence;
Dissimilarity to created things;
Oneness;
Allah is all-powerful, willful, knowing, living, seeing, hearing, and speaking (signifying attributes).
Ashʿarī theology, Ashʿarism, ʾAshʿarīyah is one of the main Sunnī schools of Islamic theology, founded by the Arab Muslim scholar, Imam Shāfiʿī jurist, reformer, and scholastic theologian Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī in the 9th–10th century. It established an orthodox dogmatic guideline based on scriptural authority, rationality, and theological rationalism.
Al-Ashʿarī established a middle way between the doctrines of the Aṯharī and Muʿtazila schools of Islamic theology, based both on reliance on the sacred scriptures of Islam and theological rationalism concerning the agency and attributes of God. Ashʿarism eventually became the predominant school of theological thought within Sunnī Islam, and is regarded as the single most important school of Islamic theology in the history of Islam.
The disciples of the Ashʿarī school are known as Ashʿarites, and the school is also referred to as the Ashʿarite school, which became one of the dominant theological schools within Sunnī Islam. Ashʿarī theology is considered one of the orthodox creeds of Sunnī Islam
Ashʿarism became the main school of early Islamic philosophy whereby it was originally based on the foundations laid down by al-Ashʿarī, who founded the Ashʿarite school in the 10th century based on the methodology taught to him by his teacher Abdullah ibn Sa'eed ibn Kullaab. However, the Ashʿarite school underwent many changes throughout history.
For example, the Ashʿarite view was that comprehension of the unique nature and characteristics of God were beyond human capability. The solution proposed by al-Ashʿarī to solve the problems of tashbih and ta'til concedes that the Supreme Being possesses in a real sense the divine attributes and names mentioned in the Quran. Insofar as these names and attributes have a positive reality, they are distinct from the essence, but nevertheless they don't have either existence or reality apart from it.
The inspiration of al-Ashʿarī in this matter was on the one hand to distinguish essence and attribute as concepts, and on the other hand to see that the duality between essence and attribute should be situated not on the quantitative but on the qualitative level, something which Muʿtazilite thinking had failed to grasp. Ashʿarite theologians were referred to as the muthbita (those who make firm) by the Muʿtazilites.
The Ashʿarī school of Islamic theology holds that:
God is all powerful (omnipotent)
Therefore, good is what God commands as revealed in the Quran and the ḥadīth and is by definition just; evil is what God forbids and is likewise unjust. Right and wrong are in no way determined intuitively or naturally, they are not objective realities.
Because of Divine omnipotence, there are no "natural laws" (of things like thermodynamics or gravity), because such laws would put limitations on His actions. There are, however, Divine "customs", whereby "certain so-called 'effects'" usually follow certain "causes" in the natural world.
Also because of Divine power, all human acts even the decision to raise a finger are created by God. This had caused controversy earlier in Islamic history because human acts are what humans are judged for when being sent to heaven (jannah) or hell (Jahannam). Ashʿaris reconciled the doctrines of free will, justice, and divine omnipotence, with their own doctrine of kasb ("acquisition"), by which human beings "'acquire' responsibility for their actions, although these "actions are willed and created by God". Humans still possess free will (or, more accurately, freedom of intention) under this doctrine, although their freedom is limited to the power to decide between the given possibilities God has created. (This doctrine is now known in Western philosophy as occasionalism.)
The Quran is the uncreated word of God, that is, it was not created by God, but like God has always been. It can also be said to be created when it takes on a form in letters or sound.
The unique nature and attributes of God cannot be understood fully by human reason and the physical senses.
Reason is God-given and must be employed over source of knowledge.
Intellectual inquiry is decreed by the Quran and the Islamic prophet Muhammad, therefore the interpretation (tafsīr) of the Quran and the ḥadīth should keep developing with the aid of older interpretations.
Only God knows the heart, who belongs to the faithful and who does not.
God has "absolute freedom" to "punish or reward as He wills", and so may forgive the sins of those in Hell.
Support of kalām (rationalistic Islamic theology).
Ashʿarites further affirm that Muslims must believe:
in all the prophets and messengers of Islam, from Adam to Muhammad;
and in the angels.
Ashʿarites also hold beliefs about Allah's attributes that are unique to them, such as:
Existence;
Permanence without beginning;
Endurance without end;
Absoluteness and independence;
Dissimilarity to created things;
Oneness;
Allah is all-powerful, willful, knowing, living, seeing, hearing, and speaking (signifying attributes).
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
108 Names of Lord Sri Krishna
1.Achala / Achal – Still Lord
2.Achyuta / Achyut – Infallible Lord
3.Adbhutah – Wonderful God
4.Adidev / Adideva / Adi deva – Lord Of The Lords
5.Aditya – Son Of Aditi
6.Ajanma – One Who Is Limitless And Endless
7.Ajaya / Ajeya / Ajay / Ajaya – Conqueror Of Life And Death
8.Akshara / Akshar – Indestructible Lord
9.Amrit / Amrut / Amrita / Amruta – Heavenly nectar or elixir
10.Anandsagar / Anandasagara / Anand Sagar / Ananda Sagara – Compassionate Lord
11.Ananta / Anant / Ananth / Anantha – Endless Lord
12.Anantajit / Anantjeet- Ever Victorious Lord
13.Anaya – One Who Has No Leader
14.Aniruddha – One Who Cannot Be Obstructed
15.Aparajeet / Aparajit / Aparajita – Lord Who Cannot Be Defeated
16.Avyukta – One Who Is As Clear As Crystal
17.Balgopal / Balagopala / Bala gopala / Bal gopal – Child Krishna, All Attractive
18.Balkrishna / Balakrishna / Bal krishen / Bala krsna- Child Krishna
19.Chaturbhuj / Chaturbhuja – Four-Armed Lord
20.Danavendra – Granter Of Boons
21.Dayalu – Repository Of Compassion
22.Dayanidhi – Compassionate Lord
23.Devadidev – God Of The Gods
24.Devakinandan / Davkinandan / Devki nandan / Devaki nandana – Son Of Mother Devaki
25.Devesh – Lord Of The Lords
26.Dharmadhyaksha – Lord OF Dharma
27.Dravin – One who has no Enemies
28.Dwarkapati – Lord Of Dwarka
29.Gopal / Gopala- One Who Plays With The Cowherds, The Gopis
30.Gopalpriya – Lover Of Cowherds
31.Govinda – One Who Pleases The Cows, The Land And The Entire Nature
32.Gyaneshwar – Lord Of Knowledge
33.Hari – Lord Of Nature
34.Hiranyagarbha – The All Powerful Creator
35.Hrishikesh – The Lord Of All Senses
36.Jagadguru – Preceptor Of The Universe
37.Jagadisha – Protector Of All
38.Jagannath – Lord Of The Universe
39.Janardhana – One Who Bestows Boons On One And All
40.Jayantah – Conqueror Of All Enemies
41.Jyotiraaditya – The Resplendence Of The Sun
42.Kamalnath – The Lord Of Goddess Lakshmi
43.Kamalnayan – The Lord With Lotus Shaped Eyes
44.Kamsantak – Slayer Of Kamsa
45.Kanjalochana – The Lotus-Eyed God
46.Keshava – One Who Has Long, Black Matted Locks
47.Krishna – Dark-Complexioned Lord
48.Lakshmikantam – The Lord Of Goddess Lakshmi
49.Lokadhyaksha – Lord Of All The Three Lokas (Worlds)
50.Madan – The Lord Of Love
51.Madhava – Knowledge Filled God
52.Madhusudan – Slayer Of Demon Madhu
53.Mahendra – Lord Of Indra
54.Manmohan – All Pleasing Lord
55.Manohar – Beautiful Lord
56.Mayur – The Lord Who Has A Peacock Feathered-Crest
57.Mohan – All Attractive God
58.Murali – The Flute Playing Lord
59.Murlidhar – One Who Holds The Flute
60.Murlimanohar – The Flute Playing God
61.Nandakumara – Son of Nanda
62.Nandgopala – The Son Of Nand
63.Narayana – The Refuge Of Everyone
64.Navaneethachora – makan (butter) chor
65.Niranjana – The Unblemished Lord
66.Nirguna – Without Any Properties
67.Padmahasta – One Who Has Hands Like Lotus
68.Padmanabha – The Lord Who Has A Lotus Shaped Navel
69.Parabrahmana – The Supreme Absolute Truth
70.Paramatma – Lord Of All Beings
71.Parampurush – Supreme Personality
72.Parthasarthi – Charioteer Of Partha – Arjuna
73.Prajapati – Lord Of All Creatures
74.Punyah – Supremely Pure
75.Purshottam – The Supreme Soul
76.Ravilochana – One Whose Eye Is The Sun
77.Sahasraakash – Thousand-Eyed Lord
78.Sahasrajit – One Who Vanquishes Thousands
79.Sakshi – All Witnessing Lord
80.Sanatana – The Eternal Lord
81.Sarvajana – Omniscient Lord
82.Sarvapalaka – Protector Of All
83.Sarveshwar – Lord Of All Gods
84.Satyavachana – One Who Speaks Only The Truth
85.Satyavrata – The Truth Dedicated Lord
86.Shantah – Peaceful Lord
87.Shreshta – The Most Glorious Lord
88.Shrikanta – Beautiful Lord
89.Shyam – Dark-Complexioned Lord
90.Shyamsundara – Lord Of The Beautiful Evenings
91.Sumedha – Intelligent Lord
92.Suresham – Lord Of All Demi-Gods
93.Swargapati – Lord Of Heavens
94.Trivikrama – Conqueror Of All The Three Worlds
95.Upendra – Brother Of Indra
96.Vaikunthanatha – Lord Of Vaikuntha, The Heavenly Abode
97.Vardhamaanah – The Formless Lord
98.Vasudev – All Prevailing Lord
99.Vishnu-All Prevailing Lord
100.Vishwadakshinah – Skillful And Efficient Lord
101.Vishwakarma – Creator Of The Universe
102.Vishwamurti – Of The Form Of The Entire Universe
103.Vishwarupa – One Who Displays The Universal Form
104.Vishwatma – Soul Of The Universe
105.Vrishaparvaa – Lord Of Dharma
106.Yadavendra – King Of The Yadav Clan
107.Yogi – The Supreme Master
108.Yoginampati – Lord Of The Yogis
1.Achala / Achal – Still Lord
2.Achyuta / Achyut – Infallible Lord
3.Adbhutah – Wonderful God
4.Adidev / Adideva / Adi deva – Lord Of The Lords
5.Aditya – Son Of Aditi
6.Ajanma – One Who Is Limitless And Endless
7.Ajaya / Ajeya / Ajay / Ajaya – Conqueror Of Life And Death
8.Akshara / Akshar – Indestructible Lord
9.Amrit / Amrut / Amrita / Amruta – Heavenly nectar or elixir
10.Anandsagar / Anandasagara / Anand Sagar / Ananda Sagara – Compassionate Lord
11.Ananta / Anant / Ananth / Anantha – Endless Lord
12.Anantajit / Anantjeet- Ever Victorious Lord
13.Anaya – One Who Has No Leader
14.Aniruddha – One Who Cannot Be Obstructed
15.Aparajeet / Aparajit / Aparajita – Lord Who Cannot Be Defeated
16.Avyukta – One Who Is As Clear As Crystal
17.Balgopal / Balagopala / Bala gopala / Bal gopal – Child Krishna, All Attractive
18.Balkrishna / Balakrishna / Bal krishen / Bala krsna- Child Krishna
19.Chaturbhuj / Chaturbhuja – Four-Armed Lord
20.Danavendra – Granter Of Boons
21.Dayalu – Repository Of Compassion
22.Dayanidhi – Compassionate Lord
23.Devadidev – God Of The Gods
24.Devakinandan / Davkinandan / Devki nandan / Devaki nandana – Son Of Mother Devaki
25.Devesh – Lord Of The Lords
26.Dharmadhyaksha – Lord OF Dharma
27.Dravin – One who has no Enemies
28.Dwarkapati – Lord Of Dwarka
29.Gopal / Gopala- One Who Plays With The Cowherds, The Gopis
30.Gopalpriya – Lover Of Cowherds
31.Govinda – One Who Pleases The Cows, The Land And The Entire Nature
32.Gyaneshwar – Lord Of Knowledge
33.Hari – Lord Of Nature
34.Hiranyagarbha – The All Powerful Creator
35.Hrishikesh – The Lord Of All Senses
36.Jagadguru – Preceptor Of The Universe
37.Jagadisha – Protector Of All
38.Jagannath – Lord Of The Universe
39.Janardhana – One Who Bestows Boons On One And All
40.Jayantah – Conqueror Of All Enemies
41.Jyotiraaditya – The Resplendence Of The Sun
42.Kamalnath – The Lord Of Goddess Lakshmi
43.Kamalnayan – The Lord With Lotus Shaped Eyes
44.Kamsantak – Slayer Of Kamsa
45.Kanjalochana – The Lotus-Eyed God
46.Keshava – One Who Has Long, Black Matted Locks
47.Krishna – Dark-Complexioned Lord
48.Lakshmikantam – The Lord Of Goddess Lakshmi
49.Lokadhyaksha – Lord Of All The Three Lokas (Worlds)
50.Madan – The Lord Of Love
51.Madhava – Knowledge Filled God
52.Madhusudan – Slayer Of Demon Madhu
53.Mahendra – Lord Of Indra
54.Manmohan – All Pleasing Lord
55.Manohar – Beautiful Lord
56.Mayur – The Lord Who Has A Peacock Feathered-Crest
57.Mohan – All Attractive God
58.Murali – The Flute Playing Lord
59.Murlidhar – One Who Holds The Flute
60.Murlimanohar – The Flute Playing God
61.Nandakumara – Son of Nanda
62.Nandgopala – The Son Of Nand
63.Narayana – The Refuge Of Everyone
64.Navaneethachora – makan (butter) chor
65.Niranjana – The Unblemished Lord
66.Nirguna – Without Any Properties
67.Padmahasta – One Who Has Hands Like Lotus
68.Padmanabha – The Lord Who Has A Lotus Shaped Navel
69.Parabrahmana – The Supreme Absolute Truth
70.Paramatma – Lord Of All Beings
71.Parampurush – Supreme Personality
72.Parthasarthi – Charioteer Of Partha – Arjuna
73.Prajapati – Lord Of All Creatures
74.Punyah – Supremely Pure
75.Purshottam – The Supreme Soul
76.Ravilochana – One Whose Eye Is The Sun
77.Sahasraakash – Thousand-Eyed Lord
78.Sahasrajit – One Who Vanquishes Thousands
79.Sakshi – All Witnessing Lord
80.Sanatana – The Eternal Lord
81.Sarvajana – Omniscient Lord
82.Sarvapalaka – Protector Of All
83.Sarveshwar – Lord Of All Gods
84.Satyavachana – One Who Speaks Only The Truth
85.Satyavrata – The Truth Dedicated Lord
86.Shantah – Peaceful Lord
87.Shreshta – The Most Glorious Lord
88.Shrikanta – Beautiful Lord
89.Shyam – Dark-Complexioned Lord
90.Shyamsundara – Lord Of The Beautiful Evenings
91.Sumedha – Intelligent Lord
92.Suresham – Lord Of All Demi-Gods
93.Swargapati – Lord Of Heavens
94.Trivikrama – Conqueror Of All The Three Worlds
95.Upendra – Brother Of Indra
96.Vaikunthanatha – Lord Of Vaikuntha, The Heavenly Abode
97.Vardhamaanah – The Formless Lord
98.Vasudev – All Prevailing Lord
99.Vishnu-All Prevailing Lord
100.Vishwadakshinah – Skillful And Efficient Lord
101.Vishwakarma – Creator Of The Universe
102.Vishwamurti – Of The Form Of The Entire Universe
103.Vishwarupa – One Who Displays The Universal Form
104.Vishwatma – Soul Of The Universe
105.Vrishaparvaa – Lord Of Dharma
106.Yadavendra – King Of The Yadav Clan
107.Yogi – The Supreme Master
108.Yoginampati – Lord Of The Yogis
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Sanatana dharma (sanatan), in Hinduism, term used to denote the “eternal” or absolute set of duties or religiously ordained practices incumbent upon all Hindus, regardless of class, caste, or sect. Different texts give different lists of the duties, but in general sanatana dharma consists of virtues such as honesty, refraining from injuring living beings, purity, goodwill, mercy, patience, forbearance, self-restraint, generosity, and asceticism. Sanatana dharma is contrasted with svadharma, one’s “own duty” or the particular duties enjoined upon an individual according to his or her class or caste and stage of life. The potential for conflict between the two types of dharma (e.g., between the particular duties of a warrior and the general injunction to practice non-injury) is addressed in Hindu texts such as the Bhagavad Gītā, where it is said that in such cases svadharma must prevail.
The term has also more recently been used by Hindu leaders, reformers, and nationalists to refer to Hinduism as a unified world religion. Sanatana dharma has thus become a synonym for the “eternal” truth and teachings of Hinduism, the latter conceived of as not only transcendent of history and unchanging but also as indivisible and ultimately nonsectarian.
Sanatan means something that is timeless. Dharma in colloquial parlance is religion. It can also mean culture and civilization. So, sanatan dharma can mean “timeless civilization”. In the Gita, Krishna describes the knowledge he shares as sanatana, timeless.
Sanatana Dharma is the oldest religion on earth .if we deep on that word which mean the “eternal" means “अनंत” no one know the age of this religion the cultural, traditional , format to explain universe facts and the life beyond time .
According to Vedic mathematics ,the age of sanatana Dharma is estimated to be 155.52 trillion years. Let’s see how it has come to this conclusion.
If some one consider the Vedic Scriptures, it is considered that 50 years of Brahma have elapsed. It means we are currently on the first day of the 51st year.
Within this day, six Manvantaras have already passed. We are living in the seventh Manvantara, named as Vaivasvatha Manvantara.
In this Manvantara, 27 Mahayugas, the Krita, Treta, and Dwapara Yugas of the 28th Mahayugas have elapsed.
This Kaliyuga is in the 28th Mahayuga.
The Kaliyuga started in the year 3102 BCE in the proleptic Julian calendar.
Sanatana Dharma is contrasted with savdharma. Which depicts also" eternal" endless ॐ.
(Adopted)
The term has also more recently been used by Hindu leaders, reformers, and nationalists to refer to Hinduism as a unified world religion. Sanatana dharma has thus become a synonym for the “eternal” truth and teachings of Hinduism, the latter conceived of as not only transcendent of history and unchanging but also as indivisible and ultimately nonsectarian.
Sanatan means something that is timeless. Dharma in colloquial parlance is religion. It can also mean culture and civilization. So, sanatan dharma can mean “timeless civilization”. In the Gita, Krishna describes the knowledge he shares as sanatana, timeless.
Sanatana Dharma is the oldest religion on earth .if we deep on that word which mean the “eternal" means “अनंत” no one know the age of this religion the cultural, traditional , format to explain universe facts and the life beyond time .
According to Vedic mathematics ,the age of sanatana Dharma is estimated to be 155.52 trillion years. Let’s see how it has come to this conclusion.
If some one consider the Vedic Scriptures, it is considered that 50 years of Brahma have elapsed. It means we are currently on the first day of the 51st year.
Within this day, six Manvantaras have already passed. We are living in the seventh Manvantara, named as Vaivasvatha Manvantara.
In this Manvantara, 27 Mahayugas, the Krita, Treta, and Dwapara Yugas of the 28th Mahayugas have elapsed.
This Kaliyuga is in the 28th Mahayuga.
The Kaliyuga started in the year 3102 BCE in the proleptic Julian calendar.
Sanatana Dharma is contrasted with savdharma. Which depicts also" eternal" endless ॐ.
(Adopted)
Re: NAME OF GOD IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
Concept of God in Zulu Nation
The Zulu community believes in an all-powerful, supreme and supernatural being called Unkulunkulu who is said to be the “greatest of the great”. He is the one who is the source of all power and also, he who owns all the power. Furthermore, he is the source of knowledge and wisdom.
Zulu traditional religion contains numerous deities commonly associated with animals or general classes of natural phenomena. Unkulunkulu is the highest god and is the creator of humanity. Unkulunkulu ("the greatest one") was created in Uhlanga, a huge swamp of reeds, before he came to Earth. Unkulunkulu is sometimes conflated with the sky god Umvelinqangi (meaning "he who was in the very beginning"), god of thunder, earthquake whose other name is Unsondo, and is the son of Unkulunkulu, the Father, and Nomkhubulwane, the Mother. The word nomkhubulwane means the one who shapeshifts into any form of an animal. Another name given for the supreme being Unkulunkulu is uSomandla, the ultimate source of all existence.
According to Irvin Hexham (1981), "there is no evidence of belief in a heavenly deity or sky god in Zulu religion before the advent of Europeans". However, other scholars such as Eileen Jensen Krige, Isaac Schapera, Axel-Ivar Berglund (1976), Hammond-Took, and John Mbiti disagree with Hexham's analysis. They argue that the "lord of heaven" or Zulu sky god has always existed in the traditional Zulu belief system, a deity who they argue is greater than the "archetypal ancestor and creator, Unkulunkulu".
Other deities include Nomhoyi, the goddess of rivers, and Nomkhubulwane, sometimes called the Zulu Demeter, who is a goddess of the rainbow, agriculture, rain and beer (which she invented). Still other deities are uNgungi, the deity of the blacksmiths; iNyanga the moon goddess associated with healers who are called IziNyanga, the word nyanga is a Zulu word for the moon; Sonzwaphi the deity of healing; and Ukhulukhulwana (or UkhuluKhukwan) a star being ancestor who came from the stars and found the ancient Zulus living like animals and without laws. He taught them to build huts and taught them the high laws of isiNtu. The word unkulunkulu is suspected to be a corruption of the word umkhuluwomkhulu. Unkulunkulu is a word used by European settlers to try to explain God to the people of Zululand. Mvelinqangi is the Zulu word for God and amazulu use their ancestors to connect to God as do other religions.
The four major ethnic divisions among Black South Africans are the Nguni, Sotho, Shangaan-Tsonga and Venda. The Nguni represent nearly two thirds of South Africa's Black population and can be divided into four distinct groups; the Northern and Central Nguni (the Zulu-speaking peoples), the Southern Nguni (the Xhosa-speaking peoples), the Swazi people from Swaziland and adjacent areas, and the Ndebele people of the Northern Province and Mpumalanga. Archaeological evidence shows that the Bantu-speaking groups, that were the ancestors of the Nguni, migrated down from East Africa as early as the eleventh century.
Language:
The Zulu language, of which there are variations, is part of the Nguni language group. The word Zulu means "Sky" and according to oral history, Zulu was the name of the ancestor who founded the Zulu royal line in about 1670. Today it is estimated that there are more than 45 million South Africans, and the Zulu people make up about approximately 22% of this number. The largest urban concentration of Zulu people is in the Gauteng Province, and in the corridor of Pietermaritzburg and Durban. The largest rural concentration of Zulu people is in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
IsiZulu is South Africa's most widely spoken official language. It is a tonal language understood by people from the Cape to Zimbabwe and is characterized by many "clicks". In 2006 it was determined that approximately 9 million South Africans speak Xhosa as a home language.
Adopted.
The Zulu community believes in an all-powerful, supreme and supernatural being called Unkulunkulu who is said to be the “greatest of the great”. He is the one who is the source of all power and also, he who owns all the power. Furthermore, he is the source of knowledge and wisdom.
Zulu traditional religion contains numerous deities commonly associated with animals or general classes of natural phenomena. Unkulunkulu is the highest god and is the creator of humanity. Unkulunkulu ("the greatest one") was created in Uhlanga, a huge swamp of reeds, before he came to Earth. Unkulunkulu is sometimes conflated with the sky god Umvelinqangi (meaning "he who was in the very beginning"), god of thunder, earthquake whose other name is Unsondo, and is the son of Unkulunkulu, the Father, and Nomkhubulwane, the Mother. The word nomkhubulwane means the one who shapeshifts into any form of an animal. Another name given for the supreme being Unkulunkulu is uSomandla, the ultimate source of all existence.
According to Irvin Hexham (1981), "there is no evidence of belief in a heavenly deity or sky god in Zulu religion before the advent of Europeans". However, other scholars such as Eileen Jensen Krige, Isaac Schapera, Axel-Ivar Berglund (1976), Hammond-Took, and John Mbiti disagree with Hexham's analysis. They argue that the "lord of heaven" or Zulu sky god has always existed in the traditional Zulu belief system, a deity who they argue is greater than the "archetypal ancestor and creator, Unkulunkulu".
Other deities include Nomhoyi, the goddess of rivers, and Nomkhubulwane, sometimes called the Zulu Demeter, who is a goddess of the rainbow, agriculture, rain and beer (which she invented). Still other deities are uNgungi, the deity of the blacksmiths; iNyanga the moon goddess associated with healers who are called IziNyanga, the word nyanga is a Zulu word for the moon; Sonzwaphi the deity of healing; and Ukhulukhulwana (or UkhuluKhukwan) a star being ancestor who came from the stars and found the ancient Zulus living like animals and without laws. He taught them to build huts and taught them the high laws of isiNtu. The word unkulunkulu is suspected to be a corruption of the word umkhuluwomkhulu. Unkulunkulu is a word used by European settlers to try to explain God to the people of Zululand. Mvelinqangi is the Zulu word for God and amazulu use their ancestors to connect to God as do other religions.
The four major ethnic divisions among Black South Africans are the Nguni, Sotho, Shangaan-Tsonga and Venda. The Nguni represent nearly two thirds of South Africa's Black population and can be divided into four distinct groups; the Northern and Central Nguni (the Zulu-speaking peoples), the Southern Nguni (the Xhosa-speaking peoples), the Swazi people from Swaziland and adjacent areas, and the Ndebele people of the Northern Province and Mpumalanga. Archaeological evidence shows that the Bantu-speaking groups, that were the ancestors of the Nguni, migrated down from East Africa as early as the eleventh century.
Language:
The Zulu language, of which there are variations, is part of the Nguni language group. The word Zulu means "Sky" and according to oral history, Zulu was the name of the ancestor who founded the Zulu royal line in about 1670. Today it is estimated that there are more than 45 million South Africans, and the Zulu people make up about approximately 22% of this number. The largest urban concentration of Zulu people is in the Gauteng Province, and in the corridor of Pietermaritzburg and Durban. The largest rural concentration of Zulu people is in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
IsiZulu is South Africa's most widely spoken official language. It is a tonal language understood by people from the Cape to Zimbabwe and is characterized by many "clicks". In 2006 it was determined that approximately 9 million South Africans speak Xhosa as a home language.
Adopted.