Is your God different from Mine?

Saturday, June 9, 2007
Is your God different from Mine?
I read a somewhat old news today in which it had beenmentioned that some really educated person had filed apetition in the Kerala High Court challenging theconstitutional validity of taking of Oath ofAllegiance to the Constitution in the name of Allah asConstitution allows that the oath should be taken inthe name of God or it should be solemnly affirmed. That made me wonder whether Allah is just another namefor God or does it mean something else.I must admit that I am a rustic man and have alwaysbelieved that Ram, Rahim, Krishan, Karim, Allah,Khuda, Ishwar, Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh etc. were allthe names of what we call "God" in English. However,I find that I was being too simple. Many articles andmay be books have been written by learned men to provethat Brahma is not Allah and Ram is not Rahim and soon. That made me wonder whether there is somedeficinency of gray matter in my brain or whether myskull was so thick that such philosophical intricaciesnever penetrated it. Well, I was never a brilliant man and failed tounderstand the subtle symbolism of various religions. In my naive attitude, I thought that what theChristians called Angels and Muslims called Faishtey,were the same as Hindus called dieties. Once, as achild after listening to Radio Multan, I startedreciting the couplet, "Kadir Yaar, Shabbir Thitham. Jehrha Sabh Peeran Da Peer Thitham." I thought thatthis means that creator is all powerful and he isteacher of all teachers. However, my father wasrather annoyed at my singing this couplet. He chidedme and asked me to recite the first stanza of "JapjiSahib" (A collection of Holy verses by Guru Nanak)instead. I agreed to do what he wanted me to do butpicked up courage to ask whether I could sing thecouplet,"Farida! Khak Na Nindiye, Khakun Jerh Na Koye.Jeevandiyan Pairan Tale, Moiyan Upar Hoye" (Oh Farid,do not treat dust with contempt. It is below our feetwhen we are alive but it is above us when we die). Myfather replied that I could sing this couplet becauseFarid ji's verses were recorded in the Holy GuruGranth Sahib (Holy Book of the Sikhs).Well, I have not had an analytical mind right from mychildhood and could not distinguish between variousnames of God. I remember that my father who was aTrade Unionist was once implicated in a false case andI went to Court with him to meet our lawyer. Ourlawyer was busy taking tea with another lawyer. Myfather told me, "Let us wait. Our Lawyer is havingtea with the Government Lawyer who is on the otherside." I replied to my father, "Let us engage anotherlawyer. This lawyer must not be reliable as he isdrinking tea with our opponent." My father laughed atme and told me that it was quite one thing to fight acase and to maintain good relations. However, I wasnot convinced.When I went to college and came to visit my father inmy holidays, his friend who was a police officer askedme, "Do you know the difference between "Viceroy" and"Governor General"?" I replied that there was nodifference between the two as they were agents ofBritish imperialist Government. My father's friendheaved a deep sigh and replied, "Well, you will nevermake to IAS." And he was right. I could never becomean IAS. Now, I am an old man but I have not changed. Despite the arguments of learned scholars, I stillhold the view that my God is not different from yourGod. To be more precise, I still hold the view thatRam, Rahim, Krishan, Karim, Allah, Khuda, Waheguru,Ishwar, Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, etc. are names of thesame God. I am ready to greet a Muslim with "AslaamaLekum" but I would certainly feel hurt if he does notreply with "Wa Lekum Aslam" as once a Muslim colleagueof mine had done. Similarly, I am ready to greet aHindu with "Ram, Ram." provided he also replies to mewith "Ram Ram". In this regard, I am a follower ofGandhi who said, "Ishwar, Allah Tere Naam. SabkoSammati De Bhagwan". Of course I do not agree withthe economic theories of Gandhi but I once again statethat I am in agreement with him over Ishwar beingAllah.
3:05:57 PM
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