Courtesy and Copyright Sarvadeshik Arya Pratinidhi Sabha

Friends this piece is verbatim and represents excerpts from Chapter 14 of Swami’s magnum opus Satyarth Prakash or Light of Truth. The extracts are structured in a manner whereby part A is a sentence with Sura or Chapter reference and the author’s comments start with the word C. The piece is divided into three chapters based on para numbers –

1. Paras 1-35.
2. Paras 36-109.
3. Paras 111-152.

“The object aimed at by this criticism is to contribute to the elevation of the human race and to enable all men to sift truth from falsehood by giving them some idea of the teachings of various prevalent religions, as this will afford them opportunities for friendly discussions-so useful in helping men to point out their defects and to appreciate their merits.

It is not our purpose to falsely condemn this or any other religion. On the contrary what we aim at is that whatever is true should be recognized as such and whatever is false should be condemned as such, so that no one should be in a position to palm off untruth for truth or hinder the progress of truth. One is, of course, free to accept truth or for the matter of that even refuse to do so after it has been published; compulsion being impossible in such matters. Good men will, as a rule, after they have realized their merits and demerits, imbibe good qualities and reject bad ones and eradicate bigotry and prejudice wherever found. Who does not know something of the prodigious amount of evil that has been wrought by bigotry? The truth is that it is unworthy of a human being to injure others and to throw away his own chance of happiness in this uncertain and transient life. In case the good reader comes across, in this criticism, anything contrary to facts, it is hoped he will point it out and we shall make the suggested changes if called for, since this criticism is designed to diminish bigotry, obstinacy, jealousy, malice, hatred, and (love of) useless wrangling and not to promote them. It is our first and for most duty to avoid injuring others and to further the well being of each other. We lay this criticism on the Mohammedan religion before all lovers of truth in the hope that they, after having gone carefully through it, accept what appeals to their reason and common sense and discard what is repugnant to them.

Now we shall examine (the doctrines of) the Mohammedan religion.

1. (I begin this book) In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. (1*).
C. - The Mohammedans claim that this Qoran is the Word of God, but it appears from the above passage that the author of this book was some person other than God, since had it been God himself, He would not have said: “(I begin this book) in the name of God etc.” He would have, instead, said: “(I write this book for the instruction of mankind.” If it be said that by beginning His book in this fashion He means to teach men as to what they should say when about to do a thing, it cannot be true, since some men will do even sinful deeds in the name of God and thereby bring disgrace on Him. If (the Mohammedan) God be merciful, why has He sanctioned that men should inflict great suffering on other creatures by killing them for their food. Are not these animals innocent? Are they not His creatures? He should have also advised men to begin only good deeds in His name and not evil ones. Thus the passage (under discussion) is quite ambiguous. Should even such sinful acts, as theft, adultery, untruthfulness in speech, be begun in God’s name? Very likely it is on account of this ambiguity that the (Mohammedan) butchers etc., mutter “In the name of God, the compassionate, the most Merciful at the moment of cutting the throats of cows and other animals.”

It is clear then that the Mohammedans do begin even evil deeds in the name of God. The Mohammedan God can never be called Merciful, because He shows no mercy towards those animals (whose slaughter He sanctions). If the Mohammedans do not know the true meaning of this passage, its revelation is of no use to mankind. But if the Mohammedans interpret it differently, we should like to know what its plain meaning is.

2. Praise be to God, the Lord of all creatures, the Compassionate, the Merciful. (I. I, 2.)
C. - Had the God of the Qoran been the Lord of all creatures, and been Merciful and kind to all, He would never have commanded the Mohammedans to slaughter men of other faiths, and animals, etc. if He is Merciful, will He show mercy even to the sinners? If the answer be given in the affirmative, it cannot be true, because further on it is said in the Qoran “Put Infidels to sword,” in other words, he that does not believe in the Qoran and the Prophet Mohammad is an infidel (he should, therefore, be put to death). (Since the Qoran sanctions such cruelty to non-Mohammedans and innocent creatures such as cows) it can never be the Word of God.

4. Non-existence of Soul - The path of those to whom Thou hast been gracious, not of those against whom Thou art incensed, nor of those who go astray. (I. 6, 7.)
C. - Since the Mohammedans do not believe in the previous existence of the soul, nor that it ever did any deeds before, their God will be open to the charge of being partial by showing favor to some and disfavor to others inasmuch as it is quite unjust to bestow happiness on men or subject them to pain and suffering without paying any regard to their merits and demerits. It is also against the nature (of God) to unreasonably look at some with mercy and others with disdain and anger. indeed He cannot act arbitrarily. When the souls have done no good or bad action in their previous lives, is it not unfair that some should receive blessings while the others not. The commentary on this verse says: “God Himself made the people repeat this verse with their own lips so hat they should ever do so in future.” If this be the case, God Himself must have taught them even the alphabet. Besides, how could they read this verse without knowing the alphabet? Or were they made to learn it by rote? If so. the whole of the Qoran must have been taught orally.

Now this book, which is so full of partiality and favoritism (to some), cannot be the Word of God. For instance the Qoran having been revealed in Arabia, it was easier for the Arabs to learn it, than for others. The would have been free from this defect, had it been revealed like the Veda in language which is altogether distinct from all other languages and is not the mother-tongue of any people, just as God, through his justice vouchsafed unto us all His Word, the Veda in Sanskrit which requires the same amount of exertion from persons of all nationalities to be mastered.

5. Koran & Bible - There is no doubt in this book; it is a direction to the pious who believed in the mysteries of faith, who observe the appointed times of prayer, and distribute alms out of what we have bestowed on them; and who believed in that revelation, which hath been sent down unto thee, and that which hath been sent down unto the prophets before thee, and have firm assurance in the life to come: these are directed by their Lord and they shall prosper. As for the unbelievers it will be equal to them whether thou admonish them, or do not admonish them; they will not believe-God hath sealed up their hearts and their hearing; dimness covereth their sight and they shall suffer a grievous punishment. (II. 1-6.)

C. - Is it not arrogance on the part of God to praise His own book? The revelation of the Koran is of no use, since the pious are already treading the right path without extrinsic aid, while the wicked are not directed by it. Does God provide (the Mohammedans) with the necessary cash to defray all their expenses out of His own treasury without any exertion on their part or paying heed to their merits and demerits? If He does, why does He not do the same for all, and why do the Mohammedans then work at all? If it is permissible to have faith also in the Bible, why do not the Mohammedans believe n that book in the same way as they do in the Qoran? But if they do, where is then the necessity for the Qoran to be revealed? If it be argued that the Qoran is more comprehensive than the Bible, it might be asked if God had forgotten to write anything in the latter book. If He had not, it was useless for Him to reveal the Qoran. Besides we find that the bible and the Qoran differ so little, in other words, they are at one with each other in most things, it is therefore, reasonable to ask why the revelation was not sent down (once for all) in one (complete) book such as the Veda?

Should one believe in the last day alone? Are the Christians and the Mohammedans alone directed by the Lord? Are there no sinners among them? Should even the unrighteous among the Mohammedans and the Christians prosper, but not even the righteous among others? Does it not show want of justice and equity in God? Is it not an exparte decree to call those, who do not profess to believe in the Islam? Infidels? If God hath sealed their hearts and their hearing and this leads them to commit sin, they are not to blame. The fault at the door of God Himself. This being the case, why should some suffer while others enjoy happiness ?

Thus the human soul cannot be held responsible for its sinful or virtuous deeds since it cannot be said to be a free agent.

7. Who hath spread the earth as a bed for you and the heaven as a covering? (II. 20.)
C. - Well! Can the heaven be a covering for anything? Now does it not show ignorance (of the author of the Qoran)? It is absurd to believe in the sky being a covering. If the Mohammedans believe some kind of planet to be the heaven, it can only be the work of their own imagination.
11. And when we said unto the angels, worship Adam; they all worshipped him except Eblis (Satan), who refused and was puffed up with pride and became of the number of the unbelievers. (II. 32.)
C. - This indicates that the Mohammedan God was not Omniscient i.e., He was not cognizant of the three periods of time the past, the present, and the future. Had He been Omniscient, He would not have created Satan. Nor was God All-powerful, since when Satan deliberately refused to obey Him he could do nothing against him. Now if only one infidel (Satan), could trouble God so much as to render Him helpless what He and His votaries do when they will have to cope with millions (according to their own belief) of infidels? God increased infirmity in some and led others astray. He must have learnt such things from Satan and Satan from God.

14. We gave Moses the book and the miracles. We said unto them, be ye changed into scouted apes. And we made them an example unto those who were contemporary with them and unto those who came after them, and a warning to the pious. (II. 53.)
C. - If the book was given to Moses, the revelation of the Qoran becomes meaningless. Both Qoran and the Bible assert that Moses was endowed with miraculous powers, but it is absolutely incredible, inasmuch as no man can work miracles now days, and what cannot be done in our day, could never have been done in the past.

Moses must have resorted to hypocrisy in the same way as the selfish impose upon the credulity of the ignorant at the present time. Now why does not God endow anyone with miraculous powers when both He and His devotees exist in our day? Where was the necessity of sending down the Qoran when God had already given Moses a book? If the teachings about doing good and abstaining from evil are the same in the Bible and the Qoran, the sending down of two different books was nothing but a mere repetition of the same. Again did God forget to record something in the book given to Moses that He had to send down another book later on?

Now either what God said regarding their (transgressors’) being changed into scouted apes in order to make an example for others never came to pass or He must have resorted to trickery?

Whoever does such things cannot be God, nor can the book containing them be divine in origin.

15. So God raiseth the dead to life, and showed you his signs, that peradventure ye may understand. (II. 67.)
C. - If God raised the dead to life (in the past), why does He not do so now? Will they all remain lying in their graves till the Day of Judgment? Is your God on tour in these days (that He cannot find time to administer justice)? Are these (raising the dead etc.) the only proofs (of the existence) of God? Are not the earth, the sun, and the moon, etc., His signs? Is the wonderful design so manifestly seen existing in the world of no significance?

17. Koran & Bible - And when we made a covenant with you that ye should not shed you own blood, nor expel one another from your abodes, then ye ratified it and yourselves were witnesses. Then were ye the very persons who slew one another: and ye drove out a part of your own people from their abodes. (II. 78, 79.)
C. - Is the making of covenants the work of man, possessed of finite powers, or of a God? God being Omniscient cannot behave like an ordinary man. Now what kind of virtue is this to consider it wrong to shed the blood of one’s brethren or to dispossess them of their houses, but to regard it commendable to send the blood of others and dispossess them of their houses? It is merely the result of folly and prejudice to believe in such things. Did not God know it before hand that men would act against their covenant? It appears from this that the Mohammedan God has many attributes in common with the God of the Christians and that the Koran is not an independent book in itself, and with a few exceptions it is a mere echo of the Bible.

26. Whichever way ye turn, there is the face of God. (II. 109).
C. - If this is true, why the Mohammedans turn their face towards Qibla (i.e., the sacred Mosque at Mecca)? If it be argued that they have been commanded to do so, to answer that they have also been permitted to turn their face in whatever direction they choose. Now which of these two (contradictory statements) should be held to be true. If God has a face, it can only be in one direction and not in all directions at one and the same time.

27. Koran on Creation - Sole Maker of the Heavens and the Earth! And when He decreeth a thing, He only saith to it, “Be” it is. (II. 111).
C. - Now who heard God when He said, “Be”? Whom did He address that word and what came into being? Where from did this world come into existence when it is written in the Qoran that nothing but God existed before Creation? No effect can be produced without a cause. How could He have then created this vast universe without a (material) cause. You cannot even make one leg of a fly, how can you then believe that God created this world by the flat of His Will.

Mohammedans.- God is Almighty. He can do whatever He wills.

C. - What does the word Almighty mean?
M. - It means that He can do whatever He likes.

C. - Can He create another God? Can He die? Can He become ill, ignorant or destitute of knowledge?
M. - No, He cannot.

C. - It is proved then that God cannot do any thing against His Own nature, attributes and characteristics or against those of others (the nature, attributes and characteristics or against those of others (the matter and the soul). Three things are essential for the production of an effect: -

1. The (Efficient Cause) Maker, such as the potter in the case of a pot.
2. The Material Cause, such as clay.
3. The instruments wherewith to make an object like a pot.

Now just as the potter, clay, and the necessary instruments must exist before the pot can be manufactured, likewise, God, and prakrati-the material cause of the Universe-with their inherent nature, attributes and characteristics must have existed before this Universe came into being. Hence what the Qoran says on Creation is altogether absurd.

30. Idol-worship - We have seen thee turning towards every part of Heaven; but we will have thee turn to Kibla, which shall please thee. Turn then thy face towards the sacred Mosque, and wherever ye be, turn your face, towards the part. (II.139.)
C. - Now is this trivial idolatry? We should think, it is the crudest form of idolatry.

Mohammedan. - We Mohammedans are not image-worshippers but image-breakers, because we do not believe that Kibla is God.
C. - They too, whom you call image-worshippers, do not regard the image as God. They profess to worship God behind the image. If you are image-breakers, why do you not break that big image called Kibla (the sacred Mosque.)?

M. - Good! We have the authority of the Qoran in turning our faces towards the Kibla, while the image-worshippers have none in their Veda to worship images. We most obey God anyhow.
C. - Just as you have the authority of the Qoran, the image-worshippers have that of the Puranas. As you believe the Qoran to be the Word of God, even so do they believe the Puranas to be the Word of God’s incarnation, Vyas? The difference between the Pauranics and yourselves is this that you worship a big image, while they bow down before the smaller ones. Your case is just the same as that of a man who strains at a gnat but swallows a camel. Your Mohammad expunged the worship of small images from the Muslim faith, but introduced into it the worship of the sacred Mosque (at Mecca), which is as big as a hill. Is this idol worship on a small scale? You could free yourselves from image-worship and the like evil practices only by embracing the Vedic religion and not otherwise. Unless you give up the worship of your big image, you should feel ashamed of yourselves and abstain from condemning the worship of small images found in other faiths and purify your hearts by avoiding idolatry.

32. Show mercy to Muslims alone - God is severe in chastising. Follow not the steps of Satan, He only enjoineth upon you evil and wickedness and that ye should aver of God that which ye know not. (II. 164, 165.)
C. - Does your God punish the wicked and reward the virtuous, or does He shows mercy to the Mohammedans and torture others? If the latter, He is not God. But if your God is not partial (to you), He will reward the virtuous and punish the wicked whatever religion they may profess. This being the case, the belief in the Qoran and in Mohammad (as the prophet of God) becomes unnecessary. Why did God create Satan-the enemy of the human race who has been tempting all mankind? Is He not cognizant of the future? If you say, He has created Satan just to try man, it cannot be right because only one who is Omniscient is already aware of the good or evil deeds of the soul. Now if Satan tempts all mankind, who tempted Satan? If it were said that Satan tempts himself, why could not others tempt themselves? Where is then the necessity of supposing Satan to be the tempter of all mankind? If God was the tempter of the Devil, He was more devilish than the Devil. But such a thing could not be said of God. Whosoever goes astray from the right path does so through evil company and ignorance.

34. Fasting - You are allowed on the night of the fast to approach your wives, they are your garment and yu are their garment. God knoweth that ye defraud yourself therein, so He turneth unto you and forgiveth you! now, therefore, go in unto them with full desire for that which God hath ordained for you; and eat and drink until ye can discern a white thread from a black thread by the daybreak. (II. 183.)
C. - It seems that at the time the Mohammedan religion came into being or before that period some (Arab) must have asked a follower of the Puranas as to what was the mode of observing the Chandrayana fast, the latter being ignorant of the true method of observing this fast, which consists in decreasing or increasing one mouthful of food at a time in accordance with the increase or decrease in the digits of the moon and taking one’s food in the middle of the day, might have told him that one should take his food on seeing the moon. The Mohammedans have thus adopted the Chandrayana fast in a corrupted form. But there is one great difference between the two fasts: sexual intercourse is forbidden in the Chandrayana but is permitted in the Mohammedan fast since it is said (in the Qoran) “go in unto them with full desire.” Again, the Mohammedans are allowed to eat at nighttime as often as they like. Now what kind of fast is it to during the night and abstain from food during the day? It is contrary to the laws of nature to take one’s food during the night and abstain from it during the day.

35. Cruelty against Non-Muslims - And the fight for the cause of God against those who fight against you. And kill them wherever ye-shall find them; and eject them from whatever place they have ejected you! for civil discord is worse than courage. Fight therefore against them until there be no more civil discord. (II. 186, 187, 189.)
C. - Had not such teachings existed in the Qoran, the Mohammedans would not have been so cruel to the non-Mohammedans. They have greatly sinned by slaughtering the innocent. They hold that one who does not believe in the Mohammedan religion is an infidel, and that it is better to put the infidels to sword. They have always lived up to their professions in this respect. They have lost their political supremacy while “fighting” for the cause of their God. This religion does indeed teach cruelty towards the non-Mohammedans. Should theft be punished with theft? Should we also break into the house of a person because he has stolen our property? Surely this is not right. If an ignorant man abuses us, shall we also abuse him in return? Such things can never be taught by God nor by one of His enlightened votaries, nor could they be found in His Word. They can only be the utterances of an ignorant and selfish man.