Islam and Vedanta or the Advaita

Muslims believe that the Almighty has sent prophets and books to all corners of the Earth to civilize the humans and teach them the Tawheed which is the oneness of  God. While trying to view Hinduism in this context we find that many Quranic stories like those of Nooh, Lut, Abraham and Moses are also found in Hindu traditions, although the names of characters are different. The Vedantic concept of Advaita is similar to Tawheed which is the primary and most important part of Islam .

  Advaita meaning without a second is derived from Upanishdas. The philosophy of advaita states that There is only one supreme being and he is the only truth everything else is a part of the supreme reality or that Brahmaan and is illusion (Maya). The Tradition of Wahdatul Wajood in Islam states that the existence of the Sublime Being of the Almighty is compulsory and whatever else exists, is the manifestation of Allah and the spiritual part of Allah. Thus, in reality, there is only one single existence (i.e. Allah). The only difference lies in the concept that in Advaita the creator and the creation are same i.e. The Universe or Brahmaan whereas in Islam the creator and creation are different, Allah is the creator of the Universe. However, this difference is also evident in the Theories of Shankaracharya who believes in the former and the Ramanujam who insisted that God and man are different existence or being and not one.These are, however, minor differences and in fact should be welcomed as these invite discussion and research and thus increase the interest of Scholars as well as common people.  

In practice though, these differences are overwhelmed by the belief in one God who is Omnipotent and Omnipresent in his wisdom. The modern master of Vedanta Swami Vivekananda observed “ I believe it (Advaita and Vedanta) is the religion of the future enlightened humanity...I am firmly persuaded that without the help of practical Islam, theories of Vedantism, however fine and wonderful they maybe, are entirely valueless to the vast mass of mankind...For our own motherland a junction of the two great systems, Hinduism and Islam - Vedanta brain and Islam body - is the only hope...” and “our experience is that if ever the followers of any religion approach to this (Advaita) in an appreciable degree in the plane of practical work-a-day life-it may be quite unconscious generally of the deeper meaning and the underlying principle of such conduct, which the Hindus as a rule so clearly perceive - it is those of Islam and Islam alone....”. 

Those performing Yoga will appreciate that the effect Asanas of Yoga produce to rejuvenate the body and mind can also be produced by the movement of a person practicing Salat (Namaz) five times a day as all the joints of body are stretched and person focuses himself as if he is seeing the God as a universe or as a point and thus his body and noistrils are cleaned by Wadu and soul by the meditation. However, it doesn't mean that anyone of these can replace the other because the specific needs of the two are different.

Many great Muslim Scholars and Poets like Ibn Al Arabi, Ghazali, Rumi, Iqbal and others have given theories which directly or indirectly confirm the Advaita so we have two great religions which are so similar in their approach and theory yet as distinct in practice as Islam and Hinduism. All the great reformers of modern times like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Dayananda Saraswati, Vivekananda etc. tried to bridge this gap by telling people to shun Idol Workship.  

Yasser Iqbal Kidwai