Is your God different from mine?
I read a somewhat old news today in which it had been
mentioned that some really educated person had filed a
petition in the Kerala High Court challenging the
constitutional validity of taking of Oath of
Allegiance to the Constitution in the name of Allah as
Constitution allows that the oath sould be taken in
the name of God or it should be solemnly affirmed.
That made me wonder whether Allah is just another name
for God or does it mean something else.
I must admit that I am a rustic man and have always
believed that Ram, Rahim, Krishan, Karim, Allah,
Khuda, Ishwar, Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh etc. were all
the names of what we call "God" in English. However,
I find that I was being too simple. Many articles and
may be books have been written by learned men to prove
that Brahma is not Allah and Ram is not Rahim and so
on. That made me wonder whether there is some
deficinency of gray matter in my brain or whether my
skull was so thick that such philosophical intricacies
never penetrated it.
Well, I was never a brilliant man and failed to
understand the subtle symbolism of various religions.
In my naive attitude, I thought that what the
Christians called Angels and Muslims called Faishtey,
were the same as Hindus called dieties. Once, as a
child after listening to Radio Multan, I started
reciting the couplet, "Kadir Yaar, Shabbir Thitham.
Jehrha Sabh Peeran Da Peer Thitham." I thought that
this means that creator is all powerful and he is
teacher of all teachers. However, my father was
rather annoyed at my singing this couplet. He chided
me and asked me to recite the first stanza of "Japji
Sahib" (A collection of Holy verses by Guru Nanak)
instead. I agreed to do what he wanted me to do but
picked up courage to ask whether I could sing the
couplet,"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 feet
when we are alive but it is above us when we die). My
father replied that I could sing this couplet because
Farid ji's verses were recorded in the Holy Guru
Granth Sahib (Holy Book of the Sikhs).
Well, I have not had an analytical mind right from my
childhood and could not distinguish between various
names of God. I remember that my father who was a
Trade Unionist was once implicated in a false case and
I went to Court with him to meet our lawyer. Our
lawyer was busy taking tea with another lawyer. My
father told me, "Let us wait. Our Lawyer is having
tea with the Government Lawyer who is on the other
side." I replied to my father, "Let us engage another
lawyer. This lawyer must not be reliable as he is
drinking tea with our opponent." My father laughed at
me and told me that it was quite one thing to fight a
case and to maintain good relations. However, I was
not convinced.
When I went to college and came to visit my father in
my holidays, his friend who was a police officer asked
me, "Do you know the difference between "Viceroy" and
"Governor General"?" I replied that there was no
difference between the two as they were agents of
British imperialist Government. My father's friend
heaved a deep sigh and replied, "Well, you will never
make to IAS." And he was right. I could never become
an IAS. Now, I am an old man but I have not changed.
Despite the arguments of learned scholars, I still
hold the view that my God is not different from your
God. To be more precise, I still hold the view that
Ram, Rahim, Krishan, Karim, Allah, Khuda, Waheguru,
Ishwar, Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, etc. are names of the
same God. I am ready to greet a Muslim with "Aslaama
Lekum" but I would certainly feel hurt if he does not
reply with "Wa Lekum Aslam" as once a Muslim colleague
of mine had done. Similarly, I am ready to greet a
Hindu with "Ram, Ram." provided he also replies to me
with "Ram Ram". In this regard, I am a follower of
Gandhi who said, "Ishwar, Allah Tere Naam. Sabko
Sammati De Bhagwan". Of course I do not agree with
the economic theories of Gandhi but I once again state
that I am in agreement with him over Ishwar being
Allah.