Swami Vivekananda (1863 – 1902) was an Indian Hindu monk and a key figure in the introduction of the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world. He is credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion during the late 19th century.
Swami Vivekananda was a major force in the revival of Hinduism in India and is perhaps best known for his speech in which he introduced Hinduism at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1893.
An analysis of Vivekananda’s works easily reveals the fact that he has very superficial knowledge of even fundamental Islamic concepts such as Tauheed, Risalat, Aakhirat, Wahi and status and nature of Islamic laws.
At many places in his works, Vivekananda has made grave mistakes in comprehending the basic principles of Islam and sometimes his concept of Islam is totally opposite to Islamic teachings. This fallacy in proper understanding of Islamic concepts by Vivekananda is still seen in his followers even more than 100 years after his death.
Here we are quoting him to demonstrate the fact that even those people who do not believe in Islam and its Prophet as the true Messenger of Allah have no choice but to accept the greatness of Islam one way or other.
Spread of Religion: Islam vs Christianity
Comparing the spread of Islam with that of Christianity, Swami Vivekananda said:
“Compare the first three centuries of the quick spread of the civilization of Islam with the corresponding period of Christianity.
Christianity, during its first three centuries, was not even successful at making itself known to the world; and since the day when the sword of Constantine made a place for it in his kingdom, what support has Christianity ever lent to the spread of civilization, either spiritual or secular?”
Christianity can’t Support Modern World
“What reward did the Christian religion offer to that European Pandit who sought to prove for the first time that the Earth is a revolving planet?
What scientist has ever been hailed with approval and enthusiasm by the Christian Church?
Can the literature of the Christian flock consistently meet the requirements of legal jurisprudence, civil or criminal, or of arts and trade policies?
Even now the “Church” does not sanction the diffusion of profane literature.
Is it possible, still, for a man who has penetrated deep into modern learning and science to be an absolutely sincere Christian?”
Islam is the Message for Masses
“(Islam) came as a message for the masses. The first message was equality. There is one religion — love.
No more question of race, colour, (or) anything else. Join it! That practical quality carried the day.
The great message was perfectly simple. Believe in one God, the creator of heaven and earth. All was created out of nothing by Him”.
Islam Encourages Science and Learning
Comparing the encouragement given to learning in Islam while no such support is visible in Christian gospel, Vivekananda said:
“In the New Testament there is no covert or overt praise of any arts and sciences”.
But there is scarcely any science or branch of art that is not sanctioned and held up for encouragement, directly or indirectly, in the Koran, or in the many passages of the Hadis, the traditional sayings of Mohammed.
The greatest thinkers of Europe — Voltaire, Darwin, Büchner, Flammarion, Victor Hugo, anti a host of others like them — are in the present times denounced by Christianity and are victims of the vituperative tongues of its orthodox community.
On the other hand, Islam regards such people to be believers in the existence of God, but only wanting in faith in the Prophet”.
Islam is the Way of Progress and Security
“Let there be a searching investigation into the respective merits of the two religions as regards their helpfulness, or the throwing of obstacles in the path of progress, and it will be seen that wherever Islam has gone, there it has preserved the aboriginal inhabitants — there those races still exist, their language and their nationality abide even to the present day.
Where can Christianity show such an achievement?
Where are, today, the Arabs of Spain, and the aboriginal races of America?
What treatment are the Christians according to the European Jews?
With the single exception of charitable organisations no other line of work in Europe is in harmony with the teachings of the Gospel.
Whatever heights of progress Europe has attained, every one of them has been gained by its revolt against Christianity — by its rising against the gospel.
If Christianity had its old paramount sway in Europe today, it would have lighted the fire of the Inquisition against such modern scientists as Pasteur and Koch, and burnt Darwin and others of his school at the stake.
In modern Europe Christianity and civilization are two different things. Civilization has now girded up her loins to destroy her old enemy, Christianity, to overthrow the clergy, and to wring educational and charitable institutions from their hands.
But for the ignorance-ridden rustic masses, Christianity would never have been able for a moment to support its present despised existence, and would have been pulled out by its roots; for the urban poor are, even now, enemies of the Christian Church!
Now compare this with Islam. In the Mohammedan countries, all the ordinances are firmly established upon the Islamic religion, and its own preachers are greatly venerated by all the officials of the State, and teachers of other religions also are respected.”1
No Religion gives Equality and Brotherhood Except Islam
On the topic of equality and brotherhood in humanity, Vivekananda says:
“Take Mohammedanism, for instance. Christian people hate no religion in the world so much as Mohammedanism. They think it is the very worst form of religion that ever existed.
As soon as a man becomes a Mohammedan, the whole of Islam receives him as a brother with open arms, without making any distinction, which no other religion does.
If one of your American Indians becomes a Mohammedan, the Sultan of Turkey would have no objection to dine with him. If he has brains, no position is barred to him.
In this country, I have never yet seen a church where the white man and the negro can kneel side by side to pray.
Just think of that: Islam makes its followers all equal — so, that, you see, is the peculiar excellence of Mohammedanism”. 2
At Another place
“What Mohammedanism comes to preach to the world is this practical brotherhood of all belonging to their faith”. 3
There is No Value in any Ideology without Islam!!
In a letter Written to Mohammed Sarfaraz Husain of Naini Tal, Vivekananda has accepted the practical superiority and achievement of Islam. The letter is reproduced below.4
ALMORA,
10th June, 1898.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
I appreciate your letter very much and am extremely happy to learn that the Lord is silently preparing wonderful things for our motherland.
Whether we call it Vedantism or any ism, the truth is that Advaitism is the last word of religion and thought and the only position from which one can look upon all religions and sects with love. I believe it is the religion of the future enlightened humanity. The Hindus may get the credit of arriving at it earlier than other races, they being an older race than either the Hebrew or the Arab; yet practical Advaitism, which looks upon and behaves to all mankind as one’s own soul, was never developed among the Hindus universally.
On the other hand, my experience is that if ever any religion approached to this equality in an appreciable manner, it is Islam and Islam alone.
Therefore I am firmly persuaded that without the help of practical Islam, theories of Vedantism, however fine and wonderful they may be, are entirely valueless to the vast mass of mankind.
We want to lead mankind to the place where there is neither the Vedas, nor the Bible, nor the Koran; yet this has to be done by harmonizing the Vedas, the Bible and the Koran. Mankind ought to be taught that religions are but the varied expressions of THE RELIGION, which is Oneness, so that each may choose that path that suits him best.
For our own motherland a junction of the two great systems, Hinduism and Islam — Vedanta brain and Islam body — is the only hope.
I see in my mind’s eye the future perfect India rising out of this chaos and strife, glorious and invincible, with Vedanta brain and Islam body.
Ever praying that the Lord may make of you a great instrument for the help of mankind, and especially of our poor, poor motherland.
Yours with love,
VIVEKANANDA.
References
1. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, p. 378-379
2. Ibid, p. 635
3. Ibid, p. 635
4. Ibid, p. 1720