Speakers’ Corner Conversation: Islamic Scholar and Hindu Devotee
Participants:
- Islamic Scholar: Engaging in religious dialogue
- Hindu Woman: Hare Krishna devotee
- Hindu Man: Intervenes later in the conversation
The Conversation
Scholar: Do you believe that God can become a small blue baby?
Hindu Woman: Yes, if He wants to desire.
Scholar: Okay. And this baby used to get told off by their mom?
Hindu Woman: Well, yes.
Scholar: God got told off by His mom?
Hindu Woman: Yes.
Scholar: And you believe that this child Krishna, when he grew up – you know the “gopies,” the milkmaids?
Hindu Woman: The “gopies,” yeah.
Scholar: Do you believe that when the milkmaids used to go and take off their clothes and wash in the river, that he took all their clothes and hid them, and sat in a tree so he could watch the naked girls come out of the water?
Hindu Woman: These details are not important.
Scholar: It’s in your books though, isn’t it?
Hindu Woman: Yeah. So what we are trying to establish is that we are all part of God. Every living entity is an eternal servant of God. So these details about Krishna’s pastimes on earth, this is not what we should focus on. This is confidential information.
Scholar: It’s not confidential. It’s in your books. You know, if it’s confidential information, you tell me and say, “Please don’t tell anyone.” But when you write it in your book that God became a blue baby, that this blue baby was a naughty boy and his mom would discipline him… I would say that this is not a representation of God Almighty. These are invented stories.
Hindu Woman: That is your opinion.
Scholar: Yeah, but I think my opinion is valid and weighted.
Hindu Woman: It’s valid.
Scholar: So we believe in God – He’s almighty. When you say God can do anything, do you believe that God can be ignorant? Because we believe God is all-knowing. But if you say God can do anything, then do you believe that He can be ignorant? He can forget things? Can God be ignorant? Because you said God can do anything.
Hindu Woman: God, by His yoga maya potency, He can be covered by maya also, which is like ignorance. It is His own. He chooses to cover Himself.
Scholar: Can God stop existing?
Hindu Woman: No.
Scholar: Oh, but you said God can do anything.
Hindu Woman: Well, yeah, He can do anything. Oh yeah, maybe if He wanted to stop existing, He could.
Scholar: But then He wouldn’t be God, would He? You see my point? My point is, when I said to you, “Can Allah do anything?” – He can do anything, right?
Hindu Woman: Okay, I’ll answer you.
Scholar: When I said to you, “Do you believe that God became a small blue baby?” – you don’t think that God can do anything?
Hindu Woman: I will answer you. I will answer you. I’m just saying how we got to this point.
Scholar: When I asked you, “Did God become a small blue boy, a baby?” you said God can do anything. But I’ve shown you things which God doesn’t do because it’s not befitting His majesty. For example, we understand that God is almighty, all eternal, all-knowing. He’s perfect.
Hindu Woman: No, no, I already… Thank you very much. I respect your view, but we just don’t have time. Sorry, because this is actually how we survive.
Scholar: Do you believe in time?
Hindu Woman: Yes.
Scholar: But you have thousands of lifetimes according to your belief. So you do have time.
[At this point, a Hindu man interrupts the conversation]
Hindu Man: You’re using our philosophy. But you do have time.
Hindu Woman: I have to go. Sorry.
Scholar: No problem. Thank you very much.Â
Hindu Man:Â Thank you for what you’re doing. But we also have our own preaching to do.
Scholar: Yeah, but yours is very dangerous.
Hindu Man: All right. Thank you.
[The Hindu woman is taken away by her companion]
Scholar’s Reflection After the Conversation
Scholar: Alhamdulillah. So, alhamdulillah, just briefly – the young lady, she’s a Hindu, she’s a Hare Krishna. She came with the same argument Christians come with, which should be noted.
They believe that God manifests many times in many places, and they believe that Krishna, who was a small blue baby who, according to their books, as a child was a naughty child and would be disciplined and told off by his mother. At the same time, when he grew up, as I mentioned, according to their books, there were milkmaids who used to wash in a river and they would take off all their clothes. So Krishna, who they say is a manifestation of God, hid all their clothes and sat in a tree so he could watch the naked young ladies come out of the river. And then they’re saying that this is Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. This is – Subhan Allah – it’s beyond comprehension that someone can believe this.
When we asked the lady about it, her simple answer was that God can do anything. So when we asked them, “Can God become ignorant?” – they can’t answer. “Can God become weak?” – they can’t answer. “Can God stop existing?” – they can’t answer. Why? Because Allah, He is eternal and He is perfect in His names and attributes. So He doesn’t become deficient in any way. These things which they attribute to God are not befitting of the majesty of the Almighty, all-knowing, all-powerful Creator, the One who deserves to be worshiped.
So they have these beliefs, they have these ideas. But when you challenge them, then they cannot answer. And what I noticed is amazing – when the Christians say that God became a man and this man was in the womb of his mother Mary for the period that a child is in the mother’s womb, then it came out the mother’s womb and it fed from the mother’s milk, it would have human needs of being hungry or being tired – they, the Christians, say “but God can do anything,” which is the same answer as the Hindus. So you can see where this philosophy and this idea has come from.
All of the messengers are completely free of this. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad – peace be upon them all. None of them taught this. They all taught that God is One alone, eternal, perfect in His names and attributes, and only He deserves to be worshiped. That’s why Islam is the only true religion. As Allah mentioned in the Quran, that verily the religion with Allah is Islam – submission to Allah.
And Allah says in chapter 3 of the Quran, ayah 85: “If anybody chooses a way of life, a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from them, and in the hereafter they will be amongst the losers.”
Allah mentions in chapter 51 of the Quran: Allah said He did not create mankind and jinn except to worship Him. We have been created to recognize one God and worship Him alone and live a life which is pleasing to Him.
And this last point – in chapter 16 of the Quran, verse 36, Allah mentions: Allah said, “We have sent in every nation, in every people, a messenger calling the people to worship Allah alone and forbidding them from worshiping other than the one true God.” So this is the message of Jesus, Moses, Abraham, and the final messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him). May Allah guide us to that which He’s pleased with and that which He loves.
And we have to accept that Allah sent messengers. All of the previous messengers were sent to a particular place, a particular people, a particular nation. But the last messenger (peace be upon him) was sent for all mankind. Alhamdulillah, as Allah clearly mentions in chapter 7 of the Quran: “O mankind” – he was commanded by Allah to say – “O mankind, I am the messenger of Allah to all of you.”
So it is upon all mankind to accept Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the final messenger. There’s an authentic hadith collected by Imam Muslim, which is narrated that the messenger (peace be upon him) said: “There is no one from amongst the Jews and the Christians who hear of me – who hear of Muhammad (peace be upon him) – and they die not accepting that which I came with, except that they will be from the people of the hellfire.”
Q&A: Understanding Divine Attributes in Different Religious Traditions
Religious Dialogue on Divine Nature and Manifestation
Q: Do you believe that God can take any form, including becoming a small child?
A: Some religious traditions hold that God can manifest in various forms, including as a human child. However, this raises important theological questions about the nature of divinity and what attributes are befitting of the Supreme Being.
Q: If God can do anything, does that mean God can also be ignorant or forgetful?
A: This is a fundamental question in theology. While some believe God’s omnipotence means He can do anything, others argue that certain states – like ignorance, weakness, or non-existence – are incompatible with the very definition of divine perfection. The concept of God being “covered by maya” (illusion) is one explanation offered, suggesting God chooses to limit His awareness, though this remains a matter of theological debate.
Q: Can God stop existing?
A: Most theological traditions would say no, as eternal existence is considered a fundamental attribute of divinity. If God could cease to exist, many would argue this would contradict the basic definition of what makes God, God.
Q: How do we determine what actions or attributes are appropriate to ascribe to God?
A: This depends on one’s understanding of divine perfection. Many theological traditions maintain that God possesses perfect attributes – being all-knowing, all-powerful, eternal, and free from deficiency. Actions or states that would represent imperfection, weakness, or moral compromise are considered inconsistent with divine nature.
Q: What about stories in religious texts that describe divine figures in seemingly human situations?
A: Different traditions interpret these narratives differently. Some see them as literal historical accounts, others as allegorical teachings, and still others as symbolic representations of spiritual truths. The key question is whether these stories enhance or diminish one’s understanding of divine majesty and perfection.
Q: Are there common themes across different prophetic traditions regarding the nature of God?
A: Many major prophetic traditions emphasize similar themes: the oneness of God, His eternal nature, His perfection in all attributes, and that He alone deserves worship. Figures like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad are often cited as teaching these fundamental principles about divine unity and transcendence.
Q: How should one approach differences in religious understanding?
A: Religious dialogue benefits from respectful questioning, logical reasoning, and reference to authentic source materials. When examining any religious claim, it’s important to consider whether it aligns with the concept of divine perfection and majesty that most traditions seek to uphold.
Q: What is the significance of prophetic teachings in understanding God’s nature?
A: Prophetic teachings are considered by believers to provide authentic guidance about divine attributes and proper worship. Many argue that all true prophets taught consistent messages about God’s unity, perfection, and transcendence, regardless of the specific communities they were sent to serve.
Q: Why do some religious conversations end abruptly when challenging questions are raised?
A: This can happen when individuals feel unprepared to address complex theological questions, when they perceive a threat to their existing beliefs, or when social pressure discourages continued dialogue. Genuine seekers of truth generally benefit from engaging with thoughtful questions rather than avoiding them.
Q: What role does reason play in religious belief?
A: Many theological traditions emphasize that faith and reason should work together harmoniously. When religious beliefs appear to contradict logical reasoning or moral intuition, this often signals the need for deeper examination and clarification of those beliefs.
This Q&A format presents theological questions and perspectives that commonly arise in interfaith dialogue, encouraging thoughtful reflection on divine attributes and the nature of religious truth across different traditions.
