Islamabad Hindu Temple
I think I am very clear in what I have stated above. And as I have alluded to before, I don’t find myself qualified enough to know what applies on others and what doesn’t.
It’s a sin for those who know it is a sin. Meaning worshiping idols is a sin for muslims. If hindus believe worshiping idols is actually worshiping the true God, it’s not a sin for them. However our responsibility here is two fold: 1. Allow them to practice their religion freely thats the right God has given to all humans. 2. Tell them what they are doing is not right and give them Quran and answer any questions they might have. If they get the point but continue their old practice for any reasons be it social economic or political they become sinners of God who says He wont forgive shirk but may forgive other sins.
“Helping people practice the faith of their choice is a great virtue of a muslim” Does it mean Muslims are encouraged to assist building the temple of idol worship for polytheists ? Since it is a great virtue of Muslim, it should be encouraged as a good practice.
Yes. Giving them their rights is your obligation. Giving them the truth is God responsibly. Dont worry about who they are worshiping. Your responsibility to help Deen is limited to conveying the message only. The idols are in their hearts – the temple does not increase or decrease the sin. They hearts needs a change. Thats possible only thru discussions and respecting their rights first. Creating a confrontation will never help them turn to the truth.
See verse 22:40 where God tells us how he saved churches and other worship places.
I think there would need to be a line drawn. A temple is definitely going to be used for shirk. The water ‘may’ be used for shirk. Also water is a basic necessity not just for committing shirk- but for life- you would be murdering someone by this. It is not that we should not allow shirk to occur in the sense that kill all Mushriks to prevent it. But we should not directly enable it
I agree with your point. There is no Qur’an verse or Hadith which says that a good Muslim should help or donate his money/energy in helping polytheists build their temples. The only provision which I can find is under treaty that their existing places of worship will be protected and not destroyed by Muslim armies/rulers. I am not sure if this provision also, is only applicable to Jews/Christians alone or also extended to Hindu polytheists who do idol worship.
A child coming into the world without marriage, is a problem only because of our society, which doesn’t accept such children, without any fault of those children. Many children are born to the parents who don’t love each other, but are together only because divorce is a taboo in society. I think unless you cheat someone, there is no inherent immorality in itself to have sex outside marriage. It is impractical, but not immoral. Anyway, this discussion may be going into marriage/sex/societal acceptance, which we can discuss in a separate thread, but the basic point is .. there are these acts which the people who commit them, don’t find immoral, but they are considered sinful acts in Islam.. same with idol worship. In fact idol worship is a bigger sin than sex outside marriage, according to Islam. So, I tend to agree with your point Ahmad Shoaib bhai, that helping them in idol worship is a bigger problem than helping them in sex outside marriage.
Which lesser evil sin for example?