From: ekrem@vlsivie.tuwien.ac.at (Ekrem Saban)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: Budhisim / Islam
Date: 12 Nov 1992 01:01:57 GMT
Organization: MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab
Reply-To: vlsivie.tuwien.ac.at!ekrem
NNTP-Posting-Host: wookumz.gnu.ai.mit.edu
Originator: gwydion@wookumz.gnu.ai.mit.edu

In article <30OCT199203491099@romeo.caltech.edu> f43703a@nucc.cc.nagoya-u.ac.jp (SUPRATIC GUPTA) writes:
 
   Can any one tell us the difference in Budhisim
   and Islam.

   Leave out the following well known differences

   1) Mohamad a prophet.

   2) Mohamad the last one.

   3) Existence of Quran.

   4) The way of praying.


   Please point out the Idiological differences.
   If you don't know about Islam well, tell us
   about Budhisim only. We will find out the Differences.
   What is the concept of god in Budhisim?

The most important difference is in the concept of God. Budhism is a
"reformed" form of Hinduism: Budha was originally a noble Hindu from
the highest (priest) cast. He showed a way to the Hindus which leads
to Nirwana WITHOUT reincarnation for ALL casts, i.e. he didn't regard
casts important as the new way was showing the way of bliss. With
other words, he didn't found a new religion but a new and short way to
salvation. He accepted the concept of God of the Hindus, which do not
believe in a transcendentaln God ( := "God is different from His
creatures and not inside them" ).

I was very surprised to read a few month ago that Hindus ARE believing
in one God, but with MANY forms ( appr. 330*10^6 !!). I never heard
that Budhists pray to different forms. A second information I got from
a Muslim Austrian who has lived for 6 month in Thailand and learned
Thai there. He told me that the Budha sculptures are not sacral at
all!! I thought that people were praying to them. But perhaps, this is
the difference between the "red cap" and "yellow cap" Budhists and the
Lamaist Budhist. As far as I know, the "red cap"s are living in
Indochina and are not praying to idols of any kind.


ISLAM, on the other hand, DOES teach the believe in a transcendental
God, called Allah, forbids any sculptures or paintings of (living)
animals/humans, allows praying or asking for forgivness only from
Allah (the second point is true for Sunnites), has strict forms of
prayer (not like in Hinduism; it may be similar in Budhism). The
concept of God is that He is Allknowing, Allmighty, Omnipresent,
Inerrant, in short, that He is a Perfect Being.

There are similarities also. Believe in one God, pilgirimage (Muslims
have to go to Kaaba if they are rich and healthy at least once in
life, will be freed of all sins and "like a newborn child" if they
follow the ritual as ordered. Without sins, they will go to paradise
and be near to God and He will be a friend to them; Budhists go to
pilgrimage to the sacred mountain Kailash in Tibet: it is circled
around on the plateau by standing up and laying down, than walking to
the place where the fingers had touched the ground and laying down
again. The circumference is about 55 km. If it is done 107 times in
life, the person will go to Nirwana ( := will be united with God)).

   ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

   PLease post following letter to Newsgroups related to ISLAM


   ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

   This is a real life problem. It is the problem of a girl.
   I call her "TRAPED GIRL". What is her status according to
   TRUE ISLAMIC law.

   This TRAPED GIRL is muslim by birth. She is in love with
   a non-islamic boy. She dosn't personally mind excepting the 
   boy's religion. In some case it may happen that she may not
   like Islam. 

   What is her status? Will she be punished in case she decides
   to change religion? What is her punishment? Is it death? 

The practice is normally that an apostate is killed in an Islamic
country. If, however, HE doesn't know Islam, HE is teached. According
to Hanefeeth Fikh, a woman is not killed but gets life inprisonement,
except she changes here mind. 

   How is this case treated in various law in different ISLAMIC 
   country. I can tell you that in BANGLADESH she is not allowed
   to convert. Only way she can marry is he converts Voluntarily!!!


   I don't know what is the punishment in case she chosses to break the law.

It is not recommended to convert to Islam without being 100% sure that
it is from God. And it is a sin equal to the sexual intercourse of
unmarried  Muslims if she does marry an unbeliever. In an Islamic
country, she would perhaps face charges of having illegitimat sexual
intercourse (those who have commited this sin are stroke 100x in
public IF they are caught or they confess it freely. If they are not
punished in this world, they may be punished in the hellfire unless
Allah forgives them).

   Why I call her TRAPED GIRL?

   Because

   1) She didnot convert to Islam, She was born in it.

That's a way to become Muslim, and a very common one. 

   2) She has no way in which she can become anon-muslim.

But there is no way out. At least, I haven't heard of it.
--
_____ ___ _________________________________________________________ _ ______
  /|  |    	A. Ekrem SABAN	        / 	Technische Universitat Wien
 /_|_ |_  ekrem@vlsivie.tuwien.ac.at /Inst.f.Techn.Informatik, VLSI-Design
/  |    | "Not only is UNIX dead, /Tel:(43-1)58801/8147,/3384(Mo.17-19 CET)
|  |__ _| it's starting to smell really bad." Rob Pike /Fax:(43-1)569697