The Concept of Monotheism in Buddhism and Hinduism: A Perspective of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (Part Five)
By Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi, New Age Islam
25 October 2025
Abstract:
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad studied Buddhism and Hinduism with deep understanding and fairness. He explained that Buddhism originally focused on moral discipline, inner peace, and liberation from the cycle of birth and death, without belief in God or soul. Later, followers elevated Buddha himself to divine status, creating divisions like Hinayana and Mahayana. Regarding Hinduism, Azad observed two aspects: philosophical monotheism among scholars and polytheism among common people. In the Rigveda, early signs of belief in one Supreme Creator are found. Azad concluded that both religions contain traces of divine unity that were later distorted. He emphasized the need to recognize the shared moral and spiritual foundations of all faiths to promote peace and interreligious harmony.
Main Points:
1. Buddhism began as a moral path for liberation, without belief in a personal God.
2. Over time, followers deified Buddha and divided into Hinayana and Mahayana sects.
3. Hinduism shows philosophical monotheism among scholars, but polytheism among the common people.
4. The Rigveda contains early monotheistic ideas, recognizing one Supreme Creator above all gods.
5. Azad urged recognition of shared divine unity to promote harmony among all world religions.
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Concept of Monotheism in Buddhism?
It is well known that the land of India has always been recognised as the home of religions, philosophies, and diverse schools of thought. Along with Hinduism, several other faiths have flourished here, such as Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, in his famous Qur’anic commentary Tarjuman al-Qur’an, provided deep and insightful discussions about the beliefs, philosophies, and practices of various religions, including Buddhism. Regarding Buddhism, Maulana Azad writes:
“Different interpretations have been offered about the fundamental principles of the Shaman religion (Buddhism). A group of nineteenth-century Orientalists considered it to be a practical continuation of the teachings of the Upanishads, believing that in the concept of Nirvana lies the spiritual essence of absorption and separation — that is, the soul that originated from the Supreme Source must ultimately reunite with it. Thus, Nirvana or complete salvation means to return to that original essence.
However, it is now generally accepted that the Shaman religion (Buddhism) does not contain any real concept of God or soul. Its entire sphere of belief and practice is limited to the problem of attaining happiness and salvation in this life. It refers only to Prakriti (eternal matter), which is set in motion by the universal force of nature. The purpose of Nirvana is the annihilation of the ego and liberation from the endless cycle of life and death.” (Tarjuman al-Qur’an, p. 273)
Maulana Azad further states:
“Whatever the personal explanations of Gautama Buddha and his disciples may have been, the fact remains that his followers soon filled the vacant seat of divinity. When they found no God to worship, they placed Gautama Buddha himself upon that throne. Soon, the worship of this new deity spread with such fervour that half of the world became filled with his images and idols.” (Ibid., p. 276)
After these developments, internal divisions arose within Buddhism, which eventually led to the emergence of two major sects known as Hinayana and Mahayana. Maulana Azad describes this division as follows:
“In the end, the followers of Buddha split into two great sects — Hinayana and Mahayana. The first group regarded Buddha as a human being, a moral teacher and guide; but the second raised him to a superhuman and divine level. As a result, the common path of Buddhism turned towards the latter view. In Afghanistan, Bamiyan, Central Asia, China, Korea, Japan, and Tibet, it was the Mahayana school that spread widely. When the Chinese traveller Fa-Hien came to India in the fourth century A.D., he advocated the truth of the Mahayana system.
In the present age, except in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), where a modified remnant of Hinayana survives under the name Theravada, all the followers of Buddhism belong to the Mahayana tradition.” (Ibid., pp. 277–278)
Concept of Monotheism in Hinduism
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad also discussed Hinduism in great depth, particularly its concept of monotheism and forms of worship. According to him, the history of divinity in India is full of contradictions and contrasts. On one side stands the lofty philosophical monotheism of Hindu thought, while on the other side lies the practical religion of the masses steeped in polytheism and idolatry.
In Maulana Azad’s words:
“The history of the Indian concept of divinity presents a marvelous scene of contradictions. On one side lies its philosophical monotheism; on the other, its practical religion. The philosophy of monotheism reached the highest intellectual heights, attaining a level of spiritual abstraction unparalleled among ancient nations. But the practical religion adopted the path of polytheism and idol-worship so openly that every stone became a god, every tree an object of worship, and every threshold a place of prostration.
It soared to the loftiest heights yet fell to the lowest depths at the same time. The learned classes chose monotheism for themselves, while for the masses they deemed polytheism and idol-worship more suitable.” (Ibid., pp. 262–263)
From this, it becomes evident that within Hinduism there exist two distinct beliefs regarding the concept of God:
The common people’s belief, which is filled with polytheism and anthropomorphic deities, and
The philosophical belief of the learned, which is based on pure monotheism, largely free from idolatry.
Explaining the development of the monotheistic concept in Hinduism, Maulana Azad writes:
“In the hymns of the Rigveda, we can clearly observe two currents: on one side, the worship of natural forces gradually spreading and taking shape; on the other, the slow emergence of the concept of a Supreme Creator — a single Divine Being. Particularly in the tenth section of the Rigveda, this monotheistic idea appears very distinctly.
Whether this monotheistic belief was a remnant of some ancient past or a natural evolution from multiplicity to unity, it is difficult to decide. Nevertheless, even in those early ages when the Rigvedic hymns were first composed, the traces of monotheism are visible. The vast crowd of gods — said to be 333 in number — gradually shrank into three spheres: Earth, Atmosphere, and Heaven.
This process gave birth to the idea of a supreme ‘Lord of Lords’. Then this concept further condensed into the belief in one greatest and all-pervading Being — sometimes identified with Varuna, sometimes Indra, and sometimes Agni. Finally, the belief arose in one Supreme Creator called Prajapati (the Lord of Creation) or Vishvakarman (the Maker of All).
This One Being is the origin and essence of the universe. ‘He is One, though the wise call Him by different names — Agni, Yama, Matarishvan.’ He is neither the sky nor the earth, neither the light of the sun nor the storm of the wind. He is the spirit of the cosmos, the source of all powers, eternal and everlasting. What is He? Perhaps Rita — the principle of truth — in the form of essence; perhaps Aditi — the infinite spirit. He is the One who breathes without breath.
‘We cannot see Him; we cannot fully describe Him. He is One — the only reality, the Absolute Truth.’
This unity is the hidden essence within the apparent multiplicity of the universe.” (Ibid., pp. 263–264)
Conclusion
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad studied almost all major religions with deep insight and balance. In the religions mentioned above, including Buddhism and Hinduism, we find that the concept of worship and unity of the Divine exists in one form or another. However, in the course of history, the original purity of these beliefs has been overshadowed, and even acts of polytheism have been introduced into their current forms.
If we examine the ancient Vedic teachings of Hinduism, we find a strong presence of monotheistic ideas. Yet, in the modern era, the true essence of these teachings has been distorted.
Maulana Azad’s comparative study of religions shows that both Semitic and non-Semitic faiths share many common moral and spiritual values. The belief in God — despite differences in names and methods of worship — remains a universal principle uniting all faiths.
He emphasises that despite differences in rituals and external practices, we must not forget that the world’s religions contain deep elements of unity, equality, and shared humanity. If these common values are recognised, followers of all faiths can demonstrate harmony and cooperation — thereby eliminating the conflict and division that exist today in the name of religion.
Other Parts of the Article:
The Concept of the Unity of Humanity in the Writings of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (Part One)
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad’s Perspective on the Unity of Religions (Part Two)
Hindu–Muslim Unity, Tolerance And Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (Part Three)
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Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi is an author and a New Age Islam Regular Columnist.
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism