Why Should God Be Concerned Whether You Worship Him Or Someone Else?
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
30 December
2022
I generally
refrain from stretching a subject or issue a trifle too long but I thought of
letting NAI's
Mr S Arshad know that I didn't write my
Shirk piece from the perspective of a polytheist.
That's a
pigeonholing on the part of the writer and an attempt to limit someone for whom
religions, scriptures, gods and tenets have no significance. I'm neither a
monotheist nor a polytheist. And I'm also neither a theist or atheist. I've
gone beyond your worldly limits. I call myself an apatheist for the want of a better
word at the moment.
Now let me
ask Mr Arshad, how can Shirk be an act of ingratitude? St Augustine said that
the god is free of human attributes. Gratitude and ingratitude are human
traits.
Upanishad,
esp. Chandogya Upanishad, calls god, Parasamvedanam Iti Aparibhootam
(अपरिभूतम). In other words, He (resorting to god's gender
according to you; I use IT) is beyond all quotidian concerns. That's why, He's Neti,
Neti (नेति- नेति, beyond human perceptions) in Upanishads. So, why should he be
concerned whether you worship him or someone else?
If he's so
rabidly jealous, he cannot be the god of Universe. Didn't Tagore say, "
I'm able to love my god because he gives me freedom to deny him?"
The problem
with humans is that they created and concocted god and imbued it with either
human qualities or extremely intangible attributes. There's no cerebral middle
path. Humans tend to oscillate between extremes and that's why Buddhist genius
Nagarjun chose a Middle Path or Madhyam Marg. That way, you can be able
to relate to god and experience the Truth, however nebulous that may be. Thus
far, you all have read your respective scriptures and understood your god's
nature. I'm afraid, it's still beyond your comprehension.
Stop seeing
god through your limited prism of understanding. Lastly, like a ' true Muslim '
( is it a sarcasm?), let me quote an Urdu couplet written by Ravish Siddiqui,
"Kar Vusa'at Paida Apni Soch Mein/ Tu Dekhta Aaya Hai Khuda Ko Apni
Nazar Se " (Broaden your vision/ So far, you've been seeing and
conceiving him with your own limited understanding).
I rest my
case here. It ain't a rejoinder. I don't resort to arguing in a circle. Lastly,
despite caring for nothing, I shall request to spell my surname as Paul, not
pal.
----
A regular columnist for New Age Islam,
Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to
Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in
several languages including Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/god-worship-shirk/d/128753
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