Muslims, idol-worshipers

 “We have seen thee turning towards every part of Heaven; but we will have thee turn to Kibla which shall please thee. Turn then thy face towards the sacred Mosque, and wherever ye be, turn your face, towards that part.” 2: 139.)

C. ~ Now is this trivial idolatry? We should think, it is the crudest form of idolatry.

Mohammedan. – We Mohammedans are not image-worshippers but image-breakers, because we do not believe that Kibla is God.

C. ~ They too, whom you call image-worshippers, do not regard the image as God. They profess to worship God behind the image. If you are image-breakers, why do you not break that big image called Kibla (the sacred Mosque).

M. – Good! We have the authority of the Qoran in turning our faces towards the Kibla, while the image-worshippers have none in their Veda to worship images. We most obey God anyhow.

C. ~ Just as you have the authority of the Qoran, the image-worshippers have that of the Puraanaas. As you believe the Qoran to be the Word of God, even so do they believe the Puraanaas to be the Word of God’s incarnation, Vyas. The difference between the Pauranics and yourselves is this that you worship a big image, while they bow down before the smaller ones. Your case is just the same as that of a man who strains at a gnat but swallows a camel.

Your Mohammad expunged the worship of small images from the Muslim faith, but introduced into it the worship of the sacred Mosque (at Mecca) which is as big as a hill. Is this idol worship on a small scale? You could be free yourselves from image-worship and the like evil practices only by embracing the Vedic religion and not otherwise. Unless you give up the worship of your big image, you should feel ashamed of yourselves and abstain from condemning the worship of small images found in other faiths and purify your hearts by avoiding idolatry.

Were there no places sacred before Kaaba?

 “When we decreed that the Kaba is sacred, you should go to Abraham’s place for prayers.” (2: 117.)

C.~ Had not God appointed sacred place before He sanctified Kaba? If he had, where was the necessity for consecrating Kaba? But if He had not it is indeed a pity that those who were born before that period had to go without a holy place. Perhaps it had not struck God to consecrate a place like Kaba before that.

” And who but he that hath debased his soul to folly will dislike the faith of Abraham, when we have chosen him in this world, and in the world to come he shall be of the Just.” (2:124.)

C. ~ Now can it ever be true that he who does not like the faith of Abraham is a fool? Why did God choose Abraham alone ( as the founder of the true faith)? If he did so on account of his being very religious, there were many others who were as religious as he, why did He not choose them as (His prophets)? But if he chose him because he was irreligious, He acted unjustly. It is quite true that is only the righteous who are loved by God and not others.