Muslim Islam, Arabic Abrahamic

Islam means “whole peace” and refers to the religion of Muslims. A Muslim is “one who submits to Allah”. Allāh (God) has no gender in Arabic. Most Muslims are of two denominations, Sunni (majority) or Shia (minority). Islam’s strict patriarchal monotheism is called tawhid. Like Christianity, Islam began as a small radical Abrahamic sect that worshiped another male prophet as the Messiah. Islam is like Judaism Part Three, because they accept Jesus, and added another main savior prophet of their own. Like the previous two Abrahamic religions, Islam is from the deserts of the Middle-East. The Quran (Muslim Bible) is the verbatim word of Allah, as revealed to prophet Muhammad through the arch-angel Gabriel. Muhammad is their final prophet.

The cult of Islam began with Muhammad (Ahmad) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia (600 AD). Ahmad was considered by Arabs to be another prophet in the Hebrew tradition that began with Adam of Eden. Although Abrahamic prophets preach to the times of their audience, they all agree on the Ten Commandments of Moses in respect to Sin, Armageddon, and the Resurrection Apocalypse. Ahmad unified Arabia under Abrahamic Islam.

Ahmad was a religious, political, and military leader who was adopted as an orphan by a wealthy merchant tribe. As an adult, Ahmad married, but would often spend time at a mountain cave in the country. By 40 Ahmad was was having severe mystical experiences, proclaiming that “Allah is One”, and that everyone should completely surrender to Him. Soon the arch-angel Gabriel appeared and commanded Muhammad to recite verses. Ahmad was also deeply distressed and resolved to commit suicide, partly because of claims he was possessed by demonic djinn. To him it was clear he was Divinely inspired because he was hearing bells, angelic voices, seeing visions, having seizures, fevers, and fits of madness reciting prophetic proclamations of reward and punishment according to Allah. Ahmad may have had some “Satanic Verses” advocating the worship of three Meccan Goddess Daughters of Allah (Crane Story), but ended up condemning Pagan polytheism. Most Meccan tribes ignored, mocked, and threatened Ahmad and his cult. Some of his martyr followers were killed. Ahmad and his cult fled to Medina, where he slowly grew the membership to 10,000, and in eight years unified the tribes and conquered Mecca.

The name Muhammad (Praiseworthy) occurs in the Quran, but usually by other vague prophet titles (announcer, light-bringer, witness, messenger). Muslims should not distinguish between prophets in the Quran, and are to believe in them all. The Dome of the Rock is the symbolic spot from which Muhammad ascended to heaven. However Ahmad died from his feverish fits at the age of 63, in the house of his wife Aisha. Ahmad was buried where he died, in Medina.

Jinn (djinn or genies) are elemental spirits from native Arabic theology who inhabit natural hiding places.

Jesus (Isa) is the messiah prophet sent specifically to the Children of Israel, but was not crucified on the cross (an illusion), and he will come back to aid Mahdi, and fight the Islamic Anti-Christ (Masih ad-Dajjal) during Armageddon. Finally Jesus will unify Islam and dispel the false religions (including Christianity and Judaism). After 40 days of war, Jesus will destroy the Anti-Christ. All humanity will be judged on their goodness (faith) and bad deeds (sins), but might be forgiven by Allah if they repent.

Five Pillars (Practices): Shahadah, Salat (daily prayers), Sawm (fasting) , Zakat (giving), and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).

The Shahadah (declaration of faith) is a public promise :

“I testify that there is no god except for Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger.”

Monotheist immortal spirits in Islam: God, Jesus, Muhammad, angels, jinn, prophets, kings, faithful, sinners

* my favorite Muslim is Nasir the Saracen

Zoroastrianism Summary

Zoroastrianism (Magianism) is a religion based on ancient Indo-Iranian Aryan religions (2,000-500 BC) and the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra 600 BC). The term ‘Magi’ in the Christian Bible referred to their priests (wise men). The roots of Zoroastrianism are dualist, based on two equally powerful forces of Good and Evil (like Yen-Yang). After the teachings of Zarathustra, the religion becomes more monotheistic; with an emphasis on Good (Ahura Mazda). Eventually Evil (Ahriman Shaitan) was demoted to the level of the chief immortal evil spirit power that is not called a god by the main priests and scriptures, but has the powers of a secondary god (Druj – like Satan). – (Gathas scriptures)

Zoroaster promoted the status of Ahura Mazda, while demoting all other deities and rejecting past rituals. Pre-Islamic Iranian dynasties gave Zoroastrianism immense prestige in ancient times, and some of its leading doctrines were adopted by other religious systems. In the middle ages Islamic Arabs conquered Iran and subjugated Zoroastrianism. For some reason its earliest record in western history was in 1,643 AD (Thomas Browne).

Zoroastrian eschatology and demonology influenced the Abrahamic religions. Abrahamic religions are the monotheistic faiths sharing a common origin ancestor, Abraham. The largest Abrahamic religions are now Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Bahaí.

Hinduism

Summary of Hindu Creation Mythology

The Hindu cosmological genesis story is perhaps the closest religious myth to modern scientific theory; because it seems to support Relativity, Causality, The Big Bang Cycle, Multiverses, and other complex and expansive theories. The four main Hindu scriptures are called the Holy Vedas. For this summary I will refer to the concept of Creation as Om (pronounced A-U-M for the Om Trinity: Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva), and attempt to synthesize scriptures to minimize contradictions.

The Om Goddess helps the Om God to birth our Universe from the monistic Golden Egg Womb within his(?) belly, which causes the new God Brahma* to self-manifest out from the previous god’s naval. Brahma eventually seems to become the Om God Vishnu (or vice-versa), as their father role is both a protector and creator, when they are both named in the same role, for different creation stories. Brahma visits and rests on the transcendental waters of the multiverses, floating on a lotus, until he creates and the Golden Egg for rebirth. The cycle of universal recreation is about 4,000,000,000 years, after which that universe is destroyed by an apocalypse (pralaya) of fire or water. The Great Flood was the latest such pralaya. The period of rest in between universes is equal to the life of a universe. Then the Goddess and God release the next Brahma again; thus the cycle continues. – (Bhagavata Purana 6.16.37, 2.10.10 / Matsya Purāṇa 2.25-30 / Isvara Upanisad / Narayana Sukta) *Brahma is used here in place of Svayambhu, Isvara, or Narayana because there are many Brahmas, one for each universe.

God Vishnu rests in infinite Paradise (Paramdhama), laying on a serpent, and creates and preserves our Universe through his dreams. Vishnu has 10 material incarnations known as avatars (including Krishna & Buddha). Goddess Shiva destroys and transforms life and matter. Brahma is the grandfather of humans (children of Manu). There are thousands of other Hindu gods and goddess as well. Hindu Puranic scripture mentions that multiverses have seven layers. The seven universal layers are earth, water, fire, air, sky, energy, and false ego. The universes are unlimited; we are within them, and they are within us (microcosm/macrocosm, natural mathematical fractals, and atomic quantum theory).

The Rig Veda questions the origin of the universe. “Neither being nor non-being was as yet. What was concealed? And where? And in whose protection? …Who really knows? Who can declare it? Whence was it born, and whence came this creation? The devas were born later than this world’s creation, so who knows from where it came into existence? None can know from where creation has arisen, and whether he has or has not produced it. He who surveys it in the highest heavens, he alone knows-or perhaps does not know.” – (Rig Veda 10.129 dated 2,200–1,100 BC)