Through this series, we are endeavoring to reduce the hostility between Hindus and Muslims. Request you to share the article if you like the campaign. Look out for the second part tomorrow!
Presently, there are escalated hate campaigns spread over the country due to political gains garnered by evoking tension in the name of religion. In these tense situations, it is the urgent need of the hour to collectively join in and thwart those trying to gain political mileage by creating Hindu-Muslim tensions. Thus, we need to enlighten the minds of people to reduce the chasms being built between Hindus, Muslims, and other groups.
Our origins
Keeping our unity in mind, I am making a minuscule effort hoping it would bring the people of India closer by using the marvelous tool of social media, and with this, I will start by elucidating the similarity of our religious roots: Hindus and Muslims collectively believe in the same God and our ancestors come from the same origins.
Religion came to build
All religions originated for the welfare of human beings without any intention of dividing or breaking society, but now religion is being used to kill or torture human beings. Today, intense efforts are being used to trigger fresh hatred between Hindus and Muslims. However, relations between Hindus and Muslims foundations go back to the “same great man.”
We are united by the man
At the onset, I throw light on the fact to the citizens of India that the communities of Hindus and Muslims are in reality very deeply interconnected.
Let me start with the Hindi word “manushya”. Have you ever wondered where did the word ‘manushya’ come from? It is said that the word manushya is made up of the words Manu and ‘Shishya’. So now, we have to encapsulate who was Manu and who were his Shishya (disciples)? To know how this word originated, we have to read the ‘story of the flood’.
According to Indian religious texts, thousands of years ago, there was a disastrous storm in the oceans of this world, due to which the whole earth was drowning with the impending threat that all the animals and humans would be wiped out from the face of the earth. In this frightening situation, our ancestor Manu Ji made a gigantic boat to save all the living beings, taking along his disciples and a pair of animals of every species into his enormous boat. After a long time, water poured all over the earth from the floods. Later, when the waters receded he landed on the mainlands and the disciples of Manu Ji populated the world again. After this, all the people of the Earth got the human race because this world was populated by the disciples of Manu Ji.
The fascinating truth of the story is that it is written not only in the Hindu religious texts but also in the religious texts of the Muslims, Christian, and Jewish people, with the only difference being that by making a huge boat, the great man who saved all species has been called Rishi Manu in Indian languages while called Noah in English and the Bible and Nuh in the Arabic language.
Historians believe that these three names belong to the same great man while historians also believe that the people of India used to call that great man the great Noah in the ancient era, but over time this name became only Manu. French researcher Abbe J. A. Dubois (who is also called Dadda Swami by the people of Karnataka) in his book Hindu Manners Customs and Ceremonies wrote that “a famous man whom Hindus have great reverence and whom they know by the name of Mahanov who (who was a giant boat) seven sages were also aboard in that (boat) who had escaped the destruction of the storm. Mahanov is a combination of two words, Maha means vast and Novo means Noah without any doubt.
Muslim Theologist Maulana Shams Naved Usmani has also written in his book ‘Agar Ab Bhi Hum Na Jaage Toh’ that Hazrat Nuh and Rishi Manu were the names of the same person.
Anirudh Joshi Shatayu has also written in an article published in the WebDunya, “King Manu is considered as Hazrat Nuh. Noah is the prophet of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Research has also been carried out on this. The historical event of the deluge of the world.” It is found in all civilizations. Even in the changing language and long period, there has not been any significant change in this fairy-tale. This story of Manu is described in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam by the name of ‘Noah’s boat’.
Is there such a minor difference in name and story not leading to the fact that we all had the same ancestor? It is noteworthy that in the history of India, what was called a deluge, Muslims call a storm. Noah by name differs but is the same Man, and in English, the storm is called a Deluge.
Reflect deeply on the cruel paradox of the situation, that today the descendant of one of Manu’s shishya (disciples) is using religion as a tool to torture and harass the descendants of other disciples of Manu. Why are we hating each other? Aren’t we all from the same DNA and linear roots and called human beings because we are the descendants of Manu?
Through this series, I am endeavoring to reduce the hostility between the Hindu and Muslim communities and I value your time and I request you to share my article if you like my campaign. Look out for the second part tomorrow!