How should one respond to Muslims (like Zakir Naik) who quote the Vedas to establish their position of Tawheed and to discredit our Hindu beliefs and practices?

 Firstly we must thank our Muslim brothers and sisters for reading our Holy Texts – we deeply appreciate that, and commend them for their interest. I will not be addressing individual quotes, cherry-picked from the Vedas – that will be far too taxing for the gentle and patient reader.

In order to facilitate our Muslims brethren’s appreciation of our voluminous library of Holy Texts I will bring to their attention a number of facts.

Fact #1. The quoting of the texts of another religion to establish one’s own position is dodgy at best because it is based on a false equivalence. Quran = Vedas.

This is a totally egregious comparison because the Quran is the eternal word of the Almighty and omniscient creator who revealed it to his prophet and a copy of it is kept in heaven. One author, one recipient – eternal.

The Vedas are four volumes, the first being the Rig Veda. They are the semantic poetic compilations of meditating humans — 329 Rishis (m) and 27 Rishikas (f). Compiled over 5000 years ago and transmitted orally since then till now. They are insights into ultimate reality they are the human aspiration towards the Absolute – not a revelation, command and control from top down. They only claim the Quran and the Vedas have in common is “eternality” _ and for us that means the Truths contained in them and not the texts themselves.

Because they are the compositions of hundreds of poets (kavis) there are hundreds of contradiction, inconsistencies, different perspective and view points in the Vedas.

Fact #2. Because of the inconsistencies and contradictions in the Vedas, the Hindu sages have developed a science of hermeneutic – exegesis or interpretation called Mīmāṁsa. These are the rules of interpretation and comprehension which determine what is authoritative and what is not. What is the basis for right ACTION — Dharma.

Fact #3. Dharma being the operative word since Hinduism is not a religion of “belief” or imān, Hinduism is a religion of action, right ethical practice Dharma. According to Islamic teaching one is redeemed through belief in the Oneness of Allah (tawheed) and in his prophet and following of his laws.

Hinduism has no such dictates from on high or demand for conforming to a set paradigm. Hinduism is about understanding existential suffering and how to overcome it here and now – this can be done without any reference to a Deity. Please see my post Rami Sivan's answer to What does Hinduism say about suffering?

Fact #4. Over the millenia our acharyas and gurus have summed up the entire teaching of the Vedas and Upanishads in what are called the four Mahā-vākyas. These are the twitter version of the Vedas which are the foundation of Vedānta Philosophy.

Sarvam khalvidam Brahman — Everything that one can sense with the five senses in Brahman (meaning the “immensity” _ the “Unified Field”, the “ground of Being”.)

Prajñānam Brahma — that Immensity or Ground-of-Being is consciousness.

Ayam ātma Brahman — this individual Self (ātman) which is me in my essential nature as a ray of consciousness is that same Unified Field — Brahman.

Tat tvam asi — “you are that” – you, me and ever sentient being is a ray of that Supreme All-pervading consciousness.

Then to these we can add one of the Zakir Naik’s favourites ekam brahma advitīyam – “Brahman is One there is no second” - which is just a restatement of the first mahā-vākya.

To keep this post as short as possible without too much turgid explanation a summary of Hindu Theology would be:–

BRAHMAN means the “totality of Being” and is formless (nirguna) is not the equivalent of Allah. Isvara which is a personified aspect of Brahman (saguna) — like ice is a solidified form of H2O is closer to the concept of Allah. The Hindu concept of BRAHMAN is reflected in the Sufi doctrine of WAHDAT EL WUJOOD — the Oneness of Being.

Brahman is totally formless (nirākāra) but defined by 5 svarūpaka-nirūpaka dharmas — 5 essential characteristics which define IT’S nature (Brahman is neuter.).

Sat — Being

Chit — consciousness

Ananda — bliss/ love

Ananta — eternality

Amalam — absolute purity and freedom from every conceivable negative quality what is termed “holiness” in Abrahamic theology.

TRIGGER WARNING — potentially offending and hurtful comparison about to be made – please reflect well on your feelings before proceeding!! If you read on do not afterwards denounce me — you were warned!!

Both Islam and Vedanta say that the Absolute Godhead is formless. The Quran attributes to the formless Godhead the activities of speaking, going, sitting above a throne, changing mind, revealing, judging, punishing, rewarding appreciating valuing etc. All indicative of a form, where is Vedanta Brahman does NOTHING – It simply IS — Being Absolute.

Both religions say that the Godhead is perfect, Almighty and loving, Islam then goes on to attribute dozens of very negative human qualities to the Godhead like anger, rage, hate, vengeance, vindictiveness, partiality, prejudice, disgust, disdain bias, etc. Hinduism denies any of these attributes to Brahman and sees these as egregious human qualities which need to be overcome by Dharmic practice. We can never accept the idea that the Perfect Godhead has these ghastly attributes!

Both religions say that the Godhead is all-pervading and omniscient. Islam denies the ability of the Godhead to pervade the Hindu Icon but recognises and affirms his presence in the Kaaba – the house of God – which they prostate to and circumambulate and then kiss the meteorite embedded therein — not much different to what we Hindus do to our icons! Double standard perhaps?

Both religions say that the Godhead is loving and compassionate, but Islam has the doctrine of eternal damnation for a “thought crime” (shirk) which is any deviation in thought or opinion from the official party dogma. Horrendous unending torture for thinking the wrong thoughts! Hinduism vehemently denies any limit on the compassion and loving kindness of the Supreme Being.

I could go on for pages but this sampling should be enough to demonstrate that the Hindu concept of the Godhead is far, far exceeds to that of our adversaries we place absolutely NO limitations on perfection and completeness.

As the Veda says:—

pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idam, pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate |

pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya, pūrṇam eva-avasiṣyāte ||

That (Supreme Being) is perfect; this (jiva) is essentially perfect. From the Perfect the Perfect arises. Taking the Perfect from the Perfect; The Perfect alone remains.

oṃ śāntiś śāntiś śāntiḥ— om peace, peace, peace — all beings in all places in the universe.