BHAKTI-YOGA and ISLAM

Airavata Dasa

BHAKTIVEDANTA ACADEMY
 CONTENTS

Introduction 3

Part one 5
Prophet Muhammad and his religion

Part two 29
Bhakti-yoga and Islam

Part three 43
Prophet Muhammad and Bhakti-yoga

Part four 49
Spiritual power of bhakti-yogi

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 Introduction
"Even the Muslim religion. That is also
bhakti-yoga. Any religion where God
is the target, that is applied in bhakti."
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada

Even now days great bloodshed between Hindus and Muslims in communal
riots are still going on. Often people ask, "Why are Hindus and Muslims killing each
other and creating more misery and suffering. Why doesn’t the Hindu’s “Bhagavan”
and the Muslim’s “Allah” put a stop to this carnage? While Hindus and Muslims are
created by the same God, why do they fight or kill each other? Are they not real
brothers? As there is no doubt about their one Creator, who is the father of all entities
in the real sense. Why are there different religions? And which one is the best? While
Muslims say Islam is the best and only religion, can we say God has created bad
religions also? Muslims say Allah never creates anything irrelevant." But nobody has
given substantial answers or explanations to these questions.
Neither the Bhagavad-gita is revealed only for the Hindus nor the Qur'an only
for the Muslims, yet they are misunderstood to be the scriptures of sections of society
who designate themselves as Hindus or Muslims. This grate unfortunate
misunderstanding is on account of two obstructions. First is the lack of deep
understanding by the readers and teachers of both scriptures. Second deriving from the
first is the lack of or non-conveyance of the full message and meaning of both these
scriptures to the innocent public at large.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder and
spiritual master of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, is a pure
empowered devotee of the Supreme Lord having rendered tremendous service on
behalf of the Lord on the surface of our planet. He has built a “house” in which
everyone and anyone can live regardless of religion, nation, age, sex, color, etc. Srila
Prabhupada translated and explained in simple English more than sixty volumes of
literature about God and the process (science) of developing love of God. He
presented its the authorized way to understand God scientifically and logically. By
reading these books thousands and thousands of people came to realize God and make
Him a reality in there lives by performing devotional service unto Him. Srila
Prabhupada united all nations under the transcendental flag of devotional service to
one and only God. He very scientifically presented the origin and meaning of different
religions existing on this planet. Srila Prabhupada explained, "When our
constitutional position or dharma has deteriorated due to the contaminations of matter,
the Lord Himself comes as an incarnation or sends some of His confidential servitors.
Lord Jesus Christ called himself the "son of God," and so is a representative of the
Supreme. Similarly, Hazrat Muhammad identified himself as “a servant” of the
Supreme Lord. Thus whenever there is a discrepancy in our constitutional position, the
Supreme Lord either comes Himself or sends His representative to inform us of the
real position of the living entity."
Srila Prabhupada said: "If you find that following some religious principles you are
developing your love of God, then it is perfect. It doesn't matter whether it is the Bible
or Qur'an or Bhagavad-gita, it doesn't matter."
So, we can understand that the key to following any scriptural teachings, is to
develop our forgotten love for God. Then everything else will be perfect. One cannot
truly love God yet disrespect his creation weather that be a human, animal, plant or
matter. In all the revealed scriptures sent to us by God, He teaches us the same love of
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God. Despite superficial differences between scriptures, the sum and substance of each
one is fundamentally the same. God is one, we are all His servants and our primal duty
is to render devotional service to Him.

PART ONE

Prophet Muhammad and his religion

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 "Hazrat Muhammad, the inaugurator of
the Islam religion, I accept him as an
empowered servant of God because he
preached God consciousness in those
parts of the world and induced them to
accept the authority of God. He is
accepted as the servant of God and we
have all respect for him."
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada

In an attempt to share knowledge with our readers we would like to present

several conversations which took place between Srila Prabhupada and different people
in different parts of the world.

Paris, August 5, 1976

Devotee: Yesterday you have said that Krishna says that He is the taste in water. In
the Qur'an it is also said that Allah you can taste in the water. We also see Krishna is in
temple. Does this mean also Allah is in the temple? And why are all these religions so
different? Because essentially they are all the same.
Prabhupada: You make difference, we don’t make. We allow everyone. But you
think you are Muslim, “We shall not go.” That is your discrimination. We say “Come
everyone.” You make discrimination. We don’t make.
...
Devotee: There is a question I have wanted to ask for many years now. The Vedic
culture and the Islamic culture have many similarities.
Prabhupada: So take Muslim or Islamic culture. Just finish. If you are interest in
Islamic culture, take it. Just finish. What is the use of comparing, this and that? Why
you waste your time? You like Islamic culture, you take it. There is no question of
comparing.
Devotee: There are so many similarities.
Prabhupada: That’s very nice. You take to Islamic culture. That’s very nice. But
what is the use of comparing?
Devotee: When one’s tasted the higher taste, then how it is possible that he’ll fall
down in material sense gratification.
Prabhupada: What is that?
Devotee: When one’s tasted the higher taste in devotional service how is it possible
that he can fall back again in material sense gratification.
Harikesha: When one has tasted a higher taste, how is it that one can fall back down
again into material sense gratification?
Prabhupada: There is, that possibility is always. Just like the fire spark. Because it is
spark, some way or other, if he falls down from the fire it is extinguished. That
possibility is always there. Because it is small, there is possibility of being extinguished.

February 17, 1974, Bombay

Prabhupada: No, no. Christianity is Vaishnavism.
Dr. Patel: Vaishnavism? Absolutely Vaishnavism.
Prabhupada: Anyone who... Islam is also Vaishnavism.

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Dr. Patel: Mohammedanism is not Vaishnavism.
Prabhupada: No, no. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had talk with the Pathanas. He proved
that “Your religion is Vaishnavism.”
Dr. Patel: Christianity is Vaishnavism 100%.
Prabhupada: Therefore in Chaitanya-charitamrita there is. I have already explained
that.
Dr. Patel: No, Christianity is 100% Vaishnavism. I have studied Christianity very well.
Prabhupada: Not hundred percent, but...
Dr. Patel: More or less.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Dr. Patel: Because I have studied the whole of Bible, whole of New Testament and
Genesis and everything, very well, just as I have studied the Upanishads. And I have
come to realize that Jesus has taught Vedic religion in total, and Christ was nothing
but a great saint of ancient Vedic religion. That is my conjecture, my conviction.
Prabhupada: His commandments proved that. He said, “Thou shall not kill.”
Dr. Patel: “Thou shall not kill.”
Prabhupada: Yes.
Dr. Patel: That is ahimsa, first principle.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Dr. Patel: You see, abhaya sattva. First thing is abhaya. Abhaya-dana, when you
give, it is the greatest dana. That is the first principle of all the religions, and that is the
religion Christ taught there. The Middle East people and the Europeans had no
samskara. Those people are very backwards, towards India’s backside. Because of the
climatic conditions.
Prabhupada: No, from the First Commandment it appears that they were not very
enlightened because why does he say “Thou shall not kill”? That means they were
killers.
Dr. Patel: They were killing. (laughs)
Prabhupada: Yes. They were killers.
Dr. Patel: Otherwise, he would not have said, “Thou shall not kill.”
Prabhupada: Why the first commandment is there, “Thou shall not kill”? They were
fighting and killing amongst themselves. Not very advanced nation. And he was
horrified when he saw that the Jews were killing animals.
Dr. Patel: In the temple.
Prabhupada: Yes! In the temple.
Dr. Patel: Not only that. They were, I mean, doing all that money-changing and taking
bribes and all that. I think he...
Prabhupada: Well, that is professional... It is not very important. Everyone takes
bribe and everyone is interested in money than anything. That is not very great fault.
You see. When you are in the material world, you require money. That is fact.
Dr. Patel: They were not able to understand that he is going to raise another temple.
Another temple, that is how the Jews, were against him. I think... That is what my
conjecture, no? Another temple means another creed of...
Prabhupada: This is “against” or “for,” this so-called “against” or “for,” it has no
meaning. Just like children fight, sometimes against, sometimes for. So it has no
meaning. Unless one is raised in the spiritual consciousness, this so-called goodness
and badness has no meaning. Chaitanya-charitamrita says, "In the material atmosphere,
the so-called goodness and so-called badness, they’re all the same, simply a different
type of mental concoction. That’s all.”
Dr. Patel: If nothing but God exists, then bad thing is also God and good thing is also
God. Prabhupada: Therefore God realization is real good thing.

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Dr. Patel: Real good thing.
Prabhupada: Not this, “This is good, this is bad.” That is relative world. You’ll find
everywhere something good.
Dr. Patel: I want to be corrected by you.
Prabhupada: I have already told you, you are shanta-rasa bhakta. (break)
...originally, as spirit soul, everyone is Vaishnava. Everyone is Vaishnava.

March 14, 1975, Tehran, Iran

Yoga student: This country, which was, once at one time followed the Aryan path of
Zoroastrianism, which is now practices primarily Islam although having absorbed many
of the original elements in it. Do you have a recommendation as to how people of this
country might feel the grace of Krishna, perhaps even within the forms of their own
traditional practice?
Prabhupada: What is that traditional practice?
Yoga student: Apart from Zoroastrianism, the majority of traditional practice now is
Islamic of the Shiite sect.
Prabhupada: What is that philosophy?
Yoga student: That involves the prayer of three to five times a day of the Shiist...
Prabhupada: Prayer five times?
Yoga student: Well, it’s the Islamic prayer five times a day, but the Shiist compress it
to three times. It’s the same prayer.
Prabhupada: Why?
Yoga student: Because they are permitted to say two of the prayers at noon and two
of the prayers in the evening at one time, rather than spreading them through the
afternoon.
Prabhupada: So why they are disobeying the order of Muhammad?
Yoga student: They follow... It’s essentially the same practice as the...
Prabhupada: No, you cannot amend on the words of Muhammad if you are a true
Mussalman.
Yoga student: I don’t think they have to amend it.
Prabhupada: Why? There was five. Why they have made three? That is amendment.
You cannot do that.
Yoga student: It has been maintained that Ali..., that this was the practice of Ali.
Prabhupada: What is that?
Yoga student: That Ali prayed at noon, in the afternoon...
Atreya Rishi: Ali, the representative of Muhammad.
Yoga student: He’s the brother-in-law..., the son-in-law... Hazrat Ali.
Prabhupada: Ali, Ali. Ali Hussein? No?
Yoga student: Hussein is his son. Ali is the cousin and the son-in-law of the prophet
Muhammad. But can they feel the grace of Krishna within this framework, within the
framework of their dietary laws and their..., in opening up the experience of Krishna to
them?
Prabhupada: No, no. If one wants to follow Qur'an, let him follow strictly that. No
halfway mixing.
Yoga student: Then preaching in Iran should be essentially to those people who are
fallen away from their traditional path.
Prabhupada: Yes. Everyone is fallen. They are simply amending and concoction.
That is not good. Why they should amend?

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Yoga student: Muhammad presented himself as the last expression of the divine
revelation in the West.
Prabhupada: No, what was his relationship? Just like Christ, he presented himself as
the son of God. So what is the position of Muhammad?
Yoga student: He presented himself as a man, as considered by Muslims as the perfect
man.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Atreya Rishi: The disciple of God.
Yoga student: And he was the perfect expression of the divine manifestation in human
terms. He was not a divine figure as Christ or Krishna, He was simply a man, and who
was the mouthpiece of the divine word.
Prabhupada: What is the meaning of Allah Akbar?
Yoga student: It means God, the greatest.
Prabhupada: Greatest.
Yoga student: Yes. Akbar is being the superlative of kabirsh.
Prabhupada: And Muhammad is the greatest? No. He is subordinate.
Yoga student: No. And in fact Muslims object to their religion being called
Muhammedanism because it implies that they worship Muhammad, whereas in fact
they feel that they go straight to God, to Allah, and that Muhammad simply was a
messenger.
Prabhupada: That’s good.
Yoga student: And they call their religion Islam, which means submission.
Prabhupada: That’s very good.
Yoga student: The Muslim is he who submits.
Prabhupada: Then God is the greatest, and we are finite, limited. We are not greatest.
And our business is to serve Him. What is that?
Yoga student: Our business is to serve Him. Precisely as was said last night, our
business is to satisfy Him.
Prabhupada: That’s it.
Yoga student: There is a tradition, and there’s a body of forty traditions, which are
called the sacred traditions, one of which says that these are the words of God as
enunciated through Muhammad, one of them saying that “The more you strive towards
Me, the more you love Me, the closer I come to you.”
Prabhupada: Oh, that’s it. Then the ultimate goal is how to love God.
Yoga student: Yes.
Prabhupada: That is very good. That is our philosophy. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokshaje. Prema pumartho mahan. This is the highest goal of life, how
one has developed his love for God. And Bhagavatam says, “That is first-class religion
which trains the followers how to love God and serve Him.” That is first-class religion.
Then Islam is Vaishnava dharma in a crude form like the Christian. So we can
amalgamate them all if they are sane men. I suggested that there are many churches
vacant. If they give us these churches we shall install Deity—Gaurasundara, Nitai-
Gaura and Panca-tattva—and along with them we shall worship Lord Jesus Christ
also. Similarly, we can do Muhammad. There is no harm. But they are against this
Deity worship, eh? Muslims?
Yoga student: Yes, they are. That sort of expression. And yet, amongst the Sufi
poets...
Prabhupada: Deity is also expression, form is also expression, but they do not
understand it.
Yoga student: But the Sufis do, because in the Sufi...
Prabhupada: They have got form worship, Sufis?

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Yoga student: They don’t worship form as such, but they speak of it in the poetry. In
one poem of Hafez there’s a meeting between Hafez and his spiritual master. And he
asks the spiritual master (recites verse in Parsi). He asked, “I asked him, ‘What was
this current, this chain of idols that we must worship?’ And he replied so that my heart
might moan, lament about the dark night...”
Prabhupada: Oh, “dark night.”
Yoga student: “Separation from God.” So that he used the form of expression of
worship.
Prabhupada: Separation, how it is possible? Separation is expressed when there is
separation between man to man or man to woman, person. Otherwise what is the
meaning of separation?
Yoga student: Separation from one’s divine...
Prabhupada: Divine? This means must be person. They do not believe in the
Personality of Godhead?
Yoga student: They believe. The Sufis see the personality of Ali.
Prabhupada: No, I am not talking of the Sufis. I am talking of the original Islam.
Yoga student: Well, the Sufis claim to be the original Muslims.
Prabhupada: Do the all the Muslims accept them?
Parivrajakacharya: There are about 780 different schools of Islam and different
ideas.
Prabhupada: Then we have to take the original. Otherwise misled.
Yoga student: Well, I think the original path must be found in Sufism.
Prabhupada: Then, if the original path is followed, why it is named Sufism?
Yoga student: Because there are those who have fallen away from it, just as in...
Prabhupada: Who has fallen, the Islam or the Sufist?
Yoga student: I think the formalists have fallen away, like the jnanis in Hinduism. Just
as there’s a dispute between the Shaivites and the Vaishnavaites.
Prabhupada: So who are fallen, the original Islam or the Sufist?
Yoga student: The Sufis are the original Islam.
Prabhupada: Sufis? What? I do not follow. Sufis?
Nitai: Sufis are the original.
Prabhupada: Original cult?
Nitai: Yes, that’s what he said.
Prabhupada: Before Muhammad?
Yoga student: No, springing from Muhammad.
Prabhupada: Then how you can say it is original?
Yoga student: It is original. All the schools of laws, they’ve developed...
Prabhupada: No, if is the original, why they named differently?
Yoga student: Because there are those who have fallen away from it, and they are the
ones who use this name. The Sufis don’t use the name about themselves. It’s used by
others who wish to...
Prabhupada: What is the meaning of Sufism? Literary meaning?
Yoga student: Well, Sufism in a sense is what bhaktism is in the Hindu context.
Prabhupada: Bhakti means to offer service to the Lord. Does it mean?
Yoga student: Absolutely.
Prabhupada: So then if the Lord is to be served, then He must be a person; otherwise
where is the question of service?
Yoga student: Well, the Sufis do see that, the personal aspect of the Lord.
Prabhupada: Unless one is person, how can I serve him? I cannot serve the air or the
sky. I must serve a person. Love does not exist in the sky or in the air. It must be a

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person. Man or woman, it doesn’t matter. Otherwise where there is love? Whom to
love?
Yoga student: The Sufis find love in these figures... For example, the Sufi ibn Araby,
through of the face of a beautiful woman...
Prabhupada: Through the face of beautiful woman?
Yoga student: Yes.
Prabhupada: So there the materialists also find.
Yoga student: That is the material aspect, absolutely.
Prabhupada: Therefore in Islam religion the form is rejected because it will come to
that. As soon as they think of form, they think of this material form, beautiful face of
woman. That is degradation. Therefore we are strict not to conceive material form.
That is Vedic conception. Apani-padah javano grahita: “He has no legs and no
hands.” This means denying the form. And next Vedas says, javano grahita: “He can
accept whatever you offer to Him.” That means God has no material form, but He has
form; otherwise how He can accept? How He can understand my love? So therefore in
the original Islamism the form is not accepted. So that is Vedic description, form and
formless. Formless means no material form, and form means spiritual form,
simultaneous. Just like I am, you are. I am within the body, but I am not this body.
This form not I am. But wherefrom the form of the body came into existence? Because
I have got form. The sweater has got hand because I have got hand. The sweater is the
covering. If I haven’t got form, then how the sweater has got hand, the pant has got
leg? So the pant practically is not the leg. The real leg is within the pant. Similarly, this
is not my form; this is like pant, leg of the pant or hand of the coat. Real form is
within, asmin dehe. That is not material form. If the real form I could see, you could
see, then there was no controversy, the spirit. But they cannot see. Therefore they say
“formless.” If it is formless, then how the outer form comes out? How it can be? The
tailor makes the coat because the man has got form. As the coat has got hands, so it is
concluded that the man for whom the coat is made, he has got form. How you can say
without form? The difficulty is that we can see the form of the coat, but we cannot see
the form of the man. That is my defect with the eyes, not that the God is formless. God
is not formless.
Yoga student: God is seen in the form of the saints.
Prabhupada: That is another. That is secondary. But God has got form. That is the
conclusion. But we cannot see with our present eyes. That is described, atah sri-
krishna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih. By your these blunt senses... The same
thing. Just like I see you. What I see you? Your body. You see me—my body. And
when the body is there and the soul is not there, then it is lump of matter. You kick it
out and nobody will protest. If a dead body you smash with your legs and boots,
nobody will say that “Why you are doing this?” But so long the soul is there, if
somebody is smashed like that, immediately there will be protest from all side, “Why
you are doing this?” So the people have no knowledge about the real form. Therefore
they say formless.
Atreya Rishi: When the body changes, Srila Prabhupada, how is it...? When our coat,
size of the coat changes because our body grows bigger, the size of the coat is bigger.
Shirt is bigger.
Prabhupada: Yes. That is spiritual form. It can take... It can become bigger, smaller,
like that.
Atreya Rishi: But the form is the same. (break)
Prabhupada: Body has been described as the dress. So the form of the dress cannot
be there unless there is form of the person who puts on the dress. How can you deny
it? Because the dress has got form, the person who puts on the dress must have form.

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How can you deny this argument? You cannot say “formless.” It may be, you cannot
see it. That is different thing. But it must be form and individual. That is stated in the
Bhagavad-gita, that Krishna says, “Arjuna, you and Me and all these persons who are
here, they were existing like that in the past, they are now existing, and they will exist
in the same way.” Therefore all are individual.
Yoga student: With Krishna can one say that Krishna is the form that presents itself,
of Godhead, which presents itself to man, and Bhagavan is the essential aspect?
Prabhupada: Bhagavan? Yes, in the original.
Atreya Rishi: Same as Krishna?
Prabhupada: Just like the sun. Sunshine is very big, and the sun globe is not so big.
But which is important, the sunshine or the sun globe?
Yoga student: But it’s the glow which reaches man.
Prabhupada: Eh, these are example.
...
Prabhupada: Formerly your country was part of India, and you belong to the same
culture. So far I understand, Iran means Aryan? So Aryan culture was practically all
over the world. Aryan culture is based on God consciousness. So amongst the Aryans
there is some conception of religion, either Christian religion or Muslim religion,
Buddhist religion, Vedic religion, based on conception of God. So according to time,
country, the ways of understanding may be little different, but the aim is God
consciousness. That is Aryan civilization. So God is one; God cannot be two. So the
features of God or angle of vision of God may be different. So they have been
summarized in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. One feature of God is impersonal. Just like the
sunshine. Sunshine is spreading all over the universe. It is impersonal. But the quality
of the sunshine is heat and light. The heat and light means energy. So as in the material
calculation, the heat and light is the cause of all creation. Just like at the present
moment there is not sufficient heat; therefore the trees have no leaves. And as soon as
there will be little more heat they will be all green. So you can take it that the creation
of the foliage is due to the heat. Similarly light. So heat and light is the cause of all this
material creation. And heat and light is coming from the sunshine, or sun. Therefore
heat becomes the origin of creation even in this material world. Similarly, there is
another light. That is the original light. This is reflection. That is called brahmajyoti,
spiritual light. So in this way one conception of God is like that. Another conception of
God is: God is situated everywhere. Because God is situated within the universe,
within the atom, therefore they are existing. Just like the atma, or spirit soul, is situated
in you, in me, in everyone. This is called Paramatma feature. And at the ultimate end
there is the person, God as person, the Supreme Person, the Supreme Being, a person
like you and me—we are person—but He is almighty, all-powerful. This is the
conception of Absolute Truth: God, Paramatma, and Brahmajyoti. Brahmeti
paramatmeti bhagavan iti shabdyate. This is the Sanskrit word. He is realized as
Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. Bhagavan is person; Paramatma is all-
pervading, means localized, situated; and Brahman means all-pervading. All together
—God. This is the idea. What is your idea of God?
Young man: I find it very difficult to know the difference between truth and illusion.
Prabhupada: God is truth; what is forgetfulness of God, that is illusion. God is truth.
Just like the sun is present all the time, twenty-four hours. But we say now there is no
sun, at night. But that’s not the fact. The fact is the sun is there; I cannot see. That is
illusion. Not that God is not there. God is there. As exactly, same example, the sun is
there at night, but I cannot see under certain condition. Therefore it is illusion. Our
senses are imperfect; therefore sometimes we cannot understand or see God. If our
senses are purified, then we can see God every moment. So, what is your idea of God?

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Young man: Something that I see sometimes in everything, the sameness in
everything.
Prabhupada: No clear concept.
Young man: I have no clear concept.
Prabhupada: Yes. The clear conception of God is that originally He is person. Just
like the same example, the sun. We can see every day the sun. The sun is there always,
but at night we cannot see. At night we cannot see. That does not mean the sun is not
there.
Young man: But sharpening the senses, how does one sharpen one’s senses?
Prabhupada: Senses are imperfect. Just like we are very proud of our eyes to see, but
you cannot see what is beyond the wall. Therefore it is conditioned. You cannot see
without light. That, how you can be sure that your eyes are perfectly seeing? That is
not possible, because the eyes can see under certain condition. So if it is conditioned,
then it is not perfect. But the conditioned sight can be purified. Just like one is
suffering from cataract. By surgical operation the cataract can be removed and he can
see. Similarly, our senses are imperfect. If we purify the senses, then it will be possible
to see God twenty-four hours. That purification process is this Krishna consciousness
movement.
Young man: Are human beings the only creations that can have Krishna
consciousness?
Prabhupada: Yes. Krishna consciousness means God consciousness. The cats and
dogs cannot be trained up. But a human being can be trained up. Especially the
Aryans, they can be trained up. They are advanced.
Young man: More advanced than other races?
Prabhupada: By birth they are advanced. They have got intelligence. But for Krishna
consciousness everyone can be purified, even the non-Aryans. It is without any check.
Ahaituky apratihata. Apratihata means without any material check. It is not a
disqualification that one is not an Aryan, therefore he cannot understand God. No. He
can also be trained up. Because it is spiritual, and we are all spiritual identities, so it is
not difficult. Even one who is not spiritual at the present moment, but by training he
can also become spiritual.
...
Young man: I’d like to know the relation between Vishnu and Krishna, how Vishnu
became Krishna.
Prabhupada: Krishna is the Supreme Being, and He has got many expansion. So
Vishnu is also expansion.
ramadi-murtishu kala-niyamena tishthan
nanavataram akarod bhuvaneshu kintu
krishnah svayam samabhavat paramah puman yo
govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami

This is in the Vedas, Brahma-samhita. Krishnah svayam sama. Krishna means the
original. And He expands in so many forms, ramadi-murtishu: Rama, Nrisimha,
Varaha, Vishnu, Sankarshana, Balarama—so many thousands. But the original person
is Krishna. (Pause) Therefore I asked, “What is the idea of God?” I suppose you are all
Muslim.
Young man: We were brought up as Muslims.
Prabhupada: So what is the conception of God in Islam?

12
Young man: Even as a Muslim, I didn’t have very good teaching. My teachers didn’t
know the Qur'an very well, and therefore they gave me no concept of God when I was
a child. I don’t know what the Muslim concept of God is.
Prabhupada: Any one of you cannot explain? You have got?
Young man: I think it’s the all-powerful one who’s omnipotent, the same as in all
religions. There is one God.
Prabhupada: So His form... What is the form?
Young man: What is His form? He created the world...
Prabhupada: That is His action. What is His form?
Young man: A heavenly being.
Young man (2): There is no form given for God. It’s spiritual.
Prabhupada: The description must be there.
Girl: He’s a human being. He’s got a human form.
Prabhupada: That I am asking, what is the form?
Young man: Well, the only thing... It just says that He created man after His own
image.
Prabhupada: That is the Christian idea.
Young man: Yeah.
Prabhupada: The Muslim, Islam also same idea?
Young man: Well, since the Old Testament, part of the Old Testament, is very similar
to the Qur'an. I presume the creation of Adam, that bit, is also taken from the Old
Testament. But He is projected as a great judge really, a supreme judge.
Prabhupada: Yes, He must be the supreme judge because He is Supreme Being.
Supreme judge means supreme knowledge.
Young man: Yes. Somehow in modern religion they very much emphasize on the fact
that He judges. And I could never accept that idea for example, that the Supreme
Being judges, because judging is a low activity. Spiritual people don’t judge.
Prabhupada: Spiritual?
Young man: Leader.
Prabhupada: They do not judge?
Young man: That’s what I thought.
Prabhupada: No, judgment is there everywhere. Unless there is judgment, how you
can discriminate, “This is spiritual; this is material”? Judgment must be there for
intelligent person. Otherwise how you can distinguish? We are distinguishing every
moment—“This is good. This is bad”—in the relative world. So there is judgment. So
God—the supreme judge. So as soon as there is question of judgment, then what is
our position? There must be good and bad, so that if we have lived a very nice, good
life, then by the judgment of God we get better position. And if we have not done so,
then you get degraded position. Therefore, for human being it is very sanguine to
understand how we are going to be judged by the Supreme. So if we are following the
rules and regulation given by God, then the judgment will be better. And if we are not
following the laws, the judgment will not be in favor. This is natural to conclude. Then
we have to judge what is sin, what is piety, how to be pious, how one becomes sinful.
So many things will come.
...
Young man: If one does not lose one’s identity when one is returned to the Godhead,
what is the nature of the relationship?
Prabhupada: Servant. God is supreme, we are all subordinate. God is maintaining us
just like father maintains. So it is the duty of the son to be obedient to the father, to act
according to his order. Then everything is perfect. At the present moment on account
of this bodily concept of life every one of us thinking nationality and duty of nation,

13
duty of the community, duty of the family, so many duties. But actually we, being
spiritual, our only duty is to serve God. We are serving; everyone is serving. That is
our constitutional position, to serve. But at the present moment we are serving maya,
illusion, and we have to be trained up to serve the Supreme Being. Then our life is
perfect. At the present moment, although there are many religious system, they have
no clear conception of God, although religion means to approach God. There is no
religion throughout the whole world which is not connected with the word God. So
religion means to understand God. But if we have no clear conception of God, then the
religion is defective. Do you admit it or not? Religion means to understand God or
God’s laws. That is religion. But if we do not understand what is God, then that
religion is also defective. So far our position is, we are approaching directly God
through His agent, and our conception of God is there in the temple worship or our
working for God. But we have got no vague idea of God. We have got complete idea:
Krishna. You want to speak anything?
Young man: What is the Krishna conscious outlook on other world religions?
Prabhupada: They have got simply an idea that there is God, but what is that God,
they have no clear conception. Just like I asked, “What is the conception of God in
Islam?” You could not give us. You simply described some of His activities.
Young man: That’s true.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Young man: All the religions that have been taught to me have not given me a clear
view of God, a clear concept. They didn’t seem to know it themselves.
Prabhupada: No, concept is there as you told me: “The God has made human being
after His own image.” Then we can get the idea that God is a person like a human
being, He has got two hands, two legs, one head, because after His image we have
been... Now, if we study ourselves and increase that quality... Just like I am. I can eat.
I can eat a certain amount of foodstuff, but God can also eat, but He can eat the whole
universe. So eating is there. But the difference of eating is there also. I can create one
airplane, but God has created very, very big airplanes like these planets, and they are
floating in the sky without any power crisis. That is God’s creation. Here we are
floating the airplane or running the car with the power, petrol, given by God. You
cannot manufacture petrol. Just like in your country there is enough stock of petrol.
But you have not created it. So who has created? Your creative power is to drill and
get the stock. So much creative power you have got. But you cannot create petrol.
Then the Americans would not have come here to beg petrol. That is the difference.
You can create something by the ingredients given by God. You can create this table.
Because wood is given by God, the instrument is given by God, and the intelligence
given by God, the hand is given by God, so in this way you create the table. Then
whose property it will be, your property or God’s property? Whose property? If I give
you wood, instrument, your salary, and you create something, the ultimately the thing
created, to whom it should belong? To you or to me?
Young man: To you if you’re...
Prabhupada: Yes. Therefore everything belongs to God. The petrol belongs to God;
the land belongs to God; we also belong to God. But because we have forgotten God,
there is crisis. Therefore, if you want peace, then you must accept here this principle
that everything belongs to God. That is Vedic information. Ishavasyam idam sarvam.
Ishopanishad. You have read our Ishopanishad?
Young man: I have read some of it.
Prabhupada: Here is the Ishopanishad. Show him. Ishavasyam idam sarvam. Read
that verse.
Shrutakirti:

14
 ishavasyam idam sarvam
yat kincha jagatyam jagat
tena tyaktena bhunjitha
ma gridhah kasya svid dhanam

“Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and

owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for
himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one must not accept other things,
knowing well to whom they belong.”
...
Guest: There is some our acharyas. How about Christ or Muhammad and Zaratustra,
all these people?
Prabhupada: They accept God, that’s all. But God is here explained. They cannot
give an explicit idea of God. But here is God speaking personally. They have got
“There is God,” “God is great.” That’s nice. But who is that God, how He is great,
that they have to learn further. Simply a vague idea, that “God is great”. One should
know how He is great and who is that great. That is perfection. So that is explained
here. They accept God. They are also our brother because they accept God. They are
not atheist. Atheists, they don’t accept God. “There is no God”—that is atheist. But
here they are theist. They accept God. They want to please God. They go to the
church, go to the mosque, offer prayer. Prayer is also bhakti, devotional service.
Shravanam kirtanam vishnoh smaranam pada-sevanam, archanam vandanam
dasyam. Vandanam. The Christian way or the Muslim way, to offer prayer. The
Muslim offer obeisances and offer prayer. So that is also bhakti. The Christian also do
that, so that is also bhakti. And they accept God; we accept God. So there is no
difference. But the only point is who is that God.
Guest: They accept as supreme power.
Prabhupada: No, supreme power must be there. Behind the power there must be
powerful.
Guest: They say powerful but what about...
Prabhupada: Yes, then we have to know this powerful, not only the power. That is
stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Mayadhyakshena prakritih suyate sa-characharam. In
another place, srishti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-shaktir eka chayeva yasya bhuvanani
bibharti durga. Durga is power. What kind of power? Srishti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-
shaktir eka. She can create, she can maintain and she can destroy, so powerful. But
this power, srishti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-shaktir eka chayeva, is working just like
shadow. Just like here is shadow. I am moving this hand; the shadow is moving.
Shadow is not independently moving. Therefore this gigantic power, material energy,
is working under the direction of Krishna. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita,
mayadhyakshena: “under My superintendence.” So we are allured with the power, but
who is manipulating this power we do not know. That is God.
...
Guest: I have three points. First of all, I have seen nothing in Bhagavad-gita, although
it is a work of the most beautiful of all these books which are attributed to God and are
supposed to be spoken in the name of God. But sincerely there is nothing in Bhagavad-
gita about God which you cannot find similar passage, a passage similar to it in Koran
or in other teachings. That’s my first point. The second point is that if we believe to
God and we believe that the God has spoken only through Bhagavad-gita to a people
who live in a given country, then we are going to have a very narrow-minded God who
doesn’t love all human beings.
Prabhupada: No. No there. Here, here I impress...

15
Guest: He has bestowed all His love to a given people. And my third point is that if
we believe God as a life force or who must be discovered by a human being and the
human being who has to proceed toward this truth, then also we have no reason to
confine this into one people.
Indian man: Swamiji, I may take your leave.
Prabhupada: (Hindi) Why you are going soon?
Indian man: I have to go still far off.
Prabhupada: Oh, all right. Jaya. Jaya.
Guest: So I think what we have in Islam is... They say that the road, the way towards
God, the ways are many, as many as the human beings, that is said. So in the number
of human beings you have ways towards God. So everybody, each person, has his own
way towards God. And it’s really hard for me, difficult for me to believe that there’s
only one way and there is only one book and one school, one way of teaching.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Guest: And when Muhammad said that God is great, he simply said God is great, and
he adds nothing to it for somebody who is well acquainted with Islam culture and he
who knows well about Qur’an’s teachings, it cannot be understood and accepted. It is
the same with somebody who is well acquainted with Christianity and the truth spoken
through Christianity. It is the same with the Buddhism or other ways which are
designed, which are...
Prabhupada: So your point is that God is understood in different ways. That is not
the point?
Atreya Rishi: That’s one of his points.
Prabhupada: And what is the other point?
Atreya Rishi: That all the scriptures speak of the same truth. Scriptures coming from
God speak of the same truth that is in Bhagavad-gita. And all the scriptures give a real
path to God, as many as individuals as there are, there are ways of getting to God, and
that God could not be fair if He just gave one book at one time to one group of
people.
Prabhupada: No, just like dictionary. The small pocket dictionary is also dictionary,
and the international dictionary, Webs, that is also dictionary. So both of them are
dictionary, but they are not equal. One dictionary is meant for children and one
dictionary is meant for the higher scholars. So although are dictionaries, they are two
kinds of dictionaries.
Guest: Do you know, sir, that it is exactly the same way of thinking which we have in
our people who believe to Muhammad? They think that the teaching of Muhammad is
the most superior one. And others... Of course, Muslims do believe to others’
religions, to Moses, to Christ, and so on. They have the same way of thinking. They
think that they are elementary stages...
Prabhupada: The point is... Yes.
Guest: ...and Muhammad’s teaching is supposed to be the superior one. So everybody
thinks that his way or his way of thinking, his theory, his religion is the most superior
one.
Prabhupada: That’s all right. That is all right. If you accept progress... Just like you
are seeing the sun, I am also seeing the sun, the boy is also seeing the sun, but the
understanding of the sun may be different. Everyone is seeing the sun. The objective is
the same. But a child’s understanding of sun and an elderly man’s understanding of
sun, a scientist’s understanding of sun, or one man who has actually gone to the sun
planet, there are different categories. Do you accept or not? The sun is there. God is
accepted in every scripture. That is a fact. But in the same way, how far He is
understood, that is different. That is different. The same example, that everyone is

16
seeing sun: “Here is sun,” there is no doubt. But a child’s understanding of sun, his
father’s understanding of sun, or a scientist’s understanding of sun, or a person who
has gone to the sun planet, his understanding of sun is different. The objective is the
same. And everyone is right. Either you understand fully sun or not, as soon as you
come before the sun you get the light. The child is getting the light, the scientist is
getting the light, and the ordinary person getting the light. Everyone is getting light,
heat and light. But their understanding different, of degrees.
Guest: From what you have said in the answer to this gentleman, I thought you meant,
sir, when the only perfect...
Prabhupada: No.
Guest: ...teaching about God is provided through the sun.
Prabhupada: No, just like if you want to understand sun, say... what is called?
Geography? Then you have to learn from the person who knows geography. You
cannot learn from a person who has superficially studied. Then you have to go to the
person who knows scientifically, astronomically, that sun is fourteen hundred thousand
times bigger than this planet. You have to go to the astronomer. How far the sun is
situated from us? So you have to go to the particular person who knows it. You
cannot say that his knowledge and the child’s knowledge, who is seeing the sun as a
disc is the same. That you cannot say. If you want to know further enlightenment of
the sun then you have to go to the person who is studying sun scientifically. So one
who has studied the sun scientifically, his knowledge and a casual person seeing the
sun, his knowledge is not the same. That you cannot say. Although everyone is seeing
the sun, that’s all right, but the knowledge of the sun, there are different.
Devotee: That seems to answer all of your three points at once.
Atreya Rishi: One thing here is that we are not talking about religion or designation.
Guest: In that case I think we have no (indistinct).
Atreya Rishi: Yes, it’s not a religion.
Prabhupada: No, if you want to study something, and suppose you are sometimes
from India, the same subject he’s going to study in foreign country, farther
enlightenment, it is also not necessary that to study a subject matter more and more,
we have to remain in the same jurisdiction. If I am actually anxious to know more and
more, it doesn’t matter whether I get the knowledge from Muslim or Hindu or
Christian, it doesn’t matter. Knowledge is knowledge. When a student goes from one
country to another to get farther enlightenment on a subject matter, he does not think
that “I’ll have to learn it from here, from my university.” For knowledge, progress of
knowledge, you can go to any university. Because knowledge must be scientific. It is
not restricted within the jurisdiction of a particular university. So, sun we are seeing,
everyone, the sun, getting heat and light but if anyone is interested (to) know how the
heat is coming, how the light is coming, what is the situation of the sun globe, whether
there are living entities or not. They’re also subject matter. So if you can get
enlightenment of the sun, we should not restrict ourselves that we have to study with
this jurisdiction of my university, or my country, or my society. If the knowledge is
there, we should be prepared to go forward. Mm.
Lady: If we believe in God as the Supreme Being... I have a question. Why do we
wish to God, to Krishna movement in chanting worldly name because the name of God
is something which is eternal.
Prabhupada: Hold on, then, what is the name of God?
Lady: Right, in Christianity there is written: “In the beginning was the word, the word
was with God, and the word was God.”
Prabhupada: That’s all right. But what is the name of God?
Lady: In Islamic religion, they say...

17
Prabhupada: No, what is the name of God? Islam is the system of religion, but what
is the name of God?
Lady: The name of God is something which is always with God, constantly with God.
Prabhupada: That means you do not know that. You do not know that.
Lady: I do know that...
Prabhupada: Then why don’t you say?
Lady: ...experience the name of God...
Guest: It’s very similar to what we have got in Bhagavad-gita. He says, “You call it
Allah...”
Prabhupada: That’s all right.
Guest: “...or you call it Rahman, whatever name you call it, He has all nicest names.”
So all nicest name are His.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Guest: That’s what we have got in...
Prabhupada: Well, I accept, I accept that all the, that’s all right, all the nicest name.
So Krishna means all-attractive. Is it not very nice? Just reply whether this Krishna
name is nice or not?
Guest: Yes, of course. Nobody is against Krishna.
Prabhupada: Then chant it. Then chant it.
Guest: Everybody loves Krishna and...
Prabhupada: No, no, if you accept Krishna name is nice, then chant it.
Guest: I don’t think that point is...
Prabhupada: No, you say God has got the nicest name.
Guest: Yes.
Prabhupada: I say...
Guest: But the name is just an indication, the name is something we call it, it is for us
to have a word.
Prabhupada: But that I ask you, that what is that name? As I have... We have got the
nicest name, Krishna. Now you suggest that this is the nicest name in Islam, Krishna.
You say me that.
Atreya Rishi: Allah.
Prabhupada: You say, “What is that name?”
Guest: First of all, this man is talking (indistinct) any difference to call it Allah.
Prabhupada: No, no, I don’t make any difference but I want to know, I want to
know what is that nicest name. I don’t make any difference.
Guest: Well, it’s called (indistinct) they call it Allah.
Prabhupada: That’s all right. Then our request is that you chant the name of God. So
if Allah is the name of God, you chant Allah, don’t chant Krishna. We say that.
Lady: The name of God is not something could be spoken to (indistinct), it is
unspoken.
Prabhupada: No, we don’t accept that. Name means it can be spoken. (guests all
speak at once) Not commentary, name means that... When I call you by your name, it
is spoken. It is spoken. I know your name... If I say I cannot speak it. (laughter)
Guest: ...is for me to designate me because it is...
Prabhupada: No, you have said that God’s name is Allah, that is accepted. Very
good. And we request you...
Guest: ...means of communication.
Prabhupada: Eh?
Guest: Just, not that, no, a word Allah is not to God, it is a means of communication.
Prabhupada: Whatever it may be, you have accepted the name of God as Allah, is it
not?

18
Atreya Rishi: But he’s saying that their name is material, it’s different...
Prabhupada: No, no, then you have no idea of God. God is not material. God is not
material.
Guest: Well, you have said though have a lion, lion who lives in the forest and you
write lion.
Prabhupada: That is material, that is material.
Guest: What you write here is not the true lion. Is, is a way of communication, you
put it here in words.
Prabhupada: Lion is, lion is material, and his name is also material, but God is not
material. God is spiritual. Therefore His name is spiritual.
Guest: We accept that.
Prabhupada: As spiritual... (two of the guests speak at once)
Guest: What do you think about the spirit?
Guest (2): Soul, human soul, soul is not material, but when you write it, it’s a word, a
material word.
Atreya Rishi: Yes, but the name of God, we accept as the same quality as God. If it is
a concocted name, then it’s not the same quality. But if it is the name of God, given to
us by God, or by His representatives, we accept that as good as God and that is the
philosophy behind chanting. Otherwise why chant?
Guest: Well, it’s a very old teaching. We have got it.
Atreya Rishi: I know you have it, accept it. Accept it. There is no question, just
accept it. It doesn’t matter if you have got it, or I have got it.
Guest: You attribute some sort of mysterious attributes to word, to certain word.
Atreya Rishi: None. There is only...
Guest: They are created by the human being.
Atreya Rishi: It is not created by human being.
Guest: It is because it does..., it differs from one country to from one language to
other language.
Atreya Rishi: God, God has many, many names like it says in Qur'an.
Guest: Yes, but one name in Turkish when you say Tanri, in Arabic when you say
Allah, in French, in English, in Sanskrit. So these are different words.
Prabhupada: But...
Atreya Rishi: Those are names.
Guest: These different things are created by human beings.
Atreya Rishi: We are talking about one name which is to describe the concept of
God. When we are also talking about the name of God. In other words, if I don’t
know who you are, I have to ask somebody, “What is his name?” That is your name.
Guest: But my name is my name in Turkey, in English, in Arabic, in anywhere you go.
Prabhupada: That’s all right, then let the Turkish chant the name of Turkish name.
Guest: But God, the name is different.
Atreya Rishi: Yes, But if you find what his name is,...
Prabhupada: But the name must be chanted that is our program. It may be Turkish
name, it may be Arabic name, it may be Sanskrit name. Whatever he knows let him
chant. That is our program.
Atreya Rishi: But the concept of name of God is separate than designation, which
you are talking about. Man-made designation. And this concept, if you don’t accept
this concept, how do you accept the concept of chanting in Islam. These are the points.
Bhagavad-gita also. There are so many concepts in there, but we want to interpret
them all, we don’t want to accept them. We want to accept our mind. Prabhupada,
what he has been saying all evening is: “Let’s accept Bhagavad-gita as authority. Let’s

19
accept Qur’an as authority. Let’s accept an authority.” Because we want to go by our
senses. We want to go around modern...
Guest: Yes, (indistinct) as authorities.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Atreya Rishi: But let us accept it. I accept them and they are still the victim of my
interpretation. If we accept them, what is this? That let’s not interpret that God’s name
is just a designation just like my name. It’s just a word.
Guest: Name cannot be perfect. Name of name cannot be perfect.
Atreya Rishi: Well, then we are talking about the difference...
Guest: Something is something else.
Atreya Rishi: What is it?
Guest: You are entitled to chant the name of your beloved, that is something else. It
does not mean different stages with the name...
Atreya Rishi: But who is this beloved? Who is this beloved? Who is this beloved?
Who is this beloved?
Guest: In our case, God.
Atreya Rishi: So this name of God is different... If God is transcendental, if God is
spiritual then how could His name be committed to our relative conceptions.
Prabhupada: ...indicates God, then it is not bad. That is our point. If we indicates to
God... Just like Allah. If this name indicates to God, then it is this Allah word as good
as God. There is no difference. Namnam akari bahudha nija sarva shakti. The Allah,
the conception of Allah means the Great, is it not? So God is Great. So by chanting
Allah, I am meaning God, the Supreme Person, so it is as good. And actually in
Mosque, they chant Allah-u-Akbar, like that, so far I’ve heard. So that prayer, if it is
not God’s name, then what is the use of this prayer? That is God’s name. Similarly, the
Hindus may chant Hare Krishna, they’re indicating to the same personality. It may be
different language; therefore, it is as good as God because God is absolute. But this,
this name is authorize because Muhammad said that you chant, “Allah.” So it is
authorized, because he is God’s representative. Therefore my request is, or our request
is that you chant the name of Allah. We don’t say that you chant Krishna. You chant
the Holy name of God. If Allah is approved name of God, you chant it. That is our
request. We don’t force you that you chant the name of Krishna. No, we don’t say
that. If somebody says Jehovah is the name of God, that’s all right, you chant Jehovah.
Allah is the name of God, that’s all right, you do it. We simply request that you chant
the holy name of God. That’s all. If you have got it, we don’t force you that you chant
the name of Krishna. That is not our way. We accept: if Allah is God’s name, it is as
good as the name Krishna. We are not so sophisticated that you have to chant this
Krishna’s name. No, we say: Harer nama. That is the shastra, harer nama. The name
of the Lord. So there are many thousands of names, that’s a fact. So you actually chant
the name of God. Pick up of the millions of God’s name, whatever you like, you pick
up and chant. That is our propagation.
harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam
kalau nasty eva, nasty eva, nasty eva gathir anyatha

In this age of quarrel and disagreement, God realization is very difficult;

therefore, you chant the Holy name of God, then you’ll gradually realize Him. This is
our program. So we don’t force you that you chant this name Krishna. No, shastra
says, harer nama, the holy name of God, chant. That is our program.
Lady: Before you ask with something else. I ask, how could you meet the Supreme
being by chanting...

20
Prabhupada: By chanting, yes.
Lady: ...by chanting of worldly name, tuned on prayer...
Prabhupada: That is not worldly name. Why do you mistake that? God’s name is not
worldly.
Lady: Because if you, if you really know the tuning of God...
Prabhupada: Do you think Allah is worldly name?
Lady: We recognize that it is before Krishna...
Prabhupada: That’s all right, you recognize it. Allah, Allah is not worldly name. It is
given by the authority Muhammad so you have to chant it, who knows God.
Lady: But he didn’t really mean Allah is the name of God.
Prabhupada: Why do you say he didn’t mean?
Lady: Because...
Prabhupada: That is you say. Muhammad did not say that “What I say, I did not
mean it.”
Lady: No, the name of God. He didn’t mean Allah.
Prabhupada: You say, you say. Who cares for your word? Muhammad said this is the
name of God. We have to accept, that’s all.
Lady: So why...
Prabhupada: You cannot say he didn’t mean. You are not a private secretary of
Muhammad. (laughter)
Lady: So then how do they say that the name of God rests in God.
Prabhupada: No, these things are not accepted.
Lady: Was before God.
Prabhupada: Don’t talk childish.
Lady: Was God.
Prabhupada: Muhammad said. That is authority. That we accept. We accept
Muhammad as the representative of God. Whatever he says, we accept, that’s all.
What you meant, that is his business. But he is authority, he said that “This is the name
of God. You chant, you pray.” Allah or God. That’s all. That is authority.
Guest: Is it also good to chant the name of a person who is holy, who is one with
God, not the name of God.
Prabhupada: That you have to find out, but here it is already there. Why should do
trouble to find out a holy man, another holy man? The holy man never says,
Muhammad never said that “You chant my name.” We have to test whether he is holy
man or not. Here is the perfect holy man. He never said that “You chant my name.” He
said “Chant Allah’s name.” That is holy man. That is test of holy man. He does not
become God, he serves God. That is holy man. All right. Take, give prasadam. All
right.
Devotee: We have a feast.
Prabhupada: All right.
Devotee: Thank you Srila Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: Thank you very much. (devotees pay obeisances, and some guests
leave) Jaya, Hare Krishna. Jaya. (break)
Devotee: Jaya, Srila Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: We accept Muhammad’s authority. That’s a fact. He’s authority.

Bombay, September 30, 1975

Dr. Patel: In Punjab there was lot of Muslim hierarchy, and that is what they wanted,
that... Arya-samajes.

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Prabhupada: But we are not against any “ism,” either Muslimism or Christianism.
This Krishna consciousness, we never preach against anyone.
Dr. Patel: It was a socio-economic problem or socio-political, not a religious problem.
Prabhupada: Whatever it may be, but we never criticize anyone. When the Christians
come forward—“Whether our Christian religion can also give the same
meaning”—“Yes, why not?” Yes.
Dr. Patel: It has the same bhakti.
Prabhupada: I never said...
Dr. Patel: I think the Christianity is nothing but bhagavata-dharma. It has been
preached in a different way.
Prabhupada: They inquire, “What is your opinion of Jesus Christ?” And “He is our
guru.”
Dr. Patel: It’s a fact.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Dr. Patel: The Christians don’t know that we take it like that.
Prabhupada: Even if we say “Muhammad,” why not? Anyone who has preached
Krishna consciousness, maybe little differently according to time, circumstances, but
anyone who has tried to preach the God consciousness, he is guru. Yei krishna tattva
vetti, sei guru haya. That is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s version. Anyone who preaches
about the Supreme Lord, he is guru. Maybe in a different way, according to time,
circumstances. The Muhammad also said Allah Akbar.
Dr. Patel: Only the difference is that Muhammad is trying to worship niranjana,
nirakara, and we...
Prabhupada: No, no, not nirakara. That is not...
Dr. Patel: Even Christianity considers His akara—“God has form.”
Prabhupada: No, Mohammed also has got... Chaitanya Mahaprabhu argued in
Qur'an. He proved there is krishna-bhakti. He proved with the Pathans. Yes.
Dr. Patel: Otherwise the Christianity is just our way, I mean, absolutely Vaishnavism.
It has been wrongly preached and wrongly initiated in India. That is why it has fallen to
disrepute. Otherwise Christianity is just Vaishnava-dharma. Nothing else, to my mind,
the way I have studied, I mean the New Testament and all the Christian, all the things.
Now, the sermon of Christ is nothing but the preaching of Bhagavad-gita.
Prabhupada: I never criticized. I simply said that positive side, God consciousness.
Dr. Patel: Christ himself was drunk with God consciousness totally.
Prabhupada: Eh?
Dr. Patel: Christ himself was drunk with God consciousness in toto, absolute.... There
cannot be a higher bhakta than that. It is said that Jesus Christ learned all these things
in India. It might be a fact?

Tehran, August, 12, 1976

Atreya Rishi: In Iran most people accept all our philosophy fully, but they are not
willing to accept authority from Krishna because they say, well, why is... They cannot
be convinced that Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead, Supreme Personality
of Godhead.
Prabhupada: Then there is proof: shastra (the scripture) is there, sadhu (the saint) is
there, acharya (the preceptor) is there, other authorities are there. Just like Arjuna
said, that, quoted Vyasa, Narada, Asita, Devala, “All of them have accepted You the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, and You are explaining Yourself. Therefore I have
no doubt.” Vyasadeva is authority, Narada is authority, and there are many others.

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Recently, all the acharyas, Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
We are following the Chaitanya cult, but He’s stated yare dekha tare kaha ‘krishna’-
upadesha. He’s accepting. Why does He say “Krishna”? Why does He not say others?
Amara ajnaya guru hana tara ei desha yare desha, tare kaha. And Krishna also,
mattah paratara nanyat, “There is no more superior person.” And Arjuna accepted,
“Whatever You are saying, it is all reasonable.” Sarvam etad rita manye. “Whatever
you have said, I accept in toto.” There is no cut short, “I don’t like this, I don’t accept
this.” No, everything, sarvam etad.
Atreya Rishi: The basic difference still is that they are saying that Krishna, God,
whatever you call Him, He..., the parampara system starts from Him sending a
representative, and then that representative has devotees and devotees, like that. But
we also say that that is true, but also there is, you could...
Prabhupada: Bring that wrapper.
Atreya Rishi: That is true, but also we could have parampara go all the way to
Krishna Himself.
Prabhupada: Yes, parampara is coming from Krishna.
Nava-yauvana: In Islam they say that God cannot come to this earth.
Atreya Rishi: God would not come to this earth.
Prabhupada: God cannot speak? God cannot come. A very big man, he can come,
but He cannot speak?
Atreya Rishi: They agree. He can speak and He can send representatives.
Prabhupada: Because He has spoken to Muhammad, and Muhammad has come, he is
speaking the same thing. So recently... There is no need of God’s coming. If
Muhammad is speaking on behalf of God, then that is all right. There is no need of
God’s coming. This is parampara.
Atreya Rishi: That they agree. And they also agree that that parampara is lost. They
agree with that because they can see there is nobody who can represent Muhammad.
There is not a single person. They agree.
Prabhupada: No, that is everywhere.
Atreya Rishi: In every religion it is true.
Prabhupada: Just like these rascals, Bhagavad-gita they explain in a different way.
What Krishna says, rejected. He says something else. That is the difficulty—
parampara is lost.
Atreya Rishi: And the most convincing argument that Your Divine Grace is making is
that we are not just talking, we are also acting. That is the big difference between our
philosophy and all the others. Because there are many good philosophies, but they all
finish in talk.
Prabhupada: Talking, that’s all.
Atreya Rishi: Perfect philosophy, but talk.
Prabhupada: The scientists also, they are talking, but there is no practical proof.
Simply talking.

Columbus, May 12, 1969

Prabhupada: Now, take for example the Muslim’s name Allah. Allah means the
greatest. So God is greatest. So that greatest conception is this Brahman conception.
And so far Christian, I don’t think they have got any particular name. They say God.
Allen Ginsberg: Yes. Lord, God. That is the basic one.
Prabhupada: Controller. God means controller. Is it not?
Allen Ginsberg: What is the etymology of God? Do you know?

23
Hayagriva: I don’t know.
Prabhupada: God is the equivalent of ishvara. Ishvara means controller.
Allen Ginsberg: Then the Jews, which were my background, had a prohibition...
Prabhupada: Jehovah.
Allen Ginsberg: They had Jehovah, but they had a prohibition of pronouncing the
highest names. Because they felt that God was imageless, and therefore should not be
pronounced or painted. My background is I guess what would be impersonalist.
Hayagriva: The Jews are personalist.
Allen Ginsberg: Well, what are they? Impersonalists or personalists?
Lady: Impersonalists. They believe in just the Absolute. That’s all.
Prabhupada: That was the difference in Jesus Christ. He was a personalist.
Devotee: Hasidics are personal.
Allen Ginsberg: Yes. They put their devotion into the rabbi or the guru. The ancient
Hebrew... I guess you must know about that. The ancient Hebrew teaching was that
the name of God should never be pronounced.
Prabhupada: Now we come to know...
Allen Ginsberg: J-H-V-H.
Prabhupada: Anyway why God’s name...
Allen Ginsberg: Pictures should not be made. Pictures should not be made. Because it
would limit God to human conception.
Prabhupada: That is another thing. That is in Islam. That means God is not material.
That is the idea. Because here the idea is when I make something image or picture, that
is material. So there is a prohibition of accepting God as material. But if you go to a
higher stage, then you’ll understand that if God is everything then there is no material.
That is Vaishnava philosophy. If God is everything, then where is material? He is
spiritual. Material means when you cannot understand God. That is material.
Everything is sky. When it is covered by cloud we call it is cloudy. Similarly, cloud has
no existence. It comes only to cover sometimes, but the sky is eternal. Similarly, God
is eternal. When you are covered by some maya (illusion), you cannot see, you cannot
understand God, that is material. So any philosophy which does not help understanding
God, that is material. That is material. Otherwise, there is no material. Where is
material if God is everything? Sarvam khalv idam brahma. You see?
Hayagriva: All spirits.
Prabhupada: All spirit. All the sky. Everywhere is sky, but when it’s covered it is
called cloud. Similarly when God is covered by some nonsense ideas, then it is
material. Otherwise, there is no material. Therefore those who are too much absorbed
in materialistic way, there is a restriction but don’t attempt. Because he will be to think
that God’s name is just like my son’s name my daughter’s name. Therefore that
restriction.

Bhuvaneshwar, January 30, 1977

Prabhupada: Oh. In the dictionary it is clearly stated, "God the Supreme Being." So
He is a being, but supreme. And what are the signs of supremacy? One must be very
rich, very famous, very strong, very learned. In this way analyze. So God means one
who is in possession of all these things, all the reputation, all the beauty. That is God.
On this point discuss. Now, who is God, that is to be found. But this is the position of
God. Try to convince them.
Prithu-putra: Because they are convinced already about this through the Qur'an. They
already accept God is one, and He is possessing all fame, all beauty. But they say...

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The only point is that He cannot come down to the earth because the earth is a planet
of sin.
Prabhupada: No, that is your not perfect conception. If He is almighty and He is all-
powerful, why you restrict Him?
Prithu-putra: They say, "No, He is not restricted. But when He has to reveal Himself
He reveals to the prophet. This is the reason why Muhammad received the instruction
from God."
Prabhupada: That's all right. That's all right. But you cannot say that He does not
come to showing mercy to a prophet. He may come if He likes. That is mission.
Paritranaya sadhunam. One who is actually devotee, prophet, he is always anxious to
see what they (indistinct). So in order to favor them, (Sanskrit). What is their
proposition?
Prithu-putra: In the story of Qur'an they say Muhammad once asked to see God, and
God is answer was, "You are not able to see Me."
Prabhupada: That's all right. At least he could hear Him. So that is possible. Not that
necessarily one has to see Him, but he can hear Him. Now, you have said that
Muhammad heard Him, so God can speak. So you can hear. So where is the objection?
Prithu-putra: No objection.
Prabhupada: Muhammad... If somebody can hear Him, somebody can see Him also.
You cannot deny because they're all senses. To hear God means with my senses we
appreciate Him. Similarly, eyes are also one of the senses. Now if somebody sees Him,
where is the objection? If somebody can hear Him, where is the objection if somebody
can see Him? Reasonably, there is no objection. In this way... So God is omnipotent. If
some of His prophet devotees wants to hear Him, he can do that, if wants to see Him,
he can do that.
Prithu-putra: But they think the prophet as an ordinary man who received the mercy
from the Lord.
Prabhupada: Yes. Without being... Without being favored by the God, how one can
become prophet? Then he is ordinary man.
Prithu-putra: But they say he was an ordinary man like us up to the time that God
revealed Himself to him.
Prabhupada: Now, suppose Muhammad has heard God. He is prophet. So whatever
he is speaking about his experience, you are accepting. Similarly, if somebody has seen
Him, if he says that "God is like this", why you should not accept? In this way talk.
God can be seen as God can be heard. You cannot say that God cannot be seen. Why?
Prithu-putra: No, what they say is that He Himself doesn't come down here. He can
be seen, but He doesn't come down. That is their point.
Prabhupada: That's his... He doesn't come down. He is already there. He does not
come down. Just like the sun. The sun does not come down before me, but you can see
him. In this way give them enlightenment. Sun doesn't require to come down, but sun
is so bright and so prominent that you can see. Similarly, God doesn't require to come
down. He is already present. Simply we have to make our eyes to see Him.
Premanjana-churita-bhakti-vilochanena. When one is competent enough by
developing his love for God, he can see always. God is visible everywhere. Antara-
stha-paramanu-chayantara-stham. Ishvara sarva-bhutanam hrid-deshe 'rjuna
tishthati. He is everywhere. So there is no difficulty to see. But simply one has to
possess such purified eyes to see Him. Otherwise He can be seen anywhere. He can be
seen within the atom even. Antara-stha-paramanu-chayantara-stham. That is God. He
is present everywhere, but we must have the purified eyes to see, we must have the
purified ears to hear Him. Otherwise God is everywhere.

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Prithu-putra: So in order to purify their vision, chanting and prasada will be
sufficient.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Prithu-putra: We should not talk about following rules and things like this.
Prabhupada: No. When there is talk, then you can talk reasonably, that "If God can
be heard, God can be seen also, God can be touched also, to a different prophet."

San-Francisco, April 5, 1967

Prabhupada: So Chand Kazi also replied that “Cow killing is also not generally
recommended in the Qur’an. Actually, beef-eating or flesh-eating is not in the higher
stage. But those who are inclined to take flesh, for them it is recommended that instead
of killing many small animals, one big animal should be killed. So actually in Mecca,
Medina, they kill camel. That is also in the mosque.” So the substance of his speech
was that flesh-eating ultimately is not recommended. “But those who have no other
means, they eat flesh and they recommend that one big animal should be killed. So
India, the cow is big animal, therefore we kill. But that is not recommended for
advanced spiritual students.”

Geneva, June 4, 1974

Prabhupada: Buddha is shaktyavesha-avatara. We accept Lord Jesus Christ also,
shaktyavesha-avatara; Muhammad, shaktyavesha-avatara. Shaktyavesha-avatara
means a living entity especially empowered and he preaches the philosophy on behalf
of God. That is called shaktyavesha-avatara.
...
The Muhammad also said, "From this day, there is no sex with your mother." So just
see what class of men. So according to class of men, there should be teaching.
Similarly, Buddha also, Lord Buddha said, "No, no, there is no God. Just try to
understand me. You obey Me." "Yes, sir." It has to be done like that.

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 PART TWO

Bhakti-Yoga And Islam

“Islam is also Vaishnavism.”
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada

Traveling through Jordan I met a very sincere Muslim scholar, by name

Muhammad Ali. He was very humble and sincerely trying to follow the path of
religion. A discussion took place between us from which I would like to present a part
of the conversation for the attention of the readers.

Dr. Muhammad Ali: According to Muslim tradition only God, Allah deserves
worship, nothing else besides Allah can be worshipped - no man, no angel, no jinn (evil
spirit), etc. But Hindus worship the guru or spiritual master, by bowing down in front
of him and worshipping him like God. Muslims cannot accept this!
Airavata Dasa: Yes. According to Vedic scriptures God is one, the Supreme Being
and only He should be worshipped and loved. But His pure devotee, His bonafide
representative should also be honored and respected because he presents God. For
example, the viceroy is received with great respect because he is a representative of the
king. If the viceroy is neglected, the king will not be happy. Similarly if a pure devotee
of God is neglected, God gets angry. I would like to present some quotations from the
2nd sura, ayats 30 to 34 of the Qur'an:
30. And when thy Lord said unto the angels: “Lo! I am about to place a viceroy
on earth.” They said: “Wilt Thou place therein one who will do harm therein and will
shed blood, while we do celebrate Thy, praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?” He said:
“I know what ye know not.”
31. And He taught Adam the names of all things, then He showed them to the
angels, and sad: “Tell me of the names of these, if ye are right.”
32. They said: “Glory to Thee! Of knowledge we have none, but what You
have taught us. In truth it is You who is perfect in knowledge and wisdom.”

27
 33. He said: “O Adam! Inform them of their names.” When he had informed
them of their names, Allah said: “Did I not tell you that I know the secrets of the
heavens and the earth? And I know that which you reveal and which you conceal.”
34. And when We said unto the angels: “Prostrate yourselves before Adam”,
they fell prostrate, all but Iblis. He refused through pride , and so became a
disbeliever."
From this narration we can understand that when Allah revealed some
confidential knowledge to Adam, he became so great that even angels worshipped and
bowed down before him. The original word used in the Qur'an signifies properly to
prostrate one's self, until the forehead touches the ground, which is the humblest
posture of adoration. Also this word means "worship". But one angel, namely Iblis,
rejected the worship of Adam out of pride and became a disbeliever. But more than
this in the 17th sura of the Qur'an it is said:
61. And when We said unto the angels: “Fall down prostrate before Adam” and
they fell prostrate all but Iblis, he said: “Shall I fall prostrate at that which You have
created from clay?”
62. He said: “Seest Thou this (creature) whom You have honored above me, if
You give me grace until the Day of Judgment, I will surely bring his descendants under
my sway - all but a few.”
63. Allah said: “Go and whosoever of them followeth thee - Lo! hell will be
your payment, ample payment.”
So, because Iblis rejected worship of Adam, as ordered by Allah and he became
a disbeliever, so was banished from heaven and was told by Allah that his payment will
be hell.

Dr. Muhammad Ali: But Adam was a special human being, he was the progenitor of
mankind.
Airavata Dasa: Of course. There is one famous story from the life of Hazrat
Muhammad. Once, in the beginning of Muhammad's prophetic activity, he invited his
relatives, delivered a sermon, and ended his speech by the following words, "Allah
ordered me to invite you on this path of Truth. Who from you is ready to follow me
and become my brother, helper and heir?" Everyone kept silent but suddenly Ali, the
youngest son of Abu-Talib, Hazrat Muhammad's uncle, came forward and said: O
messenger of Allah! I will be your helper!" Hazrat Muhammad embraced him and said
to the assembly, "He is my brother, my helper and my heir! Pay attention to his words
and worship him!" (Muhammad Peygambarin hayate. Azerbayjan Dovlat Nashriyate,
Baku, 1990, p. 54)
We know from the lifestory of Ali that he became a great devotee of Allah but
Muhammad recognized him even before, and advised everyone to worship him. The
point is that pure devotees of God are always worshipable amongst all Muslims,
Christians or followers of Vedic tradition . One very famous Vedic scholar,
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada said that if someone claims "I am God", then he is a
dog. A bonafide guru or spiritual master never claims that "I am God". He says, "I am
the servant of God". Then he is a bonafide guru. The point is that a bonafide guru is a
pure devotee of God, he surrenders himself to Allah's will, constantly engages in the
devotional service of the Lord, and teaches others by his example. Because of this he is
respected, and he is worshipable. What is the problem?

Dr. Muhammad Ali: Yes, now I understand. Guru is a pure devotee of Allah, and
because of this he is worshipable.

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Airavata Dasa: Yes. Real guru or spiritual master never asks worship for himself, but
he always invites people to worship God, Allah. He teaches us how to worship God,
because guru knows the desires of God. He is the representative of God. Like Hazrat
Muhammad, he is a messenger of God and people respect him and honor him. But
pure devotees don't like people glorifying and worshipping them. For example, a great
devotee and guru, Gaura Kishora Dasa Babaji Maharaja would run away and hide
himself when people tried to worship and glorify him. Similarly, when people tried to
worship Hazrat Muhammad, he prevented them and forbade them from doing so.
When people worship a guru, he is never bewildered because he is a pure
servant of God. He understands that this worship is meant for God and that he is
acting just as a intermediary for all the offerings to Allah according to the will of Allah.

Dr. Muhammad Ali: I see, I see. It is acceptable. But why is guru required, why can
we not approach Allah directly?
Airavata Dasa: It is obvious. The example of Hazrat Muhammad is very prominent.
Before Hazrat Muhammad came forward and started to preach, nobody worshipped
Allah. The ancient Arabs, despite having information about Allah being the Supreme
God, worshipped idols and had terrible customs and rituals. Even in the beginning of
Hazrat Muhammad's preaching activity, his tribesmen did not accept him and they even
tried to kill him. But after a while when he became successful, they accepted him.
Actually Hazrat Muhammad was the spiritual master or guru of the Arabs, without
whom they would have never been able to arise from their degraded conditions. The
spiritual master is a transparent medium, through whom we can understand God,
worship God and eventually see God.

Dr. Muhammad Ali: Now it is clearer for me. But you mentioned that we can see
God. Is it possible to see Allah?
Airavata Dasa: Yes. It is possible to see Allah in this world and in the next. In this
world the possibility to see Allah has been granted to Hazrat Muhammad. Once, before
Hazrat Muhammad's departure to Medina, he ascended to heaven in the night,
attended the abode of Allah and saw how Allah sat on the Throne. Hazrat Muhammad
spoke with Allah, received instructions from Him and then returned to earth. In the
future world however all believers will see Allah. Some Muslim scholars say the eyes
only, some say the whole face, while others say every part of His spiritual body. There
are particular verses in the Qur'an which prove this: “Some faces that day, will beam
(in brightness and beauty), looking towards their Lord.” (75.22-23)

Dr. Muhammad Ali - What do you mean Allah has body and limbs?
Airavata Dasa: Yes, we can find many evidences in the Qur'an. Allah said:
"Build the ship under Our eyes and by Our inspiration. ..." (11.37)
"Everything will perish but His (Allah's) face" (30.38 )
"He (Allah) said: O Iblis! What hindereth you from falling prostrate before that
which I have created with My hands." (38.75)
These verses prove the existence of Allah's eyes, face and hands.
In the Qur'an it is also written that,
"Allah is Seer of what you do." (2.233 )
"Allah is Hearer, Knower." (2.224)
"Allah speaketh to mankind in allegories." (35.24)
From these verses we can see that Allah can see, hear, and speak, which means
He has eyes, ears and mouth.
Also we can find in the Qur’an the following sentences:

29
 "His is the Sublime Image in the heavens and in the earth" (30.27) First of all,
this means that Allah has an exalted, Supreme Image. Secondly, amongst all images in
the heavens and the earth His Image is the most Sublime.
There are excellent verses in the Brahma-samhita :

ishvarah paramah Krishnah

sach-chid-ananda vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam

"Krishna, who is known as Govinda, is the Supreme Godhead. He has an

eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is
the prime cause of all causes."
In his explanations to this verse, prominent Sanskrit scholar Bhaktisiddhanta
Saraswati Thakura says that Krishna is the exalted Supreme Entity having His eternal
name, eternal form, eternal attributes and eternal pastimes. The very name "Krishna"
implies His love-attracting designation, expressing by His eternal nomenclature the
acme of entity. His eternal, beautiful, heavenly, blue-tinged body glowing with the
intensity of ever-existing knowledge has a flute in both His hands.
There is also a particular verse in the Qur'an:
"He (Allah) established Himself upon the Throne, directing all things." (10.3)
When Hazrat Muhammad attended Allah's sanctuary, he saw Allah sitting
upon the Throne. Hazrat Muhammad stood there in front of Allah and Allah stretched
out His hands and placed one on his shoulders and the other on his chest.
On the revelations of the Qur'an, Hazrat Muhammad said that sometimes Allah
came to him in his dreams, placed His hand on his shoulders and proclaimed His will.
And also Muadh-bin-Jabal said, that once Hazrat Muhammad came to the
mosque very late and explained that he saw Allah "in a most lovely form."
Finally we can mention that in the tradition from Bukhari and Muslim, once
the Prophet of Islam said, "Allah created Adam in His own image."
For God to be God, he has to be perfect and complete. To be complete, God
has to have everything. If God has no form, He would be incomplete (which He is
not). Therefore God has a form. To be perfect God also has to be omnipresent. He has
to be present throughout the entire creation. He is actually present in all living beings,
in all nonliving objects e.g. in stones and earth. In fact he is in every single atom. Thus
it follows that God has an eternal form, a personality, and is present everywhere.
From all the evidence we can come to a firm conclusion that Allah does not
have a material body like the ordinary living beings in this material world, but He has a
supreme, transcendental, spiritual Form which we can not fully describe, understand or
imagine unless He chooses to reveal it to us.

Dr. Muhammad Ali - If His spiritual Form is beyond description then why do some
religions describe Allah and even prepare deities of the Lord?
Airavata Dasa: Of course, nobody can fully describe or even imagine the beauty of
Allah. Because of this He descended to this earth and showed His Spiritual Form to
people so that nobody would speculate or concoct how Allah looks.

Dr. Muhammad Ali - How is it possible that Allah came to this world? It is
unbelievable!
Airavata Dasa: All things are possible by the will of Allah. In the Qur'an it is written
that Allah is Almighty, if He so desires He can do anything according to His Supreme

30
Wish. If we think of something as impossible for Allah then that means we are putting
limits to His powers. But besides this in the Hadith and the Qur'an there are direct
evidences that Allah came to this earth.
There are millions of verses like this in the Vedic scriptures which describe the
attributes of Allah. We can see that in the Qur'an a general description of the Supreme
Image of Allah is given, but in the Vedas, the Supreme Image of Allah is described in
much more detail. I have been fortunate enough to study both scriptures the Qur’an
and the Vedas and I respectfully compare them to a small dictionary and a bigger
dictionary. The small dictionary contains all the things which are there in the big
dictionary, but the big dictionary has much more details and explanations.
Abu Hurairah said, "The Prophet said: Allah Almighty descends to the
firmament of the world in the last third portion of every night."
There are the following verses in the Qur'an,
"See they not how We (Allah) visit the land, reducing it of it's outlying parts?
Can they then be the victor?" (21.44)
Only pure devotees can recognize Allah when He descends on this earth and
then according to His features they prepare deities of the Lord. These deities of the
Lord should be prepared by the pure devotees and worshipped according to revealed
scriptures. If deities of the Lord are properly prepared, installed and worshipped, then
the Lord enters His deities by His inconceivable potencies and then the deities, are non
different from the Lord. If the procedure of preparation, installation and worship is not
followed strictly by the guide lines in the scriptures then it is not authorized but is the
greatly condemned idol worship which has no value but to take us towards
degradation and hell. Any imaginary form is an idol and material. But the bonafide
deities of the Lord are non-different from the Lord. On the Absolute level the Lord
and His form are non different. In the material world the individual spirit soul is
different from his material body, but God is nondifferent from His form. If the form of
the Lord is prepared by the devotee according to the descriptions given by the
bonafide scriptures, this bonafide deity is an exact presentation of God. This happens
by the inconceivable potency and causeless mercy of the Lord. On the neophyte stage a
devotee cannot perceive God by his materially contaminated senses. Therefore, the
Lord manifests Himself in the deity form so that devotees can see Him, physically serve
Him and establish a transcendental relationship with Him. The deity is the expansion of
the original transcendental form of the Lord and nondifferent from Him.

Dr. Muhammad Ali: According to Muslim religion if a form of Allah is made and
worshipped, an offense against Him is committed.
Airavata Dasa: In the Qur'an Hazrat Muhammad prohibited the worship of idols. He
warned, don't worship anybody expect Allah, but he never spoke about the form of
Allah Himself. First of all, we must understand that Hazrat Muhammad received only a
part of the knowledge from the heavenly book that is eternally preserved under the
throne of Allah. Secondly, when Hazrat Muhammad ascended to the abode of Allah
he received three kinds of knowledge from Him:
1) The knowledge that Allah ordered Muhammad to conceal;
2) The knowledge that Allah let Hazrat Muhammad choose whether he wished
to conceal or reveal;
3) The knowledge which Allah ordered the Apostle to communicate to all
members of the community.
Thus, Hazrat Muhammad received part of the eternal divine knowledge of which part
he had to conceal.

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 When the messenger of God comes, he delivers knowledge according to time,
place, circumstances and the intellectual capacities of the people. Once, the Apostle of
God said, "Speak to the people according to their intellectual capacities. For if you
speak all things to all men, some cannot understand you, and so fall into errors."
Because the ancient Arabs worshipped idols and were degraded in many ways he did
not mention anything about worshipping the deity form of Allah.
Once, in Mecca, Hazrat Muhammad recited certain verses which permitted the
intercession of goddesses. One version of this is:

Did you consider Al-Lat and Al-Uzza

And Al-Manat, the third, the other?
Those are the swans exalted;
Their intercession is expected;
Their likes are not neglected.

He prostrated himself at the end of the discourse and the congregation also
prostrated themselves.
When Hazrat Muhammad conquered Mecca he entered the structure of the
Ka'ba. Inside there were many human representations on the walls. He ordered all of
them to be effaced except for those of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus.
All these facts show us that actually Hazrat Muhammad accepted divine holy
pictures and forms, but, practically, he completely rejected the worship of any form
because of the degradation and ignorance of the ancient Arabs.

Dr. Muhammad Ali: According to Muslim religion, Allah's imaginary form is made
by Satan and called byut (idol). The worship of this byut is strictly prohibited, and the
worshipper becomes liable for punishment from Allah.
Airavata Dasa: Yes. Vedic scripture also condemns worshipping an imaginary form
of God. One should not speculate and create idols. One should prepare bonafide deities
of the Lord according to revealed scriptures and should worship the Lord by following
the rules and regulations. Such bona fide deities of God are non-different from God.
For instance, the picture of your father is non-different from your father. Whenever
you see the picture of you father you think, “O, here is my father.” Similarly, whenever
devotees see the deity of the Lord they think, “O, here is my Lord”. For the Supreme
Lord there is no difference between His material and spiritual energies. He manifests
Himself through the material energy in the form of the deity. As soon as the material
elements assume the shape of God’s deity they become spiritual and non different from
the Lord. In this way God appears in the material world for the benefit of His
devotees.
Allah by His inconceivable potency enters into His deity form out of His
causeless mercy at the sincere prayers and request of His aspiring devotee, to further
develop and enhance the relationship between them. What is impossible for us to even
conceive is very easy for Allah. So according to the real motive of the person’s heart
Allah chooses to manifest or not. He may or may not assume a form by means of His
inconceivable power. Allah factually has shape and has no shape simultaneously. This
is part Allah’s inconceivable ability. He is impersonal and personal at the same time. If
we say He cannot have form, we are denying His inconceivable power. By dint of that
power He takes forms for His devotees and performs eternal pastimes. For Him to
enter into a deity is a very small and easy task. His Divine Deity is His Form of
Transcendental consciousness.

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 Ink and wood are the substances used in making the deity of the Lord.
Similarly the Qur’an is written by ink on paper made from wood pulp but no Muslim
will disrespect it or consider it different from Allah Himself.
Just as the instructions of God cannot be considered separate from God,
similarly, the deity of God is non-different from the Supreme Lord Himself. The
Muslim worship the black stone as reverentially as he worship the Lord Himself.
Actually, no sincere spiritual seeker will fail to offer all respect to depictions of
sayings, activities, holy places of God and His devotees. God is Absolute. His name,
fame, activities and form are all non-different from His own self.
Allah is named in the Qur’an as “al-Muheet” or all-pervading, omnipresent
being.
“Huwa al-awwal wa huwa al-akhir / wa huwa az-zahir wa huwa al-batin.” -
“He is the First and the Last, and the Outward and the Inward; and He is the Knower
of all things.” (57.3)
If one’s vision is covered with ignorance, he cannot perceive God in His Deity
form. In this way, he rejects the fact that Allah is omnipresent. One cannot say that
God is everywhere but not in His Deity form. Such a statement is contradictory.
Therefore, we cannot deny God’s presence in the Deity. Consequently, worship of the
Deity of God is prescribed in the Vedas.
We may not be able to see the spirit, but we can see the Deity in the temple.
This helps us to focus our minds on God - on His original form until we are sufficiently
pure and qualified to see Him spiritually. Since the Lord is Absolute, He is non-
different from His Deity form in the temple. In this way He purifies all onlookers with
His transcendental form.

Dr. Muhammad Ali: Allah has a Divine Image, there is no doubt about that. But if
you make a form of Allah, it becomes a material thing. We call that material thing byut,
or idol. Worship of a material thing is not the same as worship of the Supreme Lord.
Airavata Dasa: According to Vedic scriptures, worshippers of matter ultimately go to
matter. Worship of matter is severely condemned:

yanti deva-vrata devan

pitrin yanti pitri-vrata
bhutani yanti bhutejya
yanti mad-yajino 'pu mam

"Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those
who worship the ancestors go to the ancestors; those who worship ghosts and spirits
will take birth among such beings; and those who worship Me (God) will live with Me
(God)."
(Bhagavad-gita 9.25)
Of course, worship of a material thing is not the same as the worship of God.
But if a devotee makes a bonafide deity of God and worships according to scriptural
injunctions, then that deity is non-different from the Lord. That deity of God is not a
material thing, it is the all-conscious transcendental form of the Lord. If some
immature person thinks it is a statue, it will be only a statue for him. But when a
person is sincerely seeking Allah and becomes purified enough, he can realize that it is
Lord Himself standing in front of him and he can reciprocate with Allah through this
deity. Until the devotees are mature enough to reciprocate with the Lord directly, the
worship of the Deity of the Lord is highly recommended.

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 From the Vedic scriptures, the information on the personal features of God is
obtained:

venum kvanantam aravindam alayataksam

barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam
kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept in playing on His flute,
who has blooming eyes like lotus petals, whose head is bedecked with a peacock
feather, whose figure of beauty is tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and whose unique
loveliness charms millions of Cupids.” (Brahma-samhita 30)
Keeping these descriptions in mind sometimes devotees worship forms which
resemble the descriptions of God’s features but are carved out of metal, wood, marble,
etc. For this reason, sometimes they are criticized for worshipping idols. But are they
really worshipping idols?
In the Qur’an, Hazrat Muhammad exclaims,
“Allah forgives not (the sin of) joining other gods with Him. But He forgives
whom He pleaseth other sins than this. One who joins others gods with Allah, hath
strayed far, far away (from the right).
They invoke in His stead only females; they pray to none else than Satan, a
rebel.” (4.116-117)
The idols which the pagan Arabs worshipped were generally female. The
implication is that the ancient Arabs were fashioning idols of living entities other than
Allah and worshipping them. However, there is no restriction on worshipping Allah’s
form, but only on making an idol of other beings. This is also a restriction in the Vedic
scriptures. The Supreme Lord says in the Bhagavad-gita (9.23):
ye’py anya-devata-bhakta
yajante sraddhayanvitah
te’pi mam eva kaunteya
yajanty avidhi-purvakam

“Whatever a man may sacrifice to other gods, O son of Kunti, is actually meant
for Me alone, but it is offered without true understanding.”
It is propounded in the Qur’an (3.64):
“Say: O people of the scripture! Come to an agreement between us and you:
that we shall worship none but Allah, and that we shall associate no partner unto Him,
and that none of us shall take others for lords beside Allah. And if they turn away, then
say: Bear witness that we are they who have surrendered (unto Him).”
On account of such verses we can clearly see that Allah is giving us instructions
to stop worshipping forms of other beings. It is evident that Allah did not want the
ancient Arabs to worship a form of other living beings, which was their tendency. But
Allah never said, “Do not worship a form of Me.” Obviously, His restriction was more
against worshipping other beings than making forms. Idol worship means worshipping
someone other than the Supreme Lord. But people who worship the authorized Deity
of the Supreme Lord are not idol worshippers. The Vedic scriptures confirms this by
describing how the form of the Lord may be carved or constructed of wood, stone,
metal, sand, clay, paint, jewels and mind, and thus be worshipped.

Dr. Muhammad Ali: Is it not better to meditate within the mind upon Allah than to
worship a form by means of a material object?

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Airavata Dasa: Yes, that would be very nice providing we had an authorized form to
put into our minds, but the mind being one of the material elements is in this age very
much attached to matter and material sense gratification. So it has become a huge
workshop constructing plans how to enjoy; all it’s thoughts are how to materially
enjoy. Even if one meditates on Allah in his heart, he consequently imagines some
concocted image or form which has material qualities. To take an earthen idol to be the
divine form is as bad as meditation on a image within the heart which has been
manufactured by the perverted mind. The mind is conditioned by this material
environment and always thinks in the terms of material qualities. The mind is limited by
time and space. Time and space are material factors. There is no such things as
material time and space in the spiritual world. If meditation is not a thing beyond time
and space, then how can you worship Allah who is beyond time and space?
Condemning material things, you only imagine Allah within time and space. Mind is
contaminated by material thoughts and attachments, is limited and is conditioned. To
purify it we need transcendental means which are beyond material nature. Vedic
scriptures recommend the chanting of the holy names of God, meditating on and
worshipping the divine deities of the Lord which are as good as the Lord. The holy
names of God and His divine deity are non-different from the Lord and are
transcendental. When the mind becomes observed in the process of meditation on His
form one is purified and spiritualized and one gets the opportunity to penetrate the
limits of material nature and uplift himself to the spiritual realm. By meditation on the
deity of the Lord and chanting His holy names the mind is purified. Only after complete
purification of the mind can one meditate and worship God within the mind at any
time, place and circumstances. In the Vedic scriptures it is called manasa-puja or
worshipping in the mind. But this type of worship is a very advanced stage of
devotional service and can be conducted only by one whose mind is completely free
from all material desires and attachments. But for attaining this advance stage of God
realization one should engage in the deity worship process.

Dr. Muhammad Ali: Matter is distinct from God. It is said that Iblis (Satan)
introduced the system of the worship of matter in order to trap man into attachment to
material enjoyment and the material world.
Airavata Dasa: Matter nevertheless is one of the countless energies of the Lord. God
is spiritual and all His energies are spiritual. God and His energies are simultaneously
one and different. This particular energy, the material energy has been set up for those
living entities who desired to be separated from the Lord. These living entities use this
energy for their own sense enjoyment. But when they realize that they are eternal
servitors of the Lord and start using this energy for the service of Allah then this
energy immediately becomes spiritual. The same energy, if we use it for our own sense
gratification, is dull matter, but if we use it for the service of Allah, it becomes
spiritual. Just like electricity used in one way can produce heat and used in another
way can produce cold. All things which come in contact with Allah, become spiritual,
so if we take this energy and produce a Divine Deity of Allah according to the revealed
scriptures, this Divine Deity of God is then non-different from Him. This Divine Deity
is not byut or idol, it is no longer matter, it is a transcendental all-conscious
manifestation of the Lord. It is one with the Lord and none different from Him. Try to
understand with the example of the sun. The sunlight is not different from the sun. The
sunlight represents the sun. When we see sunlight we understand the sun is here. Thus,
sunlight is one with and not different from the sun. In the same way the Divine Deity of
God is one with and not different from God. If someone with love and devotion

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worships this Divine Deity of the Lord with the full realization that this is a pure
representation of God then it is not different from the direct worship of God.

Dr. Muhammad Ali: I accept that if anyone worships God with a spirit of devotion,
the worship of a divine Image is not an offense and not to be blamed, but if someone
worships a fish, a tortoise, a serpent or some other such thing how can it be called
worship of God? For example, the Hindus worship an ugly man with the head of an
elephant and claim it to be God. Do you class this as worshipping our Lord?
Airavata Dasa: No! His name is Ganesha. He is an inhabitant of the heavens. He is
not God. Those who claim he is God say it out of ignorance and a poor fund of
knowledge. According to Vedic scriptures Ganesha is an angel not God. Ganesha
means the one who takes away obstacles from the path of devotional service.
Therefore devotees of the Lord respect him. Like Muslims respect the angel Gabriel,
who was a medium between Allah and Hazrat Muhammad.

Dr. Muhammad Ali: But what about the worship of stones? Hindus also worship
stones. I have seen it. Is this worship of God?
Airavata Dasa: Muslims also worship stones. You can also see this in Mecca. There
are two stones in the Ka'ba, "Hajar-al-asvad" or "Holy black stone" and "Makam
Ibrahim" with the footprints of the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham). Muslims worship
these two stones. Also all Muslims worship and pray towards the Ka’ba, the “House of
Allah”. We accept this is a spiritual, transcendental focal point for devotees but for the
ignorant or disbelievers it’s a material form in a shape of four walls, so if you accept
this to be worship to Allah, what is the difficulty in accepting a deity form as a focal
point for devotees.

Dr. Muhammad Ali: No, no, no. Muslims do not worship these stones, they offer
their respects to these stones, because these are not ordinary stones.
Airavata Dasa: First of all, showing respect is also a form of worship. The Hindus do
the same thing. They respect these stones because they remind them of God. There are
particular stones in this material world which are called shalagrama-shilas. The
Supreme Lord manifests Himself in this material world in the form of these stones.
Shalagrama-shila is also black like Hajar-al-asvad. The Shalagrama- shila can be
found only in one particular place on our planet - in the river bed of the Gandhaki
river, in the Himalayas. This stone has special marks which distinguish it from all other
stones. God, by His causeless mercy, manifests Himself in this form of a black stone
just to accept the worship of His devotees. Worshipping shalagrama-shila does not
require gorgeous paraphernalia which is compulsory in the case of deity worshipping.
This is a more simple process.

Dr. Muhammad Ali: Do Hindus also worship trees?

Airavata Dasa: Not any tree, but a particular tree. Her name is Tulasi. This tree is
very dear to the Lord. That is why the devotees respect this tree very much. Like the
guardian angel of Adam turned into a stone and fell to this planet, and now helps us to
purify ourselves for the purpose of serving Allah. Similarly one exalted servant of the
Lord turned into the Tulasi tree and came to this material world to help us develop
God consciousness and progress in our devotional service to the Lord. Allah is very
pleased when devotees cultivate the Tulasi tree, water it and circumambulate it.

Dr. Muhammad Ali: Why do Hindus worship cows? This is idolatry.

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Airavata Dasa: They definitely do not worship cows as God rather they respect cows,
because cows give us a very important product - milk. From milk people can get ghee
and other milk products which are very important for a healthy life. Not any milk but
particularly cow milk if drunk hot develops the finer brain tissues which develops the
memory by which people can remember and understand God. Because of this,
scriptures recommend the protection of cows. Instead of killing them cows should be
protected and respected, for they benefit human society. The cow is just like the
mother. The mother gives milk to her child and the cow gives milk to humans.
Therefore, the killing of cows and the eating of their flesh is as sinful as killing your
own mother and eating her flesh.

Dr. Muhammad Ali: But the Qur'an allows the killing of the cows.
Airavata Dasa: No! I have never found any ayat in the Qur’an which allowed cow
killing. Can you show me which verse in the Qur'an allows the killing of cows?

Dr. Muhammad Ali: No! Not exactly.

Airavata Dasa: In the Qur'an not a single verse allows the killing of cows and bulls.
But a very clear instruction is given about what is intended as human food:
"And We (Allah) said: O Adam! Dwell thou and thy wife in the garden, and eat
ye freely of the fruits thereof where ye will." (2.35)
"And give glad tidings (O Muhammad) unto those who believe and do good
works, that theirs are gardens underneath which rivers flow; as often as they are
regaled with food of the fruit thereof." (2.25)
"Allah is He who created the heavens and the earth, and causeth water to
descend from the sky, thereby producing fruits as food for you." (14.32)
From these three ayats of the Qur'an it is obvious that when Allah created
Adam and Eve, He gave them the fruits for food. And when the pious go to paradise
they will have fruits as their food. Then, when Allah created the earth He "produced
fruits as food for" mankind. Also, from the very life of the Prophet of Islam, we can
see that His daily food was bread, milk and palm-dates. Hazrat Muhammad often
mentioned that Islam is to treat every living entity as equal to oneself. One of the first
statements Hazrat Muhammad made on regaining Mecca was: “No one shall mistreat
another. No one shall kill any animal, not even the cutting of a tree shall be allowed in
Mecca.”
For those who are really attached to eating meat, Allah allowed the sacrifice of
animals such as sheeps, goats and camels. Such less important animals could be
sacrificed at the proper place, by proper persons and in the proper way. Then the body
of the animal should be divided into seven parts and distributed to the poor people and
remnants could be eaten for the self. Only then it can be classed as halal or “lawful”,
otherwise it is haram, or “unlawful”. So less important animals could be sacrificed and
eaten in the authorized way. The result of following this procedure is that lusty desires
for flesh eating will diminish and a person will then start eating only pure foodstuffs
like fruits, grain and vegetables which are actually intended for human beings by Allah.
Allah allowed sacrificial meat but not the opening of slaughterhouses where thousands
of innocent animals are killed just to satisfy the tongue. It is very sinful and brings a
degradation to the whole human society.

Dr. Muhammad Ali - Hindus also claim that after death some people become
animals. How is this possible?
Airavata Dasa: All things are possible by the will of Allah. In the Qur'an there are
some very interesting verses which prove this. In the 65th ayat of 2nd sura it is said,

37
 "And well ye knew those amongst you who broke the Sabbath, how We said to
them: Be ye apes, despised and rejected!"
Also in the 60th ayat of 5th sura:
"Those who incurred the curse of Allah and His wrath, those of whom some
He transformed into apes and swine."
So, those who live like animals become animals. It is the law of God. Just like
we can see in this world criminals are moved to live amongst criminals. But we should
understand one thing clearly about this phenomenon. It is not that a human body turns
into an animal body, but that the soul is forced to accepts a new body according to his
past activities. At the time of death, the ruh, or “soul”, gives up this body and under
the strict laws of Allah has to enter a new body according to his consciousness
developed in his last life. And he will receive his next body according to his
consciousness developed in this life. So right now we are dictating what will happen to
us in our next life. The Bible also confirms: “As you sow so shall you reap” and “What
goes around, comes around.” This is the only way we can understand and accept that
Allah is supremely fair and just when we try to analyze why one soul is born into a rich
and comfortable life and another soul is born into complete misery, starvation and early
death. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (8.6):

yam yam vapi smaran bhavam

tyajaty ante kalevaram
tam tam evati kaunteya
sada tad-bhava-bhavitah

“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will
attain without fail.” But to understand what we remember in our dying seconds is
dictated to us by our attachments in that life so the real question is how much are we
attached to Allah or attached to this material world.

Dr. Muhammad Ali - But how is this changing of bodies possible?

Airavata Dasa: There is nothing special in this. It happens every day. Your body of
yesterday is not your body of today. Once you were a child. Now you are a grown
man. Where is your childhood body? That body does not exist, but you still exist
because you are eternal. The circumstantial body has changed, but you have not
changed.
In the Bhagavad-gita (2.13) Lord Krishna explains:

dehino ‘smin yatha dehe

kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old
age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not
bewildered by such a change.”
Just as this body is always changing, there is a similar change at the time of
death. Medical science says that all the bodily cells are replaced every seven years. This
means that after every seven years the living entity gets a completely new body. If a
man lives for hundred years he will have changed his body thirteen times. When this
bodily machine becomes old and can no longer function, the living entity leaves that

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body, like a driver leaves his old and useless car and accepts a new one. In the
Bhagavad-gita (2.22) this is explained as follows:

vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya

navani grihnati naro parani
tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany
anyani samyati navani dehi

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new
material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.”

Dr. Muhammad Ali: According to Hindu philosophy Allah enters into everyone’s
hearts. Are there any proofs about this in the Qur'an?
Airavata Dasa: Yes. There are many verses about this in the Qur'an. I shall read you
several of them.
"Lo! He (Allah) is Hearer, Nigh." (34.50)
"We (Allah) are nearer to him than his jugular vein." (50.16)
"And We (Allah) are nearer unto him than ye are, but ye see not." (56.85)
"He (Allah) is Knower of all that is in the breasts." (57.6)
"Know that Allah cometh in between the man and his own heart." (8.24)
First of all we must admit that Allah is all-pervasive, He is Omnipresent and by
His inconceivable powers He enters in the hearts of every living being and guides them.
This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (15.15) by the Supreme Lord Himself:

sarvasya chaham hridi sannivishtho

mattah smritir jnanam apohanam cha

“I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and

forgetfulness.”
The Supreme Lord is situated as the Supersoul in everyone’s heart, and it is
from Him that all activities are initiated. The living entity forgets everything of his past
life, but he has to act according to the direction of the Supreme Lord, who is witness
to all his activities. Therefore, he begins his work according to his past deeds. The
required knowledge is supplied, and remembrance is given to him. Forgetfulness about
his past life is also arranged by the Lord. Thus, the Lord is not only all-pervading; He
is also localized in every individuals heart. Just like two birds (the soul and the
Supersoul) sitting on one tree (the material body), the individual soul, me or you are
trying to enjoy the fruits of this tree but the Supersoul simply witnesses and awards the
reactions of such work which comes in the form of temporary misery or happiness.
The living entity forgets his deeds as soon as he quits his present body, but he begins
his work again, initiated by the Supreme Lord. Although he forgets, the Lord gives him
the intelligence to renew his work at the level where he ended his last life. So not only
does a living entity enjoy or suffer in this world according to the dictation from the
Supreme Lord situated in the heart, but he receives the opportunity to understand the
spiritual knowledge from Him too.

Dr. Muhammad Ali: When I was in India I saw that Hindus at the time of
worshipping God sung songs. But singing is sensual. Why do they then sing?
Airavata Dasa: Singing for ones own sense gratification is sensual like the world is
drowned in now. But if someone sings prayers for the pleasure of God it is spiritual.

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After all our position as servant of God is to glorify Him. Muslims also sing Qur'anic
verses.

Dr. Muhammad Ali: But they do not use musical instruments.

Airavata Dasa: With instruments or without instruments is not the point. The main
point is to sing for the pleasure of God. If someone chants the holy names of God with
love and devotion, that brings pleasure to God. In the Qur'an Allah said,
"Praise the name of thy Lord the most High." (87.1)
"The most beautiful names belong to Allah. Invoke Him by them." (7.180)
"Call upon Allah (Supreme), or call upon Rahman (Beneficent), by whatever
name ye call upon Him (it is well). For to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names.
Neither speak the prayer aloud, nor speak it in a low tone, but seek a middle course
between." (17.110)
This is the most important instruction of Allah. All revealed scriptures confirm
this. For spiritual advancement in this age of quarrel and hypocrisy there is no other
way, there is no other way, there is no other way than to chant the names of God, to
chant the names of God, to chant the names of God. It does not matter what you call
yourself - Muslim, Christian, Jew or Hindu - just chant the holy names of God, Allah
and be happy. Young, old, white, black, a professor, a housewife, the president or a
student, everyone can do it. It’s free and available to everyone. So please, our request
is that you chant the name of Allah. You chant the Holy name of God. If Allah is
approved name of God, you chant it. That is our humble request.

Dr. Muhammad Ali: Thank you very much. Now many things have become clear to
me. I have also got a better understanding of the verses from the Qur'an specially
where the Apostle of God said, we make no distinction between messengers. Where is
it?
Airavata Dasa: In the 2nd sura, "Each one believeth in Allah and His angels, and His
scriptures and His messengers - we make no distinction between any of His
messengers," verse 285. In different ages different messengers of God come and
deliver the same knowledge according to time, place, circumstances and the level of
people's understanding. It is the same knowledge, but shaped to fit different culture
according to time, place and circumstances, and presented in different languages. The
main instruction for this difficult time is to chant the holy names of God with love and
devotion. It does not matter which names and in which languages. By this people will
attain peace and prosperity. This is the peace formula for the whole universe.
Dr. Muhammad Ali: Thank you, thank you very much.

PART THREE

Prophet Muhammad and Bhakti-yoga

Another dark phase of communal riots has just added itself to the sad but true
history of India. “Why” and “how” are the questions everybody ponders on. Hindus
see the Muslims as aliens and Muslims understand themselves as a victimized minority.
It’s not a hidden reality, everyone can see and feel the tension of suspicion hovering
around them. Is this what a Hindu God or a Muslim God wants? God cannot be
sectarian, belonging to one side or sect. He is foremost the Supreme and He is One.

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No one is equal to Him or greater than Him. So, for any believer of God, if you really
understand who God is, you will also understand that God cannot be just for the
Muslims or just for the Hindus. God no matter what name you personally choose to
call Him, is our Creator, our Provider and our Maintainer. God is with every individual
soul, that there is no doubt. This article is all about uniting mankind under the flag of
consciously understanding God has many names but He is One. In ignorance of this
scientific fact men are foolishly creating more suffering and misery for each other. Our
efforts to reverse this tide will not be whimsical or political, but by spiritual insight into
all religions, we can try to humbly help mankind understand the real purpose of each
and every religion.
The greatest Vedic scholar in this century was His Divine Grace A. C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, and through his immensely popular spiritual
books, he has given us the insight into the union of all religions. The followers of Srila
Prabhupada have a saying that says, “He has built a house in which the whole world
can live”, and such a “house” exists right here, it’s called the International Society for
Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Srila Prabhupada once said, “Hazrat Muhammad,
the inaugurator of Islam religion; I accept him as an empowered servant of God
because he preached God consciousness in those parts of the world and induced them
to accept the authority of God. He is accepted as the servant of God and we have all
respect for him." Again Srila Prabhupada said, "Hazrat Muhammad, a powerful
devotee of the Lord, has done tremendous service on behalf of the Lord on the surface
of the globe."
Between Muslims and Hindus there’s a major point of diversion, that is Hindus
worship deities which is seems like condemned by Hazrat Muhammad in the Qur’an.
So we will analyze this point. To do so let us go back in history for a study of the
ancient Arabs. We see the horrible customs and rituals. Ghastly sacrifices in the name
of worship and spiritually illegal manufacture and worship of imaginary idols. In all this
pandemonium Hazrat Muhammad, the messenger of God, appeared. His purpose in
such a degraded environment was to establish the one and only Supreme God and end
this whimsical idol worshipping. Every messenger of God preaches according to time,
place and circumstances. Hazrat Muhammad confirms this by saying, "Speak to
people according to the level of their intellectual capacities" and he did just that. (Just
a peep into the Muslim mind. A. M. Allapichai, Madras, 1946) In this regard, Srila
Prabhupada in Geneva, 1974 explained, “Hazrat Muhammad also said: “From this day,
there is no sex with your mother.” So just see what class of man. So according to class
of man, there should be teaching.” Following verse from the Qur’an confirm Srila
Prabhupada’s statement: “Forbidden unto you are your mothers, and your daughters,
and your sisters ...” (4.23) Therefore, when Hazrat Muhammad saw the prevailing
imaginary idol worshipping he asked to stop worshipping any type or kind of images,
sculptures and pictures. He openly never said of the form of God, but he has given in
some places of the Qur’an, as if hidden, some clues to the form of God. Just like
Buddha, who appeared in India at a time when people were misinterpreting the Vedas
and unauthorisingly performing sacrifices for their own sense gratification. To stop all
this Buddha preached the philosophy of ahimsa, which means non-violence to all living
entities. He asked his followers to reject Vedic injunctions. Similarly, we find that
Hazrat Muhammad preached according to time, place and circumstances.
From the book, The messenger by R. V. C. Bodley we get an important
instance from the life of Hazrat Muhammad. When Hazrat Muhammad conquered
Mecca and entered Ka'ba, he ordered the destruction of all the idols there. At that time
there were paintings on the walls, including pictures of the Virgin Mary and infant
Jesus in her arms. The important point to note is that Hazrat Muhammad ordered to

41
erase all the paintings except those depicting Jesus and his mother. It is said that,
Hazrat Muhammad placed his hands over this picture and so saved it from destruction.
(Muhammad and the rise of Islam. D. S. Margoliouth, New Delhi, 1985 and
Muhammad and the course of Islam. H. M. Balyuzi, Oxford, 1976)
In the early days of the Prophet Muhammad’s preaching in Mecca he had a
revelation which apparently permitted the intercession of the most honorable
goddesses. One version of this is:

Did you consider Al-Lat and Al-Uzza

And Al-Manat, the third, the other?
Those are the swans exalted;
Their intercession is expected,
Their likes are not neglected.
(Muhammad: Prophet and statesman.
Montgomery Watt, London, 1961)

After this discourse Hazrat Muhammad prostrated himself, and the

congregation prostrated also. (Muhammad and the rise of Islam. D. S. Margoliouth,
New Delhi, 1985; The Life of Mohammad from original sources. A. Sprenger M. D.,
Allahabad, 1851 and Mohammed, the man and his faith. Theophil Menzel, London,
1956)
These facts taken from Hazrat Muhammad’s life show us that inwardly Hazrat
Muhammad accepted holy picture, images, and deity worship but outwardly due to
time, place and circumstances rejected them. In this regard, Srila Prabhupada says,
"When our constitutional position or dharma is deteriorated due to the contaminations
of matter, the Lord Himself comes as an incarnation or sends some of His confidential
servitors. Lord Jesus Christ called himself the "son of God," and so is a representative
of the Supreme. Similarly, Hazrat Muhammad identified himself as a servant of the
Supreme Lord. Thus whenever there is a discrepancy in our constitutional position, the
Supreme Lord either comes Himself or sends His representative to inform us of the
real position of the living entity." So from the authority of Vedic literature we can
understand that due to the degradation of religious principles among the people of
Arabia, Hazrat Muhammad was sent by Allah, the Supreme Lord, to establish the true
religion and stop all the imaginary idol worshipping prevailing at that time. But this
does not mean Hazrat Muhammad himself rejected authorized deity worships, and this
we will find out as fact when we closely examine the life of Hazrat Muhammad.
In this regard, according to the Muslim tradition, Hazrat Muhammad once had
miraj (ascending) to heaven and after penetrating the 7th layer of heaven, he attended
the Throne of Allah . This was the occasion when Hazrat Muhammad received the
divine knowledge from Allah. This divine knowledge received by Hazrat Muhammad is
of three kinds:
1) The knowledge that Allah ordered Hazrat Muhammad to conceal;
2) The knowledge that Allah let him choose whether to conceal or reveal;
3) The knowledge which Allah ordered the Apostle to communicate to all
members of the ummah (community). (Muhammad, the Apostle of God, and his
ascension. Geo Widengren, Uppsala, 1955)
So we can understand that Hazrat Muhammad received a part of knowledge
and at the same time Hazrat Muhammad was asked to conceal some part of this
knowledge. Still Hazrat Muhammad has given us many hints to understand Allah and
His form. When Hazrat Muhammad ascended to heaven and met Allah, Allah was
sitting on the throne. When people asked Hazrat Muhammad: "Have you seen
Allah?" The Apostle answered: "I saw only light, a light so intense that Allah sat
42
behind 20,000 curtains. If these curtains were to be removed and someone were to see
the face of Allah he would immediately be burned to ashes. (Peygambara 40 sual.
Bilik, Baku, 1993)
When Hazrat Muhammad stood in front of Allah he felt reassured, but He
found it hard to stand his ground when Allah stretched out His hands and placed one
on his shoulder and the other on his chest. An icy chill froze his bones and his blood .
Then the coldness faded and was succeeded by an ecstatic bliss which seemed to carry
Muhammad out of his body into a state of being so marvelous that it was impossible to
describe. (The messenger. R. V. C. Bodley, New York, 1946)
One close associate of Hazrat Muhammad, Muadh-bin-Jabal said: "The
Prophet on one occasion, hindered our saying the morning prayers till we were near
seeing the sun, then he hastened out of his house, and the Tacbir (prayer) was called
aloud, then the Prophet said prayers in haste, and when he had repeated the Salam, he
said, " Sit in your places, and I will inform you the cause of my being so late this
morning. I got up early, and performed the Wadu (purification), and said prayers,
agreeably to the wishes of Allah, and I felt drowsy in my prayers, after which I awoke,
and all of a sudden I saw my Creator in a most lovely form, and He said, "O!
Muhammad!" I said, "What do You command?" He said, "What do the angels argue
about?" I said, "I do not know." Then I saw my God put the palm of his hand
between my two shoulders till I felt my breast cold; then everything in the world
appeared clear before me, and I knew the whole. Again He asked about disputations of
the angels . I replied, "They dispute about deeds which cover sin." (Mishcat-ul-
Masabih. Calcutta, 1809)
It is recorded in tradition from Bukhari and Muslim, that once the Prophet of
Islam said, "Allah-Taala (God Most High) created Adam in His own sura (form,
image)." (The idea of personality in Sufism. Reynold A. N. Delhi, 1976 and Love of
God. Mir Valiuddin, Delhi, 1968)
From the quoted description it is clear that Allah is supreme transcendental
Person and has a spiritual Form .
Let us also see what is the opinion of prominent Muslim scholars.
The author of Jowhara (p.107-112) says: "It is possible to see Allah in this
world as well as in the next. In this world it has been granted to Hazrat Muhammad
only. In the future world however all believers will see Him; some say only His eyes,
others say His whole face, others say every part of His body. (The religion of Islam.
Klein F. A., Delhi, 1987)
Many Muslims on the basis of Qur'anic verses: (48.10); (25.60); (7.52); (10.3);
(32.3); (11.9); (57.4); (75.22-23); (22.60 and 74); (31.27); (42.9); (58.1) believed that
Allah posses a head, mouth, eyes, ears, hands and feet just like those of a human being.
In the opinion of Abu Mo'ammar ol-Hodhali, a preacher at Baghdad, anyone who
denied this belief was an infidel. Adherents of the school of the famous traditionist and
lawyer Ahmad b. Hanbal have the same opinion. The school's chief later exponent,
Ahmad b. Taymiya, called the Mo'tazelites infidels and Ghazzali a heretic; on one
celebrated occasion, after quoting the Qur'an in a sermon, he said to the congregation
as he stepped down from the pulpit of the great mosque at Damascus, "Allah will step
down from His throne in the same way as I am stepping down from this pulpit."
(Twenty three years. Ali Dasthi, London, 1985)
Abu' Amer ol-Qorashi, a Moor from Majorca declared that it was heretical to
understand the sentence, "There is nothing similar to Him (Allah )" in the Qur’an 42.9
as meaning what it says; it means, in his opinion, that nothing resembles Allah in
respect of His divinity, because "Allah possesses limbs and organs like yours and
mine." As proof of God's possession of such limbs and organs, Abu' Amer ol-Qorashi

43
cited the description of the Last Judgment in (Qur’an 68.42), and then slapped his
thigh and said, "Allah has legs just like mine." (Twenty three years. Ali Dasthi,
London, 1985) These descriptions given by many respected Muslims can be like the
conclusion of our discussion, that God is the Supreme Person and He has a Form, just
like us, but of a divine transcendental nature.
For God to be God, he has to be perfect and complete. To be complete, God has
to have everything. If God has no form, He would be incomplete (which He is not).
Therefore God has a form. To be perfect God also has to be omnipresent. He has to be
present throughout the entire creation. He is actually present in all living beings, in all
nonliving objects - in stones and atoms too. Thus, it follows that God has an eternal
form, a personality, and is present everywhere.
To further strengthen the relationship between Qur’anic teaching and Vedic
teaching we will look into the process of worshipping God or as it’s otherwise known
the processes of devotional service to Allah. So, according the Vedic scriptures there
are nine limbs or aspects of pure devotional service to the Lord:
1. Hearing the holy name, qualities and glories of the Lord;
2. Chanting the holy name and glories of the Lord;
3. Remembering the Lord;
4. Serving the Lord;
5. Worshipping the Lord;
6. Praying to the Lord;
7. Obeying the orders of the Lord;
8. Maintaining friendship with the Lord;
9. Surrendering everything unto Him.
We will be surprised if we compare these Vedic descriptions of the nine processes
of the spiritual life with the teaching of the Qur’an. Because we will see that both talk
of the same things. So the Qur’an states:

1. Hearing
"When My servants question you concerning Me, then surely I am nigh. I answer
the prayer of the suppliant when he cries unto Me. So let them hear My call and let
them trust in Me, in order that they may be led aright." (2.186)

2. Chanting
"So chant the name of your Tremendous Lord." (69.52)

3. Remembering
"Who have believed and whose hearts have rest in the remembrance of Allah.
Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest!" (13.28)

4. Serving
"Behold! Allah is my Lord and your Lord. So serve Him. That is the right path."
(19.36)

5. Worshipping
"O mankind! Worship your Lord, Who has created you and those before you so
that you may ward off (evil)." (2.21)

6. Praying
"Seek help in patients and prayers. Truly, it is hard save for the humble-minded."
(2.45)

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 7. Obeying
"Obey Allah and the messenger, that you may find mercy." (3.132)

8. Maintaining friendship
"Whoever takes Allah and His messenger, and those who believe for friends,
behold! The party of Allah, they are the victorious." (5.56)

9. Surrendering
"Behold! Religion with Allah (is) the surrender (to His will and guidance)." (3.19)

From the above quotations we can see that the process of the devotional
service to the Lord or bhakti-yoga mentioned in the Vedas is also mentioned in the
Qur'an. There are millions of verses like this in the Vedic scriptures which describe
devotional service in all details. It is just like the small dictionary and the big
dictionary. Small dictionary contains all the things which there are in the big dictionary,
but the big dictionary has much more details. So, we can say that Hindu devotees
follow the same path as the devout Muslims are. In words of Srila Prabhupada,
"Muslims are also Vaishnavas, devotees, because they offer prayers to the Lord. "O
God," they say, "give us our daily bread." Those who offer this prayer may not know
very much and may be at a neophyte stage, but this is a beginning, because they have
approached God. Going to a mosque is also pious. Therefore those who begin in this
way will one day become pure Vaishnavas." Again Srila Prabhupada says, "Even the
Muslim religion. That is also bhakti-yoga. Any religion where God is the target, that is
applied in bhakti", "Bhakti-yoga also exists among the Muslims, because God is the
target in the Muslim religion."
Finally we can conclude the section by quoting Srila Prabhupada where he says,
"If you find that following some religious principles you are developing your love of
God, then it is perfect. It doesn't matter whether it is Bible or Qur'an or Bhagavad-
gita, it doesn't matter."

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 PART FOUR

Spiritual power of bhakti-yogi

His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the greatest bhakti-

yogi, Vaishnava, a pure devotee of Lord Krishna, got order from his spiritual master,
Bhaktisidhanta Saraswati Thakura, to spread Krishna consciousness in the English
speaking world. After translating and publishing the first canto of the Srimad
Bhagavatam into English, he went to America in 1965. He started his preaching
activity by distributing the Srimad Bhagavatam and chanting the Hare Krishna maha-
mantra. He started chanting Hare Krishna in Tompkins Square Park, New York City.
The transcendental sound vibration of Hare Krishna maha-mantra captured the hearts
of the Americans. Many people joined him and they started chanting and dancing in
ecstasy. After a while Srila Prabhupada registered the International Society for Krishna
Consciousness. It was the beginning of the spreading of Krishna Consciousness in the
Western world. After establishing Bhagavata Dharma in America Srila Prabhupada
began traveling and spreading Krishna Consciousness in every corner of our planet. In
1971 Srila Prabhupada went to Moscow, Russia. He met there a Russian indologist,
Prof. Kotovski, and discussed with him the real meaning of Vedic literature. But the
Communist government did not allow him to conduct public lectures. They were afraid
of the pure devotee of Lord Krishna. Despite this one Russian boy became his first
initiated disciple in Russia. This boy associated with Srila Prabhupada for only two
days. But because it was sadhu-sanga, association with pure a devotee of the Lord,
the heart of Russian boy was cleansed. He was purified and became Lord Krishna’s
devotee. Srila Prabhupada instructed him to chant Hare Krishna, follow the principles
of bhakti-yoga and spread Krishna Consciousness to Russians. Thus, by the causeless

46
mercy of a Vaishnava, the timeless message of Lord Krishna began to spread in
countries of former USSR.
In 1975 Srila Prabhupada went to Tehran, Iran, to preach to Muslims. He
explained to Muslims the meaning of bhakti, devotional service to the Lord. Srila
Prabhupada very expertly showed that there was no difference between the message
given in the Bhagavad-gita and the Qur’an. He told his Muslim audience that it did not
matter which name of God they chanted. He said, “If you like, you can chant Allah, but
we request you that you chant God’s name. This name is authorized because Hazrat
Muhammad said that you chant “Allah”. So it is authorized, because he is God’s
representative. Therefore, our request is that you chant the name of Allah. You chant
the Holy name of God. If Allah is a approved name of God, you chant it. We don’t
force you to chant the name of Krishna. No, we don’t say that. If somebody says
Jehovah is the name of God, that’s all right, you chant Jehovah. Allah is the name of
God, that’s all right, you do it. We simply request that you chant the holy name of
God. That’s all. We don’t force anyone to chant the name Krishna. That is not our
way. We accept: if Allah is God’s name, it is as good as the name “Krishna”. We are
not so sophisticated that you have to chant this Krishna’s name.” In this way Srila
Prabhupada explained to Muslims the yuga-dharma, religious process meant for this
age of Kali, age of quarrel, hypocrisy and degradation. Yuga-dharma for our age is
sankirtana-yajna, congregational chanting of the holy names of God. Many Muslims,
inspired and purified by Srila Prabhupada’s words became his initiated disciples,
devotees of Lord Krishna.
After that Srila Prabhupada went in Nairobi, Africa. He preached the universal
message of Lord Krishna to black as well as the white population of Africa. Srila
Prabhupada explained that it does not matter whether you are black or white. Soul is
spiritual, eternal and different from the material body. Despite this bodily covering, we
are all servant of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna. Many Africans, being enlightened by
Srila Prabhupada’s words, became his followers.
In 1976 Bhagavad-gita As It Is with Srila Prabhupada’s explanations was
translated into Chinese for the first time. Disciples of Srila Prabhupada started
broadcasting teaching of Lord Krishna to Chinese people. This was possible by the
causeless mercy of their spiritual master. Very soon a temple was established in Hong
Kong, and Chinese people, who form 1/3 of the population of our planet got the
opportunity to relieve themselves from the pains of material existence and go back
home, back to Godhead.
Once, in Vrindavana one mystic yogi came to see Srila Prabhupada. He tried to
demonstrate his mystic power by showing miracles. Then he asked Srila Prabhupada,
“Can you show any miracle?” Srila Prabhupada pointed to his disciples and replied,
“That is my miracle.” Actually, Srila Prabhupada converted mlechhas and yavanas,
low class people, into devotees of Lord Krishna. Who can do it? Unless a being is
empowered by God nobody can do it. That is mystic power of a Vaishnava, a pure
devotee of the Supreme Lord. He does not need any exercise, or meditation for
receiving mystic power. Lord Krishna gave to His devotee all necessary mystic power
and siddhas. A pure devotee has no need to make a separate endeavor for attaining
mystic powers. By dint of his devotional service he get everything. The Supreme Lord
says in the Bhagavad-gita (6.46-47), “A yogi is greater than the ascetic, greater than
the empiricist and greater than the fruitive worker. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all
circumstances, be a yogi. And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great
faith, worshipping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with
Me in yoga and is the highest of all.”

47
 Today, disciples, grand-disciples and followers of Srila Prabhupada are
continuing very successfully to spread the mission, which he started. I was a student of
National Economy at the Moscow Institute when I first met the devotees in Moscow.
They invited me to their flat and introduced Srila Prabhupada’s books and pictures.
They told me about ISKCON’s preaching activity and the bhakti-yoga process. I was
familiar with Vedic literature as I already practiced Hatha-Yoga, but Srila
Prabhupada’s books impressed me very much. The devotees also entertained me with
prasadam (food offered to Lord Krishna) and introduced me to the altar of the Lord.
Then they started chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. The transcendental sound
vibrations of Hare Krishna captured my heart. I started regular chanting of the Hare
Krishna maha-mantra from the very next day. At this time I was staying in a student
hostel. A big 22 story building with about 4,000 inhabitants. I started preaching
Krishna Consciousness in our hostel and institute. In our hostel we had a big hall. I
invited students and teachers there to preach to them about Vedic philosophy, to teach
them to chant Hare Krishna and to distribute prasadam. Many people enthusiastically
accepted Krishna Consciousness and began to practice the bhakti-yoga process. After
a while Srila Prabhupada’s books appeared in the Russian for the first time. We started
printing and distributing them underground. It was Communist days and any religious
activity, especially preaching was forbidden - what to speak of printing religious
books. Underground book printing was punishable by 10 years imprisonment. When a
community of devotees grew up and spread in Moscow, Leningrad, Riga and other
cities of former USSR, KGB (Russian secret police) took action. They started
persecution of ISKCON devotees. Many devotees including myself were imprisoned.
After a while the KGB exiled me to my native place in Baku, Azarbaijan. There I
became a teacher at the National Economy Institute. It was a nice opportunity for
preaching and establishing Krishna Consciousness in this Muslim part of former USSR.
I began preaching to my students and colleagues. Many of them accepted Krishna
Consciousness. I started translating Srila Prabhupada’s books into Azarbaijan
language, printing them underground and distributing them. Soon the KGB noticed my
preaching activities. They requested me to stop preaching and warned me that I will be
imprisoned. That inspired me even more. I continued with more enthusiasm. When we
were about to form the community and to register a society, the KGB imprisoned me
again and then forced me to go to military service. For military service they sent me
somewhere in the mountains, trying to isolate me from the society. But I continued my
preaching activity. I introduced Krishna Consciousness to the officers and soldiers.
Several times I was imprisoned and kept in isolation in the soldiers prison. But some
senior officers became favorable to Krishna Consciousness and finally I got
opportunity to establish an ashram in the barrack. I presented the teaching of the
Bhagavad-gita, chanted Hare Krishna and distributed prasadam. Many soldiers and
some officers accepted Krishna Consciousness despite many impediments of military
service. When the term of my military service was over I returned to Baku, Azarbaijan
and started translating Bhagavad-gita in Azarbaijan language. But distributing Srila
Prabhupada’s books was very difficult. First of all, because Azarbaijan is a Muslim
country and, secondly, because people are not so inclined to read and were not at all
familiar with Vedic literatures. In order to increase book distribution and to give
people the proper understanding of the purport of the Vedic literature, I wrote a book
The Bhagavad-gita and the Qur’an. After we distributed about 10,000 copies of The
Bhagavad-gita and the Qur’an people became more and more inclined to buy Srila
Prabhupada’s books. Some people even said, “The Bhagavad-gita is the ancient
Qur’an.” In this way we increased the book distribution. Finally, after a long struggle
we registered ISKCON and opened a temple in Baku. Azarbaijan was the first Muslim

48
country where ISKCON was officially registered. During this time I started to
contemplate preaching in Turkey. I reprinted one of Srila Prabhupada’s books in
Turkish and started to distribute them among Turkish tourists. After establishing
ISKCON in Azarbaijan I headed for Turkey and started preaching Krishna
Consciousness in Istanbul. Preaching to Muslims is not an easy task, but by Krishna’s
mercy everything is possible. Generally, people in Turkey are very suspicious and the
government forbids religious preaching. After two years of difficulties, struggle and
constant endeavor we were successful in opening a temple. For the first time the
Bhagavad-gita As It Is with Srila Prabhupada’s explanations was published in the
Turkish language. For the future, we plan to distribute Krishna Consciousness in Syria,
Iraq, Jordan and Egypt. We hope that by the blessings of Srila Prabhupada, a pure
representative of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Krishna Consciousness will be
spread to all the Muslim countries in the world.

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