Religion: Hinduism and Islam

Hinduism and Islam are two largely practiced religions, specifically in India and the subcontinents. Both Hinduism and Islam have unique practices and traditions, which can vary depending on the town, region or people. They share a common belief in a supreme god, that being either Brahma or Allah respectively. The traditions differ on the central texts used, as well as differences in the process of reaching the afterlife and basic beliefs.

Although, Hinduism might be regarded by some as a polytheistic religion in its most basic form Hinduism is based around one deity. The Brahma is the god that all of the other gods are derived from and each god is a manifestation of the one being. There are four other main deities, aside from Brahma, that are traditionally worshipped. The first god is Vishnu, who also goes by the title of Krishna. Vishnu is the all-prevailing god who comes to Earth in a multitude of forms. Vishnu’s goal is to get rid of the evils of the world and also to bring dharma, which is the moral code. It is believed that Vishnu will have ten incarnations, eight of which have already occurred. Vishnu’s seventh incarnation was in the form of Rama who is the main character of the Ramayana. Some believe the ninth incarnation is the period where Vishnu came as Krishna while others believe his ninth incarnation was that of Buddha.

The second deity is Shiva who does not come as a reincarnation but rather appears as a divine paradox of a creator and destroyer. Married to Shiva is the deity Parvati who also is referred to as either The Goddess or Devi. Of all the gods manifested from Brahman, Ganesha is the most popular because he is the God of good fortune. Typically Ganesha is depicted as the recognizable elephant headed s...

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...he Qur’an and is also cited in the Hadith as a requirement in order for prayers to be accepted by Allah. The fourth pillar is the observance of Ramadan or fasting and the last pillar of Hajj is the required pilgrimage to Mecca. The pilgrimage to Mecca is a requirement at least once in the lifetime of each able bodied Muslim person.

Overall Hinduism and Islam share a similar belief in a Supreme God but differ on multiple traditions. The Hindu tradition focuses on a central text, The Veda, which Islam refers to the Qur’an as their central text. The two traditions also differ on the after life with Hinduism focuses on the path to enlightenment and Islam focuses on pleasing Allah through the five pillars of Islam. In summation each of the traditions holds centrally their god and texts but differ on the practices associated with the afterlife.