Buddism AND Islam -1st Part
In the Name of God, Most Gracious Merciful
Introduction
Buddhism: An Idolatrous Religion
Buddhism's Erroneous Beliefs
Buddhism and Materialist Western Culture
Could Buddhism be a True Religion
That's Become Distorted?
Conclusion: Truth Has Come,
and Falsehood Has Vanished
The Deception of Evolution
INTRODUCTION
Many people become excited at the idea of becoming "different" or more "original." In almost every society since the dawn of history, some individuals have tried to stand out and draw attention to themselves by their life style, clothing, hairstyles, or distinctive way of speaking. They've managed to stir up public reaction and attract interest at the same time.
In recent years, Western societies have seen the emergence of an unusual current that draws attention to itself by its rather strange life style. It's made up of individuals who want to attract attention by adopting Eastern culture, beliefs, and philosophies—of which the most important is Buddhism.
Throughout the world, but especially in America and Europe, some individuals have been intrigued by Buddhism, spurred on mostly by the superstitious, secret, and awesome qualities they perceive in this religion. Generally, those who adopt Buddhism do so not because they believe in the logic of its philosophy, but because they're attracted by its "mystical" atmosphere, drawn to this superstition because it is presented to them as far more different and awesome than any other philosophy they encounter in their normal lives. For example, the story of how Buddhism came to be is related to them as a fantastic, mystic legend. Books and films about Buddhism depict Buddha as the source of a great mystery. Likewise, Buddhist priests are presented as possessors of secret, arcane knowledge. They fascinate Westerners with their exotic robes, shaved heads, style of worship, elaborate ceremonies, dwelling places, meditation, yoga and other such strange practices.
For these reasons, Buddhism is seized upon as an important tool by people who want to demonstrate that they are different from others in their society, and who want to project the image of having discovered of a valuable secret. If an ordinary person suddenly shaves his head one day, puts on a brightly-colored robe and begins to teach Buddhist doctrine using mystical words he never uttered before, he will certainly attract curious attention and be thought of as "original."
A number of celebrities have adopted Buddhism for similar purposes. They make speeches in Tibetan Buddhist robes to appear different from others, drawing attention to themselves perhaps to become even better known to their public. They visit Buddhist temples accompanied by Buddhist priests and also make propaganda for the Buddhist religion.
You may have already learned a considerable amount about Buddhism and gained a general knowledge of it through both written and visual media. In this book, we'll examine Buddhism's superstitious character in the light of the Qur'an and let you see clearly this superstitious religion's more perverse aspects.
When we consider Buddhism's appearance, its scriptures, general beliefs, style of worship in the light of the Qur'an, we begin to see that its basic philosophy is founded on very deviant doctrines. Indeed, its worship contains strange practices leading its devotees to worship idols of stone and clay. As a belief, Buddhism is contrary to logic and intelligence. Countries where it has been adopted have mixed it with their own idolatrous ideas, traditions and local customs, joining it with myths and deviant ideas until it has evolved into a totally godless philosophy.
When fused with Brahmanism, Hinduism, Shintoism and other idolatrous Eastern religions, Buddhism has assumed a much darker form. Those who adopt this religion not because they believe it, but because they're attracted by the "secrets" of the Far East or just to draw attention to themselves, should realize that Buddhism contains perverse doctrines that can lead them to deny God, associate handmade idols with Him and lead a life of superstition. To ignore Buddhism's mindless aspects and espouse it just to be trendy and go along with others will result in great loss.
Those who make propaganda on behalf of Buddhism often present it as a means of salvation. Those who long to escape from a materialist society's hard, disputatious culture— along with its worries, anxieties, quarrels, pitiless rivalry, selfishness and falsehoods—resort to Buddhism as the way to achieve peace of mind, security, tolerance and a fulfilling life. But Buddhism is not, as it is generally thought to be, a belief that brings contentment. On the contrary, those who are taken into Buddhism are often drawn into a deep pessimism. Even people with a considerable level of education and modern worldview will become individuals who see nothing wrong with begging with their bowls in hand, who believe that in their next lives, human beings may be reborn as mice or cattle, and who expect help from idols carved from stone or cast in bronze. For these people, Buddhism's deviant beliefs inflict serious psychological damage. In countries where Buddhism is widespread, or in regions inhabited by many Buddhist priests, pessimism and gloominess are clearly prominent.
One basic reason for this is the laziness and indolence that Buddhism inculcates in its adherents. Because it lacks any faith in an eternal afterlife, Buddhism does not urge its devotees to be better or develop themselves, to beautify their environment, or to advance culturally. Islam always urges its adherents to seek out and apply themselves to what is better and more beautiful. Islam's dynamic moral teaching requires people to research and learn, to develop themselves and be useful to their communities. In one verse of the Qur'an (35: 28), God says that "Only those of His servants with knowledge stand truly in awe of Him."
The only way to find true happiness and contentment in this world—to escape every kind of pessimism, unhappiness, and pitiless evil—is for people to submit themselves to God, our Creator, and lead lives that will win His approval. Our Lord, the only sovereign of Earth and Heaven has announced that for all people the way of salvation is to embrace the Qur'an, sent down as a guide to the true path. In the Qur'an (14: 1), God affirms, "… this is a Book We have sent down to you so that you can bring mankind from the darkness to the light, by the permission of their Lord, to the Path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy." Those who believe in idolatrous religious like Buddhism should realize that they have been misguided:
That is God, your Lord, the Truth, and what is there after truth except misguidance? So how have you been distracted? (Qur'an, 10: 32)
BUDDHISM: AN IDOLATROUS RELIGION
About 2500 years ago, Buddhism arose in northeast India and, in time, extended its influence throughout Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Kampuchea, China, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Manchuria, Korea, and Nepal. Today, it has about 330 million followers.
Definitions of Buddhism have always varied, along with how Buddhists understand life's meaning. For some, Buddhism is a religion; others regard it as a sect or school of philosophy. But from its view of life and all its practices, it is ultimately clear that the doctrine of Buddhism is idolatrous and superstitious. Since Buddhism is an atheist religion that lacks any belief in God, it also rejects the existence of angels, the eternal afterlife, Hell, and the Day of Judgment.
Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, was born in the Indian city of Kapilavastu and lived between 563 and 483 B.C. At this time, India's dominant religion was Brahmanism, the religion of Aryan invaders. According to the Aryans' rigid and unbreachable caste system, all of society was divided into four groups, each of which in turn was divided into sub castes. Brahman priests formed the very highest segment of society and they pitilessly oppressed the people of lesser status.
Gautama was born the son of a wealthy prince by the name of Suddhodana, in the noble Sakya family. After spending his youth in comfort and ease, Gautama left the palace at the age of 29 and began a mystic search that lasted until his death at the age of 80. During his lifetime, he established certain principles that over the course of time, evolved into the doctrine we now call Buddhism.
The word Buddha means "the awakened, or enlightened one," signifying the spiritual heights that Siddhartha Gautama is supposed to have attained. Those Buddhist teachings and texts that have come down to us do not date from the period in which he lived, but were written down between 300 and 400 years after his death. In the following pages of this book, we will examine these texts in detail and we will see that they contain false beliefs, practices that go beyond all logic and present Buddha perversely as an idol to be worshipped.
Those Who Associate Buddha with God
In its basic beliefs, philosophy and practices, this religion is idolatrous. Buddhists hold Buddha in a heightened sense of love, deep respect and fear, even accepting him as a god
.
Although we have no documents from Buddha's time that suggest that he urged his followers to worship him; the Brahmans—who were already worshipping idols—quickly began to make statues of Siddhartha. And in time, those who nurtured an excessive love towards Buddha came to worship these idols and consider him a god.
However, all religions based on God's revelations adhere to a monotheistic faith that recognizes Him as single and unique. In the Qur'an (22: 34), God states, "Your God is One God, so submit to Him." To deny the supremacy of God and worship the idols of an ordinary person, as the Buddhists do, is described in the Qur'an as to "associate something with God." In hundreds of places in the Qur'an, God reminds us that this "association" is a very serious sin. For example:
God does not forgive anything being associated with Him, but He forgives whoever He wills for anything other than that. Anyone who associates something with God has committed a terrible crime. (Qur'an, 4: 48)
The word "associate," or shirk, means partnership. The Qur'an uses it in the sense of associating His creatures with Him, as in treating any thing, person, or any idea as equal to or higher than God. The idolater reveres whatever image, relic, or object that he associates with God more highly than he does God Himself, directing toward it all his love and respect, interest and adoration. The Qur'an (15:96;17: 39; 51: 51) refers to this perverse way of thinking as "setting up another god together with God."
The Islamic religion is based on the belief in the oneness of God (tawhid). God often repeats the phrase La ilahe illahu ("there is no other God but He"), which is the first condition of faith. Therefore, the most basic meaning of shirk is deviating from this truth into the mistaken idea that there are other beings besides God who possess "power and might." In the Qur'an, our Lord makes Himself known by describing His attributes and tells us in many verses in the Qur'an that there is no other god but He.
In verse 59: 22-24, God reveals His sublime names in these words:
He is Allah—there is no god but Him. He is the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible. He is the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful.
He is Allah—there is no god but Him. He is the King, the Most Pure, the Perfect Peace, the Trustworthy, the Safeguarder, the Almighty, the Compeller, the Supremely Great. Glory be to God above all they associate with Him.
He is Allah—the Creator, the Maker, the Giver of Form. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Everything in the heavens and earth glorifies Him. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.
God manifests His attributes for human beings to perceive. For example, He has endless mercy and manifests His attribute as the "Merciful" in human beings. His qualities can be seen in those people, although they do not enjoy these qualities as a result of their own efforts or merits. By themselves, no other beings can possess or create the attributes of God. To assert that they do have this ability is to "set up another god together with God." Like Buddhists, they make the mistake of associating His creatures with God, attributing some of His qualities to other, lesser beings.
For example, God is All-Seeing and knows "what is even more concealed." When someone acts in secret, with no one around, believing that no one sees him, our Lord does see him and knows everything that he does. He sees and knows every event that happens in the universe, down to its smallest details, because He is the One God Who created them all. In the Qur'an (6: 103), God affirms that, "Eyesight cannot perceive Him, but He perceives eyesight. He is the All-Penetrating, the All-Aware."
Wherever a person is, it's absolutely true that God is with him. God knows what you're thinking at this very moment, as you're reading these words. God tells us that He sees us wherever we are:
You do not engage in any matter or recite any of the Qur'an or do any action without Our witnessing you while you are occupied with it. Not even the smallest speck eludes your Lord, either on earth or in heaven. Nor is there anything smaller than that, or larger, which is not in a Clear Book. (Qur'an, 10: 61)
It is He Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself firmly on the Throne. He knows what goes into the earth and what comes out of it, what comes down from heaven and what goes up into it. He is with you wherever you are—God sees what you do. (Qur'an, 57: 4)
This point reveals Buddhists' idolatrous understanding, as do many others. Buddha's followers regard him as all-seeing and all-knowing. The proliferation of statues of Buddha in countries where it is the dominant religion, and the eyes of Buddha painted on every temple all bear witness to Buddhists' deviant belief that Buddha sees them at every moment with his eyes made of stone or wood, and hears them with his wooden ears. For this reason, they fill their houses with his statues, in front of which they perform acts of reverence.
In this, they are acting contrary to intelligence and committing a grave sin. In the Qur'an (7: 195), God tells us that people who associate others with God are greatly deceived; and that whatever things they have made into gods have no power over anything: "Do they have legs they can walk with? Do they have hands they can grasp with? Do they have eyes they can see with? Do they have ears they can hear with?" Never forget, "idolatry" does not mean only the worship of material idols. Anyone who honors another person for his possessions, thinking that they belong to him and derive from some power of his own, deifies that person, not realizing that these transient objects are a test that God has posed for him. As God warns in the Qur'an (2: 165):
Among the people are those who take other than God as equals [to Him], loving them as they should love God. But those who believe have greater love for God. If only you could see those who do wrong at the time when they see the punishment, and that truly all strength belongs to God, and that God is severe in punishment.
Buddha was a powerless servant whom God created and tested in this world; he had no ability or will of his own to influence people. It was by God's will that he spoke, and he lived the life that God gave him, according to the fate that God had determined. Abraham's (peace be upon him) prayer in the Qur'an (26: 78-82) expresses most clearly the helplessness of human beings before God's absolute might:
He Who created me and guides me; He Who gives me food and gives me drink; and when I am ill, it is He Who heals me; He Who will cause my death, then give me life; He Who I sincerely hope will forgive my mistakes on the Day of Reckoning.
Buddha lived the fate that God had ordained for him, and when his time came, he died. It must not be forgotten that apart from God's will, no one can have faith; it is God Who guides human beings. Unless God wills it, no one can guide another to the right path. Again, it is God Who guides people toward truth and beauty. Invitations and communications influence the human heart only insofar as God wills it. Indeed, He is the only absolute power that must be magnified, adored and entreated for help. As God announced this truth in the Qur'an (22: 74): "They do not measure God according to His true power. God is All-Strong, Almighty."
The Qur'an gives a number of examples of people who worship idols. As just one example, the polytheist people of Abraham carved representations of their gods, worshipped them, and listened to their calls. In the Qur'an (21: 52-53), our Lord relates: "When he [Abraham] said to his father and his people, 'What are these statues you are clinging to?' they said, 'We found our fathers worshipping them.' "
As these verses show, human beings have adopted this kind of worship as an inheritance that their ancestors have passed down to them. Thus idol worship, no matter how illogical, can be a kind of social activity remembered from childhood and not regarded as strange, even in the most modern societies.
In the Qur'an (27: 24-25), God says that the people of Sheba (Saba') were idolaters, just like the people of Abraham:
I found both her [the Queen of Sheba] and her people prostrating to the sun instead of God. Satan has made their actions seem good to them and debarred them from the Way so they are not guided and do not prostrate to God, Who brings out what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what you conceal and what you divulge.
These verses draw our attention to another important point: that Satan has made idolatrous religions seem valid and meaningful to people, to bar them from God's Way. Satan knows, for example, that the sun is not a god to be worshipped; but a creation of God like all the rest of the universe. In other words, every idolatrous religion that opposes God's revelation is actually based on the revelations of Satan, who does this so that men and women will not prostrate themselves before God.
Another example of idolatry that God gives In the Qur'an concerns the Children of Israel. While they were escaping Pharaoh and his people with Moses (peace be upon him), they met a people that worshipped idols and they wanted Moses to make them a similar idol. In the Qur'an (7: 138-139), God tells about this:
We conveyed the tribe of Israel across the sea, and they came upon some people who were devoting themselves to some idols that they had. They said, "Moses, give us a god just as these people have gods." He said, "You are indeed an ignorant people. What these people are doing is destined for destruction. What they are doing is purposeless."
From this account, we see that the Children of Israel, acting in ignorance, wanted a god they could see with their eyes, before which they could bow down and perhaps perform elaborate ceremonies. This indicates they did not conceive of, much less appreciate, God's might. Although Moses explained the truth to them, as soon as he left them, they made themselves an idol—a great perversion. In the Qur'an (7: 148-149), God tells us that immediately after, regret overcame them:
After he left, Moses's people adopted a calf made from their ornaments, a form which made a lowing sound. Did they not see that it could not speak to them or guide them to any way? They adopted it, and so they were wrongdoers.
When they took full stock of what they had done and saw they had been misled, they said, "If our Lord does not have mercy on us and forgive us, we will certainly be among the lost."
But to those who had made the calf into a god, God gave this answer (Qur'an, 7: 152):
As for those who adopted the Calf, anger from their Lord will overtake them together with abasement in the life of this world. That is how we repay the purveyors of falsehood.
The above verses show that if God wills, He can forgive or punish those who associate His creatures with Him. Those who do so are actually fabricating falsehood, since the evident truth is that there is only one God. To bow before these invented gods is a terrible crime against God. As stated in the Qur'an (4: 48), God may forgive those who commit every other sin and error, but never one who associates His creatures with Him:
God does not forgive anything being associated with Him but He forgives whoever He wills for anything other than that. Anyone who associates something with God has committed a terrible crime.
There is No Deity Except God
The basis of Islam is the knowledge that God exists, and the understanding that there is no god but Him. In the Qur'an, the divine source of Islam, God tells us (2: 163) that this is the greatest foundation of religion: "Your God is God Alone. There is no deity except Him, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful."
Indeed, there is only one Absolute Being, and everything else is His creation. God made the universe we live in and, before He created it, no material thing existed. Nothing, animate or inanimate, had been brought into existence; there was nothing but a complete void. The moment the universe was created, only then did time, space and matter come into being, created by the Eternal God Who is not subject to any of them. In one verse (2: 117) of the Qur'an, God speaks of Himself as the flawless Creator of the universe:
[He is] The Originator of the heavens and earth. When He decides on something, He just says to it, "Be!" and it is.
God creates everything that is happening at this moment, and every moment. God constantly creates every rain drop that falls, every child who is born, the photosynthesis occurring in leaves, the functions of living bodies, the courses of the stars in their galaxies, every seed that sprouts, all we know and everything we do not. Everything in the universe, great and small, functions according to His command (Qur'an, 27: 64):
He Who originates creation and then regenerates it and provides for you from out of heaven and earth. Is there another god besides God? Say: "Bring your proof if you are being truthful."
From the cells of living things to the stars in the universe, all systems exist in wonderful order and function perfectly. This amazing order, controlled at every moment, continues in perfect harmony because our Lord embraces all existing things with His eternal knowledge (Qur'an, 67: 3-4):
He created the seven heavens in layers. You will not find any flaw in the creation of the All-Merciful. Look again—do you see any gaps? Then look again and again. Your sight will return to you dazzled and exhausted!
To reject God as Creator and to attribute consciousness to any of the objects He has created shows a great lack of intelligence. The wonderful order in the universe and the flawless design in all living things show us that one Creator created them all. In one verse (23: 91), God announced that there is no other god besides Him, and that no other existing thing in the universe possesses power, apart from Him:
God has no son, and there is no other god accompanying Him, for then each god would have gone off with what He created, and one of them would have been exalted above the other. Glory be to God above what they describe.
God is everywhere and encompasses all things. He is the one true, absolute Being, and all things obey His will. God is in every moment and in every place. There is no place where He is not; no living thing exists that is beyond His control. He is All-sufficient and free from all weakness (Qur'an, 2: 255):
God, there is no god but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. He is not subject to drowsiness or sleep. Everything in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him. Who can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them but they cannot grasp any of His knowledge save what He wills. His Footstool encompasses the heavens and the earth and their preservation does not tire Him. He is the Most High, the Magnificent.
BUDDHISM’S ERRONEOUS BELIEFS
The erroneous beliefs of Buddhism vary greatly from country to country, because over the past 2500 years, this religion has mingled with the various local religions, customs, and established cultures of countries into which it has spread. Today, the varieties of Buddhism practiced in Japan, China, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and America are all quite different from one another.
As historical sources show, Buddha always chose to speak about his basic tenets and deliver his way of worship orally; centuries of research has determined that he left behind no written texts. Buddhists maintain that his sermons were passed down orally from generation to generation for 400 years, until they were finally compiled in the Pali canon. However, most scholars believe that the great majority of these words are not Buddha's at all, but were added to in the course of centuries until they attained their present form. Therefore Buddhism, not relying on any written texts, underwent many changes and distortions over the course of time, being considerably reshaped by additions and omissions.
Today, Buddhism's holy book, written in the Pali language, is called the Tipitaka, which means "triple basket." It is not known for sure when the Tipitaka was written down, but it is thought to have attained its present shape in Sri Lanka sometime in the first century B.C. Its texts are divided into the following chapters:
1. Vinaya Pitaka: This chapter, meaning "Basket of Discipline," contains rules relevant to priests and nuns and how they should be followed. There are also some matters of relevance to those lay readers who are not priests or nuns.
2. Sutta Pitaka: Most of this volume is composed of talks in which Buddha explained his ideas. For this reason, this chapter is called the "Basket of Discourse." These words of his were passed down through the centuries, becoming mixed with other legends and false beliefs.
3. Abhidhamma Pitaka: This volume contains Buddhist philosophy and interpretations of Buddha's sermons.
Today's Buddhist priests regard these texts as holy; they worship and organize their lives according to them. They portray Buddha as an actual god (God is surely beyond that!), and for this reason, modern Buddhists bow before his statues, place before them offerings of food and flowers, and expect help from them. This is a completely illogical practice, however, and anyone who believes that stone or bronze statues can hear or help is greatly deceived. Later in this book, we examine these basically pagan practices in more detail, and see how Buddhism has become a secret doctrine concentrating on human beings without accounting for questions of how this world's flawless systems function, much less how the entire universe came to be.
An Atheistic Religion
Buddhist philosophy denies the existence of God, but bases itself on a few aspects of human morality and on escaping from sufferings of this world. Without any intellectual or scientific support, it rests upon the twin concepts of karma and reincarnation—the idea that human beings are continually reborn into this world, that their subsequent lives are shaped by their behavior in their previous ones. No Buddhist scripture considers the existence of a Creator, much less how the universe, the world and living things came to be. No Buddhist text describes how the universe was created from nothing; or how living things came into being; or how to explain the evidence, to be seen everywhere in this world, of an incomparable creation. According to the Buddhist deception, it is not even necessary to think about these things! The only important thing in life, Buddhist texts claim, is suppressing desires, revering Buddha, and escaping from suffering.
As a religion, therefore, Buddhism suffers from a very narrow vision that keeps its believers from considering such basic questions as where they came from, or how the universe and all living things came to be. Indeed, it deters them from even thinking about these things and presses them into the narrow mold of their present earthly life.
An Oppressive, Enslaving Religion
Buddhism's attempt to nullify all human desires is another aspect of its narrow philosophy. God created the blessings of this world for human beings' benefit and pleasure, and so that they would give Him thanks in return. For this reason, Islam does not command people to suppress their desires or to endure pain and suffering. On the contrary, it enjoins them to take advantage of the beautiful aspects in the world (apart from base and unlawful behavior), not to restrain themselves needlessly, nor to inflict pain upon themselves. For this reason, God revealed (Qur'an, 7: 157) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had "relieved his followers of their chains":
Those who follow the Messenger, the Ummi, whom they find written down with them in the Torah and the Gospel, commanding them to do right and forbidding them to do wrong, making good things lawful for them and bad things unlawful for them, relieving them of their heavy loads and the chains which were around them. Those who believe in him and honor him and help him, and follow the Light that has been sent down with him, they are the ones who are successful.
In short, Islam is a liberating religion that saves people from useless customs and prohibitions, social pressures and worries about what other people may think. It calls them to lead calm, peaceful lives with the purpose of gaining God's approval.
So it is that our Prophet (May God bless him and grant him peace), in many of his sayings, advises us to make religion simple and easy.
"Make things easy for the people, and do not make it difficult for them, and make them calm (with glad tidings) and do not repulse (them)."1
"You have been sent to make things easy (for the people) and you have not been sent to make things difficult for them."2
Buddhism enslaves its devotees in misty monasteries and forces them into a life of suffering and poverty. Strangely, it discourages good food, cleanliness, comfort—the blessings that God has created for human beings—accepts suffering as a virtue and advises its devotees to lead a miserable life.
For Buddhist monks and nuns, life is full of all kinds of difficulties. They are forbidden to work or own property, obliged to feed themselves by going from door to door and begging among the people, with their bowls in their hands. For this reason, Buddhist priests are even called bhikkhus (beggars) by the people. Buddhist priests are forbidden to marry or have any kind of family life; they may own only one robe, which must be of poor quality yellow or red cloth.
Besides this robe, their only other possessions include a hard bed to sleep on, a razor to shave their heads with, a needle case for their own use, a water bottle and a bowl to beg with. They eat only one meal a day, generally consisting of bread and rice flavored with spices, and drink either water or rice milk. They must finish this food before noon and are not allowed to eat anything until the next day. Other foods, even medicines, are regarded as forbidden luxuries. A priest may eat meat, fish or vegetables only if he is sick and then, only with the permission of a higher-ranking priest. In short, Buddhist strictures are a form of self-torture.
This situation is a manifestation of the truth of the verse in the Qur'an (10: 44) that reads, "God does not wrong people in any way; rather it is people who wrong themselves." But to those who believe in Him and submit themselves to Him, God promises a very good life, both in this world and the world to come. To them belong both the blessings of this world and those of the afterlife. According to the Qur'an (7: 32):
Say: "Who has forbidden the fine clothing God has produced for His servants and the good kinds of provision?" Say: "On the Day of Rising, such things will be exclusively for those who believed during their life in this world." In this way, We make the Signs clear for people who know.
Another dark aspect of Buddhism is its pessimism. The "nirvana" it promises to its believers is nothing less than a schizophrenic breaking of all connections with life by a melancholic mind that takes a dim view of the world. The Catholic Encyclopedia describes this aspect of Buddhism in these words:
Another fatal defect of Buddhism is its false pessimism. A strong and healthy mind revolts against the morbid view that life is not worth living, that every form of conscious existence is an evil. Buddhism stands condemned by the voice of nature the dominant tone of which is hope and joy. It is a protest against nature for possessing the perfection of rational life. The highest ambition of Buddhism is to destroy that perfection by bringing all living beings to the unconscious repose of Nirvana. Buddhism is thus guilty of a capital crime against nature, and in consequence does injustice to the individual. All legitimate desires must be repressed. Innocent recreations are condemned. The cultivation of music is forbidden. Researches in natural science are discountenanced. The development of the mind is limited to the memorizing of Buddhist texts and the study of Buddhist metaphysics, only a minimum of which is of any value. The Buddhist ideal on earth is a state of passive indifference to everything.3
Islam does not make its adherents indifferent; on the contrary, it calls them to liveliness, activity, and joy. All those who adopt the teachings of Islam are very sensitive to what goes on around them. They do not regard the world as Buddhism does, as chaos to avert the eyes from, but as a testing place—an arena in which they can put the high moral teachings of the Qur'an into practice. For this reason, Islamic history is full of just and successful leaders who ensured comfortable and happy lives for their people. In sharp contrast, Buddhism produces only wretched adherents who cause themselves suffering, drag themselves and others into passivity and poverty, and whose only solution to the problems they encounter is to immolate themselves. This is one of the biggest games that Satan plays with people.
A Pagan Religion
Buddhism is a pagan religion, inasmuch as it worships idols. It is said that today's Buddhism has been divided into different schools, and that worship of Buddha characterizes only some of them. But even to accept Buddhism as an infallible guide—an error that all schools of Buddhism fall into—is an indication that this religion views Buddha as a god.
According to historical sources, Buddhist priests began to deify Buddha shortly after his death. Statues of him were erected everywhere, and the perverse belief gained strength that Nirvana had actually taken shape in his body and was embodied in these statues. The excessive respect that Buddhist priests paid to Buddha later turned into outright worship. Today, giant statues of him adorn every country where Buddhism is the dominant religion. In many countries from Asia to America, you can see statues and temples with Buddha's eyes painted on them—again, suggesting the message that Buddha sees everything and watches people constantly, and that they should be thinking of him every minute of their lives. Clearly, it's a completely untenable belief that someone who died thousands of years ago can still see those who believe in him, protect them, and listen to their prayers. The basic truth that Buddhists are unable to grasp is that God, Lord of all the Worlds, Who encompasses everything and knows the deepest hidden secrets of all things, created Buddha, like all human beings.