Bengali muslim

 

Bengali muslim

 

The old man Lavani told Agudumba: Islam is the state religion of Bangladesh. Eid al-Fitr is one of the major Islamic festivals, and is known as the two major Islamic festivals along with Eid al-Adha. Eid al-Fitr is called "Ruzi Festival" in Persian. Adult Muslims, both male and female, fast for one month in September of each year in the Islamic calendar (commonly known as "Ramadan"), from before dawn to sunset every day, abstaining from eating, drinking, sexual intercourse and all indecent behavior in order to examine themselves and wash away their sins. According to Muhammad's "Seeing" According to the injunction "Fast on the new moon and break the fast when you see the new moon", every year Ramadan begins when the new moon appears in early September of the Islamic calendar and ends when the new moon appears in early October of the Islamic calendar.

Agudumba asked with a smile: I know that Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism were once very popular in ancient India. But why do most Bangladeshis and Pakistanis believe in Islam?

Old Lavani said:

In fact, no matter how strong Islam is, it will be assimilated into India. If you think about it, after many ethnic minorities took over the Central Plains, they often moved towards "Hanization", that is, they were assimilated by the more advanced Central Plains civilization. In fact, a similar situation occurred in ancient India. Even Islam, which had an influence on three continents in the Middle Ages, eventually had to take on an "Indian flavor".

Agudumba: So, what is the weapon that India can use to assimilate even Islamic civilization?

Old Lavani said:

Speaking of India, perhaps the most well-known thing is the caste system. The caste system originated from Hinduism and has a history of more than 3,000 years. This system roughly divides people into four levels: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra, and below this there are "untouchables".

After the Islamic rulers easily invaded India, they found that the Muslims also imitated the Indians and divided into different castes. What's going on?

As early as the 8th century AD, the Arab Empire gradually controlled the lower Indus region, which is now part of Pakistan.

In the 11th and 12th centuries, Islamic rulers in Central Asia began to expand into today's India. They found that this land was very fertile, but the residents there were weak and could be bullied, so they came one after another to burn, kill and loot in order to earn money and gain prestige.

Muslim invaders destroyed Hindu temples and Buddhist monasteries and forced pagans to convert to the "religion of the Prophet." In 1206, the Delhi Sultanate was established, marking the official establishment of Muslim political power in India.

With the establishment of the Muslim regime, many missionaries came to India, hoping to Islamize this vast land. To their surprise, the missionary work went very smoothly: "It doesn't take much effort to insert a knife into a melon." This is because Islam preaches that "all people are equal before God" and "all Muslims are brothers". Thoughts were very advanced in ancient times and had strong appeal.

The Quran believes that human beings come from the same Creator and are brothers and sisters with the same origin. In areas where Islam spreads, all Muslims, regardless of origin, can participate in religious activities equally.

Muslims can enter the same mosque, hug each other after praying, and eat together, much to the surprise of native Indians. Because, in Hinduism, it is impossible for people of different castes to even eat together or share food, as they are considered unclean.

Therefore, believers of a religion can actually be equal to each other, which is extremely attractive to the statusless lower castes in India. In order to change their low status and oppressed situation, many Hindus changed their beliefs. According to statistics from the early 20th century, 85% of Muslims in the Punjab region of India were of local origin.

Islam spread widely in India, greatly increasing the size of the Indian Muslim community. However, after religious enthusiasm cooled down, Islamic rulers faced multiple pressures.

First, the Muslims had established a state in India, turning from conquerors into rulers. This requires considering the impact of local social order. For any ancient ruler, the concept of superiority and inferiority was indispensable. Muslims strongly emphasize that Islam is a noble faith. However, converted Hindus make up the majority within the religion, many of whom are from lower castes. After the untouchables converted, they began to talk about equality with the conquerors, which embarrassed the Muslim rulers. They had to try to keep a distance from these lower-class groups in society, while at the same time wooing those upper-caste Hindus to strengthen the power of the ruling group.

Secondly, despite the religious upheaval brought about by the introduction of Islam to India, ancient Indian society still exists tenaciously. Many converts converted en masse in the form of caste groups, and their original customs and lifestyles continued.

Finally, Muslims originally had a certain concept of blood, which coincided with the spirit of the caste system. Ancient Arabs often traced their genealogy back to Adam, the ancestor of mankind, who is equivalent to Adam in Christianity.

Old Lavani continued:

At the beginning of the founding of Islam, the Prophet Muhammad used the concept of equality to break the narrow tribal consciousness, unite the Arabs into a powerful nation, and establish a large empire spanning the three continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa. However, the idea of aristocratic blood remained popular. People who were related to the prophet and early Arab nobles often had their own aura and were easily accepted as rulers. Caste practices arose naturally among Indian Muslims. While the rulers preached "equality", they also used the caste system to divide the Muslim groups into several categories to avoid "equality" with lower castes and to lower themselves.

Broadly speaking, Indian Muslim castes are divided into two types: "Ashraf" and "non-Ashraf". "Ashraf" are regarded as descendants of early Arab, Persian, Turkic and other Muslim conquerors. The interior is divided into four classes, the most noble of which is "Sayyid", who is claimed to be a descendant of the prophet. Next came the Shaikhs, Pathans and Mughals. The closer the kinship to the Prophet, the higher the hierarchical status. "Non-Ashraf" includes two types: Ajraf and Ajar. Ajirav is mainly an ordinary Hindu convert, while Ajar is a convert from an "untouchable". Religious scholars preach that "Ashraf" is the "son of Muhammad" and that non-Ashraf is inherently inferior. This is God's will.

Agudemba: Got it. It turns out that these poor people with the lowest status among Hindus changed their beliefs in order to break their hierarchical status, but they ended up still at the bottom of the Muslim community.

Old Lavani explained:

However, Islam's proposition of "everyone is equal" is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and it is still difficult for Muslims to accept the "caste" system. Although everyone knows it well, this term cannot be used casually. Of course, relative to Hindus, Muslim caste inequality is not that serious.

The emergence of Muslim castes, on the contrary, reflects the strong assimilation ability of ancient Indian society. After Islam entered India, it was unable to eliminate the caste system and had to compromise with it to retain this hierarchical form. The rulers were always the higher castes occupying the top of the pyramid. The caste system is deeply ingrained and has lasted for thousands of years. It has long been a part of Indian culture. This kind of system that blatantly divides people into three, six or nine grades is not only found in India. In contemporary China, isn't the slogan "I am a hero and my son is a good man, I am a reactionary and my son is a bastard"? "A dragon begets a dragon, a phoenix begets a phoenix, and a mouse's son can make a hole." This is a Chinese proverb dating back thousands of years.

When the old man Lavani talked about the traditional Muslim culture, he also told Agudumba about the Islamic Eid al-Adha custom:

Eid al-Adha is one of the major Islamic festivals, also known as Eid al-Adha. "Gurban" means "sacrifice" or "sacrifice" and is one of the main rituals of the Hajj. It takes place on December 10 of the Islamic calendar, which is the last day of the Hajj period. On that day, pilgrims will sacrifice animals. Muslims with good financial conditions are required to sacrifice animals within three days from December 10th to 12th in the Islamic calendar. Overdue sacrifice will be invalid.

Agudengba said to the old man Lavani: The Chinese also have the custom of worshiping ancestors, but it is different from the activities of worshiping ancestors abroad. Ancestors not only include their own ancestors and the deceased parents, but also include the ancestors of the nation and country. For example, the Chinese will The two emperors of Yan and Huang regarded them as their ancestors and claimed to be descendants of Yan and Huang.

Agudengba sang a hymn to worship Yan and Huang, "Praise to the Merits of Yan and Huang":

 

The mighty Yellow River winds like a dragon flying.

The birthplace of China, the dawn of civilization.

The three emperors established grasses, and the five emperors showed their virtues.

Xuanyuan created a foundation, and generations praised Yanhuang.

 

Leizu began to wear silk, raised silkworms, and then planted mulberry trees.

The kings of Yao and Shun promoted the throne to the virtuous.

Dayu dredged up the nine rivers, and all the surnames were in good health.

The Yin Dynasty was founded by the Shang Dynasty, and Zhou Bo was promoted in Qiyuan.

 

The majestic Kingdom of China has been glorious for five thousand years.

After enjoying the Yanhuang period, one should think of the source when drinking water.

Humanity Xuanyuan Ancestor, kindness is like the sun and moon hanging.

Starting a business is extremely difficult and everything is unpredictable.

 

The high platform beheaded Chi Wan, and Zhuolu secured the Central Plains.

The territory can be expanded, and the country is as strong as a plate.

The prosperity of the Chinese nation is envied by all nations.

Zen gave way to Yao, Shun and Yu, and made extraordinary achievements from generation to generation.

 

Sacrifice has been carried out for eternity, and its merits date back to prehistory.

Let’s work together to achieve patriotism and build our home together.

Feeling the great virtue of Emperor He, I respectfully offer sacrifices to the ancestors at the altar.

Unify the embroidery of mountains and rivers, make the country strong and the people safe.