🕌 Islam

Islam in the Light of the Purāṇas

1. Introduction

Among the many belief systems that arose in the later stages of human history, Islam stands prominent. Originating in Arabia in the 7th century CE, it claims to be a divine revelation through Prophet Muhammad. But how does Sanātana Dharma, the eternal Vedic revelation, view Islam? The Purāṇas, particularly Bhaviṣya Purāṇa and Kalki Purāṇa, directly classify such religions as mleccha-dharma — systems of the uncivilized, disconnected from Vedic authority.

Let us briefly examine Islam historically, theologically, and scripturally, in light of the Vedas and Purāṇas.

2. History of the Qur’an and Hadith

Qur’an = revelation, preserved immediately.
Ḥadīth = reports of sayings/deeds, preserved with human effort and science of verification.

1 > During Prophet Muhammad’s lifetime (570–632 CE)

The Qur’an was revealed to him gradually over 23 years.
Many companions memorized it completely (they were called ḥuffāẓ).
Verses were also written down during his lifetime on parchment, bones, palm leaves, etc.

2 > After His Passing (632 CE)

In the Battle of Yamama (633 CE), many memorizers of the Qur’an were killed.
Fearing that parts of the Qur’an might be lost, Caliph Abu Bakr (the 1st Caliph, 632–634 CE) ordered a written collection.
The task was given to Zayd ibn Thabit, one of the Prophet’s scribes. He gathered authenticated pieces, verified by witnesses, and compiled them.
This first compilation is known as the Mushaf of Abu Bakr.

3 > Standardization under Uthman (644–656 CE)

By the time of Uthman, the 3rd Caliph, Islam had spread widely.
The six major Sunni collections were compiled:
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (d. 870 CE, ~238 years after Prophet)
- Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (d. 875 CE)
- Sunan Abū Dāwūd, Tirmidhī, Nasā’ī, Ibn Mājah
They filtered through hundreds of thousands of reports, accepting only a few thousand as authentic (ṣaḥīḥ) with reliable chains.
Uthman ordered copies to be made from the original manuscript and distributed to major cities (Mecca, Kufa, Basra, Damascus, etc.).
He also instructed that all other unofficial copies be destroyed to avoid confusion.

This became the Uthmanic Codex, essentially the Qur’an we have today.

➡️ Thus, neither the Qur’an nor Hadith were personally verified by Muhammad. This opens the possibility of later political and sectarian influences shaping Islamic scripture.

3. Qur’an Contradictions: Peace vs. Violence

Many Muslims point to Qur’anic verses advocating peace and justice, such as:

“There is no compulsion in religion.” (Qur’an, Surah Al-Baqara 2:256)
“Whoever saves a life, it is as though he has saved all mankind.” (Qur’an, Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:32)
“God does not forbid you from being kind and just to those who do not fight you because of religion…” (Qur’an, Surah Mumtahanah 60:8)
“To you be your religion, and to me mine.” (Qur’an, Surah Kafirun 109:6)
The Qur’an does not say “kill all who aren’t Muslims.”
It allows self-defense when attacked.
It promotes peace when possible.
It explicitly prohibits forcing religion on anyone.

However, these appear in the early Meccan period. Later Medinan revelations explicitly command violence:

“Kill the polytheists wherever you find them.” (Qur’an, Surah At-Taubah 9:5)
“Fight those who do not believe in Allah … until they pay the tax (jizya) with willing submission.” (Qur’an, Surah At-Taubah 9:29)

Islamic jurists themselves acknowledge the doctrine of abrogation (naskh), meaning later verses override earlier ones. Thus, the militant instructions are considered binding, while the peaceful ones are secondary.

🔹 On Cow Killing, Rape, Genocide

Cow killing: Islam does not command cow slaughter. It allows certain meats, but local cultures (like in India) see it differently. In many Muslim countries, cows are not central to food.
Rape/Genocide: These are crimes in Islam too. The Qur’an strictly condemns murder (5:32) and sexual violence (24:2, punishment for fornication; 4:19, commands dignity for women).
When Muslims commit these acts, they are acting against their own religion.

This explains centuries of Islamic conquests, jihads, and intolerance toward non-Muslims.

4. The Concept of Allah: Formless or with Form?

Islam insists that Allah has no image, no partners, no form — a strong denial of the Vedic truth that the Absolute has infinite forms and qualities.

Yet the Qur’an itself contradicts this:

Allah is said to have a face — “All that remains is the Face of your Lord, full of majesty, bestowing honour.” (Qur’an, Surah Ar-Rahman 55:27).
Allah has hands — “O Iblis! What prevents thee from prostrating thyself to one whom I have created with my hands?” (Qur’an, Surah Sad 38:75).
Allah is described as sitting on a throne — “It is He who created the heavens and earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne.” (Qur’an, Surah Hadid 57:4).

Thus, while outwardly rejecting form, Islam secretly acknowledges divine form in its scripture, but without clarity or transcendental beauty. From a Vedic lens, this is an incomplete, distorted theology.

5. Purāṇic Prophecies about Muhammad and Islam

The Bhaviṣya Purāṇa (Pratisarga Parva 3.3.5–27) explicitly mentions Mahāmada (Muhammad):

He is described as a mleccha teacher who will establish a violent religion.
He and his followers are said to reject Vedic dharma, perform meat-eating, and oppose Devas.
It is stated that the followers of this cult will be destroyed in the end by Kalki.

Similarly, Kalki Purāṇa foretells that the Lord’s avatāra, Kalki, will appear to punish the mlecchas and restore dharma.

➡️ Thus, the Purāṇas directly classify Islam as a temporary, adharmic system arising in Kali-yuga.

6. Main Branches

Sunni Islam – about 85–90% of Muslims worldwide
Shia Islam – about 10–15% of Muslims worldwide

👉Sunni Sub-sects (4 main schools of law + movements)
Hanafi (largest, South Asia, Turkey, Balkans, Central Asia)
Maliki (North & West Africa)
Shafi‘i (East Africa, Southeast Asia)
Hanbali (Saudi Arabia, parts of Gulf; includes Salafism/Wahhabism)

Modern movements: Salafi, Wahhabi, Deobandi, Barelvi, Sufi orders, etc.

👉Shia Sub-sects (3 major + minor groups)
Twelvers (Ithna Ashariyya) – dominant Shia group (Iran, Iraq, Lebanon)
Ismailis – Nizari, Musta‘li, Druze (historically linked)
Zaidis (Fivers) – Yemen
Smaller sects: Alawites (Syria), Bektashis, etc.

👉Other Islamic Groups (outside Sunni–Shia divide)
Ibadi Islam – mostly Oman, distinct early branch
Ahmadiyya – South Asia origin, considered heretical by many Sunnis/Shias
Nation of Islam – U.S.-based movement, syncretic

7. Conclusion

From the Vedic perspective, Islam is not an eternal revelation but a mleccha-dharma:

Its scripture is historically questionable.
Its theology denies the true nature of God’s form and qualities.
Its injunctions promote violence and intolerance.
The Purāṇas predict and denounce it as a temporary cult, destined to vanish when dharma is restored by Kalki.

✅ Only Sanātana Dharma — rooted in the eternal Veda and culminating in devotion to Śrī Kṛṣṇa — is the true universal religion.

📜 Allah (Qur’an) vs. Bhagavān (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam)

Comparative Table

Topic	Qur’an – Allah	Bhāgavatam – Bhagavān
Form	Allah has no form. “There is nothing like Him” (42:11). Any image is shirk (sin).	God has eternal, transcendental form. “Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead, with a beautiful form” (ŚB 3.28.31; 10.14.6).
Qualities	Allah has no attributes like humans, but is described as Merciful, Just, Wrathful, Loving, etc. (99 Names of Allah).	Bhagavān has unlimited spiritual qualities — mercy, beauty, playfulness, love. (ŚB 10.14.6, 1.2.11).
Creation	Allah creates the world by command (“Kun fayakūn” = “Be, and it is”).	Bhagavān creates by glancing over prakṛti. “The Lord glanced over material nature, and creation began.” (ŚB 2.6.34).
Relationship with Souls	Allah is Master; humans are slaves (abd). Relationship is fear and obedience.	Bhagavān is Master, Friend, Son, Beloved. Devotees relate in many rasas (moods). (ŚB 10th Canto, esp. gopīs).
Throne	Allah is said to be “seated on the Throne” (Qur’an 20:5). Literalists imagine Him above the heavens.	Bhagavān is seated on Vaikuṇṭha throne, served by Lakṣmī, but also plays on earth with devotees. (ŚB 2.9.33; 10th Canto).
Color	No color is described in Qur’an. Some Hadith mention Allah appearing in forms, including in darkness/blackness.	Bhagavān is Śyāmasundara, blackish-blue like a fresh raincloud. (ŚB 10.23.22).
Goal of Religion	Submit fully to Allah’s will (Islam = submission). Salvation = Paradise (gardens, food, wine, sensual pleasures).	Goal is prema-bhakti — loving service to Bhagavān in His eternal abode. Bliss is spiritual rasa, not material pleasure. (ŚB 1.7.10, 10.14.6).
View of Women	In paradise, men get 72 houris (maidens). Women mostly secondary. In law, men have higher authority.	Women like gopīs, Kuntī, Draupadī are exalted as supreme devotees. Śakti (Rādhā, Lakṣmī, Durgā) is eternal divine power of God. (ŚB 10th Canto, Rādhā in Gosvāmī literature).
Supreme Truth	Allah is only One, without partners.	Ekam sat viprā bahudhā vadanti — God is one but manifests in many forms and names. (Ṛg Veda 1.164.46, confirmed in Bhāgavatam).

Analysis

Islam (Allah):
Stresses God’s oneness, formlessness, and masterhood → but creates contradictions (qualities without form, creation without will).

Sanātana Dharma (Bhāgavatam):
Gives full picture — God is both beyond qualities (nirguṇa) and possessor of infinite transcendental qualities (saguṇa). Thus creation, relationships, and bhakti all make sense.

Reference

[Stephen Knapp, Mohammed: Is He Really Predicted in Bhavishya Purana]
https://www.stephen-knapp.com/mohammed_is_he_really_predicted_in_bhavishya_purana.htm