(islam-hinduism.com)

Prohibition and permission in Islam 

Islam is clear in its rules and principles regarding the relationship between man and the Creator. It has explained plainly the nature of the relationship between human beings and all items of the universe. This relationship in Islam are crystal clear. The relationship between man and the universe in Islam must be understood in the context of the followed and the follower or the served and the servant. Human beings have been created for Allah the Almighty only, whilst all objects of the universe have been created for human beings.

All objects of the world have been subjugated to the benefit of mankind; as long as they are used in the limits of the laws instituted by Allah the Almighty and in a manner that does not harm him or others. In other words, all objects of the universe have been created for man and man was created for Allah the Almighty. It is noteworthy that whatever is harmful to humans whether physically or spiritually has been forbidden in Islam and whatever is useful for them has been permitted. It has been done by Allah the Almighty who knows everything as He is the One who has created them. In addition to that, there are exceptions in Islamic Shari`ah according to the needs of the people, that is why Islamic jurisprudence has laid down the well-known principle “Necessity legalizes the prohibitions” or the forbidden things become permissible in some dire needs that may threaten the life of an individual or the safety of the society. Especially, when it is proved that a particular forbidden item of this world is beneficial for an agonized person. For example, pork is unclean and forbidden in Islam, but it has the exception given due to the necessity.

Therefore, if medical experiments prove a required medical benefit in the pig that is not available in any other permissible objects, in this case Islam permits its usage to the extent that is sufficient for the purpose.⁽¹⁾ Allah the Almighty says: But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], there is no sin upon him. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. (Al-Baqarah2:173)

The Medical Value of Camel Urine

We would like to declare here that the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) regarding the camel urine is an authentic Hadith that was recorded by Al-Bukhari, however, the Hadith is an exception from the general rule in Islam that prohibits the usage of any impure thing like urine and dung. It was narrated by Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the climate of Al-Madinah did not suit some people, so the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered them to follow his shepherd, i.e. his camels, and drink their milk and urine (as a medicine). So they followed the shepherd that is the camels and drank their milk and urine till their bodies became healthy. (Reported by Al-Bukhari) In this Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has permitted for the people who were suffering from illness. This permission is an exception from the plain general rule that makes the urine and feces as an impure and sickening thing. However, the exceptional permission due to some dire needs and emergencies does not make it pure or consumable in common situations.

Furthermore, Islam regards camel an animal that has been created for the benefit of human being. People use camel in several purposes; like carrying their heavy goods, they consume its milk and eat their meat and ride them. Islam never regards camels as an object of divinity or reverence, no single Muslim in the world looks upon camel as a god or a revered deity. Every Muslim in the world regards it an animal like other beneficial and domestic animals, no one amongst Muslims views camel urine as a source of spiritual enhancement or religious symbol. This is the difference between the usages of camel urine in Islam for merely medical purpose and between the Hindu religious norm of consuming the cow urine and dung for just religious blessings. In addition to that, when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) permitted some people to drink the urine of some camels for some particular medical purposes it never made it a deity or god. This is the separation line between the view of Hinduism on the cow dung and its urine. Hinduism regards them an object of divinity and worship. On the contrary, Islam never sees a camel as a holy animal or its urine as a sacred liquid.

It is unreasonable to link the issue of camel’s urine in Islam to the issue of cow excreta in Hinduism. We have quoted in a previous article several proofs from Hindu scriptures that invite people to believe in cow as a god and worthy of worship. While in Islam, the camel is a common animal and its urine is impure in general as was concluded by Muslim jurists. Moreover, some Muslim scholars have said that the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was an exceptional permission for a particular and certain group of people, who were suffering from some unusual disease, so the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) ordered them to drink milk and urine of specific camels that were out of town of Al-Madinah and when they drank the milk and urine of those camel, their infection was cured and they got healthy. This permission does not mean any or every camel milk and urine, rather, those camels were specific, therefore, the Hadith should be understood in its context not as a general principle.⁽²⁾ This is the position of camels in Islam. It is the belief of the Muslims about camel urine, while Hindu scriptures make cows an object of worship and Hindu masses worship it as god. That is why they drink cow urine and eat cow dung with religious sentiments and devotional intention and not merely for a medical treatment, thinking it as a highly sacred and extremely blessed thing.

The Hadith of Camel Urine: A Testimony and Miracle

In fact, the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) about the camel urine reveals the genuine nature of his Prophethood. He was an unlettered person who never wrote a single letter and never read any book of medicine or any other book except the Glorious Qur’an, he never made any experiment on the urine of camels either, despite that, he instructed to a medical prescription that was proved beneficial for them and they were cured and got healthy as was stated by the Hadith itself. This denotes clearly that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a true Messenger of Allah and he always was guided and led by divine revelation of His Lord Who knows everything in the universe and beyond. The medical properties of camel urine were discovered only in our modern time with the help of latest experimental instruments that were unavailable during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). In addition to that, the Prophet (peace be upon him) never suggested to eat the dung of the camel, as it had not possessed the same healing power that existed in the urine of the camel. If the prescription of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was not based on divine revelation, he was likely to prescribe camel dung for those sick people instead of its urine but he was never to mistake due to the constant guidance of Allah, the Almighty.

On the other hand, in Hinduism a cow has been regarded as the abode of all Hindu deities, its urine, its dung, its shadow even its feet have been regarded as auspicious. If we search for a logical and rational reason for this tradition in Hinduism, we cannot find any reason behind it, except that the Indian sub-continent had been invaded by Aryan people, who used all sorts of suppression and cruelty against the original inhabitants of India. Perhaps, some bigot invaders thought and invented in the name of religion a disgusting form of humiliation and propagated it among the people in order to diminish and disgrace them. Thus they spread among the people that cow is a divine deity and its dung and its urine are pure and purifier; their consumption gives a lot of spiritual and physical enhancement. Thus, people were attracted slowly to this inhuman norm.

Perhaps, if the people of that time would have been suggested to drink the urine of human being it was very possible to be followed by the masses, since the people followed their innovated damned caste system. The avocation of Aryans was only to exploit the religious zeal and spiritual thirst of the natives.  This point of view is supported by many evidences; there are many odd norms and strange practices in India that could not be found in any part of the globe and every simple person will hate such dirty rituals. Those practices are condemned and hated by plain common human sense, but Hindu devout practice them with extreme religious enthusiasm. For example; the worship of vulva (Yoni Puja), the worship of penis (Ling Puja), the worship of snake, the worship of elephant (Ganesh), the worship of monkey (Hanuman), the worship of river (Ganga Jamuna), the worship of totally naked saints (Naga Babas), the tradition of burning a helpless widow alive on the pyre of her dead husband (Sati), the norm of Niyog or the permission of adultery for a childless wife with her brother in-law or with a strange person to have a child and this act has been regarded as a meritorious act. Such types of doctrine, norms and religious rituals may not be found in any divine religion of the world. An ordinary man can judge that these acts defy the pure nature and common taste of human being. They are the results of Satan’s temptations and misguidance, or they were innovated by the Aryans to retaliate from the original Indian people in a covered manner. But over the time, this practice became widespread in Indian society.

As for the origin of Aryans, the DNA test has confirmed clearly that Aryans and the people of the Soviet Union Federation both belong to the same origin that means that Aryans are invaders on the territory of India as was stated in an extensive report.⁽³⁾

These words intend only to awaken the minds and thoughts of the deviated humanity to rescue them from their harmful practices and norms that damage their spiritual and physical life and lead to negative results in this world and the Hereafter. Anyhow, it has become clear that Muslims never regard camels as a god, while Hindus regard cows a divine creature. And there is no similarity between Islam and Hinduism in the issue of camel urine and cow urine.

May Allah guide us all to the right path.

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(1) Times of India, Congress ‘purifies’ yatra route with cow urine Sudhir Vyas, TNN Sep 16, 2002.

(2) http://nspnews.in/details.php?id=3092&. (Last accessed on 16-11-2013.)

(3) See: Times of India, 21 May 2001.

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