A Hindu is born as a Hindu and cannot be a convert from any other religion. A Hindu is born as Hindu in Hindustan (India) alone and adopts and practices its rites, culture, tradition, customs, usages etc. though may have any religion of his choice. Is Hinduism a religion or a culture, tradition, custom, tenets, usage and rites? All the well known Hindu saints and scholars are very clear and unambiguous on this issue. None claimed Hinduism as a religion.
Chapter XVIII Verses 40-45 of the holy book Bhagwath Geeta shows four categories among Hindus: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya & Shudra, upon which a Hindu is born by nature. Each category is created for its specific job. There are hundreds of castes in Hinduism, each believing differently. A Hindu cannot change his caste or category and they are unchangeable. Many a times Indian Supreme Court and different High Courts of Indian States had occasion to accept this caste system among Hindus. One cannot change his category or caste. His prayer and worship is the job of his caste in which he is born by nature. He & his offspring will have to remain in that category and caste only. All the Indian laws define a Hindu as a person who is not a Jew, Christian, Muslim or Parsi. It is immaterial what he believes or practices. No other requirements are prescribed to be & to remain a Hindu. The Central & State Governments provide certain facilities, reservations in jobs & educational institutions, free constructed houses, house sites, agricultural lands, subsidies / loans etc. to certain Hindu castes and tribes citizens, recognized as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Castes (SCs, STs & BCs); as long as they remain Hindu; but withdraws all such facilities upon their conversion to Islam / Christianity. Many would have changed their caste to SCs, STs or BCs if it was changeable, to avail the benefits given to those castes, but it is quite unchangeable at any cost, such as one cannot change his birth date/place or mother/father etc.
Unaware of the basic and root teachings of Hinduism as are described in Bhagwath Geeta and many authentic Hindu versions, some modern people claim that castes are man made and can be changed/converted. A Hindu will be out of his caste when he embraces a religion (Christianity or Islam) but as long as he is Hindu he will remain in his own caste.
Verses 40-47 Chapter-18 of The Holy Bhagavad Gita are translated below:
There is no being existing on the Earth, in the celestial spheres or in any universal planetary system which is free from the influence of these three modes of born of material nature. O Arjuna, the activities of the brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras are clearly divided according to the qualities born of their own nature. The actions of a brahmana arising from his own nature are serenity, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge of the Vadas, wisdom and firm faith. The actions of a Ksatriya born of his own nature are heroism, exuberance, determination, resourcefulness, without trace of cowardice in battle, generosity and leadership. The actions of a vaisya born of his own nature are agriculture, cow protection and trade, also the actions of a sudra born of his own nature consists in service to brahmanas, ksatriyas and vaisyas. Following each his own activity, a man achieves finally perfection, now hear how he performer of action prescribed according to qualification attains perfection. From whom is the existence of all living entities, by whom all this is pervaded, through worshipping Him, by ones own actions prescribed according to qualification a man achieves perfection. Ones righteous duty imperfectly done is better than another’s duty done perfectly; by performing actions predicated according to ones own nature sinful one does not incur sinful reactions. Actions prescribed according to ones nature must not be given up. O Arjuna, even if defective; since all endeavors are covered with defects as fire is covered by smoke.
There is no casteism in Islam. It said all human beings are offspring of same couple Adam & Eve and hence brothers/sisters, believers in Islam or not.Muslims firmly believe and strictly practice the teachings/commands of their holy book Quran & their Prophet, which is their Code of Life at all times/places. They have the written, clear and unambiguous teachings to guide righteous or wrongs, pious or evil, fair or unfair, etc. They follow them blindly in matters of responsibilities, liabilities, rights, daily life, marriage, private & public relation, business, trade, earning & spending, etc. etc. Anybody may read, satisfy, accept and practice it.
2007-02-15 21:30:39
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answer #6
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answered by Anonymous
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