Bad Influence

 

Dr. Zakir Naik - Islamic Media's most Popular Comparative Religious Speaker

 

 

Probably the most impactful faith speaker of all time, Dr. Zakir Naik is world famous for unleashing a vast array of references from the top of his head, in order to crush religious "misconceptions" about virtually all of the world religions. 

 

Many, including the live audiences are impressed at his amazing ability, which is supported by on-screen references with the implication that the viewers watching the broadcast on Islam channel or PeaceTv for example, can easily and readily check them to find he is telling the Truth. He even tells them to read the english (scholarly) translations.

 

In my video 'Hinduism and Idol Worship', (see 'action' section), Zakir Naik quotes 7:20 and 7:21 of A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's Bhagavad Gita. Getting verse 21's translation wrong, he claims that the context of the verses declares "Idol worship" is for those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires going to the "false" gods. 

He asks the Hindu girl in the video to read the translation of the Bhagavad Gita.

 

I provided three world renown translations of the text to convey Naik's deception.

 

Verses 20-23 of Prabhupada's translation actually states:

 

 

20- "Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures".

 

 

21- "I am in everyone's heart as the Supersoul. As soon as one desires to worship some demigod, I make his faith steady so that he can devote himself to that particular deity".

 

 

22- "Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone."

 

 

 

23- "Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet."

 

 

 

 

Conclusion: Aside from the reference mistake on verse 21, which I can understand, Zakir Naik fabricated the words "false god" and "idol". He implied that the devatas and the murtis/idols Hindus worship and use were wrong, when in actual fact, they were approved but decribed as lower to surrendering without material desire to... LORD KRISHNA. 

 

Bhaktivedanta Swami prabhupada can be googled or youtubed online. He is the founder of the Hare Krishna movement and has always taught God is Krishna, who incarnated 5000 years ago, and who was speaking the Bhagavad Gita. Note at verse 22 (not in my video) Krishna says He alone gives what the devotees ask for from other Gods. 

 

Later at 18:65 Krishna asks Arjuna to become His devotee and worship Him.

 

"Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend."

 

                               - Lord Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, 18:65 (Prabhupada translation).

 

 

In Chapter 11, Krishna reveals Himself as a Universal Godly form with an array of faces, helmets, gods etc. 

 

"All the hosts of demigods are surrendering before You and entering into You. Some of them, very much afraid, are offering prayers with folded hands. Hosts of great sages and perfected beings, crying "All peace!" are praying to You by singing the Vedic hymns."

 

- Arjuna, Bhagavad Gita, 11:21 (Prabhupada translation).

 

 

 

Only Four Speakers in the Whole Bhagavad Gita:

 

King Dritrastra, Sanjaya, Lord Krishna and Arjuna only spoke in the Bhagavad Gita, one can only conclude that using Zakir Naik's reading of those verses from that translation leads the Muslims to believe Lord Krishna is God.

 

Thus Zakir made either an immense fabrication up or a gigantic error in claiming the devatas or Gods were FALSE and that idol worship was NOT permitted in Hinduism.

Using and relying on Prabhupada's translation was the worse possible thing to do.

 

 

Moreover, it gets WORSE - Bhaktivedanta is famous for translating the Srimad Bhagavatam or Bhagavad Purana, containing the Life of Lord Krishna. At Canto 11, Chapter 27, Verse 12, it is translated by Prabhupada:

 

 "The Deity form of the Lord is said to appear in eight varieties — stone, wood, metal, earth, paint, sand, the mind or jewels".

 

 

The entire context of this section is related to how one can worship and approach God.  (see vedabase.net - contains majority of Prabhupada's works)

 

If that is not enough to prove idol worship is taken out of context in the Gita and is actually fine, in my video I provide Sir Edwin Arnold and W.J Johnson's translation of the Bhagavad Gita on Verses 20,21 and 23, which expose Dr. Zakir Naik further. You can check these yourself online. 

 

Final Conclusion:  

 

Zakir Naik is WRONG and completely deceitful on the context and authority of Hindu Gods and Idol worship in Sanatana Dharma. He should publicy apologize but he won't. His desire is to convert everyone to Islam at any cost. He is using freedom of speech after all. However one thing I notice amongst a large number of Islamic speakers in particular is that they use their freedom of speech to lie, deceive and divide communities using FALSEHOOD, rather than tell the Truth so that people can actually come to Islam informed if they want to rather than be bullied or tricked into it.

 

Note: Whilst Prabhupada has been criticised for translating Vedic works by various scholars, it still presents a major problem for Zakir Naik. Prabhupada is criticised of giving a far more pro-Gaudiya Vashnava spin on vedic texts, promoting Caitanya Mahaprabhua, the 15th Century Saint's teachings and reading them into the Hindu texts. This approach however solidies Prabhupada's stance that God is Krishna and He is the Supreme Personality of God. Relying on Prabhupada's translation in condemning idol worship and the falsehood of the Hindu gods is a massive mistake and/or deception.

Naik is even more wrong.