Dhul-Kifl, or Zul-Kifl, (Arabic: ذو الكفل ; Possessor of a Fold) (ca. 1600?–1400? BCE), is an Islamic prophet who has been identified with various Hebrew Bible prophets, most commonly Ezekiel.[1] It is believed that he lived for roughly 75 years and that he preached in what is modern day Iraq. Dhul-Kifl is believed to have been exalted by God to a high station in life and is chronicled in the Qur'an as a man of the "Company of the Good.[2] Although not much is known of Dhul-Kifl from other historical sources, all the writings from classical commentators, such as Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Kathir, speak of Dhul-Kifl as a prophetic, saintly man who remained faithful in daily prayer and worship.[3]
Dhul-Kifl in the Qur'an[edit]
In both cases, Dhū'l-Kifl is mentioned in the context of a list of Qur'anic prophets, including many others not mentioned in the ayat quoted above.
Etymology[edit]
The name Dhul Kifl literally means "the one with a kifl", using a type of name where dhū ("possessor of") precedes some characteristically associated feature.[6] Such names were used of other notable figures in the Qur'an, for example Dhū'l-Nūn "the one with the fish", referring to Jonah, and Dhū'l-Qarnayn "he of the two horns", referring to Cyrus the Great. Kifl is an archaic Arabic word meaning "double" or "duplicate", from a root meaning "to double" or "to fold"; it was also used for a fold of cloth. The name is generally understood to mean "one of a double portion". Some scholars have suggested that the name means "the man with the double recompense" or rather "the man who received recompense twice over",[7] that is to say that it is a title for Job, as his family was returned to him according to the Qur'an and the Book of Job.[8]
Dhul-Qarnayn (Arabic: ذو القرنين ḏū al-qarnayn, IPA: [ðuːlqarˈnajn]), literally "the possessor of two horns"[1][2] is a figure mentioned in the Quran, the sacred scripture ofIslam, where he is described as a great and righteous ruler who built the wall that keeps Gog and Magog from attacking the people whom he met on his journey to the east (i.e., the rising of the sun).
The identification of Dhul-Qarnayn in historical context is not clear, and therefore this subject has generated various theories. In modern scholarship the character is usually identified as Alexander the Great,[2][3][4] who is ascribed similar adventures in the Alexander romance.[5] The same opinion is held in traditional Islamic scholarship.[6] On the other hand, a minority of scholars identify the character as Cyrus the Great.[7] Some modern scholars also identify the characteras Byzantine emperor Heraclius, who was celebrated by his contemporaries as a "second Alexander" and whose Persian campaign had inspired the Alexander romance
Identifications[edit]
Ezekiel[edit]
Some are of the opinion that Dhul Kifl could be Ezekiel. When the exile, monarchy, and state were annihilated, a political and national life was no longer possible. In the absence of a worldly foundation it became necessary to build a spiritual one and Ezekiel performed this mission by observing the signs of the time and deducing his doctrines from them. In conformity with the two parts of his book, his personality and his preaching are alike twofold, and the title Dhul Kifl means "the one to double" or "to fold".
Abdullah Yusuf Ali, in his Qur'anic commentary says:
Al Kifl (Arabic: بن الكفل; ibn ul-Kifl) is a town in southeastern Iraq on the Euphrates River, between Najaf and Al Hillah. Variant names for the shrine within Al Kifl are: Dhu'l Kifl Shrine, Marqad Dhu'l Kifl, Qubbat Dhu'l Kifl, Qabr al-Nabi Dhu al-Kifl, Dhu al-Kifl Shrine, Zul Kifl Shrine, Qabr Hazqiyal, Hazqiyal Shrine. Hazqiyal is the Arabic transliteration of the Hebrew Y'hezqel, which was mostly utilized by Sephardi Jews after they adopted Arabic. This indicates that the Jews equated Ezekiel and Dhul-Kifl, and Muslim exegetes followed suit. The Iraqi authorities assert that in 1316 (715-16 AH) the Ilkhanid Sultan Uljaitu acquired the rights of guardianship over the tomb from the Jewish community. Consequently, the shrine was renamed according to the Islamic nomenclature for the same prophet. Sultan Uljaitu added to the structure by building a mosque and a minaret. As well he restored the shrine implementing some alterations made clear by comparing its present state with pre-Ilkhanid travelers' descriptions. The site remained a Muslim pilgrimage place until the beginning of the nineteenth century when Menahim Ibn Danyal, a wealthy Jew, successfully converted it back to a Jewish site and restored it. The minaret remained as the only witness to its tenure as an Islamic site. Although the mosque and minaret were built in the 14th-century, the antiquity of the shrine and grave cannot be determined.[12]
Others[edit]
Although the identification with Ezekiel is the most commonly held, it is to be noted that Dhul-Kifl has also been identified variously with Joshua, Obadiah, and Isaiah.[citation needed]
Mirza Tahir Ahmad, the Fourth Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, identifies Dhul-Kifl with the Buddha: Dhul-Kifl in this interpretation meaning "of Kapeel".[13]
Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, is also venerated as a manifestation of God in Hinduism, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and the Bahá'í faith. Some Hindu texts regard Buddha, that he was an avatar of the god Vishnu, who came to Earth to delude beings away from the Vedic religion.[1] The Buddha is also regarded as a prophet by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community[2][3] and a Manifestation of God in the Bahá'ífaith.[4]
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[hide]Hinduism[edit]
Main article: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism
Gautama Buddha is mentioned as an Avatar of Vishnu in the Puranic texts of Hinduism.[5] In the Bhagavata Purana he is twenty fourth of twenty five avatars, prefiguring a forthcoming final incarnation. A number of Hindu traditions portray Buddha as the most recent of ten principal avatars, known as the Dashavatara (Ten Incarnations of God).
Siddhartha Gautama's teachings deny the authority of the Vedas and consequently [at least atheistic] Buddhism is generally viewed as a nāstika school (heterodox, literally "It is not so"[6]) from the perspective of orthodox Hinduism.
However, while he was against the authority of the Vedas, he might not have been against the Vedas themselves. Buddhist scholar Walpola Rahula wrote that the Buddha was trying to shed light on the true meaning of the Vedas. Buddha is said to be a knower of the Veda (vedajña) or of the Vedanta (vedântajña) (Sa.myutta, i. 168) and (Sutta Nipâta, 463).
Many of the eighteen orthodox Puranas mention the Buddha in a less favouring light. They present the birth of the Buddha as a ploy by the Supreme God Vishnu to corrupt demons and sway them from Vedic teachings. Only by leading them astray with his teachings could the demons be destroyed. This belief is sometimes associated with the Asuras of Tripura (the three citadels) as well as others. Literature from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, on the other hand, maintains that Krishna took the appearance of an atheistic teacher out of benevolence, in order to trick atheists into worshipping God (i.e., himself).
Taoism, Confucianism and Shinto[edit]
Main article: Buddhism and Eastern teaching
In Japan, since one of the symbols of Dainichi Nyorai (one of the non-historical buddhas of Mahayana Buddhism) was the sun, many equated Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, with a previous reincarnation (bodhisattva) of Dainichi Nyorai.
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community[edit]
Mirza Tahir Ahmad, the Fourth Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, in his book Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth, argues that Buddha was indeed a prophet of God who preached Monotheism. He quotes from the inscriptions on Ashoka's stupas which mention "Isa'na" which means God. He quotes, "'Thus spake Devanampiya Piyadasi: "Wherefore from this very hour, I have caused religious discourses to be preached, I have appointed religious observances that mankind, having listened thereto, shall be brought to follow in the right path, and give glory to God* (Is'ana)."[8] The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, holds the view that the Buddha was indeed a Prophet of God.
Mirza Tahir Ahmad has also stated that the Qur'anic figure called Dhul-Kifl may have been the Buddha in his book "An Elementary Study of Islam."[9]
In fact, a verse in the Qur'an quotes that God has sent many prophets to thee (Humanity).However, only a few have been named. It is believed by some that Buddha may (or may not) have been a Prophet of God sent to his people who taught Monotheism.
Christianity[edit]
Main article: Buddhism and Christianity
The Greek legend of "Barlaam and Ioasaph", sometimes mistakenly attributed to the 7th century John of Damascus but actually written by the Georgian monk Euthymius in the 11th century, was ultimately derived, through a variety of intermediate versions (Arabic and Georgian) from the life story of the Buddha. The king-turned-monk Ioasaph (Georgian Iodasaph, Arabic Yūdhasaf or Būdhasaf: Arabic "b" could become "y" byduplication of a dot in handwriting) ultimately derives his name from the Sanskrit Bodhisattva, the name used in Buddhist accounts for Gautama before he became a Buddha.[10][11] Barlaam and Ioasaph were placed in the Greek Orthodox calendar of saints on 26 August, and in the West they were entered as "Barlaam and Josaphat" in the Roman Martyrology on the date of 27 November.
Judaism[edit]
The story was translated into Hebrew in the 13th century by Abraham Ibn Chisdai (or Hasdai) as "Ben-Hamelekh Vehanazir" ("The Prince and the Nazirite").[citation needed]
Bahá'í Faith[edit]
In the Bahá'í Faith, Buddha is classified as one of the Manifestations of God which is a title for a major prophet in the Bahá'í Faith.[12] Similarly, the Prophet of the Bahá'í Faith, Bahá'u'lláh, is believed by Bahá'ís to be the Fifth Buddha, among other prophetic stations.[13]
Barlaam and Josaphat is a legendary tale of two early Christian martyrs and saints, based ultimately on the life of the Buddha.[1] It tells how an Indian king persecuted the Christian Church in his realm. When astrologers predicted that his own son would some day become a Christian, the king imprisoned the young prince Josaphat, who nevertheless met the hermit Saint Barlaam and converted to Christianity. After much tribulation the young prince's father accepted the true faith, turned over his throne to Josaphat, and retired to the desert to become a hermit. Josaphat himself later abdicated and went into seclusion with his old teacher Barlaam.[2]
The tale can be traced from a 2nd to 4th century Sanskrit Mahayana Buddhist text, to a Manichee version, to the Arabic Kitab Bilawhar wa-Yudasaf (Book of Bilawhar and Yudasaf), current in Baghdad in the 8th century, from where it entered into Middle Eastern Christian circles before appearing in European versions. In the Middle Ages the two were treated as Christian saints, being entered in the Greek Orthodox calendar on 26 August,[3] and in the Roman Martyrology in the Western Church as "Barlaam and Josaphat" on the date of 27 November.[4]
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Buddhist original[edit]
The story of the two Indian saints was ultimately derived, through a variety of intermediate versions (Arabic and Georgian), from the life story of the Buddha.[5][4] Wilfred Cantwell Smith (1981) traced the story from a 2nd to 4th century Sanskrit Mahayana Buddhist text, to a Manichee version, which then found its way into Muslim culture as the Arabic Kitab Bilawhar wa-Yudasaf (Book of Bilawhar and Yudasaf), which was current in Baghdad in the 8th century.[6]
Transmission to Europe[edit]
The Bilauhar u Buddsaf story was translated into Pahlavi during the Sasanian period, and into Arabic in the Islamic era.[7] This is not a strict translation of the Sanskrit Buddhacarita (Life of Buddha) but a collection of legends.[8] The Arabic version is Balauhar wa Budasaf, in 8th Century and 10th Century versions.[9][10][11]
Arabic[edit]
- Al-Masudi (d.965) The Meadows of Gold is the classic reference point for the legend.[19] Al-Masudi is contemporary with Al-Tawhidi (922-1023) recounting the Buddhist story of the blind men describing an elephant according to their sense of touch.[20]
Daniel Gimaret (Kitāb Bilawhar wa Bûd̲âsf 1971) defines ten principal sources:
- The Halle-Taymuriyya manuscript; an abbreviated account of a severed manuscript, the first part is at Halle, the end in the Taymuriyya library in Cairo
- The Qasida of Aban al-Lahiqi - Ibn al-Nadim (d.998) mentions the story in his Al-Fihrist (The Catalogue), and states that Aban al Lahiqi (d.816) rendered it into Arabic verse.[21]
- Rasa'il Ihwan as-Safa - The Brethren of Purity's Rasail Ikhwan al-Safa (c.960) refers to Balauhar's conversation with Budasaf, given in the form of Yuzasaf,[22] verified by D. M. Lang.[23][24] Yuzasaf occurs as a spelling in the Rasail Ikhwan al-Saja of the Brethren of Purity and other sources.[25]
- Ibn Babuya (d.991) adapted it in his Kamal ud Din. The version was printed by lithography in Tehran in 1883 where the name Būdāsaf appears as Yūdāsaf; though it was incorrectly cited as Yūzāsaf by Ghulam Ahmad in support of his Urdu work Jesus in India (1899).[26]
- The adab of Buzurgmihr[27][28][29]
- Kitab Bilawhar wa Budasf - the complete but late version.
Sogdian, Turfan, Uyghur[edit]
One example of Bilauhar and Bfidisaf is written in the Turfan dialect of the Uyghur language in the 10th century.[30]
Hebrew[edit]
- The Hebrew version of Ibn Hasdai[31]
Persian[edit]
The legend of Balauhar and Budasaf appears in Persian texts as Bilawhar wa Yudhâsâf in Muhammad Baqir Majlesi (1616–1698) Ayn al-Hayat.[32][33]
- Persian paraphrase of Nizam ad-din Sami
- Ain-ul-Hayat of Ibn-i-Muhammad Hade Muhammad Imail, Allamah Majlisi (1616–1698)
- Waqiat-i-Kashmir of Muhammed Azam Dedamari (1747)
- Qisa Shazada Yuzasaph wo hakim Balauhar (anonymous Urdu text 18thC)
Confusion of Kushinara and Kashmir[edit]
Lang (1960) notes that the connection of the Buddhist Yuzasaf with Kashmir in part results from a printing error in the Bombay Arabic edition referencing the legend of the Wisdom of Balahvar which makes its hero prince Yuzasaf die in "Kashmir" (Arabic: كشمير) by confusion with Kushinara (Pali: كوشينر), the traditional place of the original Buddha's death.[34][35] The disassociation of Yudasaf with the Hindu town of Kashinara and association with Kashmir is found in several local Kashmiri histories from the 17th Century onwards, leading to traditions associated with the Roza Bal shrine in Srinagar.
As Lang notes, the Bombay Arabic printing and the English translation of Ibn Babawayah also have "Kashmir" for "Kashinara":[36][37]
Saulabath in Ibn Babawayah's text is correctly Kapilavastu.[38] In Buddhist versions the funeral pyre of the Lord Buddha Gautama could not be made to burn until Kashyapa arrived seven days late.[39]
Identification of Yuzasaf with Jesus[edit]
Main article: Jesus in Ahmadiyya Islam
In 1895 the founder of Ahmadiyya Islam, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad made the first identification of the local Kashmiri Josaphat tradition with Jesus of Nazareth, publishing this claim in Masih Hindustan-mein (Urdu 1899, English translation Jesus in India 1978).[40]
Paul C. Pappas states that from a historical perspective, this identification of Yuzasaf relies on legends and documents which include clear historical errors (e.g. Gondophares' reign) and that "it is almost impossible to identify Yuz Asaf with Jesus".[41]
Christian version[edit]
The story of Barlaam and Josaphat or Joasaph is a Christianized and later version of the story of Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha.[5] In the Middle Ages the two were treated as Christian saints, being entered in the Greek Orthodox calendar on 26 August,[3] and in the Roman Martyrology in the Western Church as "Barlaam and Josaphat" on the date of 27 November.[4] In the Slavic tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church, these two are commemorated on 19 November (corresponding to 2 December on the Gregorian calendar).[42][43]
According to the legend, King Abenner or Avenier in India persecuted the Christian Church in his realm, founded by the Apostle Thomas. When astrologers predicted that his own son would some day become a Christian, Abenner had the young prince Josaphat isolated from external contact. Despite the imprisonment, Josaphat met the hermit Saint Barlaam and converted to Christianity. Josaphat kept his faith even in the face of his father's anger and persuasion. Eventually Abenner converted, turned over his throne to Josaphat, and retired to the desert to become a hermit. Josaphat himself later abdicated and went into seclusion with his old teacher Barlaam.[44]
Name[edit]
Ioasaph (Georgian Iodasaph, Arabic Yūdhasaf or Būdhasaf) is derived from the Sanskrit Bodhisattva.[5][4][45] The Sanskrit word was changed to Bodisav in Persian texts in the 6th or 7th century, then to Budhasaf or Yudasaf in an 8th-century Arabic document (possibly Arabic initial "b" ﺑ changed to "y" ﻳ by duplication of a dot in handwriting).[46] This became Iodasaph in Georgia in the 10th century, and that name was adapted as Ioasaph in Greece in the 11th century, and then as Iosaphat or Josaphat in Latin.[24]
The legend[edit]
The Greek legend of "Barlaam and Ioasaph" is sometimes attributed to the 7th century John of Damascus, but Conybeare argued it was transcribed by the Georgian monk Euthymius in the 11th century.[47] The first Christianized adaptation was the Georgian epic Balavariani dating back to the 10th century. A Georgian monk, Euthymios of Athos, translated the story into Greek, some time before he was killed while visitingConstantinople in 1028. There the Greek adaptation was translated into Latin in 1048 and soon became well known in Western Europe as Barlaam and Josaphat.[48]
The story of Barlaam and Josaphat was popular in the Middle Ages, appearing in such works as the Golden Legend, and a scene there involving three caskets eventually appeared, via Caxton's English translation of a Latin version, in Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice".[49]
Two Middle High German versions were produced: one, the "Laubacher Barlaam", by Bishop Otto II of Freising and another, Barlaam und Josaphat, a romance in verse, by Rudolf von Ems. The latter was described as "perhaps the flower of religious literary creativity in the German Middle Ages" by Heinrich Heine.[50]
The story of Josaphat was re-told as an exploration of free will and the seeking of inner peace through meditation in the 17th century.[citation needed]
Feast day[edit]
Although Barlaam and Josaphat were never formally canonized, they were included in earlier editions of the Roman Martyrology (feast day 27 November)[51] — though not in the Roman Missal — and in the Eastern Orthodox Church liturgical calendar (26 August in Greek tradition etc.[3] / 19 November in Russian tradition).[42][43]
Texts[edit]
There are a large number of different books in various languages, all dealing with the lives of Saints Barlaam and Josaphat in India. In this hagiographic tradition, the life and teachings of Josaphat have many parallels with those of the Buddha. "But not till the mid-nineteenth century was it recognised that, in Josaphat, the Buddha had been venerated as a Christian saint for about a thousand years."[52] The authorship of the work is disputed. The origins of the story seem to be a Central Asian manuscript written in the Manichaeantradition. This book was translated into Georgian and Arabic.
Greek manuscripts[edit]
The best-known version in Europe comes from a separate, but not wholly independent, source, written in Greek, and, although anonymous, attributed to a monk named John. It was only considerably later that the tradition arose that this was John of Damascus, but most scholars no longer accept this attribution. Instead much evidence points to Euthymius of Athos, a Georgian who died in 1028.[53]
The modern edition of the Greek text, from the 160 surviving variant manuscripts (2006), with introduction (German, 2009) is published as Volume 6 of the works of John the Damascene by the monks of the Abbey of Scheyern, edited by Robert Volk. It was included in the edition due to the traditional ascription, but marked "spuria" as the translator is the Georgian monk Euthymius the Hagiorite (ca. 955–1028) at Mount Athos and not John the Damascene of the monastery of Saint Sabas in the Judaean Desert. The 2009 introduction includes an overview[54]
English manuscripts[edit]
Among the mansuscripts in English, two of the most important are the British Museum MS Egerton 876 (the basis for Ikegami's book) and MS Peterhouse 257 (the basis for Hirsh's book) at the University of Cambridge. The book contains a tale similar to The Three Caskets found in the Gesta Romanorum and later in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.[53]
Editions[edit]
Arabic[edit]
- E. Rehatsek – The Book of the King's Son and the Ascetic – English translation (1888) based on the Halle Arabic manuscript
- Gimaret – Le livre de Bilawhar et Budasaf – French translation of Bombay Arabic manuscript
Georgian[edit]
- David Marshall Lang: The Balavariani: A Tale from the Christian East California University Press: Los Angeles, 1966. Translation of the long version Georgian work that probably served as a basis for the Greek text. Jerusalem MS140
- David Marshall Lang: Wisdom of Balahvar – the short Georgian version Jerusalem MS36, 1960
- The Balavariani (Georgian and Arabic ბალავარიანი, بلوریانی)
Greek[edit]
- Robert Volk, Die Schriften des Johannes von Damaskos VI/1: Historia animae utilis de Barlaam et Ioasaph (spuria). Patristische Texte und Studien Bd. 61. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2009. Pp. xlii, 596. ISBN 978-3-11-019462-3.
- Robert Volk, Die Schriften des Johannes von Damaskos VI/2: Historia animae utilis de Barlaam et Ioasaph (spuria). Text und zehn Appendices. Patristische Texte und Studien Bd. 60. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2006. Pp. xiv, 512. ISBN 978-3-11-018134-0.
- Boissonade – older edition of the Greek
- G.R. Woodward and H. Mattingly – older English translation of the Greek Online Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA, 1914
Latin[edit]
- Codex VIII B10, Naples
Ethiopic[edit]
- Baralâm and Yĕwâsĕf. Budge, E.A. Wallis. Baralam and Yewasef : the Ethiopic version of a Christianized recension of the Buddhist legend of the Buddha and the Bodhisattva. Published: London; New York: Kegan Paul; Biggleswade, UK: Distributed by Extenza-Turpin Distribution; New York: Distributed by Columbia University Press, 2004.
Old French[edit]
- Jean Sonet, Le roman de Barlaam et Josaphat (Namur, 1949–52) after Tours MS949
- Leonard Mills, after Vatican MS660
- Zotenberg and Meyer, after Gui de Cambrai MS1153
Catalan[edit]
- Gerhard Moldenhauer Vida de Barlan MS174
Provencal[edit]
- Ferdinand Heuckenkamp, version in langue d'Oc
- Jeanroy, Provençal version, after Heuckenkamp
- Nelli, Troubadours, after Heuckenkamp
- Occitan, BN1049
Italian[edit]
- G.B. Bottari, edition of various old Italian MS.
- Georg Maas, old Italian MS3383
Portuguese[edit]
- Hilário da Lourinhã. Vida do honorado Infante Josaphate, filho del Rey Avenir, versão de frei Hilário da Lourinhã: e a identificação, por Diogo do Couto (1542–1616), de Josaphate com o Buda. Introduction and notes by Margarida Corrêa de Lacerda. Lisboa: Junta de Investigações do Ultramar, 1963.
English[edit]
- Hirsh, John C. (editor). Barlam and Iosaphat: a Middle English life of Buddha. Edited from MS Peterhouse 257. London; New York: Published for the Early English Text Society by the Oxford University Press, 1986. ISBN 0-19-722292-7
- Ikegami, Keiko. Barlaam and Josaphat : a transcription of MS Egerton 876 with notes, glossary, and comparative study of the Middle English and Japanese versions, New York: AMS Press, 1999. ISBN 0-404-64161-X
- John Damascene, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb Classical Library). David M. Lang (introduction), G. R. Woodward (translator), Harold Mattingly (translator)· Publisher: Loeb Classical Library, W. Heinemann; 1967, 1914. ISBN 0-674-99038-2
- MacDonald, K.S. (editor). The story of Barlaam and Joasaph : Buddhism & Christianity. With philological introduction and notes to the Vernon, Harleian and Bodleian versions, by John Morrison. Calcutta: Thacker, Spink, 1895.
Tibetan[edit]
- Rgya Tch'er Rol Pa – ou: Développement des jeux, Philippe Édouard Foucaux (1811–1894) 1847. Lalitavistara
See also[edit]
See also[edit]
As-Salamu 'Alaykum brothers, I was searching online to see which prophet Ezekiel was in Islam, and if Buddha was a prophet. And I came across a lot of articles, Here are some of them:
MY WORDS ARE IN GREEN
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070713004817AA1ydrD
http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/study/islam/general/buddhist_islamic_view.html
This is what this article: (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070713004817AA1ydrD)
says that I found interesting:
"In the list of prophets who are specifically mentioned, there are certain names which do not seem to belong to the prophets of Israel. Many commentators therefore are inclined to believe that they are non-Arab prophets who are included in the list just for the sake of representation of the outer world. For instance, Dhul-Kifl is one name in the list of prophets which is unheard of in the Arab or Semitic references. Some scholars seem to have traced this name to Buddha, who was of Kapeel, which was the capital of a small state situated on the border of India and Nepal. Buddha not only belonged to Kapeel, but was many a time referred to as being 'Of Kapeel'. This is exactly what is meant by the word 'Dhul-Kifl'. It should be remembered that the consonant 'p' is not present in Arabic, and the nearest one to it is 'fa'. Hence, Kapeel transliterated into Arabic becomes Kifl."
While I was reading other sights about Buddha and Ezekiel, I heard some comments about this "Hadith" not being authentic or not existing:
There is a tradition reported from the Holy Prophet (sa) which speaks of an Indian prophet by name. In his words:
There was a prophet of God in India who was dark in colour and his name was Kahan
Continuing with the article:
"Now anyone acquainted with the history of Indian religions would immediately connect this description to Lord Krishna, who is invariably described in the Hindu literature as being dark of complexion. Also, the title Kanhaya is added to his name Krishna. Kanhaya contains the same consonants K,N,H as does the name Kahan -- in no way an insignificant similarity. But whether any non-Arab prophet was mentioned by name or not is only an academic discussion. There is no denying the fact that the Holy Quran makes it incumbent on every Muslim not only to believe in all the prophets, but it also clearly informs us that in every region of the world and in every age, God did raise messengers and prophets."
Here is the second article:
http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/study/islam/general/buddhist_islamic_view.html
References to Buddha in the Quran
"The mid-twentieth century scholar, Hamid Abdul Qadir, in his Buddha the Great: His Life and Philosophy (Arabic: Budha al-Akbar Hayatoh wa Falsaftoh), postulates that the Prophet Dhu’l-Kifl, meaning “the one from Kifl,†mentioned twice in the Quran (Al-Anbiya 85 and Sad 48) as patient and good, refers to Shakyamuni Buddha. Although most scholars identify Dhu'l-Kifl with the Prophet Ezekiel, Qadir explains that “Kifl†is the Arabicized form of Kapila, short for Kapilavastu. He also proposes that the Qur’anic mention of the fig tree (At-Tin 1-5) refers to Buddha as well, since he attained to enlightenment at the foot of one. Some scholars accept this theory and, as support for this position, point out that the eleventh-century Muslim historian of India, al-Biruni, referred to Buddha as a Prophet. Others dismiss this last piece of evidence and explain that al-Biruni was merely describing that people in India regarded Buddha as a prophet. "
"Some scholars associate the prophesied future Buddha Maitreya, the Loving or Merciful One, with the Prophet Muhammad as the servant of the Merciful One. Although the truths that Buddha realized under the fig tree are not described as revelation, later great Buddhist masters have received revelations of sacred texts, such as Asanga in fourth century India directly from Maitreya in Tubada, the Heaven Filled with Joy."
I just wanted you brothers to look at this article, I just read some of it right now, literally:
http://www.islamawareness.net/Buddhism/buddhist.html
I didn't read all of it, I rather "skimmed" through it if you will. And while I was typing this sentence, I was thinking to myself: "Subhan'Allah Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)'s
Name is mentioned in almost every religious book," I mean is this a coincidence? (Suppose I was asking a non-believer) No, Allahu Akbar!
I also want you brothers to look at this:
http://www.ensignmessage.com/buddha.html
"It was from the region of Media that the "wise men" came to Bethlehem at the time of the birth of our Lord (Budh, in some oriental languages meaning "wise ") probably descendants of some of these Israelites who had been taught by "Buzi the Wise."
"Buzi, the Aaronite, with the prophetic eye, saw disaster rapidly approaching for the unfaithful House of Judah, and a like punishment to that which had overtaken the House of Israel,100 years earlier, when the King of Assyria had carried them captive in the reign of Hoshea and placed them in " the cities of the Medes" (II Kings XVII). During a revolt in Assyria the Israelite captives made their escape and, for the most part, turned south-east to the shores of the Caspian Sea. These tidings having reached Buzi his missionary spirit was aroused to go forth to these escaped captives, his kinsfolk. Taking with him five disciples, probably trained in the schools of the prophets, Buzi came to these outcast Israelites with a message of hope and forgiveness; he would make a supreme effort to turn them from idolatry to the worship of the one true God. As he journeyed towards their camping places his name Buzi became Buddha; this change is easily understood when we realise that in the Semitic languages the "Z" and "D" sounds are related, e.g., in Hebrew Zahab and Dahab both mean "gold" and so Buddha would be a natural alternative for Buzi. It is then as Buddha that we first hear of Buzi, the father of Ezekiel, between Media and the Caspian Sea and his followers as Budii."
So I just wanted to know your thoughts brother on this information.
Personally, I would like to believe that Buddha was a Prophet of Allah Almighty, but I feel the same about Ezekiel.
But I think Dhul-Kifl (PBUH) could be both. His name in English: Ezekiel and in Hindi: Buddah. I think it's Hindi
Jazakum'Allah Khair brothers.
MY WORDS ARE IN GREEN
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070713004817AA1ydrD
http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/study/islam/general/buddhist_islamic_view.html
This is what this article: (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070713004817AA1ydrD)
says that I found interesting:
"In the list of prophets who are specifically mentioned, there are certain names which do not seem to belong to the prophets of Israel. Many commentators therefore are inclined to believe that they are non-Arab prophets who are included in the list just for the sake of representation of the outer world. For instance, Dhul-Kifl is one name in the list of prophets which is unheard of in the Arab or Semitic references. Some scholars seem to have traced this name to Buddha, who was of Kapeel, which was the capital of a small state situated on the border of India and Nepal. Buddha not only belonged to Kapeel, but was many a time referred to as being 'Of Kapeel'. This is exactly what is meant by the word 'Dhul-Kifl'. It should be remembered that the consonant 'p' is not present in Arabic, and the nearest one to it is 'fa'. Hence, Kapeel transliterated into Arabic becomes Kifl."
While I was reading other sights about Buddha and Ezekiel, I heard some comments about this "Hadith" not being authentic or not existing:
There is a tradition reported from the Holy Prophet (sa) which speaks of an Indian prophet by name. In his words:
There was a prophet of God in India who was dark in colour and his name was Kahan
Continuing with the article:
"Now anyone acquainted with the history of Indian religions would immediately connect this description to Lord Krishna, who is invariably described in the Hindu literature as being dark of complexion. Also, the title Kanhaya is added to his name Krishna. Kanhaya contains the same consonants K,N,H as does the name Kahan -- in no way an insignificant similarity. But whether any non-Arab prophet was mentioned by name or not is only an academic discussion. There is no denying the fact that the Holy Quran makes it incumbent on every Muslim not only to believe in all the prophets, but it also clearly informs us that in every region of the world and in every age, God did raise messengers and prophets."
Here is the second article:
http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/study/islam/general/buddhist_islamic_view.html
References to Buddha in the Quran
"The mid-twentieth century scholar, Hamid Abdul Qadir, in his Buddha the Great: His Life and Philosophy (Arabic: Budha al-Akbar Hayatoh wa Falsaftoh), postulates that the Prophet Dhu’l-Kifl, meaning “the one from Kifl,†mentioned twice in the Quran (Al-Anbiya 85 and Sad 48) as patient and good, refers to Shakyamuni Buddha. Although most scholars identify Dhu'l-Kifl with the Prophet Ezekiel, Qadir explains that “Kifl†is the Arabicized form of Kapila, short for Kapilavastu. He also proposes that the Qur’anic mention of the fig tree (At-Tin 1-5) refers to Buddha as well, since he attained to enlightenment at the foot of one. Some scholars accept this theory and, as support for this position, point out that the eleventh-century Muslim historian of India, al-Biruni, referred to Buddha as a Prophet. Others dismiss this last piece of evidence and explain that al-Biruni was merely describing that people in India regarded Buddha as a prophet. "
"Some scholars associate the prophesied future Buddha Maitreya, the Loving or Merciful One, with the Prophet Muhammad as the servant of the Merciful One. Although the truths that Buddha realized under the fig tree are not described as revelation, later great Buddhist masters have received revelations of sacred texts, such as Asanga in fourth century India directly from Maitreya in Tubada, the Heaven Filled with Joy."
I just wanted you brothers to look at this article, I just read some of it right now, literally:
http://www.islamawareness.net/Buddhism/buddhist.html
I didn't read all of it, I rather "skimmed" through it if you will. And while I was typing this sentence, I was thinking to myself: "Subhan'Allah Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)'s
Name is mentioned in almost every religious book," I mean is this a coincidence? (Suppose I was asking a non-believer) No, Allahu Akbar!
I also want you brothers to look at this:
http://www.ensignmessage.com/buddha.html
"It was from the region of Media that the "wise men" came to Bethlehem at the time of the birth of our Lord (Budh, in some oriental languages meaning "wise ") probably descendants of some of these Israelites who had been taught by "Buzi the Wise."
"Buzi, the Aaronite, with the prophetic eye, saw disaster rapidly approaching for the unfaithful House of Judah, and a like punishment to that which had overtaken the House of Israel,100 years earlier, when the King of Assyria had carried them captive in the reign of Hoshea and placed them in " the cities of the Medes" (II Kings XVII). During a revolt in Assyria the Israelite captives made their escape and, for the most part, turned south-east to the shores of the Caspian Sea. These tidings having reached Buzi his missionary spirit was aroused to go forth to these escaped captives, his kinsfolk. Taking with him five disciples, probably trained in the schools of the prophets, Buzi came to these outcast Israelites with a message of hope and forgiveness; he would make a supreme effort to turn them from idolatry to the worship of the one true God. As he journeyed towards their camping places his name Buzi became Buddha; this change is easily understood when we realise that in the Semitic languages the "Z" and "D" sounds are related, e.g., in Hebrew Zahab and Dahab both mean "gold" and so Buddha would be a natural alternative for Buzi. It is then as Buddha that we first hear of Buzi, the father of Ezekiel, between Media and the Caspian Sea and his followers as Budii."
So I just wanted to know your thoughts brother on this information.
Personally, I would like to believe that Buddha was a Prophet of Allah Almighty, but I feel the same about Ezekiel.
But I think Dhul-Kifl (PBUH) could be both. His name in English: Ezekiel and in Hindi: Buddah. I think it's Hindi
Jazakum'Allah Khair brothers.
« Last Edit: February 06, 2013, 05:21:37 pm by Tariq Judeh »
Logged
DrShaFi
- Sr. Member
No. Buddha was not a prophet or a messenger and anyone who believes that he is, has committed kufr. He is not mentioned in the quran or in and of the prophets sayings. He is an atheist. As for the philosophers, they r philosophers. They dont judge according to quran but rather they judge according to their own opinion.
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zulfiqarchucknorris
- Hero Member
It is a theory.
And remember, there are MANY prophet's not mentioned in the Quran.
Buddha did teach the Golden Rule, peace, among many other things.
And remember, there are MANY prophet's not mentioned in the Quran.
Buddha did teach the Golden Rule, peace, among many other things.
« Last Edit: February 11, 2013, 12:27:12 pm by zulfiqarchucknorris »
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There is only one God
- Hero Member
Krishna comes from "Krestus" which means the anointed one, Christians use the title for Jesus (PBUH). There are many parallels between Krishna and Jesus.
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Mujahid Saifullah
- Hero Member
There are many Buddhas too. A Buddha is only a man; a preacher. One could consider any prophet a Buddha, or any Buddha a prophet. The only real issue is the absence of God in the teachings of the various Buddhas.
« Last Edit: February 11, 2013, 07:30:31 pm by Mujahid Saifullah »
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Wizdom
- Sr. Member
Jazakum'Allah Khair brothers
Further reading[edit]
- Thalabi, Ara'is al-Madjalis, Cairo edition 1371, 155
- J. Horovitz, Koranische Untersuchungen, 113
- Harawi, K. al-isharat ila ma'rifat al-Ziyarat, ed. J. Sourdel-Thomine, 76
- Guide des lieux de Pelerinage, tans. J. Sourdel-Thomine, 76, Damascus 1957, 174