Bīrūnī, Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad, Alberuni's India (v. 1)

(London :  Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co.,  1910.)

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264
 

ALBERUNPS INDIA.
 

II, By the

dualists.
 

Veneration
of the
mndus for
their as¬
tronomers.
 

always inclined to any kind of delusion. Thus the
pure tradition of Islam has been rendered confused by
this Judaistic party.

Islam encountered a second mishap at the hands of
the Zindiks, the followers of Mani, like Ibn Almukaffa',
'Abd-alkarim Ibn 'Abi-arauja', and others, who, being
the fathers of criticism, and declaring one thing as just,
another as admissible, &c., raised doubts in weak-minded
people as to the One and First, i.e. the Unique and
Eternal God, and directed their sympathies towards
dualism. At the same time they presented the bio¬
graphy of Mani to the people in such a beautiful garb
that they were gained over to his side. Now this man
did not confine himself to the trash of his sectarian
theology, but also proclaimed his views about the form
of the world, as may be seen from his books, which were
intended for deliberate deception. His opinions were
far-spread. Together with the inventions of the above-
mentioned Judaistic party, they formed a religious
system which was declared to be the Islam, but with
which God has nothing whatever to do. Whoso opposes
it and firmly adheres to the orthodox faith in conformity
with the Koran is stigmatised by them as an infidel and
heretic and condemned to death, and they will not
allow him to hear the word of the Koran, All these
acts of theirs are more impious than even the words of
Pharaoh, "I am your highest lord" (Sura, 79, 24),
and " I do not know of any god for you save myself "
(Sura, 28, 38). If party spirit of this kind will go on
and rule for a long time, we may easily decline from the
straight path of honour and duty. We, however, take
our refuge with God, who renders firm the foot of every
one whp seeks Him, and who seeks the truth about
Him.

The religious books of the Hindus and their codes
of tradition, the Puranas, contain sentences about the
shape of the world which stand in direct opposition to
  Page 264