59.  Why is Islam called a religion, even though there are Hindu gods? Many people might wonder:

1)   Although Satpanth incorporates Hindu deities like Rama, Krishna, Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahadev, it also contains Islamic elements. Can we definitively classify Satpanth as a branch of Islam?

2)   Why is Satpanth not a part of Hinduism?

3)   Islam does not allow any changes to its religion. However, Satpanth includes many references to Hindu gods, which Islam cannot accept. Why is this so?

4)   Etc.

Satpanth incorporates both Hindu and Muslim elements. However, if someone claims that Satpanth is solely a Muslim religion, the focus is often redirected towards the various Hindu elements, with the followers claiming to be Hindus. They argue that since they believe in deities such as Rama, Krishna, Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, etc., they are being wrongly defamed. Such confusion can easily arise for an outsider, which is why it is crucial to have clarity on these matters.

60.  Aga Khan Case 1866: The North Bombay High Court gives a very good answer to such questions in a court case [88:Page 116] of 1866. This court case is also known as Khoja Case or Aga Khan Case Judgment [25].

A book titled  [141]“The Aga Khan Case” written by Tina Purohit was published by Howard University  [141] in 2012. The book provides detailed information about the case and is an excellent source for anyone interested in learning more about it. Important pages from the book, including [27 pages 280, 320, and 457 to 491], have been attached to the Satpanth Chodho book for easy reference.

The facts of this case are that..

1)   Question: The question before the Bombay High Court was whether Satpanth is a Hindu or Muslim religion?

2)   Claim of the Hindu side: The so-called Hindus argued that Hindu gods are worshiped in Satpanth. So Satpanth is a Hindu religion.

3)   Claim of the Muslim Party: The argument put forward by the Muslims is that Satpanth incorporates Islamic elements. The founders of Satpanth, Syed Pir Sadruddin and Syed Imamshah Bawa, are Muslims. Additionally, there are verses within Satpanth that worship Ali, which is a central figure in the Islamic faith. Therefore, Satpanth can be considered a branch of Islam.

4)   Agreed on one thing: When both the sides were heard, the English Judge/Judge Arnold realized that even though both the parties had differences of opinion, but both the parties agreed on one thing and that is about Satpanth Dashavatar Granth.

5)   Significance of Dashavatar: Satpanth Dashavatar is a scripture which is accepted by both parties. Both parties consider Dashavatar as their main religious scripture. At the death-bed of a person, the Dashavatar Granth is recited for his salvation.

6)   Study of Dashavatar Granth: Therefore, the judge relied primarily on the Dashavatar Granth as his main source of information. He thoroughly examined the Dashavatar texts authored by both Saduruddin and Imamshah. However, he paid particular attention to the outstanding Dashavatar Granth, composed by a distinguished author, Imam Shah, which provides a detailed account of the avatars of Hindu deities.

7)   Finding of the Court: After a thorough study of the Dashavatar Granth, the judge reaches a conclusion that…

a)   Among the ten avatars in Dashavatar Granth, the first nine are of Lord Vishnu, followed by the tenth avatar of Murtaza Ali Talib, who is believed to be Nakalanki or Nishkalanki Narayana.

b)   Although the first nine avatars in Dashavatar Granth are revered by Hindus, they are also used to attract Hindus to Islam. However, Muslims are only required to offer them salutations and not worship them.

c)   The tenth and final avatar is that of Kalki, who is worshipped in the present Kali Yuga.

d)   In the 10th avatar, the previous nine avatars, as well as the Vedas and scriptures of Hinduism, the Brahmins, the 68 places of pilgrimage, the river Ganga, the cow, and other religious beliefs, customs, and traditions are considered to be insignificant in Kali Yuga. Therefore, they hold no special importance.

e)   In Shia Islam, only Ali Talib is worshipped in the 10th incarnation.

f)    Ali is given the Hindu name “Nakalanki Narayan” to make it more acceptable to Hindus who shy away from the name Ali and avoid criticism from other Hindus.

g)   Satpanth is a sect of Shia Islam, not Hinduism, according to the verdict of the Bombay High Court.

61.  (Two) Main Issues of the Case: In order to reach a decision, the judge had to address two main issues. These issues are discussed in detail in Tina Purohit’s book, “Aga Khan Case,” but a brief summary of them can also be found in a well-written article titled “Khoja Case of 1866 – A Paraphrase” [52: Pages 5-6].

61.1. Takiya / Takiyya / Taqiyyah: Taqiyya is a concept in Islam that allows a person to conceal their faith or even pretend to follow a different religion.

When it comes to spreading and defending Islam, some individuals may practice Taqiyyah, which allows them to perform actions that are otherwise forbidden in Islam. This includes engaging in thoughts and deeds that are considered wrong or immoral.

In the name of religion, individuals are sometimes allowed to engage in actions that go beyond the comprehension and moral values of ordinary people who hold faith in religion. These actions may include kidnapping, murder, lying, betrayal, cheating, rape, false assurances, and speaking untruths. Such actions are difficult for the common person to fathom because true religion typically promotes values that discourage such behavior. Religion does not condone or permit these actions. This leads people to believe that it is improbable for someone to commit such extreme wrongdoings in the name of religion and God. However, the concept of Taqiyya allows for these actions. For further information on Taqiyya, you can refer to the book Satapantha [27:Pages 222 to 225, 321 to 341, 354 to 359].

During the court proceedings, the judge mentioned that a practice called taqiyya has been used to incorporate Hindu avatars in Satpanthism. This practice involves using Hindu gods in Satpanth’s scriptures to attract Hindus towards the religion. Despite Ali Talib being the main deity of Satpanth, Islam is at the core of this religion. As a result, the Hindu followers of Satpanth ultimately end up converting to Islam.

61.2. Conversion Formula: The second issue that the High Court had to address was the conversion formula. As mentioned in the previous points (‎34), the proponents of Islam promoted the Satpanth religion by incorporating the foundational elements of faith, religious beliefs, doctrines, etc., from a different religious tradition.

When the preachers of Islam want to convert a Hindu, they do so by;

a)   Becoming a Hindu monk,

b)   Propagation of Hinduism (not Islam).

c)   Talking at length about the rigidity of Hindus and showing Muslims as ignorant. (to win faith)

d)   While doing so, they take the basis of the central tenets of Hinduism. Where the principles of Hinduism are not compatible with Islam, changing the interpretation of those principles and then using such changed meanings to show the religion is compatible with Islam.

(Giving the message that all religions are one was intended to prepare people’s minds to accept Islam.)

e)   Indirectly, the message is conveyed that the true essence of religion is different, preparing to sever ties with Hinduism.

The true essence of Hinduism can be best understood by following the Satpanth religion instead of deviating from Hinduism.

The book “Satpanth Chhodo” [27: Pages 278 to 280] is a well-organized source of information on this topic. It contains references to the works and articles of researchers and intellectuals from various regions, along with supporting evidence.

61.3. Bridge of Conversion: The conversion process used by the propagators of Satpanth Dharma can be easily understood through the following chart. The chart depicts a one-way bridge²³ built on the foundation of Taqiyya, which carries Hindus from their original faith to Islam. The avatars of Hindu Gods are used to facilitate this process. 

a)   Hindus are brought to that bridge through Krishna Avatar.

b)   The incarnation of Buddha is believed to have created a lack of respect towards Hinduism. This weakened the firmness in the minds of the people towards Hinduism and slowly pushed them towards other beliefs by promoting concepts like Love, Unity, Harmony, and Organisation. The idea that God is one and only the form is different was also introduced to promote inclusivity.

c)   Finally, through the Nikalanki/Nishkalanki Avatar, the man’s beliefs are transformed and he becomes a Muslim.