Question: A television program was aired Friday evening on Safr 4, 1403 Hijriyyah, it was introduced by Ibraheem ar-Rasheed and it was a lecture on India. And in the beginning of his introduction he said, “It’s true that India is called the country of religions, for in it we find Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, etc…”

So we implore you to clarify the following: Are the religions mentioned in the introduction really religions? Are they revealed and sent from Allaah? May Allaah grant you success in correcting this understanding.

Answer: All that people profess as deen (religion) and worship by it is called deen even if it is falsehood like Buddhism, idol worshipping, Judaism, Hinduism, Christianity, and other than them from the false religions. Allaah (:swt:) says in Soorah Kafirun: “To you be your deen and to me be my deen.” ^[1]

Therefore what the worshippers of idols are upon is called a deen and The Deen of Haqq (truth) is Islaam alone as Allaah (:awj:) says:

“Truly the deen with Allaah is Islaam.” – Aali ‘Imraan (3):19

And Allaah (:swt:) says:

“And whosoever seeks a religion other than Islaam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter, he will be one of the losers.” – Aali ‘Imraan (3):85

Allaah (:swt:) says:

“…This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and chosen for you Islaam as your religion.” – Al-Maa’idah (5):3

Islaam is worshipping Allaah alone without all other than Him, and obeying His commands and leaving what He prohibited and stopping at His boundaries.

Eemaan is everything Allaah informed His Messenger (:pbuh:) from what was and what will be. None of the false religions are revealed from Allaah nor is He pleased with them. Rather, all of them are innovation not revealed from Allaah. And Islaam is the religion of all of the messengers even though the laws differed by the saying of Allaah (:swt:):

“To each among you We prescribed a law and a clear way.” – Al-Maa’idah (5):48

^[1] Soorah Al-Kafirun (109):6