The Biography of Umar ibn Abdul Aziz ‘May Allah Have Mercy on Him’(Part Four)
Lack of Reformers and Inviter in the History of Other Religions
Jawaharlal Nehru, in his book Discovery of India, discusses the transformation of Buddhism and its gradual decline. He states that Brahmanism overshadowed Buddhism, leading to its deterioration; similarly, the Sings became capitalists and focused on attracting the interests of a particular group. The principles of discipline were lost, and magic and illusions were introduced into religious practices. After a thousand years of systematic promotion in India, the era of decline for Buddhism began. Mr. Rhrs Daris describes this situation: “In the shadow of pathological love, the superstitions of Goten’s moral teachings were hidden from view, giving rise to a new theory that grew increasingly dominant.”
It wasn’t long before another theory took its place, and soon a new one was found at every turn, filling the intellectual landscape with a terrible darkness from these mind-deceiving inventions. The high moral lessons and the simple religion of the founder were buried under the rubble of new theological scrutinization’s.
Buddhism and Brahmanism declined in every aspect, with many superstitious practices infiltrating both, making it difficult to distinguish between them. Throughout the vast realm of Buddhism and during the long period of its dominance, no inviter or reformer emerged to call people back to true Buddhism, to revolt against the distorted and new interpretations, and to reclaim the simplicity and purity of the earlier era.
In summary, the ancient Hindu religion could not reestablish itself against Buddhism until the 8th century when Shankar Acharya asserted a counter-campaign to revive the old Hindu religion and pushed Buddhist thought out of the country. It can be stated that Buddhism’s prestige among the ancient religions in India was in decline. Shankar Acharya sought to displace Buddhism with his intellect, religious courage, and enthusiasm. However, he ultimately failed in this endeavor. Perhaps he did not aim to restore the Hindu religion to its original form, infusing it with the spirit of monotheism, establishing direct relationships with the one and only Creator, eradicating the middleman between Allah and the servant, and promoting social justice and class equality. Even today, these two Indian religions exist in their distorted forms, preserving inherited customs from the era of decadence and idolatry.
The essayist of Encyclopedia of Religions and Ethics (V.S. Ghate), a distinguished professor of Sanskrit at the University of Elfestan in Mumbai, whose insights into the ancient religions and philosophies of India are profound, writes about Shankar Acharya: “The important goal of his life was the revival of philosophy, and a religious system as taught in the Upanishads.” He popularized the doctrine of Absolute Oneness, arguing that there is no comprehensive law presented in the Upanishads or the Bhagavad Gita. Instead, only complete unity is conveyed. Shankar Acharya neither opposed idolatry nor attacked it; rather, he considered the idol to be a kind of mystery and manifestation.
Shankar Acharya recognized realism (ritualism) and condemned mere dignity but defended the worship of popular deities. He believed that, at a certain stage, the growth of idolatry is a natural human need. When the soul reaches mature development, the need for idols should be abandoned: “Shankar” allowed for idolatry as a marker for those who had not yet attained the status of Brahmins, who are liberated and unchangeable.
However, all these efforts ultimately failed. The activities initiated from Shankar Acharya to Dayananda Saraswati and Gandhi, all of whom aimed to revive Hinduism and Buddhism on true foundations—foundations in line with the human calling of the prophets, healthy nature, and the evolution of time—resulted in both religions kneeling before paganism and materialism. They were relegated to isolated communities in places of worship and sanctuaries and confined within customs and external forms.
During this time, there was no strong invitation in India advocating for a return to religion, the revival of ancient traditions, or the popularization of the historical language of India, Sanskrit.
