Avadhuta Gita

The Avadhuta Gita, a foundational Hindu philosophical text emphasizing non-duality (Advaita) and transcendence, claims that liberation is achieved through the realization of the oneness of individual self (Atman) and the absolute reality (Brahman). While the text promotes intriguing metaphysical ideas, from an Islamic perspective, it contains significant theological, philosophical, and linguistic errors that require careful analysis and refutation.

1. Tawheed vs. Pantheism:

   • Islam unequivocally teaches the distinction between the Creator (Allah) and the creation. This distinction is essential for understanding Tawheed (the Oneness of Allah). Allah says in the Quran:

     “There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.” [Quran 42:11]

   • The Avadhuta Gita’s philosophy conflates the Creator and creation, falling into a form of pantheism or monism that negates the transcendence (Tanzih) of Allah.

2. Reality of Multiplicity:

   • In Islam, multiplicity in creation is a manifestation of Allah’s will and power. Allah says:

     “And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colors. Indeed, in that are signs for those of knowledge.” [Quran 30:22]

   • Denying this diversity as mere illusion undermines the purpose of creation and Allah’s attributes as the Creator (Al-Khaliq) and Sustainer (Ar-Razzaq).

3. Accountability and Free Will:

   • The Islamic worldview asserts human accountability based on free will, while the Avadhuta Gita’s philosophy of non-duality dissolves individual responsibility. The Quran explicitly holds every soul accountable for its deeds:

     “And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives.” [Quran 53:39]

1. Eternal Purpose:

   • In Islam, the ultimate goal of human existence is to worship Allah and attain closeness to Him in the Hereafter:

     “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” [Quran 51:56]

   • The Avadhuta Gita’s liberation denies this relational dynamic and renders existence purposeless.

2. False Equivalence:

   • Equating the self (Atman) with the absolute (Brahman) diminishes Allah’s sovereignty and renders the human self divine—a form of shirk (associating partners with Allah), which is the gravest sin in Islam.

3. Salvation through Divine Mercy:

   • In Islam, salvation (Falah) is granted through Allah’s mercy and justice, not through a metaphysical realization of oneness:

     “And those who believed and did righteous deeds—they will be in the Gardens of Paradise, abiding eternally therein, as a promise of Allah. And who is truer to his word than Allah?” [Quran 4:122]

1. Linguistic Misdirection:

   • The Avadhuta Gita employs poetic and ambiguous language to obfuscate its philosophical flaws. For example:

     “I am the light that fills all things.”

   • In Islam, light (Nur) is an attribute of Allah, distinct from creation:

     “Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.” [Quran 24:35]

   • Claiming that the self embodies divine light blurs the lines between the Creator and creation, a clear deviation from Tawheed.

2. Philosophical Vagueness:

   • Concepts like “pure light” and “ultimate truth” in the Avadhuta Gita are undefined and left open to interpretation. Islamic theology provides clarity through the Quran and Aqeedah (creed), grounding metaphysics in revelation.

1. Moral Relativism:

   • The negation of good and evil leads to moral relativism, contradicting the Islamic belief in objective morality as revealed by Allah:

     “Indeed, Allah commands you to uphold justice and to do good and to give to relatives and forbids immorality, bad conduct, and oppression.” [Quran 16:90]

2. Duality in Creation:

   • Allah created the world with inherent dualities as signs of His wisdom:

     “And of all things We created two mates; perhaps you will remember.” [Quran 51:49]

   • Denying these dualities denies the signs of Allah in creation.

• Gratitude and Dhikr:

  “Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.” [Quran 13:28]

• Fana and Baqa in Tasawwuf:

  • Islamic spirituality (e.g., Sufism) incorporates concepts of annihilation (Fana) in Allah and subsistence (Baqa) through Him, which are grounded in revelation rather than subjective metaphysical speculation.