Unity of God — Page 13
13 and the Teachings of Muhammad s as has had prophets and reformers, they can conceive the concept of One Creator, even if He is known by different names. These names are now used to construe separate gods. I still remember an incident from my childhood. A boy asked, ‘What is the God of Hindus like?’ I replied, ‘The same as our God. ’ He asked, ‘How is that possible when Parmeshwar is their god. ’ I said, ‘We have the same God as them, but they call Him by a different name. ’ The boy was baffled to hear this. This point is well illustrated by the Mathnawi 5 writer. He writes that four destitute men were begging. A person offered them a coin so they could buy something to eat. The first beggar suggested, ‘Let’s buy some grapes,’ but the second said, ‘No, we must have Enab. ’ The third expressed, ‘I want Dakh ’ and the fourth mentioned his preference in Turkish. As they started to quarrel, a passerby stopped to inquire about the matter. Having heard their arguments , he understood their dilemma because he knew all four languages. He asked them to follow him, stating that he will buy what each one desired. He bought them 5. An extensive poem written in Persian by Jalal-ud-Deen Muhammad Balkhi, also known as Rumi. [Publishers]