ALMOST ISLAMIC

ALMOST ISLAMIC

Now, compare the above verses with my free hand translation of what the 

Zulu actually said: 

Every African tribe, South of the Zambesi River, that is, in Southern Africa, 

have given different names to the Almighty - Tixo, Modimo, uNkulunkulu

etc., and each and every African language group will take pains to explain 

the same pure and holy concept as the Zulu. It is to the glory of the African

nations that though they had no written languages, and hence no written 

records, therefore not being able to recount the names of their respective 

prophets, yet not a single one of the tribes ever stooped down to 

worshipping idols or images of either of men or animals, until the White ma

first introduced his religion and gave the African his anthropomorphic 

concept of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost, 

and

 

brought the African down to bowing before the statues of Jesus, Mary, St. 

Joseph, St. Christopher and so on. 

Out of the dozens of African tribes inhabiting this part of the world, not a 

single one of them ever made "umfanegisos"(images) of their God. Yet 

they were capable of carving out of wood, elephantsand lions, and 

reproducing men and women also, in clay. Besides, the Zulus also had some

knowledge of metallurgy. When I questioned an old Zulu as to the reason, 

why the Africans did not make umfanegisos of their Gods, he replied, "How

could we make images of Him(God Almighty) when we know that H

is not like a man, He is not like a monkey, or an elephant or a snake

He is not like anything we can think of or imagine.He is a pure and 

Holy Spirit."

LIKE THE ARABS

This term, uMVELINQANGI, though well known to the Zulus, was not 

commonly used. Again they were like the pagan Qureish of Pre-Islamic 

Arabia who knew the name 

"Oh Sir! He is a pure and Holy Spirit, He does not beget and 

He is not begotten, and further there is nothing like Him."

Allah, but passed Him by, because they felt that Hewas tooHigh, tooPure, 

tooHoly to be approached, so they went for their substitutary and imaginary 

gods - their Al-Láts, Al-Uzzásand Al-Manátsand a hundred besides. The 

Zulus too would not call upon uMvelinqangi directly, but he was better than 

the Arab of the Ayyám-ul-jáhiliyyá(days of ignorance), because he did not 

go after false gods; he only invoked the spirits ofhis ancestors to intercede 

with uMvelinqangi on his behalf, exactly as the Catholics do in invoking the 

Virgin Mary and the Saints. 

The more common term used by the Zulus for their God is uNKULUNKULU 

which literally means - the Greatest of the Great or the Mightiest of the 

Mighty (Almighty). More colloquially when taking oath, they would exclaim 

"iNkosi phe-Zulu!"meaning - the Lord Above (knows), or the God in 

Heaven (knows), or Heaven knows, that I am speakingthe truth. The word 

"Zulu" in the language of the Zulu literally means High Heaven, and they 

consider themselves to be superior to the numerous other tribes of Southern 

Africa, being in this respect like the Querish amongthe dwellers of the desert 

before Islam. 

CONCEPT FROM THE EAST

The Hindi word for God Almighty is PRAMATMA. In Sanskrit, the language of 

ancient India, "Atma"meant the soul, and "Pram-atma"meant the Great 

and Holy Soul, or the Holy Spirit, which is really a beautiful description of the 

"Father" in Heaven. The Bible says, "God is Spirit: and they that worship 

Himmust worship Him in spirit and truth"(John 4:24). Not in form, 

shape or size, but in SPIRIT. 

Despite his pantheistic

1

interpretation of the Divinity, the name the Hindu

gives the Supreme Being, in his classical language,is OM(Aum), which 

means Guardian 

or Protector. A very suitable attribute about whichthe Muslim can have no 

misgivings.