Shintoism is a religion of aberrant traditions indigenous to the Japanese people. Essentially it is the perverse worship of nature, deceased ancestors, and literally millions of other beings.
It existed since the oldest times of Japanese history and prevailed in the superstitious tradition, worldview, perverted worship and rituals of the native Japanese population. However, it is not possible to access any written records of this superstitious religion’s origins, mainly because literacy entered Japan only in the 5th century AD, at which time the Chinese alphabet was adopted and the first written records appear. Shintoism’s foremost scriptures, the “Kojik” (The Book of Ancient Things) and “Nihongi” (A Chronology of Japan) were committed to paper in the 8th century in the Chinese language.
The word Shinto does not appear before the 6th century and was only used from the 6th century onwards with the purpose of distinguishing Japan’s native religion from Buddhism, which by that time had entered Japan from China and Korea. Thus a line was drawn between the two false religions and Japan acquired its national religion (The word Shinto is formed by the two Chinese words “shin” and “tao”, meaning the “way of the gods”).
However, Buddhism and Confucianism have had a great influence over Japanese culture. As a consequence of the dealings between the Japanese and the kingdoms of the Korean peninsula, Chinese influences reached Japan. Japanese aristocracy revered the Buddha from the 7th and 8th century onwards, promoted Buddhism, built Buddhist temples and thus this religion spread rapidly in society. Confucianism was also promoted by the Japanese empire, which offered it as an ethical teaching to its people. The fact that Shintoism has no inherent morality enabled the rapid acceptance of Confucianism in Japan. The effect of these two false beliefs on the people caused the gradual weakening of the other false belief; Shintoism. People began to prefer Buddhist temples over Shinto shrines and they also adopted the practice of incinerating the deceased, aided by Buddhist monks.
This gradual decline of Shintoism was eventually to bring about the “revival movement of Shintoism and return to ancient traditions” in modern times. As we will see in great detail in the coming chapters, this movement was to play a major role in the transformation of Japan into a colonialist empire and its subsequent destruction in the Second World War.
ABERRANT SHINTO TRADITIONS: A FALSE RELIGION WITH MILLIONS OF IMAGINARY DEITIES
Shintoism is founded on the false “Kami” belief. Kami means “up” and “above” and is used in Shintoism in the meaning of god, goddess, deity, spirit, and holy power. Another name for Shintoism is “Kami No Michi” meaning the “Path of Kami”.
Shintoists believe that “kami” are everywhere in the universe. Accordingly, man, flowers, mountains, oceans, springs, swords, combs and mirrors can all be an imaginary deity (Allah forbid). This aberrant Japanese belief contains 8 million odd kami which is why Shintoism is often termed to be “the superstitious religion of millions of mythical deities”.
According to the false Shinto belief, Kami can be good as well as evil or exist in any shape or dimension. They are born, get married, get sick, weep, envy and die, but despite these qualities, they are considered superior to ordinary people. A hero who has achieved military success or a leader of service can be pronounced a “Kami” by the Japanese and becomes from then on a revered imaginary deity.
There are over 100,000 Shinto shrines in Japan and each has its own Kami. It is believed that the Kami’s spirits are present in the shrines even if their pictures or statues are absent. People make offerings of food, water, fruit, make what they imagine to be shows of respect for, and burn incense to the Kami in Shinto shrines as an act of supposed worship. Obviously these false beliefs will not benefit the people. In the previous chapters of the book, we examined how great a perversion it is to ascribe partners to Allah and reminded that He warns such people of the fierce punishment awaiting them. Allah says the following in the Surat al-Hajj:
… Have done with the defilement of idols and have done with telling lies. Be people of pure natural belief in Allah, not associating anything else with Him. As for anyone who associates others with Allah, it is as though he had fallen from the sky and the birds had seized him and carried him away or the wind had dropped him in a distant place. (Surat al-Hajj: 30-31)
As revealed in the verses, these people who ascribe human or other idolatrous partners to Allah, irrationally trusting in them and completely and ignorantly befriending them in the belief that they will help them in times of need, are in a state of delusion, because these idols which are loved more than anything else, are themselves helpless and needy beings unable to help themselves, never mind helping others. The example of “… It is as though he had fallen from the sky and the birds had seized him and carried him away or the wind had dropped him in a distant place” in the above verse, reveals the hopelessness and ignorance of worshipping idols, which are wisely described as “with the defilement” (Surat al-Hajj), and lead people to false beliefs by distancing them from our Lord Allah. Allah says “… Call on your partner-gods! They will call on them but they will not respond to them. They will see the punishment. Oh if only they had been guided!” (Surat al-Qasas: 64) and reveals that idolaters will meet eternal hellfire. Shintoists should reflect on this truth, leave these mistaken beliefs behind and turn to the Creator, Lord and Guardian of all people, Allah, entering His true religion. It is the Muslims duty to relate the religious morality to these erring people, effectively and to the best of their ability.
Islam and Far Eastern Religions 