Initially the contact between superstitious Far Eastern religions and Western culture was confined to the Theosophical Society and materialists. However in a very short period of time this atheistic movement became a pagan religion itself. This superstitious religion was New Age and it was marketed as the “so-called religion of the 21st century” by materialist circles who wanted to curb the growing influence of the true religion, at least in their own eyes.
The New Age movement is unique in the sense that it rejects the certain existence of Allah is not based on Divine revelation, has no scripture, no central authority, no membership or leadership structure and cannot be pinned down in its beliefs or practices with certainty. You can add to this false belief or remove some aspects thereof at will. The New Age teachings are founded on Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Shamanism, Shintoism, Gnostic traditions, Spiritualism and Wicca (sorcery). Alan Morrison expresses the common ground of this religion as follows: “The core of the Blavatsky theosophical teaching is rooted in a syncretism which pulls together strains from Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism and gnostic Christianity — all of which deny the Transcendent Creator God and use practices to bring about the [so-called] “divinisation” of the individual.”148
Especially in recent years, groups which promote atheistic and materialistic worldviews have accelerated the propaganda efforts of the New Age culture, for which they are making use of the mass media. Their primary objective is to curb the increasing influence of Divine religions, in particular Islam, in western societies by which they hope to assist the cause of pagan religions. They are trying to impose these pagan religions by means of well-designed advertising campaigns and messages aiming at the sub-consciousness of people rather than presenting them as for what they are. They are promoting idolatrous religions and erroneous philosophies led by fraudulent spiritual leaders called gurus. Famous people well-recognized in society play an important role in this propaganda effort. For instance, Shirley McLaine, once a well-known actress, is one of the foremost advocates of the New Age movement with her books and TV shows and appearances.
The New Age superstitious belief, kept in the public mind by atheist and materialist groups by various means of propaganda, aim to divert people to erroneous practices from belief in Allah, and the goodness which derives from religious morality. For example yoga, meditation, healing, bio-energy and transcendental meditation occupy an important place in the New Age philosophy and astrology, tarot, fortune telling and mediums are part of that culture. Beliefs of karma, reincarnation, reiki, feng shui, astral body projection, clairvoyance and exorcism by means of magic spells are yet other symbols of the New Age movement. Today, these terms are widely recognizable because of the propaganda activities carried out by materialists. Some of these erroneous beliefs can be listed as follows:
Sorcery and magic are important in the New Age movement. All the magic rituals of the superstitious Far Eastern religions, sorcery based pagan beliefs like Shamanism, and every kind of twisted occultism have been revived by this idolatrous movement. Fortune telling and sorcery are evil and immoral acts forbidden by Allah Who says in the Surat al-Ma’ida: “You who believe! Wine and gambling, stone altars and divining arrows are filth from the handiwork of satan. Avoid them completely so that hopefully you will be successful.” (Surat al-Ma’ida: 90) It is related in verses that the Prophet Moses’s (pbuh) encounter with magicians is as follows: “… Magicians are not successful.” (Surah Yunus: 77) “… Magicians do not prosper wherever they go.” (Surah Ta Ha: 69) In other words, those who believe that sorcery will bring them happiness, prosperity, salvation or success are wrong, because unless Allah wills it it is impossible for any man benefit or harm anyone else. Allah reveals the following in the Surat al-Baqara:
… People learned from them how to separate a man and his wife but they cannot harm anyone by it, except with Allah’s permission. They have learned what will harm them and will not benefit them. They know that any who deal in it will have no share in the hereafter. What an evil thing they have sold themselves for if they only knew! (Surat al-Baqara: 102)
Fortune telling, consulting the tarot and contacting spirits are a fraud; outlandish claims of being able to foresee the future by means of mediums are part and parcel of the New Age culture. Gurus resort to deceiving their unwitting followers through lies such as claiming they have the ability to prognosticate the future or speak directly with the spirit world. In reality it is only Allah Who knows and sees the unknown. Allah reveals in the Surat an-Naml as:
… No one in the heavens and the earth knows the Unseen except Allah. (Surat an-Naml: 65)
And Allah reveals in the Surat al-Jinn that:
He is the Knower of the Unseen, and does not divulge His Unseen to anyone–except a Messenger with whom He is well pleased, and then He posts sentinels before him and behind him. (Surat al-Jinn: 26-27)
As these verses make clear, Allah can choose to reveal the unknown to His beloved messengers, but no one else can acquire the knowledge of the unknown by his own efforts, or by trying to make contact with spirits. Within the perverse New Age movement there are people who try to draw attention to themselves by claiming to be mediums or fortune tellers. They are hoping to win the respect and admiration of people, but more importantly, they have material gain in mind.
Unless Allah decrees otherwise, it is not possible to tell the future by looking at some pieces of paper or gazing into a crystal:
The keys of the Unseen are in His possession. No one knows them but Him. He knows everything in the land and sea. No leaf falls without His knowing it. There is no seed in the darkness of the earth, and nothing moist or dry which is not in a Clear Book. (Surat al-An‘am: 59)
At present, certain groups are trying to make the New Age movement fashionable. Well-known celebrities are used to present a thinly disguised propaganda on behalf of these perverted practices, and use their public recognizability in order to create followers. Such heretical beliefs, which are of no benefit to people, are advertised on TV and through printed media and people, influenced by the suggestive power of such means, begins to practice the suggested beliefs without really knowing what they are getting into. The “Reiki” fad, well documented recently in the public mind, is the product of the same fraud. Attention seekers and others who like to be seen as “unique” in some way are influenced by this propaganda. In reality Reiki is yet another fraudulent practice like all the other Far Eastern beliefs.
The idolatrous Japanese belief is that Reiki is one of the cosmic energies thought of as a “universal life and healing energy”. It is claimed that certain people have control over this energy and can either use it to heal or pass it on to others.149 The person falsely claiming to have Reiki energy opens his palms towards the heavens and allegedly transfers this energy to other people or animals by touching them. In reality, Reiki is no different to the practice of ritual healing or the exorcising of evil spirits in the sorcery-based religion of Shamanism. Shamans also claim falsely that they can heal people with their powers being derived from magic and the incantation of spells. These are nonsensical beliefs that anyone invested with even a small modicum of common sense can easily discern as nothing but a gigantic fraud, because it is not possible for anyone to heal anyone else unless Allah wills it. It is only Allah Who is “The Intercessor”. He has the attribute of healing by which He does away with illness. Unless Allah wills it, no doctor on earth, no technological innovation and not even the latest wonder drugs, combined with all the false beliefs of Far Eastern religions, can heal the sick person. The Prophet Abraham’s (pbuh) wholehearted prayer is revealed in the Qur’an:
And when I am ill, it is He Who heals me; (Surat ash-Shu‘ara’, 80)
The heretical practices of the New Age movement are too numerous to be recounted in full. The belief in the healing powers of stones and minerals are some of these. Followers of this erroneous belief believe that quartz crystals are very effective in magic and healing. It is also believed that hematite can give the power of correct decision making, that diamonds cleanse the body from negative energy, and that corals prevent the evil eye. Many other kinds of stones and minerals are accredited with such imaginary powers; in truth, all these beliefs are false and nonsensical. It is most certainly impossible that a stone or any other object can protect someone, empower them in any way, or destroy negative influences. No man can prevent harm irrespective of how hard he tries, or no matter what method he employs unless it is the will of Allah. The only Protector is the most compassionate Allah. In the Qur’an He reveals:
Say: “Who rescues you from the darkness of the land and sea? You call on Him humbly and secretly: ‘If you rescue us from this, we will truly be among the thankful.’” Say: “Allah rescues you from it, and from every plight. Then you associate others with Him.” (Surat al-An‘am: 63-64)
Obviously if man encounters problems, he needs to solve them. For instance a sick person should consult a doctor, follow his advice and use the prescribed drugs. However, it must be known that these measures by alone have no power in and of themselves, but Allah can make them trigger the healing process. Certainly it would amount to ascribing partners to Allah to believe that other beings, idols of stone or wood, stones or minerals could protect, destroy, harm or bring benefit. As we have stated often, ascribing partners to Allah is an unforgivable sin. Those who ignore the fact that there are no other protectors or helpers besides Allah, and who insist on disregarding His gifts will experience devastating regret. Allah reveals the situation of such people in the Qur’an:
Say: “Can any of your partner-gods bring Creation out of nothing and then regenerate it?” Say: “Allah brings Creation out of nothing and then regenerates it. So how have you been perverted?” Say: “Can any of your partner-gods guide to the truth?” Say: “Allah guides to the truth. Who has more right to be followed – He Who guides to the truth, or he who cannot guide unless he is guided? What is the matter with you? How do you reach your judgment?” (Surah Yunus: 34-35)
One of the reasons for people to practice irrational and illogical techniques such as yoga, meditation and reiki, is that they seek contentment and peace in the wrong place and imagine that by these means they can escape the stress and sufferings of their everyday lives. Advertisements for such pagan practices make frequent use of terms like “inner peace, spiritual balance and inner happiness”. People are all too easily misled to believe that these erroneous practices can deliver them from the selfish, competitive, conflicting, loveless and cruel way of life of the materialistic society in which they live. In reality however, these false practices cannot deliver inner peace and spiritual fulfillment. To the contrary, by practicing these superstitious Far Eastern religions they become people who have lost the ability to reason and act rationally, who expect help from stone and wooden idols, and hope to find solutions in sorcery and heretical rituals. Societies in which the superstitious Far Eastern philosophies are influential reveals the existence of many people who display the signs of psychological damage, apathy and a schizophrenic state of mind removed from the reality of life.
It is a clear fact that the only way to find true contentment and happiness and deliverance from every kind of evil, cruelty, hopelessness and despair, is to submit to our Creator Allah and to lead a life He approves of. Allah says:
… All those who follow My guidance will not go astray and will not be miserable. But if anyone turns away from My reminder, his life will be a dark and narrow one and on the Day of Resurrection We will gather him blind. (Surah Ta Ha, 123-124)
The governor of the heavens and earth, our Lord, reveals that salvation can only be found by following the guidance of the Qur’an. Allah says the following in the Surah Ibrahim:
… This is a Book We have sent down to you so that you can bring mankind from the darkness to the light, by the permission of their Lord, to the Path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy. (Surah Ibrahim: 1)
All those who totally and foolishly deny or disregard the existence of Allah and follow the path of evil will suffer a great loss in this life as well as the hereafter. They will receive their fair return for wasting their lives by following false practices which were of no benefit to them. Whilst they engage in false practices in the belief of doing right, they will come to realize that they lived in error. Allah reveals the situation of such people in one of the verses of the Qur’an as follows:
The metaphor of those who take protectors besides Allah is that of a spider which builds itself a house; but no house is flimsier than a spider’s house, if they only knew. (Surat al-‘Ankabut: 41)
As made clear in the verse, those who chose the path of denial yet believe themselves to be right have in reality gone far astray. All their efforts will come to naught, and they will witness on the Day of Judgment that all their partners, and all the spells and sorcery they hoped would protect them cannot help them. Allah reveals:
On the Day they see the angels, there will be no good news that Day for the evildoers. They will say, “There is an absolute ban.” We will advance on the actions they have done and make them scattered specks of dust. The Companions of the Garden on that Day will have better lodging and a better resting-place, (Surat al-Furqan: 22-24)
Say: “Shall I inform you of the greatest losers in their actions? People whose efforts in the life of the this world are misguided while they suppose that they are doing good.” Those are the people who reject their Lord’s Signs and the meeting with Him. Their actions will come to nothing and, on the Day of Resurrection, We will not assign them any weight. (Surat al-Kahf: 103-105)
Islam and Far Eastern Religions 