Confucius’ life is largely mythological as far as in the written records are concerned, the reason being that there are no written records remaining from that period. All of what is today the written material was based on verbal transmissions. At present the material available to us consists of his views reworked, altered and rearranged by his followers. This is what comes to mind when Confucianism is spoken of, and it is therefore all but impossible to verify the authenticity of the material accredited to him. However it is still possible to get a picture of his fundamental ideas from the available material.
v Confucius and Belief in Allah
Works written on Confucius claim that he had a belief in Allah, and it is possible to encounter claims that he believed in a “god of the Heavens”, but the works accredited to him make no reference to a belief in Allah. Confucius advises people to be individuals of virtue, describes deeds that are damaging to law and order and sets the rules for inter-personal relations. Besides these, he does not make any revelations, answer questions or refer to subjects like death or fate. His views are based on the principle that “all people are good from birth and that they therefore do not require divine guidance”.
Virtue, in reality, is only attainable with the fear of Allah and total compliance with His commandments. Fear of, as well as love for, Allah is absolutely essential for consistent, good morality. To fear Allah appropriately is dependent on the constant awareness of Allah’s greatness, power and might, His infinite knowledge, His ability to do anything He wishes and His total power and sovereignty over His servants. It also requires a faith free of doubt in His promises, warnings, the Day of Judgment, the severity of His punishment and the eternity of His vengeance in hellfire which gives rise to the fear of Him. This fear leads people to act, behave, move and speak according to Allah’s good pleasure and the morality He prescribes. An Allah-fearing person will be sensitive to His limits.
People who do not fear Allah on the other hand will, or can, do anything He does not approve of. For instance, someone abiding by Confucius’s rules can, when his self interest requires him to do so, easily act in a manner contrary to these principles. He can lie where he should be honest, steal when he is in need or be corrupt because there is simply nothing to prevent him. There is no reason for someone who has forgotten that he will be held accountable by Allah, to be honest, to be selfless, to be just and honorable; in short, to be of virtue. His character is defined by his self-interest and ambitions and he has no reason for being moral towards anyone whatsoever. As he cannot comprehend Allah’s determination of destiny, His threat of punishment is no hindrance for him. He can be aggressive, cruel and unrestrained towards others as he does not fear Allah and His wrath. He does not ponder Allah’s might and punishment as he transgresses against His limits. For such reasons, people devoid of the fear of Allah are liable to commit sin and immorality irrespective of the social system they are subject to.
For people who have no faith in and fear of Allah, the world is disorderly and unpredictable. They think that everything happens accidentally or coincidentally. In such an environment a sense of security and happiness cannot develop, because at any time, something can happen to them that may be distressing, saddening or damaging. They have countless anxieties and worries about the future such as suffering from a terminal illness, bankruptcy or a separation from his beloved ones or an unforeseen tragedy that may strike them anywhere. As they believe that all these events are uncontrolled, they have a separate fear of each of them. As they know, they have no control over these events, they are susceptible to great despair and hopelessness. There are many rivals in their environment waiting for an opportunity to take advantage of them and it is not possible to fight them all. They are constantly trying to discover what others think of them, which causes severe stress and tensions. Someone who has faith in and fears Allah has none of these issues. The fear of Allah and faith in Him removes all such worries. Knowing that Allah is the Owner and Creator of everything there is, that everything happens by Allah ordaining it, and according to the destiny determined by Him, and that He will protect and watch over His servants who believe and trust in Him, frees people from suffering every kind of fear and dependence.
It is for these reasons that the superstitious belief of the pagan father of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) is revealed as follows in a verse:
Remember when he said to his father, “Father, why do you worship what can neither hear nor see and is not of any use to you at all?” (Surah Maryam: 42)
v Concertrating Solely on Matters Reated to the Life of This World
As mentioned earlier, Confucius never referred to death, hereafter, hell and paradise or fate. His primary concern was social order. He showed no interest when questioned over death or providence and expressed the view that pondering such matters was unnecessary. He refrained from commenting on death and directed people away from the fear of Allah and belief in the hereafter towards working solely for this life.
It is a grave mistake not to reflect on death and what awaits mankind thereafter, because escaping death is not possible. Every living being is born to die one day. Some die at an early age, some in their youth and others leave the world in old age. Nothing that one possesses in terms of wealth, property, fame, power or beauty can prevent death. Allah says:
“You have come to Us all alone just as We created you at first, leaving behind you everything We bestowed on you…” (Surat al-An‘am: 94)
Everybody so far has surrendered to death, and everybody will continue to do so in the future. In Confucianism, people fall into the error of complacency with regards to death. People have developed a false sense of security; if they don’t think about it, they won’t die. Allah reveals this situation as follows:
Say: “Death, from which you are fleeing, will certainly catch up with you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible and He will inform you about what you did.” (Surat al-Jumu‘a: 8)
These people will meet a fiercer punishment the more they flee the thought of death when they die. The greater their ignorance in this life, the greater their terror, shock and pain when they meet death on the Day of Judgment and eternal condemnation.
v The Perversion of Ancestor Worship
Confucius used the traditional superstitious Chinese beliefs as his basis when formulating his rules governing family life. He integrated the heretical reverence of his forefathers into his system, and pagan rites and perverse sacrifice rituals became important features of it.
This perverse worship of ancestors is an important aspect of Confucianism. Today, as in the past, shrines devoted to ancestors occupy one of the corners in the homes of most Chinese people. “Ancestor Tablets” are kept there which contain the names of their forefathers. Chinese people perversely make sacrifices and offerings to these tablets, and marriage ceremonies are conducted in front of them. Food, fruit and drinks are placed before them. It is believed that the spirits of ancestors come here to rest. Each local community celebrates two festivals a year for their common ancestors with music and dancing, by which they try to please and entertain their ancestors, at least in their own eyes. It is believed that the spirits of their ancestors can only find peace and happiness in this way, but no one ponders the irrationality of such bewildering offerings and no one realizes that the spirits they believe to make contact with have no power or influence over anyone’s life. They perform these rituals blindly, unconsciously and habitually. Despite China’s having a rational education program or being a global leader in scientific thought does not prevent anyone from performing these heretical rituals, because the supposed worship of ancestors’ spirits is so deeply ingrained in the Chinese mind.
Confucius is one of the spirits people seek to honor by performing rituals for him. These perverse ritualistic practices are still continued today. Peking University holds the Confucius tablets.133
Reverence and respect for ancestors become a pagan ritual in superstitious Chinese religions. Much of Chinese society has inherited the practice of exalting ancestors to the level of divinities, and this practice still continues after many centuries. Without ever questioning the propriety of these practices, these rituals have been a major part of Chinese life for centuries. Allah reveals in His verses that ancient nations followed their forefathers’ heretical practices:
They found their fathers misguided and they are following hard upon their heels. (Surat as-Saffat: 69-70)
Despite the heretical practices in the Confuciusian system, it does however contain some aspects which are compatible with the morality of the Qur’an. Confucius aimed to establish a social order that based the relationship between people on mutual love and respect. His ethical philosophy was successful in creating a sense of responsibility, honesty and dedication in the individual and thus played a major role in shaping the morality of the Chinese people in many respects.
v He emphasized the virtues of family life, and advised mutual love and respect between children and parents.
v He advised every individual to fulfill his responsibilities diligently and pointed out the importance of the shared sense of responsibility for social progress. He also stated that if everyone does his share, social ills could be eradicated.
v He placed “Yin”, or goodwill, and love into his concept of the good. He strongly advised people to do good for one another, to be selfless and loving.
v He stressed the importance of loyalty and recommended loyalty in the family, work life, friendship and public life.
v He recommended fairness and advised people to respond with justice to injustice.
v His maxim of “Do not do unto others that you do not wish done to you” became one of the central tenets of Confucianism.
These positive aspects of Confucius’ doctrine played a major role in the acceptance of it as a moral philosophy. However, it is not possible for a philosophy that is not based on faith in the almighty Lord and fear of Him to lead people to salvation. People can only attain true happiness in this life as well as in the hereafter by believing wholeheartedly in Allah and by submitting to Him.
TAOISM A PAGAN RELIGION OF ANCESTOR AND NATURE WORSHIP
As we had mentioned earlier, with the emergence of Confucianism Shamanism had declined in Chinese society but returned later under the name Taoism. Taoism represented ancient Chinese culture and Chinese folk religion. Whereas Confucianism had a greater influence on the state bureaucracy and the educated classes, Taoism became popular with the masses.
In the present day, Taoism is practiced in China, Japan, North and South Korea, which is where the majority of its adherents live. It is estimated that there are approximately twenty million Taoists around the world, but some sources estimate this figure could be as high as ninety-five million, as various beliefs in China merge, making it more difficult to determine the number of Taoists there. Taoism has spread to all corners of the world, albeit not as a religion. People around the world have chosen to adopt some aspects of Taoism and not others. For instance Taoist practices like acupuncture, alternative medicine, fortune telling, meditation and astrology have gained widespread acceptance in the west.
It is believed that Taoism was founded by Lao-Tse around 500 BC, yet nothing is known of him, and there is some doubt as to whether he even existed. Some sources claim that Lao-Tse was an archivist who migrated to the West in his old age where he dictated his book The Way of Virtue to a customs official. Taoists consider this book Tao Te Ching as their supposed sacred scripture. It has two parts, and the text consists of 5000 words. It is believed to have been written by Lao-Tse.
TAOISM IS A MISGUIDED MYTH
Taoism is presented as a path leading to people to peace, happiness and a balanced life, but this definition does not reflect the truth because the mystical and philosophical statements it makes lead people to false beliefs, sorcery, worthless causes, magic, despair and inaction.
It is a difficult task to define Taoism as it has been constantly changing with superstitious traditions passed on from generation to generation, and the influences of Confucianism and Buddhism. A general definition says that it is the path that must be followed through life; in other words, it is a way of life based on certain principles, which are not based on Allah’s revelation. This is why Taoism contains many contradictions, much nonsense and also explanations that are not compatible with reason or common sense.
Taoists believe that man is a part of the ongoing cosmic process called Tao (The Way). His most crucial choice in life is between recognizing this reality, thus becoming one with it, or to resist and remain outside of the Tao. According to this false and perverse belief man has been created by the Tao and will return to it. The Tao is the basis of, and the creative power behind everything. Taoism does not recognize the belief in the Almighty and All-powerful Allah. The Tao is considered to be the so called “cause that governs” the world without a consciousness, soul or identity; the Tao is more of an abstract phenomenon. Questions as to how it created the miraculous balance and order in nature and the universe remain unanswered. Taoists prefer to believe in an abstract term called “Tao” instead of believing in Allah’s absolute existence. For that reason they fall into a terrible perversion.
Yet the mystical aura of Taoism attracts many people and it can spread among the ignorant with relative ease. In reality however, it is a heretical, highly decorative and philosophical belief system that causes people to distance themselves from rational thoughts given up for a life of erroneous beliefs. For instance, a fictitious principle of faith in Taoism is “Yin” and “Yang”. These two words stand for a lot of things in Taoism. Life in the universe is based on the principle of “Yin” and “Yang” where Yang represents all that exists on earth and Yin all that does not. Yin is thought to be the breath that created the world and it is described with words like cold, evil, dark and negative energy. Yang on the other hand is thought as warm, good, bright and positive energy. Books on Taoism frequently mention that Yin and Yang could not exist without one another and everything should have a balance of Yin and Yang. Such statements sound quite important, but in reality they are not saying anything about the truths revealed by Allah.
Taoism is an idolatrous religion that perversely reveres almost anything as supposedly divine. Every imaginary deity supposedly worshipped in Taoism is believed to represent an aspect of the Tao. For instance, Yu-huang is one of the most important deities in Taoism and all other deities are believed to be answerable to him. According to this pagan belief Yu-huang measures the other deities’ performance on a yearly basis and either rewards them by increasing their responsibilities or punishes them accordingly. It is interesting to note that Taoists do not pray to these deities as they do not believe them to be able to help them overcome their problems. Taoists believe that this can only be done by observation, contact with the spirits, sorcery and meditation. A Taoist has to be thoroughly trained to learn the name, rank and powers of the relevant deities as well as meditation and visualization methods in order to benefit from them.134
Many Taoists place the icons of their deities in wardrobes in their homes. These deities have a different meaning for each Taoist. Most Taoists worship the imaginary war god Kuan-Ti and the so-called god of commerce, Sai Shin. The polytheism common to pagan religions like Hinduism, Jainism and Shintoism is also deeply rooted in Taoism. We have stated repeatedly in this book that they imagine that worshipping stone or wooden idols and making offerings to them is a fundamental perversion and irrationality. Allah reveals in the Qur’an that these kind of pagan societies have existed throughout history. Taoists are no different. Allah makes an example of the Israelites in the Qur’an. During the migration of some of the Israelites together with the Prophet Moses (pbuh), and after their rescue from persecution by Pharaoh, they met an idolatrous people on the way and requested of the Prophet Moses (pbuh) that he make them an idol just like theirs. This incidence is revealed in the Qur’an as follows:
We conveyed the tribe of Israel across the sea and they came upon some people who were devoting themselves to some idols which they had. They said, “Moses, give us a god just as these people have gods.” He said, “You are indeed an ignorant people. What these people are doing is destined for destruction. What they are doing is purposeless.” (Surat al-A‘raf: 138-139)
Some of the Israelites acted in ignorance and requested a supposed deity they could see with their own eyes, before which they could prostrate themselves or could perform heretical rituals. This situation reveals the level of their ignorance and that they did not appreciate or comprehend Allah’s providence. Despite the fact that the Prophet Moses (pbuh) explained the truth to them they acquired an idol as soon as he left them, which was a grave sin. They eventually repented as revealed in the Qur’an:
After he left, Moses’s people took the Calf (for worship) made from their ornaments, a form which made a lowing sound. Did they not see that it could not speak to them or guide them to any way? They adopted it and so they were wrongdoers. When they took full stock of what they had done and saw they had been misled, they said, “If our Lord does not have mercy on us and forgive us, we will certainly be among the lost.” (Surat al-A‘raf: 148-149)
However, Allah responds to those who take the Calf as deities and do not repent:
As for those who adopted the Calf, anger from their Lord will overtake them together with abasement in the life of this world. That is how we repay the purveyors of falsehood. (Surat al-A‘raf: 152)
It is revealed in the above verses that Allah can choose to forgive those who ascribe partners to Him as they are in reality falling for a lie. Whereas Allah is clearly the one and only God, they adopted false idols for worship. To prostrate before them is a grave sin. The Taoists’ situation is like that of all pagan people throughout history; They are also a people who are numbed with superstitious nonsense and teachings, and unable to see the perversion in which they found themselves. They cling to the religion of their forethers, as if they had been bewitched. If they were to seriously contemplate on these heretical beliefs, to listen to the voice of reason and conscience, to seek the righteous path and to closely examine their ancient teachings and superstitious traditions with discernment, they would surely realize the existence of Allah, His power and compassion.
Islam and Far Eastern Religions 