It has become a common belief among Muslims that clear predictions about the advent of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, may peace and blessings be upon him, are present in Hindu religious scriptures. There was a time when I also held this belief and presented it forcefully before people. However, later when I got the opportunity to study Hindu scriptures directly and examined the interpretations of our scholars regarding these predictions with scrutiny, I changed my previous opinion. In recent years, there has been a strong realization that the approach adopted by some Muslim preachers to interpret Hindu religious texts is extremely superficial and flawed. Based on blind faith in these personalities, Muslims have adopted their statements without investigation, and often people continue to use these statements for dialogues (or debates) with Hindu communities. Here, our research taste is already lost, and it is further exacerbated when some Muslims, by referring to Sanskrit texts and often mispronouncing some mantras, attempt to prove the truth of Islam, which is warmly received. I have intended several times to write an article on this subject, but due to my engagements and health issues, I couldn’t. In my future writings, I will present my analysis of these alleged predictions about the Prophet, peace be upon him. First of all, let’s look at the prediction of ‘Kalki Avatar’, which is considered to symbolize the magnificence of the personality of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.
The prediction of ‘Kalki Avatar’ is found in ancient texts called ‘Puranas’. While these Hindu religious texts do not have strong authenticity, they are more popular among the general public. The prediction regarding Kalki Avatar is primarily found in the ‘Bhagavata Purana’ and particularly in a text called ‘Kalki Purana’ dedicated to the same subject. By examining these two texts side by side, we will analyze this prediction and see whether the details mentioned therein correspond to the blessed life of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, as claimed, or not.
Kalki Avatar’s Parents
“When Kakshya asked, ‘O Brahma Ji, upon hearing these things, Brahma Ji began to say to Vishnu, ‘I will be born in the village of Shambhal, in the house of a Brahmin named Vishnu Yash, from the womb of a Brahmin girl named Sumati.'” (Kalki Puran, Adhyaye 2, Ashok 4)
“Then Sumati became pregnant by Vishnu Yash, in such a way that in her womb, Vishnu Bhagwan became the fetus.”(Kalki Puran, Adhyaye 2, Ashok 11)
In these verses from the Kalki Purana, the name of the father of the future Kalki Avatar is mentioned as ‘Vishnu Yash’ and the name of the mother is ‘Sumati’.
Our scholars state that these names are Sanskrit alternatives for the names of Prophet Muhammad’s parents. They claim that the name of the father of Kalki Avatar is ‘Vishnu Yash’ (विष्णुयश), which means ‘Servant of Allah’. According to them, ‘Vishnu’ refers to Allah and ‘Yash’ means servant. However, in reality, the Sanskrit word ‘Yash’ does not mean ‘servant’; rather, it means ‘glory’ or ‘majesty’. So, the meaning of ‘Vishnu Yash’ would be ‘Glory of Vishnu’ or ‘Majesty of Vishnu’. If someone has this name, it would imply that within them, the glory or majesty of Vishnu is evident. Its Arabic equivalent is not ‘Abdullah’ but rather ‘Jalal Allah’ or ‘Bahaa Allah’.
Similarly, the name of the mother of Kalki Avatar is mentioned as ‘Sumati’ (सुमति). It has been claimed that the meaning of this name is ‘Trustworthy’ or ‘Secure’, and in Arabic, it would be called ‘Aamina’. These meanings are also debatable. In Sanskrit lexicon, the meaning of ‘Mati’ (मति) is ‘intelligence’, ‘understanding’, or ‘knowledge’. ‘Su’ (सु) is a prefix (उपसर्ग) which, when added before an attribute, gives a positive connotation to that attribute. So, the word ‘Sumati’ would mean ‘knowledgeable’, ‘understanding’, or ‘wise’. ‘Secure’ or ‘Trustworthy’ are not the meanings of this name in any known lexicon. Its Arabic equivalents include words like ‘Aalima’, ‘Aqeela’, and so on.
Therefore, there is no connection between the names of Kalki Avatar’s parents and the parents of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Instead, attempts have been made to create a forced resemblance.
Birthplace of Kalki Avatar
In the same verse of the Kalki Purana, the birthplace of Kalki is mentioned as ‘Shambhal’ (शम्भल/Shambhal). These scholars assert that this name is derived from the word ‘Sham’ (शम्), which means ‘peace’, and they describe ‘Shambhal’ as a place where people find peace. They then attempt to convince that Makkah al-Mukarramah is referred to as ‘Balad Ameen’ in the Quran and that in Surah Al-Imran, verse 97, it is mentioned, “And whoever enters it shall be safe”. Therefore, according to them, ‘Shambhal’ refers to Makkah al-Mukarramah. Furthermore, they also claim that no place named ‘Shambhal’ exists in India. Anyone familiar with the geography of India knows that this claim is incorrect. The place named ‘Shambhal’ is located near the Ganges River in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. There is no reason to consider the word ‘Shambhal’ as an attribute instead of a noun in this context, and it cannot be justified linguistically. Anyone can derive his desired interpretation by interpreting names as attributes appearing in any book.
The Date of Birth of Kalki Avatar
Lord was born on the twelfth day of the first half of the month of Baisakh. Seeing him born brought immense joy to his parents.” (Also, Verse 15) This verse from the Kalki Purana mentions the date of birth of Kalki as the twelfth of Baisakh. Based on this, it is said that this date corresponds to the twelfth of Rabi’ al-Awwal according to our lunar calendar, which is famously known as the birth date of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). However, no evidence is provided to substantiate this correlation to show that the 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal in the year 571 AD corresponds to the 12th of Baisakh.
Details about birth and early life of Kalki Avatar
Some details about Kalki mentioned in the ‘Kalki Purana’ do not match the life of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, at all.
a. Vishnuyash Brahmin named Kalki for his development and betterment with a pure heart from prominent Rigvedic, Yajurvedic, and Samavedic Brahmins. (Chapter 2, Verse 23) b. Before Lord Kalki, he had three older brothers born named Kavi, Pragya, and Sumantarak. (Also, Verse 31) c. Kalki’s father, Vishnuyash, performed his ‘upanayan’ (sacred thread ceremony) and sent him to ‘gurukul’ to learn the Vedas. (Also, Verse 49) d. In the Gurukul, Kalki received traditional education from Parshuram Ji and studied sixty-four arts, including Sanga Upanishad and Dhanur Veda, among others. (Chapter 3, Verse 6)
The above references indicate the following:
Kalki’s father would be alive at the time of his birth and would himself name him. It is known about the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, that his father had passed away by the time of his birth.
1.
Kalki would have three brothers born before his own birth. This is not true in the case of Muhammad, peace be upon him. 2.
According to Hindu religion, Kalki’s father would perform his son’s ‘upanayan’ (sacred thread ceremony) and send him to a gurukul for formal education in the Vedas, where he would receive traditional education. The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, peace be upon him, never received any formal education nor attended any school.
3.
These details also do not match the early life of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
Marital life of Kalki Avatar
In the ‘Kalki Purana’, it is mentioned that Kalki will marry Padma, the daughter of the king of Sinhala Desh (modern-day Sri Lanka). (Chapter 2, Verse 6)
The ‘Kalki Purana’ mentions only one wife for Kalki. It is clear that Kalki will have only one wife, and she will not be from his own country but from Sinhala Desh, which is Sri Lanka. In contrast, it is well- known about the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, peace be upon him, that he had eleven wives, none of whom were from Sinhala Desh or had any connection to it.
This detail further illustrates the discrepancies between the life of Kalki as described in the ‘Kalki Purana’ and the historical accounts of the life of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
Kalki Avatar’s Attributes
Some other qualities and personal circumstances of the Kalki avatar mentioned in the ‘Kalki Purana’ are not such that Muhammad, peace be upon him, could be considered a fulfillment of this prophecy based solely on them. For example, the description that Kalki will ride a white horse, wielding a sword in hand, and travel across the entire land at great speed, killing countless evil people who rule over various regions (Bhagavata Purana, Part 12, Adhyaya 2, Verse 19). This gives the impression that the Prophet, peace be upon him, also participated in wars and killed his enemies. Hence, some people try to imply that it was indeed him who was the Kalki Avatar. However, firstly, the Prophet, peace be upon him, did not travel across the entire earth on a horse, nor is this something that could be attributed truthfully to any other ruler or conqueror. Now, as for some of the virtues and qualities attributed to the Kalki Avatar such as wisdom, humility, courage, etc., these could be applicable to anyone. Based on them, no definite conclusion can be drawn.
Summary of the Discussion
Interpreting Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, as the Kalki Avatar prophecy’s fulfillment is merely a superficial attempt. For this, certain personal circumstances of Kalki are selectively considered, and incorrect meanings are attributed to Sanskrit words and phrases.
This kind of arbitrary interpretation of Hindu religious scriptures not only fails to serve the cause of Islam but also damages our mission. The propagation of faith should always be based on strong foundations.