Critique of the Hindu Doctrine of “Moksha” from an Islamic Theological and Philosophical Perspective
Analysis of the Philosophical Roots of the Doctrine: Between Non-Existence and Existence
A deep inquiry requires deconstructing the ontological (existential) and epistemological nature of Moksha as a philosophical phenomenon.
Moksha, particularly in the formulations of the Advaita school that dominates Hindu philosophical thought, oscillates between the idea of negative liberation—represented by mere escape from pain—and positive liberation—represented by attaining absolute bliss.
However, the major philosophical problem lies in explaining the concept of the “union of the self with the Absolute.” At the moment when the soul realizes that it is not an independent entity, the concept of the “self” collapses entirely, and the human personality loses its justification for existence.
From an epistemological perspective, the Advaita school considers the human sense of individuality, dependence, and deficiency (that is, the feeling that “I am a separate being in need and independent from God”) to be a direct result of inherent ignorance (Avidya).
“By comparison, Buddhism—which historically branched off from Hinduism—defines the ultimate goal as “Nirvana,” which is the complete extinction and annihilation of desire, will, and self, placing the soul into a state of absolute void.
In some early and parallel Hindu schools such as Nyaya, Moksha is described as a purely negative state consisting of the complete absence of both pain and sensation, with the soul stripped of any awareness, since awareness necessarily requires a physical body to process sensory input.
In contrast, in the Advaita school, Moksha is described as a state of absolute positive existence, pure consciousness, and infinite bliss (known in Sanskrit as Sat-Cit-Ananda), yet it is a bliss without a personal identity to experience it.
This total dissolution into the ocean of Brahman raises a fundamental philosophical problem regarding the meaning of independent consciousness: how can bliss have meaning if the individual self that experiences and perceives it no longer exists?
This internal contradiction in defining the nature of the liberated soul has historically formed a central point of departure for the rigorous Islamic critique of this system.