A Religion of Self Inflicted Suffering: Jainism

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.

Shintoism Is The Perversion Of Worshipping The Dead

Shintoists believe that the spirits of the dead become “kami” upon which they wander amongst the living, live in cemeteries, share in the joys as well as sadness of their children and grandchildren and watch over them. When they die, it is believed they obtain supernatural powers and this superstitious and perverse belief have led Shintoists to create myths that simply makes rational people wonder. It is also believed that the dead supposedly control natural phenomenon, death, prosperity, the seasons, famine and natural disasters. This false belief leads people to ignorantly believe that their families, villages, tribes and nation are being watched over by “the spirits of their ancestors”. Some Kami are supposed believed to give life to trees, nature, tools or even the pots and pans in the kitchen.( Surely Allah is beyond that.)

This false belief has Shintoists believing that some Kami help them regain health after an illness and help them pass university entrance exams or driving tests. According to this ignorant and perverse belief, the world is full of good and evil spirits and for every Shintoist, his personal Kami is the source of the universe and existence itself. In reality it is a sign of great ignorance, foolishness and perversion to believe that helpless people or stone or wooden idols have powers, as it is only the infinitely powerful and mighty Lord Who is responsible for everything that happens in the universe. The 5th verse of the Surat as-Sajda says: “He directs the whole affair from heaven to Earth" (Surat al-Sajda: 5). Allah created the whole universe and every living or lifeless being it contains. It is revealed in the verses as follows:

Your Allah is One god. There is no god but Him, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful. In the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and day, and the ships which sail the seas to people’s benefit, and the water which Allah sends down from the sky – by which He brings the earth to life when it was dead and scatters about in it creatures of every kind – and the varying direction of the winds, and the clouds subservient between heaven and earth, there are signs for people who use their intellect. (Surat al-Baqara: 163-164)

Allah is He Who raised up the heavens without any support – you can see that – and then established Himself firmly on the Throne. He made the sun and moon subservient, each running for a specified term. He directs the whole affair. He makes the Signs clear so that hopefully you will be certain about the meeting with your Lord. (Surat ar-Ra‘d: 2)

As stated in these verses, it is possible to realize the existence and unity of Allah by observing the harmony that exists in the universe and nature. The existence of a great harmony and balance in the universe that enables human life, or the fact that all living beings in nature bear the signs of a common creation (like DNA for instance), show that the world of existence is governed by an infinitely rational order. Michael Denton, a renowned molecular biologist, states in his book titled Nature’s Destiny: How the Laws of Biology reveal Purpose in the Universe that everything from the universe itself down to the structure of the atom has a common order governing it all which proves the existence of one Creator. To think otherwise, to think that there are other deities besides Allah Who have separate powers, is great ignorance and foolishness. Allah reveals in the Qur’an that idolaters like the Shintoists who believe in millions of imaginary deities are erring:

Allah has no son and there is no other god accompanying Him, for then each god would have gone off with what he created and one of them would have been exalted above the other. Glory be to Allah above what they describe, (Surat al-Muminun: 91)

Shintoists who accredit the dead with divinity should reflect upon this verse carefully, should free themselves from fictitious and perverse beliefs in their minds, acknowledge Allah’s clear existence and submit to him.

Shintoists, with such nonsensical beliefs about the dead, have on the other hand no concept of death, Judgment Day, the life of the hereafter, hell or paradise. Their false beliefs led them to irrational and nonsensical practices in these matters which are incompatible with reason or logic. According to the erroneous Shinto scriptures, the well-being of the dead “depends on the care, food and other offerings presented to their graves by the living”. They hold to the illogical belief that the dead will take revenge if they are not revered, presented with offerings or given presents. For this reason a Japanese person believing in Shintoism considers the reverence of the dead, visits to the grave, and offerings made to the dead as a very important duty, at least in his own eyes. This belief regarding death and the dead, like all the other beliefs of Shintoism, is another great error inherited by the Japanese from their ancestors.

No manmade teaching can be accurate about what comes after death because no man has died and then come back. The only reliable source from which we can acquire true knowledge about death and the life thereafter is the Qur’an revealed to us by Allah. Our Lord informs us in the Torah and Bible (both corrupted to a great extent at present) as well as the Qur’an, the only Divine book of revelation that remains uncorrupted and unchanged, that with death, man’s earthly life ends and the life of the hereafter begins. Man will not return to earth in a new body as those who believe in reincarnation insist and neither will his soul live on in the life of earth as the Shintoists claim. Allah says in the Qur’an:

When death comes to one of them, he says, “My Lord, send me back again so that perhaps I may act rightly regarding the things I failed to do!” No indeed! It is just words he utters. Before them there is an interspace until the Day they are raised up.  (Surat al-Muminun: 99-100)

As the verses suggest, the unbelievers’ expectation of being returned to earth is in vain and Allah reveals in another verse that those in paradise will not experience another death other than the “first”.

They will not taste any death there – except for the first one. He will safeguard them from the punishment of the Blazing Fire. A favor from your Lord. That is the Great Victory. (Surat ad-Dukhan: 56-57)

Allah reveals much information about the death of the deniers. Death is only the beginning of a great suffering for all those who deny the existence of Allah and the eternal life in the hereafter. Whilst an observer may well think that a person is dying peacefully in their bed, they are in reality entering fierce punishment (Allah knows the truth). Angels of death debase and hurt them when taking their lives from their bodies. The following is revealed in verses about the unbeliever’s moment of death:

... If you could only see the wrongdoers in the throes of death when the angels are stretching out their hands, saying, “Disgorge your own selves! Today you will be repaid with the punishment of humiliation for saying something other than the truth about Allah, and being arrogant about His Signs.” (Surat al-An‘am: 93)

If only you could see when the angels take back those who disbelieved at their death, beating their faces and their backs: “Taste the punishment of the Burning! That is for what you did. Allah does not wrong His servants.” (Surat al-Anfal: 50-51)

In other verses it is revealed as follows:

No indeed! When it reaches the gullet and he hears the words, “Who can heal him now?” and he knows it is indeed the final parting, (Surat al-Qiyama: 26-28)

Then, the denier comes face to face with the reality he has refused to acknowledge all his life. Together with death, he begins to suffer the punishment for the great sin he was committing throughout his life. The angel’s taking his life from deep within, beating his back, is only the beginning of his eternal punishment.
Shintoism has produced an erroneous myth about the creation of the universe from nothing just as it has about the aftermath of death. All Japanese people who believe in Shintoism, educated or not, unemployed or professional, ignorant or intellectual, believe that the universe was produced by two deities, “Izanagi” and “Izanami”, but the myth continues: all the Japanese islands, people and Kami have supposedly been “created especially” by this duo. (Surely Allah is beyond that.) According to this irrational and illogical way of thinking, the oceans and Susanu (proud man, Kami), who controls the storms and winds blowing over the seas, were given birth to by the water flowing from Izanami’s nostrils; from a tear from his right eye the moon god Tsukinomani, and from a tear from his left eye the sun goddess Ameterasu were born.112 As we will see in greater detail over the coming chapters, Japanese nationalism feeds off this superstitious myth, which is self-evidently nonsensical, because even a child of average common sense can comprehend the irrationality of what we is related here. However, many Japanese people are far from seeing this reality as they are blindly and proudly following in the footsteps of their ancestors. A Japanese proverb explains this perverse belief as follows: “Devotion to the mother of all ancestry is the source of all virtue and a person, who fulfills his responsibility to the dead, will also faithfully fulfill his responsibilities to the living”.

In reality this is a great error and everyone who uses his mind can see this. Every culture and society on earth has its own traditions, therefore how can it be believed that “following these traditions” leads to truth? Is it a “truth” to continue some perverted practices of the ancestors of an African tribe? Is it right for the son of a Nazi to follow the racist, violent and cruel ideology of his father? All these are contradictory to one another; they all are based on different myths, rules and traditions and which one of these would lead to truth? How can it be ascertained which of these is right or contains an element of truth, even if it be a little one?

All these questions are the result of the fact that following the superstitious traditions and perverse values of one’s forefathers cannot lead to the truth. Allah advises in Surat al-Baqara to those who blindly believe in the superstitious religion of their ancestors to reflect on this reality:

When they are told, “Follow what Allah has sent down to you,” They say, “We are following what we found our fathers doing.” What, even though their fathers did not understand a thing and were not guided! (Surat al-Baqara: 170)

The Surat an-Naml reveals in the following verse that those who deny our Lord and prostrate instead in front of powerless stone idols are in a grave aberration:

… Is Allah better, or what you associate with Him? He Who created the heavens and the earth and sends down water for you from the sky by which We make luxuriant gardens grow – you could never make their trees grow. Is there another god besides Allah? No indeed, but they are people who equate others with Him! He Who made the earth a stable dwelling place and appointed rivers flowing through its midst and placed firmly embedded mountains on it and set a barrier between the two seas. Is there another god besides Allah? No indeed, but most of them do not know it! He Who responds to the oppressed when they call on Him and removes their distress, and has appointed you as inheritors of the earth. Is there another god besides Allah? How little you pay heed! He Who guides you in the darkness of land and sea and sends out the winds bringing advance news of His mercy. Is there another god besides Allah? May Allah be exalted above what they associate with Him! He Who originates creation and then regenerates it and provides for you from out of heaven and earth. Is there another god besides Allah? Say: “Bring your proof if you are being truthful.” (Surat an-Naml: 59-64)

Shintoism Does Not Recommend Virtue

The requirements of the superstitious Japanese religion can be summed up as “respect for the spirits of ancestors, reverence and supposed worship of ancestors and Kami, submission to the State, the Emperor and patriotism”. Besides these there are no moral prohibitions, recommendations, requirements or rules. The Japanese say that, as an alleged “chosen race”, they are anyhow on the righteous path. This is obviously a great lie. As we have already mentioned, this is a fabricated and irrational myth by which the Japanese delude themselves.

No nation or people can claim supremacy because of race, ancestry, language or ethnicity as superiority is only relative to one’s closeness to Allah, Who says: “… The noblest among you in Allah’s Sight is the one of you who best performs his duty.” (Surat al-Hujurat: 13) (See chapter: “India’s cruel social order”)

Some Japanese people developed a very strict and merciless code of honor as a consequence of considering themselves a supreme and sacred race, a code which has no room for mercy for mistakes or errors in life; so much so, that it is common practice to commit suicide in the face of failure. For centuries the tradition of “Hara-kiri” (also known as “seppuku”), or the disemboweling of oneself by ones own knife or sword was in wide-scale practice and continues in the present day under a variety of ways. In modern day Japan, people who fail university entrance exams, break down under the pressure of the education system or suffer bankruptcy, commonly commit suicide.113 Japan leads the list of industrialized countries in terms of its suicide rate114 with 33,000 recorded suicides in the year 2000.115 This is a consequence of living outside religious morality. Shintoists are removed from moral qualities like modesty, patience, faith and compassion, which are prescribed by Divine religions, and considers this perversity, inherited from their ancestors, as honor. The fact that they do not believe in death, hereafter, hell and paradise can cause them to be extremely cruel and uncompassionate towards themselves as well as others. Their self-righteous sense of pride and their image as perceived by others is so important to them that they would rather die than be perceived of as a failure. No doubt the perception of failure as a moral deficiency and the unforgiving attitude towards weaknesses and imperfections, instead of understanding and compassion, play a major role in this. The fascist culture of Shintoism, as will be seen later in more detail, can decree the death penalty for even minor mistakes. Considering suicide as a supposed virtue is a consequence of nihilism.

Suicide is a great sin according to Allah and it contravenes Islam just like murder. Allah clearly forbids suicide: “… And do not kill yourselves” (Surat an-Nisa’: 29) Islam forbids suicide under all circumstances. In a society in which Islamic morality is practiced, people who make mistakes, or are unsuccessful, are not considered bad but are received with compassion and care. What matters is whether someone is of good character, and not whether he is successful or not. Those of inferior character are encouraged to improve themselves in a compassionate and friendly manner.

There Is No Concept Of Sin Or Crime In Shintoism

Allah has throughout history revealed through His messengers and books of revelation, His prohibitions and good deeds, taught moral virtue and warned people of the things they must refrain from. Every human being is in a trial for the duration of his earthly life. This is a fact revealed in our source of guidance, the Qur’an:

He Who created death and life to test which of you is best in action. He is the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving. (Surat al-Mulk: 2)

Every human being must fear and respect Allah, abide by our Lords commandments and adopt the morality approved by him. This is the only thing that will benefit him in this life here as well as in the hereafter.

People believing in Shintoism have no concept of sin. They believe that the evil deeds they may commit are simply caused by evil spirits and that they must therefore frequently purify themselves from their effects. Various odd rituals for this purpose are practiced in temples. They hold the irrational belief that partaking in such rituals called “harae,” in which salt, water or fire are used, cleanses people physically as well as spiritually.

“Harae”, like the other pagan practices of the Japanese, is erroneous because to purify oneself spiritually, one must genuinely listen to the voice of conscience, cleanse oneself from evil and turn to Allah. Salt or fire rituals won’t do. Every human being will receive in the life of the hereafter the recompense for his actions in this life. Those who live according to Allah’s direction, refrain from sin and immorality and do good, will earn Allah’s good pleasure, mercy and eternal paradise. Allah reveals the following: “This is your Garden which you have inherited for what you did.” (Surat al-A‘raf: 43) And those who have rejected Allah, who have ascribed handmade idols to be His partners, who have competed with one another in sin and evil and worked to spread immorality among people, will receive their fair due on the Day of Judgment. We are told in verses that:

Abandon wrong action, outward and inward. Those who commit wrong action will be repaid for what they perpetrated. (Surat al-An‘am, 120)

As for those who disbelieved and barred access to the way of Allah, We will heap punishment on top of their punishment because of the corruption they brought about. (Surat an-Nahl: 88)

… If you could only see the wrongdoers in the throes of death when the angels are stretching out their hands, saying, “Disgorge your own selves! Today you will be repaid with the punishment of humiliation for saying something other than the truth about Allah, and being arrogant about His Signs.” (Surat al-An‘am: 93)

However, it must be pointed out that if these people repent and change their ways, they will find our Lord accepting, forgiving and most compassionate.

They want you to hasten the bad rather than the good when examples of punishment are there before them in the past. Your Lord has forgiveness for people for their wrongdoing; but your Lord is also severe in retribution. (Surat ar-Ra‘d: 6)

Shintoism’s Temples Of Idolatry

In Shintoism it is of great importance to make solitary personal visits to the shrine as well as partaking in sermons conducted by professional priests, whose main responsibility in the superstitious Shinto belief is to oversee all rituals conducted in the shrine. They are not expected to be a religious guide, to preach or to be a spiritual leader. The only thing Shintoists derive from their superstitious religion is the visits to the temple shrines, where they perversely revere their imaginary deities, participate in rituals, sermons and meetings and generally abide by the traditions of their forefathers.

Those who partake in Matsuri, a Shinto festival taking place in the shrine, purify themselves beforehand with dietary restrictions lasting anywhere from a few hours to a few days, as well as bathing in salt water. Then the Kami are asked to enter the objects they are expected to occupy, which is often a symbol. No doubt, a call in vain. It is incompatible with rationality to believe that “Kami” which can be a stone, fish or mountain can hear or help them. Then offerings of food and presents are made to the kami. The priests make calls to their idols which cannot possibly hear or answer them. Offerings are hung onto the branches of trees that are, in their own eyes at least, considered sacred. Ritualistic music is played and people dance. Then the offerings are removed and the kami are asked to leave. People sometimes have the belief that the kami occupies a mobile object or idol, and they parade them in such cases through the streets in the belief that the streets will supposedly be blessed. Floats in the form of mountains, temples or boats are drawn by people or oxen, or even carried on shoulders. Shintoists follow these traditions inherited from their ancestors without fail, and spend their lives abiding by these perverted beliefs. Shintoists are misled and mistaken in their belief of finding salvation in these practices, because it is not possible for the idols they carry on their shoulders, imagine that they worship and to which they make offerings to understand their reverence, respond to their calls or answer their prayers.

Allah says:

Blessed be He Who has sent down the Furqan (Discrimination) to His servant so that he can be a warner to all beings; He to Whom the kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs. He does not have a son and He has no partner in the Kingdom. He created everything and determined it most exactly. But they have adopted gods apart from Him which do not create anything but are themselves created. They have no power to harm or help themselves. They have no power over death or life or resurrection. (Surat al-Furqan: 1-3)

State Shintoism And Japanese Fascism

Superstitious Far Eastern religions have an irrational tradition of reverence to the rulers of the country. For instance the Chinese Emperor was termed the “Son of Heaven” (Tian Zi) whereas the Japanese Emperor is known as the “Heavenly Sovereign” (Tenno) with the difference that the Japanese Emperor was also, as the extension of one superstitious belief, perversely regarded as a living divinity.

Amaterasu is known as the sun goddess in the superstitious religion of Shintoism, and the Japanese Emperor is falsely deemed to be her descendent. For this reason every word from him and everything he touches is considered supposedly sacred and allegedly divine. Even the collection of his poems is ignorantly considered to be a supposed sacred scripture, and people in his service are regarded as intermediaries of the divine.

This superstitious belief in the supposed divinity of the emperor declined with the arrival of Buddhism and Confucianism in the country in the 6th century. The internal disorder prevalent in the country weakened the emperor’s influence over the people. At the end of the 8th century the Fujivara dynasty came to power, but the aristocracy revolted and a civil war lasting centuries broke out. In 1192 one of the aristocracy, Yoritomo Minamoto defeated the rest of the warring fractions and acquired power under the title of “Shogun” (military dictator), beginning a new era of military rule. Yoritomo made this title hereditary and therefore controlled the rest of the aristocracy. The emperor on the other hand continued his existence as a sovereign spiritual leader, albeit without political powers.

From State Shintoism To Aggressive Japanese Nationalism

Superstitious Far Eastern religions have an irrational tradition of reverence to the rulers of the country. For instance the Chinese Emperor was termed the “Son of Heaven” (Tian Zi) whereas the Japanese Emperor is known as the “Heavenly Sovereign” (Tenno) with the difference that the Japanese Emperor was also, as the extension of one superstitious belief, perversely regarded as a living divinity.

Amaterasu is known as the sun goddess in the superstitious religion of Shintoism, and the Japanese Emperor is falsely deemed to be her descendent. For this reason every word from him and everything he touches is considered supposedly sacred and allegedly divine. Even the collection of his poems is ignorantly considered to be a supposed sacred scripture, and people in his service are regarded as intermediaries of the divine.

This superstitious belief in the supposed divinity of the emperor declined with the arrival of Buddhism and Confucianism in the country in the 6th century. The internal disorder prevalent in the country weakened the emperor’s influence over the people. At the end of the 8th century the Fujivara dynasty came to power, but the aristocracy revolted and a civil war lasting centuries broke out. In 1192 one of the aristocracy, Yoritomo Minamoto defeated the rest of the warring fractions and acquired power under the title of “Shogun” (military dictator), beginning a new era of military rule. Yoritomo made this title hereditary and therefore controlled the rest of the aristocracy. The emperor on the other hand continued his existence as a sovereign spiritual leader, albeit without political powers.

 

The Perversion Of Worship Of The Emperor

State Shintoism was not wholly compatible with the Japanese Shinto religion until the 19th century. The emperor and his government created new rules by the day, and the so called sacred scriptures were written and rewritten by the state administration. Basil Hall Chamberlain, an expert on Japans at the Tokyo University was drawing attention to that era’s Japan in his famous book titled The Invention of A New Religion.117 He was relating the following in his work on the empire, those who worked in its service and how they created a new religion:

Mikado-worship and Japan-worship — for that is the new Japanese religion — is, of course, no spontaneously generated phenomenon. Every manufacture presupposes a material out of which it is made, every present a past on which it rests. But the twentieth-century Japanese religion of loyalty and patriotism is quite new, for in it pre-existing ideas have been sifted, altered, freshly compounded, turned to new uses, and have found a new centre of gravity. Not only is it new, it is not yet completed; it is still in process of being consciously or semi-consciously put together by the official class, in order to serve the interests of that class, and, incidentally, the interests of the nation at large.118

As the author states, the new superstitious and perverse religion of State Shintoism began to be created towards the end of the 19th century. As it was not a faith based on Divine revelation, the traditions and erroneous beliefs by the name of Shintoism could be easily adapted to the needs of the regime without it being considered “strange” by society. Thus, State Shintoism became the means to an end of the ascending fascist tendencies of the Japanese empire. The official religious teachings were frequently making references to the so called sacredness of the Japanese emperor and nation, and introduced gradually the lie of the supremacy of the Japanese race over all other nations. As a consequence of this baseless and nonsensical idea, racism and hostility towards foreigners emerged. However, the people’s interest in Buddhism continued to worry the state administration which sought to minimize the place of Buddhism in Japanese society. Basil Hall Chamberlain describes this situation as follows:

The common people, it is true, continued to place their affections on Buddhism, the popular festivals were Buddhist, and the temples where they buried their dead were Buddhist. The governing class determined to change all this. They insisted on the Shinto doctrine that the Mikado allegedly descended in direct succession from the native goddess of the Sun, and that he himself is supposedly a living god [Surely Allah is beyond that] on earth who can justly claim the absolute fealty of his subjects. Things such as laws and constitutions were but magnanimous gifts on His part, not in any sense popular rights. Of course, the ministers and officials, high and low, who carry on His government, are to be regarded not as public servants, but rather as executors of supreme — one might say supernatural – authority.119

Whereas Japan had been closed community to the outside world for centuries, during the Meiji era know-how and technology from Western societies were acquired with great interest. Great importance was placed on the army and navy, and Japan acquired a military capability strong and aggressive enough to defeat China and Russia. Economic growth driven by radical nationalist sentiments required ever greater natural resources and greater markets and consequently led to colonialist ambitions. A patriotism that considered violence as an appropriate means, at least in their own eyes, developed and Japan descended into aggression, fascism and imperialism that had no regard for the rights of other nations.

Japan attacked and made war with China (1894 – 1895) and then Russia (1904 – 1905); they easily won both. In the 1930’s they occupied Manchuria and committed unbelievable atrocities against the civilian population in their war against China. In 1937, Japanese forces occupied the city of Nanking, China where 300,000 innocent people became subjected to an orgy of torture, rape and genocide. During the Second World War Japan attacked Malaysia, Singapore, New Guinea, Manila and Java. These wars further increased the power of State Shintoism. Chamberlain describes the conquest policies of the “New perverse Shinto Religion” as follows:

All military successes were ascribed to the miraculous influence of the Emperor’s virtue, and to the virtues of His Imperial and divine ancestors — that is, of former Emperors and of Shinto deities. Imperial envoys were regularly sent after each great victory to carry the good tidings to the imaginary Sun Goddess at her great shrine at Ise. Not there alone, but at the other principal Shinto shrines throughout the land, the cannon captured from Chinese or Russian foes were officially installed, with a view to identifying Imperialism, Shinto, and national glory in the popular mind. The new legend is enforced wherever feasible — for instance, by means of a new set of festivals celebrating Imperial official events.120

A work titled “History of Religious Statism and Buddhism in Japan” explained that Japans imperialism was founded on “State Shintoism”. During the war with China (1937-1945), the Prime Minister at that time, Hiranuma Kiichiro, pointed out that “All religions should be made to comply with Japan’s national policies and should in no way conflict with the strategy of the empire” he also said, «Those who act differently will be punished.». Laws were passed that assured the government’s total control over all religious entities, but these laws were used to promote aggressive nationalism and a fascist and imperialistic consciousness was imposed on the masses through the education system.121

Schools were the most prominent means of the State Shinto’s propaganda. History was taught with an imperialist spin. Likewise military and naval training was based on the principle that the emperor is paramount. Members of the armed forces were expected to be totally loyal to the emperor and criticism was absolutely forbidden. History was shaped by this new perverted religion and “rewritten” accordingly, and the status of the emperor was strengthened by ever new mythological legends. This aggressive and biased worldview that considered the Japanese superior to all other races blinded the Japanese people and its effect, together with the pressure applied by the Japanese generals, drew the country into the Second World War.

The End Of State Shintoism: The Second World War

Decisions taken by the emperor and the army could not be questioned and the whole Japanese nation was forced into submission unconditionally. Japan entered a military alliance with Germany and Italy in 1939 and sank or crippled a majority of the American navy’s Pacific Fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on the 7th of December 1941. In this way, Japan declared war on the greatest military power on earth and at the same time paved the way to its own demise. In the final stages of the war, Japan decided to continue the war despite the fall of Italy and Germany, suffering heavy losses in the process. The Second World War was brought to an end with the two atomic bombs dropped by American bombers on the 6th of August 1945 on Hiroshima, and on the 9th of August 1945 on Nagasaki. More than 100,000 people perished, tens of thousands suffered crippling injuries, and these two large cities were simply wiped off the face of the earth. In addition, the Soviet Union had declared war on Japan on August 9th, 1945 as well, and thus created another front. Japan could no longer withstand these pressures and capitulated on the 14th of August 1945 and on the 2nd of September 1945 Japan officially signed her unconditional surrender.

The Second World War also ended State Shintoism. Japan was prohibited from forming an army or producing arms and her security was underwritten and guaranteed by the United States. American forces occupied all of Japan. The Japanese emperor made his historical speech on the radio, in which he proclaimed that Japan had lost the war and declared that he was “neither a divinity nor a sacred personality”(Surely Allah is beyond that). The empire was dissolved. Japan’s new constitution separated the state from religion and State Shintoism was replaced with “temple Shintoism” (Cinca Shinto).

At present temple Shintoism continues to have a relationship with the royal family, albeit without any underlying political functions. The emperor Hirohito who ascended to the throne in 1926, died on the 7th of January 1989. He was succeeded by his eldest son Prince Akihito who was crowned in November 1990. At present the emperor of Japan is a symbolic figurehead.

The great devastation suffered by the Japanese empire became a historical proof of the fact that Shintoism was a false belief. Just as the Nazi defeat in the Second World War proved the falseness of the racist and pagan Nazi ideology that had promised to deliver a “thousand year German Empire”, so too was the pagan Shinto religion that proclaimed racial supremacy exposed as a fraud. People who believe in this erroneous religion prepare their own demise in the cause of worshipping false idols besides Allah.

Allah explains the error of such people as follows:

Say: “Call on those you make claims for besides Allah. They have no power over even the smallest particle, either in the heavens or in the earth. They have no share in them. He has no need of their support.” (Surah Saba’: 22)

For most people in present-day Japan, religion consists more or less of talking to idols and prayers for success and happiness, especially around the New Year holiday. However there are around 180,000 larger or smaller sects in Japan as the derivatives of Shintoism and Buddhism, or bizarre and perverse sects that idolize Thomas Edison and electricity (Denshinkyo), sexual organs or even mountains.122 The most prominent sects in Japan are Tendai, Shingon, Jodo Shinshu, Nichiren, Tenrikyo, Konkokyo, Secho No Le and Omotoleyo. Islam on the other hand rejects all perversions of religion in all nations and commands the worship of the Most Compassionate and Merciful Lord and Sole Proprietor of the universe. Allah says in Surat al-Baqara:

Those are the people who have sold guidance for misguidance. Their trade has brought no profit; they are not guided. (Surat al-Baqara: 16)