Holy Quran:
9: 80. Ask thou forgiveness for them, or ask thou not forgiveness for them; even if thou ask forgiveness for them seventy times, ALLAH will never forgive them. That is because they disbelieved in ALLAH and HIS Messenger. And ALLAH guides not the perfidious people.
31: 28. And if all the trees that are in the earth were pens, and the ocean - seven more oceans to replenish it - were ink, the words of ALLAH would not be exhausted. Surely, ALLAH is Mighty, Wise.
69: 33. `Then bind him with a chain, the length of which is seventy cubits,
2: 262. The similitude of those who spend their wealth in the way of ALLAH is like the similitude of a grain of corn which grows seven ears, in each ear a hundred grains. And ALLAH multiplies it further for whomsoever HE pleases and ALLAH is Bountiful, All-Knowing.
Bukhari:
Volume 1, Book 2, Number 40:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "If any one of you improve (follows strictly) his Islamic religion then his good deeds will be rewarded ten times to seven hundred times for each good deed and a bad deed will be recorded as it is."
Volume 4, Book 52, Number 93:
Narrated Abu Said:
I heard the Prophet saying, "Indeed, anyone who fasts for one day for Allah's Pleasure, Allah will keep his face away from the (Hell) fire for (a distance covered by a journey of) seventy years."
Volume 7, Book 71, Number 606:
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
Allah's Apostle said, 'Nations were displayed before me; one or two prophets would pass by along with a few followers. A prophet would pass by accompanied by nobody. Then a big crowd of people passed in front of me and I asked, Who are they Are they my followers?" It was said, 'No. It is Moses and his followers It was said to me, 'Look at the horizon.'' Behold! There was a multitude of people filling the horizon. Then it was said to me, 'Look there and there about the stretching sky! Behold! There was a multitude filling the horizon,' It was said to me, 'This is your nation out of whom seventy thousand shall enter Paradise without reckoning.' "Then the Prophet entered his house without telling his companions who they (the 70,000) were. So the people started talking about the issue and said, "It is we who have believed in Allah and followed His Apostle; therefore those people are either ourselves or our children who are born m the Islamic era, for we were born in the Pre-lslamic Period of Ignorance.'' When the Prophet heard of that, he came out and said. "Those people are those who do not treat themselves with Ruqya, nor do they believe in bad or good omen (from birds etc.) nor do they get themselves branded (Cauterized). but they put their trust (only) in their Lord " On that 'Ukasha bin Muhsin said. "Am I one of them, O Allah's Apostle?' The Prophet said, "Yes." Then another person got up and said, "Am I one of them?" The Prophet said, 'Ukasha has anticipated you."
Volume 8, Book 75, Number 319:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
I heard Allah's Apostle saying." By Allah! I ask for forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day."
your friend is right.. no matter what way you slice it, it’s still worship of an inanimate object.. why blame Hindus for their tangible representation of supreme beings..??
