Short answer
Jain teaching holds that the Jinas, the freed teachers, know all things, but have left the world and do not answer anyone who calls. The Qur'an says of all that people call on besides Allah (﷾) that "they will not listen to your call" (35:14). Most Jains bow before a Jina's image as a reminder of the goal, and ask it for nothing. Many also ask guardian deities such as Padmavati and Ambika for worldly help, though Jain teaching places them in the round of rebirth. The Svetambara Sthanakvasis and Svetambara Terapanthis use no images at all. So who does answer? Allah (﷾) says "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer)" (40:60), and He is close to every one who calls on Him (2:186).
Full explanation
What Jain teaching says of the Jinas
Jain teaching holds the Jina all-knowing. The Kalpa Sutra, a Svetambara (white-clad) text, says this of Mahavira, the last Tirthankara. He "knew and saw all conditions of all living beings in the world, what they thought, spoke, or did at any moment". But a Jina who has reached liberation has left the world for good, and he does not answer anyone. Another Svetambara text says that the perfected souls "reside on the top of the world". They are "rid of all transmigration" (Uttaradhyayana 36.57 and 36.64). The Digambaras (sky-clad) do not accept the Svetambara canon. Both traditions accept the Tattvartha Sutra, in different recensions, and its last chapter teaches the same of the freed soul. It rises to the top of the universe and stays there. The Jain scholar P. S. Jaini writes that Jains know the perfected ones are beyond human affairs. So no deity in a Jain temple answers, and the relation runs one way.
“he the Arhat, for whom there is no secret, knew and saw all conditions of all living beings in the world, what they thought, spoke, or did at any moment.”
“Perfected souls are debarred from the non-world (Aloka); they reside on the top of the world; they leave their bodies here (below), and go there, on reaching perfection.”
“There at the top of the world reside the blessed perfected souls, rid of all transmigration, and arrived at the excellent state of perfection.”
The last chapter of the Tattvartha Sutra, which both Jain traditions accept in different recensions, is on liberation. It teaches that the freed soul keeps perfect knowledge and perception. It rises to the top of the universe and stays there, because beyond it there is no medium of motion. It does not say that the freed soul answers anyone.
Jaini writes that building, consecrating and venerating images of the Tirthankaras are the main religious activities of lay Jains. He adds that Jains do not expect worldly help of any kind from the Jinas they worship, because they know that these perfected beings are forever beyond human affairs. So no deity is present in a Jain temple, and the relation between worshipper and Jina runs one way. He explains Jain image worship as meditation: the Jina is an ideal, a state every soul can reach, and the stone image is a reminder of that goal.
How Jains worship, and whom some ask
Most Jains, Svetambara and Digambara, bow before images of the Jinas in puja, the rite of worship. Jaini explains this as meditation: the image is a reminder of the goal, and the worshipper asks the Jina for nothing. Many Jains also ask guardian deities such as Padmavati and Ambika for worldly help, though Jain teaching places those deities in the round of rebirth. Some Jain teachers warn against this. Somadeva says these deities must never be counted equal to a Jina, and his verse goes on to honour them as guardians of the teaching. Asadhara says a person of true insight would not turn to a yaksha even in great calamity, and he allows that a beginner may. The Svetambara Sthanakvasis and Svetambara Terapanthis use no images at all.
Jaini writes that building, consecrating and venerating images of the Tirthankaras are the main religious activities of lay Jains. He adds that Jains do not expect worldly help of any kind from the Jinas they worship, because they know that these perfected beings are forever beyond human affairs. So no deity is present in a Jain temple, and the relation between worshipper and Jina runs one way. He explains Jain image worship as meditation: the Jina is an ideal, a state every soul can reach, and the stone image is a reminder of that goal.
Jaini says that under Hindu devotional influence, god-images appeared in Jain temples in the medieval period. They show the guardian spirits (shasana-devata), such as the snake-god Dharanendra and his consort Padmavati, who protected Parshva. These spirits are held able to fulfil worldly wishes, and many lay Jains appeal to them for that. Each Tirthankara is said to have two such attendants, but only a few became popular: Chakreshvari (Rishabha), Ambika (Nemi) and Padmavati (Parshva) among them. They have never taken the place of the Jina himself. In note 14 Jaini adds that the Digambara writer Somadeva (tenth century) warns that anyone who counts these deities equal to a Jina is heading downwards; Somadeva's verse goes on to say they were appointed as guardians of the teaching and are to be honoured. The Digambara writer Asadhara (thirteenth century) says a person of true insight would never worship the yakshas, even in great calamity, and his line adds that a beginner may.
Dundas writes that the temple cult of image worship is the most visible part of Jain practice, but two Svetambara sects, the Sthanakvasis and an offshoot of theirs, the Terapanthis, reject formal worship of images. They are a minority beside the Svetambara and Digambara Jains who call themselves image-worshipping. The image brings the qualities of the freed teacher to mind, and the worshipper gains merit and inner purity. Prayers to the Jinas are not offered for worldly success such as business or marriage.
Dundas says each Jina is linked with a yaksha and a yakshi, a male and a female attendant, and that this goes back to at least the first century CE. By about the tenth century the yakshis, the guardian goddesses (shasanadevata), had cults of their own, with Padmavati and Ambika among the best known. Ambika's legend says she died and was reborn as the attendant goddess of Nemi. Worldly requests, such as for prosperity or marriage, are the province of these divinities, whose images generally stand outside the inner shrine.
Jaini notes that the Svetambara Sthanakvasi sect condemns image worship altogether, on the ground that the oldest Jain texts say nothing of images or temples. He says the Terapantha began later with a Sthanakvasi monk, Bhikhanji (p. 314).
Common ground, and the question that is left
Jain teaching holds that the freed Jinas know, but do not answer. The Qur'an says that those people call on besides Allah (﷾) "have not the least power". They will not listen to the call, and they cannot answer a prayer. So on the freed Jinas the two agree: they do not answer. Jains and Muslims also agree that no image can save a soul, and that each soul answers for its own deeds. The question is not whether an image can answer. The question is who does.
“He merges Night into Day, and he merges Day into Night, and he has subjected the sun and the moon (to his Law): each one runs its course for a term appointed. Such is Allah your Lord: to Him belongs all Dominion. And those whom ye invoke besides Him have not the least power.”
“If ye invoke them, they will not listen to your call, and if they were to listen, they cannot answer your (prayer). On the Day of Judgment they will reject your "Partnership". and none, (O man!) can tell thee (the Truth) like the One Who is acquainted with all things.”
“Say: "Shall I seek for (my) Cherisher other than Allah, when He is the Cherisher of all things (that exist)? Every soul draws the meed of its acts on none but itself: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another. Your goal in the end is towards Allah: He will tell you the truth of the things wherein ye disputed."”
The One who answers
Allah (﷾) says that He is indeed close to His servants and listens to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Him. He says, "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer)". The Qur'an says that "none in the heavens or on earth, except Allah, knows what is hidden". He is the Living, the Self-subsisting, and no slumber or sleep can seize Him. So He hears every caller at every hour, and no go-between is needed. Prayer, belief and character together make one way of life, and the believer's asking is part of it.
“When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way.”
“And your Lord says: "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer): but those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell - in humiliation!"”
“Say: None in the heavens or on earth, except Allah, knows what is hidden: nor can they perceive when they shall be raised up (for Judgment).”
“Allah! There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory).”
Servants like you
The Qur'an asks those who call on others besides Allah (﷾) to see that these are "servants like unto you". It tells them to call upon them and let them listen, if they are truthful. Jain teaching itself counts the guardian deities among beings still in the round of rebirth, and Ambika's legend says she was reborn as Nemi's attendant. So they are creatures too. The Qur'an says that the places of worship are for Allah (﷾), so no one is to be invoked along with Him. This is the rule for every reader, and it forbids no respect for a teacher.
“Verily those whom ye call upon besides Allah are servants like unto you: Call upon them, and let them listen to your prayer, if ye are (indeed) truthful!”
“"And the places of worship are for Allah (alone): So invoke not any one along with Allah;”
Dundas says each Jina is linked with a yaksha and a yakshi, a male and a female attendant, and that this goes back to at least the first century CE. By about the tenth century the yakshis, the guardian goddesses (shasanadevata), had cults of their own, with Padmavati and Ambika among the best known. Ambika's legend says she died and was reborn as the attendant goddess of Nemi. Worldly requests, such as for prosperity or marriage, are the province of these divinities, whose images generally stand outside the inner shrine.
A reminder cannot forgive
A reminder of an ideal can steady a person, but it cannot answer, forgive or help. In Jain teaching each soul bears what it has done: the Svetambara canon says that karma, the result of deeds, follows the doer. The Qur'an agrees that every soul answers for itself. It adds that Allah (﷾) forgives all sins, and that hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah (﷾). In Islam a wrong is not undone by the doer's effort alone. It is Allah (﷾) who forgives it. The page "How is a Muslim saved? Do Muslims earn Paradise by good works?" says more.
“Neither his kinsmen, nor his friends, nor his sons, nor his relations will share his suffering, he alone has to bear it; for the Karman follows the doer.”
“Say: "Shall I seek for (my) Cherisher other than Allah, when He is the Cherisher of all things (that exist)? Every soul draws the meed of its acts on none but itself: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another. Your goal in the end is towards Allah: He will tell you the truth of the things wherein ye disputed."”
“Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
“"Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.”
Read the Book, and follow the last Prophet (ﷺ)
The Qur'an asks to be weighed with care. It says that had it been from other than Allah (﷾), much discrepancy would have been found in it. It was brought by Muhammad (ﷺ), who was sent to all mankind. Muslims invite every Jain to read it, and to call on the One it describes.
“Do they not consider the Qur'an (with care)? Had it been from other Than Allah, they would surely have found therein Much discrepancy.”
“Say: "O men! I am sent unto you all, as the Messenger of Allah, to Whom belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth: there is no god but He: it is He That giveth both life and death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Unlettered Prophet, who believeth in Allah and His words: follow him that (so) ye may be guided."”
Six replies answered
P. S. Jaini, The Jaina Path of Purification (1979), pp. 193-194
Jaini writes that building, consecrating and venerating images of the Tirthankaras are the main religious activities of lay Jains. He adds that Jains do not expect worldly help of any kind from the Jinas they worship, because they know that these perfected beings are forever beyond human affairs. So no deity is present in a Jain temple, and the relation between worshipper and Jina runs one way. He explains Jain image worship as meditation: the Jina is an ideal, a state every soul can reach, and the stone image is a reminder of that goal.
Cited for
No Jain says the Jinas answer. You are arguing against a view that nobody holds.
The response
That is right, and this page says so. By Jain teaching the Jina is all-knowing, as the Kalpa Sutra says of Mahavira, but once freed he does not answer. Jaini writes that Jains know this. The page does not argue against a Jain claim. It asks the question that follows: if the Jina does not answer, to whom does a person in need turn? The Qur'an answers. Allah (﷾) says "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer)" (40:60), and He is close (2:186).
Where it lands — No claim is made against Jain teaching. The question is whom a person in need calls on.
P. S. Jaini, The Jaina Path of Purification (1979), pp. 194-195 with notes 13-14
Jaini says that under Hindu devotional influence, god-images appeared in Jain temples in the medieval period. They show the guardian spirits (shasana-devata), such as the snake-god Dharanendra and his consort Padmavati, who protected Parshva. These spirits are held able to fulfil worldly wishes, and many lay Jains appeal to them for that. Each Tirthankara is said to have two such attendants, but only a few became popular: Chakreshvari (Rishabha), Ambika (Nemi) and Padmavati (Parshva) among them. They have never taken the place of the Jina himself. In note 14 Jaini adds that the Digambara writer Somadeva (tenth century) warns that anyone who counts these deities equal to a Jina is heading downwards; Somadeva's verse goes on to say they were appointed as guardians of the teaching and are to be honoured. The Digambara writer Asadhara (thirteenth century) says a person of true insight would never worship the yakshas, even in great calamity, and his line adds that a beginner may.
Cited for
Asking Padmavati or Ambika for help is not worship of a Jina, and some Jain teachers warn against it. It is a small matter of popular practice.
The response
Some Jain writers do warn against it, and this page names them. Others do ask, as Jaini and Dundas describe. Jain teaching places these beings inside the round of rebirth. The Qur'an calls those invoked besides Allah (﷾) "servants like unto you" (7:194). Where Jain writers warn against asking them, the Qur'an goes further (72:18).
Where it lands — On the guardian deities, the Jain writers who warn against them and the Qur'an point the same way.
P. S. Jaini, The Jaina Path of Purification (1979), pp. 191 and 314
Jaini notes that the Svetambara Sthanakvasi sect condemns image worship altogether, on the ground that the oldest Jain texts say nothing of images or temples. He says the Terapantha began later with a Sthanakvasi monk, Bhikhanji (p. 314).
Cited for
Many Jains use no image at all. The Sthanakvasi and the Svetambara Terapanthi already agree that an image cannot help, so you have no quarrel with us.
The response
That is so, and it is common ground: an image cannot help. The Qur'an says it of all that is called on besides Allah (35:14). The quarrel is not with those who use no images. The question is whom the person in need calls on, and the Qur'an gives the answer (40:60).
Where it lands — Agreement on the image leaves the question: who answers? The Qur'an says Allah (﷾) does.
Uttaradhyayana Sutra 28.3 — lecture 28 (The Road to Final Deliverance), verse 3
“Right knowledge, faith, conduct, and austerities; beings who follow this road, will obtain beatitude.”
Cited for
We need no one to answer. Each soul frees itself by its own effort, so prayer to anyone is beside the point.
The response
Islam honours effort and a clean heart. But in Islam a wrong is not undone by effort alone. It is Allah (﷾) who forgives it, and the Qur'an says He forgives all sins (39:53). He is nearer to a person than his jugular vein (50:16) and listens to every caller (2:186). The page "How is a Muslim saved? Do Muslims earn Paradise by good works?" says more.
Where it lands — Effort is honoured. Islam adds the One who is near and who forgives.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1597 — Kitab al-Hajj (Book of Pilgrimage), hadith 1597
Abis ibn Rabi'a reports that Umar came to the Black Stone and kissed it. Umar said that he knew it was a stone that could neither harm nor benefit, and that had he not seen the Prophet (ﷺ) kiss it, he would not have kissed it.
Cited for
Muslims bow towards a stone building and kiss a black stone. That is image worship by another name.
The response
Muslims bow to Allah (﷾) alone. The Kaaba is only the direction they face (2:144). At the Black Stone, Umar said that he knew it was a stone which could neither harm nor benefit. He kissed it only because he had seen the Prophet (ﷺ) do so (Bukhari 1597). The Qur'an forbids invoking anyone along with Allah (72:18). The page "Do Muslims worship the Kaaba and the Black Stone?" takes it up.
Where it lands — The Stone is kissed on the Prophet's (ﷺ) example, and no one asks it for anything.
Qur'an 2:255 — Surat al-Baqara (The Cow), verse 255
“Allah! There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory).”
Cited for
Muslims also ask the Prophet (ﷺ) to intercede with Allah and visit graves to ask for help. Islam does the same as the Jains you describe.
The response
Islam allows visiting graves (Muslim 977a). It forbids calling on the dead for what only Allah (﷾) gives: "invoke not any one along with Allah" (72:18). All intercession belongs to Allah (39:44). The Prophet (ﷺ) will intercede on the Day, but only after Allah's (﷾) leave, for those He accepts (2:255; 20:109; Bukhari 99). So a Muslim asks Allah (﷾) for that intercession, and asks no one in His place. The page "Can a Muslim call on anyone but Allah for help?" takes it up.
Where it lands — Islam's rule is stated and quoted: invoke none with Allah (﷾), and intercession only by His leave.
Perspectives
Image-worshipping Jains (Svetambara Murtipujaka and Digambara)
These Jains bow before the images of the Jinas. They say plainly that the Jinas know, but do not answer or help, and that the image is a reminder of the goal. Many also ask the guardian deities for worldly help, though some Jain writers warn against it.
Svetambara Murtipujaka and Digambara, who worship images
Nobody thinks the Jina answers. The image is a support for meditation and a reminder of the goal that every soul can reach.
Rebuttal
Granted, and this page does not say otherwise. A reminder cannot answer, forgive or help, so the need to call on someone remains. The Qur'an says Allah (﷾) is close and answers (2:186; 40:60).
Puja is for our own purification. It asks for no reward. It gives merit and inner purity, and turns the mind toward liberation.
Rebuttal
Then no one answers the worshipper, and no one forgives him. The Qur'an says Allah (﷾) forgives all sins (39:53) and is near to every caller (2:186).
Asking a guardian deity such as Padmavati or Ambika for worldly help is a separate and lower matter. They are kindly beings tied to the Jinas, and their shrines stand outside the inner sanctum.
Rebuttal
Jain teaching itself counts them as beings still in the round of rebirth, creatures like us. The Qur'an calls those invoked besides Allah (﷾) "servants like unto you" (7:194). Allah (﷾) alone answers every caller (40:60).
Jain writers who warn against the guardian deities
These Digambara writers warn against the guardian deities. Somadeva says they must never be counted equal to a Jina. Asadhara says a person of true insight would not turn to a yaksha, even in great calamity.
Digambara writers Somadeva (tenth century) and Asadhara (thirteenth century)
The guardian deities must never be counted equal to a Jina. A person of true insight would not turn to a yaksha, even in great calamity.
Rebuttal
Granted. The Qur'an goes further: "invoke not any one along with Allah" (72:18). A warning about whom not to call still leaves the question of whom to call, and the Qur'an answers it (40:60).
Jains who use no images (Svetambara Sthanakvasi and Svetambara Terapanthi)
These two Svetambara groups reject image worship altogether, and say the oldest texts do not mention images.
Svetambara Sthanakvasi and Svetambara Terapanthi
Image worship is not in the oldest scriptures, and an image cannot help anyone. So we use none.
Rebuttal
Granted that an image cannot help. The Qur'an says the same of all that is called on besides Allah (35:14). The question stays: who answers the one in need?
The Islamic perspective
Jain teaching holds that the freed Jinas know, but do not answer; the Qur'an says this of all that is called on besides Allah (﷾). The guardian deities are creatures like us. Islam says who does answer: Allah (﷾), the Living, who is close and answers every caller. No image saves a soul, and each soul answers for its own deeds. Allah (﷾) forgives all sins. Belief, worship and character together make one way of life.
The Qur'an says that those people call on besides Allah (﷾) have not the least power. They will not listen to the call, and they cannot answer a prayer.
Allah (﷾) says, "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer)". He is close, and He listens to every suppliant who calls on Him.
None in the heavens or on earth, except Allah (﷾), knows what is hidden.
Allah (﷾) is the Living, the Self-subsisting. No slumber or sleep can seize Him, and no one can plead with Him except as He permits.
Those whom people call upon besides Allah (﷾) are "servants like unto you". No one is to be invoked along with Allah (﷾).
Every soul answers for its own acts, and Allah (﷾) forgives all sins. A reminder of an ideal cannot do what Allah (﷾) does.
The believer asks Allah (﷾) alone for help, and prayer, belief and character together make one way of life.