Characteristics Of Muslim Modernism

“This world is a prison for the faithful, but a paradise for unbelievers”(Muhammed). One in every five persons on this earth firmly believes that the Prophet Muhammad is the last Messenger of God. He was a Muslim and there are more than 1.3 billion such Muslims today. Not only individuals but entire countries take pride in declaring their allegiance to him. There are 54 such Muslim states today, ranging from those as large as Indonesia and Bangladesh, with populations of 200 and 125 million. The prophet Muhammad has influenced a huge portion of the world’s population; in addition, he still has impacts on Islamic and Western world till this day this day. Therefore, this research paper will focus on muhammad’s biography, early life, early social changes under Islam, appearance, Family(backgrounds, traditions and ect….), legacy, Muhammad’s view on Jihad, and Muhammad’s last four years.

Beginning with Muhammad’s age from the start of 7th century Islam, Islamic culture and politics have gone a great many events and occurrences. Throughout all of its years, it has boasted both a rich culture and technological/intellectual advancements. The preservation of the Quran, developments in mathematics, and the continued emphasis on respect and charitable nature are just some examples of Islamic achievement. However, as with any growing civilization, Islam has evolved beyond what it originated as. The cultural and political life of Islamic civilization beginning in the 7th century to the end of the Abbasids of the 13th century underwent many changes such as the deteriorating view of women in society and the shift from elected caliphates to dynastical caliphate. But, one aspect that persisted were the religious beliefs and traditions followed by the Islamic people.

In conclusion, the rapid regions of Islam kept its original foundation while refreshing its political and economic design. The administrative phases of Islam connect to the experimental reign of classical Rome, as they also experimented with multiple political leaders- using more than 26 leaders! Islam’s continuity of Sharia’s policy also connects to the American loyalty to early documents, as the United States’ government continues to reference the Declaration of

Yet inequalities may not be the case for women in more westernized nations as they receive greater freedom (60). This is where the great diversity between modernist Muslim’s and conservative Muslim’s come in. Modernist Muslims argue genuine Islam is compatible with modern west society and political ideas such as democracy and the equality of women. The views of women in society are supported by revelations of the prophet Mohammed. On the other hand we have conservative Muslims where they believe in

1. Summary of the Islamic worldview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

The modern university does manifest itself in the Islamic world. The Golden Age of Islamic culture traces its roots back to the modern university. Throughout Islamic history, education was a point of pride and a field Muslims have always excelled in. The Islamic world was rich, diverse, and creative. Muslims became founders of the most major accomplishments in the world which later leads to western and world civilizations. The Muslims were most advanced in many fields such as mathematics, art, medicine, literature, and astronomy. It also led the way into the development of libraries and universities.

As centuries passed in the Middle East, certain cultural and intellectual traditions in the Middle East changed through the influences of other civilizations yet managed to stay the same in the aspect of Islam in the society. And as shown by the status of women in the Middle East, while certain beliefs and traditions may stay unchanged, the way cultures have influenced them can affect how the previously mentioned beliefs and traditions are taken into

Many aspects of the muslim religion conflict with the common beliefs and ideals of the secular worldview. Perhaps the most controversial difference is the muslim tradition of women covering the hair or in many cases the entire body. With the steady rise of feminism throughout much of the Western world throughout the past few decades, the gap between the muslim religion and the secular worldview has become more intense as the burqa/hijab is often seen as a sign of female oppression to many secularists. With many European countries, such as France and Belgium, now banning the wearing of these garments in public, it has become increasingly more difficult for women in both Islam and Western civilisations to establish themselves and gain independence as well as basic human rights, whilst still remaining faithful to their muslim religion.

As a young person who was raised in a Christian household, it is hard to imagine becoming a believer in anything else. I have been attending worship services for as long as I can remember, and I have never looked back, or questioned my faith. Reading about these two mean and their conversion from Islam to Christianity was inspiring, and humbling. For someone like me, who is sure in what they believe, that process seems impossible. Not for Ergun and Emir Caner, the authors of Unveiling Islam. In addition to reading the book, I wanted more information on the lives of these authors, so I watched several interviews with them where they expanded upon their life’s story, as well as explaining more about the Muslim faith. Understanding how these religions stand apart can be difficult at first, there are differences, but there are similarities as well. This book did a wonderful job at comparing and contrasting the two. It gives you an in depth look into how Islam came to be, how it was founded, who created the Qur’an, who Muhammad was, etc. I am usually not one to enjoy reading, although this particular book would be an exception. I thoroughly enjoyed following these men on their journey, and learning about this religion that is becoming so prevalent in out Country.

This type of primary source is a written document by Jonathan Lyons in which he describes Islam through western eyes. In Islam Through Western Eyes, Jonathan Lyons unloads Western propensities for contemplating Islam, directing a watchful examination of the West's great totalizing story crosswise over one thousand years of history. He watches the talk's destructive consequences for the sociologies, including human science, legislative issues, theory, religious philosophy, worldwide relations, security studies, and human rights grant. He takes after its influence on research, speeches, political system, and government approach, keeping the West from reacting viably to its most noteworthy twenty-first-century challenges: the ascent of Islamic power, the rise of religious savagery, and the growing pressure between built up social qualities and multicultural rights among Muslim foreigner populaces.

The Islamic vision of reality and truth, which is a metaphysical survey of the visible as well as the invisible world including the perspective of life as a whole, is not formed by gathering of other cultures. Moreover,

Throughout civilization, religions have come a long way in impacting modern society and civilization. One of the major Abrahamic religions, Islam, has made many advances and has contributed a variety of concepts, ideas and inventions to western civilization. Most of these contributions have gone unnoticed throughout the years, and have been credited by various people, when in reality Muslim scholars have formulated these concepts. Although some may believe that these contributions are irrelevant, the reality is that most of the everyday concepts humans use all around the world, have been derived from a primarily Islamic school of thought.

The region of the Middle East and its inhabitants have always been a wonder to the Europeans, dating back to the years before the advent of Islam and the years following the Arab conquest. Today, the Islamic world spreads from the corners of the Philippines to the far edges of Spain and Central Africa. Various cultures have adopted the Islamic faith, and this blending of many different cultures has strengthened the universal Islamic culture. The religion of Islam has provided a new meaning to the lives of many people around the world. In the Islamic world, the religion defines and enriches culture and as a result the culture gives meaning to the individual. Islam is not only a religion, it is in its own way a culture. It may be this very

Modernism was a movement that was developed during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Modernism developed due to the changes happening in societies at the time. Around the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century there was a rise in the industrial society’s where there were advancements in technologies and machines, and a rapid growths in cities. This lead to a change in cultural trends and philosophies, which is known as modernism. Modernism was well known for the rejection on traditional way, such as the arts and beliefs. It rejected the idea of realism and religious beliefs. During these years modernism could be distinguished by two aspects, High and Low Modernism.

According to the writings of Espisito (2005) there are four schools of thought in the Islamic faith or four attitudes that can be distinguished: (1) secularist; (2) conservative; (3) neotraditonalist; and (4) reformist. (p.228-32) An examination of the primary