Definition Essay: How Does One Define Religion?

The Islamic religion is a Middle Eastern, Arabic Peninsula, based religion that originated right around the 7th c. and is based on the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. The definition of the word Islam means "submission" in Arabic, and connotes the notion of a total surrender of oneself to God, Allah in the Arabic language. Individuals who practice Islam are known as Muslims, which, again in Arabic, means "one who submits to God"

Islam was a religion established in the seventh Century Advertisement by Muhammad, a Bedouin shipper from the city of Mecca. In the hundreds of years, paving the way to the introduction of Muhammad, Christianity had turned into the prevailing confidence of the Mediterranean and its message was rapidly spreading to different districts of the world

Definitions of religion tend to suffer from one of two problems: they are either too narrow and exclude many of the belief systems which most people will agree are religious, or they are too vague and ambiguous, leading one to conclude that just about any and everything is actually a religion. Thus defining

Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion that believes that there is only one god, Allah. Today, it is one of the fastest-growing major religions in the world with over 1.6 billion followers which makes up 23% of the population. The great religion had a modest beginning and preserved to spread and become the force that it is today. Most historians believe that Islam originated in Mecca and Medina in the beginning of the 7th century. The religion was first established by the prophet Muhammad whom the archangel Jibril (Gabriel) revealed the Qur’an to. During this time, there was increasing conflict in Mecca between different social classes and Muhammad’s message appealed to those that were suffering and through this, Islam began to

In order to fully understand a religion, one must first grasp the very core the religion is built upon. To understand Islam, one must understand the 5 Pillars of Islam before they can truly appreciate the religion in its entirety. This begs the question, what are the 5 Pillars of Islam and what do they mean? The 5 Pillars of Islam in order are Shahadah, Salah, Zakat, Sawm, and Hajj. (Islam Explained Video) Shahadah, the First Pillar of Islam, is an article of faith and is explained by renown Historian Keith Hughes in his video “Islam Explained: Religions in Global History” as a confession where one must say, “there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” (Islam Explained Video) The Second Pillar of Islam is Salah, which refers to prayer. (Islam PowerPoint) To complete the Second Pillar one must pray 5 times a day facing Mecca. (Islam PowerPoint) Starting before Sunrise the five daily prayers are Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and ending with ‘Isha. (Islam PowerPoint). Similar to Christianity, Moslems go to church, or the mosque, except their day of worship is Friday. (Islam PowerPoint) After completing Salah, the next pillar is Zakat, the pillar of charity. This pillar means exactly what one might think, giving money to people in need of it. In countries with governments based from Islam, a tax is mandated by the government telling each person how much they need to give to the poor. (Islam PowerPoint) The Fourth Pillar of Islam, Sawm, translates to

     According to the American College Dictionary, religion is a noun defined as the quest for the values of the ideal life. This definition is vast and general, allowing for a variety of interpretations by people from all cultures. There is no single path to follow in order to lead an ideal life, only personal beliefs and experiences. Religion is non-finite so there is no way of determining a boundary (Smart, 5). In my quest for a true understanding of what religion is I explored my own traditions and religious beliefs as well as life experiences. Slowly, with the added insight from the text and videos, my own definition of religion has begun to take shape.

Islam is a monotheistic religious tradition that developed in the Middle East in the 7th century C.E. Islam which means “surrender” or “submission,” was founded on the teaching of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as a surrender to the will of Allah. Followers of Islam are called Muslim those who make peace to all. Muslims believe in the one and only divine creator of the world, Allah. The prophet Muhammad (pbuh) gave the name Islam to the religious movement because the meaning is “surrender”. The Muslims surrender to the will of Allah in all aspects of life and end up with resulting peace and affection with one another and Allah.

Islam is a world religion and the people who practice it are called Muslims. All Muslims share the same essential beliefs, values and God centered approach to the world. Islam is practiced by people from many different cultures. The Qur’an is the prime source of Muslims’ faith and practice, and the wording has not been changed from when it was originally transcribed fourteen centuries ago. The five pillars of Islam are the basis of a Muslim’s life. They are: • Belief that there is only one God and that Muhammad (pbuh*) is His Last Prophet and

Islam is the third major monotheistic religion in the Abrahamic tradition. It has 1.3 billion followers, mainly in northern Africa, west and south Asia. It was formed in 622 CE, with origins in or around the Arabian Peninsula. Islam means surrender or submission was founded by the teachings of the prophet Muhammad of surrendering the will to Allah. Allah is god in Arabic, the maker, creator, and sustainer of all things of life and everything in this universe. Muhammad is considered to be the last prophet of god. Devine knowledge from Allah is collected revelations precise in the Qur’an. The Qur’an is the Islamic holy book equivalent to the bible with Holy Scriptures, emphasizes living

The five pillars of Islam are the basics of the Muslim life. The first pillar is called the Shahada or Witness. It is a profession of faith that states simply that “there is no god but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the messenger of God.” Someone becomes a Muslim by stating this declaration of faith. It is also used daily in prayers. The second pillar of Islam is called Salat or Prayer. It describes the ritual prayers muslims are called to pray five times throughout the day. The prayers are made in position facing Mecca. The third pillar is called Zakat or Giving. It is the act of charity Muslims do by setting aside about 2.5 percent of their total income and give to the poor. The fourth pillar of Islam is called Swam or Fasting. Every year in the month of Ramadan, (the ninth month of

The Arabic term Islam literally means “surrender” or “submission”. The followers of Islam, known as Muslims (from the active participle of Islam), accept or surrender to the will of Allah, the Arabic word for god. Allah is viewed as a unique god who is creator and restorer of the world. The will of God, to which man is to submit, is made known through the Qur'an

The Islamic Religion is “a major world religion promulgated by the Prophet Muhammad in Arabia in the 7th century CE. The Arabic term islām, literally “surrender,” illuminates the fundamental religious idea of Islam—that the believer (called a Muslim, from the active particle of islām) accepts surrender to the will of Allah (in Arabic, Allāh: God). Allah is viewed as the sole

Islam is a religion that was founded by Muhammad, who is recognized by Muslims as one of the greatest prophets of all time. Thanks to Muhammad, it is the second most popular religion in the world behind Christianity, and it is known for having a large impact in humanity. The word means “submit”, which refers to the submission of oneself to Allah. Around 610 AD, Muhammad began proclaiming that an angel, Gabriel, was visiting him to to deliver messages from God. Gabriel claimed that the bible had errors from being copied and passed down through many generations. He told Muhammad that there was only one God, and that God was Allah. Allah was perceived as the one true God, who had no equal. Muhammad began spreading the word, but the Pagans

The word Religion at the definition level brings about many disagreement. It is very difficult to come up with a universal definition of religion. However religion can be defined as a social structure that has a shared, beliefs and rituals that are necessary to bind together the member of a religious group. To some people religion is seen as contributing to the health and continuation of society on a whole. Thus, religion functions to bind society’s members by prompting them to affirm their common values and beliefs on a regular basis. Religion, has a great value of influence on the members of society, so much so that it programs the way people view certain thing in society. For example, an act of murder is automatically viewed as something inhumane and immoral. To further explain this we can remember as a child growing up, being told that stealing is wrong and you should not take something that doesn’t belong to you. If you’re found with something that is not yours, you would probably get punished in some way, so as to learn your lesson to never steal again. As you get older you would view stealing as something wrong because you were nurtured into that. In this same way religion has its way of nurturing individuals to view certain things as wrong or right.

"Islam" signifies "accommodation to God." Therefore, "a Muslim is one who endeavors to submit to God." Islam was established in 610 A.D. by a man named Mohammed. Amid Mohammed 's opportunity, polytheism ruled. His people were worshiping various Gods. During one of Mohammed 's trip as a merchant, he had a dream from a being he saw to be a holy messenger who stated, "There is just a single God, and His name is Allah. worship Him.” It is entirely a monotheistic religion since it confines love to the one preeminent Lord who is the Originator and Creator of the universe. Peace (the root from which the word Islam is determined) is accomplished through total compliance to the precepts of God, for God is the wellspring of all peace. Muslims are