Enlightenment Of Islam Book Report

What is the connection between the ‘’democratic spirit’’ of the American culture in the nineteenth century and the appeal of insurgent religious groups of the Second great awakening, according to Nathan Hatch’s essay? What role did the American Revolution play in growing appeal to these groups during the awakening, according to the essay?

“Fight in the name of God and in the ‘path of god’. Combat those who disbelieve in God.” The quote above is an excerpt from Matthew Gordon’s book, “The Rise of Islam”. Throughout the course of history, many religions have had a profound effect on western civilization. During the early 5th century a religion arose that had an extremely important impact on western civilization. The Arabic prophet Muhammad founded the religion known today as Islam. Violence, diplomacy, Arabic tradition, and public law played a vital role in the rise and conquest of Islam. These four key elements that fostered the rise of Islam helped establish one of the largest religions in western civilization.

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"

In the 7th century A.D., Islamic faith was charging through the Middle East. Many reasons are to credit for the rise of Islamic faith. However the muslims attacks on other nations, Islamic beliefs and trade were the key contributors into the rise of the Islamic religion. There army would lay waste to other nations.Also the Islamic beliefs were intriguing and the city of Mecca was in the middle of a bunch of trade routes which helped spread the religion.

The civilization and nation of Islam grew as an excessive empire and the religion grew as fast as the empire. Also some of their methods and practices were getting people to believe in their god which helped establish their empire.

Prior to reading an excerpt on Islamic theology and Islamic philosophy in the book Introduction to Islam by Carole Hillenbrand, I did not realized the tremendous effect and contributions Muslims had on the fields of theology and philosophy. According to Hillenbrand, “the term normally used for “theology” in Islam is kalam, which literally means “speech”” (Hillenbrand, 170). Similar to all religions, those following the Islamic faith would eventually be faced with opposition and questions about the teachings of Islam. Hillenbrand explained that Muhammad was not looked to as a theological figure because he merely gained his revelations from the all-knowing God, Allah; therefore, Islamic theologians would begin to emerge overtime. These Islamic theologians would engage in debates on core issues and topics that oppositioners had with the islamic faith, such as

Islam is a major world religion. Its origin can be traced back to 610 CE in Arabia. The basis of this religion is the revelations to the prophet Mohammad. Dissatisfied with his life, he traveled to deserts, hills, and the wilderness surrounding Mecca, where he lived, to meditate and reflect. He became a new man through his revelations, which many of his followers believe Allah transmitted to him through his angel Gabriel. Islam was originally an Arab religion, but many different beliefs and practices were added to it, making it extremely popular and aiding in its rapid spread. This new religion spread to many different areas surrounding Arabia, both under Mohammad and after his death. The Muslim Empire grew to encompass Spain and

Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a voice for women in the Muslim diaspora. Her outspoken nature and strong criticism of the Qur’an have led to threats on her life by many religious leaders. Hirsi Ali was born in 1969 in war-torn Somalia. Her father was a prominent member of the party responsible for the Somalian Revolution, however autonomy was a constant struggle in the early life of Ayaan Hirsi Ali. As a child, she was subjected to Female Genital Mutilation. As a young adult, her family tried to force her into an arranged marriage with her cousin. These struggles became the catalyst for the film she wrote, Submission, in which she discusses the verses in the Qur’an some men use to justify supremacy over women. The compilation of these circumstances is what led to her career in civil rights for women in the Muslim world.

Muhammad went into the hills to pray. He states he was visited by an angel and told to preach a new religion called Islam. Islam means “surrendering to the will of Allah.” Allah is the Muslim translation for God. Muhammad with his followers, he destroyed any statue of a false god in Makkah. Muhammad also preached that all people are equal. God doesn’t love the rich more than the poor, or the poor more than the rich.

Islam is defined as, “the monotheistic religion based on the doctrine of submission to God and of Muhammad as the last chief and prophet of God”(Dictionary 720). There are multiple practices included in the religion of Islam, similar to any other religion. Compared to Christianity or Judaism, when one follows Islam, one must follow The Five Pillars of Islam and the rules and circumstances of the worshipping practices. In addition, depending on the branch one is apart of, they may have to follow laws enforced by different prophets as well. One’s lifestyle will change because when following Islamic faith, their religious life is their main priority. Meaning, a Muslim makes the commitment to the practices one-hundred

I think Muslim is very strong believer, devoted and conscientious religious or otherwise they live within their religion. If we look at the Islamic countries they have their own laws and culture that regulate their country. Their faith is a little different than most religions. They practice fasting such as Ramadan and polygamy and have many restrictions for children. In Islamic society, men and women are expected to behave in accordance with social codes, culture or religion. Women as well as men are expected to have certain duties and responsibilities each gender has performed various roles. In the Islamic religion, women have certain standards they are responsible for withholding and reliable. For example,

The Islamic worldview was greatly influenced by the Christian and Jewish worldviews. In the Qur’an it states that there is a supreme God and his name is Allah. Furthermore, they believe that angles, fairies, and jinn all exist on Earth. Muhammad thought that there is only one God to whom all people must submit, and who was not to be worshipped with idols. This

Jihad – a dispute or war between followers of Islam faith and those who do not follow the Islam faith; a struggle within a Muslim between good and evil (Dictionary)

"Islam" is derived from the Arabic root salaama meaning peace, purity, submission and obedience. Islam stands for making peace by submitting to the will of God and obeying His law. Jews and Christians view Islam as the latest of the world's great religions. However, worldwide Muslims (sometimes written "Moslems") understand their universal religion as the "final religion" and the "primal religion."

Islam is one of the oldest religions in history dating back to about 600 AD. It began when a man named Muhammad heard a voice from the heavens instructing him to proclaim the word of god. Currently there are over 800 million followers of the Muslim religion. The main text of the religion is the Quran which is said to be the word of God, or Allah as called in Muslim. Within the Quran, The five pillars of Islam are proclaimed along with many other concepts very unique to the Muslim religion. Prayer is a very important aspect of Islam as well. Islam has a long history of invention, heritage, and world imperialism that must be understood to completely identify with the concepts of the religion and culture.