Islam : A Religion That Is Widespread Throughout Our World

Islam, a religion of people submitting to one God, seeking peace and a way of life without sin, is always misunderstood throughout the world. What some consider act of bigotry, others believe it to be the lack of education and wrong portrayal of events in media; however, one cannot not justify the so little knowledge that America and Americans have about Islam and Muslims. Historically there are have been myths, many attacks on Islam and much confusion between Islam as a religion and Middle Easter culture that is always associated with it. This paper is meant to dispel, or rather educate about the big issues that plague people’s minds with false ideas and this will only be touching the surface.

There are many similarities and differences between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. There are also many differences that separate the three major religions of the world. This paper will delve into all three of them.

Islam: Empire of Faith is a pretty general documentary about a large history of Islam in such a short viewing time. Sometimes the moving picture media can have a different effect than the static reading media. I think this is a great counter to the normal textbook learning that occurs during class. While reading about the beginning Islam, I felt more of an oppression of Muhammad as he was trying to get his word of God out to the people around him. When he left Mecca it was not pleasant but it didn’t seem like he was going to die before he left. When he returned to Mecca with his followers it just seemed like he was a returning son, back with good news. When presented with the video evidence of the process, it seemed that his desire to let

The Middle East is home to the creation of so many different cultures and religions. It is the home to the most prominent monotheistic faiths of this lifetime. Those faiths are Christianity, essentially Catholicism, and Islam. They do not only share a similar origin, but share the same ancestors and stories of prophets and people. There is a connection between the profound values of truth, love, and mercy that Catholics and Muslims hold dear. Although there are a great many commonalities between Catholicism and Islam, it is important to note the key foundations that make both religions special.

I grew up in a household that believed in Christianity and we went to church every Sunday. That church was my foundation, my love and honestly, it was all I knew. At that time, in my community anything other than Christianity just wasn’t accepted and I often wondered why. Although I thoroughly love Christianity, I still wanted to explore our other worldly religions. In doing this paper, I realized that this was the perfect opportunity to do just that. In my research, I realized that there is such a vast majority and trying to choose just one was going to be difficult but I prevailed. The one religion

The scriptures have shown that there are similarities of Christianity, Judaism and Islamic beliefs. The major difference in the writings is the treatment of strangers. In examining the contentious behaviors of the people in the Middle East, both past and present, religious beliefs have played a part in the development of the realm’s history.

Islam originated 610 AD in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Throughout time there are many stories and legends on how Islam sprung. According to the Quran it declares, that the holy book of Islam was brought down by angel Gabriel from Allah. Angel Gabriel gave the holy book to Prophet Muhammad. To prove this, the Quran states, "this is a revelation from the Lord of the universe. The Honest Spirit (Gabriel) came down with it, to reveal it into your heart that you may be one of the warners, in a perfect Arabic tongue" (Sura 26:192-195). "Say, 'Anyone who opposes Gabriel should know that he has brought down this (the Qur 'an) into your heart, in accordance with God 's will, confirming previous scriptures, and providing guidance and good news for the believers '" (Sura 2:97). [http://www.allaboutreligion.org/origin-of-islam.htm] The prophets before Muhammad, all contributed to the religion of Islam, but prophet Muhammad made it final by the revelation of the Quran and how to be a correct Muslim.

The Muslim prophet, Muhammad, was born in 570 in the city of Mecca. Muhammad lived a normal life just like any Muslim, until he began seeing visions believed to be inspired by Allah. Muhammad believed that since Allah has already revealed himself to Moses and Jesus, it was now his turn to receive the final revelations. After receiving them, Muhammad tried to convince his people that the revelations were true, but most thought he was insane and crazy, or that he would upset the social and political order of society. As a result, Muhammad and some of his followers left to the rival city of Yathrib in 622. Yathrib was later renamed Medina, which meant “city of prophet”, as he began to win support from the residents in Medina and on the surrounding country side. With these people, Muhammad formed the first Muslim community.

Sharia law is an ancient compilation of religious rules that most Muslim nations seek reference in governing their people. Also defined as Islamic law, the essence of sharia laws emanated from the life of Prophet Mohammed known as the hadiths as well as the Quran teachings. The hadiths entail the vocal expressions of prophet Muhammad on divine life and his condemnation of immoral behavior that undermine the acceptable way of life. The teachings are accepted by the Muslim community who affirm that Muhammad’s teachings supplement the functionality of the Quran. On the other hand, the Quran, which forms the core reference on Muslim beliefs and regulations provides moral and spiritual guidance among the Muslims. It also dictates how the Muslims should interact with the non-Muslim community without contravening on the sharia doctrines (Hallaq 20-25).

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

Islam is not only a religion but also a civilization since it is represented by over one billion Muslims and over 50 Muslim states. Emerging as a civilization influenced by religious beliefs and practices, Islam influenced different groups of people in diverse stages of history and in different countries. A major part of the Islamic faith is the strong belief in an afterlife. Muslims spend their life preparing for their death and the bliss they will face if they follow the rules and life style of a model Muslim.

The objective of this work is to examine Islam, a highly controversial sensitive issue in today's world and specifically to examine the misconceptions, beliefs, and values of those of the Islamic faith. Most people think that the majority of Muslims live in the Middle East, while in reality there are more people of the Islamic faith living in Indonesia. Islam, just as Judaism and Christianity, is practiced in various cultures, serves to shape, and is shaped by those cultures. This study examines the perceptions of those of the three faiths in various countries and how they view one another and seek to answer how a level of threat is felt by those belonging to these three religious groups in various countries. Countries examined in this study include those of the United States, Great Britain, India, Pakistan, and the Middle East. The depth of understanding or the teachings of Islam among the various religious groups in these various countries will also be examined in terms of how these understandings impact the ways that Muslims and non-Muslims interact and communicate with one another.

"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 a monotheistic religion that is based on the belief and worship of Allah (swt) and that Muhammad is his messenger. Islam is also the word that comes from the root word (salma) which means peaceful submission to Allah (swt). In the religion of Islam there are five pillars: Shahada (the Muslim profession of faith), Salah (prayer), seam (fasting), zakat (charity), and hajj (pilgrimage). In Islam we are informed about many things about the day of judgment which is the fifth pillar of Iman like why is important, and important to believe in it, effect it has on a Muslim’s life and character, signs of the day of judgment, and some events that will occur in the future pertaining to the day of judgment. However, we do not know many

The first thing that one should know and clearly understand about Islam is what the word "Islam" itself means. The religion of Islam is not named after a person as in the case of Christianity which was named after Jesus Christ, Buddhism after Gotama Buddha, Confucianism after Confucius, and Marxism after Karl Marx. Nor was it named after a tribe like Judaism after the tribe of Judah and Hinduism after the Hindus. Islam is the true religion of "Allah" and as such, its name represents the central principle of Allah's "God's" religion; the total submission to the will of Allah "God". The Arabic word "Islam" means the submission or surrender of one's will to the only true god worthy of worship "Allah" and anyone who does so is termed a