Islam Chapter 5 Summary

By definition, Islam is a religion of those who obey the doctrines of the Prophet Muhammad. Muhammad, who in the 7th century lived in Arabia, initiated a religious movement that throughout the Middle East was supported by the Arabs. Today, not only in Middle East origins, Islam has adherents, where it is the dominant religion in all countries (Non-Arab, and Arab), but also in other parts of Africa, Asia and, of course, as well as in the United States. Those who are loyal to Islam are called Muslims. The Sunni, Shiite conflict in Iraq started long before the ruling of Saddam Hussein, but when Hussein became Prime Minister of the country the conflict between the two religious sects was taken to a new level. Right when Hussein gained full power, under his control, began years of persecution of the Shiite Muslims in the country. But, before this happened, the conflict was based upon Muhammad and who was to rule after he had died. When Muhammad had died there were many disputes on who should succeed the Prophet Muhammad after his death in 632. Shiites believed that the prophet’s son-in-law, Ali, was to be the successor. Both consider the Koran the word of God. But, devoutness and religious practice distinguish between the two sects. However, Islam teaches that all Islam is equal so Sunni and Shiite sects fight with each other not only because of “hatred” but, also because of religious

Islam originated in present day Saudi Arabia where the prophet, Muhammad, had been born. Islam would later be able to spread quickly through trade, the appealing nature of the Islamic faith, and military campaigns.

When studying Islam, it is important to understand the essential elements of the faith, how they are practiced, and the distinctions among the three branches: Shiite Islam, Sunni Islam, and Sufism.

Mid seventh century Islam, also know as the golden age was a time of innovation, trade, and success. Why was this the Golden age above all other times? Well that’s easy. The golden age was the time when Islam established one of its biggest empires in History, which would later go on to succeed in all fields from math, to law, to industry etc (Doc 1, pg. 11). The biggest components of this great success, though would probably be the advancements in Math, Science and Trade. The new things that people were able to discover using simple math and science not only benefited peoples simple knowledge, but it benefitted the country as a whole. Math and Science were something that not everyone had access to, but since Islam did it benefited trade as well, which would later become what connected all of humanity.

Throughout the entirety of the Islamic faith, Islamic civilizations have contributed ideas and characteristics of their culture that have spread throughout the world. Also, Islamic civilizations have helped to develop a variety of ideas and caused fields of industry and facets of culture to advance. These fields include but are not limited to education, medicine, mathematics, technology, literature, architecture and trade. Although every industry in the Islamic civilization has an important role in society, education, medicine and trade prove to be the three most important aspects of Islamic achievements.

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 an ill-perceived religion throughout most of the Western world. Once known as a quiet and peaceful religion, the general perception of people from other religions and most of the world upon Islam is quite distorted. Ever since the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, an influx of discrimination and prejudice towards Islam and Muslims has spread throughout the world. In “Understanding Islam,” by Kenneth Jost, an article about several accounts of how Muslims are mistreated and stereotyped throughout the world, brings up a recent poll within the United States says that 45 percent of those surveyed has an unfavorable view of Islam. The article also states that a CBS poll

Like many other religions, the Muslim faith has experienced many changes and branches. Like Christianity, the original faith is still practiced by some, but others have started new branches with their own unique interpretation being Muslim. Despite these differences within the Muslim religion, one set of rules for moral guidance is central to all. These rules are the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars act as a moral compass for Muslims and are universally accepted as they are mentioned specifically in the Qur’an, the sacred Muslim book of God’s words as they were recited to Muhammad (Molloy, 425).

The article is about an bicultural couple who are giving their daughter (Aliya) the choice of picking which culture she wants to express, whether it be her mother’s (Krista’s) American culture or her father’s (Ismail’s) Muslim culture. Much to the dismay of her mother, Aliya chooses her Muslim culture on the basis that she wants to begin wearing a headscarf. While Krista doesn’t mind Aliya’s choice, and even advocates self-expression, the appearance of a white, blonde lady dressed American-like (jeans and a tank top) with a young child in a headscarf doesn’t quite paint your everyday picture of a normal family; especially when going to the grocery store. Krista’s main concern for Aliya is what others may say regarding the choice she has made

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

"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."

It is the second largest religion in the world, and the fastest growing. Islam, which comes from the root “peace”, is now recognized by terror. “Inside Islam,” unveils the mystery of a terribly misunderstood faith. The movie goes back to the early roots of the Hebrew Bible and explains how the Five Pillars, Islam’s fundamental practices, assisted in the spreading of the religion to the rest of the world. Here we find out what the Qur’an, the holy texts, say about violence, suicide and war, and how extremists have assimilated these words. Along with these, specialists like Khaled Abou el Fadl, the author of “Speaking in God’s Name”, will dig deeper into the challenges that Islam is facing today, and how we play a role in them. This documentary is intended to transform the United States’ views on Islam and make them realise how similar the doctrine actually is to their preferable religion of Christianity.

The holy Quran itself has used these five words as its proper names. Of these the most popular name is QURAN.

The literal meaning of the Holy Quran is “Recitation”. It is the central religious text of Islam, which is a revelation from ALLAH. It is widely regarded as the finest work in classical Arabic literature. The Holy Quran was verbally revealed by ALLAH to Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H) through the angel Jibril gradually over a period of 23 years, beginning on 610 C.E when Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H) was 40 and concluding in 632, the year of his death. The Holy Quran is the miracle of Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H), a proof of his prophet hood. It is the culmination of a series of divine messages that started with the messages revealed to Hazrat Adam and ended with Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H). The Quran occurs 70 times in the text of the Quran, although different names and words are also said to be references to the Quran. The Holy Quran is the gift to humankind by ALMIGHY ALLAH. There are 30 chapters and 114 surahs in Holy Quran. There are 6666 Ayahs and 540 rukus in Holy Quran that call for the right path to Humankind. The Holy Prophet was the first Quran tutor. The Holy Quran inculcates the rules and regulations that control the general lives of human beings. The Holy Quran has many scientific and historic facts explained with accuracy. The

Although Islam is the second largest religion in the world with a following of 1.8 billion followers, no other religion has faced more scrutiny and hardship in the past decades. This has been caused by media and governments labeling Islam as a whole with their extremist groups like Al Queda and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. I even thought that the principals held by these extremist group were more common in Islam than they are. After studying Islam and gaining more information I came to respect this religion more than any other we studied this semester because of its seriousness and unity. The Quran and Hadith provide concrete details and instructions to follow in the faith of Islam. No texts from any other religion are as upfront with their beliefs than these. Muhammad was and continues to be a powerful and understanding leader that has led it to becoming the world’s fastest growing religion. I enjoyed studying the powerfulness of Muhammad and the direct voice of God in the Quran that is sets Islam apart from Judaism and Christianity.