Islam Is A System Of Religious Beliefs And An All Encompassing Way Of Life Essay

While praying, the archangel Gabriel appeared to him with revelations from God. He then used the revelations he received to introduce Islam to everyone around him. It was here that Muhammad was named Prophet, and Mecca became the birthplace of one of the largest religions in the world. Islam spread rapidly because of military conquests, existing trade routes, and the overall appeal to the message.

Islam, meaning submission or submitting oneself fully to God, is one of the world’s largely practiced religions. Those that participate and practice the Islamic religion

In Islam, God, grants human rights and therefore they can never be taken away or changed, for any reason. As a result, these concepts are part of the way Islamic individuals are portrayed in society. Every Muslim is required to accept them and recognize the people's right to have them enforced and obeyed. Islam allows complete freedom of thought and expression, provided that it does not involve spreading anything that is harmful to individuals and the society at large. The value of the community and society as a whole is greatly emphasized in Islamic traditions, as the common wealth of the society is important. This in turn reflects on society, because in Islamic culture, it is important to act in a lawful way as it is entrenched not only in their Muslim religion but in their general lifestyle as well. These factors greatly affect society because their customs, traditions and beliefs are embedded in their laws and individuals must act accordingly.

In the “Arabian Peninsula Trade Routes” (Doc. A) it shows how Mecca was very busy with all kinds of trade. Since Mecca is where Islam would start in the upcoming years, traders would come and go taking the teachings of Muhammad with them. Mecca was both the center of trade and the center of Islam which leads to the quick spread of faith through the many traders and merchants that

Islam began, as stated, in the desert land of Arabia. Due to the Arabs’ tribal nature, they were skilled at navigation and long-distance trading. They became the guides and couriers of the trade routes going to and from Africa and Asia. Thus, towns began to form, including the famous pilgrimage site, Mecca. Arabian tribes often worshipped the Black Stone, kept in the Kaaba, which was located in Mecca. Thus, those that controlled the shrine controlled the entire economic and spiritual life of the region surrounding Mecca. From this group came Muhammad, who founded Islam and changed the course of the Arabs worship. After experiencing a spiritual epiphany in, or around, 610, Muhammad made a decision to worship only the most prominent god in Arab faith, Allah.

The prominent effect Islam had on Muslims everyday thoughts and actions, portrays how essential the impact of God was in social and governmental relations. Muslim religion was influenced by both the Christians and Jews. Under the guidance of Muhammad the Prophet, Islam became both a meaningful faith and way of life. Unlike just simply “adding” a church like the Christian religion, Islam society was expected to be governed. Their political and religious views and decisions had to be intertwined as one, proving the effect Islam had on everyday lives. For example, the history book The Making of The West, had written, “Arabs had long been used to

In 610 CE, Muhammad ibn Abdallah had been spoken to by an angel named Gabriel who had told him of God, who is Allah, the one true God. Muhammad went on, and started speaking the words of Allah to the people of Mecca, but many declined his speeches. Muhammad decided to leave Mecca and go to Medina, where he studied his new religion. Later, Islamic belief was born, and many had started following it. Many different ways Islam spread was through conquest, it was easy to follow, and trade.

Islam is a religion created in the seventh century by Muhammad a, Arab long distance merchant from Mecca. Muhammad was born and grew in an era where Christianity was the dominant religion in the Mediterranean region. The message of Christianity was at the time spreading so fast through the major trading routes in what is commonly known as the Trans Atlantic trade. Mecca happened to have been on one of the trade routes of goods and ideas. It is not a surprise to find that Islam as a religion was heavily influenced by other religions such as Christianity and Judaism; Muhammad claimed that angel Gabriel visited him with a message from God. The same angel for instance is being referred and

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).

By preserving the sanctity of the family, the Islamic system provides a strong foundation for a high standard of morality, and values that support the society from friction and subversion. Islam organizes the interaction of men and women in public and private life, establishes a dress code for both, encourages marriage at an early age and impose severe punishments for adultery, fornication and homosexuality. (2)

The basic message of Islam was that there was one God who ruled over the other Gods and whose name was Allah. Muslim Prophet Muhammad was the last and greatest prophet of Allah. He believed that Allah had exposed himself in Moses and Jesus and thru the Hebrew and Christian traditions (203). The last revelations were given to him. These revelations were written down in a holy book that became the Qur 'an. The teachings of Muhammad formed the foundation for the religion of Islam. Islam means, "submission to the will of Allah". Allah was the almighty who created the world and everything in it (203). His worshipper 's were called Muslims. Islam was a way to set religious beliefs as well as a way of life. The Islamic society had a certain way in which they behave. They had their morals recorded in the Qur 'an and this served as their code of ethics and law (203). They has to followed a basic righteous code that was compose of the Five Pillars of Islam. These first pillar, was that there is no other God but Allah and Muhammad is the prophet. The second pillar is that regular prayers to worship Allah are required 5 times a day and a public prayer on Friday at midday. The third pillar was that money must be given to the poor and needy. The fourth pillar was the observance of the Holy month of Ramadan with fasting from dawn to sunset. The fifth pillar was to make a pilgrimage to Mecca

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

Muslim culture is derived from Quran, Hadith and the local customs. The word Islam means submission to the will of Allah. Islam is considered to be the second largest religion having one billion followers. 2.7% Muslim population have been recorded in the United Kingdom (Murray, 2004).

"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."