Islam Essay

the vestibule. On each side of the fountain are restrooms, one for men, one for women. Inside the restrooms is where differences begin. Each houses a wash basin which reminds me of when I was a young girl in elementary school and the old round sinks we used to wash our hands. This is the same. It is here that Muslims perform wudu. Wudu is the cleansing done before

I had the privilege to conduct field research at the Abu Bakr Masjid, also known as the Islamic Center of San Diego on Friday, October 9, 2015. I attended both salat al-Maghrib and a lecture given by Imam Sh. Taha Hassane. Salat al-Maghrib is the “West sun” prayer which takes place five minutes after sunset. Salat al-Maghrib started around 6:37 p.m. Imam Taha Hassane’s lecture started at 7:00 p.m. and ended at 8:01 p.m. before the last prayer of the day: salat al-‘Isha’a. Imam Taha Hassane was already waiting for me outside of the mosque. The first matter he explained was that it was considered proper to enter the masjid (mosque) with my right foot first and exit with my left foot first. Furthermore, I was also explained that in order to enter the prayer hall, I needed to be in a state of ritual purity. This purification consists of ablutions, called wudu’, which involve the washing of the feet, hands, head and face. Once I completed the ablutions, Imam Taha Hassane instructed me to take off my shoes in the designated cabinets in the hallway. This is primarily done to ensure that no outside dirt would violate the sacred space. At Abu Bakr Masjid, like in many other mosques around the Muslim world, genders are separated—men pray in the main prayer hall while women pray upstairs in a separate prayer room. When I asked why, Imam Taha simply explained that it was a matter of modesty and concentration.

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.

Christianity and Islam are two of the world’s largest religions. The two are different in beliefs but are similar in origin. Like many religions both Islam and Christianity claim to be the one and only true way to God. Although Islam and Christianity differ in major ways, they also share some similarities.

I agree with the first quote “But not like Lady Gaga says because baby i wasn't born this way it was a choice” born a certain way is saying you have to follow the beliefs even if you don't want you. Making a difficult now in this generation can be hard because people would just be judgmental about not following it. Being Muslim is very difficult because it can mean that people see you different. Meaning born Muslim was not a choice for her because she was labeled some other rude names just for being Muslim. She had to accept her way of being and follow her belief because it's the way she has to go. She was not born to be Muslim that's the way she has to be brought into.

Islam is more than a religion, it’s a culture, and as such has an effect on political, social, and economic aspects of life—this is especially true outside of the Western world. Followers of Islam believe in full submission to God and this submission is practiced in the secular realm (Taha, 114). Of the five pillars of Islam, one (the zakat) has a direct affect on economic policy and ethics. The culture of Islam has shaped economic and business guidelines In the Islamic World and continues to do so. Cultural ideals attributed to the Qur’an or the Prophet Muhammad, have been a vital source for economic and business practices that have helped to shape the history of many Islamic nations, and are guiding the creation of policies

Islam and Christianity seem to have very little in common; however, the two actually show strong likeness, principally in the central areas. Both Muslims and Christians are monotheists, believing in one God. While both believe in the same God, He is called by two completely different names. He is referred to as "Allah" by Muslims and "God" by Christians. Although Islam and Christianity are two different religions, their similarities in beliefs and prayers make them comparable in many aspects.

the government and media. I believe that people running this country are Anti Islamic due to there view on things. Also this is a Zionist country, which is another reason that makes the media discriminate against the Muslim’s, due to the conflict with Palestine and other Muslim countries. The media has always portrayed Islam in a negative way. The reason the media is biased when it comes to Islam because they hate the Islamic structure and the beliefs. The majority of media conglomerate ownership is of people who

My first impression upon arriving at the mosque was that it was very drab and plain inside, as compared to how it looked on the outside. The religion I grew up in had beautifully decorated churches; while I wanted to ask why the mosque was so drab inside, I felt it would sound rude and unkind. Furthermore, I was disappointed to see the only chairs available to sit upon in the mosque were for pregnant, disabled, and elderly people. The religion I grew up in had nice, plump, padded pews for its members to sit upon. Again, I did not question why there were no pews as I felt it would be unkind.

The Question of Origin - The question of origin is entirely rooted in God. Genesis 1:1 tells us about the creation of the earth and the heavens. Genesis 1:27 tells us that God created man in His own image. “Theism contends that everything that exists, including humans, is the result of God, the Creator God. God is said to have created Ex Nihilo, “out of nothing.”’ (Weider & Gutierrez, 2011) Like the Bible, the Quran offers verses which state that everything was created by God.

Religion is defined as "the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God" . There are many recognised religions of the world, which all teach its followers to live life "the right way", whose definition varies according to the religion itself. They have some beliefs and practices that distinguish themselves from each other. Some examples are differences and similarities of Buddhism and Islam.

Historians, specifically American historians of the 21st century have demonstrated an interest in the Middle East in Islam, due to Americans frequent contact with the Middle East in the early 1960s. Islam and the Middle East have played a remarkable role in Americans discussion and reaction to the events that took place on September 11th, 2001. During this time Americans were beginning to regard the Middle East, Muslims, and Islam as one entity. Americans and the world regarded the Middle East as Islam and Islam as the Middle East. Thus, this correlation between the two made Muslims say Muslim Americans and Muslims in America as less western and more of another, but they were also seen as untrustworthy individuals. Additionally, prior to the September 11th, attacks and an after effect of September 11, was that Muslim men were violent and Muslim women as oppressed individuals. Thus, the perception of Islamophobia and the threat it brings to western society has impacted the discussion of Islamophobia in America.

Muslim culture generally reflects the traditions and customs of Muslims that they adopt for a perfect and respectable life in the society according to the lessons of Quran. Muslim culture is a giant combination of diverse cultures, That’s because Muslims live in various countries all over the world. Most of the practices are common faiths and guidance for all Muslims no matter what country or even content they reside in.. These basic faiths and belives are based on the teachings of Islam. The Muslim culture is a subject of debate for many people who lives in different parts of the world and belong to diverse communities. Muslim culture represents the unification of brotherhood where all Muslims are bound to

Mosques are also used as community centres where people can get married as you can in a church but they will have Islamic vows rather than Christian traditional vows although they may be very similar. Mosques sometimes hold evening schools sp that particularly children may have Islamic education in an non-Islamic country ( E.g. learning to read and write Arabic and understanding the teachings of Islam and the Qu'ran ). During the month of Ramadan an area of the Mosque is set aside for people who cannot afford to buy food, break their fast with food provided by the Mosque, the breaking of fast is called Iftar. In many Mosques there are charity boxes for Muslims to donate Zakah to either the Mosque or to the poor. All Muslims are obliged to donate at least 2.5% of their wealth in order to help to develop the Mosque so that more people can attend the Mosque for prayer and for education on Islam.

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.