Essay about Islam

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.

The history of the Islamic world has been one of weak state institutions and state underperformance, coupled with a high prevalence of violence, both by the state and by individuals. A major reason for these negative trends has been the role of political Islam in privileging homogeneity over diversity, in stifling dissent in public and private life, and the societal stagnation that follows such rigid controls. Malaysia and Indonesia have been notable exceptions to the underperformance of Islamic cultures.

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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.

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

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.

“There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger” (Five Pillars of Islam). This is the basic statement of the Islamic faith. When a Muslim recites this they proclaim Allah is the only God and Muhammad is the prophet, they personally believe this is true, and they will obey all the commitments of Islam in their life (Five Pillars of Islam). This is known as the Shahadah. To become a Muslim, an individual must recite this saying three times in front of one witness, loud, with sincerity, and full understanding. The Shahadah is written on the flag of Saudi Arabia, the state that contains Islam’s holiest places (Five Pillars of Islam). The Salat is the second pillar and it consists of performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day (Five Pillars of Islam).

Islamic rule spread over major areas of Africa, the Middle East, South, Southeast and Central Asia, Spain, and Southern Italy. Many Christians saw Islam as a religion of the sword. They have been very violent throughout their history. Arabian armies engaged in attacking the remnants of the Byzantine Empire. The First Crusade was launched in order to stop the Arabian invaders.

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).

For the one billion or more Muslims (about six million in the United States), who are of many racial and ethnic backgrounds -- Arabs being a minority -- Islam is the middle way between Judaism and Christianity; it restores the unity of the children of Abraham and overcomes the limitations of Judaism and Christianity. Jesus, the prophet to "the lost sheep of Israel," limits Christianity; Judaism is similarly limited. Islam proclaims a practical synthesis of Judaism and Christianity for all humanity.

The five pillars of Islam are the basics of the Muslim life. The first pillar is called the Shahada or Witness. It is a profession of faith that states simply that “there is no god but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the messenger of God.” Someone becomes a Muslim by stating this declaration of faith. It is also used daily in prayers. The second pillar of Islam is called Salat or Prayer. It describes the ritual prayers muslims are called to pray five times throughout the day. The prayers are made in position facing Mecca. The third pillar is called Zakat or Giving. It is the act of charity Muslims do by setting aside about 2.5 percent of their total income and give to the poor. The fourth pillar of Islam is called Swam or Fasting. Every year in the month of Ramadan, (the ninth month of

During the 11 years that I lived in India, I had two Christian friends. I never asked them what kind of Christians they were as I was unaware of the existence of the different sects of Christianity. I am sure they did not know either as we were too young. I am familiar with Christianity and Sikhism as I grew up around people who followed these religions. The city that I grew up in had and still has a large Muslim population; however, I never got a chance to learn anything about Islam. This was partly due to the high tensions between Muslims and Hindus. I recall an incident that occurred in India during my childhood years. I must have been 7 or 8, when riots broke out between Muslims and Hindus after the burning of Godhra Train in the state of Gujarat. I remember hiding in a tiny room that we had on the rooftop, where most of the women and children from my neighborhood came to hide while the men were preparing to fight the Muslim rioters. Thank God nothing happened that night and the information received was incorrect. Although, my views on Islam has changed as I grew older and learned more about Islam; initially, this incident left me with a negative impression about Islam. As I grew older, I realized that I was at fault for generalizing, not all Muslims are bad and this incident certainly does not make Islam a violent religion. Therefore, when I was provided with the opportunity to do immersion on other religions than my own, I chose Islam to gain deeper understanding and

“Islam is built upon five pillars: The testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (Shahadah); establishing regular prayer (Salah); Paying Charity (Zakah); Fasting Ramadan and Hajj (Pilgrimage)”