Hajj the Sacred Mosque
Islam has two main celebrations. The first is after the completion of
Ramadan, the Islamic month during which Muslims fast daily from dawn
to sunset as part of an effort towards self-purification. This holiday
is known as Eid ul-Fitr.
The second main celebration takes place during the time of the Hajj,
or pilgrimage to Makkah. This week-long event occurs during the
Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, and it's a holiday known as Eid ul-Adha.
The Hajj has several parts. Over two million Muslims perform the
pilgrimage annually.
ABRAHAM
Abraham is a person known by Muslims, Jews, and Christians as a person
who lived over four thousand years ago. His story can be found in the
Bible as well as the Qu'ran. Abraham is considered to be a person who
believed in one god who sought a personal relationship with his
Creator. He left his city after voicing opposition to his people's
polytheistic practices, and eventually settled in Egypt with his
family. Later, he took one of his wives, Hagar, and their infant son
Ishmail, to a valley in Arabia and left them there, trusting in God's
promise to care for them.
Hagar, concerned about feeding her young baby, began searching the
surroundings for food and water in response to Hajar's prayers, a
spring miraculously came out at Ishma'il's feet to fill their thirst.
Hajar climbed nearby hills searching for food. Eventually, some
passing traders stopped in the valley, and asked Hajar's permission to
water their camels. In time, the traders decided to settle in the
little valley, and eventually the settlement grew into the city of
Makkah. Abraham returned from time to time to visit, and when Ishma'il
was about thirteen years old, he and Ishma'il constructed the Kabah,
an empty cube-shaped building, as a place dedicated for the worship of
the One God. Eventually, Makkah became an important trading post by
the time of Prophet Muhammad.
THE HAJJ
In commemoration of the trials of Abraham and his family in Makkah,
One day, Abram had a vision. In the vision God tells Abram to leave his father’s house which is today’s Iraq, and travel to a place that God will show him. God said that if Abram who becomes Abraham obeyed this command, his descendants would become a great nation, and that he will bless thee,...
The Jewish perspective of God is that he is omnipotent and omnipresent. The Jewish religion is monotheist and possesses the belief that exists outside of time. One other religious perspective is that the Jews have a different calendar to the Christian one. There are also many different holidays in the Jewish calendar and their year begins with Rosh Hashanah. In addition, the Jews also engage in the celebration of liberty from Egyptian rule in the past with Passover or Pesach. The celebration is accompanied by a Seder
Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion and was originated in the Indian subcontinent. Is rare that a big religion like Hinduism don’t have a single founder, religious organization, specific theological system and don’t even a system of morality, but it is a religion that has evolved over thousands of years. Hinduism has a diverse body of cultural and philosophical practices. Hinduism consists of belief and tradition. The most recognized belief and traditions of the Hinduism are Karma, Dharma, Samsara and Moshka. Hindu people don’t believe in violence, but they do believe in prayers, honesty, truth, austerity, celibacy and penance. The Hindu scriptures are collectively referred to as the Shashtras. The Hindu scriptures were initially passed on orally from generation to generation until finally ancient scholars wrote them down; mainly in the Sanskrit language that was the prevailing language of the time. Some of the Hindu scriptures are the Shruti and Smritis. The Shruti primarily refers to the Vedas which represent eternal truths revealed to ancient sages but some other Hindu individuals associated the Vedas with a God or a powerful person. The Smritis are all of the other text different than the Shruti. The most know of the Smritis are the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Although the Hindus worship a large pantheon of Gods and Goddesses, they believe in the one Supreme Power that manifests itself in various forms.
The term jihadi was not always commonly recognized in the United States. It was not until the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that the word jihad became widely known. Since the terrorist attacks, the media and the U.S. government have used the word jihad to invoke frightening images of non-Americans coming to destroy American freedoms and to define Islam. Today, scholars have begun to try to define this complex word and its multitude of meanings. When viewers tune into the news, it is sometimes difficult to unravel the layers of information that is being fed to them by the media and the U.S. government. In its most literal form, the term “jihad is an Arabic term meaning, as a noun, ‘struggle’ or, as a verb, ‘to exert effort’ toward a goal” (International Ency 1). However, in Mary Pat Fisher’s book Living Religions the chapter on Islam discusses how the definition of the term jihad is “commonly mistranslated as ‘holy war’ (Fisher 148). While the media frequently portrays jihad consistent with the idea of “struggle,” the media almost always flips the definition on its head by suggesting that this struggle is a malicious struggle between two groups of peoples, each of whom believes that righteousness, and in many cases God, is on their side and evil is on the other side. Suggesting that jihad and violence are in connection with each other has been the case since pre-modern times. In fact, Fisher suggests that the primary associations of the word jihad are religious, specifically with reference the Prophet Mohammad and to the religion of Islam, but also invoke a sense of violence or resistance against an opposing force. While violence and jihad have typically been spoken about together, as of late, the...
November 19, 1997 By Jordan Bruins Buddhism/Hinduism Comparison Report Hinduism is the oldest known religion and is very rich with literally hundreds of gods, symbolistic rituals and beliefs. It is believed to have been established around 1500 B.C. but no one person founded Hinduism as it evolved over a long period of time. Buddhism on the other hand has a definite founder, Siddhartha Gautama who is otherwise known as the Buddha or Enlightened One who lived from 565 to 483 B.C. Both these religions originated in India. Siddhartha Gautama was a Hindu who found Hindu theology lacking and after years of searching for truth created a religion now known as Buddhism. Because of these basic similarities, the two religions have much in common, but in the same light they differ immensely. The concept of a god or gods in Buddhism is almost void and therefore in the eyes of some not even a religion. Hindus have many gods governing different aspects of Hindu life. The three main gods in Hinduism are Vishnu who is the sustainer, Brahma is the creator and Shiva the destroyer. Collectively referred to as Trimuti. Most Hindu gods are associated with animals and therefore Hindus feel that being a vegetarian is vital. Cows are sacred in Hinduism and are worshipped as the divine mother, making eating beef taboo. Buddhism involves meditation and prayer. In Buddhism, one must understand the four noble truths and a...
The origin of Judaism initiated around 1812 BC and it is one of the world’s oldest monotheistic religions. This religion commenced through the Patriarch and Matriarch of the belief, Abraham and Sarah. Together they gave birth to a baby boy named Isaac. Jewish people believed that Isaac is one of their ancestors. Later Abraham had another son named Ismael with another woman, and he was known to be an ancestor of Islam.
The book lays the foundation of Islamic basic beliefs and practices. Muslims believe in one God, and feel their religion continues the Judaic and Christian traditions. Arab peoples "trace their origins to the patriarch Abraham, who, according to the Koran was neither Jew nor Christian, but a kind of universal ancestor of monotheists" (5). Thus, Muslims believe in the same God as Jews and Christians.
health or age. If a Muslim family is poor then they will save up for
Mecca is also known as Makkah and its full name is Makkah al-Mukkaramah. Mecca is a city in the Hijaz region of western Saudi Arabia. It is known as the holiest site in the Islamic religion. The history of Mecca goes back as early as the fifth century. It was an independent and powerful city in pre-Islamic times. It is the religious center for Islamic people and it houses the Kaaba and the Great Mosque. It is also the birthplace of Muhammad, the first capital of caliphate, and the center of present day mosques. In 630 Muhammad and some of his followers went into the city of Mecca and captured it. Mecca is said to have started one of the most important religions in the world and it brings together the Islamic religion.
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are Abrahamic religions that recognize Abraham as one of the prophets of God. This shows that they share similar roots with each other as their history is intertwined together. Each religion also has a sacred holy book that informs followers how to live their life in accordance to God. Due to this, they are all referred to as ‘People of the Book’ because they were given revelations from God. As stated in the Qur’an from Al- 'Ankabut Chapter twenty-nine verse forty-six, "We [Muslims] believe in that which has been sent down to us and has been sent down to you [Jews and Christians]. And our God and your God is One..." (The Noble Qur’an). This quote says that Muslims (contrary to misconception) should respect Judaism and Christianity because God also revealed their religion to them in their respective holy books. The Tanakh, Bible, and Qur’an more or less have the same message of loving God, helping others, and being a devoted person to your given religion. Another similarity is how closely related the practices are. All of them worship and pray to God in either a synagogue, church, or mosque. The three religions celebrate holidays that are unique to their faith, such as Hanukkah being observed by Jews, Christians performing religious ceremonies on Easter, and Muslims commemorating the end of the Hajj to Mecca through Eid al-Adha. Also,
Tasawwuff or Sufism is the esoteric and the inward dimension of Islam. It is the mystical aspect of Islam and contrary to popular belief Sufism emerged from the heart of the Islamic revelation. In September 622, Prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina in an effort to organize the community and to enable it to fight religious wars against their religious opponents. He considered his own pursuit of faqr—resignation to God’s will and a life of poverty a source of personal pride. It was at the Medina mosque that the prophet became acquainted with a group of people who practiced poverty and self-mortification, called the Ahl al-Suffa. Unlike most followers of Islam who prayed five times a day and fasted during the whole month of Ramadan, the Prophet along with the Ahl al-Suffa observed incessant prayer and fasting. This is believed to be the origin of Sufism. Sufis believe that they are practicing ihsan, or perfection of worship as revealed to the Prophet by angel Gabriel.
One of the oldest monotheistic religion is Judaism, which began in 1900 B.C. Judaism originates from Canaan; which is modernly known as Israel. The followers are called Jews, they were formerly called Israelites and Hebrews. Abraham is the founder of Judaism; He became the founder when he traveled to Canaan, sacred land given to the Hebrews by God. Moses is given the Ten Commandments, rules to follow, by God to share with his followers. The Torah, the Jewish Bible, is the holy book of Judaism. Israel and Judah are two kingdoms where Judaism spread rapidly. Nowadays, Judaism is worshipped, taught, and preached in synagogues and temples. One of their most popular holidays is Chanukah or Hanukkah. Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday which celebrates the win of light over the darkness or the triumph of good over bad. Jews celebrate Hanukkah for eight days.
The beginning of Islam all started in Arabia around 570 C.E. when a prophet was born. This prophet was known as Muhammad, although it is said that he has multiple names, which was born in a city called Makkah, or Mecca. This man lived a normal life by getting married and having children. He would venture out into the desert every now and then to pray and fast. It was during one time in the desert within a cave that an archangel known as Gabriel approached him. It is at this time that Gabriel gave Muhammad the first verses of the revelation. This would continue on for years up until Muhammad’s death. All of the verses that he was provided would eventually end up into the sacred text known as the Qur’an, or Koran. During Muhammad’s time of receiving the messages from God, his tribe wanted him dead as they did not want to change their way of living. Before his own tribe killed him, he was invited to travel to a city known as Yathrib to be their ruler, which this city would later be called Madinah. Muhammad and his followers set out for this particular city around June 622, which marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.
Islam is a monotheistic religion and has been world’s fastest spreading religion. The religion Islam is originated in the seventeenth century by an Arabian prophet called Muhammad in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Seventeenth century was period of slavery and cold war. Islam is an Arabic word which means submission and it basically means submission to god and realizing his power. The followers of Islam is called Muslims. The meaning of Muslim is to surrender and it basically means surrender themselves to Prophet Muhammad and by obeying his instruction they can surrender to Allah. The scared text of Islam is Quran. Major Islamic branches include Shiite Islam (Shia) and Sunni Islam. They belief that to achieve heaven they need to fulfill five pillars of Islam which include creed (shahadha), prayer (salah), almsgiving (Zakat), fasting (sawm) and pilgrimage (hajj). The various aspects of Islam can be further discussed through Muhammad life, Quran, hijrah, core beliefs of Muslim, contributions of Islam, and by discussing how it is related to western civilization.