Like any religion, Islam has a wide variety of beliefs, and with those beliefs come acts to show one’s beliefs. These acts are known as the Five Pillars of Islam, and while these pillars are varied, they are all incredibly important in Islam. One of the more interesting pillars is the act of sawm, or fasting during the month of Ramadan. This special event is a special break from food, drink, and negative activities. As fasting occurs for one full month of the year, there are many effects of the fast on the individual and society—both positive and negative. In this paper, I will explain the concept of sawm; as well argue that the fasting has an overall positive effect on the individual and on society.
Occurring during the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, Ramadan is an important time, as the “Koran was first revealed to Muhammad in Ramadan,” and because this was a momentous event, Ramadan is therefore “designated as the month of fasting” (Khan 54). Just as it sounds, fasting means abstaining from food and drink during the daytime hours—there are no restrictions overnight. It also means an avoidance of negative activities, including (but not limited to) raising one’s voice, lying, getting angry, fighting or quarrelling, have sexual intercourse, or smoking--“in other words, your relationship to the community and world around you has to switch from contesting and confrontation to acceptance and repentance” (Ali 41). As fasting is changing one’s view on the world, people believe fasting is actually “a form of worship… Like prayer, it is a way for Muslims to turn to God,” and show gratitude to God, by performing self purification, learning self-restraint, gaining piety, and helping the needy (Khan 54). In essence, “this pilla...
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All in all, this short selection of Usama’s writings does much to further the understanding of the effects on the crusades on many Muslims during this period, though since this was written by an affluent elite it does not describe much of the general populous’ experience. It also provides a good overview of the interactions between Muslims themselves. This was a time fraught with danger and division but Usama’s work shows that a common thread kept many together and preserved a civilization that still exists to this very day.
...l Muhammad’s Islamic forces finally took Mecca in an almost bloodless war. Throughout that time, Muhammad had established the Five Pillars of Islam, a creed and code which is considered obligatory for all followers of the Islamic faith consisting of rules varying from required prayer to mandatory pilgrimage. Eventually by Muhammad’s death, he had united the entirety of Arabian tribes under Islam. In Islamic tradition there are only two official holidays. The first is called Eid-al Fitr, which is celebrated at the end of a month of fasting. Generally this day Muslims around the world give Zakat, or charity in good faith. The second, Eid-al Adha, is celebrated from the tenth to the fourteenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, which is the month of pilgrimage to Mecca. Traditionally on these days an animal is killed, it’s meat distributed between friends, family, and the poor.
In Zainab Ali's book, "Unveiling Islam: What Muslims Believe," she explains the basic beliefs of a Muslim. She also elaborates on the images of Muslims in the media created by important leaders such as Saddam Hussein and Louis Farrakhan and how they contradict the Islamic belief. The writer then gives her explaination of these contradictions with respect to Islamic rules. She focuses on the rules of the faith - the five pillars of Islam - by provinding explanations, definitions, and examples. After an elaboration of each pillar, the writer explains the relevance of the pillars in life and the affects that the pillars have on the character of a true Muslim. She then compares this character to the characters of the Islamic leaders in the media to support her claim that people of the Islamic faith are not compatible with the images portrayed through the media. By making this claim, the author is trying to correct the misunderstandings of the Islamic faith and of the Muslim image by providing examples, explanations, and comparisons to define a "true" Muslim.
In the investigation of Islam, the five pillars of Islam provide a glimpse of the life and obligations of the Muslim. The main pillars include confession, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and pilgrimage. This essay will provide a brief overview of the pillars, how prayer is lived out in an individual Muslims life, and how Christians assimilate to Muslim culture in Saudi Arabia.
Among the most beloved traditions and rituals of the Islamic faith is a pilgrimage that unites Muslims around the world. It is known as the Hajj, an Arabic word meaning “to set out for a place” (“Short History of Hajj”). It is one of the five pillars that define the Islamic faith. The Hajj itself is a five day trip into Mecca, the Islamic holy city, as well as surrounding areas. It is a trip that thousands of Muslims undergo each year. It is a staple of Islamic faith, as well as a spiritual and emotional journey that brings Muslims closer to God.
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Islam is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion alongside Judaism and Christianity. It is currently the second largest religion in the world today. Its beliefs come from the Qur'an which literally means "the recitation" which is believed to be a literal transcription of the word of God. Its main prophet is named Muhammad who began Islam by speaking with the angel Gabriel in a cave during his meditation and then acting as an instrument of God to help write the Qur’an. Muhammad then spread Islam to the scattered tribes of Arabia by becoming the leader of Yathrib and using his wonderful leadership abilities to then grow his influence over virtually all of Arabia. Muhammad is known by Muslims to be the seal of the profits because no profits after Muhammad should be considered legitimate. Muhammad also left behind the Hadith or “tradition” which is a collection of writings compiled of reports of Muhammad’s actions as leader of Yathrib. These reports are used as a more specific code of ethics in day to day life and from these reports the 5 Pillars of Islam are derived (Smith 160). Although Islam shares many similarities to Judaism and Christianity it is often viewed in the US with hate derived from preconceived notions following the attack on September 11th 2001. This paper seeks to provide an overview of Islam’s history as well as its two major sects and 5 main pillars to remove preconceived notions and provide a glance into the minds of the Islamic people.
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Religion is an important factor in many lives in today’s society. A particular western religion that is taken very seriously by many is known as Islam. Essentially, Islam means “submission”, or in other words a person is to abide by God and peace will follow. In order to comprehend the Islamic religion, it is consequential to view the major themes associated with this religion. By going through the central themes of Islam it could help others comprehend what is involved with this specific religion.
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In this book , Esposito provides a succinct, up-to-date survey of the Islamic experience, an introduction to the faith, belief, and practice of Islam from its origins to its contemporary resurgence. He traces the emergence and development of this dynamic faith and its impact on world history and politics. He discusses the formation of Islamic belief and practice (law, theology, philosophy, and mysticism), chronicling the struggle of Muslims to define and adhere to their Islamic way of life. Equally important is the essential information Esposito provides on the contemporary world of Islam, from Muslim responses to the challenges of colonialism and modernization to the reassertion of Islam in politics and society.
Ramadan is a very special month in the Islamic life. It is consider being a blessed month by the muslins. It is practice in the ninth month of every year and it is place on the Islamic Lunar calendar. It is also very important in the Islamic life because it focus on fasting (sawm or siyam) observe from sunset to sunrise. Which the muslin minds are place on reflection and discipline. During this month of fasting helps make it to contribute to God’s blessings, to help the poor and answer their needs, to repent for their sins, to make stronger their moral characters and to remember that all their glory goes to God. The fasting is usually base on abstinence of drink, food and some different physical needs between the daylight hours. Sometimes,