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islam facts essay
rise and expansion of islam
rise and expansion of islam
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Introduction:
Islam, as defined by Dictionary.com literally means “submission” or “surrender” ("Islam"), while the term Muslim means “one who submits to God” ("Muslim"). Contrary to what is defined as fact, Angela West of Urban Dictionary, a site containing average people’s own definition or perception of words, has defined Islam as,” A religion of perpetual outrage and violence. It's followers have a dangerous preoccupation with death” (“West”). With that being stated, there is an extreme difference in what is defined as fact and the modern perception of Islam. In order to understand Islam in today’s time, on must first look back in time to the founding of Islam, the teachings of Muhammad, and overall what life was like during that time that caused this religion to flourish.
Overview
Patheos online library describes Islam as “A monotheistic religion that originated in the Middle East or modern day Saudi Arabia in the 7th century C.E” (Davis-Stofka). Currently, Islam is the second largest religion in the world following Christianity, with an estimated 1.5 billion followers throughout the world with followers on every continent. Islam, as defined before means “surrender” or “submission”, was founded on the teachings of Muhammad, a religious, political, and military leader. The Qur’an is referred to as the sacred text of Islam, which contains the teaching of Muhammad which was revealed to him from Allah or “God”. A core belief with in Islam is that Allah is the one true god with no equal. This is a similar trait that Christianity and Judaism share with Islam, and is also why they are referred to as monotheistic religions, for the belief in one god. Also similar to Christianity and Judaism, Islam has various branches or sects wi...
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GARDENER, ROBERT, dir. ISLAM: EMPIRE OF FAITH . Dir. Stefano Kotsonis, Writ. Jonathan Grupper, and Dir. . Public Broad Casting Network , 2012. Film. 11 Dec 2013.
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Hopfe, Lewis. Religions of the World . 12. 13. Pearson Education, 2012. 328-364. Print.
(Hopfe 328-364)
n.d, . "Al-Ĥaj ." Qur'an. Quran.com. Web. 11 Dec 2013.
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n.d, . "Al-`Alaq." Qur'an. Quran.com. Web. 11 Dec 2013.
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"Islam." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 11 Dec. 2013. .
"Muslim." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 11 Dec. 2013. .
West, Angela. N.p.. Web. 11 Dec 2013. .
(West)
After the fall of the Roman Empire, no one imagined that the next great world power would emerge from Saudi Arabia. Especially, because ancient empires thought that the land was worthless but they didn’t know that it had great trade routes. Trade brought them in connection with other civilizations and that’s how the city of Mecca, located in Saudi Arabia became known. The city of Mecca was a mix of religious beliefs, they used to worship many gods and had their own rituals. The world of Islam took place in Mecca where Muhammad was born in 570 CE. He became known as “the Prophet,” he was meant to be God’s final prophet. The main two groups of Islam are the Shia and Sunni; which they were created after Muhammad’s death. The Islam religion as
law, whose descendants were seen by the Shiites as the appropriate leaders. However, after Ali became the fourth caliph, he was assassinated.
Islam is a monotheistic religion which is originated from the Middle East or more specifically in the Arabian Peninsula early in the 7th century. This religion was founded on the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed who named this religion after the Arabic word acceptance. Islam has 2 major sects the Sunni and Shi’a. This split occurred when Mohammed died. The Sunni believed that the new leader of Islam should be determined through election but the Shi’a thought that the new leader should be Imam Ali a cousin and son in law of Mohammed. Another branch of Islam is Druze but only a small minority of Muslims who live in Lebanon, Syria and Palestine are followers of this sect (3 Faiths with One God - Islam, Arab American National Museum).
What is Islam, and where did it come from? What is this religion all about? Islam is not the new kid on the block in regards to religion. Islam is in fact an old, ancient religion. It is not that unlike of the Christian faith either; in fact, Islamic beliefs are in the Torah, which is Jewish, and also in the bible, which is Christian. The book that Islam goes by is called the Qur’an, which is the story of the Muslim Prophet Mohammad, Who is the founder of the Islamic faith and is believed to be the last of the prophets of God. Practitioners of Islam are referred to as Muslims, and their place of worship is a mosque, which is similar to the Christians place of worship which is the church. These days Islam has become a very common and widely practiced religion throughout the world. Islam has become very misunderstood, especially within western culture. Today, many Americans and Europeans see Islam as a serious threat to their way of life. Though there have been some very serious and unfortunate events in the news that have transpired to fuel this misunderstanding,
The religion of Islam dates back to the 7th century CE and the life of its founder, Muhammad of Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. Islam is an Arabic word meaning: making something safe and secure, making something sound and whole, entering into peace and tranquility, and surrendering to something other than oneself. A follower of Islam is called a Muslim. In the religion of Islam, it requires the belief in certain core tenets, which include the articles of faith and the five pillars of worship. These two combined, form the Islamic creed.
Centered around revelations of the Prophet Muhammad, Islam was founded thousands of years ago. According to Mary Fisher, author of Living Religions, followers of Islam are commonly referred to as Muslims (Fisher, 2008 p. 381). Very similar to the structures of both Christianity and Judaism, Islam is a monotheistic religion, where worshipers believe in a single God, commonly referred to as Allah, according to Mary Fisher (Fisher, 2008 p. 386). In fact, many Muslims recognize some of the prophets from Judaism and Christianity, such as Moses and Jesus, as messengers of God, according to Mary Fisher
Islam is also a monotheistic religion that believes there is one God. Islam is based on the teachings and normative example of Muhammad, who is considered to be the last prophet of God . People who follow the Islam faith are called Muslims. The Qur’an is the central text of the Islam faith, and Muslims believe it to be a revelation from God. There are two main denominations of Islam. There is Sunni, which is the largest denomination making up 75-90% of all Muslims and Shia, which is the second largest branch with 10-20%.
The religion of Islam garners large amounts attention. Many believe it is a violent and backwards religion. Since 9/11, "Islamic reform" has become an all-purpose phrase: equally a western impulse to protect itself from Muslim violence and a humanist notion aimed at assisting voiceless Muslims (Eteraz1). Extreme displays of Islamic faith such as the attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11 have generated negative stereotypes about Islam as a religion. These stereotypes of violence and backwards thinking have been further perpetuated by even more recent examples of extremism by Muslim terrorists. Although most Muslims are peaceful and do not endorse the violence of their Muslim brethren, there are some who believe it is their responsibility to punish those who do not adhere to Islam. This religion is no stranger to divinely motivated warfare. Islam was founded on the belief that it is excusable to harm others in the name of Allah. The terrorist group, Al-Qaeda, holds many of these beliefs. Al Qaeda's modern origins go back to Wahhabism, named after the revivalist movement founded by Muhammad Ibn'Abd al-Wahhab in 1744. Wahhab called for a return to a pure and unadulterated form of Islam closer to the ideals of the Prophet (Blond 3). Recently a movement is being made to reform and reinterpret Islam not just as a religion, but also as a culture. The reformation of Islam by its religious authorities and will yield a more passive interpretation of Islam, therefor deterring Islamic extremism and producing a more diplomatic faith.
Islam is a religion that was founded by Muhammad in the seventh century. He was believed to have had direct revelations from God. After Muhammad's death, his predecessors took all his words/prophecies and compiled them into a book that is now known as the Qur'an. The Qur'an is a sacred text derived from the Islamic religion. It is the epitome of the heart and soul of the Muslim culture. Although Islam is a separate religion from that of Christianity, a plethora of their ideas are intertwined. The Qur'an is similar to the Holy Bible because both texts establish the practice of monotheism and believe that God is the creator of the universe. The sacred texts are different because the Holy Bible preaches of Jesus Christ being the Son of God while the Qur'an deems him but a prophet. Both texts also differ because while the Bible was written to inform, reform,
This week the two readings for class are from “The Emergence of Islam” by Gabriel Said Reynolds. The two readings center on Muhammad and his life as a biblical prophet from his birth around 570 CE until his death in 632. The first reading outlines his life as a young boy and his journey as he grows older and begins to introduce Islam to his native town of Mecca. As a child there were several instances in which he was publicly recognized as having prophethood. A Christian hermit noticed a cloud above Muhammad’s head as he walked and upon further contact with each other discovered a mark between the prophet’s shoulder blades that was described as, “the seal of prophethood.” This encounter represents Islam as the corrective missing puzzle piece
Burns, Thomas J. "Islam." Religion and Society. OU Campus' Dale Hall, Norman. 14 Apr. 2014. Lecture.
Islam began in Arabia during the seventh century common era. Islam is the youngest of all monotheistic religions of the western world and despite its later development after Judaism and Christianity, there are nearly one billion believers in existence today. This makes Islam the third largest religion in the world today. Generally, there are many misconceptions about the religion of Islam today. To understand the Islamic religion, one must first understand the story of the prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him (c. 570-632). His prophecy was so influential that he was able to change the history of the world within twenty-three years, and his message still continues to spread throughout the world today.
Islam is a religion that is based on the submission oneself to the will of God, who is called Allah. Muslims are the people believe in that, regardless of their culture, background or ethnicity. It is believed that God’s prophets brought a message for the people to worship one God without intermediaries and that prophet Muhammad was the end of G...
Islam has its origin starting in the 7th century. It is now one of the largest religions and is still gaining followers in many parts of the world. As claimed by many Muslims, Islam contains the truth and is the religion that brings life. The most authoritative book of the Islamic faith is the Quran. It contains the words of Allah and his commandments that help to guide people in their journey of faith. By reading the Quran, one would be able to understand more about Islam and it practices.
Muslim, ever wonder what this word really means? Who is classified as Muslim? Someone that is Muslim is not a terrorist, nor a bad person. They are humans. Someone that is a Muslim only has an Islamic belief. This word originated in Arabia where this whole culture developed (BBC “Islam”). Islam followers, or Muslims, were introduced to their culture from the Prophet Muhammad (BBC “Islam”). The word Islam comes up very often, but who knows what it means? It is said to be the “submission to the will of God (BBC “Islam”).” Majority of the U.S. population today see Muslims as bad people only because a certain group attacked the United States. We, as a whole, discriminate today towards Muslims and any human with an Islamic background.