Islam: A Religion and Culture
explanatory Essay
1620 words
Islam: A Religion and Culture
Islam is one of the oldest religions in history dating back to about 600 AD. It began when a man named Muhammad heard a voice from the heavens instructing him to proclaim the word of god. Currently there are over 800 million followers of the Muslim religion. The main text of the religion is the Quran which is said to be the word of God, or Allah as called in Muslim. Within the Quran, The five pillars of Islam are proclaimed along with many other concepts very unique to the Muslim religion. Prayer is a very important aspect of Islam as well. Islam has a long history of invention, heritage, and world imperialism that must be understood to completely identify with the concepts of the religion and culture.
In 570 AD, Muhammad was born into one of many feuding Arabian clans. Muhammad was not happy with the religion of idol worship of which he lived. At the age of forty years he experienced a vision of the angel Gabriel who told him to proclaim the word of Allah. He began to have more visions and heard voices until he sought refuge by journeying into the mountains of Hira in 610 AD. Muhammad was told he was the last prophet of Islam and that there had been many prophets before him. Muslims believe that God sent other prophets besides Muhammad, including Jesus, Abraham, and Moses but Muhammad was that last and greatest prophet. He began by telling his immediate family and clan of his experiences as the belief was
spread through the clan. Many merchants and others did not agree with the ideas of Muhammad. They began persecuting Muhammad, and soon after his immediate family died in Mecca, He was caste out along with his followers. Muhammad made his way to the city of Medina where his followers b...
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...o to all efforts to destroy it. These radical Muslims give the rest of the Islamic culture a
bad name and are frowned on by Islam. It is argued that peace will never fully come to the Middle East.
From the moment Islam was started it has never stopped growing, changing, and leaving its mark on the world. Islam has had an everlasting effect on culture throughout the world in areas of architecture and art. The Mogul empire was a perfect example of one of the most powerful empires in history. The Quran has become one of the most influential religious texts in history as it is interpreted in so many different ways. Islamic Traditions are practiced all over the world by millions of followers. Islam is the second largest religion in the world and is fast growing only behind Christianity. The history and culture that the religion of Islam has left is unimaginable.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that islam is one of the oldest religions in history dating back to about 600 ad. it began when muhammad heard a voice from the heavens instructing him to proclaim the word of god
- Explains that muhammad was born into one of many feuding arabian clans. he experienced a vision of the angel gabriel who told him to proclaim the word of allah.
- Describes how muhammad was casted out of mecca, where his followers formed the first collection of followers of islam.
- Explains that the quran is a compilation of rules, poetry, beliefs, and meanings of islam. righteousness is explained as taking verses to heart rather than empty readings and routine.
- Explains that islam proclaims there is only one true religion and that no other is right. the concept of original sin is not prevalent in islam.
- Explains that the five pillars of islam are the main concept of faith within the quran and are followed by all true muslim followers.
- Explains the three pillars of islam: fasting during ramadan, giving alms to the poor, and redistributing wealth. each muslim must make a pilgrimage to mecca.
- Explains that islam has existed one of the most powerful empires of domination in all of history, sought with imperialism, innovation, and culture.
- Explains that the taj mahal is one of the most famous islamic palaces constructed in india by the mogul emperor shah jahan.
- Explains that islam has been divided into a few different schools of islam based on certain translations, rules, and interpretation of the quran.
- Argues that peace will never fully come to the middle east. the mogul empire was a perfect example of one of the most powerful empires in history.
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- Muslims and the Religion of Islamexplanatory essayFor my paper I decided to choose the religion of Islam. I decided to pick this religion because of its fast growing rate. It is also different from what I am used to growing up with, so I was interested in learning more. I had learned some basic facts after the 9/11 event, but the Muslim religion and culture was still a mystery to me. Picking this topic has helped me learn more about Muslims and will help me better relate to them in my future work.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that they chose the religion of islam for their paper because of its fast-growing rate and because it is different from what they are used to growing up with.
- Explains that islam is the religion for about a fifth of the world's population. it is full of peace, mercy, and forgiveness.
- Explains the five pillars of islam: shahada, salat, giving, swam, pilgrimage, and hajj.
- Opines that learning about islam has made them learn a lot about muslims and their lifestyle. they expect that they will encounter muslims in their working experience.
- Explains that muslims believe in one unique god, who they call allah. they believe that allah created angels who then delivered allah’s revelations to the prophets.
- Explains that prayer is one of the most basic and important parts of a muslim's daily life.
- Explains that some public schools are having a difficult time deciding whether or not to make accommodations because of the separation of church and state issue.
1063 wordsRead More - Islam: Its History, Sects, and Pillarsexplanatory essayIslam 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.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that islam is a monotheistic and abrahamic religion alongside judaism and christianity. muhammad spread islam to the scattered tribes of arabia by becoming the leader of yathrib.
- Explains that islam has a deep history, beginning with ideas originating before muhammad and spanning to the present day.
- Explains how muhammad's visions led to the completion of the qur'an with 114 surahs. muhammad was brought to medina by the angel gabriel to pray with the other profits of islam.
- Explains that sunni muslims believe that abu bakr, the father of muhammad’s wife aisha, was the rightful successor to muhammad because of his successful election by shura.
- Explains that the hanafi school is the most accepted school in the west but is opposed by more traditionalist schools. the hanbali is a fundamentalist school that abandons the use of ijma and only uses the hadith when the qur’an does not provide answers.
- Explains that shia muslims believe that ali, muhammad's cousin, and his lineage were divinely ordained to be muhammad’s successors.
- Explains that when the twelfth imam returns, he will lead the righteous into battle against evil and rule over the world in a period of peace.
- Explains the five pillars of islam, which are to testify and truly believe that there is no god but allah and muhammad is his prophet.
- Explains the second pillar of islam, which is canonical prayer. muslims are expected to pray when they awake, when the sun is overhead, at sunset, and before going to bed.
- Explains that the qur'an emphasizes helping the poor in addition to keeping this help discreet as to not draw attention to the giver.
- Explains that ramadan is a moving target due to the way that the muslim calendar is structured. they cannot eat, drink, smoke, or have sex until the sun sets.
- Explains that the qur'an permits muslims a special large breakfast called suhur to be eaten before sunrise to help them last through the day. the fast was adopted from christianity and judaism and was done to show that muslims were just as god-fearing
- Explains that the hajj is a pilgrimage every muslim must take to mecca at least once during their lifetime if they are able during the twelfth month of the muslim calendar.
- Explains that the muslims assemble on the mount of mercy, where a prayer ritual is performed, and then move back to mina and the stone pillar that represents satan. ceremonies culminate in the feast of the sacrifices.
- Explains smith, huston, the illustrated world's religions: a guide to our wisdom traditions.
- Explains that burns, thomas j. "islam." religion and society. ou campus' dale hall, norman.
- Explains the difference between shia and sunni muslims.
2993 wordsRead More - Islam: The Rich Culture of the Middle Eastexplanatory essayWith 1.5 billion followers worldwide, the religion of Islam is the second most popular religion over the entire globe, and follows a strict set of rules derived from the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, a messenger of God, or Allah. Founded in 622 C.E. (also known as A.D.) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Islam is a strictly monotheistic religion that drew inspiration from earlier religions like Christianity and Judaism. It is divided into three different sections- the Sunni, Shi’a and Sufi sects. The Qur’an is the holy book of Islam, and is considered the unaltered word of Allah. All followers of Islam adhere to many high standards of living and daily practices meant to better their lives like The Twelve Imams, among others. Islam brings together many different aspects of peaceful and devoted living that bring together the billions of followers to one family.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the three different sects of islam are the sunni, shi'a, and sufi. they all have similar beliefs, but vary in theological and legal areas.
- Explains that the five pillars of islam are meant to unify all muslims and are practiced on a regular basis.
- Explains that the fourth pillar of fasting during ramadan commemorates the time of the year that god began giving wisdom and revelations to muhammad.
- Explains that islam is a monotheistic religion that drew inspiration from earlier religions like christianity and judaism. the qur'an is the official book of islam and is meant to be read aloud to help the reader connect with all that is islam.
- Explains that fast facts on islam – religionfacts.
952 wordsRead More - Islamic Faith and Cultureanalytical essayIslam In recent modern times, the Islamic faith and culture has been scarred by bad publicity and criticism worldwide concerning terrorism, fanaticism, and the treatment of women. All these issues have existed in most religions throughout time, but the treatment of women is different in which most other cultures and religions have minimized the issues and Islam, under its attempts to also end it, has failed to create a society in which the treatment of women is equal to that of men. The treatment of women, beginning from the time when they are born, to the time of their marriage, to the moment of their death, has not been equal to that of men despite the actions taken to end the injustice. The Islamic faith rose during the life of Muhammad the Prophet (570 - 632 C.E.) who was born in Mecca, an area that was mostly Jewish, Christian, and Zoroastrian. At the age of 40, during a religious retreat at Mount Hira, he had a revelation in which the angel Gabriel spoke to him.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how muhammad taught about equality in marriage and everyday life. he wanted women and men to treat themselves equally without being considered more or less.
- Analyzes how the islamic faith and culture has been scarred by bad publicity and criticism regarding terrorism, fanaticism, and the treatment of women.
- Analyzes how muhammad's teachings may have led to men thinking that it was right for them to mistreat women and oppress them. arabs practiced female infanticide before the writing of the qur'an.
- Explains that the killing of female children is comparable to that in other eastern cultures such as china where the governments regulations led to it.
- Opines that polygamy is a good practice because it allows men to be committed to all his wives and children.
892 wordsRead More - Islam Essayexplanatory essayIslam 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.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that islam originated in the seventeenth century by an arabian prophet called muhammad in mecca, saudi arabia.
- Explains that muhammad is known as the praised one. his mother heard an angelic voice while pregnant and he was born covered in light.
- Explains that quran is the uncreated word of god which is given through muhammad.
- Describes the contributions that islam gave to the world in educational basis, including geometry, algebra, geography, physics, trigonometry, sine and tangent, and camera obscura.
- Explains that islam and western civilizations are related with the feature of human rights. they believe that all humans are created by god and all are equal.
- Explains that muhammad's fiftieth year was the year of sorrows due to the loss of his wife khadijah and his caring uncle.
- Explains that the changes brought by the modern islam have taken the privilege and prestige of the old islam.
1417 wordsRead More - Inside Islamexplanatory essayReligion 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.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that religion is an important factor in many lives in today's society. islam is a western religion that is taken very seriously by many.
- Explains that islam began in arabia around 570 c.e. when a prophet was born in makkah, or mecca.
- Explains that the qur’an is an essential piece of the islamic religion as it is the word of god, and the hadith is a collection of sayings of muhammad.
- Explains the belief in judgment day, which is also called yawm al-qiyama, is the day that people are judged for their actions within life. the divine decree refers to the idea that good and bad things will happen in life, but it all depends on the choices that we make.
- Explains the six core beliefs of islamic religion and the pillars of islam, which are also called arkan.
- Explains that muhammad united many areas in arabia and established a religious community. the prophet migrated to makkah and forgave all of his enemies.
- Explains that jihad refers to three different kinds of struggle, which are best described as the struggle with the muslim faith, the issue of trying to establish a muslim community and the process of defending islam.
1558 wordsRead More - The Spread of Islamexplanatory essayIslam is a major world religion. Its origin can be traced back to 610 CE in Arabia. The basis of this religion is the revelations to the prophet Mohammad. Dissatisfied with his life, he traveled to deserts, hills, and the wilderness surrounding Mecca, where he lived, to meditate and reflect. He became a new man through his revelations, which many of his followers believe Allah transmitted to him through his angel Gabriel. Islam was originally an Arab religion, but many different beliefs and practices were added to it, making it extremely popular and aiding in its rapid spread. This new religion spread to many different areas surrounding Arabia, both under Mohammad and after his death. The Muslim Empire grew to encompass Spain and the Eastern Roman Empire as well Persia and Africa. Many different practices and methods were used to spread Islam. The religion itself was appealing to, in addition to the inhabitants of Arabia, other people in the surrounding areas because of its distinct religious beliefs and practices, such as the five pillars, as well as the humility and prayerfulness of the Islamic people. They fought cruel, vicious wars with their enemies. Many different things motivated the warriors to expand, but above all, the riches they would gain from the people of the Fertile Crescent encouraged them to expand.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that islam is a major world religion and its origin can be traced back to 610 ce in arabia.
- Explains that islamic civilization began in arabia, but spread to many areas in the proximity of the peninsula. the muslim warriors were extremely courageous, and their religious zeal aided in conquests of many empires surrounding arabia.
- Explains that mohammed offered alternatives to leaders of christian tribes. if they obeyed the lord and mohammed, the muslim armies would defend them.
- Explains that the quran offers specific instructions for its followers which pertain to conversions of others and the results of believing in it.
- Explains that the quran and mohammed's example encouraged expansion and battles with people of other faiths. the motivation for expansion was the desire for the riches of civilized regions of the fertile crescent
- Explains that the islamic religion contained many beliefs and practices that were appealing to others. the five pillars provided the basis for religious unity.
813 wordsRead More - understanding muslim culturecomparative essayMany nurses treat each patient as they want to be treated and while this is the golden rule it is not always the best course of action when working with those who are of a different culture or faith. It is important to be open-minded and unafraid to explore our own feelings, biases, and correct misunderstandings to provide the best care possible. The following information is given to open an eye to the culture of Islam, an overview of the basic pillars and behaviors a nurse or medical staff could see or hear. When those in the healthcare setting have a good basic understanding of a culture it will become easier to treat the person as a whole, and to understand how to care for the patient and the family.
In this essay, the author
- Advises nurses to be open-minded and unafraid to explore their own feelings, biases, and correct misunderstandings to provide the best care possible.
- Explains that the religion of islam was revealed to muhammad ibn abdullah, who is known as the prophet muhammad.
- Cites queensland health and islamic council of queensland (2011). health care providers’ handbook on muslim patients.
- Advises that if possible, a same-sex family member of the patient will assist the ill in personal care such as washing and toileting care.
814 wordsRead More - The Islam Religion in the Worldexplanatory essayIslam is a fastest growing religion in the world. Islam in legislations aims to create a balanced human being in all its aspects, psychological and spiritual and physical. Islam is one of the religions; it is the second religion in the world in terms of the number of followers after Christianity. The people should know the moralities of Islam. In my research I would focus on Prophet Mohammed, meaning of Islam and women in Islam.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that islam is the fastest growing religion in the world and aims to create a balanced human being in all its aspects.
- Explains that prophet muhammad was born in 570 a.d. in mecca. he is a teacher for muslims people after the holy quran.
- Explains that muslims believe god is just one and worship of a just god. islam is navigable by quran and sunnah.
- Explains that islam cares about women's rights and life. according to nabulsi, quran means for all the verses, and sunnah in all its details, confirms that women are equal to men
- Explains that islam is the last religion and propagates quickly. it respects the women and gives them rights like men. prophet mohammed, meaning of islam and women in islam are three main points for their research.
841 wordsRead More - Shia and Sunni Muslims in Iraqexplanatory essayIslam started in the 7th century C.E. when the Prophet Muhammad received revelations from God. Originated in Mecca and Medina, now present day Saudi Arabia, Islam quickly became a very prominent religion because “Muhammad himself had successfully establish the new faith through the conversion and conquest of those who stood against him” (World History Project 2002). After Muhammad’s death in 632, the expansion of Islam continued at an even faster pace because of the Muslim’s dedication to jihad, or “holy war,” which calls for the protection of Islam and the converting of non-believers. Originally jihad did not call for the violent conquest and conversion of non-Muslims, but some adherent’s interpretation of the Quran allowed them to do so. As a result, Islam soon spread throughout the Arabian peninsula.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the intrafaith religious conflict between shia and sunni muslims in iraq has only been exacerbated during the last 1300 years.
- Explains that islam began in the 7th century c.e. when the prophet muhammad received revelations from god. islam spread throughout the arabian peninsula after muhammad's death in 632.
- Explains that islam split into two sects, the shia and the sunni, because of a political disagreement on who was to be muhammad’s successor when he died.
- Explains that shia and sunni are locked in perpetual hostility due to their differing views and beliefs.
- Analyzes how the homogenizing of iraqi neighborhoods led to a deteriorating relationship between shia and sunni muslims.
- Explains that the shia and sunni sects resort to violence because the quran dictates that violence is necessary against nonbelievers for the sake of islam.
- Explains that suicide bombing is a common form of violence, and that the quran encourages it.
- Explains that there are few verses of tolerance and peace to abrogate or even balance out the many that call for nonbelievers to be fought and subdued until they either accept humiliation or convert to islam.
- Opines that segregated neighborhoods make the perceived differences between shia and sunni sects more apparent. easing the economic disparities will bridge the gap.
- Explains that the quran advocates more violent means of settling conflicts and violent retaliation towards violence. since violence is intertwined with their religion, it may be difficult to end it.
1298 wordsRead More